A/N: Thanks for continuing to read this, and for the reviews. Reviews weren't getting recorded for a while and so I couldn't respond to them, but now that they are, I have. I certainly appreciate receiving them all.

This is, in effect, the first part of the Nemesis AU.

Healing

Chapter 12: Bryce

When Chuck and Sarah arrived at the medical facility, both braced themselves for what they were going to face.

Casey had instructed them on which floor they'd find Bryce, and they walked to the elevator. Sarah keyed in a code to open the doors. Chuck commented on it, and she confirmed that security was tight here.

Once inside, almost as soon as the door closed, Sarah reached out for Chuck's hand and clasped it tightly. She knew he thought of Bryce as his nemesis, in spite of what they'd found out from the disc from Stanford. She couldn't blame him. Both what he did at college and by sending the Intersect to Chuck, Bryce had made life harder for her boyfriend.

He gave her a quick peck on her lips and earned a grateful look of thanks. That helped her, too. She had no love for Bryce Larkin either. She briefly thought of Chuck's jealousy about her past with the rogue spy and she wished she could show her feelings more with a longer kiss, but there was no time. They were almost at the destination floor, so after another quick squeeze, she released his hand, and they stood awaiting the opening of the doors.

Casey was standing along the corridor waiting for them. His look expressed both frustration and anger. "Need you in there, Bartowski," he growled.

Chuck looked through the one-way window at his ex-friend and then turned to the NSA agent. "Hold on a second. You want me to go in there and ask him what exactly? 'Hey, Bryce, why did you send me the Intersect? Why did you choose my life to ruin?' How exactly do I start that conversation?"

Sarah answered, "Just talk to him, okay? Be a friend, you're good at that."

Chuck looked at her. "You know he's not my friend anymore."

She knew that and tensed before saying, "Just pretend." It was a reminder to both of them of what they themselves were supposed to be doing, not actually being in love. She wanted to kiss him to ease his nerves, but couldn't in front of Casey.

He reluctantly walked to the door to Bryce's room. Casey muttered something in his ear, which Sarah didn't catch, but it was probably one of his snide remarks because she heard Chuck sarcastically reply, "Thanks."

He opened the door and stepped inside, closing the door behind him. Casey joined Sarah as they watched through the one-way window, listening to what was said.

Bryce didn't look up but asked, "Who are you?" His voice sounded raspier to Sarah than she remembered, but that was a long time ago.

Chuck replied, acting cheerful, "Hey, Bryce, It's me... Chuck."

Bryce looked up at him. "I don't believe you. What did you do with the real Chuck?" he glumly replied.

Chuck sighed and replied, "You know, I didn't choose to be here. You asked for me. I'm happy to just leave."

"Prove you're Chuck," Bryce demanded. Chuck was obviously trying to work out how to do that, when Bryce asked a question in a language Sarah didn't know. Chuck replied instantly.

Bryce smiled at him. "Your Klingon's a bit rusty, Chuck." Sarah remembered that was from a science fiction show. Star Trek?

Chuck replied, "Yeah, I've been kind of busy lately... Ever since I got your email."

"You opened it, didn't you?" Bryce asked.

"Yeah, I did."

"So, you're the Intersect now," Bryce stated.

"I don't get it, Bryce. Why'd you send me the Intersect? And how the hell are you still alive?"

"It's complicated," Bryce muttered. Sarah only just managed to hear that.

Chuck wasn't going to leave it at that. "Who saved you?" he asked.

"They did."

"Shit, Bryce!" Chuck raised his voice. "Tell me who or I'll just walk out."

"Come here, and I'll tell you. For your ears only," Bryce said.

Chuck stood still. "I don't trust you, Bryce."

Bryce shrugged. "Your loss."

Sarah wished that Chuck had an earpiece in and she could shout at him not to go near Bryce, but he did. She started moving to the door, as she saw Bryce break free and grab a syringe full of liquid and a long needle.

As she burst into the room, she saw that in spite of his apparent weakened state, he had Chuck's back pressed against his chest and the needle poised at Chuck's neck.

Bryce was shocked to see his ex-partner. "Sarah, what are you doing here?"

"Stopping you," she replied. She wasn't going to take a chance and shot Bryce, noticing Chuck wince as she did that. Bryce let go of him and slumped to the floor.

Chuck turned and will have seen the dart in Bryce's shoulder. He looked back toward her. He was obviously shocked, but the awe in his voice still came through. "You couldn't have had much of a target." The look he was giving her spoke of the same awe.

"There was enough," she replied, gazing down at the body on the floor. She looked back up to Chuck. "I wouldn't shoot you. Even with a dart."

"You enjoyed that, didn't you?" he said.

She grinned. "Yup."

"I have real bullets," grumbled Casey. She hadn't noticed him enter the room but guessed that he'd probably been right behind her.

"But we need him alive to get information out of him," Sarah sadly replied.

Casey grunted. "I'll get him secured," he muttered.

Sarah guided Chuck back to the elevator. "So, you no longer need me to interview Bryce?" he asked.

"I'm sure Casey's techniques would change and probably be effective. However, he may just get taken back to Langley."

"I'm sorry you've had to see him again," Chuck said as the elevator started back down.

"You, too," she replied. "I just wish we knew why he's here."

The elevator came to a stop before reaching the first floor. As the doors opened, Chuck flashed on the man standing outside.

Sarah quickly pressed the button to close the doors and they started down again.

"Chuck flashed on someone on our way down," she said into her phone.

"Tommy Delgado," Chuck said. "Bad guy."

Sarah looked at him. "Casey will get the lower floors searched, but I'm getting you out of here… fast."

Chuck didn't complain and she quickly got him to her Porsche.

Having commented about surviving another of Sarah's terrifying high-speed rides back to Echo Park, Chuck staggered to the apartment.

Sarah was now in deep thought about both of the men they'd seen. Chuck said nothing. Being threatened by Bryce will have taken Chuck back to all of his negative feelings about the man he'd once thought of as a friend.

This wasn't a day off work for Chuck, but she wasn't going to take him until Casey got there. The thoughts swirling around in her head were making her head ache.

Chuck turned to her once they were in the apartment. "I'm gonna play some-" He stopped as he saw her face. "What is it, Sarah? Anything I can help with?"

She focused on him. This was typical Chuck. "I should be consoling you after what you've experienced, but, no, you're wanting to help me."

He shrugged. "It's what a boyfriend does."

She shook her head. "What a caring, considerate boyfriend does."

"Do you want to talk about what's making you frown?"

She sighed and walked to the couch, sat and patted the space beside her.

Once he'd sat down, she started. "Everything has gotten much more complicated. Our relationship is just part of it."

As always, she'd not said that right. He tensed and said, "If you want to go back to just a cover-"

Her finger over his lips stopped him. "I don't want that, Chuck, so don't even think it." She held his gaze to make sure he understood that. He gave her a brief nod and she took her finger away. "However, we do need to work out what I say to Dreyfus. He will expect something to have changed, and he may even approve, but he also has to report to the director. If Graham finds out, we're in trouble."

"We'll talk about that," he said. "Maybe tonight?"

She nodded. "That would be good. Thank you. You might think I should do that on my own, but I see this relationship is a joint venture."

He leaned over and gave her a peck on her lips. She smirked as he pulled away. "Trying to take my mind off the other problems?"

"No," he replied. "I just really appreciate being involved in working out what you tell him." His crooked smile appeared. "And being in this joint venture."

She smiled and playfully smacked his arm. Then, her smile faded. "We still don't know why Bryce is alive, or who brought him back to life. My assumption is that Tommy Delgado was here for him, but whether that was to help him escape or kill him is unclear."

"I suspect the former," he said.

"So do I," she replied. "Which probably means he works for whoever sent Bryce and therefore they have a use for him."

"With Bryce trying to take me with him, d'you think they're after the Intersect?"

"I just don't know, Chuck. Maybe."

He obviously hated this. "I guess it's a good job someone is always babysitting me, then," he muttered.

She grabbed his face with her hands either side. "That might be how you see what Casey's doing, but don't think that of me… boyfriend."

His hazel eyes looked into hers. "Sorry. You and I started that way, but I know that it's very different now."

She closed the distance between their lips and the kiss was much more than a peck. It really emphasized their new found relationship.

When she pulled away, she wished they could have continued, but they still needed to talk.

"I presume Delgado will try again to get Bryce for whatever purpose," he said.

"Casey is aware of that," she replied. "He'll make sure Bryce is picked up and taken back to Langley."

"So, what will Delgado, and whoever he works for, do then?"

"I don't know," she replied. "Probably follow?"

It sounded too vague but that was where they were at.

Chuck's phone rang and he put the call on speaker. It was Casey telling him to get to the Buy More before Jeff and Lester caused any more trouble.

"Has Bryce already gone?" Chuck asked.

Casey gave one of his pissed off grunts. "I was told to leave that up to the team there and get back to my job with you."

"By who?" Sarah asked.

"The general," Casey replied.

"Doesn't she trust Sarah?" Chuck asked.

Casey snorted. "She probably thinks you spend too much time in Walker's clutches."

Chuck looked at her, worried, but Sarah just smiled and shook her head. This was about CIA versus NSA control of the Intersect. It had nothing to do with their relationship. "We'll be there as soon as possible," she said.

"But safely," Chuck urged. She laughed.

"Scaring him with your driving, Walker?" Casey asked, sounding amused.

"Glad to have lightened your mood, Casey," she replied.

He ended the call.

Once Sarah got to the Wienerlicious, she decided that she wouldn't hide in her office as she usually did. Instead, she helped Tracy. It was still busy, being the tail end of the lunch period. That meant that there were still some 'lunchtime customers,' the ones that were there as much to look at the young NSA agent in her outfit as to get food. Having the boss, dressed in long black pants and a top that was fully buttoned up, along with a disapproving face, sped them through quicker.

When the place emptied, Sarah asked Tracy, "Do you hate the outfit?"

Tracy smiled. "I know there are some customers that I'd rather not stare at my legs as they do, but most are fine." She looked at Sarah. "Unlike the CIA, the NSA doesn't often give their agents roles where they get admired. In a way, it's an ego boost."

Sarah frowned. "But you're a beautiful woman."

"Not compared to some," Tracy replied looking at her cover boss.

Sarah took her to one of the tables and they both sat.

"I didn't look as I do now when I joined the CIA," Sarah confessed. "They… modeled me this way. The female CIA operatives are expected to use their looks to achieve their goals. In some ways, I wish that they hadn't."

"Would Chuck have been interested in you if they hadn't?" Tracy asked.

Inwardly, Sarah tensed. "What d'you mean?"

Tracy smiled. "I see how he looks at you. I know he's your asset, but he doesn't act like it. He's fallen for you big time."

The younger woman's smile reduced Sarah's tension, and she was now just puzzled. "And that's a good thing?" she asked.

"For your cover," Tracy replied. She then looked thoughtful. "Mind you, because it can't go anywhere, I feel sorry for him. He's kinda cute, even though he's so much older than me, I'd date him if I got the chance."

Sarah felt ok to respond to that. "He is, but he's also got that thing in his head, so he's stuck with me."

Tracy tilted her head as she looked at her. "You know, sometimes I get the impression you're into him, too."

Sarah knew exactly what to say to that. "I've always been a good actress."

Tracy nodded. "I guess."

A customer walked in the door, so Tracy had to go and serve him.

Sarah got up and walked back to her office, looking at her watch. Chuck wouldn't be free for another two hours.

As Sarah drove them home, Chuck animatedly told her about what Jeff and Lester had been doing, which made her laugh. She could see that was just what he needed to get over the troubles, at least for an afternoon.

Casey had been in the store, apparently looking grumpier than ever, so Chuck had avoided him.

Sarah had wondered about calling Casey part way through the afternoon, but had decided he would call her if he needed anything. Obviously, he hadn't.

Just before they arrived at the Echo Park apartment complex, she got a call from the man she'd been thinking about. She put it on the car speaker.

"He escaped," Casey growled.

"What!?" both in the car shouted.

"He was still out when the CIA men came to collect him, hence why I returned to the store, but when they stopped at some lights, he must've tranq'd them somehow. They were found by the local police."

"Do you think he was captured by Delgado?" Chuck asked.

"I think Delgado might've killed the men rather than tranq'ing them," Sarah pointed out.

"We don't know what happened," Casey said. He sounded really angry, so Sarah wasn't surprised when he added, "Fucking CIA!"

"He might've overcome NSA guys if they'd taken him," Chuck said.

Sarah reached over and squeezed his hands and smiled at him.

"I don't think so," snapped Casey.

"So, what's happening now?" Chuck asked.

"Bryce is probably halfway around the world by now," Sarah said. "Certainly, out of our hands."

"But he was brought here for some reason," Chuck argued. "We need to know why."

"We should've tortured it out of him when we had the chance," Casey grumbled.

Chuck visibly shuddered.

"There's nothing we can do now," Sarah said.

Casey grunted, but then said, "Guess I'll see you at Thanksgiving tonight."

Sarah looked at Chuck who blushed a deep red. She ended the call and asked, "Something you should've mentioned?"

"Er, yeah. Ellie invited us to Thanksgiving dinner tonight."

"But that's not until tomorrow night," she replied.

"They're both working that night, so having it a night earlier," he confessed.

She groaned and said, "We'll have to stop on the way home now!"

His phone rattled as it received a text message, which he looked at.

"We will anyway. Ellie has sent a list of things she wants me to get on the way home."

"Does she normally?" Sarah asked.

"Usually."

"So, you should've expected it?" Her anger was building now.

"Yeah."

"Brain like a sieve?" she growled.

"Well, it probably was before those holes were filled with government secrets," he said, jokingly.

"Not funny, Chuck!" she snapped.

"No, I guess not."

She wasn't happy with him, and he could obviously tell. However, a moment later, he said, "Good news is that I forgot to mention it to Morgan, so he won't be coming."

That confused her. "Why is that good news?"

"He has a crush on my sister which always makes it awkward. More so now, because he's just started dating Anna who won't react well to how he behaves around Ellie." For some reason, that angered her more.

"Relationships are just shit!" she grumbled. That shut him up completely.

Sarah was still angry at her boyfriend when it was time to leave their apartment. It was worse because she needed to act cheerful and loving, and didn't feel that way at all. She knew she was overreacting. It wasn't really a big deal, but she knew her anger was being fueled by her upset about Bryce and Delgado turning up.

Agent Larkin appearing had brought back all her memories of their failed mission and therefore her being caught. It had completely unsettled her, and, it seemed, made her more volatile. Delgado possibly still being around, and putting Chuck at risk, made that even worse.

She was going to have to control her anger during the evening. Over the years, before that mission, she'd learned to control her thoughts, and perform perfectly. She'd had to relearn that during her therapy, before re-entering the spy world. The assassinations made her do that, as she had to bury those memories, but it seemed that here, she'd started to relax that control. Her feelings for Chuck were part of the problem.

Should she bury those feelings? Would that help? Sarah had no idea. Could she talk about that with Dr. Dreyfus?

She was still thinking about this as she walked out of the apartment, handbag in one hand and a bunch of flowers for his sister in the other. That was all Sarah had managed to buy for her.

Suddenly, she realized someone was standing in her way. Focusing on them, she saw Bryce Larkin, the man who'd brought all the pain back into her mind.

He stepped toward her. Weaponless, she threw the flowers into his face. He stepped back and she kicked him where it would hurt most. As he bent double, holding his groin, she opened her handbag, pulled out the tranq pistol and shot him.

She turned to a stunned boyfriend and said, "Get Casey."

"I'm here," the NSA agent said.

"Good," she replied. "Can we secure him in your apartment?"

Casey put down the bottle of wine he was carrying, stepped past her and lifted Bryce. "It'll be my pleasure." He carried Bryce over his shoulder to his apartment.

Chuck was just standing there, shopping in hand.

"These flowers are ruined," she muttered.

"Just tell Ellie that I hadn't told you about the meal," he suggested.

She picked up the flowers and took them back to their apartment, throwing them in the waste bin. Rejoining Chuck, she found she actually felt better. "He'll be out for hours, so won't affect the dinner."

"But then?"

"Then we start our interrogation," she said cheerfully.

"You're rather frightening when you get like this," he said.

She grinned. "Good!"

The meal, as Chuck had predicted, was wonderful. All of Ellie's meals were, but the Thanksgiving dinner was the best so far.

Casey had joined them a few minutes after Chuck and Sarah had arrived. He looked happier than before. Sarah imagined Bryce trussed up unable to move at all when he recovered from the tranquilizer. That brightened her mood further, too. Bryce was definitely not liked by either agent.

Chuck, on the other hand, seemed perturbed. He was probably thinking about Sarah and Casey interrogating Bryce in a few hours.

It was one of the distasteful parts of the job. However, tonight was different. Her ex-partner had virtually ruined Chuck's life. Twice. She knew Chuck would dislike the idea of hurting his ex-friend, but she was determined to get answers, both about why he'd sent Chuck the Intersect and his involvement with Delgado.

Casey had left a quarter-of-an-hour ago. Sarah knew he would check on Bryce to see if he'd recovered from the tranquilizer and, if he had, ensure that he remained bound.

Sarah squeezed Chuck's hand to make him aware that it was time for them to leave, as well. However, he insisted that they help clear the table and load the dishwasher. It added some delay, but she couldn't really object.

She'd had a couple of glasses of wine, but that didn't affect her. She'd built up a tolerance a long time ago and although she didn't drink much these days, she could still handle a lot more than she'd drunk this evening.

Once they were out of the other couple's apartment, Sarah said, "You shouldn't come to Casey's." She didn't want Chuck to see what the two agents may need to do to the rogue one.

"I need answers from him. I'm combining in," he said. She saw that he was tightening his jaw; determination was evident in his eyes.

"Give me your questions and I'll get your answers," she immediately said.

"No. I need to ask them," he replied. "I need to look in his eyes as he answers."

Sarah tried a different approach, being open about what would happen. "He won't answer without us breaking him," she said. "You shouldn't see that."

"You can't be certain that he won't," he answered. "You've just decided it, with no proof."

She was a bit taken aback by him saying that, but replied, "Ok. You go first, but if it doesn't work, then you must leave."

Chuck glared at her for a moment, but then said, "He'll talk to me." He almost pushed past her to get there first.

Sarah hated these disagreements, both of them sure that they were right and the other wrong. She followed him, but was sure this wasn't going to go well.

Casey raised an eyebrow when he saw Chuck in front of Sarah. The NSA agent obviously thought the same as she did, that he shouldn't be there. "I go first," Chuck said to the man standing in his way.

"He's still out," Casey said, but he stood aside and let Chuck and Sarah in.

The first thing Sarah saw, in the middle of the room, was Bryce sitting on one of Casey's dining chairs. The rope that was wrapped around him from his shoulders down to his feet definitely securely bound him to the chair. That was why he was seated because in his unconscious state he would've fallen off the chair and onto the floor.

"D'you think he's secure enough?" Chuck joked, but Casey just glared at him.

Casey looked at his partner. "Coffee?"

"Please," she answered.

"And one for me," Chuck added.

Casey grunted and walked to the kitchen. When he brought back three mugs of coffee, Sarah said, "We should discuss how this is going to play out." She didn't wait for agreement, just turned and sat on the couch.

Once the two men sat down, she said to Casey, "Chuck wants to ask his question before we loosen Bryce's tongue."

Chuck visibly bristled at the way she said it. "I'm sure he'll talk to me before either of you decide to hurt him," he snapped.

Casey snorted. "Won't happen."

"Well, we'll see, won't we?" Chuck snapped at him.

"If it does," Sarah said. "We may be able to get all the information without any of those things on the dining table."

Chuck looked and shuddered as he saw what was there. A car battery with jumper leads, a knuckle duster, and a tool bag opened up with a selection of knives. "D'you both enjoy using those?"

"He deserves it," growled Casey, not answering the question at all.

Sarah berated herself for highlighting the table contents. "Chuck, we have to get some answers. However, we can." He frowned but nodded.

Sarah turned back to Casey. "If Chuck can't get him to talk-"

"When," Casey interjected.

"If he can't," she repeated. "Then he'll leave and let us do what's needed."

Chuck hadn't agreed to this earlier, so she was glad that he said, "I will."

"Good," Casey replied.

"How long before he revives?" Chuck asked.

Casey shrugged and Sarah said, "It varies from person to person. I suspect he will soon, though."

"How d'you know he hasn't already?"

Casey stood and grabbed a pencil torch and shone it in one of Bryce's eyes.

"That doesn't prove anything," Chuck said.

"Yeah, it does," Casey replied. "The pupil reacts when unconscious, but much slower. He's still out." He put the torch in his top pocket and walked back to his chair, where he grabbed his coffee again.

The three sat in silence for the next twenty minutes drinking coffee and lost in their own thoughts.

Sarah sipped her coffee with her mind going through everything. She was considering what information they needed from Bryce, what was pertinent to them as a team and, particularly, for Chuck's safety. For instance, would the Delgado come after Chuck and the Intersect in his head.

However, those thoughts weren't the only ones going through her head. She and Chuck were having problems. The argument in the courtyard being the one she was currently focused upon. She was trying to protect him, not the Intersect, by keeping him out when she and Casey had to interrogate Bryce. She wasn't trying to hurt her boyfriend, quite the opposite. Unfortunately, that didn't go with his wishes and each of them had gotten upset with the other.

She had been in a partnership with the unconscious man with them. They'd had disagreements, but they were about work, not this personal stuff. She never let that affect how they worked together, but this was very different. Chuck was obviously very upset with her, as she was with him.

The silence could just be because Casey was with them. That's how she was rationalizing it, but what if Chuck was questioning the relationship?

She knew she needed him. There were a number of reasons for that. The Intersect, obviously, was the official one. He was also helping her recover from what had happened all those years ago. However, her feelings for him were like none she'd ever had before. She thought it was love. That she loved him. The very thought of going back to just a cover relationship was horrible.

After they'd finished with Bryce, however that played out, she needed to fix this, if she could.

Bryce's breath caught. He kept his eyes closed, but he was obviously awake now.

"Wakey, wakey," she said to the bound man.

His eyes shot open and he just stared at her for a few moments. "That's twice you've tranq'd me," he grumbled.

"Twice you've needed it," she replied, forcing herself to stay calm rather than snap at him.

He looked at Casey. "I take it you're responsible for my current attire."

Casey just grunted.

Bryce looked back at Sarah. "So, you're on protection duty?"

"As is Casey," she replied. "Joint responsibility between the CIA and the NSA."

"Interesting," he commented. "I came to talk to you, Sarah. Just you, but I guess I don't have a choice, do I?"

"I have questions first," Chuck said.

Bryce looked at him. "I guess you do, but first I have to tell Sarah about why I'm here."

She saw Chuck slump in his seat. Bryce wasn't going to let him go first. She couldn't help that. "Well?"

"Can I be untied? I know you can tranq me easily and Casey can shoot me. I'm not going anywhere."

"No. You stay like that until we have the information we want," she replied. She had to wave Chuck down who was going to do what Bryce asked. She looked at her boyfriend. "Remember last time you got close to him?"

Chuck sat back down.

"What's with the gloves?" Bryce asked.

Sarah turned to him. "It's how I cope now, following what happened after you abandoned me in Mexico."

He visibly winced. "You would've done the same. The mission being more important."

"Difficult to see it that way after being raped multiple times," she hissed. Then she calmed herself. "Talk about why you're here!" she demanded.

Bryce nodded. "The Intersect was a mission. I was recruited by an outfit called Fulcrum, a special access group inside the CIA."

Sarah snapped, "You're lying! We would know that."

Bryce ignored her. "They knew who I was, my activation codes, my record. They ordered me to shed my agency contacts and go deep. Only then did I realize it was an internal strike to download and destroy the Intersect. Fulcrum had plans for its intel."

"How can we believe this?" she asked. "And why send it to Chuck?"

"Yeah, why Chuck?" the non-spy beside her added.

"I needed a friend who wasn't a spy," Bryce answered, looking at Sarah and not Chuck. "He wouldn't know anything about Fulcrum, or the Intersect, or Sand wall."

"Sand wall?" Chuck asked. A brief glance at him showed him to be flashing on the codename for the operation. Sarah knew about it as well. "Sand wall," he repeated. "That was the name of the mission. Sarah, I think he's telling the truth."

"Because you flashed on it?" she asked.

"Yeah."

"What does that mean?" Bryce asked.

"I flash on things that are in the Intersect," Chuck replied.

Bryce's eyes widened. "So, you can remember the intel that's in it? Is it always that fast?"

"Remember is wrong. I sort of see the information."

"That's not relevant now," Sarah growled.

"Oh, but it is," Bryce replied. He locked eyes with her. "I'm not rogue, Sarah."

"Why wouldn't you talk about this in the medical facility?" Casey asked.

"I didn't know who to trust," he replied. "They have people in the CIA, the NSA, the government. They're everywhere."

"So, why now?" Casey growled. "Because we have you trussed up, and you can't run?"

Bryce was looking at her as he said, "I knew I could trust you, Sarah, so I followed you to tell you." She felt like he was sweet-talking her, and she didn't like it, but hoped that he would tell them more.

"Why'd you escape from the CIA team?" Casey asked.

Sarah knew what Bryce was going to say before he did. "They were rogue, working for Fulcrum."

"How'd you know that?" she questioned. Was it a lie?

"One of them got a call and after it ended, he told the other who was on the call. Someone who's Fulcrum."

Chuck and Sarah looked at each other. He had an 'I told you so' look on his face.

"Why did you come to LA, Bryce," Sarah asked.

"I was brought here," he replied.

That was true, but not helpful.

Chuck got a question in. "I don't get it, Bryce. How are you alive?"

Bryce said, "I don't know how Fulcrum did it, if that's what you're asking. They probably used one of the European clinics. I don't remember it."

Sarah found that comment ridiculous. She'd worked in various places in Europe. She couldn't think of any clinics there that could bring a dead man back to life. She ignored that as it wasn't helpful. "But you know why they did it."

"Yeah," he replied. He looked at the NSA agent. "You know the first part already. I downloaded the Intersect intel and blew up the computer. I raced out of the DNI and then I ran into you, Casey."

Casey grunted.

"So, I'm on the ground. No white light, just Casey staring down at me. Then I was someplace else. Staring at a man who I found out was called Tommy Delgado."

The other three all knew the name, but none said anything and Bryce continued, "They brought me back, but they weren't trying to save me. No, this was a Fulcrum team. They wanted something.

"Tommy said, 'Bryce, where are they? Where are the Intersect files? Tell me, Bryce. What happened to the Intersect? Tell me, or I'll let you die again.' I replied that I saw them and that they were in me. As I started to lose consciousness again, I heard Delgado say, 'Save him. Whatever it takes, save him.' Then I was out again."

"So, Fulcrum thinks you're the Intersect," Chuck muttered, almost to himself.

Bryce looked between them all. "They brought me back to take it out of me."

"We've met Delgado," Sarah said.

Bryce didn't seem to hear her and added, "That's why I need your help."

Casey scoffed at that. "We're going to help you?"

"You need to get me to Langley," Bryce replied. "To Langston Graham, but Fulcrum has operatives in every agency."

Sarah agreed with that statement, even though she didn't trust Bryce. "I'll contact the director, get him to ensure that whoever he sends to take you this time is not rogue," she said.

"Can you untie me now?" Bryce requested.

Casey was obviously unhappy to do that, but complied while Sarah made that phone call.

A/N: Second part of Nemesis to follow.

If you've the time, please leave a review. Thanks.