A/N All the usual disclaimers apply. I don't own characters nor is any profit sought.

"There's never enough."

"And yet here you are with all of it in the world."

"It's all I do have left in the world."

Time.

Don looked down at a mountain of paperwork. 11 hours spent chasing the bad guys and now he was looking at another 5 of bureaucracy. A sigh escaped his lips.

"Like you didn't know this was coming." Megan smirked at Don. His face comically exposed his lack of enthusiasm for the task ahead.

"Yeah, it's lonely at the top eh. Where you off to? Your telescope perhaps."

"And here I was going to offer a hand."

"Look, Megan, you may have bluffed Taggart into confessing but your mind tricks don't work on such an experienced agent like me. Or maybe you can explain those keys in your hand by some other mysterious means?" Don stretched back in his chair and mockingly sized Megan up.

"Boy, you're good. You should be a detective."

Megan waved a small wave and left the building. Don looked across the way to where Colby and David were buried in their own paperwork. Why was it that Megan always managed to finish hers hours before they did? Admittedly his paperwork was a lot more time consuming, still Colby and David weren't exactly slack.

Wandering over to the two weary agents Don felt generous. David looked up as the soft familiar shuffle of Don Eppes made its presence known.

"Hey Don, don't tell me you've finished too?"

"No way. How much longer for you two?"

Colby turned and grimaced. "Maybe another hour."

Don nodded. The long haul. His arm was draped over the glass divider of their cubicle. Don slid it off as he contemplated his choices. He could leave the paperwork till tomorrow but then one of the other cases would no doubt have a breakthrough and he'd have to put it off. Nope, there was no delaying this. He had to finish it tonight. Another sigh escaped his lips as he turned towards the kitchen to grab another coffee. "You guys want a cup?"

David and Colby both shook their heads.

Thick black liquid quickly filled the mug and Don was about to return the coffee pot to the warmer when a wave of dizziness engulfed him. Quickly he grabbed for something solid to stop himself tumbling. The coffee pot he was holding crashed to the floor. It only took a couple of seconds for the world to right itself but the embarrassment would certainly last longer.

Don turned around to see Colby and David staring at him from the doorway.

"Guess you weren't a catcher in your baseball days huh." Colby braved to lighten the mood.

David glared at Colby for a second then returned his attention to his boss. "You Ok? Need a hand cleaning this up?"

Don shook his head. "No. This I can handle, course if you need any extra paperwork Colby I can arrange some." Don lifted his head from the floor where he'd been staring at the broken glass. A slight curve of his mouth revealed he wasn't mad with Colby. "Guess I could use some sleep."

"We all could," David continued, "how is it that Reeves always has her paperwork done before us? I mean she's efficient sure, but we're not exactly slouches ourselves?"

"Yeah." Don shook his head as he cleaned the mess in front of him. "I am beginning to suspect she is paying someone to do her homework for her. She's the type of person you can't trust you know."

The playful banter was nice but David and Colby still had a lingering concern for Don. David wasn't kidding. Don was as efficient as they come but he had seemed to let his paperwork get on top of him on this one. Of course, it was a particularly tough case requiring a lot of paperwork. 12 weeks of investigation and finally it was over. 2 solid weeks of stakeouts between them had been not only mundane but also incredibly tiring. David couldn't even begin to think when Don last took time off. A few days here and there were always taken but a solid couple of weeks? He wasn't entirely sure.

"Here, let us help." David walked over to the broken glass with Colby and all 3 began to clean up the mess.

"You sure you're OK?" David asked again.

"Yeah." Don replied quickly and sharply, signalling the end of the need to be asked anymore.

3 hours later Don had managed to finalise all the paperwork. Colby and David had left 2 hours beforehand. Case closed. Tomorrow brought with it a selection of new crimes. They never stopped. It always took the satisfaction out of finishing the paperwork but Don tried as best he could to focus on the case at hand. The one he had finished.

Snapping out his arm, he checked the time. 9:01pm. I guess I could drop by Charlie's on the way home. If he could drag out going home he could drag out a sense of accomplishment to closing the case. If he went home, he'd be only a few hours away from waking up to a new day and new crimes.

With his jacket swiftly manoeuvred on, Don left the office for the evening.

"Dad. Charlie. Anyone home?"

Don received no reply. He hadn't yelled it very loud in case one of them was asleep. The lights were on which meant someone was up or they were out. Because burglars NEVER think you're home when lights are on.

Tossing his keys on to the table, Don headed towards the fridge and a cool beer. What? There was no beer in the fridge. He was momentarily stunned. Then a sound distracted him. It was the sound of giggling. Female giggling. Well, only women and Charlie tended to giggle.

Following the sound to the backyard Don found Charlie and Amita drinking beer on the backsteps.

"Don?" Charlie nearly tumbled over as he tried to disentangle himself from the clinch he and Amita had playfully gotten themselves into. Redness flushed briefly over Amita's cheeks.

"Woah, hey. Sorry guys." Don waved his hand in the air to signal he was out of there and walked back inside. He felt stupid. I just walk in all the time. In this instant he realised Charlie had moved on. Charlie didn't need him anymore, not the way he needed his family all of a sudden after all these years.

"Hey Don." Charlie rasped, breathlessly trying to catch Don before he walked out.

"Sorry Charlie." Don meant it.

"No, it's Ok. It's just…ah…um."

Don chuckled. "Listen buddy, trust me, I'm sorry. I'll call before I just drop round in future, at night anyway. I don't want to see that anymore than you want to be surprised."

"No it's cool." Charlie tried to mean it.

"No, it's not. I was just on my way home anyway. Where's dad by the way? Thought he had some big business meeting in the morning."

"He does. I swear he's reverted back to his teenage years. I feel like the father asking him where he's going and when he's gonna be home. He's on a date." Charlie paused, gulped for strength and finished "With Millie."

Don smiled inwardly at Charlie's discomfort. He loved dropping by but boy was he glad he didn't live here.

Amita came in from the backyard pulling her shawl over her shoulders. "Hey Don."

"Hey Amita, listen I'm sorry. You two carry on as you were, I was just passing." Don headed straight for the door, giving Charlie a mischievous smile. As he was reaching for the door handle it suddenly flung inwards, smacking him directly in the forehead. He tumbled to the ground from force and shock.

"Donnie. Oh my god." Alan cried as soon as he realised what he'd done. "Are you OK?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. 2 for 2. I am definitely going home now. I've got the picture." Don rubbed at his forehead, he'd had a headache before, now it was going to be hanging around. He must be tired. Surely he would have noticed the sound of his dad's car approaching before he walked in to the door in normal circumstances.

"Nonsense. Oh dear. We haven't seen you in weeks. Sorry. Little bit of kharma telling you to visit your family more often." Alan offered a hand to help Don up from the floor.

"Yeah right" Don replied, still rubbing his forehead. As he reached full height another wave of dizziness coursed through his veins. "Woah."

"How hard DID you hit him Alan?"

Don WAS tired. Until she spoke, he hadn't realised Millie was with Alan. The arm of the couch had been sought and Don steadied himself with it.

Both Charlie and Alan had rushed to his side when he swayed. Their concerned looks were comical and Don had to laugh. "I'm fine, just got up too fast – thanks Dad."

"Yeah well you went down pretty quick too G-man." Charlie quipped.

"Ha ha" Don snarked at him.

"You sure you're Ok?" Alan enquired again.

"Yes. So where have you been?" Don asked.

Alan suddenly pulled back from observing Don and subconsciously moved towards Millie. "Ah." He looked at Millie for reassurance but she jumped in and finished for him.

"We were bowling."

"Bowling huh?" Don tried to suppress a chuckle.

Amita and Charlie shared a glance.

"Yes bowling. Got a problem with that?" Alan provoked. Suddenly he was back in authoritative father mode and the boys knew not to push it. "You want a coffee Millie? You staying for a bit Donnie?"

Don looked around the room. His head throbbed, he was tired, his body ached for unknown reasons and all he saw was 2 sets of couples that he had barged in on their evenings. This time it wasn't dizziness that washed over him but a massive pang of guilt and needing. His family was before him but they had their own lives and who was he to interrupt? Just because he was alone. Alone. He only fit them in when he needed them. When he could. His work consumed so much of his life and it was unreasonable of him to expect them to just be waiting there for him when he came home yet that's exactly what he'd thought when he'd left the office. What was wrong with him? They had lives, he couldn't just drop in whenever he felt like it. Could he?

"Don?" Alan's question snapped him out of thought. "You sure you're alright?"

Before he had a chance to answer his cell rang. "Eppes. What? Now? Ok, I'll be there in 20 minutes." As he snapped his cell shut Don sighed and stared at the blank screen. When he looked up all eyes were on him, expectant.

"Sorry Dad, shooting, gotta go. Sorry." The last sorry was for ruining their evenings but it went unnoticed by the others.

"Dinner Don. This week." The or else wasn't said verbally but came across in the tone from Alan. Don nodded as he slunk out the door, closing out his family and leaving him alone once more.

Same day, new crime. This day just couldn't get any better. What is it this time?