The following morning, Casey had gotten up early to study the layout of the whole Venetian hotel, where everything, including the auction, was set to take place. He was staying in a hotel room that allowed him a view into Malkova's room at the Venetian using a telescope He had also planted several bugs while Malkova was out gambling.

Now he was putting on a Venetian uniform, recalling the events from the night before. He knew he was hard on Chuck. He had to be. The kid was always screwing up and making his job harder.

Casey sighed; he knew it was more than that. The kid was getting to him. In his line of work, it was easy to not make any connections with anyone, on any level. And it was necessary. Someone always wanted something and they wouldn't hesitate to take it given the opportunity.

Chuck on the other hand didn't ask for anything and didn't want anything but still gave everything. Even at the cost of his own life.

He performed deeds some would call heroic because be liked the rush of adrenaline, he also liked the medals pinned on his chest. Yes, there was a higher moral purpose, but he had been the one to choose this path.

Chuck on the other hand did it because he cared about the people involved, because it was the right thing to do. Though he didn't get to choose, yet he walked the path. You didn't need a medal or a uniform to be a hero.

Good men were hard to find in his line of work. Good men were also the first to go in his line of work, as the General reminded Casey. The called had come in moments after they had just been briefed.

Should the Intersect be compromised, take him out for damage control. We can't afford for all of our Nation's secrets fall into the wrong hands.

But General...

Is there a problem, Agent?

No ma'am… Just that… If he's so valuable, why are we sending him on a mission? He's not even trained.

The Intersect is in his head. We don't have any other agent that could identify every key player in that room. We would be going in blind and that's a risk we can't take and an opportunity we can't miss. Are you saying you won't be able to carry out this order?

No ma'am.

Good.

Casey checked his collar one last time before holstering his gun. Chuck better not screw up. He walked out the door.

-------------------------------

Chuck heard knocking on the main doors and Sarah opening it.

It was almost 11:30 am. Him and Sarah had spent the majority of the night going over their cover story and laughing as they did so.

"Where did we meet?" She quizzed as they sat on the floor of the living room. They had moved the table off the rug to make room for their legs and files. Their backs were leaning against the couch, their bodies slightly facing each other.

Sarah had put her hair up in a messy ponytail that Chuck thought was absolutely adorable. She was barefoot and he couldn't help but watch as she would absent-mindedly wiggle her toes. She looked uninhibited and relaxed. It made him glow from the inside out.

Chuck brought his arm up on the couch to allow for more of his body to face Sarah. "Uhhh..." Feigning ignorance, he pretended to be in deep thought, tilting his head and looking up out of the corner of his eyes "Swit…z…erland when your… goat got a… flat tire…" He started.

"Chuck!" She exclaimed with a smile, lightly throwing popcorn at his face. Popcorn, which he had to beat out of the small dispensing machine in the room. The bag had stubbornly gotten stuck between rotating rings.

"Hey! Don't waste that! I got battle scars because.... 'someone' wanted popcorn!" Chuck exclaimed, leaning towards Sarah. At first he was playfully dodging the popcorn Neo-from-the-Matrix-style. But when the second wave of attack came, he decided to start catching them with his mouth instead. This elicited laughter from Sarah. A deep genuine laugh that started from her throat, which he longed to caress, and ended at the lips, which he wanted to conquer once again.

And they continued in that manner for hours.

Chuck swung his leg over the side of the bed and yawned, recalling the rest of the night. He had offered to crash on the couch and let Sarah take the bed after seeing Sarah in another one of her "cover-pajamas-that-didn't-cover-a-thing." This one was in red, and this one... left him speechless.

"No, it's okay Chuck," Sarah had said as she climbed in bed, "We have to maintain our cover."

And then it was back to "Agent Walker".

But that didn't matter; she was so close that he could feel the warmth from her body. He thought he wasn't going to be able to get any shut eye with her being so near, but somehow he had one of the most peaceful sleep he's had since he became the Intersect. The only other time was when he had asked Sarah to stay with him, and she did.

Chuck stood up and started towards the bedroom door.