FIC: Catalyst, for dizzydrea
Title: Catalyst
Recipient: dizzydrea
Pairing: Billy/Charlie
Rating: PG
Warnings: none
Summary: When Charlie is kidnapped, Billy finally realizes how much he cares for the youngest Eppes
Author's Note: Slight AU. There was never anything between Charlie and Amita.
Catalyst
"Eppes." Don answered his phone and Billy watched as the blood seemed to drain from his friend's face. "Whoa, slow down, Larry. Say that again." He listened intently to the person on the end of the call. "Okay, thanks, Lar. No, you stay there, we'll come to you."
Don practically snapped his phone closed. Billy couldn't stifle his curiosity. "What was that about?"
"Charlie's missing," Don told him, snatching up his sport coat.
Billy could have sworn his heart stopped at that moment. "Missing? Are you sure?"
"Larry certainly seemed sure and if anyone knows Charlie, he does." Don headed down the hall to the elevators.
The redhead fell into step with him. "Who's Larry?"
"Dr. Larry Fleinhardt is one of Charlie's colleagues. They often work together." Don hit the call button for the elevator with unnecessary force.
Billy tucked his hands in the back pockets of his jeans, trying to stay relaxed in the face of the tension that practically radiated from Don. "What's the plan?"
"I get a team to go over Charlie's office." Mouth tight, Don pressed the call button several more times. "Find out who was the last person to see him and work from there."
As one of the elevators 'dinged' and opened up, Don pulled out his phone again to make that call. Billy leaned back against one wall of the elevator car, wondering why the thought of Charlie in trouble upset him as much as it did Don.
* * *
Alan shook his head in disbelief. "No. This can't be happening. Not my baby boy."
"I'm sorry, Dad." Don's hand rested on his father's shoulder as Alan slumped onto the couch.
In the entryway, Billy shifted uneasily. This was an intensely private moment between father and son he knew he was the outsider here. Maybe insisting on coming with Don to break the news to Alan wasn't such a good one after all. Billy's movement attracted Alan's attention and the grief disappeared from his face to be replaced by anger. Getting up, he advanced on the redhead, hands clenched into fists at his sides. "This is your fault. You and Don working Fugitive Recovery together all that time. If not for that, this guy wouldn't even be targeting Don, let along any of his family!"
"Dad!" Don grabbed Alan's arm, but Alan shook him off.
Billy kept his posture relaxed, but he readied himself for a punch anyway. "If it hadn't been Don and me, another team would have nabbed the guy and sent him back to jail. Then he'd be targeting those families instead. Would you wish this on anyone else?"
"No I wouldn't." Alan seemed to deflate then, all of his anger draining out of him. He scrubbed at his face with his hands."But Charlie--"
Don wrapped a supportive arm around his father's shoulders. "We'll find him and we'll get him back, Dad, I promise."
"I'm holding you to that promise, Donny," Alan warned him even as he leaned into his son's support.
A sad smile curved Don's lips. "I'm counting on it, Dad."
Billy's heart ached as he watched father and son take a few moments to worry and wonder about Charlie. I hope to God that Don can keep that promise.
* * *
Thankfully, Don did keep his promise. The fugitive refused to go quietly, forcing them to use deadly force to subdue him. Bruised and battered, Charlie grinned when he saw Don and Billy. "I knew you'd find me, Don."
"I had to find you, Chuck. Who else would I pick on?" Don grinned back as he and Billy worked on the zip ties keeping Charlie secured to the chair.
Billy looked up in time to see Charlie roll his eyes -- well, one of them. The other was swollen shut by a magnificent black eye. "Right, because that's why you want me back."
"That and your help with my cases has given me quite the rep at the Bureau and I don't want to lose it." They finished cutting the zip ties and stood back.
He saw Charlie's muscles tense, but he didn't move. Quietly, Billy asked, "Charlie?"
"I can't move," he whispered the words, looking up at them with panic in his eye. "I was tied to the chair for so long that I can't move."
Don and Billy exchanged glances. "We'll help you, Charlie."
On each side of the chair, they each pulled one of Charlie's arms around their neck and slid one arm under his knees. Billy couldn't quite hide a grimace when he realized that the fugitive hadn't even let Charlie use the restroom or even a chamber pot. He met Don's eyes over Charlie's head and saw an anger in them that matched his own. They linked hands behind Charlie's back and carefully lifted him up.
As the others secured the abandoned house the fugitive had been using, Don and Billy carried Charlie outside to the waiting ambulance. Standing back and letting Don climb into the ambulance to go with Charlie was one of the hardest things Billy had ever done.
* * *
Once everything was cleaned up and secured, Billy headed to the hospital himself. He wondered about the strength of his reactions to the fact that Charlie had been kidnapped and hurt so badly. Ever since he'd met Don's family, he'd kind of considered them as part of his own, even more so after he'd come to LA to help track down bus crash fugitives. His reactions were stronger than that, however. Does this mean I want him? He's certainly grown up a lot from when I first met him. He groaned. Don's going to kill me for lusting after his brother.
Billy wasn't sure what to do with his knowledge. He needed more time to think, so he decided to do nothing for now. Reaching Charlie's room, he found the math professor asleep in the bed, still looking bruised and battered, but no longer bloody. Don was slouched in a chair by the bed, looking exhausted. He lifted a hand in a half-hearted wave. "Hey, Coop."
"Hey, Don." Billy walked over and gripped his friend's shoulder reassuringly. "David and Colby have everything under control. They said they don't want to see you again until tomorrow."
Even though relief flashed in Don's brown eyes, his mouth turned down into a frown. "Why are they giving me orders?"
"Consider it a friendly suggestion," Billy told him with a grin. "You look like hell, Eppes. Go home and get some sleep. Charlie's safe now."
"I don't want to leave him alone." Don's frown didn't fade as he looked at his brother.
Billy squeezed his shoulder. "I'll stay with him."
"Thanks, Coop." Don heaved himself out of his chair. "I already sent Dad home."
He nodded. "I'll be fine on my own."
"Right." They shared a manly hug before Don left the room with one last look at Charlie.
He sank into the vacated chair with a heavy sigh and studied Charlie's sleeping face. "I'm in so much trouble here."
"Why do you say that?" Charlie surprised him with his question, his good eye barely open a slit.
Billy pretended to clutch at his heart. "Jesus, Charlie, don't startle me like that!"
"Sorry." The smile tugging at Charlie's mouth told Billy otherwise.
He grinned. "No, you're not."
"You're right I'm not." Charlie shifted on the bed so he could look at Billy more fully. "Why do you think you're in trouble, Billy?"
His grin faded and he looked away. Part of him wanted to tell Charlie what he'd realized about his feelings for the younger man, but the other part of him wanted to keep quiet since he had no idea what Charlie's feelings for him were. He sighed deeply. "It's nothing, Charlie."
"It has to be something," Charlie pointed out, gesturing with one hand. Billy gently caught it and held it in both of his. "You wouldn't have said that if it was nothing."
Billy reached over and ruffled Charlie's curls. They'd been cleaned at some point during the day and he longed to bury his face in them. "Nothing for you to concern yourself about."
Charlie gave him a long, measuring look. He resisted the urge to squirm under the scrutiny. Finally, he tugged on Billy's hands. "C'mere."
"What?" Billy leaned forward, wondering what Charlie wanted.
Instead of answering, he kept tugging until Billy had to brace himself on the bed to keep from falling on top of Charlie. Much to his surprise and consternation, Charlie stretched up and brushed his lips across Billy's. "Am I right that that's why you think you're in trouble?"
"Yeah." He kept himself braced over Charlie, fighting the temptation to lower his head and feel those lips against his again. "Your brother'll kill me."
"No, he won't, because then I'll kill him." Charlie's voice was matter-of-fact as he traced his fingers over Billy's cheeks. "Now kiss me."
"Yes, sir." Amused, he did as Charlie asked. Maybe I'll come back to LA more often now.
End
Recipient: dizzydrea
Pairing: Billy/Charlie
Rating: PG
Warnings: none
Summary: When Charlie is kidnapped, Billy finally realizes how much he cares for the youngest Eppes
Author's Note: Slight AU. There was never anything between Charlie and Amita.
Catalyst
"Eppes." Don answered his phone and Billy watched as the blood seemed to drain from his friend's face. "Whoa, slow down, Larry. Say that again." He listened intently to the person on the end of the call. "Okay, thanks, Lar. No, you stay there, we'll come to you."
Don practically snapped his phone closed. Billy couldn't stifle his curiosity. "What was that about?"
"Charlie's missing," Don told him, snatching up his sport coat.
Billy could have sworn his heart stopped at that moment. "Missing? Are you sure?"
"Larry certainly seemed sure and if anyone knows Charlie, he does." Don headed down the hall to the elevators.
The redhead fell into step with him. "Who's Larry?"
"Dr. Larry Fleinhardt is one of Charlie's colleagues. They often work together." Don hit the call button for the elevator with unnecessary force.
Billy tucked his hands in the back pockets of his jeans, trying to stay relaxed in the face of the tension that practically radiated from Don. "What's the plan?"
"I get a team to go over Charlie's office." Mouth tight, Don pressed the call button several more times. "Find out who was the last person to see him and work from there."
As one of the elevators 'dinged' and opened up, Don pulled out his phone again to make that call. Billy leaned back against one wall of the elevator car, wondering why the thought of Charlie in trouble upset him as much as it did Don.
* * *
Alan shook his head in disbelief. "No. This can't be happening. Not my baby boy."
"I'm sorry, Dad." Don's hand rested on his father's shoulder as Alan slumped onto the couch.
In the entryway, Billy shifted uneasily. This was an intensely private moment between father and son he knew he was the outsider here. Maybe insisting on coming with Don to break the news to Alan wasn't such a good one after all. Billy's movement attracted Alan's attention and the grief disappeared from his face to be replaced by anger. Getting up, he advanced on the redhead, hands clenched into fists at his sides. "This is your fault. You and Don working Fugitive Recovery together all that time. If not for that, this guy wouldn't even be targeting Don, let along any of his family!"
"Dad!" Don grabbed Alan's arm, but Alan shook him off.
Billy kept his posture relaxed, but he readied himself for a punch anyway. "If it hadn't been Don and me, another team would have nabbed the guy and sent him back to jail. Then he'd be targeting those families instead. Would you wish this on anyone else?"
"No I wouldn't." Alan seemed to deflate then, all of his anger draining out of him. He scrubbed at his face with his hands."But Charlie--"
Don wrapped a supportive arm around his father's shoulders. "We'll find him and we'll get him back, Dad, I promise."
"I'm holding you to that promise, Donny," Alan warned him even as he leaned into his son's support.
A sad smile curved Don's lips. "I'm counting on it, Dad."
Billy's heart ached as he watched father and son take a few moments to worry and wonder about Charlie. I hope to God that Don can keep that promise.
* * *
Thankfully, Don did keep his promise. The fugitive refused to go quietly, forcing them to use deadly force to subdue him. Bruised and battered, Charlie grinned when he saw Don and Billy. "I knew you'd find me, Don."
"I had to find you, Chuck. Who else would I pick on?" Don grinned back as he and Billy worked on the zip ties keeping Charlie secured to the chair.
Billy looked up in time to see Charlie roll his eyes -- well, one of them. The other was swollen shut by a magnificent black eye. "Right, because that's why you want me back."
"That and your help with my cases has given me quite the rep at the Bureau and I don't want to lose it." They finished cutting the zip ties and stood back.
He saw Charlie's muscles tense, but he didn't move. Quietly, Billy asked, "Charlie?"
"I can't move," he whispered the words, looking up at them with panic in his eye. "I was tied to the chair for so long that I can't move."
Don and Billy exchanged glances. "We'll help you, Charlie."
On each side of the chair, they each pulled one of Charlie's arms around their neck and slid one arm under his knees. Billy couldn't quite hide a grimace when he realized that the fugitive hadn't even let Charlie use the restroom or even a chamber pot. He met Don's eyes over Charlie's head and saw an anger in them that matched his own. They linked hands behind Charlie's back and carefully lifted him up.
As the others secured the abandoned house the fugitive had been using, Don and Billy carried Charlie outside to the waiting ambulance. Standing back and letting Don climb into the ambulance to go with Charlie was one of the hardest things Billy had ever done.
* * *
Once everything was cleaned up and secured, Billy headed to the hospital himself. He wondered about the strength of his reactions to the fact that Charlie had been kidnapped and hurt so badly. Ever since he'd met Don's family, he'd kind of considered them as part of his own, even more so after he'd come to LA to help track down bus crash fugitives. His reactions were stronger than that, however. Does this mean I want him? He's certainly grown up a lot from when I first met him. He groaned. Don's going to kill me for lusting after his brother.
Billy wasn't sure what to do with his knowledge. He needed more time to think, so he decided to do nothing for now. Reaching Charlie's room, he found the math professor asleep in the bed, still looking bruised and battered, but no longer bloody. Don was slouched in a chair by the bed, looking exhausted. He lifted a hand in a half-hearted wave. "Hey, Coop."
"Hey, Don." Billy walked over and gripped his friend's shoulder reassuringly. "David and Colby have everything under control. They said they don't want to see you again until tomorrow."
Even though relief flashed in Don's brown eyes, his mouth turned down into a frown. "Why are they giving me orders?"
"Consider it a friendly suggestion," Billy told him with a grin. "You look like hell, Eppes. Go home and get some sleep. Charlie's safe now."
"I don't want to leave him alone." Don's frown didn't fade as he looked at his brother.
Billy squeezed his shoulder. "I'll stay with him."
"Thanks, Coop." Don heaved himself out of his chair. "I already sent Dad home."
He nodded. "I'll be fine on my own."
"Right." They shared a manly hug before Don left the room with one last look at Charlie.
He sank into the vacated chair with a heavy sigh and studied Charlie's sleeping face. "I'm in so much trouble here."
"Why do you say that?" Charlie surprised him with his question, his good eye barely open a slit.
Billy pretended to clutch at his heart. "Jesus, Charlie, don't startle me like that!"
"Sorry." The smile tugging at Charlie's mouth told Billy otherwise.
He grinned. "No, you're not."
"You're right I'm not." Charlie shifted on the bed so he could look at Billy more fully. "Why do you think you're in trouble, Billy?"
His grin faded and he looked away. Part of him wanted to tell Charlie what he'd realized about his feelings for the younger man, but the other part of him wanted to keep quiet since he had no idea what Charlie's feelings for him were. He sighed deeply. "It's nothing, Charlie."
"It has to be something," Charlie pointed out, gesturing with one hand. Billy gently caught it and held it in both of his. "You wouldn't have said that if it was nothing."
Billy reached over and ruffled Charlie's curls. They'd been cleaned at some point during the day and he longed to bury his face in them. "Nothing for you to concern yourself about."
Charlie gave him a long, measuring look. He resisted the urge to squirm under the scrutiny. Finally, he tugged on Billy's hands. "C'mere."
"What?" Billy leaned forward, wondering what Charlie wanted.
Instead of answering, he kept tugging until Billy had to brace himself on the bed to keep from falling on top of Charlie. Much to his surprise and consternation, Charlie stretched up and brushed his lips across Billy's. "Am I right that that's why you think you're in trouble?"
"Yeah." He kept himself braced over Charlie, fighting the temptation to lower his head and feel those lips against his again. "Your brother'll kill me."
"No, he won't, because then I'll kill him." Charlie's voice was matter-of-fact as he traced his fingers over Billy's cheeks. "Now kiss me."
"Yes, sir." Amused, he did as Charlie asked. Maybe I'll come back to LA more often now.
End