I do not own any characters associated with the TV show Numb3rs. This story is for entertainment purposes only.

Flashback chapter

March 2002

"Seriously Charlie, I need a break. You must need a break."

Charlie only continued writing on the board.

"Earth to Eppes, come in Eppes."

Again there was no answer, only the sound of the marker squeaking against the board.

Sighing, Isabel got up from her chair and put herself in between Charlie and the board. "¿Hola? I'm speaking to you."

Trying his best to work around her, Charlie only replied, "I'm working."

Isabel grabbed the marker out of his hand, effectively making sure she had his full attention before speaking again.

"You—we—need a break."

"I don't need a break." Charlie attempted unsuccessfully to get the marker back.

"Yes, you do."

"No, I don't."

"Yes, you…what am I saying? Charlie! You're taking a break."

Charlie opened his mouth to argue, but nothing came out. He was too tired to come up with anything, and he'd learned from experience that arguing with this woman was almost entirely futile. He flopped down into the nearest chair and rubbed his eyes. "What time is it?"

"It's time to eat."

"Seriously, what time is it?"

"It's 8:30, and it's seriously time to eat. What do you feel like?"

"A nap."

"For food, I mean."

"I don't really care."

"You want to order from the same place as last night?"

"Sure."

Isabel left Charlie alone in the room, presumably to go find a menu. He briefly considered getting back to work, but he realized he could barely bring his own writing into focus. These were the times when he wished he didn't need sleep. He knew he could put it together if he just kept at it a little longer. He turned his chair around and put his head down on the table. He only needed to rest his eyes a minute.

Over the past few weeks, he'd been working with Isabel a lot, probably investing more time than he should. He had tests to correct and other calculations to do, but every time he had a few hours to work, he found himself coming here. They had taken over a small office space in one of the government buildings downtown. It was a little cramped between the furniture and all of his boards, but it worked for them. Charlie kept telling himself that the challenging nature of the project was what was keeping him up at night, making him lose sleep. It was the work that kept him coming back at all hours. Yet sometimes he couldn't silence the voice in the back of his head, and he couldn't ignore that momentary sinking sensation in his stomach when Isabel looked in his eyes.

Isabel returned with the menu in one hand, her cell phone in the other, only to find Charlie sleeping in a chair, his back rising and falling slowly. She thought about letting him be, but he had to get back home within an hour to avoid suspicions. They'd been working nearly a month without anyone at his work or home knowing about it, and she very much wanted to keep it that way. He just looked so peaceful, and she knew he desperately needed the sleep.

"Charlie." She whispered, not wanting to startle him, but he didn't move.

"Charlie." She got a little closer, but still no response. Leaning in closer to him, she pushed a stray curl off his face. "Charlie."

He bolted upright and looked at her, startled. She smiled and tried not to laugh.

"Sorry, I know you need your sleep, but you can't do it here."

"Right, sorry. I just…"

"I know. Look, you eat first and then I'll take you home."

"Okay."

Isabel could see Charlie was fighting to keep his eyes open. "You know what? Screw it. Let's just stop at that diner a few blocks up and then I'll drive you back straight from there."

"I thought we were trying to avoid being seen together in public."

"Yes, I know I said that, but it's not like we're having some sordid affair! Besides, what are the odds anyone you know will be there at this time?

"Well, there are a lot of factors to consider…"

"Oh, for goodness sake Charlie, it's just an expression! I didn't want to know the actual odds!"

Charlie smiled and Isabel laughed. "Come on," she said, "let's get the hell out of here for tonight."

Isabel tried to stifle a yawn as they walked to her car. "I can't believe I'm this exhausted and it's not even 9. That's beyond pathetic."

"I know what you mean. Actually," Charlie stopped walking suddenly, "would you mind if we just walked there? It might wake us up."

"Sure. We can just get the car afterwards."

They walked in relative silence for the first two blocks, until Isabel spoke.

"I hope you know, Charlie, that I really appreciate all of your help. You're really good at what you do."

Charlie didn't quite know what to say. Over the years, he'd become accustomed to people complimenting his work, but from Isabel it made him a little uncomfortable. "Um, thanks."

"I'm not trying to embarrass you or anything, but I've worked with a lot of other people in the course of my career with the CIA, and you're definitely on my short list of few to work with again. It's been my experience that people that possess your level of intelligence tend to think that they're better than everyone else around them, but I've never gotten that sense from you. You've got a great way of working with people and bringing them up to your level, and that's a gift just as much as your intelligence. I'm sure your students really appreciate it."

Charlie just smiled awkwardly and looked down at his shoes as he walked. He couldn't remember the last time anyone made him feel so…flattered. "You know, you're not like anyone I've ever worked with before either."

Isabel made a funny noise and said, "Now is that a good or a bad thing?"

"It's a good thing, definitely a good thing."

"Okay, well thank you then."

"You're welcome."

Charlie wanted to say something else, but as he was trying to formulate the words in his head, they had reached the diner. Once again, he let the feeling pass and said nothing.