Confessions
Yes, another brotherly story. What can I say? I'm living through them, considering my siblingless-ness. I have no idea what their childhood was like beyond bits and pieces; if anything was mentioned in Season 1, well... I didn't see Season 1. So I'm totally guessing here. I could be completely off track. I'm taking the view of how Charlie would have felt being so "special" and different. May be a little overdone -- where do you think I got my nickname from? ;) Review and let me know what you think, please and thanks. :)
Spoilers: Takes place after the "morphine-injection" episode, whatever it's called. I suppose this would be an alternate ending. shrugs
Disclaimer: Don't own Numb3rs. I'd probably have Colby tied up if... erm... well, I wouldn't be writing this if I did. ;)
Summary: Don and Charlie talk.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Don?"
Don Eppes looked up at his brother from the files spread over the table. "Hey Charlie. What's up?"
"Shouldn't you be resting?"
Don sighed wearily. "Charlie, I'm fine. Just a little tired, that's all."
Charlie wandered over, looking unsettled. "You passed out, Don. You woke up in the hospital. Dad and I had to drive you home."
Don sighed again, putting down his pen. "Charlie, look. I was injected with morphine which naturally makes you tired. Too much and you pass out. That's all that happened. It's wearing off now, anyway. I just need to get this paperwork done. Honestly, Chuck… for someone so smart, you can be pretty dumb." Don scoffed as he picked up his pen and returned to his paperwork.
Charlie knew that Don hadn't meant that to sound so mean, but he felt hurt just the same. "So that's how it is, then, is it? I know we didn't have the best sibling relationship, but now I can't even worry about you for a change?" He shook his head. Don looked up, confused and a little concerned. "I know you hated me, Don…"
"Charlie…"
"I know I was the little brother who followed you around all the time." Charlie continued. "I know you thought that you were living in my shadow; I was the special one, the one everyone praised. Have you ever thought about how I felt, Don?"
"Buddy…" Don tried again, to no avail. Charlie continued rambling.
"I was the freak, Don. The one no one wanted to be friends with in high school because I shouldn't have been there in the first place. I was the geek, the one who was shoved into lockers and stuffed into garbage cans. No one wanted to be my friend; I was just a little kid. You… you were the popular one, the athletic one. Everyone tried to be your friend; you had girls lining up on your doorstep, all vying for a chance to go out with you. I was pushed aside… I felt like nothing to you. I buried myself in my math because that's all I had."
By now, Don was standing, hesitantly reaching out a hand towards Charlie. "Buddy… what's going on? What brought this up?"
It was as if Charlie hadn't heard him. His voice rose. "I should have hated you, Don! I should have hated you for what I wanted to be! You don't understand… I would have given anything to be normal!" Don just stood there. He was afraid, actually afraid of Charlie. He'd seen Charlie angry plenty of times, but never this angry. "I would have given anything to grow up normal and to just be your brother. Do all those things normal brothers do. I should have hated you, Don."
Don continued to stand there; he had no idea what to say, or even think. "Charlie, I…"
Charlie shook his head, stopping Don mid sentence. "But I didn't Don." he said, barely above a whisper. "I didn't. And you know why? I looked up to you. I still do. And every time I hear that there's an agent down, I worry that it's you. And when it is you, I worry that I've lost you. Do you know how many times I thought that I had? Today was one of them. I had no idea what went on in there. I love you, Donnie… I want to protect you…" Don noticed that Charlie's eyes were brighter than normal. "But you're so busy protecting me, the little genius kid, and you're always brushing away my concerns, that I still feel like nothing to you. Like you protect me out of obligation…because I'm family…"
In one swift move, Don pulled Charlie into a crushing hug. "Buddy…" he started, voice catching. "Of course I protect you. Do you know how scared I get when I think you could be hurt? Because of me?" He pushed him to arms length, heart breaking to see the brightness in Charlie's eyes rolling down his cheeks. "I protect you, Charlie, because I love you. I always have. Maybe I never showed it before, but I have. I know what the bullies did to you in school, what my friends did to you. I never stopped it, I know. I was more afraid of losing my reputation. If time could be reversed, I'd change all that. But I can't. We both have to live with it." He grasped Charlie by the shoulders, shaking him gently. "But I protect you now because I care. I don't want to see you get hurt."
"But what about you?" Charlie mumbled. "I don't want you hurt, either."
"Well, I don't exactly like it, but sometimes pain is a part of the job." Charlie sighed, closing his eyes and turning away. Don pulled him back into a hug. "But I promise you, I'll be careful." He felt Charlie hug him back tightly.
"Don't die on me, Don." He said, point blank yet very child-like. "Not before I get a chance to know you."
Alan Eppes, their father, poked his head around the corner. "Everything alright in here, boys?" Don nodded to him over Charlie's shoulder. "Good…" He sighed, turning back into the kitchen. Boys… honestly, so thick skulled…
Don pulled Charlie into the living room and sat him on the couch before taking a seat next to him. "Buddy?"
"Yeah?"
"How long?"
"How long what?"
"How long has this been bottled up inside?"
Charlie smirked. "Forever, Donnie. I've always wanted to blow up at you. It felt good, being on the giving end for a change."
Don smiled back, grabbing the remote for the T.V. "Baseball's on…"
Charlie nodded, settling back next to Don, ready to spend the next few hours arguing over which was the better team, one defending skill and the other defending statistics.
END