Numb3rs:
Lurking in the Shadows:
Description:
Maura Eppes is your typical 22-year-old college student but her life isn't all that typical. When she finds herself being targeted by a sadistic mysterious shadow lurking her brothers Don and Charlie are on high alert to do whatever means necessary to protect their sister but when she finds herself in the clutches of her stalker the F.B.I and Charlie race to save her.
Disclaimer: I don't own any rights to Numb3rs just to the characters of Maura, Brett, Shelley etc. This is my first Numb3rs fanfic please be kind and I hope you enjoy. Please read and review.
Chapter 1:
It was a typical day for Maura Eppes nothing that could foreseen the hell she was about to endure. She was currently walking through the courtyard at Capstone college where he was a student studying literature and journalism in hopes of becoming either a writer or a reporter.
Recently she discovered someone had been leaving mysterious notes on the windshield of her car. "And you don't know is leaving you the notes?" Shelley, her best friend asked intrigued after Maura had just finish telling her.
Maura shakes her head, "Nope I have no clue"
Shelley looks at her curiously asking, "So what are you going to do?" Maura looks at her confuse, "What do you mean?"
Shelley looks at her friend stunned that she didn't see what was obviously going on, "Girl you got yourself an admirer" she said excitedly. Maura laughs at the absurdity, "Yeah a secret admirer that could also be someone's idea of a sick joke". They continue walking to their next class unaware they were being followed.
The next couple of weeks Maura had been receiving more notes and had been acquiring several array of assorted flower bouquets so much so the foyer of the Eppes' house was starting to look like a flower shop.
"So, who do I have to thank for turning my house into Siena Bouquet?" Alan asked his daughter one night as they set the dinning room table for dinner. "I don't know Shelley thinks they're from a secret admirer" Maura explained as she sets the utensils by each plate setting.
The front door opens revealing a tired Charlie entering the house. "Why does the house look like a florist shop?" he inquired as he puts his bookbag and keys down on the table in the foyer.
"Someone has been sending your sister flowers" Alan said before heading back into the kitchen. Charlie looks at Maura smiling, his eyes full of curiosity. "You got a boyfriend we don't know about?" he teased.
Maura makes a face at him pretending to be amused. Alan comes back carrying a serving plate that had the pot roast on it he places it on the table just as the front door opens revealing Alan's eldest son Don entering the house.
He also had taken notice of the floral interior. "Hey dad you taking up botany for a hobby?" he teased as he takes off the jacket hanging it by the door and takes his gun out of his holster placing it in the draw.
Alan informs his son his eldest that the ownership of the flowers belong to his sister. Don looks at his sister who blushes hoping he wouldn't tease her like Charlie did but noticing the mischievous glances between her brothers she knew she was out of luck.
"You got something you want to share with us, sis?" Don asked before heading into the kitchen to grab himself a beer.
"Yeah Maura tell us about this new boyfriend of yours?" Charlie chimed in.
"If I had a boyfriend you two clowns will be the last to know" she says before turning to her father silently asking him to get the boys to drop the subject.
"Alright enough boys" he said as they gather around the table and began to put food on their plates. Alan asks Don about the case he was currently working on. "We just wrapped it up thanks to Charlie's help" Don said looking across the table giving his brother an appreciative smile.
Charlie smiles happy he could help but even more happy to have his brother's approval. As Don and Charlie took turns explaining the case, Alan listens intently enjoying to see how close his sons have had become since Charlie had started consulting with the F.B.I.
He silently wishes his late wife; Margaret was there to witness it. He remembers what David Sinclair had once told him. I have never seen two brothers completely different and yet so much alike. Truer words have never been spoken that fit Don and Charlie's relationship perfectly.
Maura too was happy to see her brothers becoming closer, but she silently wishes she too had that kind of relationship with each of her brothers.
After dinner, Maura is in the kitchen washing the dishes when she gets a text message on her phone. She checks the message to see it was from an unknown number asking her how the pot roast they had for dinner was. Maura has an uneasy feeling as she reads the text message.
As she is rereading it, she doesn't hear someone walking in. "Everything alright?" a voice asked. Maura jumps startle she turns to see her brother standing there. "What the hell Don you scared the hell out of me" she scolded annoyed clearing out the text messages on her phone before she goes back to washing the dishes.
She hoped Don hadn't seen her looking at her phone. The last thing she wanted was for her nosy F.B.I brother to start poking his nose in her business.
Don holds his hands up in mock surrender chuckling by her reaction, "I'm sorry sis I didn't mean to scare you" Maura rolls her eyes at his attempt of an apology.
Don had a sense that something was bothering his sister. Although he wasn't as close to her as he was with Charlie, he hoped that if something was ever bothering her, she would know she could come to him. He tried to make sure both of his siblings knew they could come to him that as their big brother he would always be there to help them.
"How is everything at going at school?" he asked curiously as he walks over to her he grabs a dish towel and helps dry the dishes that were sitting on the counter.
Maura shrugs her shoulders, "School's fine" Don nods his head deciding to go for a different approach. "Is there anything you want to talk about?" he asked. Maura is caught off guard wondering why he was asking. "Why do you ask?" she asked coyly.
Seeing she didn't brush him off Don decides to keep going,
"I don't know you seem quiet during dinner like you had something on your mind"
Maura was surprise she hadn't realize how perceptive her brother was. "I just had a lot on my mind with finals coming up" she explained hoping he would buy it and not ask anymore questions.
Don brotherly and F.B.I instincts were on high alert something was going on, but he didn't know what, not wanting to risk alienating her he decides to drop the subject figuring if it were something important, she would confide in him.
Don wraps his arm around her shoulder, "Don't worry you'll do fine on your finals" Maura was caught off guard by the sudden warmth of affection. It was very rare Don would show any kind of affection so for him to suddenly hug her almost made her want to break down and tell him about the text messages but something inside of her wouldn't permit her to do so.
The tender moment between siblings was suddenly cut short by Alan poking his head into the room not realizing he was interrupting a moment between his oldest and youngest, "Donnie hurry up the game's about to start" he said closing the door.
Maura takes the dish cloth from her brother. "Go ahead I'll finish the dishes" Don smiles taking it as his que to leave, he grabs a beer from the fridge and walks out of the kitchen.
Maura was relieved to have the kitchen to herself again, she continues doing the dishes when she receives another text message. She reads the text that was more disturbing than the previous message. "I'm glad to have witness a kodak moment between you and your brother…how sweet" She panics frighten feeling expose as though she is being watched.
She tries to ignore it playing it off as some sort of paranoia due to stress but she knew she was only fooling herself.