Author's Note: This chapter feels shorter because everyone is talking and not much is happening but we have Chuck and Sarah! And I've started writing author notes again.

Chuck almost didn't accept the request. Carmichael Industries was working completely under the CIA after all and technically no longer existed. But he did monitor the email address.

Getting an email called 'stab troll with pointy knife' would usually sound like spam. Except it had become his and Bryce's code phrase after all the intersect nonsense.

Did Bryce actually die? Did someone bring him back to life? And why was he only reaching out now?

Alternatively, who figured out that this was the combination of words that would send Chuck running? Sarah kept reminding him that it was more likely there was some kind of information leak than it was that Bryce was alive.

Sarah probably had some kind of gun on her person that she was readying to shoot whomever thought calling them out was a smart idea.

"I can't believe you convinced me to come," the voice carried over the sea of people. It caused both Chuck and Sarah to freeze.

"Calm down, Bryce. It's a public place, they can't make too much of a scene here. And you know that El wanted you to come with me so I wouldn't meet them alone."

Chuck pointed as he spotted two people standing near the exit. One of them sported very familiar dark hair and blue eyes.

"Yeah, I know," Bryce sighed. "She guilted me. I was the one who asked you to reach out to Carmichael so I should be here when you meet them."

"So, you were the one who asked?" Sarah demanded to know of Bryce, moving to stand in front of him with her hands on her hips. She glared while Chuck struggled with both of their bags in the background.

"Sarah."

"Who?" Peter questioned.

"That's me. What are you doing here, Bryce? Why didn't you tell us you weren't dead?"

"Because Bryce Larkin was still dead until about a month ago. The FBI figured out who my alias was and hired me."

"You're FBI? Cool!"

"Not right now, Chuck," Sarah scolded.

"But, it's the FBI! Wait. Why did the FBI figure it out?"

Bryce sighed. "I have a lot to explain."

"Come on, you're staying at my house," Peter said. "I hope you don't mind the guest room."

"It should be fine. Is Bryce also staying with you?"

"I have my own place," Bryce said nervously. "Wait 'til you see it."

"So were you actually dead until a month ago or is it just that you didn't need to tell us until a month ago?" Chuck asked as they walked towards the entrance.

Peter's steps faltered after Chuck innocently questioned something that sounded impossible.

"I didn't need to tell you until Peter reached out to you," Bryce responded. "I was only flatlined a few times after I was shot. Again. Thankfully, Beckman refused to just let me die."

"She's encouraging you to stop getting shot."

Peter laughed and Bryce glared at Chuck.

"It wasn't a choice."

"Staying dead was a choice though," Chuck pointed out.

"Considering some of the crazy things you two have been doing, I think I made the right decision. I wasn't ready to go back to the CIA."

Chuck winced, recalling the numerous messes with the Intersect and the times his team declared war on the CIA.

"Bryce, while I wonder how many stories of what you did as Neal Caffrey are actually true now, I've been with you as we ended up recovering a lost Nazi treasure. And then there was that whole mess with Keller and you running to the Cape Verde islands. And that's just the few situations that come to mind right away."

There were silent stares between the four agents.

"You do not want to know some of the stuff Chuck's team got up to. Or what I did as a CIA agent," Bryce finally said.

Peter's face pinched in the way it did whenever he worried about Neal.

"Bryce, did you encourage me to invite another Caffrey-level character into the office?"

Sarah did a double take as Bryce laughed.

Chuck's eyes widened. "Oh, I just remembered where I've heard the name 'Neal Caffrey' before!"

"Did you flash?" Bryce asked.

Chuck shook his head and Bryce had a moment of confusion.

"He was like the gentleman thief with a heart of gold right?"

Peter nodded and Bryce had a sudden realisation. He jumped forward and pulled Chuck to the side.

"Don't."

Chuck grinned. "What? You don't want them to know that you came up with the name during one of our open D&D sessions? Did you at least keep Neal's past as having become a thief because of his father's crimes leaving him in a life of poverty and-"

"Neal's my birthname, remember, Chuck?" Bryce hissed. "And I used it to create my character for D&D, okay? It was my way of coping after learning the rather distressing news about my father being a criminal who turned state's evidence."

"Yeah, I remember that part. I helped you adapt your past into something that would fit into a D&D setting. You never mentioned that your birth name was Neal though. I thought you just pulled the first name off a randomised list."

"I didn't think you would remember. It was a one day, one shot session in-between the bigger campaigns."

"Well," Chuck huffed and placed a hand on his chest. "College was a very traumatising time for me so I happened to recall a lot of little things that someone else might have forgotten."

"I'm not apologising for Stanford again, Chuck."

"I'm not asking you to. I have just reached the point where I can joke about it."

They walked back over to Sarah and Peter.

"What was that about?" Peter asked.

"Bryce is just sensitive about what he told me in the past."

"Chuck," Bryce sighed.

"Let's get moving," Sarah said. "I want Bryce to explain why he called us here."

Chuck glared at Bryce.

"Your father is here."

Bryce nodded.

"Your father. The criminal. The one that caused your mother to be absent mentally and pretty much abandoned you."

Sarah gave Bryce a shocked stare. However, it seemed that she was the only one who hadn't learnt this about their friend.

"He seems apologetic?" Bryce said, but his voice didn't even convince himself.

"He took the name of a dead person," El reminded him. "And hid his true identity from you in order to get closer to you."

"I think we've gotten distracted. I didn't call Chuck and Sarah here for James. They're here to help us get Pratt."

"The Senator. You're picking some powerful enemies," Sarah pointed out.

Chuck shrugged. "Not like we haven't picked some pretty powerful enemies ourselves."

El seemed a little shocked about Chuck being so nonchalant about all this.

"Pratt has already managed to end the career of Reese Hughes. What if he goes for Peter or Bryce next?" she asked.

"Hughes is working as happily as he can for the NSA for now," Bryce pointed out. "It's part of how he managed to argue for me taking his position."

"I guess you can rejoin the CIA if he does anything."

Bryce narrowed his eyes at Chuck. "No. Thank you."

"Really?" Sarah questioned.

"I have built a life here and have no interest in going back to the CIA."

"That's surprising. You always seemed like someone whose whole life was the CIA."

Peter and El glanced at Bryce, who chuckled nervously.

"So, I'm a bit of a workaholic. Hence, not going back."

"I can respect that. Now we just have to make sure your father and Pratt don't destroy the life you created here. First step, introduce me to your father."

"Why is that the first step?" Sarah asked Chuck.

"Because if he's anything like your father, he'll completely underestimate me."

They would have to come up with a background for Chuck as Bryce hadn't told his father about going to Stanford but it was worth a shot.

"Now, what's the next step?"

Bryce fished around in his pocket and pulled out a key. "This is a hint to where Ellen hid her evidence."

"The only issue is, we have no idea what it opens, if anything," Peter sighed.

Chuck examined the key. "I'm not flashing, Sarah?"

She took the key from Chuck and looked it over. "And if it doesn't open anything?"

"Then it points to something. Somehow."

The group frowned at the key as Sarah handed it back.