A/N- This is my first attempt at Numb3rs fiction. I don't own anything, but oh how I wish I did, wouldn't it be awsome to have your own little Charlie or Don? Right, back to the point, I am just doing this for fun. Also this is unbetaed, so all mistakes belong to me, please be gentel, I am a sleep deprived college student. Anyway, I hope you enjoy!

"Tell me again why we are doing this?" Colby Granger asked his partner David Sinclair as the two exited David's car and approached the elementary school playground.

David laughed at the question and shook his head, "because Charlie narrowed down the radius, and this is the one of two schools in the area. Don just wants us to chat with the parents, see if they have seen anything suspicious."

"Yeah, yeah, lets just get it done. This is a waste of time, its not going to help us catch this bastard." Colby was moody. It had been several long days with no sleep, trying to catch the child predator who was kidnapping children from schools and then killing them after he had tortured them first. They were so close to finding him and Don had them out here wasting time with parents.

"Watch your language man, there are kids present." David said as he pointed to the playground full of children who were close to being dismissed. "How about we start with that one over there?" David suggested as he pointed at an attractive young woman.

"You just think she is hot." Colby said with a smirk, but followed as David approached her.

"Excuse me ma'am." David spoke as he approached her. She glanced at him, nodded and then turned back to watching the play ground, he continued talking. "I'm Special Agent David Sinclair with the FBI. We're working an investigation, regarding the abduction of children from local schools. Do you mind if we ask you a few questions?"

"Sure, I suppose. But we are new to town so I don't know if I will be much help." The young woman responded, and finally turned to look at the two men who were standing with her.

The voice pulled Colby's attention back to the woman in front of him. He had been watching the whole area, not really looking at her. But that voice, it was familiar, a little too familiar. When he turned to look squarely at the woman, he could hardly believe his eyes. He knew he was staring but he couldn't help it, she hadn't changed a bit. The 5'5'' petite red head still astounded him. Wearing a simple black skirt and a blue short-sleeved satin blouse, she looked more chic than he remembered her being. Suddenly the past flashed before his eyes. He was back in Winchester, Idaho sitting on the tailgate of his dad's truck snaking his fingers into that red hair as he kissed her for the first time. He was back in college, holding her in his arms, that red hair skimming his arms as they cuddled after making love for the first time. And with that the memories of all their firsts came flooding back, overwhelming him as he spoke, "Sam?"

She stared at him in disbelief as she heard his voice, thrown off by the softness that it held. She had barely even noticed him standing next to the kind black man. But when she heard her name on his lips it was like falling into an old dream. "Colby." It was so soft that she was unsure she had even spoke until she felt herself being pulled into a hug.

David looked incredulously at his partner and friend as he hugged a potential witness. He was confused to say the least. But he stood, hands in his pockets, totally engrossed in the scene that was playing out before him.

"Damn, Sam, you look amazing. You haven't changed a bit in all this time." Colby said as they pulled away.

"Neither have you Colby. God, I missed you. So you are a g-man now?" She asked with a smile, and tucked a strand of her straight hair behind her ear.

"Yeah. It seemed like the natural choice after I left the army."

David noticed that the young woman tensed at the words, her grip on her car keys becoming extremely tight. He wished Megan was here, he would love to hear her dissect the relationship between the two based on their body language.

"Your mom told me about what happened in Afghanistan. I was so worried about you."

"She didn't tell me that she ran into you." Colby said with a hint of sadness. His mom was always mentioning everyone else she ran into in town, why she hadn't mentioned her was a question he would have to ask the next time he talked to her.

Sam offered him a rueful smile, "she probably didn't want to start something. After the way we left things, I can't say that I blame her. But here we are being rude, your partner said you had some questions?"

David wondered how exactly they had left things, but figured he could press Colby about it later. For now he focused on the investigation, he cleared his throat and spoke, "do you have a child in school here?"

"Yes. My daughter, this is her first week. We just got into town. I start a new job tomorrow." Sam said as she turned her head momentarily back towards the playground.

"What sort of job?" Colby asked, and was greeted with a look from David, that clearly screamed focus.

Sam laughed and then shook her head. "I am the new AUSA, I'll be replacing Robin Brooks." She looked at David and spoke directly to him, "And since CJ here has no plans on introducing us, I'm Samantha Talbot, my friends call me Sam."

David tucked the nickname CJ away for later use, knowing that he could give Colby hell about it. As he did he smiled and offered her his hand, at that moment recollection burst through his mind. Colby had once mentioned a woman named Samantha when he was drunk. She was the one that got a way, the one he had planed on marrying and then life happened derailing all his plans. With this he worried about his friend, knowing that her return was likely to mess with his mind, especially if she was married with a daughter. He wished like none other that Megan was here, she would know what to say.

Trying to stay on target, he steered the conversation back to work, "nice to meet you Sam. I am sure we will be working with you in the future. But in the week that you have been here have you or your husband noticed anyone suspicious? A man mid-thirties probably interested in very young girls, most likely to be hanging around the playground."

"She doesn't have a husband."

The three adults looked down at the little voice that had made the declaration. The little girl, about nine David guessed, was now holding her mothers hand and staring expectantly at the other men.

"Colleen, what have I told you about being rude like this?" Sam asked the girl in a frustrated voice.

The little girl didn't respond she just stared at David and then at Colby. She jerked her mothers hand very hard and pointed at Colby with the other while speaking, "mom that's…"

Her statement was interrupted as Sam placed her hand over her daughter's mouth and then smiled at the two men. "Yes honey. This is my friend Colby." She blushed and offered Colby an apologetic smile, "she likes to look at the old year books, when she saw the prom pictures she wanted to know who you were. So then I had to drag out all of the old photos." Not wanting to give him a chance to get stuck in the past she plowed on before Colby had a chance to respond. "Anyway to answer your question Agent Sinclair, I have not noticed anyone unusual. I pick Colleen up every day and it is usually just moms or babysitters who are here."

Colby nodded and offered David a look that distinctly said, I told you this was a waste of time. He was about to ask a question of his own when the little girl spoke.

"Mom, we have to go. You promised Nick we would be there by four."

"Honey, we will be. Aunt Nikki will still give you your art lesson even if we are not there exactly at 4."

Colby snickered at the statement earning him a second look of confusion and disbelief from David. Ignoring the look he spoke, "your sister is in town? She is an artist?"

Sam had to chuckle. It hadn't surprised anyone when her sister had become an artist, she had always been a free spirit. In high school, Colby had taken great delight in making fun of her stranger tendencies. "Yeah, Nick's an art professor at UCLA, she's been an amazing help since I got to town. She helped me find an apartment."

Colby nodded and noticed the look of exasperation on David's face. He knew his partner was loosing his patience because they still needed to interview the other parents, and get back to work before Don came unglued. Tensions had been high in the office due to the case. Colby placed his hand on Sam's arm and gave it a soft squeeze as he spoke, "Sam it's been great to see you, but David and I have to get back to work interviewing the other parents."

Sam nodded, she knew the case they were working, it was one that she was being brought in on to consult. Once they found the guy she would be the one filing charges, so she knew the type of stress they must be under. Slipping her hand into the hidden pocket in her skirt, she pulled out a business card. "Do you have a pen?"

David nodded and handed her the pen he kept hidden in his jacket pocket. He had to smirk a little. Leave it to Colby to walk away from an interview with a woman's digits.

Sam quickly scribbled her cell phone number on the back of the card and then handed it to Colby, speaking, "When you get done with your case give me a call, we can catch up. And CJ, get some sleep you look like hell."

Colby laughed and took the card with a nod. He felt his pulse flutter, as she leaned in and gave him a kiss on the cheek. She then thanked David for the pen and handed it back to him.

David just grinned at Colby as they two watched Sam and Colleen disappear towards their car. "Yeah CJ, you look like hell." David said with a laugh.

"Shut up, you are just jealous." Colby said with a fake bravado, as he slipped the card into his pocket. He was a little thrown, it had been a long time since he and Sam had broken up and he had left college for the army. He could hardly believe she was a mother of a nine or ten year old. The little girl was beautiful, but looked almost nothing like her mother. Blond with brown eyes and dark skin, she was a contrast to Sam's red hair, smoky gray eyes, and fair skin. She almost looked like him, a thought that he quickly dismissed. It's been ten years since we were together, besides she would have told me if I have a daughter. Yet the thought plagued him just a little. He was distracted while they conducted the rest of their interviews, unable to get the thoughts and memories associated with Sam Talbot out of his mind.

Megan looked up from her computer for the fifth time in about fifteen minutes. This time she openly stared at Colby Granger's back, wondering what had caused the change in him. Ever since he and David had returned from interviewing parents, he seemed off. He was morose and distracted, as she watched him dig in his desk drawer, retrieving a picture frame. He had been staring at the frame for a few minutes now.

David caught Megan staring and figured he should fill her in on what he had seen. He waited until he caught her eye, then inclined his head towards the break room. She stood, stretched and walked into the break room fixing a cup of coffee. A few minutes later David walked in and sat at the table.

"Okay, spill it. What is eating Granger?"

"When we went to interview the parents we ran into an old flame of his. She has a daughter now, just moved to town. Get this, she is replacing Robin Brooks. I think it shook him a little, she was the one who got away, you know."

Megan tried to swallow the drink of coffee quickly and gasped as the hot liquid burned down her throat, in an excited voice she said, "you mean to tell me it was Sam, the Sam, that you ran into today?"

David peered at her, "how do you know about Sam?"

"Please, you are not the only one he tells things when he is drunk. So how old is the daughter?" Megan asked trying to see if there was more to the story. Seeing the love of your life again for the first time in ten years can be jarring, but she sensed there was something more than that.

"I'd say she is about nine. But here is the thing Megan. She doesn't really look like her mom. If anything I'd say she looks a hell of a lot like our boy out there."

"Shit! You are not saying that Colby is the father?"

"Colby is a father?" Don asked somewhat surprised as he entered the break room.

"No. You know about Colby's ex girlfriend from college?"

"Yeah, the one who wouldn't marry him, Mike or something like that right?" Don asked. He knew about the woman, Colby had shared the story with him after he had found out about Kim. The two had commiserated about their lousy love lives, and then drowned their sorrows in a case and a half of MGD.

"Sam, her name is Sam, and David got to meet her and her daughter today."

"She's in town?" Don said as he poured a cup of coffee, him eyebrows raised.

"She's replacing Robin." David said matter of factly.

"Shit. So that is why Colby is so aloof." Don said as he stared out the glass wall at Colby's hunched back, knowing that this woman's return was likely the cause.

David nodded and then spoke, "yeah. She gave him her number, wants to catch up."

"Her husband won't mind?" Don asked, already suspecting the answer.

"She's not married. The little girl is about nine years old. Colby told me once that they were together the last night before he entered basic, about ten years ago."

Standing next to Don, Megan peered out at Colby, her mind working, setting up a profile for his emotional state. She shook her head and spoke, "Adjusting for pregnancy, you said the little girl is nine? Add to it the fact that she looks deceptively like Colby. Damn, that would make it possible."

Don snorted and shook his head, "you don't actually think that Colby is a father? I mean who has a baby and doesn't tell the father."

"A stone cold woman," David said with disapproval. Sam had seemed nice, but anyone who could do that to his best friend, couldn't be that nice.

"Hey, gentlemen let's reserve judgment. She was young, probably scared, and had just put someone she loved, loved enough not to ruin his dream of the army by marrying him, on a bus to basic training. She probably thought she was doing the right thing. She has probably regretted it every day of her life." Megan said and then turned towards the coffee pot, filling a second cup with plain coffee.

"Even so, not telling a man he is a father, now that is just cold." David said with a shake of his head.

"The question is, what are we going to do about it?" Don asked concerned for his team. Colby was a good friend and a good agent. He didn't want to see some woman mess him up.

Megan took both cups of coffee in her hand and then pushed open the break room door, speaking as she went, "I'm going to go talk to him."

Don and David both stared out the window watching her close the distance between the break room and the bullpen.

Colby didn't see Megan approaching him. He was intently looking at the picture of him and Sam taken during the tailgate before homecoming their senior year of college. He had his arms wrapped around her, she was leaning into him, both grinning at the camera like fools. Running his finger over her face in the picture, he felt sadness fill him as the memories of his last night at home floated to the surface of his mind.

"Sam be reasonable." Colby said as he finally got off his knee. Snapping the lid to the blue velvet box shut he began to pace as she spoke.

"I am being reasonable, Colby James. I can't marry you. You are leaving for the army tomorrow. Don't ruin our last night together."

"I'm not, you are. Sam, just say yes, and I won't leave. I'll tell the army to forget it." Wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her close to him, he looked down into her face, "I'll stay right here, hold you in my arms forever."

Sam offered him a watery smile. She had held back the tears until now, but it was no use. She knew what she had to do, but it was breaking her heart. It was foolish to talk marriage. They were too young, they both had dreams they wanted to pursue. And no matter how much she loved him she couldn't ask him to give up that dream. "Don't do this CJ. I love you, I always have, I always will. But I can't ask you to give up your dream of an army career. And I can't give up my dream of being a lawyer to follow you from base to base. We would both resent each other. So just be here, be with me, just for tonight."

Colby sighed and put the engagement ring back into his pocket. She was right, he knew it, he could see the logic in her argument. But he also knew that he would never love another woman like he loved her. Kissing her with all of the passion he felt, that he had felt. He could scarcely believe that he had loved her since they were sixteen, swaying awkwardly to a song at the homecoming dance. Now he was loosing her to career aspirations. It seemed that life was decidedly unfair.

As she pulled away, Sam looked longingly into his eyes, and he knew that her heart was breaking as much as his was.

"Colby, take me to bed. Let me remember what it is like to be loved by you, to be held by you."

Colby didn't speak he just kissed her, a searing kiss, that would imprint the feeling of her lips on his for an eternity. Clothes were shed along with tears as the two fell together a jumble of legs, and arms, and kisses. It was sweet and harsh, loving and rough; a celebration of love and a sad farewell, the night was a contradiction just like their relationship always had been. After they were both spent, she lay in his arms, silent tears falling. He pressed a kiss to her shoulder, and held her as she fell asleep tears staining her cheek. As he listened to her even breathing, he pressed a kiss to her forehead and whispered, "I love you Sam, never forget that."

Megan heard Colby whisper, "I love you Sam," as she approached and she hesitated. It was clear that he was wrapped in some sort of memory. But she placed a shaky hand on his shoulder and handed him the cup of coffee.

Colby cursed inwardly as he turned at the touch and saw Megan standing there. He placed the picture on his desk, and then sipped the coffee. He inclined his head towards the break room where he knew Don and David were watching and spoke, "they send you out here to profile me? Because if they did I am just fine, no help needed."

Megan sat on the edge of her desk and sipped her coffee, her gaze never leaving him. Then she spoke, her voice soft as it always was when dealing with emotionally distressed people, "no. I am here because I wanted to see how you are. David mentioned that you ran into Sam today. I know that must have been a shock to the system."

Colby bit out a harsh laugh, "oh yeah. What would you know about it Reeves. You've got your perfect fairytale going with Fleinhardt."

Megan shot his a scowl and then spoke, her voice harsh. "Hey, Granger, I was concerned about you. I am trying to be a friend here. If you want to be an ass, I'll send Don out here. Maybe you two can take a swing at each other."

Colby sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose; he placed a friendly hand on her knee as he spoke, "Sorry Megan. You are right, seeing Sam shook me a little. Brought back a few memories, and a whole lot of questions."

"Yeah, like what?" Megan asked as she stirred her coffee with the stirrer she always left in the cup. She knew what he was talking about, but she wanted to see what he would say, see how his mind was processing the events.

He was vaguely aware that he was being profiled. He knew that she was watching him, making assumptions about him, but he really didn't care. "David told you she has a daughter." He looked to her for confirmation and when he saw her nod, he continued. "Thing is, she doesn't look a damn thing like Sam. Even stranger, she kind of looks like me." Colby smiled as the little girl he had met earlier that day popped into his mind. "She is the cutest thing you ever saw, Meg. She has sandy blond curly hair, these huge brown eyes, and the square jaw, but not to sever, you know?"

Megan nodded and became slightly worried. He was gushing over the girl like she was his. Part of her hopes that she was, knowing that if she isn't he will be devastated. The other part knew that even if she is his daughter, he would be devastated that Sam had never told him. It was looking like a lose, lose situation.

Colby spoke again, needing to fill the silence. "Part of me thinks it's impossible. There is no way Sam would have had my daughter and never told me. The other part thinks that it is so possible. I mean we were together, you know together, the night before I left for basic training. That was nearly ten years ago, the math is almost perfect. And you know what Charlie would say about that chance that it is just a coincidence."

Megan nodded, it was pretty much the same thing she would say about the chances of it being coincidence. She placed her hand on top of his, which was still resting on her knee, and spoke "So what are you going to do about it?"

"What the hell am I supposed to do? I don't have a whole lot of options Megan."

She rolled her eyes at him and looked up and whispered, "men." Then she squeezed his hand, "she gave you her number. That means that she want to see you, possibly reconnect. It also probably means that she still has feelings for you. She never married, which is a good sign."

"Hey, stop profiling my ex girl friend." Colby said with a laugh.

Shaking her head, Megan swatted his arm as she slipped from his desk and stood next to him, "Give her a call you idiot." She then placed a kiss on his cheek and headed off towards her desk.

Colby fished Sam's business card out of his pocket and then dialed the number she had scratched on the back. Not surprisingly he got her voice mail. He swallowed nervously as he waited for the beep unsure if he should leave a message or just hang up. Glancing at the picture on his desk, he heard the beep and spoke, "Sam it's me, Colby. I was wondering if you would like to get dinner some time soon. Beer and burgers, like the old days. Well, give me a call, 323-566-9898, bye." He hung up the phone and raked his fingers through his hair, deciding that he was in serious need of some unwinding. He stood, grabbed his jacket, and went to find David to see if he was interested in sitting on the tailgate of a truck and drinking beer.

A/N- Please review and let me know your thoughts. Also, if you feel that this better belongs in a different rating category, let me know, I am not trying to offend anyone. Thanks!