Title: Marking Territory
Series: LN (living nightmare) 11/?
Rating: PG
Pairing, characters: Colby/Charlie, Don, David, Megan, Alan, and OC
Summary: How does Michelle help Don without knowing why he's out of sorts? How does Michelle start to help pay the Eppes man back? {hint; it's not how you may think}
Disclaimer: I do not own Numb3rs, people, places, or item that you would recognize.
A/N: keep in mind this story has some 00C and AU parts space to it.
Beta: Paranoid woman, sporty-mia09, nullus anxietas, and myself.
LN
End of chapter 10: Robin
Entering the living room Don saw Michelle sitting with a sleeping Rae in her arms on the couch talking to Colby sitting across from her. Not saying a word he made his way to the kitchen to get a beer before sitting down beside Michelle. While Don had been getting his beer Michelle had asked something of Colby she hadn't asked of anyone in years.
"He looks upset. Is there anything we can do for him?"
"Not sure the last time I got him to open up to me I was in a world of pain for days."
"I don't think he will hit me if I ask. Do you?"
"No, he won't hurt you. He might not answer you but, I don't see him hurting anyone without cause."
"Will you keep an eye on Rae for me please? I want to speak to him but, at the same time it will take forever to get her back to sleep."
Once the words had left her mouth Don had reentered the room only to see a stunned Colby looking at the Michelle. He also watched as Colby slowly and calmly gathered the sleeping child from her arms and headed upstairs without a word.
"I remembered I needed to get something from out back. Would you mind to help me?" Saying nothing else Michelle started heading out the front door. She only paused to look upstairs to see Colby standing on the landing watching them before he turned and headed into his and Charlie's room. Don watched her walk out the door and slowly rose to join her taking his beer with him.
Chapter 11: Marking Territory
"Don, will you please hand me that basket?" She asked opening the dryer. When her request went unanswered she turned to see where the man she had come to trust was.
"Don, while I am not the sharpest pencil in the box it is apparent that something is bothering you. Have the kids and I done something to offend you or your family?" once again her question was answered with silence.
"Michelle, you and your family have done nothing wrong."
"Is there anything I can do to help you with your problem?" Taking a moment to think Don decided to be honest with the woman that had been honest with him.
"Robin has something on her mind and she will not let it go."
"Give her time to work out whatever is on her mind. She will tell you when she's ready,"
"Sometimes things are better left unsaid."
"May I ask you a question?" She calmly asked while placing the clothing basket on top of the dryer.
"Michelle, you can ask me anything. However, I don't promise to have an answer."
"Does it bother her how much time you are spending with us instead of her?"
"Right now I am not sure how to answer that."
"Don, I have not met a woman yet who does not want to spend as much time as possible with the man she loves."
"It is not always an easy thing to do when your girlfriend works for that AUSA and you work for the FBI."
"She's may simply marking her territory?"
"Marking her territory? "
"Picture a dog marking his territory. Then a new dog comes around. The new dog automatically remarks the older dog places as its own along with new places." This time her words were met with laughter instead of silent.
"You have spent too much time around Charlie!" He told her as she noticed the small familiar spark returning to his smile.
"My point is that Robin may just need time to see that there are no new dogs in the area." He found it reassuring that without knowing what was on his mind she hit the nail on the head.
"I guess so, however, hearing Charlie's logic coming out of your mouth shows me how quickly he really does rub off on people." This time his laugh was a full belly laugh.
"Will you be helping Stan and dad with their filing problem?" Don asked once they both caught their breaths.
"I told him I would see what I could do. After I reminded him a few times that somebody else might be able to find this problem faster than I would."
"While that might be true we both know that that same someone might take longer to explain the problem then it would take to fix it."
"Will you be staying the rest of the morning?" Hearing her question he glanced down at his watch for the first time since arriving at his brothers to notice how late it truly was.
"I did not realize how late or early it was. You should have been in there asleep with Rae hours ago."
"I need to get of the restroom. Would you mind to help Rae into our bed instead of Colby and Charlie's please?" This time her only response was hearing the door close as Don went to retrieve the young child.
Seven a.m. found Alan on his way to the kitchen to start his morning coffee. On his way down the stairs it came as no surprise to see his oldest son holding a blanket on the couch.
"I didn't know you were here last night." Alan spoke as he reentered the living room.
"I asked him to come by sir. I was curious if any new leads have developed in our case." Michelle spoke up from the bottom step landing.
"I'll call you later Dad." Don threw over his shoulder as he headed toward his SUV.
"How much time do you and Rae need to be ready for work today Michelle?" Turning towards his new assistant he asked.
"We can be ready in a few minutes Sir." She informed him as she turned and headed back upstairs.
True to her word and had only taken a few minutes for her and Rae to be ready to go. Michelle was under the assumption that this would be a onetime only deal. However, when she noticed the number of files that were needed to be put on the computer it turned into a full-time job. It had surprised her that a small office at the front of the building was set up for her to work out of. The other office at the back of the building was Stan and Alan's office.
Walking further into the office Rae quickly noticed a smaller desk with her name on it. Running over to the desk Rae quickly sat down to explore it as her mother examined the files on what was apparently her own desk.
"What do you think?" Stan asked from his spot in the doorway of her new office.
"What do I think? I think I have my work cut out for me." Her answer brought about laughter from the three adult in the room.
"Is this mine?" Rae asked bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet.
"Yes, it is Rae. Why don't you go check it out?" Alan said as he brought himself level with her,
"Alan and Stan thank you for the opportunity to help. I don't know what else I could say."
"Then don't. I need these in the system as soon as possible. There are more and storage when you can get to them please." Stan informed her as he walked toward his own office.
"I'll leave you to it. It's always nice to have help. At least now we have someone who knows their way around the computer. Stan and I are old school note takers. If you have any trouble reading something all you have to do is ask one of us." Alan's words followed his retreating form out her office door.
The rest of the morning passed with client coming in and out of the office. Some of the client introduced themselves to Michelle and Rae as they left the office. Sometime before noon Stan returned to the office to ask Alan to join him as he spoke with a new client.
"I was going to ask you two out for lunch but, it looks like that will have to wait until tomorrow." Alan said as he joined Michelle in her office.
"That's alright; Rae and I will pick up a sandwich or something from across the street." No sooner had the words left her mouth than Rae ran past all three adults to the front office door.
"Where is she in such a hurry to get to?" A surprise Stan asked.
"Can she open the door?" Stan asked the other two people in the room.
"No she can't but, she won't need to open the door." Stan opened his mouth however, before he could speak one Special Agent Don Epps walked in carrying a very excited Rae.
"Mommy, mommy, mommy look who came to see me." Rae exclaimed as she reached for her mother.
"How much trouble had he been in today?" Don asked after handing the child over to her mother.
"Only a little bit this morning." Rae told him as she kissed her mother's cheek.
"Donnie, is there something I can do for you?"
"Actually I came to ask if the ladies would like to join me for lunch."
"This works out really well then. I will see you both around one o'clock then." Alan said as he and Stan walked out the main door.
Lunch consisted of sandwiches at a little shop down from the office. Even though in it has been a little over a week Michelle still finds that being outside continues to be a problem for her. Don and Michelle sat quietly and enjoy their lunch as Rae filled Don in on her morning. They had just cleaned up their mess when Don's phone started to ring. After hanging up he walked them back to the office before informing Michelle that the call had been Charlie with a lead to an open case.
"Will you come by tonight?" Rae inquired from her desk.
"I'll try my best." Don replied. He hadn't lied to the young child and she knew it. If he said he would try his best that's what he did. It may not have always gone the way she wanted it to but, that didn't mean he hadn't tried.
A/N: Honest feedback is welcome. Please keep in mind that some of the time. The characters in this series are allowed the OOC.
Does Don come by? What happens next? How do things go with Robin now?