Chapter 18

Amita woke up slightly disoriented. When she opened her eyes, it wasn't her room she was looking at. It was Charlie's. She went to roll out of bed when she felt a tug at her waist. Looking down she saw Charlie's arms wrapped around her waist. A smile played across her face. The sun was shining, she could smell the coffee rising up the stairs and she knew everything was going to be ok. So, she took a deep breath and relaxed against Charlie. She inhaled his smell (some cologne and dove soap), got her breathing in sinc with his and soon fell back into a peaceful sleep.

"Should I wake them up now?" Don said looking at the clock. It was ten thirteen and Don needed to be back at the office and he needed to take Charlie with him. The fraud case was still going on and they needed to be Charlie back in the office with the equation on the off chance it needed to be reworked

"Give them until ten thirty" Alan said looking at the clock

"No its ok, we're awake" Charlie said walking down the stairs followed very closely by Amita. Don wondered why until he saw that they were holding hands

"I hope that you guys are in the mood for bacon and eggs" Alan said from the front of the stove

"Couldn't sound better" Amita said smiling brushing hair out of her face

"Good and call me Alan"

"Ok" Amita said settling into a chair. She was still in a very nice haze after waking up in the arms of Charlie

"Did you two have a good sleep?" Don asked trying (and failing) to keep the smile off of his face. Charlie was about to hit him, but Amita was closer "Ow!" Everyone just laughed

"Seriously though, did you have a good rest Amita? I know you were a little upset last night" Alan asked serving breakfast and sitting down with a concerned look in his eyes

"I'm ok now" Amita said giving a warm smile the all the Eppes men (and a gentle squeeze to Charlie's hand)

"Amita, if you don't mind me asking, why were you so upset? He seems like an ass and didn't you only go out on one date?" Don asked tentatively, while not looking her in the eyes

"Well, that's the thing. He didn't seem like an ass. I didn't just pick him up at a bar. He was Mary's old friend and we knew each other for three months before we started going out. I thought I knew him a little better than that. I was upset because he used me, he insulted Charlie and me. All those tears weren't just painful tears, if that's the right word. Some were anger. Anger at him for being an ass, anger for using me, anger for making fun of someone I care about" Amita stole a glance at Charlie "Anger for not seeing through his plan"

"Well now you don't have to worry about him" Charlie said giving Amita a hug and sending shivers down her spine

"Thank you Charlie. You too Don for driving us home and Alan for letting me stay the night and driving my car home"

"You are more then welcome" Alan replied, Don just smiled and waved her off

"So Don what brings you here this fine early morning, or did you never leave?" Charlie asked starting to eat his food. In doing so he hesitantly let go off Amita's hand realizing it would be easier to eat with two hands

"I never left. I kinda crashed after picking you guys up. Though I've stayed here this late, much to the dismay of my supervisor, to take you guys to the office" Alan realizing that they were going to start shop talk, excused himself to go play golf with his friends

"But-" Charlie started looking greatly confused

"Amita has clearance and no, it's not equation that messed up. It's the suspects. According to their own pattern they were supposed to strike yesterday but I had all the man power I could get watching the area the equation predicted and nothing"

"Maybe-maybe the equation was off by a bit?" Amita suggested softly. She didn't want to anger Charlie but as looked into his eyes she could see the battle. Numbers were never wrong to Charlie but it was a very probable that the equation was wrong and that's why they didn't catch him

"I don't think the equation's off, I think they just realized that we were getting close so they switched their pattern up" Seeing the look on Charlie's face killed Don so he decided he'd tell Charlie what else he did "Charlie, buddy, it wasn't the equation. I- I set up a safety net. If anything suspicious that fit their MO turned up, I would have been contacted"

"That's great! Now we know they didn't strike" Charlie said taking it the way Don prayed he would've. To be honest he thought Charlie might have been mad because it might have come across that Don didn't trust his math after all this time

"I guess now we just have to wait, but like I said I want you two to come into the office, in case we need you"

"Sure, I can go. Can you?" Charlie answered then turned to Amita

"Let me think" Amita ran through what she had to do for today. Just run over some equations for Larry "I'm pretty sure. I just need to pick up some equations for Larry from my apartment. I promised him that I would work on them for him. It wouldn't a problem for me to work on them there would it?"

"I don't see why it would be a problem. As soon as Charlie's ready to go we'll leave"

"Ok. I'll be right back, let me just get dressed-" Charlie said standing up from the table, putting his dish in the sink and then bounding up the stairs two at a time. Amita smiled watching him. Don couldn't but grin at her open feelings for him. Amita looked back at her food and found that Don was smiling

"What?" Amita said flushing

"You really love him don't you?" Don asked very seriously

Amita looked up at the staircase, paused and then answered, "Yes, I do love him". After another thirty seconds, Charlie came bounding down the stairs to find Don giving Amita a hug and Amita smiling brightly

"Am interrupting something? Cause I can come back…" Charlie jokingly stated while turning around slowly

"No, you weren't interrupting anything. Now off to the office" Don said, standing. Amita followed suit as she walked towards the door to get her jacket. As Charlie passed though Don whispered "Hold on to her Charlie"

"What?" Charlie asked confused but Don was already his way out the door.

Not that good of a chapter but it was written in a very scattered way. What I mean is normally I sit down and write three quarters of the story one day and then finish it off another but this one was written over four separate days in very random spurts. Anyway, I done with finals (OMG I'M A SENIOR NOW!) so I'll hopefully have some more time for writing, if the hospital doesn't get in the way