Sorry this chapter took so long, I got writer's block and last week of school is filled with tears, as I must say goodbye to my seniors (but saying goodbye includes partying)

Piccolo Chic: I'm volunteering at the hospital, and no I don't believe it'll get in the way but even if it somehow gets REALLY crazy, I'll still find time to write

Chapter 19

Don followed Charlie and Amita in Amita's car to her apartment. Amita ran upstairs and no doubt divulged the whole night's events to Mary. When Amita went upstairs, Charlie got into Don's car (for he was going to drive them to the office and back to the house for dinner). As Charlie stared out the window after Amita, Don looked at his brother. His face glowed, his posture was straighter, and his eyes sparkled.

Charlie really loves her "Charlie?" Don called softly

"Yeah" Charlie said turning

"Can I ask you something?"

"Of course"

"Do you love her?" Don asked staring at his brother. Charlie turned back to look out the window and, thought long about that question. He obviously liked her, but was love the right word? An unknown emotion took over Charlie's eyes as he answered

"Yes. I do love her"

"Good. You can't tell her I told you but I asked her the same thing this morning and she said that she loved you too"

Charlie just looked stunned "She-she said she loved me?"

"Yes. She did. She watched you run up the stairs, stared at the spot where you disappeared from sight for thirty seconds or so, then turned back to me. I saw the look in her eyes, it was the same look you had staring out that window. I asked her if she loved you and she said yes" Charlie just sat there in silence for a moment absorbing it all

"I can't believe it Don. She loves me. She said that she loves me. Don-"

"I know buddy, I know"

"SHE LOVES ME!" Charlie said yelling, happiness lighting ever corner of his face, and giving Don the biggest hug he thinks he might have ever received from his brother

"Woah buddy!" Don said returning the hug "Scream a little louder I don't think Amita heard you in her apartment"

"Don I'm sitting in the back, I have to be close to hear" Charlie sat there, waiting for approval from his brother

"Why are you waiting? I'm not stopping you" Don answered and then laughed as his brother scrambled and climbed into the backseat without getting out of the car. After another moment Amita came downstairs and was slightly surprised that Charlie was in the backseat. She was even more surprised that when the second she got her seatbelt on he kissed her

"What was that for?" She asked slightly blushing. She still wasn't used to Charlie expressing his feelings

"Being you"

"Oh, ok" Amita said smiling and giving him a quick kiss back.

Don just grinned; they reminded him of what he and Terry were like when they had first started dating in the academy. The ride was spent in relative silence, but that was only because Charlie wasn't talking up a storm like he normally does. Instead he was quite content with stroking Amita's back while she rested her head on his chest. Don pulled into the lot and the three traveled up to the bullpen. Don enjoyed seeing that Charlie and Amita had somehow joined hands, despite Amita carrying a laptop and a few notebooks, and Charlie carrying his own laptop, a map of the city he worked with when he was home, and notebooks of his own.

"Hi Charlie…and Amita" Terry added quickly seeing Amita trailing after Charlie. She noted their hands with an inward grin and a quick glance at Don

"Hi Terry" said Amita walking over to Terry and giving her a hug (to the best of her ability that is)

"How are you?" Terry asked giving Amita a warm hug. Something definitely happened last night. She would have to ask casually later

"I'm good" Amita leaned in and whispered "I have to tell you how our date went" Terry was surprised for a spilt second that Terry knew about the date but then realized that she could probably tell that Charlie some help on his outfit last night

"Ok, how about we 'go to the bathroom' in about a half an hour?" Terry arranged

"Meet you there" Amita said laughing

"What was that about?" Charlie asked as she rejoined him walking to the conference room

"Woman stuff" She looked over at Charlie and she that he had blushed slightly. She knew he would. She knew what he was thinking and she let him

"Oh. So what are you working on for Larry?" Charlie asked placing his books and laptop on the conference table then moving to hang up his map

"Homology, Cohomology, and Homotopy of black holes"

"Sounds like fun" Charlie said stepping away from the map, surveying it to see how straight it was. It was straight enough so he moved to the table to look for the right notebook and the file on the fraud case

"Its not that bad, well at least I don't think it is…yet. I haven't gotten that far into it"

"Well, I won't keep you from your work. If you get bored or need a change of pace, you know how to drag me away from my work, or you could indeed help on the case" Charlie said picking up the notebook he was looking for, walked over to Amita, gave her a quick kiss, then set to work at the whiteboards. He was lost to his math world in a minute.

"Now, lets see what I got myself into" Amita said to herself opening up the notebooks, praying it wasn't going to be TOO boring

Again guys I'm so sorry that took so long. For some reason I just hit a mental roadblock, but hopefully I have gotten past that