This is the Invisible Chicken here. Ok this plot bunny just randomly hit me and would not stop jumping on me until I wrote this and so I did.
Warning: This can be taken as an Eppescest fic but only if you want to see it that way. Other wise it could be just be portrayed as an overly adoring brother.
Disclaimer: No I don't own Numb3rs and if I did it would be no where near as awesome a show as it is.
Pairing: hinted Don/Charlie
Don.
Until I was five you were my hero. You were the coolest person I had ever met. Everyone thought I was so special for my gifts at math but the only person whose attentions I ever cared about… was yours.
It use to make mum laugh when at the age of eight you would come to your three year old brother for help on math homework and then dad would scold you and tell you that you should be learning this yourself, and not relying on me all the time. Those were good times until…
You were thirteen years old. Although I was only eight at the time, I had just been moved into the same grade as you. I was over the moon when I found out but you weren't. Quite the opposite in fact and occasionally I still have nightmares about you arguing with our parents. While you were yelling I would hide behind mums back and hold on her hand as tightly as I could until dad forced a (fake) apology out of you and sent you to your room. Dad would then turn to me and say that he didn't know what had gotten into you and that you love me and of course you didn't mean it. I would smile and make an excuse to go to my room, and cry. It only got worse when school started…
At my eight years of age I was far and beyond being younger than any other student in the school let alone the class. Now you had always stood by me in the past but when it came down to your know-it-all little brother and being popular… I guess I never really stood a chance.
Don't get me wrong I loved school. I loved the thrill of a challenge, and the fact that I picked things up so easily allowed me to work on things above my class level. Unfortunately for me that didn't get me out of all group activities and that and any other break seemed to be created to make my life hell.
All the teachers loved me so I was never hit (much) but if there was work to be done I would have to do it. If there was someone who was having a bad day it would be my fault and they would let me know repeatedly even if it was just their favourite aunt who lived on the other side of the world had died.
If you think about it though I think I was the most well known kid at school…
Our relationship on the other hand was going down the drain so to speak. To put it simply you were no longer there and it broke my heart. Even when you where there physically you would either ignore me or glare at me so hard I would want to cry.
That however would only make me try harder to try to gain your attention… Your love. But the harder I tried the angrier you became. I just didn't understand why all these people would give me their attention freely and yet you would hate me for it.
The next few years were hard but little did I know that the ones after would be harder. Although it felt like you were gone before you had even left, when you did go…
Dad and mum never did tell you about this but I had actually stumbled upon PNP just before you left. In that impossible equation I found my solace and I worked on it until dad had to take me to hospital from extreme fatigue and dehydration. I was fourteen when my hero left me and that hero was always you.
Over the next few years I threw myself into my work in an absolute frenzy. I probably did my best work then but I don't think about it too much. To me the University was so big, like a completely different world from what I was used to. As intimidated as I was though, by the sheer amount of adults and buildings I probably intimidated more by my young age.
During those years that you were gone I came up with a thousand different scenarios on what would happen when or if you came back. Nothing had prepared me for the reality… I guess nothing in life ever is exactly as you plan it.
When mum got sick I felt a big part of my world fall away. I was 26 years old, I had never really dated or had many friends and so mum had become my confidant and closest friend. Now my biggest pillar of support while you were gone was falling and I didn't have the strength to try and support her the way she had supported me.
I guess in a way it was a good thing I was so out to it when you came back, you were even angrier than when you left. You were just as unprepared as I was and you wanted my help. I was losing myself in numbers though and nothing you did could get through to me. Most of the time you would come in and swear until you realized that I was all but deaf to your shouting. Other times you would grab me and shake me as if trying to get any reaction out of me at all. I wouldn't even know you were there.
On the day mum died was the day I got a rather rude awakening as your fist hit my face with force. Suddenly everything was too loud… my sense too acute and the reality all too real and all I wanted to do was to crawl back into the safety of my numbers and never leave.
On the day of the funeral you and dad got up and spoke and there wasn't a dry eye in the room. I may have been gifted with math but you are gifted with words. When it came time for me to talk, I became a statue and to move or to speak was to cry and I was trying so hard to be brave. Mum hated it when she saw me cry.
When I first got to work for you it was a dream come true. I finally served a purpose to you and that was all that truly mattered. My entire career as a mathematician means nothing. Not when I could be standing by your side and making you proud of me. People are always criticizing me about spending so much time consulting with the FBI when there are so many other things I could do with my time, but the second I get a call I can and do drop anything I am working on to help.
Where you lead me will follow. Even if it costs me my life, for I trust you with my being, as do all your team everyday of your working life.
Things will never been the same between you and me and I accept that. We have both grown too much and too many things have changed to ever be the same. However what you mean to me has never changed…
You are my friend…
My brother…
My protector…
My hero…
My Reality…
My… World.
Just in case this part confuses you he is basically saying that Don keeps him grounded and without him he is lost.
I hope you like this because I have never written a fanfic in this style before and I want to find out if it was any good. Also all of my info came from watching episodes and reading wikipedia pages on Don and Charlie but if you disagree with something tell me. Also flames, especially ones about the hinted pairing will be laughed at. So please review.
Thank you!