Title: More questions with a side of food

Series: LN (Living Nightmare) 9/

Word count: words

Rating: PG-13 (only cause I'm careful maybe to careful.)

Pairings: Colby/Charlie, Don, David, Megan, Alan, and OC's

Summary: What facts does the Eppes team gather in talking to Michelle? Is there a way for Michelle to help pay them back?

Disclaimer: I do not own Numb3rs, people, places, or things you know.

A/N: There are some OOC and some AU in this story.

Beta: Paranoid woman, sporty-mia09 and myself.

LN

End of Chapter eight: Checkup time

"Don, can we go now?" Rae asked reaching out from her mother's arms towards him.

"Yes, we can Rae." He answered gently picking Rae out of her mom's arms.

"Dad, when we get home do you think that you could maybe get Sharon and the other kids to get some food?" Colby asked knowing that he and Don would like to talk to Michelle without little ears in the area.

"I can try. But, you know how that might go over without having someone to help keep them safe."

"I'll see if Megan and David can go with you. That should help Michelle calm down some." Colby spoke as he waited on his partner to answer his phone.

"Den gave us some perceptions to help get their systems working right again. The kids might like the McDonald's that's right down the road form the drug store." Alan thought out loud.

"Thank you Dad."

"Don't thank me yet son. We still need to get Michelle and Sharon to agree." Alan told him walking out the doctor's office.

For the first time in a long time the Stevens family rode in two different cars. Sharon and the older three kids rode back to the Eppes home with Alan and Charlie in Alan's car. While Michelle and Rae rode back in Don's SUV. This gave Colby and Don the chance they needed to see how Michelle felt about letting her family go out of her sight for more than the few minutes it took to drive to the doctor's office. Not that they weren't riding in the car in front of them right now as it was.

Like Alan and Colby had thought Michelle was reluctant to let them out of her site. However, when she found out that David and Megan had agreed to join Alan with her family excluding Rae she had been a little more at easy.

To most of the Eppes family surprise Sharon and Michelle passed only a few looks when Alan asked if she and the other the kids would like to go with him, Megan, and David. They were going to get pick up the medications that Den had written for them as well as stop by McDonald's.

Chapter nine: More questions with a side of food

'Can I risk telling them the whole truth? Can I risk not telling them the whole truth?' Michelle kept asking herself over and over as she watched her family excluding Rae leave the house that they had called home last night.

"Michelle?" Don asked sitting down beside her on the couch. Rae was standing in her mother's arms in front of her. Colby and Charlie were sitting in across from them in a chair. Michelle noticed the odd look on the three men's faces.

"Why did you let them hurt you that way?" Don asked his eyes holding hers.

"Don, if Dr. Eppes or Agent Granger were in danger and you could keep them from getting hurt would you let someone hurt you to keep them safe?" Don nodded his head silently agreeing with her.

"Are there more marks on your body that we cannot see?" This time it was Colby who asked.

"I have the tearing that Den told you about. Some other burns and scars in places that Rae doesn't need to know about." Michelle's words hung heavy in the air until an idea came to Charlie.

"Rae, have you ever been to Chuck E. Cheese's?" Rae gave him a small shy nod of her head as she turned to look at her mom and Don.

"Dr. Eppes?"

"It's Charlie please Michelle."

"Charlie, it's been years since we have been out to eat let alone there." She watched the smile fell from his face at her words.

"Well it's time to fix that don't you think." Charlie spoke as he stood pulling Colby with him.

"Colby and I will be with you both the whole time. The closest Chuck E Chesses to us is only a block away." Don said trying to help put her mind at ease some.

'Is this a good idea? Mom and the others are already out in public. Should we tempt fate and have Rae and I out as well? Don did say he and Agent Granger would be with us.' Michelle was fighting with herself as once again Charlie spoke up.

"Michelle, I know what it's like to worry that something will happen to the people in your live that you love. I do it every time these two walk out the door. But, I have learned to take some precautions and let the rest go into the hands of the team. We are a team Michelle. No one is going to get near Rae or you." Charlie anxiously awaited her answer. However he kept his eyes on Rae instead of his husband or brother.

"While I am still not sure that this is a good idea. Rae should have some fun." Her words brought the smiles once again to Charlie's and Rae's faces.

"But, Rae you are not to leave my side. I may be taking a risk and putting my faith in agents for the first time. However, I WILL NOT RISK ANYTHING HAPPING TO RAE." Her words leaving no room for anything else the small families reentered Don's SUV and headed around the block.

"Admit it Charlie you want to go play all the games." Don teased his younger brother as they neared Chuck E Chesses. The laughter was a welcome sound after the dealings of the last few hours.

An hour later found David, Megan, Alan, Sharon, and the kids entering the Eppes home. It didn't take Sharon long to notice that Michelle and Rae weren't here. As the door closed May noticed a note taped to the back of the door.

"Mr. Eppes, there's a note on the door." Turning around Alan noticed Don's hand writing and quickly read the note before smiling at the others in the room.

"Where is mommy Mr. Eppes?" Lee shyly asked.

"They went out to eat. They should be back within the hour." Alan's words coupled with the smile on his face set Sharon's nerves a little at ease.

After both families arrived back at the Eppes casa the agents meet in Alan's home office. They were talking about what Sharon had told David and Megan when they had ran to the store. Don passed along the information that Michelle had given them before heading out for a late lunch. While the information was small it was a start to build a soiled floor for their case. It wasn't twenty minutes into the team's sharing that a phone started to ring.

"Eppes"

"Donnie, is Michelle around you?" Alan had taken a few minutes while the team of agents was at home to run to his and Stan's office to look at a few things.

"Yes dad. Did you need something?"

"Can I talk to her for a moment?"

"Sure hold on." Turning around Don spoke down the hall towards the living room.

"Michelle, can you come here a moment please?"

"Yes, sir"

"Dad has something he wanted to ask you." The smile on his face had put her somewhat at ease but, she still was worried what his dad could need with her.

"Michelle, do you know how to use a filing system on a windows application?"

"Yes, Why"

"Do you think if Don or Colby brought you and Rae that you could help me out with a few things?"

"I will help anyway I can. However, it's going on..." She started to say only to have Alan interrupt her.

"I'm sorry I didn't realize that it was that late already. We can pick this up first thing in the morning then. That is if you're alright with it."

"Yes sir. Thank you." Waiting a few seconds hearing that Alan had hung up she handed the phone back to Don.

"Are you going to help dad out with something at the office?"

"He has asked for my help. I will help in any way that I can."

Not long after Alan's return home a few minutes later Megan and David left for the night. And once again Don found Rae sleeping peacefully in his arms a little bit later. However this tonight instead of taking Rae upstairs and into bed Michelle listened to Don talking about a friend of his that might be able to help the family out some.

Don had told her that his friend was an A.U.S.A (Assistant United States Attorney). But, in telling Michelle about the women (Robin he had called her.) he had left out that this woman was the woman he was seeing.

A/N: Honest feedback is welcome.

How can Robin help them? What happens when Robin meets Michelle and her family? Does Michelle help Alan fix things?

In case you're wondering Yes, Chuck E Chesses is a real place. If you Google Chuck E Chesses you will be able to see a picture of the food and games.