Fic: Long Distance Toys 1/2 (Numb3rs, Colby Granger/ Charlie Eppes)
Title: Long Distance Toys 1/2
Author: FinnishSphinx
Rating: PG
Fandom: Numb3rs
Pairings: Colby Granger/ Charlie Eppes
Spoilers: None really
Disclaimer: They are not mine, just using them for amusement...
"Hey...!" Charlie panted, practically running from the elevators. "I need to
talk to you." He spotted Don standing behind Colby and added. "and you too."
"Better make it quick." A man dressed in uniform followed Charlie to the bullpen.
"We need to be at the air base in two hours."
"Air base?" Don parroted.
"There`s a bit of an emergency, airforce is arranging the transportation with
one of their routine delivery flights." Charlie explained, still sounding winded.
"What emergency and where?" Don still didn`t understand.
"I`m not sure how much I can tell..." Charlie glanced at the military man nervously.
"I was involved in a classified project few years ago. They contacted me this
morning, apparently the scientist, who was running the project screwed up and the
whole operation had to be shelved. Now I need to go and fix the kinks, so... I`ll be
gone for a while. Jordan will handle my classes while I`m away."
"How long?" Colby seemed just as surprised as all the others.
"Depends on how serious the problem is, it can take few days or few weeks."
Charlie looked at Colby. "Can we talk in private?"
Colby nodded and they headed to the break room.
Don offered his hand to the military man. "Sorry, we weren`t introduced. I`m agent
Don Eppes, this is my team. Agent Reeves and agent Sinclair. Granger just left."
"Yes, I know." The man shook Don`s hand. "Colonel Harris. I worked with your brother
when the project started."
"Where exactly are you taking him?"
"That information is confidential. I`m sorry."
"Colonel, my security clearance is quite high..."
"I know how high it is, and it isn`t high enough. We better drop this topic now."
Don nodded and looked like a sulking kid. Uncomfortable silence followed.
Finally Colby and Charlie came out from the break room. "Okay, I`m ready. I`ll call
and send e-mail when I have time."
"Okay, we`ll see you when you get back." Don gave him a pat on the shoulder.
"Yeah.." Charlie`s voice sounded unusually bland. He turned to leave, but turned
back and grabbed Colby from his ears, dragging him close. He planted a warm
kiss on Colby`s lips and let him go. "Remember what I said."
Charlie gave him a crooked grin and left, Colonel Harris in tow.
"Well, it`s back to everyday grind, for us mere mortals." Megan sighed and pointed
at Colby with a folder. Don and David turned to look.
Colby was still staring at the closed elevator doors.
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"I must say, he`s lasted longer than I anticipated." Megan poured herself some
coffee and sat down between Don and David.
"Who?" Don raised his head from the files he had brought to the break room table.
"Colby, haven`t you noticed." Megan turned to look though the glass door. The agent
in question was yelling at his computer and banging the keyboard with his fist.
"Anyway, it must be flattering for Charlie, someone coming to get you like that.
Does he do those trips often?"
"Couple times since I came back to L.A. Dad said he used to do those consultation
trips a lot, but we weren`t really that close back then." Don took a gulp from his coffee.
"Well, it`s the first time for Colby. He`s getting snappier every day. If Charlie doesn`t
come back soon, he`s gonna kill someone."
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"You know, we have computer people to beat computers to bits, you don`t need to
do that yourself. Take this and calm down for a minute." Megan gave Colby a steaming
mug of coffee and sat down on the edge of his desk.
"Thanks.." Colby leaned back in his chair and took a deep breath. "It`s just..."
"Charlie?" Megan suggested knowing full well what this was about.
"Yeah. I mean, I know he`s away for work and it`s important and all that, but... I just
want him back."
"That`s normal. You have been together for... How long? Three months?"
"Four. We`ve never been apart for long, if he`s not working with us I still know I`ll
see him after work."
"It`s only been three days. Just focus on the case and he`ll be back before you know it.
And you`ve talked with him on the phone right?"
"Three or four times a day, but they are working all the time, so it`s pretty quick."
Megan tried to sound as innocent as she could. "Well if it`s that hard on you, you
could try phone sex."
Colby turned red and hid his face behind the coffee mug. "He suggested that, but I
was at the crime scene back then. Another time he offered, I was queuing in a coffee
shop. I think this is my punishment for sleeping in math classes."
Megan laughed at his theory, but suddenly stopped. "I just remembered.. When he
left he told you to remember something. What was it?"
"I really shouldn`t tell you..."
"Come on, you know you can trust me."
Colby covered his red face with his hands and groaned. "Okay, I`ll tell. He said..."
"Let`s hear it, Granger. Let it out."
"He said I could borrow his toy stash if I wanted to."
Megan pressed her palm on her mouth to control her giggles. Finally she managed
to get herself together again. "So, did you?"
"No... they aren`t that much fun alone. But if Charlie stays away few more days, I`ll
probably do that." Colby was so tired from sleepless nights without a snoring human
blanket, he had no energy to come up with more work friendly explanations. Both
of them jumped, when Colby`s cell phone started ringing. He checked the caller ID
and couldn`t prevent a wide smile appearing on his face.
"Charlie?" Megan smirked.
"Yep." Colby clicked the call on. "Hey!"
Megan took a few steps away from him to give them some privacy. Don and David
returned from the break room with high stacks of files. "Is the A/V guy here yet?"
"No, and Shhhhhh. Charlie`s on the phone."
All three turned to look at Colby, but he wasn`t talking anymore. He looked shocked
and opened and closed his mouth like a goldfish. Finally, his brains kicked in and
he realized the audience of three.
"I need to go, I`ll be back." Colby was gone, before anyone had a chance to respond.
"Did I miss something?" Don asked.
"It`s that long distance thing, you know how it goes." Megan explained.
"Evans." Don spotted the A/V tech approaching them with an armfull of tapes. "Are
you done with the security cameras?"
"I`m done, but what`s up with Granger? I just saw him running down the corridor and
rushing to the men`s room while talking to his phone."
Megan put two and two together and started laughing again. The three men next to
her looked like she had gone mad. "Don`t worry about him." Megan said, trying to
breath after her lung consuming laugh fest. "You know how these cases can be.
He just needed some consulting."