Y is for You're Always Here
Warning: MAJOR CHARACTER DEATH
Disclaimer: I do not own Numb3rs or any of the characters on the show, nor do I make any profit from them.
A/N: This is my first story posted here, I wrote it a while ago. Hope you like it and tell me what you think! I completely made up Don's middle name and his birthday is from the his drivers license shown in a first season eppisode, Sabatoge I think. Thanks to my beta for correcting my mistakes. Again I warn you MAJOR CHARACTER DEATH ensues.
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Y is for You're Always Here
Charlie and Don were having lunch together in a small café a few blocks away from Don's office. It was one of the few days the brothers actually got to talk about something other than an FBI case over lunch since Don had just finished up his last case before the weekend.
Charlie sat quietly with a zoned out look on his face as he twirled a fry in his ketchup. Don sat opposite Charlie at the table and studied his brother's face. While it wasn't odd for Charlie to be zoned out but it was odd for Charlie to be zoned out with a worried look on his face.
Over the past few years Don had gotten to know Charlie and could often tell when he was zoned out thinking about math or about something else and now Charlie was definitely thing about something else, something more worrisome than his latest math problem.
"You okay Charlie?" Don broke the silence.
Charlie jumped a little when he heard Don speak. "Huh? What? Sorry I didn't hear you."
Don smirked slightly at his brother's reaction, "I asked if you're okay. You look worried. Is something bothering you?"
"No, no I'm fine, just…tired and I have a lot going on at school." Charlie lied as he popped the now soggy and ketchup covered fry into his mouth, not wanting to tell his brother why he was worried.
Don gave him a skeptical look, "Alright, but you know I'm here for you if you want to talk…Right?"
Charlie nodded. "Yeah, I know."
Just then Don's cell phone rang. "Eppes," Don listened for a few minutes before he replied, "I'll be there in 10 minutes."
"Sorry Charlie, I have to cut this short, there is a bank robbery in progress, I have to go. Do you want me to drop you off at my office on the way?"
"No that's alright. I will catch a cab and go back home."
"Okay, see you Charlie. Remember I'm here for you if you want to talk." Don got up and headed for the door.
"Thanks Don. Be careful and keep your head down."
Don turned and gave his brother a smile, "Don't worry Chuck, I will be." and with that Don was out the door.
Charlie watched as his brother climbed into his SVU, flipped on the lights and siren, and drove off.
Charlie got up and went to the register to pay for their meals then went outside to hail a cab.
On the way to the house Charlie thought about what was really bothering him. He had a feeling something bad was going to happen to someone he cared about today. He didn't know who for sure, but the odds were on Don, just because of the dangers of his job. Charlie knew that it could just as well be one of the other agents on Don's team that he had come close to over the last few years. He also knew there was a chance that Amita or his dad or even Larry could be hurt but the numbers were significantly lower for those three than they were for Don or any of his team members.
Charlie didn't believe in gut feelings or anything like that and was normally able to shake them off but this was one feeling he couldn't shake.
Charlie was so lost in thought he didn't realize the cab had pulled up in front of his house until the driver cleared his throat and told him the cab fee. Charlie dug some cash out of his wallet, gave it to the driver, and made his way inside.
Alan was sitting in his favorite chair doing a sudoku puzzle when Charlie came in. "Hi Charlie! How was your lunch with Don?"
"Hi dad, it was good we had to cut it short though, Don got called back to work early."
"Oh, that's too bad. Is he coming over here tonight? I'm making rib eye."
"He didn't say but he may not have time if he has a new case already. I'm going to the garage to do some work. I'll be in in a while." Charlie said as he went out the back towards the garage.
Once in the garage Charlie grabbed a piece of chalk and started working on equations to try and figure out the probability of something happening to Don or any of the other people he cared about today.
Charlie worked in silence for about an hour when he heard the phone ring inside. He stopped dead in his tracks hoping that it was just a telemarketer and not someone on Don's team calling. When he heard his fathers voice falter he dropped his chalk and rushed inside.
"How bad?" Alan asked the person on the other end. Charlie's heart dropped to his stomach when he saw the look on his fathers face as the person on the other end replied. "Thank you." Alan said as he hung up the phone.
"Don?" Charlie whispered.
Alan nodded, "Megan said it's bad. She will be here in a few minutes to take us to the hospital." Alan said before Charlie could ask. "Let's get our coats and wait for her by the door."
After 7 minutes and 18 seconds by Charlie's count, Megan arrived at the house and both men rushed out the door before she could even unbuckle her seatbelt. Alan got in the front passenger side and Charlie climbed into the back seat.
"What hospital is he at?" Alan asked while buckling his seatbelt.
"Huntington Memorial." Megan backed out of the drive way.
"What happened?" Charlie asked with panic creeping into his voice.
Megan glanced at Charlie in the rearview mirror before speaking. "There was a big shootout at a bank downtown, there were lots of civilians around and Don saw a little boy out in the open right in the line of fire. He went to get the boy out of the middle of the firefight and in the process of rescuing the boy he was shot once in the back and once in the chest. He had a vest on but they were using armor piercing rounds."
"Oh my god!" Alan exclaimed, "What about the boy? Did Don get him to safety?" Alan was trying with all his might to stay calm but didn't think he would be able to for very long.
"Yes, Don managed to shove him behind a brick wall right before it happened."
The rest of the ride to the hospital was silent as both the Eppes men worried about Don, both imagining the worst case scenarios.
As Megan drove she thought about Don. She knew he was a fighter and he never gave up. He had fought many battles before and won, but this was one battle she was afraid he might lose. Megan didn't like thinking that way but after seeing Don after he had been shot she knew his chances of survival were slim. And if he did survive, he would more than likely never be able to return to the Bureau or have a normal life like he once did. The bullet that entered Don's back had hit almost exactly in the center of his back, she didn't have to be a doctor to figure out that the probability of the bullet damaging his spinal cord was very high. She didn't want to tell this to the Eppes men since it was just speculation on her part and she didn't want to worry them even more than they already were.
After about 10 minutes of silence they finally pulled up in front of the hospital. Megan stopped at the entrance to let the Eppes' out and then went to find a parking place.
She entered the waiting room a few minutes later to find Alan and Charlie talking to David. "Any word yet?" she asked Colby who had been at the nurses station trying to get some information from the nurses.
"No, Don's still in the trauma room. The nurse said someone would come out and talk to us as soon as they were able to." He paused before continuing quietly, "Megan…it's not looking good for him. We almost lost him in the ambulance on the way here. His heart stopped and it took a while to get him back. They aren't too optimistic at this point."
"Damn I was afraid of that. How long has it been since the ambulance got here?"
Colby checked his watch, "About half an hour, let's go sit with Charlie and Alan while we wait for the doctor."
Forty-five minutes later a doctor emerged from the doors leading to the ER. He glanced around the waiting room, saw the FBI jackets Megan, David, and Colby were wearing, and walked over to where the Eppes' were sitting.
"Hi, I'm Dr. Benton. You're Don Eppes' family?" The doctor asked Alan.
Alan stood, "Yes, I'm his father and this is his brother Charlie." Alan motioned towards Charlie. "Please…how is my son?" his voice had almost a pleading tone to it.
Dr. Benton shook his head, "I'm sorry, we did every thing we could for him but his injuries were too severe."
Charlie's knees gave out when he heard the news; David caught him and eased him into a chair before he fell completely. He let out a strangled sob, "Oh God. No, Don can't be dead…he can't be."
Alan stepped over to Charlie and wrapped his arms around him and cried, trying to comfort his as best he could. Charlie did the same for Alan as they mourned the loss of Don.
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That night Charlie had dreamt about Don.
Charlie was sitting on the couch in the garage when Don materialized beside him.
"Hey Buddy." Don said.
"Don! What-you can't be here. You're…you're-" Charlie couldn't continue.
"Dead?" Don finished Charlie's sentence as Charlie nodded. "You're dreaming Chuck. I thought I'd come visit you."
"Don…why? Why did you have to go?" Charlie's voice took on a pleading tone.
Don sighed. He knew this was coming. "Charlie you have to understand that I didn't want to leave you but God had other plans for me. If I hadn't gone to get that boy and he would have been hurt or killed and I survived because I refused to risk my life further, I never could have lived with my self. You know that."
"I know, but you should have been more careful."
"I was being careful Charlie, but what happened was out of my control and there wasn't anything anyone could have done to help me."
"Don, how can you be so at peace with what happened?"
"I made a choice to save that boy today and sure the outcome of that choice wasn't what I had planned but it's a choice I'm glad I made."
Charlie was about to say something but before he could open his mouth Don spoke again. "I know it hurts Charlie, and that hurt will always be there but eventually it will start to hurt less and you will be able to go on with your life. But until then you need to stay strong for Dad and not hide in the garage again. You will get through this together Charlie. Trust me."
"I do trust you Don but I can't imagine my life without you in it." Charlie was crying now.
"Charlie I will always be here for you. I am always listening if you want to talk…I may not always answer but I will always listen and I will always be there for you through the good times and the bad even if you don't realize it."
"Promise?" Charlie knew he sounded like a child but he didn't care right now.
"I promise Buddy." Don smiled. "I have to go now Charlie. I love you bro. Take care of yourself and dad."
"I will. I love you too Don."
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True to his word Don was always there for Charlie.
Several days after Charlie had the dream he was standing next to his father at Don's funeral service. Charlie had stopped listening to the speaker and was just starring at the headstone, reading it over and over again.
Don Michael Eppes
July 15, 1970
February, 17 2008
Loving Son and Brother
Charlie had read it 6 times when he felt a presence beside him and right away he knew it was Don's spirit.
"I love you Don." He whispered so quietly it was barley audible but he knew Don had heard it because he felt a warm pat on the shoulder and heard Don whisper "I love you too."
Two years after Don had died Charlie was standing at the alter on the day of his wedding in the backyard of the Craftsman and he knew Don was standing right beside him with a huge grin on his face silently encouraging Charlie until he spoke. "I'm proud of you Buddy."
Don was there for Charlie a year after that as Charlie welcomed his and Amita's first child into the world. A son they named Don Alan Eppes. Charlie sat in the rocking chair holding little Donnie while Amita slept in the nearby hospital bed. Little Donnie started to fuss so Charlie whispered quiet reassurances to him. Don, who had materialized beside Charlie, ran a gentle finger along little Donnie's cheek and the baby stopped fussing. Don then patted his brother on the shoulder and smiled as he whispered to his brother, "You did good Charlie."
Fifteen years later Don was there for Charlie as Charlie sat next to his father's hospital bed during the final hours of his life. Don laid a gentle hand on Charlie's shoulder and spoke the same words he had spoken to Charlie eighteen years earlier, "It's going to be okay Charlie. You'll get through this."
Don was there for Charlie one last time, thirty-three years later. Don was there for Charlie when Charlie left his remaining family to rejoin the family he had already lost.
Don smiled, "Welcome home Buddy."
The End