To all my followers and readers, I am very sorry for the delay in updates. I moved out of my parents' house about two years ago and have been getting acquainted with life as an adult, featuring bills, finding a good place to live, and keeping track of my finances. It's not easy, so I hope you can understand my lack of motivation towards writing up until now. I am hoping that writing this and other stories will be the first step to be updating and working on more fanfictions, so please be a bit patient with me.

So, I started watching Numb3rs about a month ago, and I instantly fell in love with the show, especially the relationship between Don and Charlie Epps. They remind me so much of Dean and Sam, and I love each episode that deals with their problems. For some reason, I just began wondering around season 2 what would happen if Charlie was Don's son instead, especially after seeing him with a kid in Calculated Risk and I decided to run with it. For the purpose of the story, some episodes happen in a different order than is canon. Calculated Risk will happen before the pilot episode and a few general crimes will take place for some time.

Don is 27 and Charlie is 9 here.

Enjoy and tell me what you think!

…

Fatherly Instincts

Don had honestly never considered himself the adopting type. He figured that when he was older, he would meet a nice girl, get married, and have kids the natural way. It's what his parents had done, and he always figured that he would follow their example.

That all changed after meeting Daniel Shay. Granted, he didn't wake up the next day and want to become a father, but he had been pondering since the moment he watched the kid's back turn the corner to get on the airplane. It had taken some giving, but he thinks, from an objective standpoint, he did a good job looking after the kid and helping him through his grief. Even if they just barely caught the people who had murdered his mom (thanks to a lot of luck and countless, nonstop investigation), staying and talking to him and his dad, Alan, had help Daniel and looked after him like he was his own. And that had unlocked a yearning he had never really had before.

Even as he brushed off his dad's teasing as they left the airport, the notion of thought refused to leave his head. It wasn't completely a bad idea, taking in a kid and raising him by himself, was it? After all, he had a great example growing up, and his dad would jump to help him and offer advice. Even though he had been an only child and had no experience dealing with kids outside the occasional babysitting job or two, he really thought this could be good for him. Somewhere out there, was a child who would benefit from his decision, and he really wanted to set that in motion.

When he hesitantly informed his dad of his thought process, he honestly expected a little negative feedback, or even a clear rant expressing disapproval. He was more than a little surprised by the response he actually got.

"I think that's a great idea," he had replied, no sign of joking or sarcasm in his voice at all. "I'm honestly surprised you came up with it yourself, considering."

"Really?" Don stated, a touch of disbelief infused in his voice, "You think the idea of me, and some kid is a good idea?"

"Look, Donnie," Alan said, complete sincerity saturating his sentence, "Even though I bust your chops about your state of living and your dating history, of course, I think you'd be a great dad. Especially after seeing you with Daniel."

"Yeah, but…" Don almost couldn't get the words out, "What if I don't… what if I'm not…?"

"Don?"

Finally, he blurted out, "What if I mess this up? What if I'm not as great at this as mom and you were? I mean, I want this dad, really, but the thought of that just…" He couldn't continue, his vulnerabilities laid out for his father to see.

"Donnie..." his father seemed to struggle a bit with what to say next before sighing heavily, sighing deeply, before he continued, "You know, your mother and I were not perfect, Don. We did our best, of course, but there were plenty of times we dropped the ball. We were so worried we would screw you up we decided you would be an only child."

That brought a brief scoff out of Don, but he hung on to every word.

"We made sure you had the freedom to be who you are and to know what was morally right. But I'm sure even you remembered there were one or two less than stellar moments. That's because despite what we wish to accomplish with our kids, all we have going for us is the life we ourselves had growing up and the dreams we have for our children. I could not be prouder of the man you are today, of course, and I know your mother would agree with me, but you did not come out the way we were expecting. And I could not be happier about that if I tried."

Don took a minute to ponder that, more than a little surprised by where this conversation ended up. "So, you really think I could do this? That I could be a great a dad as you were?"

"Donnie, you would not be like me when it comes to parenting, of that I am certain." Alan laid a gentle hand on Don's shoulder as he kept solid and confident eye contact with his son. "But I know with 100% belief that you would be the best thing in the world for any kid you choose to parent. So, don't doubt yourself for a second."

…

The overall process took about eight months to go through, enough time for him to panic over whether he presented himself as a good and responsible parent, who would do whatever he needed to for any kid he chose to adopt. That this wasn't a weak attempt to get reimbursing money or receiving benefits, and that this wasn't some spur-of-the-moment mid-life crisis thing (not that he was at the age to be having a mid-life crisis).

He was worried for nothing. The fees were paid, all the papers were processed and, just like that, he had an appointment at one of the local orphanages in Los Angles. The whole car ride there, he could feel his heart in his throat, the anticipation and fear swirling his guts into knots. He could practically see every worst-case scenario playing like a movie every time he blinked, and he was desperately attempting to not hyperventilate and end up at his destination sweaty.

Finally, he made it to the building, somehow managing to grapple his composure before making his way out of the car. An attractive blonde in a gray suit and skirt was waiting for him by the front door, an easy smile gracing her tanned face.

"Good morning, you must be Don Epps?" she waited a moment as he confirmed the notion, her smile growing bigger as she held out a well-manicured hand for him to shake. "I am Patricia Madison, director at this orphanage. I read your profile and I must say, I was very impressed someone of your caliber was looking to adopt. I mean, A real FBI agent at my place of business?! So, thrilling, I am sure the kids will be very excited to meet you."

"Oh, that's good," Don answered a little awkwardly, a little concerned with the slight excitement over his profession. Ms. Madison didn't seem to notice, as she dropped his hand and beckoned the agent to follow her, taking a moment to quickly scribble something on her clipboard as she walked confidently to a new location.

Giving the air of a practiced tour guide with years of experience, she stated, "Our orphanage houses a plethora of kids, ages five to thirteen, a total of 21 kids housed here. They're in the main room as of right now with the two-morning caretakers, Bonnie Porter and Matthew Campbell. Both respected officials in their field who have been with us for almost ten years. You will have a chance to meet the children after we go through a little paperwork to make sure everything has gone through and then you will have the opportunity to meet with the kids."

"Of course, we don't expect you to find your perfect match this visit, it could take weeks for a parent to find the "one", so to speak. We allow up to ten visits before we ask for a decision to be made, but we won't have a problem if you just so happen to find a child you wish to adopt today. Any questions, Bonnie has a near-perfect memory on most of the problem kids and the ones that generally stand out. Matthew will be able to give you the records on any child you may consider. Any questions?" Patricia suddenly turned and looked at him expectantly. Don just managed to avoid bumping into her, unraveled by the unpredictability as he hastily shook his head. "Excellent. Let's go over those papers so you can find your future son or daughter."

After a slow-paced two hours checking and double-checking his documents and information, as well as a thorough lecture on the dos and don'ts of the visit and how to talk to the kids should he be interested in any way, Don was finally led to the main room. Receiving a bubbly "Good luck!" from Ms. Madison, he walked through the doors, a grandmotherly woman of Hispanic origins standing to the side near the entrance, a steady eye on the kids.

"Mr. Don Epps? I am Bonnie Porter. A pleasure to meet you," she had a slightly accented voice full of warmth and sincerity. "Any questions, please feel free to come to me. I would be more than happy to give you the dirt on any child that catches your eye." She sneaked a conspiratorial wink at him, before turning her gaze back to the kids. "Take a look around. Most parents go for the child that best awakens their parenting instinct. You don't have to use that method, but first-timers usually stress over that."

Don nodded resolutely, taking a deep before taking a moment to study the room and the kids in it. There were toys scattered about, a few sections where kids were settled together, lots of laughing and screaming emanating everywhere. There were chairs, cushions, and bean bags, as well as a large shelf of books lining the wall.

As he moved forward, he could see Matthew moving forward, sending out a sharp whistle, immediately getting the attention of all the children. Don dimly noted there were about eleven kids there with different arrays of ethnicities. "Hello, everyone. We have a new guest, Don Epps. He is a single foster parent, and he wants to get to know some of you, so please make sure to behave please." Some of the kids took a moment to study him before nodding and then going back to whatever activity they had been doing before their attention was called.

Matthew turned to him, motioning him forward, "Some of the kids are either sleeping or meeting other foster parents. Walk around and talk to anyone you like." Don nodded. Then he began his inspection.

…

About half an hour later, he was crouching in a corner, more than a little overwhelmed. There were loud kids, quiet kids, and a load of them that were in between. The ones who walked up to him in confidence to introduce them, a little expectant twinkle in their eyes left him with a hard pit in his stomach that bothered him more and more.

It was harder than he thought, finding someone whom he would feel with resonate with him, his life, and the people in it. He kept second-guessing himself, caught between the children and he was feeling a bit self-deprecating over it. He sighed deeply, knocking his head back hard against the wall, feeling like a failure for not finding this easier.

"Hey, you're being too loud."

"Sorry," Don said back automatically, rubbing his head as his negative thoughts continued. Then his head snapped up, looking around wildly for the recipient of the voice.

"Over here, sir." He turned to his right to see a kid sitting about three feet away from him. He was pale-skinned, had black, short hair, and wore large-rimmed glasses. There was a big book on his

lap and was wearing a brown and white plaid, button shirt, and jeans that reached an inch from his white sneakers. He was staring up at him with a scrutinizing look in his eyes.

"Oh, hi," Don said, flustered at being caught looking unsettled in front of one of the kids. "I didn't see you there. Sorry."

The kid was quiet, just analyzing him for a few minutes before going back to his book, seeming to dismiss him for the literature in front of him. Feeling more than a little awkward now, Don

nervously cleared his throat, determined to make conversation. "So, my name is Don. Don Eppes."

The kid seemed to ignore him for a few minutes, engrossed in what he was reading. The pit in his stomach became as heavy as a bowling bowl and he was seriously considering leaving, assuming

he was bothering the poor child. He was probably turning the orphans off from being adopted just by being here.

"Charlie Finch." His head snapped back to look at the kid, shocked beyond belief that he was speaking to him. His head was still down, focused on his book, but he started speaking again about a

minute later. "I'm nine. I've been here for about three months."

"Oh, really?" Don was completely distracted from his earlier panic as the conversation slightly changed course. "Did your parents just… I mean, were you just?" Charlie lifted his head up to look

at him, speaking matter-of-factly. "My mom died when I was six. My dad left around that time. I was at another place before I was sent here." Don nodded to himself, pondering for a bit.

"Do you like it here?" Charlie took a moment to visibly think about it. "It's okay, kind of better than my old orphanage. A lot of good books. Are you here by yourself?"

"Uh, yeah. Going to be a single dad." He suddenly needed to hear that he was making the right decision from another source. "Do you think it's a good idea?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, say you were a single dad and you suddenly decided to be a parent. I mean, would that sound like a good scenario to you?"

Charlie was quiet for a moment, probably wondering why some nutjob was asking him, a kid many years younger, for whether he was doing something right. But he did answer. "Well, I don't

know if any single dad could become a parent. It can be difficult and that's including the general norm of two parents with two grandparents as a good foundation."

Don could already guess where this conversation is going. Even a little kid could see he was in the wrong here. He should have never listened to his dad; he was obviously looking at him in this

situation with rose-tinted glasses. So, what if he had a bonding moment with one traumatized kid for less than two weeks. He was in no condition to be a parent or provide any kid with

anything he may need. He didn't even know how he made it this far, he was doomed from the start.

"But, if you're asking if I think you would make a good parent, I think so." Charlie's answer infiltrated his negative thinking, suddenly washing away all the doubt and fears he was having.

"Are you sure? I mean, you have only been talking to me for a few minutes."

"About thirteen minutes, actually," Charlie shot back, holding up a Transformers-themed watch for him to see. "And in that time, you've had an obvious, impending panic attack, disrupted my

reading, and then spent the remaining time talking to me with real interest and asking my opinions. Most parents pick the cutest or most submissive or the most talented option, but you're

having a normal conversation with a normal kid. That's all any orphan could hope for."

Don found himself overwhelmed again, but this time it was with happiness instead of panic or fears. Because one of the kids saw him freaking out yet didn't judge him on that. Charlie was

reading his book innocently, but he still spoke to him and considered him a great possible parent. It was just what he needed to make it through the rest of the visit.

"Thanks, Charlie." He smiled gently at the bespectacled kid before getting up and walking away. Charlie watched the man's departure for a moment before going back to reading his book.

Unbeknownst to Don Eppes, it was a textbook for advanced Calculus.

…

"Hi!" Patricia Madison greeted as Don made his way into her office, looking just as cheerful, "how are you doing?"

"Just fine, thanks. It was touch and go for a while, but after a few self-induced panic attacks, I was really able to enjoy my visit here today. Met a lot of great kids who anyone would be lucky to

have."

"That's just great." Patricia shot him a wide grin, looking the epitome of bubbly. "The ball is in your court, as they say. I don't want to make any assumptions or pressure you for your decision, but

after seeing the children, do you have any idea who you will potentially pick?"

Don nodded before he was fully aware, but even then, he knew he was in the affirmative. "Yeah," he said, his mind immediately going to a nice kid with glasses reading a book in the corner. "I

think I do."

…

So, here's my first fic for Numbe3rs and I hope this first step in me writing again is a good piece to read. Please, review, favorite, and comment, and have a nice day.