A/N: Since you liked "Without You" I thought I'd write a companion piece… Hope you like it, too! Like "Without You" it's unbetaed because I don't have a beta…

Disclaimer: I don't own Numb3rs or its characters… Even though I'd like to play with Charlie a lot.

Charlie didn't know at first what hit him when David threw him to the ground, only when he heard the "whoosh" of the sniper's bullet just inches above his head he realized what had happened and all color drained from his face. His chest ached from the fall and having landed on his right arm it was scraped. Not that he noticed these things, he was to shocked to.

Don immediately took action. With a "Terry, take over!" he quickly knelt next to his brother, determined not to let him go into shock. The agent talked to him and had paramedics looking at his arm before he drove him home. Charlie heard his brother's voice, listened to the words, but couldn't make out the sense.

Adrenaline took over and soon Charlie found himself grabbing his bike just for driving, driving until he had to stop because he was just exhausted. Until now he hadn't looked at his surrounding, he wasn't surprised though when he detected he'd driven to the graveyard where his mother had been buried. He always went there when he was distressed or needed comfort, it was either that or throwing himself into his numbers. He sat down next to his mother's grave, his back leaning against a tree watching her headstone.

He could have died today… Died without letting his family know he loved them… Died without telling Amita how he felt about her, how amazed he was by her beauty and her wits. Sometimes he thought she loved him too, but he wasn't so sure about that. He might be famous, a smart mathematician, when it came to daily life though he was so easily lost in his numbers, so that he often had her waiting for him a lot longer than he had said. For that he was so sorry, she always said it wasn't a big deal. However that was no way to treat a lady like her! She deserved so much better…

"Don't you think it's up to her to decide that?" He heard a nagging voice in his head.

Hell, it was right, he should take the chance. He should allow Amita to say if she wanted to take a chance with him, no matter the rules. Life was too short not to try it…

So he went to her, he knew she would be home by now. Amita opened the door quickly and let him in quietly, guiding him into her living room. Charlie briefly wondered if someone had told her what had happened. She was looking at him intensely, he was well aware of that. Not realizing they hadn't said anything yet he was surprised when she smoothed a few strands of his hair, one simple touch he was only used to by his mother.

Through this familiar touch his emotions caught up with him, first one single tear trying to run down his cheek, he captured it before it came to far. He didn't want to cry, had never cried in front of other people, even though he knew it was okay. This time he couldn't help it though. Instinctively he leaned forward, needing Amita's comfort. He felt her arms around him, firm, protectively, secure. His mind told him she was whispering soothing words, but he didn't hear them, the sound of her voice was enough.

He was disappointed when she moved thinking she would break the contact entirely. The following kiss on his forehead let loose all the butterflies in his stomach and encouraged him to do what he had come here for. The need to really kiss her became overwhelming and he gently guided one hand behind her neck and the other one began toying with her soft hair while he kissed her softly. She responded immediately moving even closer to him. The need for air broke them apart eventually allowing Charlie to say a little sheepishly:

"A little salty, wasn't it?"

Using her thumb to wipe some of his tears away she grinned:

"We could try again…"

Now she kissed him and Charlie made sure to respond the way she deserved…

The End

A/N: So, how was it? Tell me, please!