Flashback

"I still have a hard time believing Chuck would do something like that." The brown-haired woman ran her hand over Bryce's chest with partially-feigned appreciation. "You sure he didn't do it to help a fellow student out?"

While Bryce looked for an answer through the alcohol in his system, she took in the flat he recently moved into. It was pretty small, but still more than enough for two people to live in. It had very expensive and stylish furniture, a large TV... in short, it screamed 'bachelor pad'. It had many windows, though all the blinds were down. Bryce had stuck with muted colors, something she wasn't was fond of. She preferred lively colors, just like the man she was in love with.

"I don't know... I feel bad for the guy but I didn't have much of a choice." The woman frowned. He was lying through his teeth. She was damn sure about that.

"Oh, I know baby!" She had spent ages figuring how to penetrate his guard without using any artificial means. She also knew she only had a few minutes before the kisses became too frequent to let her speak. She messed with the clothing in order to buy herself some time, fumbling with his belt as she pushed him on his bed. "It still sounds kinda fishy, though. Don't you think?"

Bryce tried to focus on her face, trying to read her true intentions. However, she was trailing kisses along his chest, distracting him and hiding herself. Under normal circumstances she wouldn't have let any other man touch her like that but the life and career of the man she loved was at risk. In order to save him, she was willing to go all out; that was the sole reason for her being in Bryce's flat in the first place. "It was Fleming. He wanted to make Chuck... part of a military project. This was... the only way to make sure that didn't happen."

"How did a hunk like you pull it off?" She tried to make the question light and flirty; unfortunately, she felt his back stiffen. Damn. She had pushed too hard. Maybe her acting wasn't quite as good as she believed.

"I filmed... him... while he was having an affair with a... student." Bryce's voice was starting to become less distracted. He was probably beginning to suspect she had ulterior motives. It was time to remove that suspicion.

Taking out a syringe from her bag, she plunged it into Bryce's neck; once he started breathing rhythmically, she sighed in relief. She had to pay a hefty sum to buy the illegal drug, which the DEA sometimes used to interrogate notorious drug peddlers. Even though the manufacturer boasted of its ability to work without leaving a trace, she knew better. Drugs always left telltales behind. But if her purchase was as effective as claimed, it would be money very well spent.

One down, one more to go.

"Now honey, tell me... where did you keep that clip?" She asked while caressing him gently.

Flashback End

...xxxxxx...xxxxxx...xxxxxx...

"So what exactly did you and General Beckman talk about?" Sarah started grilling Chuck moments after he reluctantly mentioned the recent presentation he made to the NSA Director and her favored la... associate.

On the surface, Chuck was a cool, calm and collected man giving off an unsurpassed aura full of self-assurance and confidence. Internally, he was freaking out.

Back in his student days, one of his favorite hobbies had been singing and acting. He had participated in a few small plays in high school and a couple of musicals at Stanford; nothing too serious, but rather enjoyable.

Stage fright was a terrible thing, but it was a fear he believed conquered a long time ago.

Chuck sighed as he leaned backwards slightly. Well, I suppose it's not like I have anything to hide where that meeting's concerned. Besides, my real secrets are still safe with me. He mentally reviewed his meeting with General Beckman and tried to remember if she mentioned anything noteworthy other than a need for constant supervision to ensure his safety. In the end he gave up and decided to tell Sarah a somewhat edited version because that seemed easier than the alternative.

"If you have any future plans of working on projects like that, then it would be a good idea to negotiate and make it so that it either gives you a greater advantage or to make your payment less ambiguous." Sarah grimaced once she finished. "Agreeing to an errand like that without knowing the full details – especially when it is issued directly by people who rank far above you – can be significantly risky. But right now, you don't need to worry about any of that." She hurried to reassure Chuck since he started looking a bit nauseous as he imagined spending his next birthday in a remote Alaskan bunker. "If you were to disappear just like that, it would cause a shitstorm neither General Beckman nor Director Graham would want to be part of. Though that won't stop them from using other methods to try and get you."

"Oh? Enlighten me." Chuck replied casually, his voice filled with amusement. He didn't really care, but he was trying to take his mind off of things for a bit, and Sarah's usual haughty rant – mixed with concern for him – was the perfect way to escape reality.

"Deception: Giving a target a false sense of security, leaving them open to attack. Seduction: A target will feel less threatened and more likely to agree if they believe a beautiful woman seeks comfort and pleasure by making themselves vulnerable to them." She sounded like a lecturer.

"I will simply focus on that program. Nothing more, nothing less." Chuck said wisely, nodding his head as his left hand scratched his chin. "As if being forced to work on this top secret high-risk project wasn't enough; choosing your agency or the other will put me on somebody's shit list."

Whilst the Charles of yesterday would have accepted this with nothing more than mere surprise, the Chuck who now stood before her was not so naïve.

"Okay, you have made your point. Are you really going to stay neutral in this?" Sarah rolled her eyes and groaned. "People like Beckman and Graham don't like taking no for an answer. Just know that if you think catering to others will get you what you want, then you are effectively their tool. Besides, as a federal employee you're currently locked into the government's rigid pay grades and policies, even though you deserve a lot more. If you want to leverage a very good deal with another agency in return for your services, this is your chance."

Chuck nearly bit his tongue. As it happened – unknown to all bar a few people – he did receive a decent signing bonus upon joining the NGA. And all those research grants Ellie received really helped to reduce her sizeable student debt. At the end of the day, his existing job was just a cover so he could freely work on understanding the computer inside his head and figure how to safely to remove or suppress it, which would allow him to return to his normal life. Given his current situation and who his father was, he was unsure if switching to the CIA or NSA was a good idea.

I can't seem to make up my mind. Regardless of what I saw in those visions, most of that was part of her job. And yes, I can now admit to myself that I like Sarah. But I must convince her to back off so I can visit Dr Dreyfus and figure out exactly what the government Intersect did to my brain.

"Look, Sarah... I believe you have no malicious intent towards me. Even though you find it hard to open up to people, you are someone who values those close to you. That's something I have always admired." He spoke out softly as his eyes bored into her startled ones. She was quite surprised and flattered by how highly he spoke of her. "If your agency or the NSA learned of our connection, they might use it to manipulate the situation to their liking and as your friend, I don't want that to happen. Just let me deal with this on my own. There must be a way out without all these complications." He concluded with a reassuring smile, hoping to put her heart at ease.

Sarah found herself completely at a loss, her mind even more scrambled than it previously was. She didn't want to lose Chuck. Not because he was a prized engineer capable of rebuilding the Intersect back to its former glory. Not because his joining the CIA, if he were so inclined, would lift her career out of the quagmire Bryce's last act dumped it in. Honestly, it was because she wanted to get to know him better and fulfil his expectations of her. Like his expectation that she was – in contrast to how most people (including herself) saw her – more than an emotionless husk.

Furthermore, that feeling of trust, that feeling of fondness she had felt towards the former Nerd Herder was still intact, even after all these years, despite the fact she had been in a relationship with someone else.

Rather than follow Graham's orders as his loyal enforcer, as she usually would (because even Sarah had to admit she typically followed her agency's guidelines), she wanted to prove herself to Chuck.

It was an odd feeling; one that was foreign to the CIA agent and former conwoman. The only time she felt somewhat close to this in the past was when her dad used to ask her to help out.

Sarah put her warm hand on top of his, then squeezed it gently. Chuck immediately knew twenty other men in the room wanted to be in his shoes. "Chuck, my job is to keep you safe and sound. As such, I will be staying with you until ordered otherwise. It's the least I can do for a friend." She insisted with a fierce look of determination in her eyes, flashing a bright smile which put the dazzling sun rays to shame.

Huh? Are you sure you have the right person? Chuck let out a sigh of frustration. "Riigght." This wasn't the way things were supposed to go. "I really wish you weren't involved in all this."

"What?" Sarah blinked in confusion, noting the disapproval in her tone. "You can trust me, Chuck. I won't betray you." She promised him once again in a gentle yet firm tone.

"Yeah, sure. I know you won't. I am the creator of this technology so the NSA can't do much about me even if I somehow ended up on their shit list. But if General Beckman figures out you are involved in this, it might put your life in danger." Chuck closed his eyes, taking a long breath as he figured that was the end of it.

"Geez, what are you? My mother?" Sarah joked, nudging him with her elbow. "I will be fine, Chuck. Remember that I've been doing this for years. And I like to think I am pretty good at my job." She retorted with a playful wink as she patted him on his shoulders.

"I guess you will always be the tougher one between us." Chuck laughed nervously, offering a goofy grin. Sarah smiled at this, happy to see Chuck was back to his normal self.

"By the way," Sarah started as she ceased her laughter, "What are you planning on doing for rest of the day?"

Why is it every time I see her, I want to gulp?

"Hmmm..." Chuck hummed, tensing up in embarrassment. He wasn't quite sure why, but it was quite hard to decide his next move. Initially he had it all planned out, but he hadn't expected that Sarah Walker of all people would turn out to be a CIA agent and he would be left with so little to go on. Finally, he sighed and accepted his fate, smiling as he looked up at her.

"I will leave that up to you. I owe you a treat anyway."

What about those pictures with Bryce, though? And why did they seem... close? A voice inside him asked.

...xxxxxx...xxxxxxx...

Roark knew it was difficult for him to accept. But until the agencies stopped looking into Larkin's failed attempt at stealing the Government Intersect, FULCRUM had to act cautiously for the time being.

Those bastards. Surely they have something better to do than just snoop in unnecessarily.

At the same time, however, he knew what he had to do. He should be using this time to make his corporation much more efficient in terms of making more profit and technology.

Maybe I should use this time to advance our reach within government offices as well.

Whilst heading to his office, he could feel it in a new way. It seemed much bigger to him now.

It's time to take everything under my control, as it should be.

There was a certain task he couldn't keep out of his mind, no matter how hard he tried. "Carmichael. I must figure out what this engineer knows about Orion's designs and how he managed to handle the downloading process. Whoever he is, his life will soon be in my hands. I must examine his life, one second at a time."

He pressed a button on his phone system. "Yes, Mr Roark," his secretary spoke up from the other end.

"Get Augusto Gaez on the line."

...xxxxxxxx...xxxxxxx...

Dr Zarnow let out a sigh, wondering if he made a mistake. He really needed to finish this task, though. Which would firmly place him back on Ted Roark's good side. However, he couldn't help but feel he was contributing to the ruination of a defenseless young man with a bright future ahead of him.

"What's wrong?" His wife Emily came up from behind, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder.

Zarnow's head dropped. "The price I am willing to pay to get out of the FULCRUM business is quite a steep one."

"What do you mean?"

Zarnow took a seat on the sofa. "I don't know how to say it, but here goes... Roark is trying to get his hands on a top secret military project called the Intersect, but his men failed to do the job and somehow all the intel was locked up inside a PDA. A young man – some sort of specialist in the NGA – was called in to access that information before the self destruct protocol deleted everything. And working with this program had changed him. All the information is now inside his brain, like a computer."

A lot to let sink in.

Zarnow continued further. "I tried to follow him but before I could get a good look at his face, he started mentioning all the intel I stole for FULCRUM. I panicked and ran away. Once I informed Mr Roark, he offered me a deal. If I can get this young man for him, he will allow me to retire from FULCRUM and leave the country with enough money to last a lifetime."

"You feel guilty." His wife concluded.

"Yes." Zarnow took a deep breath, eyes staring forward, elbows on his knees, hands folded. "I should have handled myself better back then. I should have paid more attention when Busgang asked me to help out with that mission all those years ago. If only I knew what he was planning... and now I feel like everything is my fault."

"It isn't." His wife corrected him. "You shouldn't say that. You will only make yourself sick."

"That's why I doctored the clip before handing it over to Roark, but that's not enough." He said. "I feel like I should do more. Make a difference. But I don't know how."

"It's out of your hands, Jon. You have already done more than enough. If you want my advice, I think you should step aside and let FULCRUM and the NSA do their respective jobs."

"The kid, Emily." Zarnow said aggressively, his fists clenched in anger and frustration. "I can't just turn the other cheek while he is fed to the wolves!"

"I understand." Emily nodded. "But it's a dangerous world out there. Changes are being made every day. We are all being swallowed up in the spy drama. I want my husband to be safe. I need my husband to stay out of harm's way. I need my husband to step aside and remember that he has a wife and daughter who love him deeply."

"I love you too." Zarnow returned, hugging his wife and giving her a quick kiss on the lips. "Okay. I will do what you tell me. But if Roark crosses a line..."

"One step at a time." She said, kissing him. "One step at a time."

...xxxxxx...xxxxxx...

"Theodore Roark." The largest crime lord in the world greeted in his deep voice, a cigar between his fingers. "I wondered if a call from you was forthcoming."

"Gaez. I appreciate your willingness to contact me at such short notice." Roark returned his greeting.

"While I consider friendships a weakness, I'd like to think our working relationship is quite healthy." Gaez said with a smug grin. "That being said, I hope you would do the same for me if needed."

Roark was forced to take a momentary breath. "Yes, well... I suppose I share that thought as well."

"Good to hear, Roark. Good to hear. Now, how can I be of service?"

"It is imperative that I acquire the technology which can fully decrypt the Intersect and the man who created it as soon as possible." Roark explained the dire situation. "It's very important that I have this Carmichael under my thumb before the NSA ends up taking him away forever."

"I see."

"I know you are a man with deep pockets and even deeper resources. I am also well aware you have a lot of contacts within the government agencies as well."

"That is true." Gaez chuckled, knowing very well thanks to his close contacts within the RING that Roark wouldn't dare sell him out.

"Can you help me?"

"Yes." Gaez was quick to assure him. "But first, I am in need of assistance as well."

Roark cursed under his breath. He knew it! The catch! There was always a catch. He waited for Gaez to explain what it was that he needed.

"A long time ago, a pretty wild thing from DC came to my city. A woman of great anger and strength. She impressed me with her rampage and inflicted a significant loss in manpower and territory upon my organization before I ultimately managed to drive her out. However, her informant network is still quite sound and causing me a lot of trouble, eating at my business from the inside. If you really want my help in getting Carmichael... then you need to hunt a wild cat for me."

Roark sharply narrowed his eyes, immediately putting two and two together.

"You mean a clandestine agent? With all due respect, are you out of your mind? You want me to kill a government-sanctioned assassin for you? How is that going to help you anyway?

Gaez was always cool, laid back, composed at all times, brimming with confidence. "Unless she is permanently taken care of, she will surely come after me in due time. She has been planning my demise for a long time. If I don't deal her with soon enough, I may not see her coming this time."

His usefulness aside, there was still the matter of taking down this highly-skilled clandestine agent and not making a mess while doing so. This could prove to be tremendously difficult, even for someone like Roark.

"And how would you propose I go about this?" he wondered.

"Your intelligence and resourcefulness rivals mine, Roark." Whether that was a compliment or a taunt, Roark couldn't tell. "I am sure you can come up with a satisfactory plan."

That only strengthened Roark's disgust for the vile man. However, there was no denying the benefits. Having Gaez on your side was certainly better than having him against you. Besides, he could get information on anyone he wanted through his connections. So Roark would continue to play nice.

For now.

...xxxxx...xxxxx...xxxxx...

I am trying to make some changes for the sake of consistency, that will make sense in the future.