Title: I is for I Was Right
Author: DreamBrother
Summary: (Summer Alphabet Challenge 2007) Tag to the season finale. Among other things, Don's meeting with the shrink after the events of The Janus List
Disclaimer:Not mine.
Author's Note:Allow me some leniency with the timelineConsidering all we learnt about Don having trust issues, I thought we'd see a greater reaction to the betrayal. Written for the Alphabet Fic Challenge at FanRush Forums. So much for looking at lots of I words, I couldn't resist writing this. SPOILERS for One Hour and The Janus List.
I is for I Was Right
Bradford observed his patient for a few minutes, noting the stiff posture trying to disguise itself as a relaxed one, with a leg hooked over the arm of the sofa chair, head leaning back, the patient's mind clearly not in the room, belied by the faraway look in his eyes.
''So,'' began Bradford, gaining the attention of his patient, ''interesting couple of days I would say.''
Special Agent Don Eppes fixed him with a look, his eyes clearly saying, Understatement, but his mouth opening to say, ''Enlightening, to say the least.''
''Enlightening simply concerning facts? Or something else as well, such as about yourself?'' enquired Bradford.
''Both, I guess. It's not everyday you learn that a member of your team is a double agent for the Chinese. But also, turns out I was right, wasn't I?'' replied Don, running a hand over his lips.
''Right about what?''
''Not trusting my team. And it looks like the reasons I had for not doing so were right too,'' stated Don.
''Reasons? You mean my summarizing what you said about your team-mates, Reeves being too compassionate, Sinclair playing too close to the book, Granger having seen too much?''
''Yeah, in a way. Megan's changed. Whatever she saw or did or had to do during that 6-week detachment to the DOJ has changed her, made her bitter. And she comes back only to discover her team-mate is a traitor? That's gonna help. And David. Remember how I said that he's the type who's going to wake up one day and discover he's done this too long and leave? Well, he and Colby were buddies, if his betrayal isn't enough of a reason, I don't know what is,'' said Don, in a matter-of-fact tone. He derived no pleasure from being proved right. The way he saw it, his team, the best he ever worked with as he once said, was in tatters and it was only a matter of time before everything changed, if it hadn't already.
''Hmm,'' replied Bradford. To be honest, right now he couldn't think of a word to say. You can't exactly work on a patient's trust issues when it turns out that his lack of it was spot on in the first place.
''Yeah. Exactly,'' said Don, leaning back into the chair, his mind wandering wherever it had gone before, the conversation seemingly over.
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
Alan re-filled his shot glass, and as he did he looked over at his eldest, whose head was bent as he sat against the wall, twirling his shot glass in his hand, his mind clearly elsewhere. Now's as good a time as any, Alan supposed, and took the plunge.
''So, Don, what's going to happen to Colby now?'' Alan asked, going for casual.
Don's head shot up at the question, a question in his eyes about his father's motives showing only for a second before they took on the guarded look as Don set up his walls full-force. He bent his head again, not wanting to look at either his father or his brother as he answered the question.
''What happens to every other traitor. He's going to be tried, charged for treason, convicted, sent to Death Row, file some appeals, and if he doesn't sell information for leniency, be given the needle. And that's the end,'' Don replied, in a matter-of-tone, not revealing a hint of what he might be feeling over the fate of his once junior agent.
Charlie felt his heart break for his brother, for what Don was probably feeling, the sharp sting of betrayal. It was something Charlie had the fortune of never experiencing, at least not at the same level as his brother. To have someone whom you trusted to watch you back, with your life, do what Colby did, Charlie could not begin to imagine how he would feel. At the same time, he felt a rush of anger at the man who had nicknamed him 'Whiz Kid', hating him for what consequences his actions had resulted in for his brother.
''I'm sorry,'' whispered Charlie.
The whisper brought up Don's head again as he regarded his brother with surprise. ''Nothing for you to be sorry about, buddy, unless you're also working covertly for another government,'' said Don, a wry smile twisting his lips but not reaching his eyes.
''I'm sorry that a person you trusted broke that trust,'' elaborated Charlie, not liking the hint of self-loathing he could see in his brother's eyes.
''Who says I trusted him?'' stated Don, his reply shocking both Charlie and Alan, who had been listening intently.
''I mean, yeah, on the field, trusting him to watch my back, yeah, I trusted him with that. But then, you don't exactly get to decide who all goes on a raid with you, or that everyone is someone you trust, so that wasn't really a big deal. But otherwise, I don't trust anyone on my team,'' Don elaborated. ''Like I told my shrink, I'm the boss, I don't have to trust them, it's their job to trust me.'' Don wasn't exactly sure why he was being open with his family, but at the moment he didn't really care. From now on, he couldn't really be expected to trust anyone and frankly, he didn't want to. Trust issues be damned.
''It's funny,'' Don continued, '' Colby was always big on trust. Only last week he tells me, 'the way I see it, you got a team, you gotta trust them, that's just the way it works.' Yeah, right,'' Don scoffed. The wry smile that had adorned his face left his lips, her eyes intent on a spot on the floor, the only thing belying his inner emotions was a muscle clenching in his jaw. Before his family could say anything, Don looked at his watch, put his shot glass down, and scrambled up:
''I better get going. It's going to be a long couple of days at the office. Gonna get some sleep before then.''
''Donnie, wait,'' called his father. Don halted on his way to the front door, lifting his eyes questioningly. ''Why don't you just sleep here, you're room's ready for you, and besides, you've just drank.''
''It's ok Dad, I barely had one shot of alcohol. That's not going to impair my driving. And thanks for the offer, but I'm just gonna crash at my apartment, go to the office from there. See ya.'' And without waiting for a reply, Don was out of the door on his way.
Alan and Charlie listened to the sounds of the opening and shutting of the car door, and the engine revving as Don drove away, both then turning to look at each other.
''This is going to be really hard for your brother,'' stated Alan, his worry clearly coming through in his tone.
Charlie fixed with his father with a stare, his eyes clearly saying, like his brother's did with the shrink, Understatement. However, Charlie chose to say, ''It's going to be hard for the whole team. Megan, wherever she was for the 6 weeks, it's really bothered her, and now this? And David, I don't know..he and Colby were such great friends, I don't know how he's going to react. And Don, Dad, what do we do for him? What can we do?'' Charlie asked helplessly.
''I wish I knew, Charlie, I wish I knew,'' relied Alan, lifting up his shot glass and draining it in one go.
Khatum (The End…but it's just the beginning for the show. Can't wait for September)
This one was a bit of a leap. Let me know what you think.