Coming Home

When Don woke up, sunlight was streaming through his window, regardless of the blinds that were closed. Wait, closed? He couldn't remember closing them last night. Then again, he couldn't remember much of the week except the bone-gnawing exhaustion at every turn. It was why the woman asleep on his couch surprised him. He tried to be quiet as he rummaged through his cabinets for coffee and two mugs but something woke her.

"Morning," she said from the doorway, hair still tousled from sleep and clad in her pyjamas. He resisted the memories bombarding his brain about how she'd looked on his bed sheets two months ago. It was then a lot more of his memory had returned and he recalled why he had been so tired.

Charlie was missing.

She saw the breakdown before it happened but it didn't prepare her for it any better. His head dropped to his chest and his arms folded across his body. Terry was sure she'd never seen him look more vulnerable in her life, regardless of how hard he was trying to be strong. Wordlessly she wrapped her arms around him and sighed when his pulled her closer.

"He's gone," he whispered after a while.

"He's missing, not gone. We're going to find him."

"We are? You're so sure." Terry nodded decisively as her mouth curved in a smile.

"I'm the queen of the world, remember? The world follows my orders." She managed to get a smile and was endlessly thankful for that.

"Hop in the shower. I told Merrick I'd have you back at work today," she said, breaking away from his arms. Sure, they felt heavenly around her and she'd managed to push back the memories of the last time, but she wasn't a bloody saint. It was going to be a long case.

He emerged to wonderful smells in his apartment. Wandering to the kitchen, forgetful of his half naked state, he found Terry, completely domestic in his kitchen. She was humming a song as she worked, the pile of pancakes growing slowly larger beside her. When she turned to his fridge to gather up the toppings, she jumped.

"Don! I didn't see you there," she said with a disarming smile, her eyes glancing down his body as she bent over into the fridge. She was thankful for the cool air of the appliance and for the way the door blocked her face.

"What's cooking?"

"Pancakes. We're not leaving until you've eaten," she said forcefully.

"Not hungry," he growled out, stomping out of the room and into his bedroom to get dressed. She gave him a few minutes to at least put pants on before she followed, knocking on the door to make sure he was decent.

"You're not leaving until you do."

"You're not my mother, or my girlfriend, Terry."

"No, I'm not, but I am concerned for you."

"Well thanks, but I can take care of myself." She knew he'd be snappy and distant and hadn't fooled herself that because she was there it would change. She was smarter than that. Thus, she took his words with a grain of salt, understanding that he was under a lot of stress.

"But you're not," she said succinctly. "You slept about eighteen hours, Don."

"Eighteen…? You let me sleep that long?" His voice was growing louder, even if she kept hers quiet.

"It doesn't even begin to make up for the sleep you've lost over the last three weeks," she shot back. "I'm surprised you're not deathly ill the way you've been carrying on."

"Carrying on? My brother is missing," he was yelling now. Terry folded her arms across her chest and leaned against the bedroom doorway as he angrily shuffled through his closet for a shirt. For a minute, she considered telling him she was assigned to his case but immediately thought better of it. She didn't want to disappoint him if she couldn't solve it.

"I know, Don," she said softly.

"You care more about me than you do about Charlie." Terry resisted the urge to roll her eyes and breathed deeply. Her next words were either going to get her killed or deflate him completely.

"You're my best friend," she began. "Plus, Charlie wouldn't want you sleep deprived and starving." She was thankful her words did the latter. He dropped to his bed, head in his hands. She moved to his closet, shuffling through the shirts until she found her favourite, a blue one that he didn't wear that often. She held it out for him.

"I'm sorry, Terry," he said, looking up at her and the shirt. She smiled.

"It's okay," she replied.

"I'm just really stressed with Charlie's disappearance…"

"Don, I said it was fine," she said with an indulgent smile. "Let's go eat before it gets cold. Then I can grab my shower and you can drive us into the office."

"You're coming in?"

"Unfortunately I did not just come here to make sure you don't kill yourself or anyone else," she answered, her smile still in place.

"I can take care of myself just fine," he said indignantly, shrugging the shirt over his shoulders.

"Right," she replied sarcastically. "That's why I found you at your desk yesterday half asleep and dying of starvation."

"I was not dying of starvation."

"When was the last time you ate before the burger yesterday?" she asked over her shoulder. His lack of reply made her grin smugly.

"And you're not denying being half asleep."

"Am I ever fully awake?" he called back, tie open around his neck when he entered the kitchen.

"Not good enough," she answered. "You need a better excuse than that."

"I give up."

"Damn time!" She set breakfast on the table and pulled up a chair. "You joining me?"

"Considering you're keeping me here until I eat…" he trailed off, the pain coming back into his eyes. She closed her eyes and opened them again, careful to keep the pity hidden. It gave her fuel for her fire of determination. A family like the Eppes' didn't deserve to have another one leave them. She wasn't even sure Don would be able to handle it.

"Come on. Eat." They ate in silence, more because Don was sulking again than because that was the way they wanted it. Finally, she settled her knife and fork on her plate.

"Do you mind cleaning up?" she asked softly. "The extras can go in the freezer to toast up sometime. I'm going to hop in the shower." He nodded and she left, waiting until she was around the corner to slump against the wall for a moment. She missed the friendly banter, and missed the teasing while she was in Washington. It wasn't the same over the phone and she couldn't see his face when she was right in a comment.

She missed him.

Shaking the thought off she proceeded to the bedroom where she'd hung up her clothes the night before while Don slept. Hopefully he didn't mind sharing his closet for a little while. It wasn't as if she'd planned on it. She thought about him as the water pounded down on her body, about his fragile brain. Cases weren't good for him right now and she made a mental note to ask Merrick to go light on the kidnapping cases until Charlie was found and his kidnappers caught.

He was waiting for her on the couch when she stepped out of the bathroom, fully clothed and bringing a trail of faint rose with her. Her files were neatly stacked under the table and quite obviously – and thankfully – he hadn't found them.

"You ready?"

"Yeah. Your travel mug is on the counter." She blushed as she thanked him. She'd purposefully brought her own mug, having never trusted the FBI coffee and not wanting to intrude on Don.

"I recognize it from somewhere," he commented offhandedly. She blushed again, this time because he'd noticed.

"Yeah." He picked it up from the counter, carrying it while she handled her files. He lifted it up to his eye level in the elevator.

"I gave you this! After you complained about the coffee in the student lounge." Her blush deepened in colour.

"Yeah." She looked straight ahead, not trusting herself to look at him.

"I'm honoured you love it so much."

And you, she thought to herself, willing her blush to subside. Then the thought passed through her mind again and she froze.

"Terry?" She looked at him, hoping everything was suitably masked.

"Yeah?"

"You okay?" She smiled.

"Shouldn't I be asking you that?" He returned her smile, though hers was much larger.

She'd allowed Don to drive, knowing full well he'd just been too exhausted to argue with her the night before. She didn't mind, in fact, she was grateful for it.

"Don?" she asked tentatively as they pulled into the FBI parking lot.

"Yeah?" She blushed again and almost hit herself for this new tendency.

"You… you don't mind me staying with you, right?" He was surprised by the question.

"Of course not. I did assume last night was one time only, I'll admit, but of course not," he stuttered out. She nodded and pulled open the door to her side of the car. He helped her with her files.

"Moving in?" he asked playfully as he hefted the box.

"It's not that bad, you sissy," she retorted. "And you were the one that insisted on carrying it inside while I handled the life-giving substance." Her statement was punctuated with a gulp from her mug. They joked all the way to the elevator and Terry noticed the wondrous looks on the faces of the reception desk. Quite obviously he'd been a sour apple for a while and not only to his teammates and floor mates.

"Terry," he said softly when they were in the elevator. By the look on his face she was thankful there was no one else in the car.

"Yeah?"

"I'd appreciate it if you stayed with me." Before she could reply the doors dinged their arrival and he was out into the bullpen. He dropped the box on his desk

"I'll go ask Merrick where I am and be by to pick those up," she said. "Don't kill anyone?"

"I'll try, but I make to guarantees," he promised. She smiled as she walked away. Hopefully, though she didn't know how she did it, he'd be okay for the day. She'd bandage some more wounds tonight.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I'm sure you all remember Agent Lake?" Terry was in a case briefing, John Townsend in front of his team. There was a general murmur of greeting.

"She will be taking over for me for a while. I will be taking a little of my vacation time, so I expect the same respect from all of you towards her as if it was me in front of you. Not that I think she can't handle the job herself." Terry smiled at his vote of confidence. She'd worked with all the agents once or twice but very few of them in a full capacity.

"Okay. You have your assignments, get lost. Haynsworth, Barrenada, and Gulle stay behind please." Terry looked questioningly towards Townsend but he motioned towards the standing agents.

"This is my core team. Alison Gulle, Anthony Barrenada and Caleb Haynsworth." Terry almost sagged in relief at the last name. She and Caleb had worked together before, on what seemed like a never-ending case, and developed a dynamic that worked for them. They were as close as siblings and Terry cherished his presence. He would keep her grounded.

"Terry," she requested.

"All right. You know the stakes. Find Dr. Eppes. Haynsworth, brief Lake." Townsend was gone out the door along with the other two agents. She and Caleb faced each other.

"Never thought I'd see you back in LA," Caleb stated with a smug smile.

"I didn't think I'd be back in LA," she answered.

"So Washington's working?" She avoided his eyes.

"That bad?" She smiled.

"Just not used to it. How far are you guys on finding Charlie?" He looked up at the use of the doctor's first name.

"Right, I forgot you worked with him and his brother." Terry narrowed her eyes.

"Liar." He shrugged.

"What does it matter?" His smile was smug and irritated Terry to no end.

"The case, Haynsworth," she growled out.

"Keep your shirt on, Lake. We don't know much. He'd been missing three weeks and we honestly have no clue where to start. The guy's a math genius, there isn't much use for them."

"And we would have gotten a call if it was a ransom," she finished.

"Yeah. That's the long story of the case." Terry groaned. This was probably going to take much more time than she'd allotted.

A week later, Terry looked up at a knock to find Alison Gulle standing in the door.

"Agent Lake? This is for you, about the bank cases."

"Thanks," Terry said as she retrieved the file and opened it. In two second she was on the phone.

"Amita, it's Terry Lake. I need you to come take a look at something."