This chapter has been slightly altered/ rewritten.

"Thanks for the save. That athletic display of yours was quite impressive." Sarah said, amazed. Granted, she was one of the CIA's top spies and could do a lot of crazy things civilians would find ridiculous. But for someone like Chuck – a guy she remembered as the skinny and somewhat frail sort when they first met – that manoeuvre was incredible. Heck, even some of her fellow agents couldn't have done that on reflex.

Conflicting thoughts went through her mind as she took his appearance in once again. While he had kept his long unruly dark hair and unrefined fashion sense, he had clearly changed. During the time they spent at Harvard, his physical appearance left much to be desired; even so, she grew fond of him courtesy of his personality and moral strength. It was as close as she came to liking a guy back then. And now, given the transformation he had undergone since then... well, she had to admit he was really good looking.

He wore a pair of dark blue pants that accentuated his long legs and muscular thighs, alongside a wrinkled (yet form-fitting) white shirt with short sleeves, easily showing off his newfound broad shoulders and reasonably well-toned upper body. The innocence his expressive brown eyes sparkled with was replaced by a form of weariness. His toothy smile still seemed earnest and warm but his face now betrayed a worldly knowledge, which she didn't expect someone outside of her field to fully grasp.

"I guess... I've been working out for the past two years." Chuck scratched the back of his head with a sheepish look on his face.

If the Admiral discovers I've been using the Intersect in the open, I'll be in huge trouble.

"Sure seems like it." With a smile Sarah held her arms to the side. Chuck stood still and blinked, seemingly unsure about what to do. After staring at him for a couple of awkward seconds, she instead placed her hands on his shoulders.

"How have you been? You look... a bit distracted."

"I am Chuck Bartowski. Distracted is my middle name." Chuck laughed a bit. Acting cool didn't come naturally to him; he had always been more comfortable with self-deprecation. After all, going out like this was more like an exercise he needed to perform in order to try and reconnect with his origins. The guy he was before things went south at Stanford. It was too bad that he actually needed to make an effort to find common ground with his past life. Things had started getting better for a while when he started dating Lou, but one nasty fight in particular, she just left for a covert mission, not even bothering to provide any closure to the beautiful relationship they once had. And ever since then, he was left to his own devices once more. Narrowing his eyes in curiosity, he continued further.

"Look at you. I never imagined Sarah Walker from Harvard would attend a party where people drink alcohol. The last time we drank together you turned the brightest shade of green a human being may ever be in their life."

"In my defense, it was you who suggested I try tequila for the first time." Sarah responded with a slightly bashful smile. In her wildest dreams, she never imagined Chuck to be the one to embarrass her... Agent Walker during a conversation like that.

"John Harvard founded the Harvard Institute – your place of study – and you rewarded him by puking on his shoes." Chuck said in a jovial tone, feeling quite proud of accomplishing what he set out to do. What Ellie and Lou would have liked him to do. Enjoying himself at a club with a maybe-friend who may or may not have forgotten about him over five long years instead of spending the rest of his day reading books or doing full body workouts.

"We have grown up a lot since those days." Sarah remarked with a rather mischievous smile, playfully nudging him on the shoulders. "You definitely have."

"Well, I met this kickass woman a few years back. Even though she was a very private person who had trouble sharing personal stuff, she showed me kindness and believed in me when no one else did. And she taught me an important life-lesson: Things aren't always what they seem. Our fears can play tricks on us, making us afraid to change course, afraid to move on... but usually hidden behind our fears are second chances waiting to be seized. Second chances at life… at glory… at family… at love. And these opportunities don't come around every day. So when they do, we have to be brave, take a chance, and grab them while we can. Unfortunately, we only spent a very short time together. Even then, when I feel like everything is hopeless and gloomy, when I falter and make a mistake, it's the thought of her which picks me up and allows me to keep going." Chuck said with a small smile, his voice filled with nostalgia and – to a degree – longing.

Flashback (16 months ago)

Chuck panted as he fell on his knees with a loud thump, bringing his arms close to his chest. After taking a long breath, he charged towards the pretty brown-haired trainer with a staff in his hand.

Should I attack or defend?

His body carried him forward before he could consciously make a decision. His reflexes weren't something he could totally control yet.

Lou calmly and casually parried his attack with her own staff, causing both weapons to clash against the other with a mild clank. The former Nerd Herder immediately retaliated with a shift in his footwork, switching to a striking position, then lashed out with a vicious knee.

Unfortunately, that was dodged easily as well.

Chuck went on the defensive, quickly leaning back to avoid her retaliatory strike. He attacked the Lieutenant with an intent to break through her guard, going for her knee this time. The blow didn't connect with as much force as he wanted. He was still new to the whole Karate Kid thing and he quit kung fu a lot earlier than he should have.

Despite that, he knew enough to not expose his back during combat. That would be suicidal.

He struck out with a roundhouse kick. The Lieutenant avoided the blow with relative ease and rewarded Chuck with a hard strike on his torso, sending the former Nerd Herder crashing to the ground in a heap.

"Always remember to focus on the objective in a fight, Padawan. If you miss the beat for even a single moment, it could lead to your defeat." Lou stretched her arms with a yawn as she grabbed a bottle of orange juice.

"I get your point, Lady Obi Wan." Chuck let out a groan, wincing at the bruise forming underneath his sweatshirt where the Lieutenant had smacked him with the staff. "No offense, Lou. You hit quite hard."

Giggling in amusement, Lou walked towards Chuck with a towel in her hand and helped him get back on his feet.

"You always complain that I coddle you during training. I just did what you asked me to."

Chuck frowned, knowing Lou simply did what he asked of her. It was the only way for him to become a badass. To become a hero. To achieve greatness and be much better than that bastard Larkin ever was.

"I had no idea it was going to be like this."

"Well Chuck, now you know. It if helps, I was a sixth dan in judo even before joining the Marine Corps." She smiled playfully, ruffling his unruly hair.

Chuck sighed at hearing that. His shoulders slumped in defeat. Soon after physical training had started, his limits became apparent. No matter how hard he tried, he felt the jury was still out on his ability to surmount the gap between where he was and where he needed to be.

"Stop being a shithead, Bartowski." Lou reprimanded the young man. Chuck looked at her in confusion. "Moping never helps."

"It's hard not to. The only reason I got this job is because I have this computer in my head. Which I can't even use properly." Chuck grumbled.

Lou sighed. She preferred the geeky, over-eager, hyper-excited version of Chuck any day and he performed exceptionally well when it came to electronics and computers. He also had quite the aptitude for identifying gaps in intelligence, evaluating information from multiple sources, monitoring trends and interpreting events related to particular countries or issues. However, he still had some trouble catching up with the Federal Agent portion of his training and he wasn't taking it well.

"People mature and grow stronger at different rates, Chuck." Lou began in an encouraging tone, gently patting his shoulders. "Your circumstances are unique. There isn't anything you can do to change your situation. So you should focus on getting better and what you need to reach where you want to be."

"Easy for you to say, Lou." Chuck responded with a smile devoid of its usual warmth and humor. "Look at you. You are a kickass fighter and a highly decorated Federal Agent, respected by everyone in this agency. I am just a guy who fixed computers at the Buy More for $11 an hour. I thought I could be something more, that I could so something great with these abilities... but that just seems like a pipe dream now. Even with all these things going on for me, I will never be the guy."

"Will you please shut up, shithead?!" Lou reprimanded the young man harshly. She was getting really annoyed with Chuck's defeatist attitude. "Everyone secretly thinks they've figured out what their life is gonna be like, but what no one ever considers is that life has its own plans for you, whether you like them or not. And so you're left with a choice. You can either embrace the change and move forward, or fight it and be left behind. Besides, do you really think it's possible to learn how to fly without crashing a few times? You can't measure success or failure by comparing yourself with others. It makes you lose perspective. Makes you lose focus. When you lose focus, you get distracted from what you need in order to achieve greatness in your life."

Chuck nodded hesitantly. He could see where Lou was coming from. He had been comparing his life with those of Ellie and Devon... and to a lesser extent, what his life would have been like had he not been kicked out of Stanford. As should have been the case. Still, compared to where he was a year ago, he had made a lot of progress and he was getting better... at fighting... at using the Intersect... and perhaps... coming to terms with what happened at Stanford.

Maybe the Lieutenant was telling him the truth. Still, it would take more than that to change how he viewed himself.

"Let me be frank, Lou. I am without doubt the least suited person for these abilities." With a frown, Chuck stared at both of his arms. "Perhaps I am good with brainstorming and electronics, but that's my only saving grace. When I entered Stanford, I had this dream. Landing a six-figure job. Getting a girlfriend. Becoming successful in life, someone Ellie can be proud of. Am I ever going to get there? Will I ever have my own identity? Or am I destined to just be the son of Orion, with a supercomputer stuck inside my head?"

"What I can tell you for sure..." Lou said as she came closer to Chuck and placed a hand on his cheek, causing him to blush slightly, " ...is that as far as getting a girlfriend is concerned, you needn't worry."

"I don't understand," Chuck replied nervously, as Lou placed her other hand on his other cheek.

"'Cause she is standing right in front of you."

Flashback end

For the first time in her life, Sarah didn't know what to say or think. What Chuck said made her heart grow. Remaining blissfully unaware of the fact he wasn't exactly talking about the time they spent together at Harvard.

Holy crap! I never knew he thought about me that way. I think I'm blushing. She could only nod and look away from him shyly.

"Chuck, I am sorry..."

"Oh, don't be." Chuck interrupted her before she could talk further. She looked back at him with a smile. "You can never measure relationships by the passage of time, right? It would be totally unfair to do so. Whether it's for a month, a week or even a day... the depth and authenticity is what's truly important."

Sarah looked touched. "That's very astute of you," she said, clearing her throat. I never knew Chuck would turn out to be this cool five years on.

"Don't you think I am smart?" Chuck replied jokingly. Back at Harvard, she would have given him a snarky reply filled with dry humor. She gently grabbed his hand as he gave him a different kind of response.

"I... do. It's just... people should tell you that once in a while. It's the truth." She beamed at him with a thousand-megawatt smile which literally threatened to blind him.

Chuck couldn't help but get in a bit of a fluster at her praise. Sarah was really good looking, after all. So good looking that he actually felt intimidated in her presence... he needed to get a handle on things before he got overwhelmed.

"Umm... thanks. That was one hell of a compliment. It was nice meeting you, Sarah. Anyway, I won't bother you anymore. I should probably get lost before your boyfriend suddenly pops up and kicks my teeth in for talking to you." He didn't actually know if she had a boyfriend, but with her looks she was bound to have one. Or a girlfriend, if she swung that way. Perhaps he should just disengage from the conversation while he could, lest he make himself look like an even bigger idiot. Besides, it wasn't like she thought about him; she'd have at least sent him an email otherwise. Even a postcard would have worked. On second thought, she did trust him enough to mention being in a witness protection program of sorts, which may well explain the lack of contact.

Argh! Why did everything in his life have to be so damn complicated?

"I have been kinda having a good time since I got my degree back. I don't want to end it like that."

Even so, perhaps the only reason she even noticed him was that crazy Intersect-induced 'flipping over the table' manoeuvre he did. At least the random dash music-mad couple were good for something.

"I don't have a boyfriend, Chuck." She snapped at him with a dirty look, though Chuck could sense a bit of sadness and resentment mixed with pain in her eyes. She was a spy and people like her didn't really get a chance at having good or safe relationships.

Despite Brian's many attempts when they met during the Omaha Project, she kept on rebuffing his advances. Granted, he was a charming guy and a highly efficient spy, but after having the pleasure of knowing Chuck, one of the few people she considered worth saving apart from her parents, She had trouble connecting with anyone on a personal and emotional level like she did with him. However, as time passed and the CAT Squad broke up in the wake of the Augusto Gaez debacle, temptation and loneliness got better of her as she eventually gave into his flirtations, especially when they were asked to work as partners, starting a fling with him. Just when she was starting to consider the possibility of a real relationship with him, the bastard had the audacity to go rogue and disappear. And only then she managed to learn that bastard was none other than the traitorous scumbag who messed with her friend's life all those years ago.

Needless to say, being reminded of that, especially by the very same friend, wasn't exactly most pleasant experience of her life.

"Not anymore. Because he dumped me four months ago."

"I had no idea." Chuck replied in a nervous timbre. Something about her scowl put him off more than it should have. "Ugh... sorry Sarah. I think you shouldn't get upset over some douchebag. You're too pretty and awesome for that. I mean... you are pretty and you are awesome... boy I should just shut up now."

Great! I end up acting like a gassed-up clown and kill the mood. Who the hell did I think I was? Chatting with supermodel types at parties like Cole Barker is totally not my thing. I really don't know how I survived that particular week at Harvard.

Her expression immediately softened. Perhaps she was that good at reading people or he just looked pathetic enough for her let him off. Geez. Women were too hard for him to understand. He really wished Orion put something inside the Intersect to help him in that regard.

"I really needed to hear that." She giggled in amusement, taking a moment to figure out what she should do next. "Umm... thanks Chuck."

"No problemo Sarah. I have always been an articulate schmuck." Chuck grinned, feeling relieved that damage control was finally complete and he didn't come off as a total idiot like he feared. However, he was definitely caught off guard when she gave him a hug. Chuck shrugged his shoulders and eventually hugged her back, taking in the scent of her lavender conditioner. Not only she is pretty, she smells pretty too... Get it together, Charles. She is way out of your league.

After a moment, Sarah parted the hug. She started feeling better about herself – despite all the mishaps regarding her personal and professional life – all thanks to the young man standing in front of her.

She then turned to him with a mischievous glint in her eyes, whispering closely in his ears, "Finish up your drink. I want to dance."

Someone shoot me now. This cannot be happening.

"I... am not really good at... that sort of stuff."

"Don't worry Chuck. All you have do is follow my lead." She just smiled at him and motioned to his beer.

Sighing, he brought the bottle to his lips and finished it. He felt a bit content and all his nervousness soon turned into excitement.

Despite a shaky start and dealing with a crappy boss at work, his day was ending very positively, in his opinion.

"Sure. Why not?" He said before taking her hand.

...xxxxx...xxxxxxx...

At a secret facility which belonged to the Department of Naval Intelligence, Admiral Michael Kernan and General Diane Beckman – Directors of the NGA and NSA respectively – were reviewing the information presented to them by Chief Analyst Robert "Robb" Williams and NSA field agent Major John Casey. It was the usual friendly chit chat between two extremely smart and driven individuals, trying to deal with the unusual problem they had on their hands. Michael expressed his reservations about conducting the meeting in Director Graham's absence. Beckman, in contrast, was reluctant to trust the CIA since it was Agent Anderson – one of their operatives – who stole the Intersect and downloaded it onto that damned PDA, which despite their best efforts they could not access. At this rate, the whole Intersect operation was going to be a huge failure and the resulting fallout (which not even the CIA and NSA directors could avoid) would be widespread. Beckman hoped that her friend could offer some helpful advice on how to move forward from this fiasco.

"First of all, you made a mistake by killing Agent Anderson. If you had captured him instead, we wouldn't be in this much trouble." Michael replied in a nonchalant manner. "Thanks to Rambo here, we are now this close to losing the Intersect."

"No. You have a dead traitor. That's a gold star in my book. Besides, he wasn't someone you can capture easily." John Casey responded without a care in the world.

"Any update on the PDA we recovered from Anderson?" Michael turned his focus on Robert, the lean tech guy in his late 50s.

"It has a built in self-destruct mechanism which we can't seem to override, despite our best efforts." Robert replied in a regretful tone.

"How much time do we have?" Beckman asked impatiently.

"Anywhere between 7 and 14 days. Anderson utilized a highly classified and very effective compression algorithm. We don't know the exact nature or origins of the program but after spending nearly a month analyzing it, we can say it was developed by a very gifted inventor and programmer. Said algorithm has the ability to compress any large database and video files by a factor of 90 million, converting them into a concentrated digital sphere of information. In addition, the data is encrypted behind millions of images. It makes hacking virtually impossible for our people." Robert replied as he read information from within a brown folder.

"So there is no way around it? We can't afford to lose the Intersect. No matter what it takes." Beckman said, her voice a mix of frustration, hostility and desperation.

"Why are we going nuts over this computer again? And why was Anderson after it?" Casey asked out of curiosity.

"The computer did everything." Michael replied in a factual manner, causing Casey to blink for a moment. "After 9/11, the NSA, CIA and every other three-letter agency belonging to the alphabet soup was asked to play nice and share their intel. This is how we did it."

"Every scrap of data we ever had is in that computer. It mined for charts, patterns, images, sound, visuals... It has heard and seen things that we didn't." Beckman said in a grim tone. "If we can't put those secrets back where they belong..."

"I believe you won't have to worry about that any longer." Michael said with a confident and rather smug smile.

"Admiral Kernan, what exactly do you mean by that?" Beckman was immediately interested. She had known Michael from back in the day when he used to work for Naval Intelligence. He wasn't the type to lead them on, especially during these crucial times.

"Let me tell you about a little side project one of my boys came up with," He said smugly as he took out a green folder from the drawer and put it up on the table for everyone to see. He opened the folder, revealing the usual classified documentation; more eye-catching, however, were the nerdy looking glasses lying on top. Upon tapping the bridge, the glasses exuded a momentary emerald glow.

Upon the first page of said documentation, the following was printed:

CIPS: Carmichael Net Interfacing Programmed Software