Title: A pain Eco?
Series: LN (Living Nightmare) 14/?
Pairings: Colby/Charlie, Don, David, Megan, Alan, Robin, and OC's
Summary: How are things with Matt and Michelle? What happenes when Michelle does something that he knows she shouldn't?
Chapter Rating: PG
Disclaimer: I do not own Numb3rs, people, places, or things you know.
Beta: Twins-m0m, Nullus anxietas and myself.
Word count:2,473 words
LN
End of chapter thirteen: A new start
"Hello, this is Michelle. If you would still like to go to a movie and get some dinner I believe that will be enjoyable." They spent the rest of the ten minute call talking about what movie they would like to watch. There were very few people who knew what Michelle and her families address was and she and the team were happy to keep it that way. So in turn the time was agreed upon that they should meet at a diner a few places down from a movie theater.
Having one call down she only lacked one. However, that one for some reason scared her more than the first call did. Quickly before she lost her never Michelle picked up her office phone and dialed a numb3r that she knew all too well.
"Eppes"
"Don"
"Michelle, is everything alright?"
"I wanted to let you know that I won't be able to help your dad with things Friday night." Alan was working on something that he had asked Don for help with at first but when Michelle had been able to do it Don had let her.
"Does dad know?"
"Yes, I spoke with him early about it."
"Alright, is everyone alright? Do you need help with something?" His mind kept coming up with more questions about what was going on.
"Don, everyone is fine. I will be out with a new friend so I won't be able to be in two places at the same time."
"Out with a new friend hum? Do I know this new friend?" A smile lite her face as he asked the question that she was waiting on him to ask.
"Yes you do. It's Agent Macklin." The phone was silent Michelle almost hung up thinking that he had when his cracked voice asked another question.
"What are you and Agent Macklin going to do?"
"Watch a movie and get something to eat then I will be going home ALONE." The last word was stressed so much that she could hear the laughter that he had on the other end of the line.
"If you need anything at all call me. Where is he picking you up?"
"He's not this is only a friend's thing. I'm meeting him at a small diner." They spent a few more minutes with Don telling Michelle to keep safe and keep her phone on her at all times. The phone had been a gift from Stan and Alan as she was their right hand person now they needed to be able to get her when they needed her so they got her a simple phone.
The friends date had gone so well that later on the next week Matt had asked her out again. Sharon was happy for her child. Things were starting to look up for the family.
Chapter fourteen: A pain Eco?
Matt and Michelle's outings had been going well. So well in fact that Michelle was slowly letting her guard down. All the wall's and hurt wouldn't go away overnight but, with Matt's easy going things were changing for Michelle. Over the last month they had shared a few light touches and kisses. Nothing heated but, things were very slowly moving that way. However, Michelle was still really scared to cross that line. Tonight was movie and dinner night for them.
"Something is wrong." Michelle spoke as Matt's car entered the movie lot.
"Stay here a minute. I'll be right back."
"What's happening officer?" Matt asked the first LAPD officer he found.
"I'm not sure yet sir. All I know for sure is that Agent Eppes team arrived a few minutes ago and before that a man with a gun was yelling for Agent Eppes."
"Thank you officer, David do you need a hand?"
"You got a vest?"
"Yes, in my trunk. I'll be right back." He spoke as he turned towards his car. Realizing that he wasn't alone right now he quickly headed towards his car.
"Michelle, Agent Eppes team is here for something. I need you to stay here in my car. Lock the doors and don't get out for any reason." Leaning over and kissing her quickly before getting his vest on.
It took only a few minutes for Michelle to start being concerned when she heard that Don's team was here. The fear that one of the people that she had come to rely on would be hurt drove her to step out of the car. An agent was turning around the back side of the building as a shot rang out.
As the shot rang out Colby watched in horror as Michelle not only held her leg but, turned to walk around the back of the building towards the shots. "Michelle, what do you think you're doing?" Colby asked stopping her before she could reach the back area.
"Matt and I were planning to watch a movie tonight. But, when we pulled in we found you all instead."
"Matt is with you? Why is he not making sure you're in the car away from here?"
"He is helping out."
"You should be in the car." The glare in his eyes at Matt was matched only in the anger in his voice.
"Right now Don needs help more than I do." Her words followed her body as she rounded the back of the store. As Colby got close to her he heard a voice calling towards his boss.
"Agent Eppes, I know you're out here. If you come to the door unarmed the people in here will be free to leave."
"Let them go and I'll join you at the door." Don said from the right of the back door.
"Don, think about this" David said in the ear piece.
"I don't have a choice. Colby cover me." Don said as he turned towards the now open door.
It took only minutes but it seemed like hours as Don approached a gun man at the door. When he was with in two steps of the door two shots rang out. One hit Don in his vest. The other hit his shoulder. After feeling the hit of the shots Don found himself laying on his stomach on the ground with a body covering his. In the hurry to get him out of the way Michelle had pushed him hard enough that on his way down his head had hit the ground harder than it was meant to.
Seeing her chance to get away without Don knowing that she's there she took off and ran towards Matt's car. Colby waited with Don as David and Megan got the two shooters into custody. Once Don was loaded in the back of the waiting ambulance Colby quickly made his way towards Michelle who was still standing just outside Matt's car.
"Where were you hit?" Colby demanded as he neared her.
"I wasn't hit."
"I watched you go down. Let's try this again. Where were you hit?" He demanded as his eyes ran over her body.
"Colby we need you to ride with Don." David yelled to his partner as Matt joined the two at his car.
"Matt, I expect you to take care of her not..."
"Colby, Don needs you now!" She interpreted him before he could finish his rant.
A little while later when Matt and Michelle got to the hospital they found Alan and Charlie in Don's room as he was talking to them about what happened. Colby was standing out in the hall talking to one of the LAPD officers that had helped. It just so happened that the room beside Don's was empty.
"Michelle, how did you know to get Don down at that time? And why for the love of God did you not stay in the car out of harm's way?" Colby's raised whisper yelled as he partway closed the door to the room they were using.
"I don't know Colby it was a feeling that Don needed me right then."
"Just like that time when you and Rae called about the door that had a bomb behind it?"
"Yes, like that time. I don't know how to tell you what it is but, it's a feeling so strong that I had to see him right then!" Michelle had to stop herself from yelling at one of the men that had helped her family start to get back to living their lives instead of their lives living them.
"I would do anything to help Don and your family! You know this Colby."
"Yes, I do but, that still doesn't mean that you need to go head strong into an open field with shots being fired." They both took the next few minutes to cool off a little. With his mind know able to think a little easier Colby remembered when he first saw her tonight she had been holding her leg as if she was in pain.
"Where were you hit?"
"I'm sorry?"
"Don't play with me tonight Michelle. I saw you hold your leg tonight and a few other times you acted like you were in pain. In fact when I meet you at Matt's car you were rubbing your shoulder as if you were trying to stop a pain in it."
"If you say so but, I'm fine Colby. Don was the one hurt." As she looked up into his eyes she saw the clear yea right written in them.
"When Don went down we hit the ground a bit harder than I thought we would is all."
"It would still make things better if a doctor was the one telling me you were alright."
"NO! Don is the one who was hurt! He is the one you need to be fussing over right now not me!" As quiet as the pair in the room had tried to stay they were loud enough that Don's doctor for the night had heard them as he left the room.
"I don't know what is going on but, it looks to me as you both need to cool off a bit." The doctor spoke entering the small room.
"Glad you're here doc. Miss Steven's been hurt and needs to be looked at."
"Is this true were you hurt Miss?"
"While it's true I was at the shooting. I am not hurt."
"How about you let me be the judge of that Miss." He spoke to Michelle before turning to Colby.
"If you will kindly step out in the hall for a moment. I would like to check over the Miss here to make sure that she's alright." Colby waited for the short nod of alright form Michelle before he walked out and waited behind the partway closed door. A few minutes later the doctor left the room and joined Colby in the hall.
"How is she really sir?"
"Agent it is apparent that you know this woman but, I still can't tell you anything about how she's doing."
"With all due respect doctor she was hurt during an FBI investigation. There are reports and things that need to be filed and handled."
"Agent I have worked in this hospital long enough to know about what reports and things that goes into FBI investigation mishaps. I will give Miss Steven's a copy of my report and send one to your office when I am done."
"Colby for God sakes leave the doctor alone. He did what you asked of him. Like I said only a few bumps and bruises is all." Turning to look from the doctor to the woman that had become almost like a little sister to him Colby slowly took in all he was told. It was a few seconds after the doc left when a thought hit her.
"Colby, Don doesn't know that I was there tonight does he?"
"Not yet he doesn't."
"Can we not tell him please?"
"Not tell him? Michelle you may only have a few bruises and bumps but, it was still an FBI investigation. If I don't tell him one of the other agents or officers will."
"Matt said no one really saw me. In fact he said that he didn't even know that I had gotten out of the car except for when he saw you heading towards me."
"That doesn't matter. You were there and hurt. Don as lead agent has to know what happened."
"Please Colby? I know that Matt isn't going to tell Don anything nor is anyone else can't this be our little secret? Please?"
"I guess if you're sure you are alight and no one is going to let it out of the bag then this one time I can overlook it. But, don't for one second think that you can black mail me into doing this or lying to him again."
Turning the pair slowly entered Don's room to find not only had Matt joined Alan and Charlie but so had Robin. It was no secret that Robin and Don had split some months back or that they were slowly working to mend their problems. So seeing her with him wasn't a big surprise for anyone. With Don safe for the night with only a nick to his leg and hurt on his chest for the vest shot one of the nurses was sending everyone home from his room at least until the morning when he had a good chance to be sent home if nothing else happened over night.
The next morning came quickly for everyone. Rae had only been told that Don had been hurt while doing his job. Michelle had known that Rae had felt scared last night about the time that Don had been hurt. Sharon had told her so when she had walked into their small apartment last night about how Rae had awake upset and asking for her mom and Don. Sharon had spent over half an hour getting the upset child to calm down before her mother arrived and took her to bed. Now with the chance to see him Rae and Michelle joined Colby, David, Megan, Charlie, and Alan at Don's bedside.
Robin had made a quick stop this morning by Don's place to get something's to help him feel more at home in her place. Only to discover that her key no longer worked and that with all the work that they had been doing to find their way back to each other Don had asked his building manger not to let her into his place without him there. With no other option but, to take him with her to get his things she quickly headed towards the hospital fully expecting to bring him here and then take him to her home for the next few days to recover. However her plans were changed for her as she stopped a few feet short of his hospital room door.
"Rae, are you being my good girl?" Don asked the child whose head was as far in his shoulder as she could get it.
"Yes, I am. When are you going home? Can you play with me? I miss you Don." Her words were muffled by his shoulder but, weren't missed by anyone including Robin and a nurse who had just joined her in the hall.
"Wow, slow down there Rae. I get to go to Charlie's today." Hearing that the man she loved was planning to go to his brother's home instead of coming home with her hurt a bit. It was at that moment that she noticed the lady standing beside her.
"It's nice to see a family with so much love for each other." The nurse spoke.
"Why do you think they're a family?" Not stopping to think about her answer the nurse spoke not knowing who Robin thought she was to Don.
"The way his face lit up upon seeing his child. The way she has clung to him since she entered the room and the way he looks at his wife. These are something's that after being around here for so long are hard to come by so when it happens we stop and enjoy it with the families." Still looking into the room instead of the lady beside her Robin spoke this time her voice was more of a whisper.
"I don't see a ring on her or his hand." Robin was pushing for information that Michelle might have given to the nurses about her being his family.
"Rings are nice but, not all people who love each other like they do ware rings. When it's true it's all in your heart and in your life and no one will be able to take that away."
The nurse looked down the hall with a smile on her face before turning and heading back down the hall. Robin's fits were clenched so tight at her side she wasn't sure what she would do if she walked into the room. So instead of finding out she walked back the way she came not letting the "Family" as the nurse had called them know she had been there.
A/N: What happens now? Will Robin make a move? How does Don cope with things at the Eppes home?
In answer to a review I live in North Carolina and only am able to write and speak in English. I have a few problems with spelling and grammar but I am working with spell and grammar check along with other people in hopes to fix the problems. That is one of the reasons I love honest feedback like this thank you. It makes me want to recheck things again and again before posting and that is a really good thing. Thanks for the reviews and hope that this helps. Any and all honest feedback is always welcome.