Fic: Last Chance, Chapter 2 (Numb3rs, Charlie Eppes / Colby Granger)
Title: Last Chance, Chapter 2
Pair: Charlie Eppes / Colby Granger,
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Not mine, etc.
Feedback: Always Welcome
NUMB3RS Main List
Chapter 1
“Mmmmm….” David murmured and stretched his limbs as well as the bedcovers allowed. “What time is it?”
“Does it matter?”
“No.” David let out a happy sigh. “This is nice…. We should do this more often.”
“How often can we take the same week off?”
“Right….”
“Better make the most of this week, because we’re not gonna get another chance for a while.”
“Right again.” He crawled on top of his partner, nestling against the warm body. “You’ve definitely made the most of this. Over and over again.”
“You mean skiing?” Ian smirked.
“That too.
------------------------------------------------
“How is he?” Megan asked and pointed to the break room, where Charlie was currently having a staring match with an untouched cup of coffee.
“What do you think?” Colby commented. “Someone left three cut fingers on his driveway.”
“You want me to talk to him?”
“No, I’ll do it myself. It’s not like we got anything better to do right now.”
“Yeah. I’m still waiting for the fingerprints from the box, but I did get the preliminaries from the fingers.”
“Do we have a name?”
“No, his prints are not in the system. All they could say was that they were cut within the last fifteen hours and the man was alive when they were severed.”
“So they’re from a man?”
“Yes, but that doesn’t really narrow it down.” Megan dumped the preliminary report to her desk. “Should we contact David and Edgerton?”
“They don’t have a phone with them, and the nearest houses are miles away. Besides, why worry them when we don’t know anything?”
“Good point.” Her cell phone beeped and she checked the message.
“Something new?”
“No. I was supposed to meet Matt for lunch, but I cancelled.”
“Since when are you two having lunch together? I thought you hadn’t even seen him for ages.”
“I called him.” Megan looked slightly awkward. “I wanted to apologise for that whole mess.”
“Are you two going to get back together?”
“No idea. My whole life’s been pretty much chaotic lately, so I try not to think about it too much. If it happens, it happens.”
“Megan, did you get the preliminary?” Don came from the elevators, tapping the keys of his cell phone.
“Nothing useful yet. We’re still waiting for the prints.”
“So we’re just waiting.” Don groaned and shoved his phone to his pocket.
“Something wrong?”
“Phones. I’ve been trying to call Martin all day but his phone’s always off.”
“Where is he?”
“Somewhere in the East Coast, I can’t remember. We haven’t talked since last night, and I’m pretty sure he wants to know what’s going on with Chuck.”
“Speaking of him, I’m going in.” Colby announced. “Tell me when we got something.”
He approached the break room and pushed the door open.
“Babe?”
“Don’t look like that.”
“Like what?”
“Like I’m some traumatised little kid. Liza actually threw up when she saw those…. things.”
“Charlie.”
“I’m fine. Nauseous, but fine.”
“I could take you home.”
“No, I… I just wanna sit still for a while. My stomach’s upset.”
“That’s normal after something like that.”
“Did I ever tell you I saw a real autopsy once?”
“No.”
“I was doing a quest lecture and the medical school was in the same building. One of their lecturer invited me to see one of their lessons with donated bodies. They had done one post and then they did another one so the students could see it.”
“How was it?”
“Weird. It was so clean and sterile. I kinda waited to be shocked and I didn’t really feel anything. It didn’t feel real.”
Colby sat down next to him and wrapped his arm around the genius’s shoulder. They were both silent for a while. Charlie leaned heavily to the other man and tried to breathe deeply.
“Guys?” Megan came in. She was carrying a thin stack of prints. “Everything okay?”
“Yeah.” Charlie sniffed. “You look like you have something to tell.”
“We got back prints from the box. They were in the system.”
“And?” Colby demanded.
“And he is currently in a mental institution. He was declared incompetent to stand a trial, and he’s been there ever since.”
“Did he escape or was he released?”
“Neither. He’s still there.”
“How the hell is that possible?”
“I don’t know, but I called the warden and they checked. He has been in isolation for the last three days. There’s no way he could have escaped and deliver that packet.”
“So he probably has an accomplice. Did you tell Don?”
“He went to talk to the ME about those fingers. I’ll tell him when he gets back.”
“What was the guy charged for?”
Megan pulled a printed list from a stack of papers.
“Assault of a federal officer, attempted murder of a federal officer, the list goes on and on.”
“Can I see that?” Charlie asked. Megan handed over the list. “Colby?”
“Yeah?”
“Take a look at this.”
“Okay.” Colby went behind his back and leaned down to read over his shoulder. “What should I be looking at?”
“The name.”
Colby read the name in the top of the print.
“That can’t be right.”
“That’s what I thought.” Charlie agreed. His voice sounded forced. “But those were his prints.”
Megan’s eyes went from one stunned face to the other and back again.
“Am I the only one who has no idea what you’re talking about?”
TBC