Colby and David sat around Megan's cubicle piecing everything together. Sarah had given away enough information to implicate herself and Jack Summers had filled in most of the blanks. Colby had even managed to unearth the fact that every one of the houses the Dot Came millionaires owned was actually paid for by Sarah Peckham. She'd used another name, another bank account but it was her. She owned 4 million dollar houses in Hollywood and let the old school friends use them. Her dilapidated house was a cover, she stayed there when the heat was on, but generally stayed at Jack's mansion. With her daughter.
The only part they had little information about was what happened to Don in those missing 34 hours. Jack claimed not to have been involved once he drugged Don and put him in her car but Sarah was not forthcoming with information in respect to that. It was to remain a mystery. They assumed she needed time to bombard his system with her drugs to make him look like a junkie but other than that, it was anybody's guess.
"Colby impound Mrs Peckham's car and get a forensic team to pull any DNA from it and match it to Don's. Then we can finally close this stupid investigation into him." Megan sighed. She was mad at Sarah, at herself and at the FBI for everything that had gone down in the last few days.
Colby nodded and picked up the phone while David stared down at the mountain of paperwork on Megan's desk. "I don't understand why she didn't just kill Don. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad but still."
"She wanted to frame Jack and her angle was blaming an FBI agent, if he was dead he couldn't defend himself and then Jack still wouldn't be implicated. She was smart, at least she was trying to be smart."
"Yeah well Don nearly did die." Colby quipped. All 3 faintly nodded and silently agreed to not talk about it. "And all because a woman got cheated on. A woman scorned huh."
Megan looked over her glasses at Colby and smiled. "Yeah, or you could say it was because a guy couldn't keep his dick in his pants."
David laughed. "Somehow I don't think Don will appreciate he was stabbed for either of those reasons."
"Don't worry David, I'll tell him that it was all for love." Megan grinned.
"Yeah, love hurts right? Speaking of which, what's the normal amount of time after surgery before serious jibes about a secret girlfriend can commence?" Colby asked.
ooOoo
"Hey Megan," Charlie answered his cell. He was walking down the CalSci corridor looking for Larry to have lunch with. It felt weird to be at work while he was on a few days leave but Larry had forgotten to meet him at the café so he'd come looking for him. He was almost at Larry's office when Megan called.
Charlie stopped in his tracks. The phone was glued to his ear. Larry bounded out of his office as though he'd forgotten something and caught Charlie standing still outside.
"Charles, are you alright?" Larry questioned as Charlie slowly snapped his phone shut. He was deep in thought and stared down at his phone for a few seconds before deciding to look Charlie in the eye.
Charlie's eyes were full of emotion and for once Larry didn't know what to say.
"That was Megan." Charlie managed to say.
"Yes. And by the look on your face she just told you something pretty important."
Charlie cocked his head and grinned. "Yeah. Don's going to be OK. Sarah Peckham has admitted she lied about Don. I didn't know. Don did."
Larry was even more confused by his former prodigy than ever. "Charles you really aren't making much sense for someone who professes to be a teacher."
Charlie's grin grew. "I knew someone else was involved but Don couldn't make sense of it. He was right, Jack Summers did not kill Anita, there was no one else involved. Sarah Peckham was using him. Apparently Jack was sleeping with Anita. Sarah Peckham killed her own daughter Larry, she blamed Don because she knew it meant we'd reopen the case and it would lead us back to Jack. She wanted Jack to be found out for what he did."
"Oh my. Why is it love and hate are so easily intertwined, and so violently in this case." Larry pondered that thought.
Megan told Charlie he could tell Don. "Listen I've got to cancel on the lunch, I need to tell Don."
"I'll drive you Charles."
"Um, I need to get there today."
"I do own more than one car, you will find today's transport slightly more modern than you are thinking."
"Seatbelts?"
ooOoo
Charlie rushed in to the hospital and was about to enter Don's room when Alan's hand reached out and stopped him.
"Come here Charlie."
"Dad, what? I need to see Don."
"Charlie!"
Alan's voice boomed a little louder than he realised it would through the corridor. He guided Charlie down to the plastic seating.
"Charlie, Don's not in there."
Charlie just stared back at his dad. What was he saying?
"Your brother may have been in a bit more pain than he let on. They've taken him back to surgery. Megan phoned me and said you were coming here."
Alan was about to continue but Robin Brooks interrupted. She had brought a coffee for Alan and noticing Charlie she gestured to see if he would like one.
"No thanks. But. I don't understand. He was fine. How could he hide that much pain? Why wouldn't he say anything?"
Robyn sat down next to Charlie and nodded to Alan to signify she'd like to explain. Alan let her know that was fine.
"Charlie, I guess Don's used to putting everyone first. He was worried about you, you know?" Charlie stared back at Robyn. How did she know this about her brother. How long had she even known him? Why was she telling him this? "He asked me about you. A lot. He was worried you'd flip out. His words not mine."
"Listen Robyn, no offence, but I think I know my brother so what you're saying isn't really news to me."
Alan gave Charlie a look as if to say 'don't be rude.'
"I know you do Charlie, so you'll understand why he didn't make any noise about this until he knew you were OK. He told me you saw him this morning. Thought you were doing good. He told me a lot of things and then he finally told me he didn't know if he was feeling so great. Didn't know if it was normal or not. I asked a nurse. The point is Charlie Don asked for help and he got it. It's just – he asked me."
He thought about her words. Why was she telling him this. She was a stranger really, she wasn't family. That was her point.
Charlie WAS happy. Happy that Don finally had someone he felt comfortable to share his feelings with. In truth though he was a little upset that after all he'd done for Don he should have been able to confide in him. Or maybe he was just a little upset he didn't realise his own brother was in so much pain.
"Charlie, I didn't know either." Alan's empathy drew Charlie back to why he was there.
"He's innocent. I came here to tell him they'd cleared him."
"I know. Like I said Megan phoned me. Don will be fine. He'll be fine." Alan patted Charlie on the back as they leaned back in to the chairs to wait. Robyn looked at Don's family and almost felt a jealousy. She certainly would not be able to share a moment like this in such a way with hers. Don was lucky.
ooOoo
David walked back in to the cubicle and slumped back in his chair. Several hours of interrogation and then paperwork had taken its toll. Colby wearily stumbled in to talk to him.
"So. We get the next couple of days off to make up for this?"
"We better, I have one angry date that I need to make up for my sudden departure the other morning."
"You had a morning date?" Colby enquired of David.
David shook his head at Colby's tiredness and therefore inability to understand. "No Colby, the date was the night before."
Megan dragged her feet in to their cubicle and just looked at her colleagues. "I know you don't really want to hear this." Colby and David groaned, not more paperwork.
"Not paperwork. Charlie was on his way to tell Don he was in the clear. I spoke to Alan. He can't tell Don because he's been rushed back in to surgery. There's been some complication. He's not doing too great. I thought we could all maybe grab something to eat, wait it out. Alan said he'd call when he knew anything."
David and Colby were mortified. "What are his chances? What did they say?"
"Alan didn't know. They weren't telling him very much. I don't know. To go through all of this. The stress. Then finally it's all over only he doesn't know." Megan didn't say what she was really thinking. What if he dies thinking he did this.
Colby picked up his jacket. "He'll be fine. He survived being stabbed and left for dead I am sure he can survive further surgery."
They all nodded and then headed out from the office. Megan nodded and smiled as she walked past Agent McAdams. He smiled back.
ooOoo
Robyn had gone in to see Don. 4 hours he'd been in surgery and when they finally brought him back to his room Alan thought it best if Robyn was the first to see him. He had to start letting his son go again. Not like New Mexico, still it was hard.
"Dad."
"Yes Charlie."
"I think I've worked it out."
"Worked what out?" Although Alan knew full well what Charlie had been pondering while waiting there.
"Why Don is the way he is."
"Glad to hear it Charlie. Maybe you can next work out why you are the way you are."
"Yeah right. Don. Well he. I mean. I kind of took all the energy out of the house when I was a kid. Don just had to get on with things. I guess maybe he wanted to feel useful in society after he'd been so useless as a son." Charlie looked at his dad and felt the need to clarify. "Compared to a genius I mean. You know no matter what he did he couldn't change that so he decided he could change other people's lives. For the better. He's just used to protecting people. He's become the protector. But women. Well they are not people. He can tell Robyn because women have all the power."
"Well it didn't take a genius to work that out now did it. Of course, it took me about 5 years with your mother to work it out." Alan smiled at Charlie. "This wouldn't have anything to do with Amita would it?"
Charlie looked at his dad. He said no but they both knew he meant yes.
ooOoo
"Don." Robyn whispered so softly she barely heard herself. The doctor said he should be awake by now but then he looked so sick she wasn't sure she should wake him. The bleeding had started again. It happens, they said, but she knew it was probably accountable to Don trying to do too much too early. It was what she liked about him. He wouldn't be beaten down.
"Go." Don's words, faint as they were, shocked Robyn. "Go home, you…terrible."
"You aren't exactly a picture perfect yourself agent."
"Maybe." It was all Don could manage for the moment. He was exhausted. He felt like he'd been through the losing end of several bouts with a boxer. Everything was sore, but he felt better than when he'd last seen Robyn. It was worse than when he'd woken up in the alley, from what he could remember, the adrenaline had at least kept the pain at bay then. Despite his usual desire to hide the pain he had known that there was something wrong. Pain he could disguise, and this was more than pain so he was glad Robyn had been there for him.
"Thanks." Robyn cocked her head at Don's gratitude, not really sure what it was for.
"Thanks? I'll tell you that you look crap more often then. What do I need to tell you to get flowers? Ooh and chocolate?"
"For being here."
Robyn smiled at Don's comment, she didn't dare say she felt the same back to him, the alternative to him being here was something she had certainly thought about over the past few days. "Oh, I almost forgot. Your little brother's out there, wants to tell you something, you want me to bring him in? Don?"
Robyn still had a concerned look on her face when Alan and Charlie walked in.
"Sorry Robyn."
"No, it's fine…although I think I may have worn him out. I think he's asleep."
Charlie threw his hands up in the air. "Even if he lives for another 60 years he's still going to think he's guilty!"
"Thanks Robyn." Alan, looking beyond exhausted himself, relaxed in to the chair beside the bed and nodded as Robyn collected her stuff and left the room. "You should probably go home too Charlie. I'm only going to stay a few more minutes. You can tell him tomorrow."
"Go. Both of you. If you don't need your sleep at least I do."
Alan looked down at his son. Ingrate. "Well Charlie, I guess we'll leave the bear with the sore head to himself. Don't know how any woman would put up with him really."
Charlie knew exactly how to play Don, even in his exhausted state. "Sure Dad. Let's go grab a pizza. Agent Eppes doesn't really need to know about what his team have been doing anyway."
Don stirred. Exhausted, frustrated but definitely interested in a development.
Charlie shot Alan a knowing glance and he smiled back, enjoying the sense of relief he was feeling that maybe everything would be OK.
"What Chuck?" Don's frustration grew with the silence and he was beginning to feel more worn out than ever before.
"Well OK. It's only that Sarah Peckham killed Anita and was in charge of the drugs and the money laundering and they've got her and you're in the clear. That's all."
The smirk that covered Charlie's face quickly disappeared when he heard Don's reaction. "Is that all? I figured that out hours ago."
Charlie shuffled his feet thinking Robyn had beat him to his moment of glory.
"The no guards at the door was a good giveaway, Charlie. You've got math, I've got observation. Don't think you can ever pull something over on me, I'll beat you to the punch."
Deflated was an understatement to the way Charlie felt. "Nothing has ever gotten past you."
Don couldn't show his relief with words, but the stress that had hovered over him leached out from his pores and he relaxed in to the bed, asleep.