Author's Notes: I apologize for the serious delay in this final chapter. I have been dealing with some really close personal/familial issues that have consumed my time. Thank you to those that have read this, have reviewed this, and continue to read and review.
Disclaimer: As always I only play with them. Numb3rs and its characters belong to Cheryl and Nick.
Megan winced as she exited the Suburban, the sun's rays beating down on her face and into her eyes. Single handedly, she reached up and plucked her sunglasses from the top of her head and slid them on to their right place over her eyes.
It took her a moment to adjust to sudden dark tint but she was grateful as the pounding in her head eased ever so slightly because of it. The migraine from two days ago had stuck around, not lessening in its intensity until this morning. All she could do, and had been doing, was take Excedrin.
Walking from the visitor's parking area, Megan made her way to the University of California, Berkeley's central plaza. Students passed by her, some on bikes, others on foot. A few walked by themselves but most being either in large groups or with at least another friend.
Megan found herself profiling the grad students and she continued on towards her destination: 'The Asian girl by the fountain is heading for a mental breakdown, judging by her nervous demeanor… The boy by the bright yellow flowers really likes the girl standing next to him… That one's come from a bad family situation… She always appears happy but is broken on the inside.'
Soon she found the reason for her visit to the university: A rather large building loomed over her, the engraved words over the door reading 'College of Chemistry'. Megan tugged on the handle and passed through the doorway.
Cool air hit her and her shoulders dropped due to the air's refreshing touch. Her fingers slid her sunglasses back onto the top of her head, pushing her bangs back out of the way as well.
The heels of her boots clicked across the marbled floor as she made her way towards the directory on the side wall. Scanning the list, she found the name she was looking for: Dr. Denise Jelse, who was a professor of biochemistry and had also been the professor of Bevin Davis.
She was also the biochemistry professor for Bevin's friend, Daniel Troxler - the one who had burst into the dead girl's apartment while Megan and Colby had been looking for clues. He had been the one who had steered them in the right direction with the black notebook, giving them his thoughts on what had been inside.
After closing the case with the arrest of Wolfe and assuring herself that Don was okay, Megan had remembered Bevin's friend. Her inner conscience had reasoned that the least she could do would be to drop by and let him know how things had been resolved. She'd talked to Mr. and Mrs. Davis earlier that morning, not something she had enjoyed, and the scruffy grad student was the last person on her list.
Daniel Troxler had an eleven o'clock class with Dr. Jelse. Glancing down at her wrist, Megan saw that it was thirty past twelve and the end of class was due; she'd used her resources to find out both Dr. Jelse's and Daniel's class schedules.
As if by some magic cue, classroom doors opened on the bottom floor, students slowly streaming out and going about their way. A few gave her a curious glance but most went about their business.
Remembering what the directory had told her, Megan climbed the stairs to the second floor, staying on the right and out of the way of the people heading downstairs.
'201…202…203…204…,' Megan counted and came to a stop to the side of the one marked 205.
Most of the students had left but a few remained, talking with the dark haired woman at the front of the lecture room. One of those remaining was none other than Daniel.
Megan waited patiently as he talked with his professor, watching with interest as Dr. Jelse responded with a comment causing Daniel to throw up his hands in mock annoyance. The grin on the boy's face told both Megan and the biochemistry teacher that he was only playing.
As soon as he turned around and made his way to the door, Megan gave a little wave to catch his attention.
Daniel noticed, smiled, and diverted his path to join her. Falling into step with Megan as they walked back towards the stairs, he hitched his bag over his shoulder and said, "Hey, Agent Reeves. Didn't expect to really see you again. What brings you out here to Berkeley?"
Megan smiled. "I came to see you, Daniel." Her voice turned serious and they stopped. "We finished the case yesterday, and I thought you might like to know what happened."
His face fell, the smile fading and a morose look replacing it. "Yeah. I'd like that."
Daniel gestured to the stairs and set off, Megan following. He led her back outside and to the plaza area, out into the open sky and back into the sun.
She left her sunglasses on top of her head this time. She wanted to be open and genuine, and hiding her eyes behind the dark rims was not a friendly posture.
The grad student's eyes roamed across the lawn, taking in his fellow classmates and the sights. Sighing, he finally spoke: "It's been real quiet here for the past few days. The whole university is upset but here, at the Chemistry department, we're really messed up. Dr. Jelse has been beside herself. Bevin was a favorite student of hers - she could always put up with her crazy antics, Bevin could."
Megan nodded, knowing he really didn't want a response.
Daniel looked her in the eye this time, his hands stilling in their fidgeting with the leather strap of his bag. "You know they started a scholarship fund in her name. Dr. Jelse and another professor are heading the committee. It's for students dedicated to preserving life through the education of biology."
A moment of silence passed between the two of them. Birds chirped nearby and a slight breeze blew through the plaza with grass, trees, and flowers bending in its wake. Megan noted the beauty of the university, thinking that if Larry was with them, he would have something poignant to say; something that would tie in the beauty to Bevin's death.
As such, Megan had nothing but facts to talk about, but she tried anyway. "Bevin would have liked that, I think. She died protecting something she knew was right. She would be very touched to know."
Daniel gave a small smile and nodded his head. Taking a deep breath, he asked, "Well, what did you find out? I read the paper this morning, but they didn't have much on it."
"That notebook we found, the one you told us was a secret project… We have a friend, Dr. Eppes, who helped us figure it out—"
Daniel interrupted with a grin. "Dr. Eppes? As in Dr. Charles Eppes of CalSci?"
Megan nodded. "What? You know him too?"
The twenty one year old dissolved into laughter. "Haha…He's, uh, guest spoken here before, but Dr. Jelse has the hugest crush on Dr. Eppes. She's in love with everything he's ever done. His new book… the one he just published… She's got like three copies in her office."
Thinking about Amita, Megan jokingly said, "Well, unfortunately for your professor, Dr. Eppes is already taken."
Daniel laughed again - a full, head tilted back, laugh. "I'm not going to be the one to tell her."
And with that joke about Charlie and Dr. Jelse, the awkwardness had broken between the two of them. Megan didn't need a philosophical wisdom to connect with Daniel.
Together, they sat on the bench, underneath the warm sun and feeling the swaying breeze. Megan explained everything about what Bevin had done, what Wolfe had done, and afterwards she let Daniel talk about the friend he would never see again. Several hours saw their passing as they conversed.
It was only after she was driving back to the office that Megan realized her migraine was gone.
The headlights of the old vehicle washed over the wood of the Craftsman, growing brighter as the car pulled further into the driveway.
Glad to finally be home, Alan cut the engine and listened to the rumbling die away. After a moment, the lights died as well.
He paused for a moment before getting out. He liked to sit in the silence every now and then; sometimes it was just to collect his thoughts and other times it was simply because he wanted to sit, to have a break from the rest of the world if only for one brief moment.
One with his being and more than ready to be in his own bed and house, Alan opened the car door. He pulled his body out, noting that he was moving slower than he used to.
The warm Pasadena air greeted him, soft currents caressing his face, the fading light of the sun creating a beautiful back drop against the lawn.
A small bird flew over his head as he walked up the front pathway. Alan followed the bird's flight and smiled as a larger bird, presumably the baby bird's parent judging by the angry twittering, followed.
In good humor now, Alan unlocked the heavy wooden door of the Craftsman and stepped into the house for the first time in the last three days.
However, his good humor lasted for all of five minutes as his eyes alighted on his two sons. Alan came to a halt in the entry way of the living room.
Having only just noticed their father, both his sons froze in their actions and blinked up at him. The television blared from its area, a hockey game in full swing.
"Hey, Dad." Charlie sheepishly said.
His eldest son was better at keeping a straight face. "Hi, Pops. How was the trip?"
Too bad for them, Alan was still smarter than his sons. It hadn't worked during their teenage years and it wasn't working now. The crutches leaning against Don's chair and his elevated ankle weren't helping their case either.
Alan dropped his suitcase on the floor and fixated the younger Eppes men with a look. "Un-hunh. How about we talk about what happened while I was gone? We can talk about me later."
An exchange of glances passed between Don and Charlie, neither saying anything. And then both burst out, pointing at one another, blaming the other. It was all Alan could do to follow the conversation:
"It's all on Don, Dad…"
"Oh, way to be a sell-out, Chuck. What do you mean it's all on me?" A rolling of the eyes.
"Hey, it was your case. I'm not the one that fell off the side of a mountain—" Coupled with a 'right-back-at-you' look.
Don's voice was all sarcasm now. "Oh yes. I meant to fall off. I wanted to hurt myself. And you're supposed to be a genius? You might be losing it, Bro."
"Losing it? Well, we certainly know that you're not the genius. Climbing up a mountain with the Santa Ana winds in full blow?" All indignation now.
Alan shook his head as Don unsuccessfully tried to take a stab at Charlie with one of his crutches; Charlie retaliated by jumping out of the way and sticking out his tongue.
"Enough. I said enough!" Alan hollered.
Like two children again, Don and Charlie froze, faces upturned to gaze at their father's sudden outburst.
Seeing that they had at least stopped for the moment, Alan went on. "Good. Now that you've stopped acting like you're five and ten again, I can speak. I'm going to put my stuff away. Then I am going to go get some more things for Don's ankle – don't give me that look - You don't have it elevated enough–, and when I get back, you two are going to calmly explain to me how it is that I have only been gone for three days and Don has managed to injure himself during that time."
Without waiting for an answer, Alan moved for the stairs. "And don't move, Don. I bet you haven't been keeping off of it at all, and I bet that your brother hasn't been able to keep you down. Both of them are too stubborn for their own good and I'm getting too old for this." The last part was mumbled to himself.
Finding another pillow, Alan tucked it under his arm and headed back for the stairs. He paused, hearing the siblings bickering and teasing.
Yes, Alan thought, despite the childishness his sons could sometimes display, he was glad to be home.
Some things would never change, like Don injuring himself for the greater good because of his work and Charlie taking any opportunity to tease his older brother when he had the upper hand.
But then, some things didn't need to be changed, and Alan wouldn't have it any other way.
The End.
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