Protector—

"It's just a precaution," Colby said for the third time. "You're not really in any danger."

Charlie shot him a look of annoyance and Colby shut up. It was a lie, anyway. Colby opened the door to the SUV for Charlie and resisted the urge to help Charlie into the car. It wasn't like they were on a date. He was taking Charlie away from CalSci in the middle of a class because Don had gotten some very specific threats against his family.

Jose Soto, a fugitive that Don had put away some years ago, had gotten out of jail and had been stalking Don's family. They hadn't known this until today, when a package had arrived at the FBI office with surveillance photos of Charlie and Alan – at work, at home, and just going about their daily lives. There was a note attached, saying that since Don had ruined Soto's family – his wife had left him while he was in jail – Soto was going to ruin Don's. The note stated that one of Don's family was going to die today.

At this moment, David was taking Alan away from his house, so in theory he should be safe, but they couldn't know if Soto was already trailing one of them. It was also quite possible that Soto had put together a team and intended to take both Charlie and Alan out. They had had very little time to act and Don had decided to go small – one agent to protect each of the Eppes men. Colby would rather surround Charlie with a living wall of body-armored guards, but Don knew Soto the best and said this was the right short-term action. Colby could only follow the orders and do his best to keep Charlie safe.

Pulling out of the CalSci parking lot, Colby picked up his phone and dialed Megan.

"Got Charlie," he told her.

"Good," Megan said.

"You're sure he'll strike today?"

"Soto is the type of person who would consider it necessary to carry out a threat on time."

Colby swore under his breath.

"Check in when you can," Megan said and hung up. Her and Don and the rest of team were working as hard as they could to track Soto down before he had a chance to try to kill Charlie.

Colby shut the phone and glanced over at Charlie.

"Bad news?" Charlie asked, his big eyes even bigger than usual.

"Don't worry," Colby said firmly. "I won't let anything happen to you."

Charlie gave him a weak smile then asked, "Where are we going?"

"A place I know," Colby answered. When he'd first come to LA, he'd scoped out some good hiding places in case he'd ever need them. He had no idea he'd be taking his boss's brother to one of them.

"Okay."

"Okay?" Colby said, startled. "No questions?"

"You'll tell me when you can," Charlie shrugged. "You did grab my bag, didn't you?"

"Yeah …"

"Good. We gonna be driving long?"

Colby checked his watch. Traffic shouldn't be too bad yet. "About a half-hour."

"Can I put on some music?"

"Uh, sure."

Charlie reached to plug in his mp3 player then hesitated. "Um, what kind of music do you like?'

"Anything," Colby said but quickly changed that statement. "Classic rock." He'd heard some of the jarring electronic music that Charlie liked to do math to.

Charlie frowned thoughtfully then put on a Queen album. Colby nodded in approval.

Charlie settled back into his seat and the distinctive voice of Freddie Mercury filled the SUV. Colby was then able to concentrate on making sure they weren't being followed.

Colby employed all the tricks he knew to spot and lose a tail – driving through parking garages, taking last minute exits, and so forth – but no one seemed to be following them. He couldn't really relax, though, and regularly glanced over towards Charlie.

The mathematician seemed to be lost in thought, staring out the window. Colby wondered what Charlie was thinking about, then dismissed the idea of asking, since it was most likely something so esoteric that only ten other people in the world would understand it. It didn't matter how much Colby wanted to understand Charlie, he wasn't smart enough. The thought gave him little comfort.

Charlie's face was serious, his hair curled over his collar, one of his expressive hands fiddling with the cord to the mp3 player. It had been an unpleasant shock to Colby when he realized that he was in l—had a serious crush on the FBI's whiz kid. It hadn't had been quite as unpleasant as the shock when Colby had realized that he was interested in men, but it had even less of a chance of turning out alright. He's straight, he's got a girlfriend, he's not interested in you, Colby repeated to himself and turned back to the road.

After almost forty-five minutes, Colby slowed down, scanned the area then made one last turn. He stopped the SUV on the edge of a large concrete ramp and dialed Megan.

"I'm might go inaccessible by cellphone," Colby said. "Any news?"

"Yeah," Megan said tiredly. "We've just discovered that Soto might have access to a high-powered rifle, explosives, and an RPG-launcher."

"Shit," Colby said, a chill spreading across his chest.

"Yeah," Megan said. "We're sending a bomb squad to CalSci to get Charlie's car, but … Just keep your eyes open."

"You, too," Colby said and shut the phone.

"Bad news?" Charlie asked.

"Just another minute," Colby said.

Charlie waited in surprising silence while Colby drove down the steep concrete ramp and into a huge concrete culvert. He drove the SUV into the middle of the long concrete tunnel and stopped. He turned off the car and the music shut off. The sudden quiet echoed in Colby's ears.

Colby held up a restraining hand towards Charlie and got out of the SUV. He looked up and down the culvert. It was a massive concrete construction, designed for flood overflow. It was nice and long, so he could see anyone coming before they got in firing range of most guns. If the enemy bottled up both ends of the culvert, there was a door in the wall in the middle of the culvert which led down into the sewers. Perfect.

Colby checked the door and it was locked but with a rusted padlock. One jerk and the padlock broke in his hand. He opened the door to make sure it wasn't rusted shut and checked that the ladder beyond it was clear. He pushed the door most of the way shut again. He looked around again, brushing off his hands.

Satisfied that the location was what he remembered, Colby got back into the car. He checked his cellphone and was happy to see that he still had signal.

"Okay," he said to Charlie. "Thanks for being patient."

"What's going on?"

Colby tersely outlined the situation, not leaving anything out. He would prefer to shield Charlie from knowing the danger, but it was more important that Charlie be able to see the danger coming.

"My dad is going to be okay?" Charlie asked anxiously.

"David's got him," Colby said. "He'll keep him safe. My job is to keep you safe."

Charlie nodded, his face pale. Colby forced back the urge to reach over and squeeze Charlie's shoulder in comfort.

"Okay," Colby said. "Let's get you into a vest."

Charlie's eyes widened. "You really think that's necessary?"

"I'm not gonna let anything happen to you," Colby said, repeating his earlier promise. "But the more precautions we take, the better."

Charlie nodded slowly.

"Wait," Colby said and got out of the SUV again. He strained all his senses for signs of danger for a long moment before gesturing Charlie to get out as well.

Charlie followed Colby around to the back of the SUV where Colby pulled out two Kevlar vests. He handed Charlie one vest then shrugged into his easily, like donning an old familiar shirt.

Charlie, on the other hand, was struggling with his. He hadn't even figured out which hole to put his head through.

"Let me help you," Colby said. As soon as he stepped towards Charlie and began to pull the vest over his head, he realized that this was a mistake. His fingers brushed Charlie's hair and Colby had to grit his teeth to resist the overwhelming urge to run his fingers through those curls. He got the vest over Charlie's head then started to close the straps. Charlie kept leaning towards him, forcing Colby to turn Charlie around and press him with one hand against the side of the SUV, in order to get the leverage to tighten the remaining straps.

The vest finally secured, Colby moved back slightly, his hand still on Charlie's shoulder. An involuntary groan escaped Colby's lips. Charlie was splayed face-first against the side of the black SUV, his legs spread, his vest-shrouded chest heaving in anxiety. It was the most erotic sight that Colby had ever seen.

Colby's hand tightened on Charlie's shoulder as he fought the desperate need to press his body against Charlie's back. He wanted to touch him, kiss him, fuck him. His breath coming in short gasps, he repeated his mantra to himself, He's straight, he's got a girlfriend, he's not interested in you.

Finally, Colby was able to take a short step back and release Charlie's shoulder. He took another step back, then another. Slowly Charlie peeled himself of the car and looked at Colby. His face had an expression that Colby couldn't interpret. Colby swallowed and hoped he didn't look nearly as aroused as he felt. His groin ached, his cock throbbing in rhythm with his pounding heart.

"Get in the back," Colby said, proud of the way his voice sounded calm. "And lie down, keep out of sight."

Charlie looked at him for a moment longer, his eyes drifting down Colby's body. Just checking my vest, Colby told his hammering heart.

Charlie climbed into the back of the SUV, and lay down among the bags. Colby opened one of the bags and pulled out a pair of thigh holsters. He strapped them on, slid in two Glocks, then got out an M4A1 rifle and checked it.

Slinging the rifle over his back, Colby shut the SUV door. He went around to the front of the car, got Charlie's bag, then shut the door. He briefly contemplated joining Charlie in the back of the SUV, but tossed that out, and not only because he would have a better view in the second row of seats. He really needed to put some physical distance between himself and Charlie at the moment.

Colby climbed into the second row of seats and handed Charlie his bag over the back of the seat. He rested the M4 on his lap.

"If I tell you to run," Colby said. "You don't ask questions, you don't try to help me. You open the back door – see the handle by your foot?—and you get out of the car and go through that door in the wall there and climb down and don't stop running until you hear complete silence. Then you hide until we find you."

"But …" Charlie said then nodded reluctantly. "Alright."

"Now, we wait," Colby said, trying to find a position that was comfortable with his thigh holsters, the rifle, and his hard-on.

"How long?" Charlie asked, pulling a notebook out of his bag.

"Hard to say, but probably a few hours."

"I'm kinda hungry."

Colby smiled at him. Trust Charlie, under the threat of death, to be concerned about his stomach. He didn't think that Charlie was oblivious to the threat, not with the vest around his chest, but he was still naive enough to not be properly frightened. Colby was frightened. His old CO had said that anyone who didn't get frightened was an idiot, and Colby might habitually hide his intelligence, but he tried not to be an idiot.

He pointed to a bag near Charlie's left leg. "That green bag has some bottled water and some energy bars."

"Okay," Charlie said with a wrinkle of his nose. Still, he got out a bottle of water and an energy bar. He opened the bottle, unwrapped the energy bar, and was soon immersed in his notebook.

Colby positioned himself where he could see both out the front window and the reflection in the rear-view mirror of the back window.

The only sound was the scratch of Charlie's pencil across the paper. Colby expected Charlie to put on his headphones and music, but he must have realized that Colby would have asked him to take them off. Charlie needed to be able to hear if Colby had to give him a sudden command.

Colby tried to settle himself into the general watching mode that he'd perfected in years in the military. He had more trouble than he usually did, and knew it was all because of the man he was protecting. Colby felt aroused still, as well as frightened, and he was beginning to feel angry. Very angry.

He wasn't quite sure he was angry at – maybe Soto and his threats, but also at Don for putting his brother in danger, though he knew it was irrational. For once, the threat that Charlie was under had nothing to do with his work at the FBI, it was just because he was Don's brother. Colby was also angry at himself, angry because his attention was split and unfocused.

His eyes kept straying to the view in the back of the SUV. Looking over the seat back, he could see the whole length of Charlie's body as he lay on his stomach. From the head of soft curls – Colby could still remember the brush of them across his fingers—to the black vest around his slim chest to his surprisingly nice ass to his jean-clad legs and tennis-shoed feet.

Colby was even angry at Charlie, angry at him for being so damn attractive and so damn unobtainable. He hated the effect that Charlie had on him, hated how Charlie's smile could give him shivers, how he would get enthralled just watching Charlie talk, how he would hope that a case would have some piece that they could bring Charlie in for.

Angrily, Colby jerked his attention back to his surroundings and kept it there. Eventually, he was able to find that elusive watching mode and he settled into it gratefully.

Time passed. Charlie began humming something quietly, a counterpoint to the sound of his pencil. Colby watched a flock of birds land outside the culvert, hop about for a while, then fly off again. Charlie took more sips from his water bottle and wadded up the energy bar wrapper. Colby watched the shadows creep over the concrete as he kept his senses open, trusting in his training to give him warning if anything changed. He shifted the M4 on his lap then stretched his legs, keeping his limbs from falling asleep. Charlie turned the page in his notebook and paused before starting up his writing again. Colby realized that Charlie was humming a Queen song and he smiled, tempted to hum along.

His phone rang, startling him and he grabbed for it.

"Granger," he barked.

"We got him!" Megan said triumphantly.

"Soto?" Colby asked. "You sure?"

"Yep, it was a ploy, just like Don guessed. He came after Don and we grabbed him. Nobody got hurt."

"A ploy?" Colby snapped. "You knew?" He'd been sitting here, his stomach in knots, thinking that he might be the only thing between Charlie and an RPG, and it hadn't been real.

"It was just a guess," Megan said. "We needed you and David to believe your roles in case Soto watched you."

"You're damn right I believed in my role," Colby growled.

"Sorry," Megan said sincerely. "You can bring Charlie in now."

Colby growled again and ended the call with a jab of his finger.

Charlie was staring at him. "It was a ploy?"

"Yeah, to get us watching you and your dad and leave Don clear."

Charlie sat up. "Don okay?"

"Yeah, no problem," Colby said quickly. "He was expecting this."

"Oh," Charlie said.

They sat in silence for a moment, absorbing the fact that they were no longer in danger. Had probably never been. Colby felt a surge of anger and relief that rushed through him and left him shaking. He swallowed a few times, trying to calm himself.

Next time, he told himself, volunteer to protect Alan instead. But it was no use. While he didn't want Charlie in danger, he didn't want to be anywhere else but watching over him when he was. It wasn't that he didn't trust anyone else to protect Charlie. It was just that he could do it better. God, you're pathetic.

Colby gave Charlie a brisk smile. "Well, let's get you to the office. I'm afraid that you've missed any classes or office hours you had today."

"Yeah," Charlie said, looking shaken as well. "Could you just drop me off at CalSci? My car's there."

"Office first," Colby said. "Then I'll take you to your car."

Charlie shrugged and kicked the handle to open the back door. Colby watched him, unable to take his eyes from Charlie's body as he shimmied out the back door. After Charlie was out, he looked at Colby curiously and Colby quickly got out of the SUV himself.

He returned the M4 and the Glocks to their place and stripped off his thigh holsters and vest. Then he turned to Charlie, who was just standing there, waiting. Oh right, the vest. He quickly seared the image of the Kevlar-shielded Charlie into his memory then reached to unstrap the vest.

Getting Charlie out of the vest was even more of a trial then getting him into it. He seemed to go boneless in Colby's hands, leaning against him with his particular sort of innocent eroticism that regularly drove Colby crazy.

Finally, for the sake of his sanity, Colby snapped, "Stand up straight!" and Charlie responded instantly. So instantly that Colby immediately got the urge to order him to do something else, like 'Get on your knees and open your mouth.' Colby bit the inside of his cheek and quickly removed the vest.

He tossed it into the back, not looking at Charlie, afraid that his inappropriate desires would show on his face. He shut the back door then re-secured the door in the culvert wall, giving himself time to calm down..

As he climbed into the driver's seat, Charlie got in the passenger side. They sat for a moment, a silence that seemed heavy with … something. Then Colby started the car and they drove out of the culvert.

Charlie plugged in his mp3 player and set it to play the Queen song he'd been humming. He turned to Colby. "That energy bar is sitting like a lump in my stomach. Think we could stop somewhere to eat before we go into the office?"

"Sure," Colby said. "I'll just call Don to let them know."

"Okay," Charlie said. Colby reached for his phone but before he could dial, Charlie put his hand on Colby's forearm. "Thanks."

"Thanks for what?" Colby said, far too aware of the warmth and weight of Charlie's hand. "We were just a diversion."

"Yeah," Charlie said, his fingers tightening. "But we didn't know that. I felt like … I felt like you would take on an army for me."

"I would," Colby said with deliberate lightness, "Unless it's an army wielding calculus and trigonometry, then I'd let you handle it."

"Sounds reasonable," Charlie chuckled and removed his hand. Colby was relieved and disappointed to feel it go.

"Okay," Colby said as he turned the SUV to drive up the steep ramp out of his hiding place. It was a great bolt hole and he'd be sad to give it up, but Charlie had felt safe there, so it was worth the loss. "Where do we want to get dinner? It's on the FBI, because … because you missed your class."

"I didn't mind," Charlie admitted. "Would have been a dull day otherwise."