AN: Thank you for your reviews. The gratutious sex scene was included for a upcoming scene in this instalment. Hope you enjoy

Chapter 4: Sarah Fools Chuck

Chuck's main job was as a lead programmer on the Roark Intersect project, however a directive from the top of Roark Instruments, he also had to do major corporate events like trade shows. That means that every once in a while he has to represent the company to give talks on the new software and hardware that Roark Instruments released. Today he had a series of presentations at a trade show in Culver City.

It was a real change on routine for him to do these trade fairs because it took him away from his job, but Chuck realized that it may be good to do once in a while to help him refocus away from Intersect problems. And he was glad to see his childhood friend, Morgan Grimes from the Buy More Corporation, his company was also a major exhibitor at the fair.

"Dude, where were you last night? You up and disappeared. Ellie was wondering what happened to you." Morgan had honed in on Chuck as soon as he stepped through the doors and made a beeline toward his friend.

"Oh, well, I met someone and one thing led to another," Chuck answered with a sheepish grin.

"You nailed that cute brunette?" he gave Chuck a slap on the back, "Congratulations. Anyways, great party as always. Ellie really outdid herself. I tried to show my appreciation, but she just hustled me out of the courtyard."

As the two friends chatted, they made their way to the location where the Buy More and Roark exhibits were. The two companies had adjoining sites so throughout the day the friends would roamed across each other's site. Morgan always made sure to listen as Chuck gave his presentations and answer questions from the audience. Chuck after fielding questions, would direct interested buyers to Morgan's Buy More counter. The Buy More was offering special trade discounts and Morgan would take commissions from the goods he sold. Chuck didn't mind if his buddy made thousands in commissions, he like to help his friends get ahead.

Across town the Casa Bartowski was hosting some uninvited guests, Sarah and Bryce had entered via the bedroom window that Chuck normally leaves slightly opened. They move quickly and quietly checking to see if anyone in home. The apartment was still and after a thorough search they had the place to themselves.

"There's his PC, check if he opened my Email?"

Sarah reached around the back of the machine and disconnected the Wifi. Just in case Chuck machine sends a signal to its owner warning him someone is accessing his files. After booting the machine up she clicked the icon for Chuck's emails. The two spies could see that Bryce's email was still unopened.

"He hasn't opened it!" she said.

"At least he didn't delete it" was Bryce's reply

"Just how big of falling out did you two have?"

"It's a need to know!"

Sarah looked at the whiteboard Chuck had mounted in his room, it was a covered in Post-it notes and there was one for today. "Trade fair presentations" 9 til 2.

Both of the spies rifled through some of Chuck's stuff to get some insight into his character. "I'm not sure how much this guy makes, but I think his wardrobe desperately needs updating." Sarah smirked at Bryce's comment, Bryce was a stylish dresser when he wasn't in his spy kit.

Bryce was looking through Chuck's bedside drawers. His search revealed a drawer full of comics and some prescription creams, over the counter painkillers and an opened packet of condoms. As Bryce checked through the comics, his pulled one out and shoved it into his back pocket.

"Bryce! What are you doing?"

"Just taking back what is rightfully mine. I bought this comic at Stanford years ago. I hadn't seen it since Chuck left. Now I know he pinched it!"

"Bryce, Grow up!"

Bryce looked at her with a hurt look then gave her a wink.

"So why do we want this guy?"

"The Omaha Project."

Bryce let that comment sink in. Sarah looked at him in bewilderment.

"You know why we haven't got the project to succeed, it's because none of the candidates could meet the standard required for it. The fault with this project is that you need a candidate with an unbelievable level of data retention."

"But, that level requires a candidate with mythical qualities."

"Chuck Bartowski has those mythical qualities. Bartowski not only meet the standard he raised the bar, so to speak. He once betrayed me so I erased his records from Sandford, CIA didn't know about him but I do."

"Well he better be worth it."

"He will be Sarah, he will be."

Sarah left Bryce to catch some sort of computer presentation. She was already annoyed with her partner as she drove out of the parking lot and onto the freeway.

Chuck was ending his presentation on the latest RIO compatible software to a small crowd who had gathered around the Roark Instruments podium.

"So if there are no more questions, I'll let you all go and experience the trade fair. I'll be doing the same presentation every hour, If you are interested in buying any of the equipment discussed from my presentation then make your way over to my good friend Morgan Grimes of the Buy More who is offered huge trade fair discounts. So if there is nothing more else you want me to discuss enjoy the rest of your day."

There was no questions forthcoming, the crowd dispersed, many headed over to the Buy more counter where Morgan was waiting. About twenty minutes later, Chuck and Morgan were alone at Morgan's counter.

"Is there any news on the Roark 7? That's got to be the one that will take the lead in laptop speed and performance ahead of Microsoft and Apple."

"Morgan, that's not going to be out until late next year, we're still in design and developing stage. Testing is still months away."

"Are you working on it?"

"Not my department!" Chucked laughed.

A smirk made its way to Chuck's face. If only you knew. "Well, I am working on a highly advanced computer that is hopefully going to have an effect on the world. But for the Roark 7 itself, I'm mostly working on some software stuff. However, I can't say much else about my work. Sorry buddy, I have to stay vague, it's highly classified. Or else some corporate spy might find out what we're doing."

"Alright, you don't have to be all cloak and dagger about it. Whoa, it's Vicki Vale." Morgan saw her approach, she was stunningly beautiful and Morgan suddenly lost the ability to speak.

"Vicki Vale, Vicki Vale, Vickity Vickity Vicki Vale-" Chuck was too busy reorganising his stuff for the next presentation to see the beautiful blonde appear in front of him. Then he saw her. "Uh, hi."

"I hope I wasn't interrupting anything." Sarah gave Chuck a smile that sent his brain into neutral and his heart pounding.

"Ah, no. That was from Batman." Morgan finding the ability to speak again.

"And that's supposed to make it better?"

"Um, hi. I'm Morgan," he said standing as tall as he could. "And my tall mute friend here is Chuck."

"Wow, I didn't know people still named their kids Chuck and Morgan."

"Could be worst. They could have named me Bryce or Sam." Morgan climed back "They are both tri-hard names, like Carina and Sarah if you were a girl."

"And you are-" Chuck finally managed to engage his tongue, cut back in.

"Sarah."

Chuck and Morgan looked at each other and Morgan began to physically strink. They didn't know whether to laugh or not. Was she joking and got one on them or was she really was a Sarah.

"Well, Sarah," Chuck started trying to regain face and not to giggle at Morgan's discomfort, "Was there anything you wanted to know about the software upgrades for the R6 Alpha?"

Getting asked a tech question disengaged her tongue. Then Chuck thought he recognised her.

"Were you part of a meeting I cancelled the other day?"

Busted, quick think fast.

"Yes, that was me. It is a trade fair and I am in the industry. What are you doing here?"

"Well if you had got here earlier you would have seen my presentation on the R6 Alpha."

"I'm sorry I missed it."

"Well, I'm doing another presentation on the hour."

There was a slight pause as all three looked at one another, when the pause started to become uncomfortable Sarah broke the ice.

"Look Chuck, I really want you to have a look at our proposal, just the outline, I'll even throw in dinner. Can we do dinner tonight? That is, if you're free."

"Yes, he is! He's totally free!" Morgan chipped in.

Chuck turned back to her. "Apparently, I'm totally free."

"Great, you can pick me up at seven at my hotel!" handing him her business card, while keeping eye contact with Chuck.

"Okay, seven o'clock it is."

"Feast or famine," Chuck said to Morgan as they watched Sarah walk away and disappear into the trade fair crowd.

Chuck would have to make sure that any traces of Cheryl's scent from last night was not on him when he goes to pick this beautiful blond woman up.

After his last presentation of the day he decided to catch up with the latest developments back at work. Chuck walked into his office at Roark Instruments and was not surprised when he found out that Rodney Barnes was away ill. It was a familiar pattern, Rodney always took time off when Chuck wasn't in the office.

He logged on and started reviewing the latest data files that his program testers had created. He could hear that one of his staff was big mouthing himself again, what's with that guy, can't we all get along. There were other voices now and the voices were getting louder.

He was going to have to put a stop to it. He left his office and approached the noise. Harry Tang was the main culprit, it was always Harry Tang. Harry was an excitable Korean and he had small man syndrome, he would never back down even when he was proven wrong, which was most of the time.

"Haven't you guys got work to do? Tang, go get me a coffee!" Chuck barked.

Having Rodney away and spending most of the day at the trade fair there was little use for Chuck to stay late at work. Remembering that he had a dinner date with a beautiful woman put a smile on his face. I better get home to clean up in case I manage to get this one home for the night. He locked his office, walked past his co workers and headed out the door. He noticed that Tang had picked another argument but he wasn't going to break it up. He had a date of sorts and he didn't want to waste his energy on the office jerk.

"So yeah I live with my sister and her boyfriend Captain Awesome," Chuck explained to her, continuing to give details about his life to the secret agent.

"No," Sarah laughed, finding the nickname quite amusing.

"It's true though," he said, merriment in his eyes and a pleased look at getting her to laugh.

If only he knew what a real achievement that was. "So wait, wait, you call him Captain Awesome?"

"Yeah wait till you meet him," he told her, as he noticed her smile widened. "Everything he does is awesome; climbing mountains, jumping out of planes… flossing."

She laughed again at his description of his sister's boyfriend. "That's funny," she couldn't help but comment.

Chuck smiled to himself, glad to see that his date seemed to be enjoying herself. "Well I'm a funny guy," he stated with humour in his voice.

"Clearly...which is good, 'cause I am not funny." Sarah said as she shook her head.

"Is that your big secret, by the way? Cause I'm sitting here, trying to figure out what's wrong with you?"

"Oh, plenty. Believe me."

"And I was thinking, maybe she's a cannibal or she's really not that funny. And I was pulling for cannibal 'cause I never met one before."

"Uh, not a cannibal. But I just did come out of a long relationship so I may come with baggage."

"Well, I could be your very own baggage handler!" Chuck couldn't believe he just said that.

Sarah was laughing when she asked, "So, what about you? What skeletons do you have in your closet? Any secrets? Any women?"

"Uh, yeah, yeah. Actually, back in college, there was someone, but that's all over with now. And her restraining orders are very specific!" he laughs and Sarah laughs along with the joke.

"Ah hum."

Chuck and Sarah both look up to see a pissed off brunette standing by their table.

"Cheryl?" Chuck said out of surprise.

"You said you were gonna call. I thought you and I had something going!"

Chuck was dumbfounded, what were the chances of being spied at a restaurant by a woman you had casual sex with just the night before? He didn't know how to handle this; he passed a quick look at Sarah then back to Cheryl before finding something interesting on the table to look at. Cheryl realising she was intruding and was not going to get a satisfactory answer out of Chuck walked off in a huff.

When she was gone and out of earshot Sarah replied "Wow; you have your very own stalker!"

Chuck feeling embarrassed sat quietly sipping on his drink.

After a pause Chuck realised he had to save this date before it spiralled out of control and he ended up crashed and burned. Think of a safe topic.

"So, do you like music?"

"I guess."

"You guess? What's your favorite band?"

Chuck was waiting for a response by one wasn't coming from Sarah as she was unable to answer his question. She took a slip of her drink then apologised "God, I am not funny, I don't listen to music. This must be your worst date ever, right."

"Chuck? I was waiting for you to say no."

"Sorry, sorry, I kind a zoned out there for a second. No, no, no, no. God, no. I, uh, I've had, I've had much, much worse, uh, much worse dates. I'm just glad you haven't tried to sell me some time share or insurance."

"I'm not trying to sell you anything!"

"Woo, that's a relief, Roark takes care of his employees, has a generous pension plan, so I don't need to worry that far into the future."

"I don't date all that much." She said.

"You're kidding. A beautiful girl like you staying home on Saturday night?"

"Not many men have the nerve to ask me out, you didn't, I asked you if you remember."

"That's right, I don't date much either, I'm usually too involved with work."

They looked at each other and both took a sip from their drinks.

"So how come you are in business with Bryce? You know the guy is a complete tool!"

"Wow. You really don't like him do you."

"He got me kicked out of Stanford. He set me up. Right at the end of my final year."

"So did you ever complete your degree?"

"I did. At Berkeley."

"Good for you. Now I would like you to have a quick look at our proposal." With that comment she pulled a document out of her handbag. She handed it to Chuck and as a matter of courtesy he had a glancing look through it.

"You know," she said, "There is a much more detailed document in an Email Bryce sent you."

"So that is what he sent me on my private Email."

"Have you looked at it?" knowing that he hadn't.

"No. But it is on my to do list when I get home." He said smiling at her.

"I hope you bed sheets are clean!"

Chuck's jaw dropped, "You're joking aren't you?"

"Maybe, maybe not." Sarah flirted at him whilst she took a sip from her drink.

The terrible troll raises it's sword. Great, how does that go again?"

Chuck pondered his hero satchel for a couple of moments before coming to the answer. He typed in 'Attack with nasty knife.'

Sarah knew what would happen so she turned her head away.

After entering his answer, images started to bombard his brain from the computer screen.

Bryce got an incoming call, it was Sarah at the other end of the line.

"I've got him to open the email. Yes he has downloaded it. No he not conscious at the moment, he's flat on the floor."

"How did you get him to do it?"

"I told you I was the best in the business. Now do you believe me?"

"Sorry Chuck, love may be love but espionage is espionage." She hurriedly undressed him down to his underpants before dragging him onto the bed. She was thankful that Chuck was slim. After reaching into his bedside drawers she pulled out his box of condoms and removed two of them. "You really are quite cute," she muttered as she tore open both of the packets, shoving the flimsy latex in her pocket and leaving the wrappers on the drawers.

She retrieved a small bottle of perfume from her bag and sprayed it around the bed. Finally she pulled the covers up; satisfied with her trickery, she gathered her things and left Chuck sleeping.

It wasn't until she got to the car park when she realised her mistake, she had no car, Chuck picked her up and it was his car that got them around for the evening. She could either hail a cab or get Bryce to give her a lift, she chose the latter.

Bryce turned up ten minutes later and found Sarah standing by the kerb. He pulled up and Sarah got in the passenger side, Bryce had the heater on which Sarah was grateful.

"How you go?"

"Great. He'll wake up thinking we had sex last night."

"And did you?"

"If we did, I'd be warmly snuggled up in bed with him not waiting outside in the cold for you to get me."

As professional as always, Bryce thought of his partner and he pulled a sly grin.

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