Mathematical Improbabilities: Better Or Worse
Disclaimer: So not mine. The words in bold have been BORROWED from the episode
Okay so here we are with my first Numb3rs fanfiction. This will be the first of a series of one shots. Now this will be in the pov of my oc, whose name is Shannilyn Sullivan. It will follow along with the episodes as the cases are happening. Here goes nothing.
XXX
I took a calming breath before reaching back to pull my red hair out of my face and opening the door to the jewelry store. Three men were standing in there beside the body of the victim. The first looked older by a few years and had dark hair and brown eyes. The second had sandy hair with greenish grey eyes. The third was African and bald.
"Yeah well I hope that shot didn't just kill three people." I was fortunate enough to have been briefed on my way over so I knew what the dark haired man was referring to.
"I agree." I replied and they all jumped slightly before frowning at me. I smiled slightly.
"You are?" The sandy one requested.
"Special Agent Shannilyn Sullivan." I replied and held out my hand in greeting. The African man smiled and shook my hand.
"Special Agent David Sinclair." He introduced and I smiled in greeting at him.
"Colby Granger." The Sandy haired man came next. He had a firm grip. The first man was a little more hesitant.
"Why are you here?" He requested and I blanched. Apparently the Director had given me false information about this team knowing I was joining them.
"I'm on this team." I replied and frowned when he did.
"I didn't receive notice of that." He replied. I raised my eyebrows.
"The director told me he told the leader of this team. Its not my fault if he didn't feel the need to tell you." I retorted. Out of the corner of my eye I saw David and Colby both look impressed at my actions. The dark haired man frowned again.
"David, Colby you head back. I want to get this cleared up before I head back." The other two men nodded and hopped in one of the SUVs outside. I followed the other man out and perched in the driver's seat while he stood just a few inches away to phone the director. I fiddled with one of my shirt buttons so I wouldn't be tempted to listen in. I did catch the last few words though.
"Well if you would just speak to me personally next time. Thank you." He hung up and turned to me. I shot him a smile.
"Your on this team." He stated and I slid out of the seat. I stuck out my hand.
"We got off on the wrong foot. Shannilyn Sullivan." I announced and he smirked at me.
"Don Eppes. Now lets go catch a kidnapper." He suggested and I smiled before racing around to the other side of the vehicle and jumping in.
XXX
After the briefing a blonde woman turned to me.
"Megan Reeves. Are you on our team?" She asked and I nodded.
"Yep. Shannilyn Sullivan." I replied and she smiled.
"Nice to meet you. Would you mind me asking your ideas or theories on this? You looked like something had crossed your mind during the briefing." She questioned and I raised my eyebrows up at her.
"Profiler?" I guessed and she nodded. I shrugged.
"I wouldn't put any merit into my idea but, Rausch, something doesn't match up with him." I explained and Megan frowned.
"How so?" She prodded.
"I'm not sure, just maybe his lack of reaction concerning his learning his wife and daughter had been kidnapped. I overheard the security guard say that he barely even flinched when presented with the note and the picture." I said and Megan contemplated it for a few seconds.
"Thanks, I think that will help me with the profile." She said before wandering off as Don approached me.
"Your with me." He announced and started walking. I fell into step beside him. I stayed quite until we got back into the car.
"Where are we going?" I requested.
"We are going to see our consultant. Its a bit of a surprise." He replied smiling. I turned my head to look at him.
"Its a good thing I'm not one of those people who hate surprises." I retorted and we sat in silence until we pulled up to the California Science University. I turned to Don questioningly as I slid out of the seat.
"Cal-sci? We came to visit a consultant at Cal-sci?" I clarified and Don nodded.
"Yes now come on." I followed him through the school before we entered an office filled with random little nicknacks.
"Sorry guys. Your not having a little lovers spat are you?" He joked as we walked in on two men arguing.
"Charlie and Larry this is Agent Shannilyn Sullivan. Shannilyn this is.." I cut him off.
"Charles Eppes and Larry Fleinhardt. We've met." I sputtered out after I realized who the two men were. They both stared at me for a minute.
"You obviously don't remember me. You both spoke at lectures I attended." I stated and glanced sideways at Don who was staring at me in shock.
"I majored Physics and minored Math." I explained and blushed. Don smirked.
"Good maybe you'll understand this jibber-jabber." Charlie sent him a look that made me giggle. I had an inkling that they were brothers.
XXX
"I'll have you know that I understood every bit of that 'jibber-jabber'" I lifted my hands up and made quotation marks with my fingers around the word jibber-jabber as we walked back to the car.. Don shook his head at me.
"Hey don't you start on me. Charlie's not going to forget that for a month and I'm going to eat it." He said.
"Then maybe you shouldn't have said it." I suggested innocently. A few moments of silence passed before I spoke again.
"Are you and Professor Eppes brothers?" I questioned and he nodded.
"Yeah and Charlie only does first name basis." He replied and I shot him a look. He shrugged.
"Just figured I'd warn you." He explained as I climbed into the vehicle. Well more accurately I jumped into the vehicle and scrambled to grab onto the other side of the seat so I could pull myself up onto the seat. Don watched me struggle as he turned the ignition before reaching over and giving me a hand to pull myself up with.
"How tall are you exactly?" He asked when I clipped myself into the seat and heaved a sigh of relief. (A.n. People I am 5'2 and I have issues getting into SUV's this is probably not that unrealistic)
"Four Eight exactly." I answered when he started to drive.
"Really? You look taller than that." He stated and sent a look at me as if sizing me up.
"Its the hair. It makes me look scary sometimes, and scary means tall." I giggled. (A.n. She is not a little person she is just really really short.)
"So you majored Physics and you decided to become an FBI agent?" He clarified. I nodded smiling but then stopped.
"Yeah." I replied and pulled my knees up and curled up into a ball. Don looked at me and frowned.
"Something wrong?" He questioned.
"Just thinking about why I made that decision." I replied and he nodded.
"I see, I'm assuming it wasn't an easy one." He stated and I shook my head.
"The decision was easy, the situations that lead me to it weren't so pleasant though." I explained
"Change of subject?" He suggested
"Change of subject." I agreed and laughed.
XXX
After Charlie sent his algorithm to Don we did just as he suggested and before I knew it, I was sitting in the SUV with Don. Colby came over a few minutes later. I fiddled with my vest while he and Colby spoke. After Don gave the order that everyone get into position he glanced over at me.
"Can you handle this?" He questioned and I raised my eyebrow at him.
"Just makes for an exciting first day." I answered and crawled out of the vehicle. Unfortunately the kidnap victims weren't in the house and the only thing of interest we discovered was that she was a kindergarten teacher. I don't think anybody saw that coming. The elderly man was beginning to look distressed.
"Where is she? Where's Erica?" He asked worriedly and I gave a quite sigh. Telling the families was always the worst part of the job. Don went silent. I took a deep breath.
"Unfortunately, Sir we have some bad news." I started and his eyes widened. He nodded for me to continue.
"Your daughter is dead sir. And we believe she has some part in the investigation of a kidnapping." I explained. He began to shake his head and I bit my lip. Don gestured that he should sit down and he did. Don perched on the edge of the coffee table before handing him a copy of the security picture. I remained standing while he explained his daughter to us and answered the usual questions.
XXX
"You doing anything tonight?" Don asked after the bookie had given us a dead end. I shook my head.
"Beer. Case File." I replied and held up my copy. He smiled.
"I'm doing the same. Want to join me?" He offered and I pondered it.
"Sure. Why not." I snatched up my coat and followed him into the elevator.
"Where are we going exactly?" I questioned as he started to drive.
"My dad's place." He answered and I blanched.
"Excuse me! You're taking me to meet your father!" I clarified and he chuckled.
"Yeah Charlie lives there as well and I'm hoping he'll be able to help. And my dad has cold beer." He replied. I glared at him.
"You could've warned me." I replied.
"He's met everyone else on the team." He pointed out. A few minutes later we were there and when Don and I entered the house we found Charlie and the man I was assuming to be Don's dad.
"Who's giving up what?" Don asked as he placed his coat on top of a small table. I followed his actions but stood in silence as the Eppes' had their discussion. Apparently Mr. Eppes had missed my entrance because he only returned with one beer for Don. Don frowned and looked behind him and handed the beer his father had given him to me. I thanked him quietly. Mr. Eppes' eyes widened at the sight of me.
"And who is this Donnie?" He asked. Don rolled his eyes.
"Shannilyn, this is my dad Alan Eppes. Dad this is our new team member Shannilyn Sullivan." he introduced us and I stuck my hand out in greeting.
"Pleased to meet you." I stated and he smiled and shook my hand. After Don returned from the kitchen with a beer in hand we retreated to the living room. Alan and Charlie followed us in and Charlie quickly joined us in the FBI after Alan had opened a door for us. The fact that he had found the bank account was awesome but the thing that swept me off my feet the most was what David found. As the name Martin Rausch came on the screen everyone stopped in disbelief.
"Oh My God." I breathed out my shock. David started to nod.
"Rausch, the store owner, he's one of Remi Logan's gambling clients?" Megan asked
"According to these numbers he's lost a substantial amount of money." Charlie confirmed in a matter of fact way. Don frowned and reached for the case file.
"How substantial?" He questioned and Charlie clicked his little remote. My mouth hit the floor when I saw the amount he had lost. As Megan pointed out the facts Don cut her off.
"Wait a minute Rausch is in the middle of all of this?" He clarified and Megan turned to me. I suddenly remembered what I had said to her that previous morning.
"How did you...?" Megan started and then stopped. She stopped a little too late because now every one was staring at me.
"How did she What?" Colby asked and I blushed.
"I asked her after the briefing yesterday if anything had come to her and she said something about the Rausch didn't fit." She explained and now everyone was staring at me again.
"I meant in regards to his reaction. I never would've guessed something like this." I attempted to defend myself as I gestured to the screen. Don nodded.
"Good instinct." Was his only reply to me.
"Lets find Rausch." And we all scrambled in different directions.
XXX
I couldn't take it. I couldn't make myself look professional while Rausch told his family everything was going to be okay. As Don said that either Rausch could or he would, I ran out of the room as fast as professionalism would allow. Megan noticed.
"See you tomorrow." She said as she led the little girl towards some food. I nodded and continued to move quickly. Don found me a few minutes later leaning against the SUV and sobbing. When I saw him I began to wipe at my tears.
"Case hit home." I said shakily.
"Want to talk about it?" He asked gently. I began to shake my head and then changed my mind.
"My half sister, Melissa was ten years my senior. She was always sickly and one day she got pregnant. She died but the baby lived. The father had left and our parents were dead so child services said I was to raise her. I did and I named her Melissa after her mother. She died when she was five because she was held hostage in a bank robbery." I explained.
"The robbers killed her." He clarified. I shook my head.
"No. She had always had a bad heart and the stress of the situation was too much and her heart gave out. I had run back outside to grab my purse and..." I trailed off. Don nodded sadly.
"I'm sorry." he said. I shrugged.
"I guess just watching Rausch throw away his family seemed unfair and brought up old wounds." I said.
"How long ago did she die?" He questioned. I took a deep breath.
"Ten years ago. She was four when she died." He raised his eyebrows.
"How old were you?" I smiled.
"What are we playing twenty questions? I was Twenty two when she was born. Twenty eight when she died." I answered. He nodded.
"How about I drive you home? You don't seem to have a car around here." He pointed out I nodded.
"Thanks and My car is still in Washington." I laughed as he followed me around the vehicle and helped boost me into the SUV.
"So was there a particular reason i was always in your line of sight during this case?" I questioned. He laughed.
"Had to make sure that you knew the ropes and the flow of the team didn't I?" He retorted. I laughed.
"I suppose." I replied. I could see that this was going to be a beautiful friendship.
XXX
So how was it? Why don't you tell me and review! Thanks for reading!