A/N: Here you go everyone. I hope you like this story. Wish me good luck on my exams! Some chaps will be short and some longer than the others. My internet is screwed up, so you probably won't get this until way after I'm writing this. I'm sorry but my internet hates me. I'm used to it! Hehe. My good friend from since forever is moving, waaahhh! She's moving to Garson, which is why I chose that for Walt's last name. The town is stealing my friend and the doctor is trying to steal Charlie. I played MASH today, for no reason except tech class is boring, and apparently I am going to have 2750 kids and live in an apartment. DOUBT IT!

I don't think this is one of my better chapters, but some nice reviews would help raise my esteem(hint hint)

Also this chapter, near the end, goes into Tommy's past a bit more and why he was in foster care and such. Warning it does contain mentions to self-harm. Enjoy!

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Chapter 16: I'm Sorry

"Listen Dr.Garson, whatever you want, you can have it, just let them go," Don tried to negotiate with the criminal. He'd been doing a lot of negoiating for Charlie's life lately.

"I have what I need, now I just have to get out of here with it," Walt smiled cruelly at the agent. Silently he pulled out a roll of thin, durable twine and pushed it into Amita's free hand and yanked her other one away from Charlie's, "Go tie up the real FBI agent, nice and tight, pretty girl. I'll check and if you don't tie those knots good, I'll kill him and you."

Amita winced at the name the Doctor had given her, it made her sick to her stomach and she walked slowly over to where Don sat, unwilling to do what the man asked her. As she hesitated, the distinguished sound of the pistol being cocked. Realizing she had no choice, she began to bind Don to the chair, tight as not to get them killed, but not tight enough to make him too uncomfortable.

Being careful not to point the pistol away from Charlie for a moment, Walt checked the twine and was satisfied. Grabbing the excess twine, he bound Amita's hands behind her back and pushed her into a chair, binding her lightly to it. Just enough to keep her from getting out of the chair, but so he could easily untie her when he needed too.

Walt looked evilly at Charlie, who had remained silent the entire time, "Your turn Charlie," he motioned to the wheelchair that had been pushed off to the side. The nurse had never bothered to take it out of the room.

Don opened his mouth to speak, to distract Walt from his plan to kidnap his brother, but Walt just strode over and shoved a bundle of cloth into his mouth, silencing the agent.

Walt, grabbed Charlie under the armpits and hoisted him up, dropping him unceremoniously into the wheelchair, causing a slight moan to emit itself from the younger man's mouth.

"Feeling a little better Charlie?" Walt asked, mocking concern.

"I've had better weeks," Charlie muttered the obvious quietly. His voice took on a sarcastic tone, that was quite unlike himself, "How's your hand?"

That earned him a sharp slap to the side of the head, blackness surrounded his vision for a moment and his earlier pain came rushing back. Not that it had ever disappeared, only faded to a dull ache.

Walt pointed the gun at the bound agent, causing Charlie to call out, "No! Don't, I'm sorry," apologizing in hope of saving his brother's life.

The pain began to subside as Charlie looked into his brother's eyes, they were full of worry. What tore at Charlie was that Don wasn't worried about his own life, but the life of the one who was about to get him killed.

Walt fingered the trigger in a taunting motion, and began to pull back, "OH GOD NO!" Charlie's scream echoed through the air, he winced at the sound of his own loud voice.

"DAMN YOU!" Walt bellowed at the mathematician, causing him to flinch, "Someone probably heard that!" The gun swung away from Don and leveled itself in front of Charlie's face.

"Just don't kill him," Charlie begged the doctor, his eyes shining with tears.

With Walt's attention away from him, Don silently worked on the knots, trying to find a weak spot, knowing that Amita was smart enough to hide one.

He was able to get the the knots loosened somewhat, but not quite enough to escape.

"I might not have a choice now," Walt's eyes flashed with anger, his plan was about to go down the drain. He looked down at the gun he had aimed at Charlie, "Any minute the nurses are going to come running down here, see us and call the police. I'm afraid my only choice is to kill all of you." He lowered his gun and pulled out Don's and pointed it at Charlie, "I'm going to kill him with your gun Don, it'll be the same as if you're killing him. You failed to protect him countless times and now your failure will kill him."

Don was unable to answer, he could only skwirm in what seemed to be discomfort, but he kept loosening the twine. He had to get out, his baby brother was depending on it. His dream would not come true, he wouldn't let it.

Charlie's eyes were still filled with tears, it was all his fault, he had yelled, now in no more than a mintue, they'd all be dead. He locked eyes with Amita and mouth I'm sorry. She only shook her head, and Charlie turned his gaze to the floor.

Amita didn't understand why Charlie was sorry, it wasn't his fault, the only blame laid on Walt. The only blame was on the man holding the gun, the ruthless and greedy killer.

Walt's finger rested on the trigger for a split second and pulled. Charlie grabbed the side of the bed and pulled himself off the chair, and onto the floor as quickly as he could and at that same moment, Don broke free and was on Walt in no more than a second.

It is impossible to outrun a bullet, and Charlie wasn't even able to run. He had no time to completely dodge the projectile, it found it's target as it grazed the side of Charlie's head. The agony that erupted in his skull lasted for only seconds before an evil cloud of darkness shrowded him.

The door swung open and David stood there, gun aimed at Walt, he threw Don a set of handcuffs and in a moment Walt was cuffed to the chair Don had previously occupied.

Don's eyes immediately searched for Charlie, when they found him, they widened in disbelief. He lay motionless on the floor, a puddle of blood around his head, eyes closed.

"No," the word softly escaped his lips and Don bolted from the room. He hadn't protected him, and now he was gone, his nightmare became a reality.

He heard Walt's insane laughter all the way down the hall. The laughter, he knew would keep him awake for years to come, as would the fact he caused his baby brother's death.

The hallway seemes miles long, until finally reached the front doors. Out in the parking lot, his world seemed to swirl around him, making him dizzy. What he saw in the parking lot made him want to cry, his father had just arrived, bringing the young boy with him.

"Don? What are you doing out here?" Alan's confused voice reached his ears.

"I'm sorry," was all Don had the strength to say, "I'm so sorry," he stumbled slightly, but caught himself. Wasting no time, he got into his car and sped off. He had someone esle to apologize to.

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Alan didn't know what to think of his eldest son's behavious as he watched the car drive away, he hoped it wasn't the thought that had been running through his mind for days now.

As he walked in, Tommy at his heel, an young man held the door for them, "Thank you."

"No problem," he replied, and then with a look at Tommy he added in a whisper, "Good luck."

Tommy gave her a slight grin and followed Alan into the building, but in his mind he worrried about Don's reaction when they arrived, obviously something had happened to shake the agent. That scared the teenager, he didn't think anything could shake Don. Don had been a pillar of strength ever since he first met Charlie's older brother.

The duo walked the familiar hallway to Charlie's room, peaking inside it, Tommy saw the blood stained floor underneath the hospital bed, this was what had shaken Don, was all he could think. He willed the tears in his eyes not to fall, but he had no control over them, so he glued his eyes to the tiles on the floor. Something lightly brushed the moisture away and he looked up to find a young dark haired woman standing in front of him, looking at him with sympathetic eyes "It's okay, Charlie's fine," the woman gave Alan a significant look as well.

"Where is he, Amita?" Alan asked, revealing the woman's name to the boy.

"The next room over, one of the 'bidders' came back," Amita explained with a grimace.

It was then Tommy noted the redness around her wrists, "You were there weren't you?" He asked quietly, his voice a little bit hoarse.

Amita nodded, glancing at her wrists and pulling the sleeve of her sweater down to hide the raw mark, "Yeah... you're very observant. Looks like we have another FBI agent in the making," she forced a chuckle, but the look in her eyes told them she wasn't in the mood to joke.

The boy shrugged lightly and gave Alan a questioning look, "Can I see Charlie?" He asked quietly, returning his eyes to the floor in shame. In his months as a captive, he had learned not to do anything without permission, it had been literally pounded into his head.

Alan placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, "Of course you can," he told Tommy and followed him into Charlie's new hospital room.

His head was wrapped in even more bandages than before, but other than that, he was no different. His sleep was nowhere near peaceful, he muttered in his sleep, repeating the same words over and over, "Just please don't kill him."

Tommy's heart went out to him, ever since he had met Charlie, the man had been like family to him, a brother even. He wished that he could be part of a family that loved eachother as much as the Eppes family loved eachother. Ever since he was a baby his parents had fought, one fight had gone so out of hand, that his older brother, Joesph had been killed by his father. He had been eight at the time and Joe eleven, his father was sent to jail for abused, murder and child neglect and his mother deemed unsuitable for custody by the state. Foster-care had been his only option.

For years, Tommy had been afraid to let anyone inside his heart. His only solace was his self-inflicted pain, numerous scars ran across his wrists and thighs and the only reason he had stopped, was because Alex had never given him anything suitable to harm himself with. Now, only as he watched the person he let into his heart, in so much pain, did the urge come back. He fought the urge inside his mind angrily and turned to leave the room, on order to find a sharp implement, when the voice came to him Don't do it Tommy-boy, I don't want you to hurt yourself, and Charlie wouldn't either. Joe's voice had pushed its way into his mind.

Tommy stopped, his decision made, he would be strong. He would prove his father wrong and be there for the people he cared about. Maybe someday, he too would have a family that loved him as much as Charlie's family loved him.

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There's chapter sixteen and I've already started on chapter seventeen. I hope you enjoyed. NOW PRESS THE PURPLE BUTTON AND REVIEW! Thank you!

P.S. My internet HATES ME!

P.P.S. NO FLAMES!