Disclaimer: I do not own Numb3rs.
UFO 1/1
Creepy
Ratio
Underfoot
Parasite
Consider Yourself Adopted
Hatred was a powerful emotion, and it fed through every fiber of Don's fists. He destroyed the fat dinosaur piñata with all the fury an eleven-year-old could muster. Bright tatters of green and yellow paper whipped into the air as he beat the offending lizard into a tangled pulp of flimsy mesh and colorful papier-mâché.
"Don, have you gone crazy?" Charlie asked, wide-eyed and half-hidden in the garage's doorway.
The hushed, wary voice made him pause. Before he turned around, Don glanced at his reddened knuckles to make sure they weren't bleeding. He didn't want to freak his little brother out.
They weren't.
"Don?"
"Didn't Mom tell you to get out of your pajamas like an hour ago? People are going to be here soon, Charlie," Don replied, a little breathless as he gestured at the plaid blue pants and rumpled green t-shirt his brother was still wearing.
Don himself was already in his favorite jeans and a shirt that closely resembled a baseball jersey. His mother kept bugging him to tuck it in, but Don's friends were coming over. Only nerds tucked in their shirts.
Well, and baseball players, but only on the field or at practice.
Charlie, all short, three feet of him, had his dark eyes on the ruined piñata. His curly head titled to the side. His mind reasoned that Don was not crazy. Don always did everything for a reason.
So Charlie asked, "Why'd you break it?"
"Because I didn't like it," Don answered, grabbing up the piñata. He quickly carried it over to the garage's large trashcan and stuffed the thing down deep.
Charlie followed him over to the can, flinching at every violent shove his older brother gave the already crushed piñata.
The younger boy frowned worriedly. "But, didn't Dad buy you that?"
Don covered the can, sealing away all evidence of his deed. He made a show of dusting his hands and regarded his brother. "Yeah, so?"
Charlie averted his gaze and shrugged. "Well, um... I thought you wanted one."
"Of course I wanted one," Don said, scuffing the back of his brother's head as he passed the six-year-old.
Don made for the garage door. "Just not that one. Dad should've known better."
I mean, what's a birthday party without a piñata? Don thought glumly, crossing the yard. Every party he'd been to that summer had climaxed with Don and his buddies beating the candy out of one of those strung up paper animals. His party wasn't going to have one.
He thought of his friends again.
They'll complain and then Dad'll frown at them. Then they'll tell other people how lame my party was, Don figured. He paused at the Koi pond, picked up a small pebble, and flipped it into the water, clear of any fish. He just wanted to hear the thunk of it hitting the water.
"They don't like that," Charlie said, behind him again.
"Will you stop sneaking up on me?" Don snapped, hoping Charlie couldn't tell he'd been startled. "Go change before you get in trouble. Mom doesn't have time to help you. She's making food and Dad's probably still hanging up streamers."
Charlie looked up at his brother. Confusion put a few small wrinkles on his forehead. "Don, did you tell Dad you didn't like the piñata?"
He just won't get off it. Jeez, Don grumbled to himself.
"No, genius, that would've hurt his feelings," Don explained. He sighed and shoved his hands in his pockets, gazing at the house. I guess I'll have to drag him inside and make him get moving. Mom really doesn't have time today. At least my cake will be awesome.
He looked back to his little brother, and was about to tell Charlie to come with him, when Don noticed a tiny, knowing little smirk beginning to form on other boy's mouth.
Knowing that look, Don narrowed his eyes. "What?"
Charlie tried not to grin. He tried not to laugh. A hand half-covered his mouth and the amusement broke through in his voice.
"Don, you're not—you're not still scared of dinosaurs, are you?" the six-year-old asked, snickering at the blush that spread across his brother's face.
Don hated dinosaurs. He had nightmares about them terrorizing the neighborhood. He dreamed about them gobbling up his parents and dragging his little brother off into the night. Watching the little snit laugh at him, however, made Don wish one would show up right then and there just to show the brat that yes, dinosaurs were completely worthy of being feared and respected no matter how old a person got.
"If you tell anyone I'll, um, lock you in the closet," Don threatened, terrified his brother would go and tell his friends.
Charlie took a step back, almost slipping into the Koi pond, but Don snatched him by the arm and steadied him.
Charlie swallowed. "You would?"
"No," Don admitted, letting his brother go. "You should know I wouldn't do anything to scare you that bad. But Charlie, you remember how you felt when Janie Hatfield locked you in the janitor's closet?"
"It was scary," Charlie said, nodding.
"Well, I know it's stupid, but that's how dinosaurs make me feel," Don said. "If my friends find out, they'll make fun of me."
Charlie's mouth formed a grim line as he considered this, and Don thought the serious expression looked too old for his brother's chipmunk face.
"They're not good friends if they make fun of you," Charlie decided.
"You were just laughing about it, and you're my brother, Chuck!" Don pointed out, amused.
"Oh... I'm sorry," Charlie said, biting his lip. He watched his brother, thinking for less than a minute before saying, "Do you want to make another one?"
Don scratched the back of his head. "Another what?"
"We can make a new one from the old one, or with some other stuff," Charlie said, gesturing both small hands towards the garage. "I mean as long as it's something Dad can distill the candy into your friends will be happy, right? We could make a little one at least."
"Well, maybe..."
Fifty-six minutes later, Don and Charlie presented a UFO shaped (or so they claimed) object to their father and showed Alan where to put the candy in. The doorbell rang, and Margaret quickly set Don's cake on the table. On her way to answer the door and welcome their first guest, her eyes caught sight of her youngest and she paused dead in her tracks.
Both Don and Charlie looked up from where they were still shoveling candy into the UFO's lopsided top.
Get dressed, Charlie! their mother mouthed, motioning for the stairs.
Charlie gasped and looked down at himself. He'd forgotten! He was still wearing a rumpled nightshirt and his blue pajama pants. Don's friends were so cool. They were going to think he looked like an idiot.
He looked up at his brother. "They're going to laugh at me," Charlie said, crossing his arms.
"No they're not," Don said, quickly getting Charlie up to the six-year-old's bedroom. Don found a shirt and some jeans their parents wouldn't frown at and swiftly threw them at his little brother.
"Don! Daniel's here!" his mom called from downstairs.
"Okay!" Don answered.
"Hey, hurry up," he told Charlie, who was tripping over his own jeans as he rushed to pull them on.
The boys then hurried out of the room and back to the staircase.
"Hey, Charlie, thanks for the UFO. Just for that I'll make sure you get a swing at it, okay?"
"You'll lower it down?"
"Well, obviously," Don said, hearing the door bell ring again. "Even if you jumped you wouldn't be able to reach it. It'd be funny though."
Charlie grinned and hopped off the last step, shadowing his brother into the living room to get the party started.