A/N: I don't know the name of Terry's ex husband (or if she did indeed have an ex husband, I may have read that in another fanfic…I don't know any of her history) so it's going to be Josh…oh and read the OTHER author's not at the end

Chapter 33

As Marlene walked away, the med student Jacobs went to work setting everything up. Terry and Don watched him, suddenly wondering maybe it wasn't ok that a med student was taking care of Terry. However, Terry did realize that now was an opportune time to talk because there may not be time later and she had been holding her feelings in for so long, she doesn't know if she could hold them in for any longer.

"Don-" Terry called out softly

"Yes" Don replied turning around to face her and taking her hand in the process

"We-we need to talk about what happened today" Terry spoke with control. Right now, the only thing she wanted was his arms around her and to tell him that she had been waiting for his admission of love for too long. Terry opened her mouth to start the long talk, let the words spill but Don held his hand up. She closed her mouth then with the other hand closed the curtain around them. Not that the curtain gave true privacy (you could still hear every word) but she wanted it there in case she needed to cry

"Let me go first, please, cause I can't take keeping this inside any longer" Don spoke taking her other hand "I honestly don't remember why we broke up. I admit that when it ended I still had feelings for you but then I met Kim. When my mom got sick and I came back home and lost Kim, I thought I would miss her like I missed you but somehow the pain that I felt after losing her was different…I had loved Kim, that's why I proposed-" Terry opened her mouth to interrupt but he gave her a look that let her know he wasn't done. She closed her mouth again "-but I had to admit that while we were dating, I had once in awhile imagined the life I would have had with you if we had gotten married and I liked the image. When I transferred back to LA and we became partners again I was overjoyed. I saw the chance to have our relationship back but you didn't seem to feel the same. When I heard that you had gotten hurt, I can't describe the anger I was feeling" Don paused. For a moment Terry thought it was her turn but then he started talking again "Though the anger flushed from my veins when I thought of the position you were in. I added 'I love you' to the end of the text message because I was afraid that I wouldn't get a chance to say it in person. We put our lives on the line every day but you being held hostage was something very different. There wasn't that degree of control that we normally have. I added it because it's true. I love you Theresa Lake" With that Don brought up Terry's hands to his mouth and kissed them. He returned them to her lap and looked at her signaling it was her turn to speak

"Honestly, I don't remember why we broke up either. I think we both agreed that it would be hard to work in the FBI and be together, I don't remember. I do remember that after I was transferred to LA you were the only person I could think of. I missed you so much. I met Josh and we hit it off. I thought of you less and less but you never truly left my mind. When Josh proposed, I accepted but I still wanted a life with you. I would wake up some mornings next to him, saw the short spiky black hair, and for a split second thought I was waking up next to you like I had always dreamed" Terry paused and Don feared that she had finished but after a moment she continued "When Josh and I got divorced, it hurt. I had loved him at one point and we had something very nice but it was time we ended it, we just didn't mesh well I suppose. Then you came back into my life. I was excited about this new agent that was smart and amazing and had run his own department where he worked before. To joy, it was you Don. I've wanted to ask you out since you first got back but when we broke up we agreed to always keep a professional distance, but I can't do that anymore. If I only learned one thing today it was when I was watching Amita when she got that text message from Charlie, and the one she sent back. It made me realize that we can't wait for tomorrow because tomorrow might not come. I love you Donald Eppes" Don let go of one of her hands, placed it under her chin, titled her towards his, and placed a soft kiss on her lips. The med student coughed, signaling that he was done and if was all right to open the curtain.

"You can pull the curtain back" Don answered smiling

"Ok, so I'm going to irrigate the wound and then um cut some of the hairs away from the wound so I don't suture them" Jacobs for the first time

"Ok" Terry responded taking Don's hands again. She flinched once or twice when the med student not so gracefully cleaned her wound. He trimmed her hair and thankfully she didn't see a whole lot fall. Just as Jacobs finished Marlene returned

"Good job Jacobs. Now, what are you going to use for the sutures?" Marlene asked smiling, trying to relax the med student. He was really smart just very patient shy.

"Um number four nylon?" Jacobs mumbled after a moment

"Correct. Now what do you do?"

"Start suturing?" Jacobs answered unsurely again

"Did you ask if she was allergic to Novocain?"

"Yes" Don answered quickly. For some reason he felt the need to protect Jacobs (maybe it was because he seemed so out of his element) "For my own curiosity what would she get instead?"

"That would take some history taking" Jacobs answered relieved that Don had saved him "We would have to find out if she was allergic to the whole –caine family but she's not so we don't have to worry about that"

"Ok, well I'll get the Lidocaine, I'll be back in a moment" Marlene walked off

"How did you know I wasn't allergic to Novocain?" Terry inquired

Slightly blushing Don answered, "Cause when we were going out at the academy you went to the dentist to get a tooth pulled you said 'thank god for Novocain'"

"You remember that after all this time?" Terry inquired enjoying that it was HER turn to make HIM blush for a change

"Well, yeah" Don said recovering quickly "You looked so cute with your cheeks all puffed out like a squirrel with cotton" Don got shoved for that one but Terry was laughing so he knew she wasn't mad

"Agent Eppes, I just wanted to thank you for saying that. I just hope she bought it"

"I'm sure she did. If she didn't, you're a med student and you're allowed to mess up, you're here to learn. Bet you won't forget to ask again"

"Definitely. Here she comes"

"I'm back. Put your gloves on and then take this" Marlene said waiting for him to put on his gloves, and then handing him a syringe. Jacobs seemed to become more confident knowing that now was not the time to be timid

"Ok agent Lake a small prick and a little burning" Jacobs described right before it happened "Ok we'll wait one moment while it takes effect" Don and Terry sat there holding hands, enjoying not thinking for the first time that day, letting the med student handle everything. Terry barely noticed when Jacobs started the suturing and only realized he was done when he yanked off the gloves and dropped them on the tray

"Done already?" Terry asked

"Well, yeah but I'm sure if you want to put in a few more-" Jacobs started

"No, that's ok, I think I'm good with these"

"Ok, well see your primary care physician to get these removed in seven to ten days"

"I'll be back in a few minutes, I just have to punch out, then I'll take you guys up to Charlie" Marlene said to Terry and Don as they gathered their things and stood up

"I thought you weren't off for another half an hour" Jacobs commented

"I came in an hour and a half early, they'll let me leave a half an hour early. Besides, I'm probably going to be upstairs for awhile, so of course if it gets really busy just call up to the surgical waiting room"

"Ok. Thanks Marlene"

"Welcome" She said walking towards the staff lounge. Jacobs turned to walk away (to the desk for another chart assumingly) but Terry called to him

"Yeah" Jacobs said walking back towards them

"You'll make a great doctor. I know you may think you won't be but you will. You just can't appear to be nervous. If you appear nervous, the patient is nervous, they'll think you don't know what you're doing and then that makes them not trust you" Terry said smiling then walking towards the lounge to wait for Marlene. Jacobs looked confused

"She um has psych training. She's a profiler" Don added noting his confusion

"Oh, ok"

"She's right though" Don said shaking his hand and then joined Terry in waiting for Marlene. Jacobs just headed to the desk looking confused but happy at the same time

"You guys ready?" Marlene asked showing them to the elevators

"For the worst" Don whispered under his breath staring at the doors praying he'll find Charlie doing anything but scribbling on the walls with numbers.

Sorry that took so long. It was going to be longer but for some reason I didn't get a chance to write until tonight and the computer was needed for something of great importance so I cut it short. I promise that I will tell you about Amita's condition in the next chapter :crosses heart:

As for the second author's note (and the credit for the following goes to Cora Clavia): I would like to write to Sabrina Lloyd and thank her for her work on Season 1 of Numb3rs - even if you're ticked she's leaving, you must admit she did a great job - and who knows, maybe if she sees she will be missed, we might see her in another episode someday, provided they don't kill her off ala NCIS. Anyhow, I want to show solidarity among Numb3rs fans. So I propose to write on behalf of all of us fans here at if you want to help me, here is what you can do:

Send me your first name and pen-name (for example, if I was Helen of Troy, I would be Helen "Cora Clavia") via reviews so I will get them via email, and tell me how you think the character of Terry enhanced the show. I will incorporate these opinions into a letter, and under my signature I will include a list of all your names and pennames. I will merely thank Ms. Lloyd for her fine work and wish her well in future endeavors.

Also - other authors - if it's not too much to ask, could you encourage your own readers to join in this project? If we can all work together, I bet I could get 30 names.

Thank you so much for reading this - please put your name, pen-name, and opinion in a review, and I'll get it in an email - three cheers for Numb3rs, and have a good day… so send them to either me or Cora Clavia