Posted August 5, 2019

A/N: They figured out Zarnow was a bad guy on the first day. What now?

September 20, 2007

Sarah slowly woke in her bed—a bed in a place she could actually call a home. At least that's what the apartment was for the next three weeks. After that, this same bed would be in her new home across the courtyard. Regardless, she had a welcome body pressed against her back as she laid on her side.

Sarah didn't know what Ellie would be doing to this room after Sarah and Chuck moved out, other than nailing the window shut. Chuck had told Sarah she could put a work-out bag in the guest room of their new home. If Morgan crashed some night when he visited, he would be relegated to the couch. Chuck said Morgan's clothing would be mandatory, a thought that frightened Sarah a little because she had assumed that was obvious.

She leisurely tangled her right hand with the one from her bedmate that was laying on top of her. Their hands more together in a series of motions that kept them entwined in different ways. After a few seconds, she realized that the man behind her wasn't asleep either. She turned to look, and after meeting his eyes, they both knew what was next. Their lips fused and their bodies moved as if they couldn't grab enough of each other. There was no stopping them.

A while later, they both laid back, breathing heavily. Sarah finally spoke. "We really do need to get ready. We have to go to the local CIA office downtown where, assuming the clearance paperwork comes through, we should be able to get access to the NSA employee directory to look for this Perseus guy. Driving there will take a little while in traffic. Unfortunately, that means we shouldn't 'save water' because we both know that would talk longer. I can shower quickly. I'll go first. "

In a flash, Sarah got up, threw on one of Chuck's T-shirts, and hurried to the bathroom. The only hesitation in the blonde blur was when she stopped to give Chuck a firm kiss before she left the room.

When she returned, she found her husband typing away at the computer, one of the few things that wasn't boxed up, even though they weren't moving for a few weeks. The computer was one of those things that needed to remain out, like the game system connected to the TV and the Tron poster. She put her arms around Chuck from the back and pressed her lips and nose to the side of his neck as she leaned over him. "It's your turn. We ought to hurry so we maybe we can get the directory before lunch."

Chuck said, "No need. You know that CIA email account that was set up for me yesterday? I was cc'd an official authorization to see the employee directory."

Sarah happily said, "That'll help when we get to where we can access it."

"We're there. Now that I have permission, I thought, 'why wait?' Here a list of the dossiers of NSA-affiliated scientists."

She continued to hold Chuck on the shoulders, but pulled back and stood up straight in surprise. "Wait. You already have it?"

Chuck sheepishly said, "Yes."

Sarah hugged him tightly him from behind. "I found out yesterday that you're a brilliant hacker. Employee information is about as protected as defense satellites because people's lives depend on our enemies not knowing who works for us. However, you just got in from your home computer while I took a fast shower. How good are you?"

Chuck shrugged. "Pretty good, I guess. I haven't done this sort of thing since before I was kicked out of Stanford. I never did something bad or something people wouldn't like. For example, I didn't take other people's money and make donations to their rival causes, like in that movie, Sneakers. It was just to see if I could do it."

"Chuck, governments of the world have been trying for years to do the types of things you did from an electronics store's home theater room and then again from our bedroom personal computer. You're a lot better than 'pretty good.' You might be more deadly that I am. I'm glad you're on our side. For this new Intersect team—"

Chuck stopped the compliments, interrupting by asking, "Do you think Casey will be ok with 'Team Bartowski?' There are two of us and one of him. He might count for two, but you should count for twenty-five."

"I don't know. We're not letting him suggest names, though. That name works for me. For Team Bartowski, you can handle the computer stuff, both in and out of your head. Casey is there if we need someone to look big. I've got the other stuff." She looked to the computer screen. "Which one of these people looks like he might be Perseus?"

Chuck started through the directory. Acker and Aitkens had specialties in material science and bio-weapons design, so they didn't look promising. After Anders and Andrewson, Sarah expressed relieve under her breath.

"What is it?"

With an Australian accent, Sarah said, "Bryce and I often posed as Mr and Mrs Anderson when we worked as a team. Eva Anderson was sometimes a scientist. Inserting a false background for cover ID into our government's own records seems like something Bryce would do going too far."

She gave Chuck a quick kiss on the cheek, and he went back to the directory. After seeing Howard Busgang, Chuck flashed. Sarah didn't miss it and asked Chuck for confirmation. He said, "That's him. He did research in how the brain stores memories and how that relates to how a computer stores information. He works for Constellation Science. That probably means the Perseus code name is for stars."

Sarah gave Chuck another kiss on the neck and squeezed him from behind. She said, "He's based in the area. We could go see him today. That saves a day. I thought we'd have to fly somewhere to see him. He probably won't be at work for a while, so we have some time. You need to take a shower, and I could use another one, so I'll join you in a minute."

Chuck caught the implication, so he quickly logged out and hurried to the bathroom.

After a shower that didn't conserve water, Sarah and Chuck dressed in the bedroom.

Chuck said, "I understand you leaving your clothes in the suitcase and you not using any space in my closet because we're moving in a few weeks. Why unpack and repack in a few days? However, at least let me move those games out of your way so you have some space."

He started to move a large stack of game boxes out of the way, when she stopped him. "Just curious. Why do you have those particular games out?"

"Well, the other night Morgan and I played Grand Theft Auto, Halo 1, Halo 2, and Call of Duty."

"There's two Halos?"

"Yeah, that's a first person shooter game set in the future in an interstellar war. There's a backstory plot, which continues through the two games. The third one is coming out in a few days. Morgan is really excited. Part of me is too, but I've already told him that moving takes priority, so the next game night might be a few days after the 25th."

"You were probably were thinking I'd be gone. I thought I'd be gone. I don't want to make you drift away from your best friend now that you're married and he's still single. I'll go out with Ellie again. I like spending time with her. Last time was fun until I came home and found you on the floor, so don't go solving computer riddles again. What's with the flight simulators?"

"Yeah. Well. Pretending to soar through the air has always been kind of fun. Ever since I found out my girlfriend had a pilot's license, I've been more interested playing a few of them again. When I found out she could fly jets, I've been playing them all again. That was even before I found out why my wife knows how to fly jets."

She pulled one from the stack and held it up. "This one. Apache Chopper Patrol. I've flown helicopters a few times. They're vital for certain types of extractions from hot zones. However, they are death traps. They can't get away fast enough, so I've had to take up a defensive position, half-hanging out the side, to lay suppression fire. I've been in a chopper that was hit. Bracing for a crash landing, then having to shoot my way out on foot is not an experience I'd like to repeat. If I have anything to say about it, you're never getting in one, and I'm not doing it again. Even for a scenic tour. You can go ahead and pack this game away. Understood?"

"Yes ma'am." Chuck tossed the game in a random moving box.

When Chuck and Sarah arrived at Busgang's office building shortly after 9am, Sarah insisted to the security guard at the reception desk that they needed to see Dr Busgang immediately. The Intersect had dragged her untrained husband into a world of danger, and the doctor was their best lead for getting him out. She wasn't about to put up with anyone in the way of keeping him safe.

The man looked hesitant because Chuck and Sarah didn't have an appointment, so Sarah fixed him with a deadly stare and said it was an emergency. Chuck said Constellation Science was on the second floor, so Sarah pulled him up the stairs without waiting for the tough-looking man to say anything. She didn't think the place was that secure, not that they could stop her anyway.

Past a big lab with a supercomputer that was behind glass on a second-story loft, Busgang was working at a desk in a small office to the side. When two people burst in, he looked up, a little perturbed.

Sarah said, "We need to talk, now." She didn't bother with his name. After Zarnow and Flemming, she didn't waste time with pleasantries on another Intersect scientist.

He said, "Please state the nature of the emergency."

Chuck only stopped snickering when Sarah leveled a glare in his direction. She raised her eyebrows and tilted her head to the scientist, and Chuck said, "It's definitely him."

Back to Busgang, Sarah said, "This is about the Intersect."

"The what?"

Sarah continued with her no-nonsense tone, "The NSA has had their top scientists working on the Intersect computer for the past few years. Your research is in how computer storage and memory are related to each other. Don't bother to try to pretend you weren't involved, unless you're willing to admit you're not qualified. If that is the case, the NSA can discontinue working with you. If you will just be honest with us that you're the one known as Perseus, we can deal with what happened two nights ago."

The attack on his pride worked. "How do you know about the Intersect? What happened to it?"

Sarah said, "The Intersect prototype was destroyed." Busgang's face expressed his shock. "Information was stolen. We're trying to regain control of the situation."

The door behind them was opened by a man who wasn't happy that the doctor had visitors. Busgang stood up and said, "Duncan!"

Upon getting a good look at the man, Chuck started to flash. Duncan reached inside his coat because he didn't like the idea of people he didn't know talking to his scientist. Sarah didn't wait. With one roundhouse kick she knocked the man flat to his back. She took a step forward and put her heel on the man's neck. She quickly reached down and pulled the gun from under his suit coat. She moved the foot on his neck to stomp on his face, ensuring he was out cold. She pointed the gun immediately at Busgang to get him to sit down. The scientist had pulled a gun from a drawer in his desk. Sarah shot the weapon with hers, and he cried out in pain as his weapon fell to the floor.

Busgang said, "I don't understand. Please don't shoot me. Based on what you said, I thought you're Federal agents. Duncan is CIA. I've been working with him on the Intersect. He's one of you."

Chuck said, "That man is not CIA. He's supposed to be dead. What's Fulcrum?"

The scientist showed no recognition. Sarah said, "I don't know, but whatever it is, they shouldn't know anything about the Intersect. My guess is Bryce is working for them."

Sarah restrained Duncan on the floor and Busgang in his chair. Then she called it in.

After completing the call, she said to Busgang, "While the United States doesn't have an official secrets act, it does have the Patriot Act. You've admitted to working with an enemy agent who was part of a group that may have been involved in a recent attack at a government facility. This Fulcrum organization is certainly a threat to the citizens of this country. We came here hoping for your help. Now my bosses will decide when and even if you will ever get any help yourself."

Busgang rapidly said in a voice laced with fear, "I didn't mean for anything bad to happen. I thought I was working for my country."

"You weren't. You were doing the typical scientist thing of seeing what could be done without thinking of what should be done. Your responsibility in the recent attack is for others to judge."

"If you need help, you should talk to Orion," Busgang meekly said.

"We would, but he's in the wind. Instead, we came to you. You are the third potential traitor we've found in the last day who worked on the Intersect. It seems like Orion did the right thing by getting away from all of you."

After an NSA security team showed up and took the prisoners. Sarah said to Chuck, "It doesn't look like we'll be able to get that thing out of your head anytime soon. We can start looking for Orion together, but that might take a while. Look on the bright side. I'm officially assigned to work with you for as long as this takes. We've had an eventful day. Let's go home. We don't have a meeting with Casey, Beckman, and Graham until tomorrow."

No one was at the apartment, and the medical doctors wouldn't be there for hours. Sarah was glad that Chuck had turned in his assistant manager application the day before and had taken a personal day so they could look for Perseus. That meant they had no other obligations for the entire afternoon. It wasn't rush hour, and Sarah was driving. She didn't take long to get them home to the empty apartment.

Songs:
"Team" by Bon Iver
"Apache" by the Shadows