Fic: Old Foes, Interlude (Numb3rs, Don Eppes / Martin, Charlie Eppes / Colby Granger)
Title: Old Foes, Interlude
Fandom: Numb3rs
Pair: Charlie Eppes / Colby Granger
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Not mine, etc.
Feedback: Always Welcome
NUMB3RS Main List
Old Foes, Chapter 1
Old Foes, Chapter 2
“What are you doing?” Martin asked and sat down next to Don on the couch.
“Revisiting your most embarrassing childhood memories.” Don grinned. Pointed to the large photo album he was leafing. “I had some really bad pictures, but this is something totally freaky.”
“Don’t tell me…..”
“Yep, band camp.”
“I was seven.” Martin groaned. “And skinny and pimply and I had braces. Happy now?”
“Yeah. But you grew out of it pretty quickly.” Don moved on to the next page. “I didn’t know you played soccer.”
“Football.”
“What?”
“It’s football, not soccer. Soccer is a ridiculous yankee name for it. My dad was always very strict about it.”
“What’s the difference?”
“It’s a European game, and they call it football. End of story.”
“Yeah, your dad’s from Denmark, right?”
“Sweden, and after two years with me you really should know that. Think about my last name, does it sound danish?”
“I’m not sure what kinda name people in Denmark have.”
“Forget it….. Look at this.” Martin took one of the albums and went straight to the sixth page. Don leaned closer to look at it. “My old team. I was fifteen.”
“You filled up nicely. Too bad you didn’t have any game trips to L.A…..”
“Just before that summer I grew three inches in few months. See the guy next to me?”
“Yeah.”
“Travis. I can’t remember his last name, he lived here for that one summer and then his family moved away. My first kiss.”
“Just a kiss?”
“We were kids. And after all the sex-education lectures I got from my mom I was almost scared of the whole sex issue.”
“So when did you do the deed?”
“In the autumn. Travis moved away and another guy joined the team, they lived couple houses from here.” Martin skipped few pages. “Sean.”
“Wow….. How tall was he?”
“6' 4", but he was still a growing boy. A real blond Viking.”
“How serious was it?”
“As serious as it can be between two teenagers.” Martin chuckled. “I think that’s the end of that album, the rest is just pics from the games.”
“Which one’s next?” Don tried to take the next album from the table, but Martin grabbed it from him.
“You don’t want to see that.”
“Show it to me.”
“No.”
“You know what happens if you don’t…..”
“You wouldn’t…..”
“I would.” Don attacked Martin’s midsection, tickling him around the ribs. Martin started giggling hysterically and dropped the album. Don snatched it.
“Now let’s see….” He opened the first page and took a deep breath. “You could have warned me.”
“I did warn you.”
Don looked at the pages full of photos of Martin and Charlie. Some of them were with Martin’s parents, all four people smiling widely for the camera.
“Exactly how close was Chuck with your folks?”
“Well, my mom said he was like a second son. Who liked to make out with the first one.”
“When we came here she said it was like having a nephew over for a visit.”
“So, you have something aim for.” Martin was interrupted by his cell phone. He pulled it from his pocket and checked the caller ID. “Speak of the devil…. Hello?”
He gave Don a little “one minute” hand sign and went to the kitchen. He came back few minutes later.
“Charlie said hi.”
“Why is he calling you?”
“He wanted to bounce some ideas.”
“About?”
“I’m not supposed to tell you.”
“Come on.”
“It’s nothing to worry about. I’m the one who should be worried. I’ve been recycled from one brother to the other.”
“You’re trying to change the topic.”
“Yep. You wanna see some more photos, or do you want to go see the dolphins?”
“Dolphins?”
“You can’t come to San Diego and not go see the Sea World.”
“Fine.” Don closed the album. “Lead the way.”
-------------------------------------------
David grabbed his phone from the desk and snapped it open. “Sinclair.”
“Hey, it’s me.” Charlie greeted. “Got a minute?”
“Yeah, I was just gonna leave the office.”
“Can you drop by on the way?”
“Sure. What’s going on?”
“I need a little bit of help.”
“With what?”
“I’ll tell you when you get here. I talked with Martin and he gave me some ideas.”
TBC