The day Charlie vanished was a blur – a day in a week of boring cases and paperwork
A quick note from Paschka - I'm new to the world of writing, though certainly not to the world of reading. I fully admit to not having watched the last season of Numb3rs but have heard some of the details of the season finale, so some of this is AU, and some is not. Reviews, of course appreciated and rewarded with additional chapters!
CHAPTER ONE
The day Charlie vanished was a blur – a day in a week of boring cases and paperwork. Try as he might, Don couldn't remember any specific details about the day, not even months later.
He hadn't spoken to Charlie much since The Incident a month previous. Charlie couldn't help him on cases anymore, and really, Don didn't want to talk about Charlie's work at the University. In that last month, his dad would call, invite him over for dinner nearly every night, and Don mostly declined. Agent MacRooney from fraud cases wandered over to his desk and asked (repeatedly) if maybe Charlie's clearance couldn't be reversed as they could really use his help down here with a case involving the Federal Reserve Bank. And Don would say (repeatedly) that no, his clearance wasn't being reinstated, and the FBI would just have to solve its own cases. (Novel idea, really). David and Colby would sigh and complain about paperwork and their latest case and gee, the whizkid really could help them out here. As if Don had any say whatsoever in all of this. He was busy looking through personnel files to find a replacement for Megan, who would be leaving soon.
The one bright spot in those weeks was Lauren Allison, the new Forensic Computer Specialist, on loan from the CIA itself. Now, instead of going to Charlie or Amita with their computer-related cases, they went to Lauren. And she was good. Not as good as Charlie Eppes, she herself had said, after admitting to a surprised Don that she knew Charlie, and had worked with him once. On what she wouldn't say. But she was bubbly, called everyone honey or darling, and was a joy to work with. Don admitted to himself (and no one else) that he was developing a tiny little crush on the woman. In the week Charlie went missing, Don and Lauren had gone on their second date. Dinner at her place, he cooked.
When Charlie didn't come home two days in a row, their father called Don. Charlie hadn't come home, he hadn't called, he hadn't been at CalSci, or called to have his few summer classes taught by someone else. Millie was furious and worried. Larry didn't know where he was, and Amita had been leaving countless messages on Charlie's voicemail. But his cell-phone was in his book bag, along with this prized laptop. And his book bag lay abandoned on a chair in his room. Charlie forget his cell-phone? Often. His laptop? Never. Hadn't Don talked to Charlie recently?
Don didn't want to admit to his father that he'd been avoiding Charlie since The Incident, hadn't spoken to him in nearly a week, and even then their conversation had been short. In fact Don, for the first time maybe ever, had gotten the brush-off from Charlie. Couldn't really talk now, busy, working on some consulting things. No, nothing that needs clearance, don't have that anymore, remember? Don had asked if he should speak to the Director and see if maybe he could get it reinstated, or at least pave the way a little. Charlie had been silent and then said he needed to go and hung up. Don had been annoyed enough not to try and call him since. So while Don had been secretly dating Lauren and avoiding Charlie, Charlie had left his house without his laptop, left his car in the driveway, and disappeared.