A/N: Inspired by "My Thoughts are Stars" by Mattia Cupelli.

Warnings: Alternate Universe (kind of) / Slash / Mild spoilers for 1.09 Sniper Zero / Major Spoilers for 2.01 Judgment Call. Read at your own discretion.


Megan watches the math consultant with a curious gaze. He seems healthy enough, but she notices that he has bouts of confusion or shies away from people. It tips her off that something is amiss with Charlie Taylor, but she doesn't say anything about it. Instead, she admits that he does good work for them and seems to be genuine when he says what he does isn't to take away from their expertise; merely to look for patterns where they couldn't find any.

She notices that her new boss is rather close with the man; resting a familiar hand on his back when he has bouts of confusion, wrapping an arm around his shoulders when he shies away from others, and she thinks that maybe Charlie and Don have something more than a working relationship. She questions David, who merely says that they've been through a lot together. It gives her all the insight she needs that possibly the two share a bond deeper than colleagues.

She watches Charlie explain how Pi explains why Lance is a suspect, but then his face contorts when someone questions his analogy. "I don't know how-how to explain it," Charlie whispers, wrapping his arms around himself. "I just, know, and I can't get the words from my head to my mouth. I wish I could-"

"Shh, easy." Don is quick to be by Charlie's side, pulling him against him and stroking his curls with a tender touch. "You don't have to explain to anyone. We'll go off what you have and if you're wrong, well, you just can't be wrong, right?"

Charlie instantly relaxes against the agent. He closes his eyes and from this angle Megan can see the hair that's been shaved away to reveal a wound. It all clicks in her mind. Amnesia.

Later, when Lance and Hardy's wife are arrested, she confronts David, asking him, "Does Charlie suffer from amnesia?"

David hesitates for a brief second before nodding. "He was at a crime scene; guy took a shot at him. I couldn't get him to the ground fast enough. He was hit in the side of the head and fell on the concrete. He doesn't remember any of us, but I think he's slowly coming around to remember Don. That's all that matters."

Megan takes in a sharp breath. "That's terrible. He seems so relaxed around him. How long did that take?"

"Few months," David answers nonchalantly, shrugging. "He wouldn't come near any of us for a while. I think it was harder on Don then he let on. He said once he never wanted to go through losing someone important to him and he almost did with Charlie." David sighs. "Charlie may never be the same person, but like I said, as long as he remembers Don, it's okay."

"So," Megan says after a few seconds, "they are lovers, then?"

"Three years now. I didn't know if Don wanted me to tell the new agent about his personal life. He seems more comfortable around you now so I don't see the harm."

Megan nods and looks over at the lovers; Charlie back to the boards and scribbling something while Don nods in the right places and rests his hand on Charlie's shoulder; a gesture that tells the profiler that Don's offering comfort in one of the ways he knows how.

"Does he blame himself?" she asks, turning her attention back to David who's sorting through files.

"Probably. He was a mess when he came back from the hospital and snapped at everyone." David flicks his eyes up. "I think they're both on the healing road, but it'll take time."

Megan offers a smile and nods again. "Amnesia is a tricky subject. Sometimes they remember, sometimes they don't. The fact that Charlie seems comfortable around Don tells me that he'll, at least, remember him one day."

David gives a curt nod and returns to his files.

Megan goes to her own files as well, her smile widening when she hears Charlie babble happily about math. She knows, when Don offers replies, that it's over his head, but it tells her their love is one that could transcend anything, even memory loss.