A/N: I finally decided that I would make just one chapter out of two, not wanting to delay the reunion anymore. After all, I'd promised, right? Anyway, I hope you like this. If you do – or if you don't, you can let me know by leaving a review.

I own nothing.

Chapter Three

February 2004 – Burbank, California

Chuck had only slept a few hours when he heard loud noises coming from the kitchen. It seemed like an army was making its way to his bedroom. And that wasn't so far from the truth. Before he could even open his eyes, the door flew open and four men in dark suits appeared in front of him. Not knowing what to do, he let out a girlish scream and tried to cover his bare chest with the sheets. A tall, black man made his entrance and Chuck's eyes widened, not understanding what on earth was going on.

"Mr. Bartowski" said the man "it's very nice to meet you".

This has to be a dream, this can't be happening, who the hell are these guys and what are they doing in my bedroom? Chuck could feel himself freaking out.

"Uh… I'm sorry, sir, uh… I don't mean to be disrespectful, but, uh… who the hell are you and what are you doing in my house?" he stammered.

The man chuckled, although Chuck could tell he wasn't amused. "Oh, Mr. Bartowski, you didn't really think that we wouldn't find out about you hacking into the CIA database, right?"

"The what?" he couldn't believe what this man was saying. "I haven't…"

"Please, Mr. Bartowski, drop the act. Hours ago our analysts found out that a someone had hacked our system and deleted some pretty sensitive files. They managed to track you down, so please, don't insult my intelligence and start talking already".

"Sir, I don't know who you are, but I swear I would never do such thing, I'm an honest citizen and I have no interest in going through CIA files or much less delete them".

"Mr. Bartowski, is that your computer?" the man was now pointing at it, and he suddenly remembered the program he'd made the previous night and his search. Could it possibly be…? No, no way, he thought. Even if he had somehow managed to break the CIA security, he'd never deleted anything. The program was meant to be searching, not deleting files.

"Mr. Bartowski, please, answer the question".

"Yes, yes it is" he said.

"Ok, so if you're going to keep claiming that you're innocent, you wouldn't mind our analysts to go through it, just to make sure you're telling the truth, right?"

Chuck hesitated. He knew he was in trouble. But if he said no, he was pretty sure the suits would drag him out of bed and possibly throw him in jail before he could even defend himself. At least this would give him time to think what to tell them if they found that his program had actually deleted the files.

"Uh… sure, it's all yours. But, uh… would you let me change first? I'm kind of uncomfortable with all of you…" he trailed off when he saw the look in the man's face. "Ok… I'll change while you're watching me, it's not… it's not weird at all" he mumbled.

As the analysts took his computer and headed out of his bedroom, he couldn't help but think about his bad luck. Once he'd finally decided to let go of his past… this happened. He let out a bitter chuckle. A thought assaulted him and he turned to face the man, who was looking at him intently "Do you… is my sister home?"

"No, I believe Dr. Ellie Bartowski and her boyfriend Dr. Devon Woodcomb left early to work".

Chuck swallowed hard. At least Ellie wouldn't have to see him being arrested by government agents. Talking about disappointment. He let out a sigh.

"What I don't understand, Mr. Bartowski, is what is your interest in those files being erased. Unless you're working with them, of course".

Chuck let out a snort. He knew it wasn't prudent, but seriously… them? Could the guy be more cryptical?

The man just stared at him with a not so friendly expression.

Chuck snapped "Look, I don't know who you are, but you break into my house, violate my privacy by getting in my bedroom while I'm asleep and half naked, you take my computer away and accuse me to be some kind of traitor and you don't even have the decency to tell me what the hell is going on here. I think I have the right to be a little confused…"

The man interrupted him "Mr. Bartowski, this is a National Security issue, so I think you can understand my silence and my methods. If this is a mistake, I'll personally apologize to you and make sure you're duly compensated for the trouble we're putting your through. But the files that were erased last night were extremely important and you should know that…" a short guy with glasses cleared his throat interrupting the man's speech and catching his attention.

"Sir, there's something I think you should see…"

After glancing at him, he followed the analyst. Chuck could hear him telling one of the guys in a suit to keep an eye on him. He sat on his bed with his head in his hands.

Ten minutes later, the man came back, an ominous look on his face. "Mr. Bartowski, I'm afraid we have a problem here"

Chuck's head shot up "What? What is it?"

"My team here found a program you used to run a search, is that correct?"

"Yeah… yeah… I, uh… I wrote it last night and left the computer on…"

"And what exactly was that you were looking for?"

Chuck looked defeated. "My parents. They… they left us when I was still a kid and I found a letter yesterday… I know it was stupid, after all these years, but I had no idea I was going to cause a security breach and wake up to the sight of government agents…" he put his head in his hands again.

"Mr. Bartwoski, my analysts discovered that the breach was indeed caused by your program, but the files were deleted by someone else". Chuck slowly opened his eyes and frowned "What do you mean 'by someone else'?"

"As I said, your search must have alerted someone who didn't want you to find out about what was in those files, so they erased them from our database"

"So that means I didn't do it?" Chuck felt relieve wash over him.

"Mr. Bartowski, what exactly were you looking for?"

"I told you, my parents' names… this is just a simple program, you put some key words and it runs the search…"

"Mr. Bartowski, what words did you put on it?"

"Just my parents' names… and the aliases I found in that letter I told you about… Orion and Frost"

The man's eyes widened in acknowledgment.

"Wait! Wait… you know those names? You know my parents? Where are they?"

"Please, Mr. Bartowski, calm down. I'll try to explain everything I can later, but you have to promise me you won't tell anyone about this. If you do, we'll have to… take care of you".

Chuck gulped. He knew exactly what he meant. "Ok, ok, I swear I won't say anything".

"Ok, Mr. Bartowski, I need you to tell me what is that you know and show me that letter and any other paper that belonged to your parents and they may had left behind".

Chuck nodded and told him how her mom left when he was nine and how his father followed her a few years later. He told him about the schematics, the letter and the notebooks they kept in the closet. And how that had made him curious and led him to create the searching program the night before. Once he finished, the man looked at him and said "Mr. Bartowski… Charles… My name is Langston Graham, I'm the Director of the CIA" Chuck's eyes widened and he gasped in surprise. "…and I believe you".

"You… you do?"

"Yes, I do. In fact, I can't tell you everything, 'cause it's classified, but I can tell you this much: those schematics you found are from a machine your father was building. For us".

"My father…? My father worked for the CIA?" he asked incredulously.

"Yes. But that's not all. Frost… your mother… that was her alias"

"Her… wait… she… my mom too?". That was just too much to process. He had to sit down on his bed. "This has to be a mistake, it can't be" he mumbled.

"Mr. Bartowski, the machine your father was building was never finished. I read your file, you went to Stanford, is that correct?"

"Yeah, until I was expelled for something I didn't do" Chuck replied absentmindedly, still trying to adjust to the idea of his parents being basically spies.

"And you were majoring in electrical engineering?"

"Yeah… like father like son, I suppose…"

"And you seem to be very capable of handling a computer and writing programs…"

"Yeah… they're kind of my thing…" he was still in his own world, and was answering the questions without thinking what they implied.

"Mr. Bartowski, given that you're obviously very intelligent and you are perfectly qualified, I would like to offer you a position in the Agency" that made Chuck's head shot up again.

"You what?"

"I would like you to come work for us and finish your father's work"

"But I… I don't even know what those schematics mean. My dad wasn't a very… well, for the lack of a better word, sane man, Sir, and I can't do it. I wouldn't know where to start, I mean… I don't even know what this machine does!"

"Oh, but we do. And you would be working with the best, of course. Think about it, Mr. Bartowski, this is a unique opportunity. You get to help your country, finish your father's work and to finally live up to your potential".

Damn, that sounds nice, he thought. Way better than Nerd Herder from the Buy More, that was for sure.

"Ok, let's say I accept. What would the conditions be?"

"Well, for start you'd have to move to DC. We would provide you with a place to live, of course, and you would get paid for your service to your country. And we would give you the option to keep working for us once you finish this particular project".

That sounded really good, but he had one question he needed to ask before making his decision "What about my sister?"

"You wouldn't be able to tell her what you really do, to protect her, that is. Even more, we could give you an alias so if anyone ever finds out about your affiliation to the Agency they wouldn't relate her to you".

"But would I still be able to visit? I mean, I'm the only family she has left and I can't just leave her".

Graham smiled for the first time and Chuck was surprised about how genuine he seemed. "Mr. Bartowski, you would be working for us, you wouldn't be our prisoner. Of course you could visit her or she could visit you too. You'd just have to take precautions to protect her. Working for the government can make a man earn a few enemies…" his face turned serious again "I'd like you to consider my offer and give me an answer by the end of the day". With that, he left, leaving an astonished Chuck behind.

Chuck was still sitting in his bed, and, once again, couldn't believe his luck. But this time, when he thought about it, a subtle grin appeared on his face. He had just been offered a job in the government, which consisted in doing what he loved. Not to mention this would probably be the closest he was ever going to be from feeling like a real life James Bond. His grin widened as he thought about the turn of the events. Ellie would be so proud. His smiled faltered when he remembered what Graham had said about having to move to DC and not telling her about what he'd really be doing. But that was just to protect her. Just like their parents had done with them. He still couldn't believe his father had worked for the CIA. And his mother had been a freaking spy! He pinched himself to make sure he wasn't dreaming, but that just earned him a deep pain in his arm and a potential bruise. He frowned, thinking about all the things Graham hadn't told him yet, but he figured he'd tell him if he took the job.

He shook his head and smiled again. "If he took the job". The truth was he already knew what he was going to do. Turning down the opportunity of his life had never been on his plans, and that hadn't changed. So he took a deep breath and headed to the kitchen, where all the people who had woken him up were stoically standing, apparently waiting for his decision to be made. He vaguely wondered if they would've stood there the whole day if he had taken more time to think.

When Graham saw him entering the kitchen, he started approaching him until he was standing in front of him. "So, Mr. Bartowski, have you thought about my offer?"

Chuck swallowed and nodded. "I'd like to take it" before the man could say anything, he added "but I have a few conditions". Graham just cocked his head, slightly amused about his demanding tone. He swallowed again. "I want to know everything there is to know about my parents and the files that were erased from you database. I want you to promise me that nothing will ever happen to my sister or her boyfriend, or any of my friends. And… from now on, I'm Charles Carmichael. I don't want the wrong people to be able to relate me to the ones I care about".

"I think those are perfectly reasonable conditions. Is there anything else?". Chuck shook his head no. Graham smiled and extended his hand "Welcome to the CIA, Charles".

That night, he told Ellie we had been offered a job in Washington in a big company, and she couldn't be more excited for him.

"Oh, Chuck, I've always known you were meant to big things! And even if I hate that you have to move so far away, I can't tell you how proud I am" she said that with bright eyes, and Chuck was afraid she was going to start crying again.

"Seriously, dude, that's awesome! I'm really glad things are finally starting to work out for you, because you really deserve it, Chuckster" Devon told him, grinning at him.

"Thank you, guys. It means a lot. And I am really excited about this. I think a change of air is exactly what I need" seeing Ellie's sad expression, he quickly added "but don't worry, I'll still be able to visit and spend the Holidays with you, and you can come visit me in DC any time you want".

After dinner, he went to bed. He had lots to do before he left for DC. First, he'd have to quit the Buy More and tell Morgan the news. He was kind of worried, 'cause Morgan had always had trouble letting go, and he knew he wasn't going to take it very well. His eyes started to close, as all the excitement of the day finally had taken its toll on him. And for the first time in years, Chuck Bartowski fell asleep with a smile on his face.

April 2004 – Washington DC

"So, Carmichael, any progress yet?"

Chuck looked up and saw Graham standing at the threshold of his office. He cleared his throat and said "Actually, yes, Sir. I've been able to put the data in the images and a prototype version of the machine can actually read it, so I'd say that's a huge step. I should get started on the actual machine by the end of the day".

"That won't be necessary" said Graham.

Chuck was confused "Uh… but I thought…"

"I want you to hand over all of your work to Dr. Busgang. He'll take over from now on" the Director interrupted him.

"I don't understand, Sir, did I do something wrong? Are you pulling me out of the project?"

"No, Charles, you've actually done a great job. But right now, Dr. Busgang is more qualified than anyone to continue to work with this. Of course, if your help is in any way required, we will let you know".

Chuck was still confused, but decided he wouldn't say anything. "Ok, Sir. So, what do you want me to do from now on?"

"You'll remain working for us as one of our analysts, if that's fine with you"

"Yeah, I'd like that very much".

"Ok, then, it's settled. You can take the rest of your day off. Tomorrow I'll instruct you about your new occupation".

"Thank you, Sir. I'll see you tomorrow, then". With a small nod, Graham left his office.

Chuck had no idea about what had just happened. Out of the blue, Graham was telling him he didn't want him to work on his father's project anymore. Isn't that the reason he offered me this job and brought me here in the first place? He couldn't help but think that there was something weird going on, and the Director didn't want him to know about it. He grabbed his bag, crossed it over his shoulders and walk out of the office. I don't even know who this Busgang person is… and why would they need a doctor working on a machine? He had made a lot of progress in a little more than a month working for the CIA, and he had enjoyed his new work. He felt like he was finally doing something important, that we was making the difference. After all, if the government was so interested in finding a way to encode data in pictures so the wrong people couldn't get a hold on them, it had to be a big deal. He had to admit the idea seemed a little crazy when he first saw his father's notes. But when he went through all the schematics, designs and research he had done, things started to make sense. He may have been a lousy father, but he was certainly a genius, he thought. He hadn't made a lot of progress on his investigation about his parents, though. Graham had let him look at their files, but he'd only found out what he had imagined already: his father was a young engineer when he became an asset to the CIA. A handler, a young female Agent had been assigned to him. Three years later, Stephen and Mary Bartowski were married. Mary kept working for the Agency after that as a field Agent, but Stephen started to work at home. Now Chuck knew why he'd spent all that time in their basement. Even if he still held resentment towards his ever absent dad, he understood. It was important work, and it had to be done. But the files never mentioned why his mother had left or if she had disappeared or had been killed on a mission. And they didn't seem to have any relevant information about his dad's departure either. So that was a dead end. For now, he thought. He wasn't going to give up until he'd found out about the truth.

He got out of the building and started to walk to his apartment. It was about fifteen blocks away and it was a very nice day. He'd always loved spring, since he was a little kid. He remembered those afternoons when he would go out in his bike with Morgan and spent his afternoons in the beach. He smiled a little at the memories and wondered how would Morgan be doing. It hadn't been easy for him to leave him behind, but his friend had actually cried when he told him he was moving. He was really looking forward to work together. He shook his head and approached a food cart on the street. He hadn't had lunch, so he was starving. When he was about to order, something caught his attention. Walking through the sidewalk across the street was this gorgeous woman, tall, blonde and athletic. He could actually feel his jaw drop before the most beautiful sight he'd ever seen. But the true shock came when she turned her head to her side, facing him for a second. Her hair was longer and her braces were gone, but he could've sworn that he was standing just a few feet away from Jenny Burton.

No freaking way! After all these years, he still thought about her sometimes. He still thought about the girl he'd met in highschool and never seen again after that day before Christmas. He had imagined a lot of reasons for what she had left that way, but he had never picture what he'd do if he ever saw her again. And I'm still not moving. Go after her, you idiot!, he scolded himself. Finally regaining the ability to move, he turned to the man in the cart "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, here, take this". He gave him ten dollars and run, without any food. He could see her turning on the corner, but there was a lot of people at that time in the street. When he was getting closer to her, he tripped and lost his balance, landing on the hard pavement. He yelled for her, but she never looked back. Still sitting in the sidewalk, he sighed heavily. What the hell was I thinking? It probably wasn't even her. That's just great, Bartowski, you just made a foul out of yourself in the street.

He stood up and cleaned himself the best he could. He went straight home this time, thinking he would be safer if he just ordered some pizza from his apartment.

It was late that night and he was really tired, but he couldn't sleep. He blamed it on the coffee he had gotten before bed, but he knew that wasn't the reason. Every time he closed his eyes, a pair of blue eyes and a big, happy, toothy smile appeared in his mind, making his pulse go faster and impossible to fall asleep.

Sarah was back from her last assignment. She had infiltrated a group within the CIA that was suspected to be rogue, gathered the information her superiors needed and went back to DC. Even when she'd always enjoyed the excitement and the danger that came with every mission, this one was getting the best of her, and not in a good way. She was becoming more and more paranoid, she couldn't talk to anyone about what she actually did and she had never felt so lonely in her life. She'd even considered to go talk with the Agency's psychiatrist, but, not wanting her boss to get the wrong impression –or the right one-, she decided it was better if she didn't. To add to her uneasiness, she hadn't heard from Bryce for almost four weeks and she was starting to get worried. She'd only seen him twice after the morning he'd come to her apartment looking for the box, and both times she'd felt something was off with him.

Graham's secretary told her that he would be seeing her now, so she stood up and entered his office.

He was looking through the window, her back to her. "Agent Walker, I'm glad to know you're ok after the last mission". He seemed distracted and when he turned around to face her, she could see a serious look and a frown on his face.

"Thank you, Sir. I've already handed my report, is there anything else you need to know?"

Graham sighed. "Please, Sarah, take a sit", he said, pointing the chair in front of her.

Oh, God, this can't be good. He never used her first name. She sat down and waited for him to start talking.

"We have gotten some intel about an Agent that has been working with this rogue organization for quite a while now". He stopped and glanced at her. Sarah started to panic. He can't think it's me, right? Her palms were sweating and she felt she was gonna get sick. "Unfortunately, when we found out about his identity, he had already gone off the grid". Oh, thank God, he doesn't think it's me. She let out a relieved sigh and asked him "And you want me to track him down?". Graham hesitated. He inhaled deeply and said "Sarah, that Agent is Bryce Larkin".

Sarah suddenly felt dizzy and was thankful she was sitting, 'cause she could feel her knees going weak. "No, Sir, it can't be! I think I would know if my own partner…"

"Sarah, please, stop. This intel is good, we've checked. We've managed to find out about number of times he went to places and met people we had no orders to go or meet. He never went to Valencia and he disappeared a little after that. I know this is hard to take in, but it's the truth".

Sarah couldn't breathe. That bastard! He'd shown up at her place claiming he had a new lead, lying to her face. She wanted to kick herself for not noticing that. She wanted to shoot something, like right now. Graham noticed the anger building inside her and he said "Sarah, stop blaming yourself. You couldn't have known. I didn't know. Now, we have to stay focused if we want to take them down. Do you still want to do that?". He didn't usually ask, but given the sensitivity of the matter, he didn't want to pressure her. He knew Walker was one of the best, but even the best were affected if their partner became a traitor.

"Hell yes! That bastard lied to my face, and I'm going to make him pay!". She couldn't control herself anymore as she slammed her hand against the desk.

"Agent Walker" said Graham cautiously, "you know I can't let you go out there if you make this personal. If you're too involved, feelings may get you killed".

"But this is personal! He was my partner. He… I…" her voice broke and she breathed deeply, trying to stop the tears that were forming on her eyes. She felt sick and dirty. She hadn't only trusted him, but she'd let him into her bed.

She stood up and, calming herself, told him "Sir, I understand you have your doubts about this, but I can assure I can still be professional. Please, give me one chance to prove it to you". He still wasn't convinced, but if he knew Walker, she was going to keep insisting until he'd let her go on that mission or force her to take a few days off. "Ok. But one slip and you're out, you got that?".

"Yes, Sir, thank you". Sarah nodded and left the office. Graham stood on his chair wondering if he'd made a huge mistake. One slip and she's out. He just prayed that that one slip wouldn't have her killed.

After his first day as an analyst, Chuck was contented. He'd had to do some pretty standard computer stuff, but he was on his element. He'd met a few colleagues who were very nice and had asked him to go with them to a bar after work, but he'd declined, being tired as he was. He had barely slept the night before and he was planning on going to bed early. He took a shower and got in his pajamas. He turned his computer on and started to check his emails while he ate what was left from the pizza he had ordered the day before. One of them caught his attention. It was from Bryce Larkin, his nemesis, the guy who had ruined his life, the Fett to his Solo. I wonder what that son of a bitch wants now. He opened it and snorted when a line of Zork appeared in his screen. Now you want to play, huh? If this is your way to say you're sorry, you're gonna have to do a lot better than this, Larkin. He closed it and went back to his pizza. But he couldn't stop thinking about that damn email. Ok, let's see what this is about. He opened it again and his screen went black again, only showing the line of the game. "The terrible troll raises his sword"… if I could only remember what was in my hero's satchel. Oh, right… "Attack troll with nasty knife". He typed it and pressed Enter. A series of pictures appeared in the screen, and he couldn't tear his eyes from it.

He never knew how long it lasted, but it suddenly stopped and he passed out on the kitchen floor. He was awaken by four people in dark suits, who cover his face with a bag, grabbed him and tossed him on a car. He had a massive headache and he didn't know who this people were, but every time he'd asked, he'd only gotten silence as a reply. They finally arrived to their destination, and they took him inside what it smelled like an abandoned building. They sat him down on an incredibly uncomfortable chair, tied him up and took the bag off from his face. There was a man standing in front of him, and when he turned around, Chuck's eyes widened in recognition.

"Well, Carmichael, I'd have never guess you were still affiliated to Bryce Larkin, not after what he did to you in college" Graham said.

Chuck was beyond confused. In fact, he was quite terrified. "I… I don't know what you're talking about, Sir".

"Bryce Larkin sent you an email last night, with some very sensitive information he stole from us. I have to say, though, I'm quite disappointed in you. I mean, you're not a spy, but anyone as intelligent as you would've left right after getting the email".

"Why would I leave? It was just a stupid video game!"

Graham laughed, but he was not amused. At all. "Listen, Charles, the only way to make this less painful for both of us is just telling me what you did with the info. If you do that, maybe we can spare torture".

Chuck's face went white and he stammered "Tor-torture? Why…? Listen, I'm telling the truth here, ok? I just can't believe… last night, as you said, I received an email from the guy who got me kicked out of Stanford. I opened, and it was a line from Zork…"

"Zork?"

"Yes, that's a video game we used to play… we made our own version, so when I remembered my line, I typed it and suddenly a bunch of pictures appeared on my screen and I couldn't stop watching. Then, I think I passed out, because your guys gently picked me up from my kitchen floor before dragging me to your lovely abode" he wasn't sure why he kept doing that, but like when he was back in Burbank and had woken up to find himself surrounded by CIA agents, he snapped.

"So you're telling me that you saw the pictures… and nothing happened to you, except for passing out?" Graham seemed very interested.

"Yeah, that and a horrible headache" he answered.

"Look, Carmichael, I'm not sure what is your role in this whole situation, but I'm gonna need you to take the polygraph".

"Yeah, sure, whatever… just, please, can you untie me? My wrists are killing me…"

Graham nodded to one of the agents and he stepped up, cutting Chuck lose. He didn't know what was going on, but he was sure as hell he was going to find out. Bartowski didn't strike him as a traitor, but he had to be sure. He made another agent prepare the lie detector and when it was all set, he started asking questions.

He was surprised –and a little relieved – when he discovered Chuck was telling the truth. But now he had to explain what was really on that email and wasn't sure how his analyst was going to react.

He turned to face him, and felt a little sorry when he saw the look of despair on his face.

"Ok, Carmichael, what I'm going to tell you is classified, and only a few people in the Agency know about this"

This gotta be some kind of bizarre deja vù, Chuck thought, but still nodded to his boss turned kidnapper.

"After 9-11 the NSA and the CIA were told to play nice, share their intel. So we planned the best way to do it. We were stuck and not making any progress until you came along"

"M-me?"

"Yes, you. You provided us with the schematics we needed and a fresh vision. Unique, just like your father's. When you finally figured out how to encode data on images, I had to take you out of the project. So Dr. Busgang took over and he was able to find a way to put all the information in a person's brain" he gave Chuck a significant look.

"Wait, wait…" Chuck could feel the wheels on his brain turning at a furious speed "You are not telling me… you can't be telling me that I have all that data… in my brain?"

"That's exactly what I'm telling you, Charles".

Chuck buried his head in his hands and started to mumbled, shaking his head. Why? Why me? Why do I have this luck? Why would Bryce screw me over again? What did I ever do to deserve this?

"Charles… Chuck!" he heard Graham calling his name and looked at him. "I'm sorry, I don't know why Bryce would send the intersect to you in the first place, but now it's done, and I'm just glad it's not in enemy's hands".

"Yeah, well, but it's in my head now! What am I supposed to do now? I can't go on the field, I have no training" he knew he sounded desperate but he didn't care. He wasn't cut off for this kind of life.

"Charles… there's something I didn't tell you" Chuck thought he was going to cry. What else could've he possibly left out?

"This intersect… there's not just data on it. Our experts have been able to add some… abilities to it"

"What do you mean abilities?"

"It's like a skill set. We're not really sure how it works 'cause we've never tried it on a person before, but it's designed in a way that it can be triggered by certain situations and then, the computer just kicks in… like filling the blanks"

"I don't get it…" Chuck was lost.

"Let's say you're facing a man with a gun. You wouldn't be able to disarm him, because you have no training whatsoever, but then, the intersect would come to help you, providing you the skill to do it".

"So, it would basically turn me into a full-trained field agent, is that what you're saying?"

"Well, as I said before, it has never been tested, but… yeah, that's the idea"

For the second time in two months, Chuck was forced to make a huge decision. And for the second time in two months, he knew what he had to do.

"So you want me to go out and risk my life… for the greater good" he said.

"I know you didn't ask for this, but that's how things are, Charles. You have the intersect in your head, so you know all the government secrets. We can't have that unless you work for us, 'cause we haven't figured out how to take it out. Otherwise, you would be sent into an underground bunker or eliminated".

Chuck felt a shiver go down his spine. "Gee… thanks for your honesty, Sir" he said sarcastically. He sighed. "I guess I have no option, then", he said, defeated.

"I'm sorry, Charles, but you don't"

"Yeah, I'm sorry too", he mumbled.

"So… are you going to work with us?" Graham looked at him in the eye and smiled a little. This was a bizarre deja vù. Well, I guess things can't get worse from now on, he thought, standing up. "Yes, I am", he said in a serious tone. He clenched his jaw and added with a tiny grin "but I want a raise".

Graham chuckled and, once again, he extended his hand. Chuck shook it with a resigned smile. Don't freak out!

When Graham returned to his office early that afternoon, Sarah was waiting for him.

"Agent Walker, to what do I owe this pleasure?" he asked, knowing exactly why she was there.

"Sir, I heard you made an arrest concerning the CIA facility that Bryce blew off last night. I want to be the one to interrogate the son of a bitch"

"Agent Walker, that's not going to be possible…" he started, but Sarah cut him off.

"Sir, with all due respect, I think I'm the most qualified Agent to do this. I was Bryce's partner for a year, I know him and I know how he thinks! If you let me do this, I swear I can get all the information we need. Besides, you need someone experienced to interrogate him, we can't trust this guy is going to play nice"

Graham waited patiently until Sarah finished and, with a small smile, he said "Sarah, it's not that I don't trust you, and in any other circumstance you'd be my first choice to conduct the interrogation, but it's already been done"

"What? You've already talked to the guy?" she said, genuinely surprised.

"Yes, we did. And it turns out he has nothing to do with Bryce. We still don't know why Larkin sent him the email, but I can assure you, he's innocent"

"That's bullshit!" Sarah couldn't believe what she was hearing. The guy was innocent? Then why had Bryce sent him the email? That made absolutely no sense. She was shocked that this agent had been able to foul Graham that easily.

"Walker!" she stopped her furious rant when she heard her boss's scream.

"The man Bryce sent the email is one of our most valuable analysts. I personally hired him, and I know him. Besides, he passed the polygraph".

Sarah collapsed in the chair behind her. She looked at her boss and whispered "Are you sure?"

"Yes, I am. In fact, he'd agreed to work with us, so I was thinking… how would you like a new partner?"

Sarah eyes widened "But… but you just said he's just an analyst! I can't go on this dangerous missions while babysitting a dork!" she was beyond frustrated. She was sure Graham was laughing at her.

"I said he is an analyst, not just an analyst. I can't tell you all the details, but you'll be informed about them if you agree to do this. The decision's your, Agent Walker".

Sarah sighed. She wasn't happy about this, but if Bryce had chosen this mysterious guy to send him the email, he must've known something, and this might be the only way to find out about it. Graham might have been sure about this guy's innocence, but she wasn't, and she was determined to prove she was right. So she took a deep breath and said "I'd love to do it, Sir". Graham smirked, knowing what her real intentions were. She was usually calmed and collected, but when she was pissed, like right now, anyone could see through her. Oh, the fire of the youth, he thought.

"Ok, meet us in an hour in the conference room upstairs"

"I will. I'm looking forward to meet my new partner" she said, turning to the door and leaving the office.

Graham smirked again. Well, at least this is going to be fun.

After seeing countless doctors and going through an equal number of tests, Chuck was finally released. He was leaving the room when he spotted Graham a few feet away. He went to where he was standing and unceremoniously asked "So, what now?"

"Now, Agent Carmichael, you meet your new partner".

Chuck's eyebrows rose. "New partner? I thought this project was top secret…"

"Don't worry, Charles, we're talking about one of my best agents" he guided him to the conference room. "Please, take a seat" he checked his watch. "Any time now" he added with a smile.

Chuck did as he was told. Suddenly, the door opened. He looked up and his breath caught in his throat. His eyes widened and his mouth fell open.

Sarah was still mad about her latest meeting with Graham, but was feeling a little better since now she would be in a privileged position to evaluate how dangerous this guy really was. So, when she opened the door to the conference room, she allowed a smile to form in her face. She had to earn his trust if she wanted to get anything out of him, after all. She wasn't ready for what was waiting for her inside, though.

The same brown curls were on top of the same lanky frame. He was different, obviously, for eight years were plenty of time. She knew he'd recognized her the moment she had walked through the door, but still couldn't help but swallow hard when he whispered "Jenny?"

It was the eyes that left no room for doubt: she would recognize those warm brown eyes anywhere. In front of her was none other than Chuck Bartowski.

A/N: so that was long! Please, review and let me know what you think about this chapter. No peek today because I just finished this one.

By the way, who is excited about the new season's premiere? Just hours, guys! Hours! :D