A/N: Ahh, Chapter 4. After being a nervous wreck over questioning how the third chapter would be received, I was pleasantly surprised to see that it was enjoyed. So here's yet another chapter for you folks (Yep, I've nothing going for me, so I can devote a lot of time to writing.) More A/N after the chapter.

Disclaimer: Don't own Chuck, Scrubs, Mission: Impossible, The Ring (never even seen the movie) or Microsoft. Would've written something witty, but I'm kind of spent at the moment.

Chapter 4

Sarah woke up to a mild headache. She groaned, and hit the off switch on her clock. Still, she couldn't help but be giddy. After all, Chuck had behaved exactly like she thought he would. Exactly like she had wanted him to. He was charming, sweet and genuinely trying to be a nice guy. She could feel herself be able to quite happily spend some more time with him. Like forever? Her mind asked her. She shut it up with an imagined glare. It turned out that she could even scare herself into submission with a pointed look.

Still, she was a little peeved at how different he was when he had a bit more confidence. It was so much more fun to be around. Still, his words stung at her. Oh no, not the ones where he wouldn't come in with her. She had hoped he would do that. No, what really got to her were his words in the restaurant. About how he was confronted with what he was trying to escape, every time he would walk into the office. This brought her attention to the fact that he had said the name Bryce. It could just be a major coincidence, but something felt off when Chuck had mentioned where he saw himself. It was pretty much an exact copy of the life of Bryce Larkin.

Sarah hopped out of bed. She was an investigative reporter, it was time to act like one. She got dressed in a conservative outfit. No need to show more skin than necessary. Especially if she was confronting Bryce later today. As she walked downstairs, she figured she might as well grab some breakfast. She didn't need to go to Bryce for another four hours at least, and what she was planning would take maybe ten minutes at best. So she whipped out a skillet and made an omelet. As she had never really shown interest in being able to cook, and her Dad mostly got take-outs anyway, she couldn't really cook any dinner. Still, breakfast held no secrets for Sarah Walker and she finished the omelet like a seasoned pro. She chopped up some vegetables and fruit, wielding the knife like an extra limb and sprinkled them over the omelet. After her breakfast, she unceremoniously dumped the plate and cutlery in the sink, and went on her way. Time for some good old investigation.

Her first stop was Westside Medical. Chuck had told her that Ellie worked here. He didn't even ask why she wanted to know, he just gave it to her. As she walked up to the front desk, she contemplated what she would do with the information. On one hand, she really couldn't do much. If it turned out that Bryce Larkin was in fact the waste of a human being that had ruined the life of one of the sweetest person to ever grace this Earth, all she could do was scowl at him and hopefully intimidate the crap out of him.

But on the other hand, she had to thank him. Because of his actions, Chuck had made the decisions that he did, which had led him to her. So technically, if it wasn't for Bryce's actions, she would still not know how amazing it would be to actually have fun with a man, instead of drunken sex. She figured she would make it a game time decision.

"Excuse me, could you page Dr. Bartowski for me?"

"I'm sorry miss, Dr. Bartowski is currently on her rounds and I don't know when she will be available." The receptionist replied.

Just then, a gorgeous brunette in scrubs walked up to the reception area. "That's okay, Jenny. I've got this." She turned towards Sarah. "Hi, Ellie Bartowski. What can I do for you?"

Sarah was stunned. It turned out that the warmth that Chuck had held was apparently genetic. She instantly felt at ease with her. So she dropped her game face and decided to go for broke. "Hello Ellie. My name is Sarah Walker. I kind of hope your brother already told you about me, but if not, it appears that I am in fact dating him." She said, allowing her lips to curve up.

Ellie was gobsmacked. Devon told her about Sarah. And Chuck had mentioned a couple of things about her as well. But neither of them was able to accurately describe the vision that was standing before her. She felt pride swell inside her. Chuck had in fact landed quite the catch. She couldn't help but draw comparisons to Jill, even if she had sworn never to do so again. But she was glad that she did. The woman in front of her seemed warm, caring. And most of all, breathtakingly beautiful. Who could fault Chuck for falling for her. So, he didn't know it himself yet. But it was obvious. The way he'd spoken about her, however brief after he had gotten home showed a dedication that rivaled hers to Devon. So this was the perfect opportunity for a little grilling of the person who had taken Chuck's heart faster than anyone had ever had. "I'm sorry Sarah. I'm afraid my brother owes you an apology."

Sarah's eyes went wide. What the hell? Was she really so mistaken? Then she realized it. All this time, she had been feeling the attraction and simply assumed that Chuck did as well. Hell, he even said it. What if she had been too forward last night? Damn her and her stupid tests. Did she really just ruin her chances with the sweetest guy? No, this had to be a mistake. "What do you mean?"

Ellie's grin turned sly. "When he told me about you, he talked about you like you were beautiful. But he was dead wrong. You're drop-dead gorgeous. And I have to thank you, I suppose. After Chuck came home last night, he'd been the happiest I've seen him in a while. The date must've gone well, huh?" She said, as she winked at her.

Sarah felt like jumping. She realized that it might've been a bit too much teenager for her liking, but screw that. She had a crush on someone, she could show however she damn well pleased.

"Ellie. I've met a lot of people in my life. And I'd like to think of myself as someone who can read another person's body language. It has helped me further my career in amazing steps by being able to discern between valid leads and blatant lies. I can honestly say that your brother is one of the most amazing people I've ever met. He's intelligent, charming and the most honest person I've ever met. You can rightfully be proud of yourself for raising him."

Ellie looked torn between pride and dejection. "Oh, you've heard about that."

"I'm sorry Ellie. I truly am. When I heard the story, it broke my heart. If you have just 5 percent of the heart that Chuck has, and I'm guessing you have a lot more than that, you two didn't deserve the crap that you got. But you two came out as two very strong, individual people. And it's truly an honor for me to know Chuck. And by extension, you."

This time, Ellie's face clearly showed pride. "He did turn out fantastic, that's for sure. I'm glad you could see past his wallowing. He especially didn't deserve what he got. But he bounced back, and I'm so glad. Listen, I'm about to go get some lunch. Would you like to join me?"

Okay, so maybe it wasn't going to take 10 minutes. But who better to tell her about Chuck than his sister? The decision was an easy one.

"I'd love to."

"I always figured that hospital food was supposed to be bad by default." Sarah said, as she munched on a salad.

Ellie laughed. "Well, yes. But see, that's for the patients. I think most cafeteria workers figure that they're already in a hospital, so it doesn't matter if they get sick again. But they can't really afford to put us out of commission."

Sarah was loving her time with Chuck's sister. They had hit it off immediately. Of course, it helped to have a common interest to connect over. "So tell me, Ellie. How did you end up in medicine?"

Ellie looked somber for a few seconds. But then she regained the soft smile that she had had ever since they started their talk. "Well, I've always believed in the sanctity of life. But it wasn't until my parents decided to leave that I really began considering it as a viable future. You see, it's not easy being in high school, especially with our family situation. But it was even worse for Chuck, because he'd started displaying those nerdy tendencies from a young age. He and Morgan would spend hours a day sitting behind that Nintendo. But high school meant teasing, pestering and bullies. Morgan was often picked on, and Chuck would have to intervene. There were a lot of times where he'd get a punch to the face for his trouble. And even though I couldn't do much more than the basics, such as handing him some ice to minimize the swelling, he would always be incredibly appreciative. Like I had just cured him from cancer. That's when my interest in medicine started to grow. I even got a job at a hospital before I started studying medicine as a matter of fact. I got a job behind the register of the gift shop. Ellie the Gift Shop Girl they called me. I loved that job. It made me realize how bad I actually wanted to get into medicine. That, and Chuck's worshipping of my small amount of medical knowledge I had back in the day, were the main catalysts of my decision."

Sarah looked flustered. "I'm sorry Ellie."

"For what?"

"For everything. For the shitty hand that you got dealt. For having to take care of your baby brother, as his sister and his guardian. And I know I already said this once, but he turned out amazing. I think you did a better job than your parents could. God, I can't understand why people would put their children through this crap."

Ellie noticed something peculiar about her latest outburst. She didn't say "your parents". She was talking in a broader spectrum. That was interesting to say the least. Still, there was another thing that she noticed. And Ellie wouldn't be Ellie if she wouldn't have a reaction to it. In this case, a squeal would suffice.

Sarah looked at her, trying to discern whether or not the high pitched wail came from the woman who was sitting across from her. "Uh… Ellie, are you alright?"

Ellie was gasping so hard, she was nearly hyperventilating. "You… you… you love him!" She managed to burst out.

Sarah would've loved to have a camera and take a picture of her own face. She was pretty sure that the terror on her face could be used as an advertisement for a horror flick. "I wouldn't know what you're talking about."

But when Eleanor Bartowski decided on something, not even the entire clone army could dissuade her from it. So she continued. "Sarah, it's so obvious that I can't imagine how much it must suck to deny. But if that's what you want to do, go right ahead. Just know this…" Ellie's face contorted into a vicious glare. "…If you ever decide that you want to pursue something with my brother, know that he along with Devon are my life. And so help me God if you hurt him, you had best be the world's best hide-and-seek player. Because if you're not, I will find you. And I will end you."

Sarah swallowed hard. She knew she could take Ellie in a fight. She had a black belt in Jiu Jitsu after all. So why the hell was she so terrified at this moment. What was she doing? She had to deny Ellie that there was anything growing. Dad told her over and over, love was for suckers. It was the greatest con of all. And he could know. He'd been in love. It's what had lead to her conception after all. So why was the only thing that she could say to Ellie, a simple: "I won't."?

After the intense speech of Ellie and Sarah's stifled response, things had simmered down again. The conversation was back on track and both girls were enjoying the get-together. Finally, Ellie dropped the bomb. "You know, I'm having more fun with you than I've ever had with Jill."

Sarah was gushing. It was a silly thing to fret over, but somehow, knowing that she got along better with Chuck's sister than that bitch Jill did seemed to brighten her day. This is pathetic, you know that right? Her mind told her. She was slightly startled to find that her mind's voice had seemed to sound a lot like her dad's. But she willed her mind to be quiet. She found that she was doing that an awful lot every time Chuck was involved. Speaking of Chuck, there was a reason she actually came here.

"Ellie, I need your help. Last night, Chuck and I, we had talked about his time at Stanford. And I've gotten most details out of him. But the one thing I've never learned is who this mystery friend of his was."

Ellie's face darkened. Sarah quickly apologized. "I'm sorry Ellie. It's too personal. Forget I asked."

Ellie started laughing softly. "It's okay Sarah. If you're going to become a part of my brother's life, which I'm guessing you will do, you deserve to know."

Sarah decided to let the jab go. She didn't want to start an argument. That was the only reason. Honestly.

"Well, the fact is, I think the betrayal of Bryce had hit him even harder than Jill's. That's his name by the way. They'd been thick as thieves for so long. Every time I talked with Chuck, he mentioned Bryce. He thought of him as a brother. And obviously, he was planning on proposing to Jill. So the two people he saw as unofficial family had betrayed him. It was like Mom and Dad leaving all over again. I think that's why he was truly devastated. He thought he had finally found what he was looking for and it turns out that they were simply betraying him as well. But I think what finally did Chuck in was the fact that Bryce turned out to become a successful software developer. He was living Chuck's dream, sans the girl. I'm pretty sure that you must've heard of him. Bryce Larkin?"

Sarah's stomach was doing somersaults. It was true. Bryce Larkin, millionaire at 26 had betrayed Chuck. That would make the upcoming "interview" (she had stopped thinking of it as an actual interview to just another weasel trying to get in her pants.) a hell of a lot more interesting. Maybe she could manipulate the confrontation a bit. Let Chuck get in some form of revenge. Still, her instincts were screaming at her. Something was decidedly wrong here. The life that Chuck had envisioned for himself was eerily similar to Bryce's life. As a matter of fact, it seems that Chuck had modeled his life after Bryce. But that wouldn't make sense. As Chuck had told her that he had envisioned himself being there when they were still in Stanford. Something fishy was going on, and she had to find out.

Unfortunately her time with Ellie was up. So she got up and excused herself. Ellie followed suit.

"I must say, Sarah. It's been an absolute pleasure talking to you. What are your plans now?"

Sarah laughed. "I had a blast, Ellie. You're just as amazing as your brother. As for my plans, well, wouldn't you know it? My boss has set me up with an interview with the elusive Mr. Larkin."

Ellie groaned. "Really? Bryce? Well, a fair word of warning. Considering your appearance, I've got some money riding on the fact that he'll try and make a move. Now, listen to me Sarah. And please take these words into serious consideration. I can only make assumptions based on what I've seen here. But I'd like to pride myself on being an excellent judge of character. And of being fiercely protective of my family. I just want to let you know that if Bryce does try and make a pass at you, and you accept… Well, it would mean that you wouldn't be able to see Chuck anymore."

Sarah was shocked. "Why would that be?" She asked. But she already knew the answer. It was obvious.

"Well, I know my brother. And as great of a guy as he is, he won't ever get over Bryce's betrayal, unless there had been an amazing explanation for all of it. So as far as he's concerned, Bryce Larkin has ceased to exist. So if you were to willingly associate yourself with him, he wouldn't be able to look at you anymore. Please, Sarah. If you care about Chuck, even a little bit, you won't take Bryce up on his offer."

Sarah had to tread carefully. Of course her answer was simple. But she didn't want to seem too eager to say so. So she waited a few seconds, before laying her hand on Ellie's arm. "I have no intention of doing anything of the sort."

Ellie burst out laughing. "Oh, wow. You've really got it bad for him, don't you? Well, for what it's worth, I think it's great. I just hope he won't be totally oblivious to it. I might have to stage another intervention."

Sarah looked at her with a scowl. She was oddly curious about the intervention story, but there was no time to ask for that. "I don't have anything for anyone at this point in time." She said, before she turned and walked away. She had rounded the corner when the smile adorned her face.

Sarah drove her Porsche up to the gates of Larkin Manor. The Porsche was Sarah's final link to her youth as a con-girl. Her Dad had gotten it for her when he stopped conning. Sort of like a going-away present. She had a strange obsession with the car. She also loved to blast down the highway, weaving in and out of traffic. The only issue with that was that she couldn't wave some sort of I.D. in an officer's face to get out of any potential tickets. So she drove the maximum allowed speed… mostly.

Larkin Manor was breathtaking. The house was built in an obvious gothic style, with gray being the predominant color. The roofs were pointed and laid with black shingles. As she peered through the gates, she could see the road curving and stretching out ahead of her. The landscaping was done expertly and the entire décor breathed out a serene feeling. Still, something felt oddly familiar about the whole thing. She couldn't quite put her finger on it but it was on the forefront of her mind.

As she cracked open her window, and pressed her thumb to the intercom button, she began thinking about how to approach the delicate subject of interviewing the person who was responsible for ruining the life of one of the most amazing people she'd ever known. She didn't get very far in that line of thinking as a British voice shook her from her musings. "Yes?"

"This is Sarah Walker, with the Los Angeles Daily. I'm here to speak to Mr. Larkin."

"Ah, yes. Miss Walker. Mr. Larkin is expecting you. Go right ahead."

The gates swung open with a smoothness that the old, rusted hinges shouldn't have allowed. Still, Sarah didn't question it so much and revved her engine. As the road was at least half a mile, she figured she'd get some driving practice in. She expertly slid past the curves in the road and managed to crank out 60 miles per hour. She was pleased.

As she stopped in front of the house, she saw a butler standing outside. She figured he would've been the one she was speaking to on the intercom.

"Exquisite driving, milady. And welcome to Larkin Manor. I am Alfred, and Mr. Larkin has asked me to see you to his private quarters."

Sarah burst out laughing. It finally clicked. The house was modeled after the house that Bruce Wayne grew up in, in Batman Begins. She had rented it after listening in on a discussion between Chuck and Morgan about where "Nolan" had gotten his inspiration from for the reboot of the franchise. She didn't understand what was going on, but by the triumph shown on Morgan's face not five minutes later, she figured that Chuck had finally lost an argument.

"Thank you, Alfred. I'm forced to ask though. Where is Mr. Wayne?"

Alfred had to smile. "Ah, I see you've caught on to the infatuation of Mr. Larkin. Yes, it appears he has been quite taken with Batman. I'm relatively sure that that's the reason I've been hired actually."

Sarah smiled back. At least Alfred was taking this whole ordeal with graces. "Well, shall we?" she asked, as she grabbed her bag with all the necessary equipment. A recording device and a note-pad with some generic questions she could throw in if it was necessary. As she stepped through the doors, she couldn't help but stifle a gasp. The hallway was gorgeous, with a massive chandelier hanging from the roof. Several paintings were strategically placed so as to minimize open space. There were multiple different paraphernalia from Batman and other pop culture icons. She only recognized Batman though. As Alfred led her through the house, she could see what Bryce's connection to Chuck could've been. They were both giant nerds. Still, she couldn't quite wrap her brain around the fact that both Chuck and Bryce could've been nerds. Sure, they acted the part, but they certainly didn't look the part.

The path through the manor was long and winding. Sarah was positive that if Alfred wouldn't come to pick her up after the meet was done, she'd be lost forever. And she didn't put it past Bryce to have actually gone the extra mile and build a Larkin-cave beneath the house. He certainly had the money for it.

They finally reached Bryce's quarters. As she walked in the door, she could hear Alfred closing them, and walking off. When she had found Bryce, she had to stifle a laugh. He was sitting in a leather chair in a bathrobe while nipping at a pipe, reading the newspaper.

"I think you've forgotten the monocle." Sarah quipped.

Bryce laid down the newspaper, undeterred by her jab. He stood up, and put on a light grin. "Ah, Miss Walker. How nice to finally meet you."

That's when Sarah decided on how to play this. She'd affect an air of innocence, wait for the come on, then have Chuck call her and flirt with him through the phone. She couldn't wait to see Bryce's face.

"Hello Mr. Larkin. I have to say, you have a fabulous house. It's simply breathtaking. Now, before we start, I have to send a quick text and after that, I'm all yours." She said, knowing how he would take that statement. Indeed, the leer on his face quickly told her that she'd been spot on in assuming how this would play out. So she grabbed her phone and sent off a quick text.

Call me in 10

Sarah

Having taken care of that, she focused her attention on Bryce again. He stood up, and shrugged out of his bathrobe. Sarah stood frozen. What the hell was he doing? Imagine her surprise when it turned out he was fully clothed underneath it. He looked up, and saw her expression. He laughed. "Sorry about that. I've just always wanted to make an entrance like that." He was actually dressed very casually. A look that she had loved ever since the night before. It looked better on Chuck. Bryce looked more like someone who should perpetually be in a suit. "Speaking of making entrances, yours certainly left nothing to be desired." He said. Sarah inwardly groaned. She had been receptive of this kind of "flattery" far too many times. But she usually had already downed three shots of tequila by this point. Still, she made a game plan, and she was going to stick to it. So, she did her famous air-headed giggle.

During the tour, small talk was exchanged. Sarah's were of a casual nature. Bryce's were of a far more intimate level of talking. Sarah found she actually had fun. Shooting down men had sort of become a sport to her, and Sarah had always been fiercely competitive. Finally, her phone rang, and when she picked it up, she saw Chuck's face on her screen. Showtime.

"I'm so sorry, I have to take this. It's quite important."

"That's not a problem Miss Walker. Would you like some privacy?"

"No, that'll be fine. It's nothing private anyway."

She pressed the green phone button.

"Sarah speaking."

"Hey Sarah, it's Chuck. I got your message, so uh… This is me calling."

She heard the awkward laugh through the phone and allowed a soft smile to grace her face.

"Oh, Chuck, I'm so happy you called. I have to tell you, I had so much fun last night. I've never had that much fun with another guy." She exclaimed, as she was looking for a reaction on Bryce's face. She didn't get any.

"Uh… Thanks, I guess. I had a lot of fun too. I have to say, you're quite the party animal once you get going. I never enjoyed dancing until yesterday." Chuck replied, unsure of what was going on.

"Miss Walker, listen to me for a second, but do not hang up the phone." Bryce said. Sarah was confused. There was a professional tone that she hadn't heard from Bryce before.

"Who is that, Sarah?"

"Miss Walker, please do as I say. It's vital that you listen to me."

"Just a minute, Chuck." She said, as she put the phone down. She directed her annoyed gaze to Bryce. "What is it?"

"Last night, at seven p.m. you were picked up by Charles Irving Bartowski. You have flirted with him for at least half a year, but it wasn't until two days ago that his family got through to him. He asked you out and you accepted. You went to an Italian restaurant where Chuck had the risotto and you had the salmon. Afterwards, you split a tiramisu. You then went to a club where you stayed for two and a half hours, after which Chuck led you out, and took you to the beach. After the beach, Chuck drove you home. Please tell him that I need to see him and you right now." Bryce said.

Sarah was stunned. How the hell did he know all that? She was so stunned that she didn't even notice that Chuck was still on the phone. Finally, she pressed the device back to her ear. Numbly, she said: "Chuck, get to Larkin Manor."

"Larkin Manor? You're with Bryce?"

"I was sent here for an interview, but things have just changed. Bryce asked me to see you and me. Please come, Chuck." Sarah said, as she started to sound mildly frantic. Chuck stayed silent for a while. Finally he agreed.

"Let's go back to my quarters and wait for his arrival. I will explain everything to you once he gets here." Bryce said, as he turned to walk back the way they came.

Sarah was in full fledged panic mode. How could Bryce possibly know what happened last night? And more importantly, why would he even care? The first question was simple enough; someone had been spying on her. Still, another question remained. Why?

The 15 minutes after the call had been the longest ever for Sarah. She couldn't get another answer out of Bryce. He just sat there, watching her intently. Finally, Chuck was led in by Alfred. Sarah stood up to hug him. She needed some warmth, safety. Something that only Chuck had been able to provide for her. His arms enveloped her, and she felt a sense of calm dwindle over her. When she pulled back, she saw that Chuck's stare was fixated on the form of Bryce.

"Hello, Chuck."

"What the fuck do you want, Bryce?"

"Is that the way to greet a friend, nowadays?"

"I'm pretty sure we stopped being friends the moment I found you with Jill."

"Ah, that's what you think Chuck, but hear me out, and you'll find that it was all for your own good."

"For my own good? How the fuck could finding your girlfriend being fucked by your best friend be a good thing?"

"Chuck…" Bryce started.

"No, don't you dare "Chuck" me. I believed in you, you know. I actually thought that you were a genuinely great guy. Someone who I could talk to about whatever we wanted. Zork, Batman, DC, Marvel, Star Wars, Star Trek. Hell, even Stargate SG-1 if I was in the mood. I thought you could be the brother I never had. I accepted you as family. And just like Mom and Dad, you turn out to be nothing but an arrogant, manipulative prick, which only cares about his own agenda. Well, guess what. You can fuck off and die."

"Chuck, sit down and shut up!" Bryce thundered. Chuck promptly sat down next to Sarah.

Bryce slumped in his chair, the worry lines in his face obvious. He pulled his hands over his face in frustration. After a tense moment, he seemed to have regained his calm and started talking.

"Listen Chuck, I will give you a full explanation for everything that happened, from Stanford until now. If you still hate me after that, I'll understand. But this is bigger than just you or me. Chuck, what I'm about to tell you and Miss Walker could very well change the course of mankind. We are looking at what could very well be the destruction of democracy. And in its place, we'll get a dictatorship that will be unrivalled. Imagine if Hitler had succeeded in his Third Reich ideas. Now apply that to a world-wide scale. That's what we're facing at the moment. I'm sure you have a lot of questions already, but please keep them until the end. I promise I will address everything I can."

Chuck looked at Bryce. Surely, he'd gone off the reservation. It was like listening to the voiceover of a TV show, that'd be on the bubble after every season, but somehow pull through every season while facing continuous budget cuts and getting progressively worse CGI.

"First things first. Chuck, I am in fact, a C.I.A. agent." Bryce started.

Chuck started laughing. It wasn't so much a belly laugh. It sounded more like Chuck had snapped like a twig. He kept laughing, until something landed in his lap. He pulled it open to see an I.D. of Bryce. And next to that, the C.I.A. badge.

"Holy shit…" Chuck breathed. He looked to Sarah, whose eyes were bulging out.

"Chuck, what I am about to tell you and Miss Walker is strictly confidential. I have express orders from my superiors to only share this with you and her. Repeating this outside will put you at risk of being tried for treason. So please listen carefully."

Sarah couldn't believe her ears. What the hell were she and Chuck being pulled in to? She was pretty damn content with her life as a reporter. She didn't want to have to save the world as she knew it. But the way that Bryce was talking, she might not even have a choice. Still, that left her one question.

"Stop… Wait. Before you go on. Why am I involved?" Sarah asked.

Bryce looked at her, with an arched eyebrow."That's simple, Miss Walker. You see, there are three reasons. First and foremost, only Chuck is suited for what's about to happen. But we needed someone to convince him to hear me out. And since you are quite fetching, we figured we could pressure you into getting him to come here. After all, a simple bat of your eyelashes, a suggestive look and voila. Imagine our surprise when it turned out that Chuck here had started courting you. But that's neither here nor there, and for what it's worth buddy; way to go."

Chuck looked at Bryce with a healthy dose of skepticism. Sarah was convinced that her facial features displayed the same sense of mistrust.

Bryce continued. "The second reason is cause of your father. After all, it was he who pushed you to take up self-defense classes and become apt with firearms and knives. We've been keeping you on our shortlist for potential recruitment into the C.I.A. We actually had an entire plan set out if your Dad had kept conning people. After all, it was simply a matter of time before he conned the wrong people. If that were to happen, we could lock him up for his protection. In return, we could offer you a position within the Agency. But our psych test revealed to us a complex state of mind. And when your dad stopped conning people, we knew we couldn't approach you. You wouldn't be receptive. So we stayed clear."

During Bryce's monologue, Sarah caught Chuck in the corner of her eye, looking at her. She inwardly groaned. She was going to tell him about her on the second date. She made a promise to him about that, and she wasn't about to flake on her promises. Still, now he knew. But when she looked at him, she saw a couple of things. First was mistrust. She'd figure that that would be inevitable. But she saw other things. One of them was compassion. He actually felt sorry for her. What was that all about? She'd have to ask him later, as Bryce continued undeterred.

"And the third reason is easily the most vital one. We needed a respected journalist to break the story if this entire thing were to spiral out of control."

Sarah's eyes lit up. If this was as big as Bryce was making it sound this could skyrocket her career. A game-changer for the world, and she'd be the first one to report it. The thought made her drool with anticipation.

"The issue at hand, Chuck, is based in the Intersect project." Bryce said.

Chuck gasped. "Holy shit!"

Sarah looked at him. "Do you know about this?" she all but shouted.

Chuck looked at her sheepishly. "Nope, but it sounded rather dramatic, so I figured I'd give a fitting response."

Sarah giggled, but Bryce's eyes hardened. "Chuck, now is not the time for jokes. If you don't take this seriously, millions of people will die. Good people, Chuck. People who've never done anything wrong in their entire lives will be killed because they believe in something as simple as freedom."

Chuck bashfully averted his gaze to the floor. Sarah felt bad for him, so she grabbed his hands and gave them a small squeeze. He lifted his head to meet Sarah's eyes, and gave her a small nod to affirm his gratitude in her action. Sarah felt infinitely better.

"The intersect project is based upon the brilliant work of a scientist codenamed Orion. After 9/11 the country was in a state of shock. One of the most asked questions was how it could happen. America was supposed to have the greatest intelligence community in the world. And as it turned out, if the C.I.A. and the N.S.A. along with the F.B.I. had just worked together and shared their intelligence, we could've avoided the entire catastrophe. So the commander-in-chief issued an executive order. All the intelligence and law enforcement agencies were ordered to pool all their information into a computer. The Intersect. The Intersect was then supposed to be encoded using visual images in which the intelligence would be incorporated. These images would then be uploaded into a human being. The wielder of the Intersect could then proceed to call up specific data, and the brain would automatically assimilate the information into a logical conclusion. But the president decided that this wasn't enough. He wanted to root out terrorism, once and for all. So he called for an emergency meeting with the NATO. He pretty much demanded that everyone in the NATO started sharing their intelligence and depositing it in the Intersect. Of course, there was a massive riot. Countries wouldn't feel safe with only one human Intersect, who was American nonetheless. So it was decided that every participating member would be able to get one Intersect each. They were to get unlimited government resources to complete their mission. It would effectively root out terrorism."

Chuck and Sarah's mouths fell open. This was insanity.

"However, back in 2001 there was a major issue. To be able to effectively gain and operate the Intersect in a human body, one would need a retention rate of 98 percent. But there wasn't a single human being on Earth had this. The one who came closest was Orion himself, who had a retention rate of 96 percent. So the next couple of years, Orion and his team kept working on the Intersect, finding ways to encode the data better. And they finally succeeded a couple of years ago. The required retention rate is now 94 percent. Chuck, you have a retention rate of 96 percent."

Chuck choked on air. He knew where this was going. "Let me stop you right there, Bryce. I have no interest in becoming the government's plaything. I'm quite content with my life thank you very much."

Bryce smiled. "I figured as much. That's the reason that I blackmailed Professor Fleming into giving you a lower score than you had attained. You would've still passed, gotten your degree and be able to live a long and happy life. Sadly, they still found out. I don't know how, but they did. But then I got disturbing news from my superiors. It turns out that Jill Roberts was an enemy operative. Now, you may not know this, but it turns out that not everyone is as cool with the American way of life as the rest. There's a plethora of rogue organizations around, who want to shape America to the way that they see it. And with news of the improvement of the Intersect, these organizations would stop at nothing to get their very own Intersect agent. Jill was approached by this organization, called Fulcrum, late in her first year. She was coerced into joining them when they threatened her family. Still, she fell for you all the same. But she somehow found out about your retention rate. We have no idea how. She set up a plan to keep you on a tight leash. Then, they would worm your true retention rate back in with the government and get you the Intersect, virtually granting them power over at least America, and probably over the entire western hemisphere. So the C.I.A. figured that they had to stop her. Seeing as how I was already an agent by then, they had me approach Jill and seduce her. I had hoped that you would walk in on us. Oh, and I'm sorry about that comment that she made about you not being enough for her. I actually had a Glock 19 dug in her backside and forced her to make that comment. They needed you to sever all your ties with her. After that was done, we extracted her to a black site to never be heard from again."

Sarah looked at Chuck, to see him with eyes opened wide and mouth open. She was sure that her face reflected those same qualities. Bryce was looking out for Chuck?

Bryce continued, now talking in a much more hushed tone. "Once again, Chuck. I'm so sorry that I had to do that. I've never wanted you to get hurt, and I felt sick to my stomach. But the thing is, I would've been terminated myself, had I not followed orders. And I couldn't tell you about everything that was going on, as that would've brought them to terminate you. Because the thing is, while you are the most promising candidate, there are others with 94 percent. In their eyes, you were expendable. So I took it upon myself to keep you safe. I told them that I wouldn't let them use you. So the C.I.A. had me stationed here after you went back home. I was always watching you, keeping you safe. I know that you hate me, Chuck. I get that. But trust me when I say. I did it all to help you and keep you safe. To keep you and Ellie safe." A few tears started rolling down Bryce's cheek. "You were the only friend that I've ever had. And I'm so sorry that I had to betray your trust. I really am."

Chuck still gazed at Bryce. But his eyes had gotten a lot softer throughout his explanation. Suddenly, Sarah's mind flicked on. "Wait a minute. If Chuck was never going to be faced with this "Intersect" thing, then why are you telling us about it now?"

Bryce looked at Sarah. He allowed a glimmer of respect to shine through. "Very perceptive, Miss Walker. The truth is because we have no idea where the actual Intersect computer is. It is our belief, that Orion had realized how dangerous the Intersect truly is. But the truth is, the world is in a lot more danger without it. Miss Walker… Sarah… You're one of the best investigative reporters. Along that, you have a fantastic knack for reading people's body language and adjusting yourself accordingly. You did it to me as well. You saw what my intentions were, and adjusted yourself so that when the call from Chuck came in, I'd believe that I would have a chance with you, only to be put down brutally. It was a great idea. Except of course for the fact that all texts and calls are monitored in this house, and I'm in direct communications with Alfred. You're right, by the way. I do feel like Batman sometimes."

Sarah blushed, but when she looked to Chuck she could see a healthy dose of admiration in his eyes, obviously connecting the dots. Maybe her idea was better than she had originally assumed.

"Anyway," Bryce said, as he picked up where he left off. "Not only are you a great investigator, but you were one of the best students in your Jiu Jitsu class. And we've seen you throw a knife. We are certain you can protect yourself and others if you needed to."

Chuck had started looking at Sarah in a different light. He was starting to fear for his sanity. He had already been convinced that Sarah was the perfect woman when he'd first seen her. And ever since that day, she'd been adding to that already ridiculously high level of worship. He was certain that his head might explode from being in such close quarters with someone like her.

"And the reason that we need Chuck is fairly simple. Chuck is one of the most brilliant people I've ever had the good fortune of meeting. Together, you two would make an amazing team. So here's what I'm proposing. You two will try and find the Intersect. Sarah in the mean time will keep a detailed log about everything she finds out. Every expense will be paid by the C.I.A. as well as closing a deal with your newspaper to allow you two to get paid leave of absence. You two will report directly to me. Any details that you might find out, you will write down. If at any point it looks like we might not find it in time, or the Intersect gets in the hands of one of the rogue operations, you immediately break the story. The C.I.A. will see to it that the story gets attention worldwide. Of course, should you or Chuck be caught or killed, the C.I.A. will disavow any knowledge of your actions."

"Very Mission: Impossible there, Bryce." Chuck deadpanned.

Bryce grinned. "What can I say? It was too easy to pass up."

Sarah however, had objections. "Hang on. I'm not about to agree to anything willy-nilly. I want to talk to Chuck about this. In private. Not in here."

However, it was Chuck that threw up the objection. "Sarah. Think about it. If this Intersect is real, don't you think that the C.I.A. wants it to be under the covers? If we decline, we'll be killed faster than we can open up Word."

Bryce looked sullen. "He's right, Miss Walker. I'm sorry for shanghaiing you two into this. But, and this isn't meant as an overtly dramatic statement, you two are the only hope for the survival of freedom."

Sarah paused for a long moment. She was upset. Not with Chuck, he couldn't know about any of this. She was just annoyed that for the first time she had found something she truly enjoyed doing and it was about to be ripped out of her hands. But not if she had anything to say about it. So she leaned over to Chuck and whispered in his ear. "Do you still want to keep dating, with all of this?"

Chuck started nodding furiously. "Are you kidding me, Sarah? Didn't you just hear Bryce? I'm pretty sure that the Intersect won't be in Los Angeles, so that means that we get to travel. And the C.I.A. is footing the bill. Oh, God, I'm going to have to buy so much travel brochures. But at least every date we'll go on from now on will be unique." He finished with a wink.

Sarah grinned. Certainly, travelling with Chuck would be anything but a punishment. Who knew, maybe she could actually make this attitude adjustment from him permanent. She loved confident Chuck… But she didn't love, love him… Because that would be impossible… Because it was only one date for God's sake.

Still, she finally relented. "Fine, we'll do it. Do you have any place that we could start?" She asked.

"Of course. Your first person of interest will be a Major Alexander Coburn, USMC. He lives in Washington D.C. Intel suggests that he's gone rogue and is trying to find the Intersect for an organization known as the Ring."

Chuck started laughing. "The Ring? Really? Am I going to have to be worried that Samara will jump out of a television any time soon?"

The expected laugh didn't come. Bryce looked at Chuck. "Although their name might be a joke, don't think that the actual organization is anything but. As a matter of fact, they're prime candidates for being able to actually find the Intersect and using it to point out anyone who is against them. They will then proceed to root out any and all that oppose them. I say again Chuck, do not underestimate them."

Sarah kept quiet throughout the banter from Chuck. She had already met Alex once. And she couldn't believe that he had gone rogue. After all, he was the one that helped jumpstart her career. She'd discuss it with Chuck when they would be underway.

Chuck stood up. "Right then. I guess I'm going home to pack. Sarah, you coming?"

Sarah was shaken from her train of thought. "Uh… What? Yeah, I'm coming."

Bryce stood up as well, to walk them out. "Oh, one more thing. Be sure to update me on where your journey will take you. That way, we'll be able to supply you with weapons and money. Should your cover be blown, we would hate for you to end up dead."

Chuck shrugged. "Thanks for being so cool about it, Bryce." He said sarcastically. "Oh, and before I forget…" And with that, he stepped up, and socked Bryce in the jaw. Sarah stood shell-shocked and, if she was honest with herself, slightly aroused. "That was for Stanford."

Bryce didn't fall over, but he did stumble back a few paces. After checking for blood, and rubbing his jaw a bit, he got another grin on his face. "Hell of a jab you have there, buddy." He laughed, and walked them to his front door. "Don't forget, keep me updated."

As Sarah walked back to her car, she heard Chuck whistle an appreciative tone. "Sweet car you've got there, Sarah."

Sarah chuckled. "Thanks. It was actually a present from my Dad."

"I kind of figured. I mean, I wouldn't know how much they pay you, but if it was anywhere close to my pay-grade you'd have to have been saving for the past, uh…" Chuck stopped, doing a quick mental calculation. "…Twenty-five years or so. And I'm pretty sure you were still in diapers back then."

Sarah laughed. She seemed to be doing that a lot lately. "What can I say, I might have been an early bird, but not that early. So hey, I'm going to go home now, and research some tickets and what not. I'll call you when I have details, alright?"

Chuck looked somber. Sarah feared it was something that she said. "Hey, Chuck. What's wrong? You're suddenly back in your work-mood. I really don't like seeing you like that. I'm pretty sure I've already mentioned that once before. So what gives?"

"I'm going to have to leave Ellie behind." He sighed. "I haven't been away from her for the past 27 years."

Sarah tried to lighten the mood. So she used a mixture of a joke and the truth. "Ah, yes. But she'll be in great hands with Devon. And, according to my new job description, so will you." She added, with a toothy grin.

That got his smile back on his face. "Ah yes, about that. I'm thinking it's fair turnabout if you told me about your life." He teased.

"What, now?" Sarah asked, managing to hide her fear.

"No. It's way to public for that. I was thinking in a more intimate setting. For example, I've heard that airplanes are quite intimate. So, Sarah. Will you do me the honor of… sitting in a seat next to me, and telling me about yourself?"

Sarah had to contemplate that one. From his earlier reaction inside the manor, it seemed like he understood her dilemma. Maybe telling him about her wouldn't be as bad as she thought. And he was right. It would be fair. So she accepted. "That was a gorgeous proposal, Chuck. Yes, I'll tell you about me. But for your sake, your real proposal had better be more romantic than this."

The awkward was back with a vengeance.

Finally, Chuck coughed. "Right… Uh… I'm going to go pack a suitcase… Or something. Tell Ellie where I'm going… Yeah, definitely telling Ellie where I'm going… Not what I'm doing though… That wouldn't be smart… Oh speaking of things that could be smart, I'm going to pick up a lot of brochures… I just hope that the travel agent still has some…"

Sarah stepped forward, and pressed her lips against his. When she broke the kiss, Chuck's eyes were slightly glazed. She bent forward, and whispered: "You were babbling again."

Chuck was rooted to the spot. When Sarah turned and left, he was still standing there, wondering what the hell had just happened. Somehow, Sarah tasted even better than he remembered. And there was no alcohol involved. This was awesome. So he finally shook out of his stupor, turned around and got in his car. Chuck Bartowski was going on an honest-to-God adventure. With Sarah Walker. He was already trying to figure out who would play him in a movie adaption.

Bryce sat in his chair. He picked up the phone and dialed the number from memory.

"White Shadow, Black Coat reporting in… Yes, they're going to Washington… No, we'll see how they fare… Well, of course I didn't tell him his father made the damn thing, I've been doing this for a while you know? We'll keep tabs on them… Yes, if they find it we'll have him upload it. And if he doesn't, we'll just capture Walker… Yes, he seems quite fond of her… I'm sure that he'll do whatever we want, if it means saving her… Yes, I'll keep you updated… You too."

He hung up, and leaned back in his chair. As he took another sip of his drink, he quietly contemplated that this would've been the perfect moment for an evil laugh.

A/N 2: Whew. 28.000 words in, and it sort of signifies the end of the background story. Of course, I'll try and make sure that every character that proves to be a vital part of the plot gets a decent background going for him or her, but I've finally gotten past the main characters. So, now we get to the globetrotting part of the story... What else? More Charah of course. Oh, and some action. Can't forget the action. Definitely some drama. I've already written out some angsty ideas. They include cliffhangers. So I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Keep reviewing and I'll make sure that I keep writing. If anyone is interested, I've written all chapters within 24 hours of one another. It's tiring, but very rewarding when I see how people respond to the story. Untill next time (Which might be within 48 hours!)

Before I forget. Some people might find the inclusion of Ellie's back-story as a gift shop girl a bit over the top and maybe not all that relevant. It's a nod to Scrubs, (which in my opinion is one of the best, if not the best TV series I've ever watched) which I've done a couple of times throughout this story, but either no one's picking up on them, or they don't feel it's worth noting that they picked up on them. I'm fine either way, just figured I should clear the air on that little inclusion.