DISCLAIMER - I own nothing at all. Please do not sure, for I am a poor college student and you won't get much. Again, I do not own the characters! =]
Don sighed. "Really Jack, again?" At his insistent nod, he bent down and picked up his almost four year old nephew and swung him around for what seemed like the hundredth time in the past ten minutes. He was wondering when Charlie and Amita would be back when Alan entered the room.
"Hey, Jack, go play with Grandpa. Let Uncle Don rest, please," he almost begged the little boy. He ran to Alan and climbed into his lap, asking him to swing him up in the air like his tired and sore uncle had.
"Well big guy, Grandpa is an old man, as your father and uncle love to point out. As much as I would love to swing you around, I just can't. You are a big boy now, you are going to be an older brother. Aren't you excited about the twins coming?"
Jack considered that for a moment. "Will they be boys? Girls are icky." He looked a bit puzzled when this statement caused his grandpa and uncle to burst out laughing but he smiled anyway. Luckily, at that moment, the front door to the Craftsmen swung open.
Charlie Eppes and his very pregnant wife, Amita Eppes, entered the house carrying many bags each. Considering that Jack's fourth birthday was coming up in a few weeks, Don wasn't surprised that his brother and sister-in law went a little overboard to compensate for the approaching new arrival.
"Mommy, Daddy!!" yelled the small boy, running up to his parents and abandoning, Don hoped, their game. "I missed you!"
Amita chuckled. "Honey, we were only gone two hours. But, Daddy and I missed you as well. Now, please go help your Daddy set the table for dinner." Jack scampered off into the kitchen where Charlie had gone after giving him a kiss hello.
Don stretched. "Well, I'd love to stay and mooch for the tenth time this week, but I haven't seen my apartment in at least a week and a half, so I need to make sure I remember where I live. And, I am going to need a long hot shower after playing with that monster all day."
"Uncle Don, I'm not a monster!" cried Jack as he emerged from the kitchen with a very indignant air about him for a four year old.
"I know kid, I was only teasing you. Gee, you are really like Chuck."
"Hey, don't call me Chuck," said Charlie with such a similar expression on his face that the other three adults started laughing.
"That just proved my point. Goodnight everyone," Don called as he grabbed his jacket and headed to his SUV.
The ride home was quiet as he contemplated many different things. He had a new agent starting tomorrow, a transfer from Chicago. The case they had just wrapped up had went very well and the Assistant Director was pleased and for once wasn't on Don's back. Meghan, Colby, David and he should be ready to roll tomorrow after a two day vacation. He didn't know what the rest of the team had been up to, but he had spent his days off at his brother's house helping get things ready for the new babies. Amita's doctor had said that the twins could be premature, so Charlie had asked Don's helping in setting things up so they would be ready whenever the new arrivals made their debut.
Don pulled into his parking lot and groaned. There were already Christmas lights up around the building. It wasn't that he didn't like the holidays, however, it was the first week of November. "I swear it gets earlier every year. It was just Halloween!" he grumbled to no one as he rode the elevator to the fourth floor.
As he got off and headed for his door, he stopped in his tracks. Two figures were in front of the apartment door across from his. A little girl who looked to be Jack's age stood next to a woman, probably in her late twenties, early thirties. The woman had her key in the lock, but seemed to be having difficulties with actually opening the door. She had blond hair that went past her shoulders and was wearing jeans and a Bruce Springsteen shirt. He noted no rings, then mentally slapped himself for looking. The girl looked up at his arrival and waved, then went back to the comic book he was reading.
"Argh!!" said the woman, letting out a frustrated groan.
Don snapped out of whatever he was in and walked over to her. "Hi, need a hand?" he asked.
She turned, piercing him with her blue eyes. A few moments, she nodded. "Please. I've been fighting with this lock for the past ten minutes. And, of course, I have the super's number inside the apartment. Somewhere." She blew a piece of hair out of her face.
"Well, using the actual apartment key would work. That's the building key."
She colored. "Um, wow. Yeah, that probably would help. Awesome."
Don laughed. "Happens to the best of us. I'm Don, 4A."
"Thanks. I'm Kasey, this is my daughter Laura. As you have probably already figured out, 4B," she said, as her daughter waved shyly.
He chuckled. "Nice to meet you Kasey. And nice to meet you Laura," he bent down to eye level and stuck his hand out solemnly. She shook it, giggling. "How old are you?" When she put up four fingers he nodded. "That's a big age. My nephew is almost four." He straightened, looking back at Kasey. He really liked this woman for some reason even though he had only known her for a few minutes.
"Well, Don of 4A, thank you very much for helping me. However, Laura and I have to get inside so she can finish her homework. And I have to get dinner going." She stopped, looking at him. "Do you have plans for dinner? I'm making mac and cheese."
Kasey surprised herself by offering the dinner invitation. She liked Don but inviting him to dinner? In her apartment with Laura? Had she finally lost it? She was a very private person, but the words were out of her mouth before she could stop them. She was even more surprised when he accepted with a nod.
When Don let himself into his apartment two weeks later, he was smiling to himself. That first dinner had been fun. Laura was a smart kid and after finally warming up to him, talked his ear off the whole night. He and Kasey got along well and easily conversed while Laura did her homework, which he was surprised a preschooler had. They had seen each other casually since that night, but that was okay with him. For once, he wanted to take things slow. They didn't talk about personal things, but that was okay with Don. He didn't really like telling women he was FBI, they tended to romanticize his job. He was going to be spending more time at his apartment now, he was sure of it.
Kasey lay awake that night, unable to sleep. She thought the past two weeks had gone very nicely, Laura liked Don and they got along great. Luckily, they hadn't talked about a lot of personal stuff, which pleased her. She didn't like telling guys she was an FBI agent, they tended to back off, even more so than when she told them she had a daughter. Besides, she shouldn't even be looking. After leaving her no good ex husband three years ago she had never really dated and with starting her new job tomorrow she wouldn't have time anyway.
Thinking about her new job made Kasey shiver in anticipation. Sure, she was nervous, but that was natural. She had heard great things about this team, and their leader, Agent Eppes was legendary. Then she froze. What was Agent Eppes' name again? Don? No, no it couldn't be. She groaned inwardly. Of course it was. Because that was just how her life was. She sighed rolling over. She would just have to forget Don- Agent Eppes she told herself- anyway. Though she knew that for the remainder of the night, there was no way she could. Damn.