Hey I'm back! I'm really happy with the positive feedback I've been getting. I didn't really think anyone would like my idea. I've only seen a few episodes and I'm afraid I'll make the characters 'out of character'. If any are out of character please don't hold it against me, I hope as I see more episodes I'll understand their personalities better!

Disclaimer: I don't own Numb3rs or its characters, I'm only borrowing them and I'll give them back in minty fresh condition when I'm done!

P.S. someone wanted the scene where Charlie was forced to record the tape so I added it in.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

When Charlie Recorded The Tape

"Take this," Lexo shoved a casette recorder into Charlie's hands.

"Huh?" Charlie looked at him confused.

Lexo shoved a piece of paper in front of his face and hissed, "Press play and read this."

Charlie looked at the paper and read the words on it. His eyes widened at what this man wanted him to say to Don, "No," Charlie said defiantly.

Lexo narrowed his eyes angrily, "Read it, now," he said through clenched teeth.

Seeing as he had no choice, Charlie pressed record and before Lexo could stop him said, " Don, I'm so sorry, it's all my fault."

Lexo grabbed Charlie wrist in a painful grip and twisted it so the tape fell out of his hand. Lexo raised his other hand at the same time, "OW!" Charlie cried out because of the pain in his wrist, "Please don't!"

Lexo's hand closed into a fist and slammed into Charlie's face. Charlie gave a small cry of pain and Lexo shoved the casette recorder and paper back into his hand. Pulling out his gun he pressed it against Charlie's temple and Charlie started to read the writing, "Don't try and find me, you won't be able to. Just know that it is your fault this is happening to me. Your fault that I will live the rest of my life in captivity and fear. Don make sure to tell our father that you took his youngest son from him and remember you're a horrible older brother," tears came into his eyes as he stumbled over the words.

Lexo smiled, took the gun form Charlie's temple and took the tape from him and added a small personal message, " Hello, Donnie. Have fun. The rest of your life you'll have to live with this."

Lexo stopped the recorder and rewinded it and pressed play, forcing Charlie to listen to the message. Charlie's tears began to fall as he heard the words his brother would hear. He knew hearing that would probably destroy Don. He hoped Don knew that he didn't mean it.

"Remember, no noise," Lexo warned and left Charlie alone again.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Later, after Don got the tape

The silence was starting to get on Charlie's nerves and he was tempted to start talking to himself, but he remembered Lexo's warning. He had been left alone for awhile and Charlie guessed he had about 27 hours, or less, left. He paced nonstop around the room, figdeting and he jumped when the doorknob turned and Lexo came in flanked by three men. One of whom he remembered, the buyer that had hit him before.

"Hello, Charlie," Lexo greeted darkly. Charlie wasn't sure if he was supposed to answer or not, so he stayed quiet.

"Where are your manners," Lexo asked and smacked him firmly across the face in the same place as before.

Charlie's hand rose to his cheek and he said quietly, "Hi."

"That's better," Lexo replied humorously, "Now I figure it's about time to let my buyers start to bid."

"B-b-but I still have like a day left," Charlie started to argue.

"One, I make the rules and two, they're gonna bid now and pay when times up," Lexo explained icily.

"How do we know you're telling the truth about this guy?" one of the two unfamiliar men asked.

"Charlie," Lexo said sharply.

Charlie looked up and sighed. He started to rattled off the numbers of the a mathematical sequence. He didn't want to help Lexo, but he knew if he didn't prove his mathematical abilities, he'd be in for a beating and would be most likely sold to the 'other purposes' guy.

"That's enough," the man cut him off.

Charlie returned his eyes to the floor and sat on the cot. The four men talked among themselves for awhile quietly and he couldn't make out what they were saying.

"Well Charlie," Lexo said looking at him, "It's only fair that I tell you what these men do. You've probably already guessed what Alex wants with you," he pointed to the 'other purposes' buyer. Charlie nodded and Lexo continued, "Todd, here runs a terrorist organisation and Walt is big on fraud and electronic data theft."

Charlie thought about the information Lexo had given him. He couldn't imagine what could make this man condone selling a human being. What had Don done that was so horrible? Charlie looked at his watch again, 26 and a half hours.

"We want to assure you don't try to escape," Lexo said and Charlie realised what was coming next. He darted away from the cot and backed up into a corner. Trying to make himself as small as he could.

All four of them laughed at him and Charlie sat on the floor, staring silently as Lexo advanced on him.

"Something wrong, Charlie?" Lexo asked cruelly.

"Don't cuff me to the cot," Charlie pleaded.

"So sorry," Lexo said in a voice that told Charlie that he was anything but sorry. Lexo grabbed him and pushed him toward the cot. Charlie struggled to free himself from his grip, but Lexo had him firmly in his grasp.

Charlie was forced onto the cot once again and the buyers helped cuff him there. "Please don't," Charlie continued to beg, but his cries fell upon deaf ears and Lexo tied the rag back around his mouth.

Lexo took a step back and pulled out a polaroid camera. He snapped a picture that caught the fear and desperation in Charlie's eyes. Lexo waved the polaroid in the air a little and then stuck it into a small white envelope. He pulled out a pen and wrote a note on a piece of paper, folded it and slipped that into the envelope too.

"A little gift for Donnie," Lexo told him coldly.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Prints?" Don asked Terry Hopefully.

"None, sorry Don," she said sincerely.

"Damn this guy," Don yelled in frustration, "Why me, why Charlie? What the hell did we do to him!"

"I don't know," Terry answered, "but don't worry, we'll find Charlie."

"I know, but I want to find him before he does something that'll affect Charlie badly," Don replied sadly, "I don't want him scarred emotionally."

"None of us do, Don," Terry told him. She put an arm around him comfortingly, "Charlie is a grown man, he can take care of himself long enough for us to find him."

"I hope so," Don answered quietly.

"Hey Don!" David came running towards them.

"What?" Don asked quickly.

"Possible suspect," David said out of breath.

"Who?"Don questioned with anticipation.

"Victor Nevence, he was a father in one of your cases," David answered.

"His daughter, 15 year old Lexa, was kidnapped and..." Don trailed off.

"Sold," David finished for him, "Lexa committed suicide where she was held because the men who 'bought' her did some pretty nasty stuff to her."

"I was 5 minutes too late, I remember," Don told him, "She died just minutes before we found her. He wants me to know what its like to be too late, to be so close, yet so far away."

"Do we know where he live?" Terry asked.

"He seemed to drop off the face of the earth about 6 months ago, so no, we don't," David answered apologetically.

"So close, yet so far," Don muttered angrily.