Disclaimer: I own no part of Numb3rs. This is just for fun
Rated T for violence and language
This story is set six years in the future. Two brothers, long estranged, meet in an airport on New Year's Eve. One finds himself stranded far from home wanting nothing more than be with his family. The other is on his way home, wanting nothing more than to be alone with his memories on the last night of the year. He offers his stranded brother shelter and hopefully both will find peace.
Thank you for reading my little tale. Your reviews are very much appreciated.
Thank you to everyone who has stuck with this story. It's gone on a bit longer than I intended but if Charlie, Don and the guys don't want to give it up just yet.
Shelter from the Storm
Epilogue Part 9
Don Eppes groaned as three pairs of eager little hands tugged at his own larger ones rousing him from a fitful sleep. He glanced at his watch and saw that it was 7AM — far too early for anyone to be so active and so cheerful.
"Come on, Daddy, Uncle Will and Uncle Mike are cooking breakfast and it's almost time to eat!" Justin shouted.
The girls loudly agreed and added, "Daddy, hurry and get up! It's our last day at the camp and we don't want to miss anything!"
"Kids — please — give me a second!" The sluggish agent mumbled as he sat up. He ran his hands through his hair and licked his lips.
Don took a few minutes to gather his strength then he dragged himself to his feet, shuffled to the bathroom for a quick shower that he hoped would clear his foggy brain, ran a razor over his stubble and put on some clean clothes.
He emerged from the small bathroom to find the children gathered by the front door waiting impatiently for their father who was, judging by the looks he was receiving, taking way too long in getting ready!
Don halfheartedly opened the cabin door and the girls and Justin charged out ahead of him, darting and jumping like three young springboks racing across the Kalahari. Their father however, squeezed his eyes shut against the early morning sun and taking a pair of sunglasses out of his pocket, he shoved them on his face then rubbed the back of his neck and slowly moved his head from side to side in an effort to work out the kinks.
He heaved a heavy sigh which quickly turned into a cringe when Amy suddenly let out a piercing shriek prompted by a well-meaning Justin, who held a fascinating — at least to the inquisitive boy's point of view — iridescent green beetle a few inches from her face. The problem with that was that Amy wanted no part of any kind of insect no matter how pretty her silly brother thought it was!
Soon the children … egged on in part by Gus … were shouting and running in circles chasing each other and laughing. Their exhausted father, who had managed to fall asleep only an hour before he had been forced to get up, inwardly groaned and did battle against the urge to engage his most forceful federal officer voice and bring order and blessed silence to the ensuing chaos — at least until a more decent hour — say about noon or so.
It was a battle he was already just barely winning when he found himself confronted with the proverbial straw that nearly broke the camel's back. And the bearer of that straw was not his noisy, exuberant little ones or an even louder Gus. No — the cause of his near-defeat on that bright, clear summer morning — was his little brother who — despite his astounding mathematical and scientific prowess — sometimes didn't know when to keep his big mouth shut!
"Damn!" A broadly grinning Charlie all but snorted as he stood with his hands on hips staring at his bedraggled older brother. "I'd hate to think what you'd look like if you actually drank last night!"
Don felt his eyes narrow and his teeth clamped together hard enough to make his jaw hurt. "Shut up Chuck," The surly agent growled and plopped himself onto a folding camp chair ignoring Charlie's frown at being referred to by the hated nickname of 'Chuck'. "Thanks to that cowboy's damned story, I could barely sleep. I half expected some gun-toting, cigarette smoking apparition from hell to kick down the door at any second."
At least that was his official explanation for his rag-tag appearance. What Don didn't want to admit to Charlie, the Pack or to himself, was that sleeping on a hard-wood floor — even with a sleeping bag for padding — had caused his neck and shoulders to stiffen up and his back to twinge.
Nor did he want to admit that the excesses of the past week — the rich, unfamiliar diet, the activity-packed days that began at the crack of dawn followed by late hours with the Pack — had finally caught up with him and was extracting a heavy toll in the form of horrendous indigestion, aching muscles and one endless and all-but-sleepless night.
Charlie cleared his throat and quickly wiped the smile from his face as he recalled one of the many hard-learned lessons in how to deal with his older brother. There were times when it was all right to crack a few jokes at his expense but when Don had a certain look on his face — when his lips formed a tight, thin line — discretion was most certainly, the better part of valor.
"Ahhh …wait here, I'll be right back," Charlie muttered as he turned and dashed towards the campfire.
"Please — take your time." Don grumbled as he rubbed his forehead wanting nothing more than to be left alone with his suffering.
But the younger Eppes brother didn't 'take his time' and Don was exceedingly glad that he didn't because he soon returned bearing a mug of steaming hot coffee perfectly prepared with one sugar and a little cream.
Don gratefully took the mug from his brother's outstretched hand in both of his and took a sip. "Buddy … you are a saint!" He whispered.
Charlie smiled gently, "Well, there's plenty of coffee and breakfast is almost ready so just relax for a while. You'll feel better after you get some of Mike's eggs in your stomach."
Don harrumphed doubtfully and took a long sip of the cherished, caffeine-laden beverage that had seen him through many long, boring hours on stakeout or anxious nights walking the floor with a sick child. He pinched the bridge of his nose and squeezed his eyes shut, an unmistakable herald of an impending headache. Then, as if he wasn't miserable enough, another voice echoed through the morning air.
"Chow's ready!" Mike Donovan shouted as he removed the cast-iron skillet from the fire — and to make sure he had everyone's attention — especially Don's — he pounded on a pan with the spatula.
Don grimaced. "I'm really gonna kick that man's ass someday," he thought and took another sip of his coffee.
Charlie, knowing Don was in no mood to stand in a chow-line no matter how short, took mercy on his brother by fixing him a plate and delivering it to his chair along with a refill for his near empty mug and a couple of Advil.
"Again — you are a saint," Don muttered as he downed the pills.
"Eat your breakfast while it's hot and then, if you still don't feel any better, we'll watch the kids and you can catch another couple of hours sleep." Charlie sympathetically patted his shoulder. "I'm gonna go grab some food while there's still some left. If you need anything, just call me." He said and turned to join the others.
Don gazed at the contents of his plate — scrambled eggs, potatoes cooked with onions and green peppers and fresh fish fillets caught in the pristine, icy lake just an hour before, expertly battered and sautéed to a golden, crispy brown. He swallowed hard wondering if anyone would notice if he found a discrete place to dump the food.
He glanced towards the campfire and saw Charlie watching him with wide concerned eyes and Don knew he had no choice but to at least take a bite or two.
Cautiously, he took one small forkful and shoved it in his mouth, which led to another, and another and before he knew it, the plate was empty, he felt ten times better, the looming headache had been averted and — oddly enough — his jumpy stomach had settled down.
With the morning meal out of the way and the chores completed, the adults relaxed while the kids played. After about an hour, the men found themselves confronted by three little ones who were now bored with each other's company and begging for something else to do — and the Pack had just the perfect thing planned.
Soon, much to the kids' great joy, they found themselves strapped into lifejackets and listening to last minute safety instructions as to how to ride in a canoe. They split into three groups, boarded the little boats, and one by one, pushed away from the dock.
"Uncle Will, how long is the ride going to last? I hope it's going to last a long time!" Justin said gripping the side of the boat and grinning at his father who was sitting at the bow expertly manning a paddle.
"Well Justin, to see the entire lake takes about 2 1/2 to 3 hours," Will said as he gently paddled and maneuvered towards the bend in the lake.
"Yeah, it's a three hour tour!" Gus cheerfully added with a wicked glint in his eyes.
"If any of you even thinks of singing the theme from Gilligan's Island, I will …" Mike stopped and looked around at the kids. "You'd just better not that's all I can say!"
As the three boats slowly made their way around the large lake, Will showed them why he was so in love with his little corner of the world. They saw eagles in their nests and an elk proudly sporting a huge rack of antlers on his majestic head. They were treated to the spectacle of fish jumping right out of the water, a variety of wildlife both small and large and some of the most beautiful and unspoiled countryside that Don had ever seen.
As they rounded a bend, Charlie had everyone stop their canoes and he pointed off in the distance where two dark figures, one large and one slightly smaller could be seen lumbering their way up a steep hill.
"Look, do you guys see the Black bears?" He asked.
"Yes, Uncle Charlie, we see them!" Amanda gasped.
"They're so cute!" Amy said.
"Hummm — just take my word for it," Charlie said with an odd look on his face. "Yogi and Booboo are not nearly so cute close up."
"Do I even want to know?" Don asked sounding every inch the long-suffering older brother.
"Probably not," was the answer and Charlie handed his binoculars to his bother so he could help his kids get a closer look at the bears before they disappeared from view — and then it was time to head back to camp.
As the rancher had predicted, the boat tour took almost exactly three hours. By the time the canoes were safely tied off at the dock and the lifejackets stowed in the boathouse, it was time for a quick lunch … hotdogs of course. Shortly after that, Mike made sure the campfire was completely extinguished while the others cleaned up the area. All of that accomplished, they loaded the van and headed for home.
…
Upon their arrival back at the ranch, the kids charged from the van in a noisy, excited swarm and rushed to their mother, all of them talking at the top of their lungs, interrupting each other at ever other sentence.
Justin went on and on about the cabin and getting the wolves to howl. They laughed so hard they nearly fell over as they described — in far more detail than Charlie thought necessary — about how Uncle Bear threw Uncle Charlie over his shoulder and how Uncle Charlie screamed like a girl because he thought Uncle Will was a snake.
With wide eyes, they told her about cooking hotdogs by putting them on a stick and holding them in the campfire, about taking a canoe ride and seeing an elk and eagles and even bears! Amy told her about having FISH for breakfast and how it was really good! They didn't like fish but that fish was great because Uncle Will caught it and cooked it himself over a campfire. Everything tasted so good cooked outside! Could they make a fire in the backyard and cook dinner over it?
Robin grinned and looked at her smirking husband who obviously wasn't going to offer her any help at all with this one. "I don't think the neighbors would like it very much if we built a campfire in the backyard but — maybe Daddy can barbeque more often — it's almost the same thing," she said hugging each of her children and giving them warm, loving, mommy kisses. "I missed you all very much but I'm glad you had a good time."
"Okay guys," Don said with a slight frown at the thought of dinner duty landing on his head more often than it already did, "you can tell Mommy all about the camp later but right now you need to help your uncles unpack the van. When that's finished, we need to make sure we get all our bags packed and ready to go because we have to leave for the airport really early tomorrow morning."
"Do we have to go home?" Justin pleaded. "Can't we stay for one more day?"
"Son, I have to be back at work the day after tomorrow and so does Mommy, besides, we don't want to take advantage of Uncle Will's hospitality and I have a feeling Uncle David is about to resign as our pet sitter." Don tenderly cupped the boy's chin and ruffled his hair. "Now, go help unload the van." He kissed the top of his son's head and watched as he ran to join the others.
Don looked down as he felt little hands gripping his jeans. He scooped his youngest up in his arms and held him close cuddling him lovingly as David wrapped his little arms around his father's neck. "How was your guy-free night? Did you enjoy the hot tub?" He smiled at his wife.
Robin sighed softly. "It was one of the most peaceful evenings I've had in a long time. David fell asleep early and didn't wake up until morning. I had a delicious, peaceful dinner served with a chilled glass of Riesling and then I lit scented candles and spent an hour alone in the hot tub. It was heaven." Robin slipped her arm around Don's waist and kissed him. "How'd it go for you? Was it fun being out on the open range with 'The Riders of The Purple Sage?"
Don chuckled. "Yeah, it was fun … for the most part."
"Uh oh, what happened?" Robin's eyes narrowed. "You didn't have another fight with …"
"No, nothing like that," Don shook his head. "Let's just say that I'll be glad to get home and back to our routine. I think my back prefers our mattress to a cabin floor and my stomach prefers your food to this cowboy stuff."
Robin chuckled softly. "Poor baby," she whispered and kissed his cheek.
…
Later, the camping gear stowed and most of their own luggage, except for a small carry-on bag, packed and loaded in the van, the adults took the rest of the afternoon to unwind while the children played with the dogs and spent a couple of hours on the tire swing Gus had built for them.
Dinner that night was simple, casual fare and the little group lingered over the good food and conversation. Afterwards, the kids and Robin went to bed early since they had to get up before dawn the next morning.
The men sat around the living room for a few minutes more until Mike Donovan stood up and announced rather loudly and abruptly that he was in the mood for a few beers and a Stallone Fest. "Boys, what say we leave the Brothers Eppes to enjoy a little sibling-bonding time and we can indulge in a little Rambo Time."
"Sounds good," Will said. "Gus, you grab the beer and I'll pop the corn."
Mike gave Charlie a slap on the back and headed off to the basement with Will and Gus at his heels.
"He's such a — subtle man, isn't he?" The mathematician muttered with a roll of his eyes then he glanced at Don. "Want to join me on the porch for a little — sibling-bonding time?" He asked.
Don agreed and followed his brother out into the quiet dark of the evening.
Charlie settled on one side of the old porch swing and Don took the other. For a while, they sat in silence listening to the wind, which had picked up considerably over the last hour and the temperature had dipped a few degrees. From the barn, they could hear the rhythmic clink of metal hitting metal with each gust and from the stables, the restless whinnying of horses floated in on the brisk breeze.
"It's going to storm tonight," Charlie motioned towards the mountains that rose to the west. Don could see a flash of lightening and he heard the distant rumble of thunder. "I'd say we have about thirty or forty minutes before it reaches us."
Don nodded and watched as another brilliant streak filled the distant, blue-black sky putting on a magnificent display. "Charlie," Don said, "this week has been fantastic. I'm very grateful to you and to your friends for all you've done. I don't think the kids will ever forget it."
Charlie smiled. "It's been a lot of fun for us too — more than you know. Hell, Gus has had the time of his life. Inside, he's just a little kid — a really huge little kid."
"Oh … so Gus is the little kid and the rest of you are all so damned grown up and mature," Don grinned.
The mathematician blushed slightly, looked away for a second and shrugged his shoulders.
"You know — there is one thing about this week that could have been better." Don looked at his hands for a second then towards his brother who was watching him closely. "We've been so busy trying to stuff everything possible into every day that I feel like you and I have had almost no time at all to just … talk."
Charlie blinked a couple of times, "We have time now, so — you first, what do you want to talk about?" He cocked his head to the side waiting for Don to say whatever it was he wanted to say.
Don took a moment then he spoke in slow, measured words. "Charlie … in the months since we ran into each in that airport … I've spent a lot of time thinking about us and what I really want from this relationship." Don could feel dark eyes boring into the side of his head. He hesitated hoping that the words he was using were the right words.
Charlie said nothing; he only sat very still listening to his brother as he struggled to express himself.
Don took a deep breath."Things between us have never been easy, have they … not even when we were kids? Our relationship has never been simple."
"No, Don, things have never been — easy or simple for us," he said.
Don turned and looked at the man sitting beside him. "What I'm trying to say to you is that whatever you may have done or I may have done in the past, you're important to me now. I'm thankful that you're back in my life — and not just as a favorite uncle to my kids or as some secret benefactor during hard times — but as a brother to me and as a close and cherished friend. I want things to be — easy — for us, buddy. I need for things to be — simple."
Charlie took a deep breath and looked out towards the storm gathering on the horizon. "Don — I haven't seen a lot of happy endings in recent years. My life is far more … Cormac McCarthy than Nickolas Sparks. Running in to you on New Year's Eve was — serendipitous to say the least and, I have to confess, not at all welcome. The timing seemed extraordinarily bad and almost cruel." He turned his eyes towards his bother.
"Coming home that first time was more difficult than you can imagine. I almost didn't go but I'll always be glad that I did. Reconnecting with you and being a part of your family is the best thing that has happened to me in a long damned time. I'm happy that you're all in my life and I'm proud to call you my brother and my dearest friend." The corners of his mouth turned up slightly and he touched his brother's wrist. "I think I can do easy, big brother, and I can do simple."
Don smiled and leaned back in the swing. "Do you think we could have gotten maudlin just now?" He asked with a chuckle.
"I guess we could have fallen into each other's arms weeping." Charlie noted.
They looked at each other for a long hard moment.
"I think we'll leave that for another time," they said in unison and looked away.
"Charlie," Don said, "We had some pretty rocky times when we were kids but it wasn't all bad. We had some good times as well. Please tell me that you remember some of the good times."
"Sure, I remember, Don. I also remember that some of the not so great times were, in retrospect, hilarious." He leaned towards Don and said with a smirk, "Do you remember that girl you were stuck on when you were twelve? She had long wavy blonde hair and smelled like vanilla."
"Oh yeah!" Don crossed his arms over his chest. "I think her name was Allison but everyone called her Allie." He let out a long nostalgic sigh. "Allie Brooks — I haven't thought about her in a long time." He turned to see his brother eyeing him with an amused look on his face.
"I don't know if you knew this or not but, Mom didn't like her at all. She was the topic of more than one conversation when you weren't around. A few of them got a bit heated because, as Mom saw it, she had flirted with Dad and that was just not acceptable. Of course, Dad didn't see it that way. He thought of her as a little girl. Mom just said that sometimes men were thick-headed."
Charlie smiled. "I'm fairly sure the folks weren't aware of the fact, but I was in the solarium during a few of those discussions and I overheard everything they said. Let me tell you — they were pretty shocked when, one night at dinner, I opened my seven year old mouth to let them know that they had a few of their facts concerning the girl incorrect."
"I don't remember that at all," Don searched his memory. "Where was I?"
"Spending the night at Steve Shaw's, I think it was his birthday or something …well anyway … the first incorrect fact I pointed out was that Mom had her name wrong. It was not Lolita — it was Allie," Charlie said matter-of-factly and Don started to break up.
"And Donnie was not in her league because she didn't play baseball so she wasn't in any league at all much less one of her own."
"God, Charlie!" Don was laughing so hard his stomach hurt.
"And that she wasn't more advanced than our Donnie because I asked her a math question and she didn't know the answer and she told me she didn't like math or science or chess. That all she liked was buying new clothes, listening to music and trying on make-up." Charlie cut his eyes towards his laughing brother.
"Damn it, buddy!" Don snorted
"Oh, it gets better," Charlie said. "Then I told Mom that Allie wasn't faster than you 'cause you could beat her in a race any day of the week and she was really silly because she giggled too much and she laughed at all of Donnie's and Dad's jokes, even the stupid ones."
"You …" Don slid his arm around his brother's shoulders.
"Wait; there's more," Charlie held up his index finger, "I went on to say that she was also silly because she was always wearing her little sister's clothes. I could tell because her shorts were too small and tight and her skirts were so short that you could almost see her underwear. Then I said that you were a dookie head for wanting to go to the mall with her instead of playing games with me."
By now Don was wiping the tears from his streaming eyes, "And what did Mom say to that?" he gasped between howls.
"Nothing at first, then she called me Charles Edward Eppes and sternly told me that nice little boys don't say dookie head. Naturally, Dad had to but in his two cents by adding 'not even when Don's acting like one, son.' At which point Mom snarled 'Alan' and lightly backhanded him on the shoulder — and then we all went out for ice cream."
"Later that night I heard peals of laughter coming from their room but I had no idea what could be so hilarious!" Now Charlie was laughing along with his brother until both of them were panting and out of breath. "I just figured they were reading a funny book or something — hell, what did I know, I was just seven!"
"Oh, God Charlie, I love you — you are truly one of a kind," Don said as the laughter subsided and he could finally catch his breath.
"I guess I love you too, big bro — even when you're being a big — dookie head," Charlie said and slipping their arms around each other's shoulders, the Eppes brothers again broke down in laughter as a cleansing rain began to fall
TBC