Fic: Now & Then, Chapter 3 (Numb3rs, Charlie Eppes / Colby Granger, Don Eppes / Martin)
Title: Now & Then, Chapter 3
Fandom: Numb3rs
Pair: Charlie Eppes / Colby Granger
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Not mine, etc.
Feedback: Always Welcome
NUMB3RS Main List
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
David felt like slamming his phone against the desk.
“What’s that look?” Colby mused.
“Nothing. Ian’s phone’s off.”
“I thought he was still on a gig.”
“He is. It’s just frustrating when you can’t contact him when you need to.”
“Is it something important?”
“No idea…” David got up and took his cell phone. “I’ll be right back.”
He went to the break room and closed the door. He dialled a number.
“Hello?”
“Charlie? You got time? I wanna talk about something.”
“I`m at CalSci, there was some paperwork I had to handle. I can drop
by at the office.”
“No…. actually, can you meet me somewhere else?”
“Sure. Where?”
----------------------------------------------------
When Charlie arrived to the gun range, David was waiting with a handgun and few
packets of ammunitions.
“Why are we here?”
“I thought you could use some more practise.”
“What do you mean?”
“You forgot these here.” David pulled out the safety glasses from his pocket. He
handed the gun to Charlie. “Show me what you got.”
Charlie gave him a long look, but took the gun. He put on the glasses and the ear
protectors, took a good position and fired few shots to the paper target. They
were very close to the centre. He corrected his position and emptied the magazine.
This time all bullets ended up in the middle of the target.
“That’s really disturbing….” David commented, still staring at the target. “And
a little scary.”
“What do you want?”
“Explanation would be nice. Why didn’t you tell anyone about this?”
Charlie shrugged. “Colby doesn’t like it when I do anything remotely dangerous,
and he panics every time I go close to a gun. I just wanted to make sure I can
use a gun if I need to.”
“That thing with Cooper wasn’t an accident at all. And Ian hushed it up, so that
no-one would question it.”
“Can you say he didn’t deserve it?”
David was quiet for a minute. “No.”
“Can you say you wouldn’t do something like that if it had been someone impor-
tant to you?”
“No.”
“Are you gonna tell Colby?”
“No.” David shrugged. “He’s happy with his illusions.”
“Exactly.” Charlie smiled. “Have you talked to Ian?”
“His phone’s off.”
“He probably didn’t tell you about his contribution after Cooper got out of the
hospital?”
“You said he took him away…. you mean….?”
“Don’t worry, he alive and kicking. Well… not very well, but he’ll recover. The
main thing is that he got the message.”
David had to chuckle at the unreal tone of the conversation “You can be pretty
ruthless.”
“Depends on what`s at stake.”
----------------------------------------------------
“Are you here?” Martin wandered to his parents guest room. Don was sitting on
the bed.
“Yeah, I was thinking.”
“You want to go get something to eat? My folks had to go to some friends dinner
party, so it’s just us.”
“Can we talk?”
“About what?” Martin sat down on a chair opposite the bed.
“I was thinking and…. You can leave if you want.”
“For dinner?”
“Leave me. I…. I get it.”
Martin let out a long sigh. “Don, it’s been a week. When we go back, you’ll go see
that shrink and we’ll deal with it.”
“That’s the whole point! It’s my problem, not yours! I’m the one who can’t….” Don
paused and turned to the window, not facing Martin anymore. “Just find somebody
who can do it.”
“I’ll ask you a simple question. Do you think sex is all we have?”
“Hell no, but-”
“If you don’t think that, then why do you assume I think that?”
“I don’t , I-”
“Don, come here.”
“What?”
“Come here.”
Don took few steps closer. Martin grabbed his hand and pulled him closer till he
was sitting on the other man’s lap.
“Tell me when it start to feel uncomfortable.” Martin nuzzled his neck and let his
hands wonder over Don’s back. “Keep your eyes open.”
Don did as he was told and tried to close his mind from everything else. His body
took over and responded to Martin’s touch. Don pulled him into a kiss.
“Anything?”
“Not yet…” Don whispered into the kiss.
“Good…. That’s a good start.” Martin caressed his cheek with his fingers. “Now…
how bout we go get some dinner?”
TBC