Awake

By Dragon's Daughter 1980

Rating: K

Spoiler: Post-'Brutus'

Pairing: Larry/Megan

Disclaimer: Other than being a devoted fan, I have nothing to do with Numb3rs or Josh Groban. Thanks for reading!

Author's Note: I didn't notice until this morning, but I accidentally switched chapters two and three around yesterday. The problem's been fixed, but if any of you are confused why chapter three is identical to chapter two, that's why. Have a Happy Prosporous New Year!


We'll let tomorrow wait,

You're here, right now, with me

All my fears just fall away,

When you are all I see

We can't stay this way forever

But I have you here today


"It's beautiful," she murmured, leaning against him. The sun was slowly sinking beneath the horizon in front of them, painting the sky with a palette of fiery orange, glorious pink, soft indigo and dark lavender. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close to him until she was half-reclining, half-sprawled on top of him. He was content to stay there, feeling her head rest on his chest, her loose hair draped across his arm, and her body next to his. She seemed content to rest in his arms, their shared blanket wrapped snugly around them against the encroaching cold night air.

For the past three days, the two of them had been leisurely traveling along the roads between Los Angeles and Houston. Larry was grateful that Megan was able to take the week off to drive with him to the launch site, and he took care to spend their last few days together as wisely as he knew how.

He made a point to stop at sites that had significance to him, or places that he thought she would be interested in. So he had shown her beautiful rock formations that he had discovered while hiking in the wilderness, the hidden oasis in the middle of the desert. She had smiled when they saw the coyote mother and her young pups traveling past them during a picnic lunch. The tough FBI agent had grasped quietly in surprise when they saw a doe and her nearly-grown fawn grazing one afternoon. With every moment he shared with her, the more convinced he was that he was making the right decision to open himself up completely.

So for tonight, he had brought her a little ways off the beaten path to a spot he had come to once before as a young man. It was a place that he had never shared with anyone before, but he had a feeling that she would appreciate the beauty that he had seen there. The spot was at the top of a canyon, against a small mound of rock, a safe distance away from the edge, but close enough. In broad daylight, it was just another spot along a winding canyon that stretched for miles on end, but at night… it was perfect.

He knew he held this spot in near holiness in his heart. In times of change, he had always been drawn here to take a step back and reevaluate his life. When his father had died, he had come here to mourn a man he never was close to, but had loved just the same. When he began to realize that his emotions for a certain woman in his life were more than just mere 'chemistry,' he had come to gather the courage to make the first steps. When NASA had first approached him about the shuttle mission, he had come to celebrate and to plan his possible future in solitude, covering every contingency he could think of. Save one.

He had led her there most of the way, asking her to close her eyes and let him escort her to the specific spot. Without hesitation, Megan did as he asked, taking his hands in hers. He carefully guided her to the precise spot where he had stood before as a young college student, looking up into the vast darkness of the universe and seeing the multitude of stars scattered across the sky. He wanted to share the spirit of that moment with her, a parting gift, the only one he felt he could give to her.

The vista before them was breath-taking, and he had been delighted to hear her quiet gasp of delight and amazement when she opened her eyes. By the time she had torn her attention away from the natural beauty in front of her to smile at him, Larry had spread a blanket on the sandy soil, tucked up against the rock, and spread out their picnic dinner. The two had sat down to eat in silence, absorbing the splendor around them, hearing the cry of a majestic hawk circling the air, feeling the breeze bush past them, breathing in what felt like pure oxygen. Afterwards, when the dinnerware was packed back into its basket, Megan and Larry curled up together, their backs against the rocks to watch the sunset.

Tomorrow, they would arrive in Houston. There, they would part ways until she returned for the launch three weeks later. But by then, he would be in isolation in preparation for the shuttle flight, so tonight… tonight would be their last night together for a long time.

He pulled her closer, pushing tomorrow out of his thoughts. Tonight was all that mattered.


And I will remember

Oh I will remember

Remember all the love we shared today


Waiting for Mission Control to give his companions on the shuttle the go-ahead to start launch ignition, Larry found himself staring at a miniature photograph that he had taped to a miraculous free space on the shuttle's control panel. He was vaguely aware that his comrades were either doing last-minute checks of the equipment or looking out of the shuttle windows at the crowds below, searching for a beloved face in the sea of people who had turned out to watch the launch. He would be doing the same, but he knew that she wouldn't be there. She hadn't made her flight in time.

Don would have kindly given her the time off to do so, but the fact was that the team had been handed a high-profile, high-stakes serial killer case mere hours before Megan would have need to leave in order to catch the latest flight from LAX to Houston International to be here in time for the launch. Her job could not spare her. She had called him, her voice calm, but breaking a little, when she explained the situation. He did his best to console her, telling her that he understood and that all he needed now was for her to remember her promise to him. She had sworn she would, and after sweet exchange of good-byes, let them both return to work.

Don had called mere minutes later, apologizing for the circumstances and promising to look after Megan while he was gone. Larry thanked Charles' brother for his thoughtfulness and told him that he had already been more than generous, letting Megan drive with him to Houston over the course of a week. When they hung up, Larry had turned his attention to pre-flight preparations, his heart immensely reassured that she would be taken care of, regardless of what happened in the next few hours.

In the photograph, Megan was in a simple white summer dress, her body relaxed as she leaned against the white picket fence post. Her wide-brimmed hat was in her left hand, which rested against her thigh and her right hand loosely clasped her left elbow. Her honey-colored hair was loose around her shoulders and her head was tilted at a coquettish angle as she smiled at the camera. He could still hear her laughter from that day.

Now, seeing her grinning at him, her eyes full of happiness and contentment, he allowed himself to recall their last moments together three weeks ago.


"I love you," she told him quietly. Gently wiping away a tear from her face with one hand, he nodded and leaned over to kiss her gently.

"I love you too," he murmured just as softly.

"I know," she said, taking his hand in one of hers, their fingers naturally interlacing. They sat in a sad, yet comforting silence, both knowing that what was going unsaid didn't need to be said; they both already knew the answers in their hearts. She glanced at the digital clock on her dashboard and drew in a deep breath, "It's about time."

"Take care of yourself," he whispered, placing another gentle kiss on her lips, "Stay safe."

"I promise," she said just as softly, brushing her lips lightly across his cheek. With one last look, he slipped out of the car, their hands remaining linked until the last possible second. Yes, his heart most certainly belonged to her.


"Wife?" asked one of the astronauts, nodding at the tiny picture. Larry looked at the younger man who was smiling in a friendly way, and opened his mouth to say 'paramour,' but decided to tell the truth in his heart.

"Soulmate," he told his companion after a beat of thought. "She's my soulmate."