Charlie stood in his office. Nothing to write home about, if you could find a clear space to write home on. His desk was a mess; pencils, chalk, erasers, and markers were littered all over it. Files and papers slipped onto every available space left.

Charlie was scribbling furiously on his black board. Don, his brother, had just dropped off another case. Bank robbers. They had been escaping with hundreds of thousands of dollars. They had hit seven banks in seven days. Then they had stopped. Don had requested Charlie's help with the first one, and the case had built on from there. Flattered, Charlie immediately immersed himself in it.

He had welcomed the distraction. Finals were coming up, and he had several classes to grade. On top of that, he had a speech to prepare and he had promised to help Larry with his. Of course, the distraction was just procrastination. He really needed to focus. Can't let those pesky hunger pangs get in the way.

He wasn't consciously choosing not to eat, it's just that he would get caught up in a major train of thought and the idea of eating wouldn't have even crossed his mind. Same goes for sleep.

Hmm... Charlie took a step back from his whiteboards. The complicated equations weren't fitting in correctly. Was there something he missed? He just stood there, staring. And staring. And staring.

His head snapped up. Dang, he thought. Of course! He immediately bolted over to his sleek laptop. Plugging in his new theory, his eyes went wide at the new suspects it supplied. Don needs to see this. He slapped some files together and shoved them into his bag. His eyes lingered briefly, longingly, at the plush couch in his office. His body ached.

How many people would lose their life savings if he took a nap instead of find the culprits? He just needs to get these to Don and then he can take a rest. With a new resolve, he locked his office and headed for his bike.

Dang! He had forgotten his laptop in his office. It's so far! Those people… I'm so tired! Those poor people… Heaving a sigh, Charlie spun around and noiselessly retraced his steps, his feet dragging along the stone corridor. The beautiful campus, which normally inspired and refreshed him, just served to further drain his limited energy.

Charlie retrieved his laptop and headed towards his bike. The way back was bad. He could barely stand up, let alone ride his bike. Don needs those equations. If I give them to him, I can sleep. Who was he kidding? He couldn't sleep after that! He needed to grade finals and write some of them too. Only a couple of days until spring break.

Fourteen days of relaxation. No, fourteen days of preparing classes, more tests, and putting in full days at Don's office. Sometimes it felt like Don forgot that he had a life outside of the FBI. Charlie had the Cognitive Emergence Theory, as well as many other consulting jobs for other agencies. Why didn't Don remember that?

Charlie unlocked his chain and started the long bike ride down to his brother's office. The cars zoomed past him as he concentrated on one foot pushing, then the other. When he had reached the FBI headquarters, Charlie paused to lock his bike out front, cursing his lack of a licence. It would be so much easier for him if he had a car. But, with the way his childhood had been denied in favor of his studies, there just wasn't enough time for him to pursue a licence.

Now he was in line for the metal detector. It was the rules. Why did the rules have to be so time consuming? Charlie thought as he pulled the strap of his bag over his head. He made his way to the elevators, pushing the seventh floor button. He blinked. His eyes were really itchy. Why? His bag was also really heavy. What had he packed in it? The doors binged open and Charlie walked into the bullpen.

He didn't see anybody, but that didn't bother him. They were either out getting lunch, interviewing a suspect, or meeting with Don. Looking around more closely, he could see that Megan and Colby were standing in the War room with Don. He noticed that David wasn't there. Where's David?. Charlie sighed and shrugged. He didn't need David for him to give the equations to Don. He could present his equations with three of Don's team.

Stifling a yawn, he started to trudge towards Don. Why is it so difficult to keep my eyes open? He rounded Don's desk and ran into David. "Hey Charlie!" Thankfully he wasn't carrying anything, so nothing was dropped.

"Hey David," he replied tiredly. David was shifting his weight uneasily, looking at the War room. More specifically, Don.

"Uh, Charlie," he said softly. "We're in a meeting right now. If you wait fifteen, twenty minutes we'll be out." His brown eyes were distracted. His gentle voice held a sharp edge. Charlie was just experienced enough in human behavior to realize that the edge wasn't directed at him, but at whatever was waiting in the War room with Don, Megan, and Colby. Charlie nodded his understanding.

David looked at him, taking in the folder Charlie was holding. "If that's for Don, I can take it to him for you, Charlie."

Charlie nodded his thanks. Now he could get straight back to CalSci and work on the speeches.

So, I'm testing this out. If you guys want me to continue, I will. If not, I'll take a hint. :)