Disclaimer: I don't own anything Numb3rs, it's all property of CBS and whatnot, so don't sue.

Chapter 13: A Long Buried Secret Unearthed

Three months had passed since Charlie's return from Miami. Things slowly returned to some kind of normal.

But, some things had changed. Mainly, Charlie himself.

Besides the new look and the fierce new ride, he was calmer, quieter, and all around, more grown up.

Sure, he froliced and returned to his youthful persona of before that fateful night of misguided words, but it was only for a little while before he was back to being a quiet, contemplative soul.

It took some getting used but after three months, equilibrium was restored.

Don and Alan still felt guilt over what they had done to their beloved Charlie.

Even with all the hugs and reassurances, they both still felt the risidual feelings of regret and shame.

And as Fate would have it, these feelings of guilt, regret, and shame would be amplified one day, with the help of an old piece of paper long buried in a desk drawer.

A sunny afternoon at Casa Eppes...

Alan Eppes huffed as he searched the house for some batteries, thus far, his search turned up nothing. Charlie had left shortly after breakfast, said he had the day off and was going to go visit a friend.

As a last resort, the eldest Eppes walked into his youngest sons room and began snooping around.

When he reached Charlie's desk, he pulled open a drawer and rummaged through it, in search of the much needed items.

Then, his hand and eyes fell on a slightly open peice of paper, yellowing due to time.

Alan would have ignored it out of respect for his son's privacy when his eyes caught some of the writing at the very end that read ' Don't blame yourself'.

Making his mind up, Alan picked up the peice of paper and unfolded it completely.

Alan felt his heart slam to a stop, dead in his chest as he read the contents of this letter.

It Read as follows:

Dear Charlie,

Hey, it's me Jessica.

Now you're probably wondering why I'm writing to you after so many years.

Charlie, by the time you get this letter, I'm not going to be in this world anymore.

I just can't take it all anymore, I just can't. I'm sorry.

There is just no ther way to escape the monster I have to call my father.

I have to be free of him, he stole everything from me, even you when we moved away.

Charlie, I'm writing to you because you are the only somebody in this world who ever tried to protect me, and because of me, my father hurt you too.

It's been eight years and I still keep dreaming about that day in the basement, when you walked in and saw what my father was doing.

I just can't get the image of my father wrapping his hands around your throat when you tried to stop him out of my mind, you were so brave to at least try.

It was one thing with him hurting me, when he hurt you, I felt so much shame because I was too small and too much of a coward to do anything to help you.

I just sat their in the corner and watched. I watched as that sick bastard laughed in your face and threatened to kill up both if you ever told the police anything.

Charlie, I am so sorry for what happened, you didn't deserve any of it.

Charlie, you are the one good thing, they only good thing I remember through all of the misery and pain my life seems to be built on.

You were always the right kind of special. All the time we spent together, it made me almost forget what was going on in my life.

I'll always love you for that.

And I'd like to ask one small favor of you if it's not too much.

I love white roses, there just so beautiful, like I'll never be.

When this is all said and done, could you maybe bring some for me wherever I'm buried.

I'd like that.

What I really want to say is thank you Charlie, for being so good a friend as you were and still are to me.

Again, I am so sorry, for everything.

Charlie, just promise me you'll go on living, everyone else has forgotten me, but I know that you are the only one who never will.

Don't blame yourself, it's not your fault.

Good-bye Charlie. I'll always be grateful to you for the small morsel of happiness I felt when I was with you.

Jessica.

Salty drops of water splashed minutely over the name Jessica, Alan Eppes's hands trembled as he all but collapsed onto Charlie's bed, still holding the letter.

As he sat there gawking in horror and disbelief at the letter in his hands, his heart was nearly hammering out of his chest.

" Charlie." He whispered to air with a sob as more tears streamed from his eyes as he dropped the letter and buried his face into his hands as he began to cry freely, sobs wracking his entire body.

After an eternity, Alan calmed down a little to get his barings.

" I have to tell Don." Thought Alan as he picked up the letter from the floor and with reverance, he folded it as he scampered down the stairs and grabbed his car keys.

Within minutes, he was on his way to the FBI Offices where his oldest son worked.

Meanwhile, across town...

A low growl filled the air as a sleek, black and silver motorcycle pulled up at the gates of the small cemetary.

The rider of this powerful vehicle hesitated for a moment before driving through the gates, making a left into the parking lot.

Once the bike was parked, the rider pulled off his helmet.

Charlie Eppes sighed deeply as he dismounted from his bike.

He clipped his helmet to the bike and unzipped his motorcycle jacket, revealing the little bouquet of stunning white roses he had kept close to his heart to keep them safe, and because he didn't want to risk clipping them to the back of his bike.

Charlie felt a small wave of sadness wash over him as he took a moment to take in the seet smell of the flowers he held.

With another shaky sigh, Charlie turned and walked up the path he'd taken many times over the years.

As he walked, his mind drifted to the bygone years of his youth, and the soul he couldn't save.

As he walked, her voice filled his ears. The voice starting off young and progressively growing older until the words overlapped one another.

" Hey Charlie wait up for me."

" I wish I could fly away like that blue jay."

" You're my best friend."

" I just can't take it all anymore, I just can't. I'm sorry."

" I love white roses, there just so beautiful, like I'll never be."

" Promise me you'll go on living."

" You were always the right kind of special."

" Charlie, you are the one good thing, the only good thing..."

" You are the only somebody in this world who tried to protect me."

" Everybody else had forgotten me. But, I know you are the only one who never will."

" Don't blame yourself. It's not your fault."

" Goodbye Charlie."

Charlie was shaken from his thoughts when his eyes fell on a vine covered headstone beneath the watchful limbs of an old oak tree.

For a second, Charlie felt anger boiling within his gut.

True to Jessica's words, everyone else had forgotten her to the point of not even bothering to upkeep her final resting place.

Charlie chewed on the inside of his cheek as he walked over to the gravestone and kneeled before it.

He set the bouquet in his hand aside as he set to work pulling away the snake-like flora that all but obscured the identity of the thirteen year old girl buried in this plot.

After a few minutes, Charlie finished wiping away the grime around the letters and pulling away the last of the weeds.

" Hey Jessica, it's me Charlie. I brought you some roses, their white, just like you wanted." Said Charlie, his voice beginning to shake and a single tear escaped his eyes. He gently set the flowers down at the foot of the tombstone and then wiped at his eyes.

" You were wrong, when you said you'd never be as beautiful as them. I always thought you were more beautiful than any flower every could be." Said Charlie quietly.

Then he lapsed into a thoughtful silence, with only Jessica's tombstone and the air around him as company.

Meanwhile, at the LA FBI Offices...

Don Eppes had just finished pouring himself a cup of fresh coffee when he looked up.

He was startled to see his father all but fall out of the elevator and start barreling towards him.

" Dad, what is it what's wrong?" Asked Don as he strode out of the breakroom, coffee mug in hand.

" Donnie, Donnie, Oh God... How can I tell you what I found?" Said Alan, a fresh wave of tears forming in his weathered eyes.

Don was instantly alarmed by how upset his father was and then his eyes fell on the peice of paper clutched in his father's hand.

" Dad, did Charlie leave again?"

To his relief, Alan shook his head no.

" C'mon, let's go somewhere private." Said Don as he led his father down the hall to one of the smaller conference rooms.

Megan, David, and Colby all watched in concern as they went.

" Dad, what is going on, why are you so upset?" Asked Don after he shut the door.

" Donnie, I was looking for some batteries and I couldn't find any, so I went into Charlie's room as a last resort, I was going through one of the drawers of his desk when I found this..." Alan trailed off as he held out the letter to Don.

Don to the letter and braced himself for what was written inside.

Alan watched with tear-filled eyes as all the color drained out of his oldest son's face.

Don's eyes grew wise with horror and disbelief, unknowingly mirroring his father's reaction to the letter a mere half hour ago.

Alan jumped when there was a loud and wet sounding crash.

Don had dropped his mug of coffee.