Disclaimer: I don't own anything Numb3rs, it's all property of CBS and whatnot, so don't sue.
Chapter 13: Coversation Over Drinks And Kinship Between Two Men.
When Colby got out of the lockers after he'd changed, he headed to the Jiu Jitsu Mats, althoughthe sole focus of his gaze was the kendo mats and a certain fighter in black who was kicking major ass yet again as he fought against three opponents at once. Instead of diving into hisprefered sport, Colby found himself sitting on the sides, watching Charlie in action for what was probably the millionth time.
Only this time, he gazed upon his friend, not as the geeky math genius who was exceptionally good at Kendo. He saw before him a seasoned warrior who knew pain, a man who had been on the razor edge between life and death numerous times and somehow came out alive. Besides the warrior, Colby also saw an enigma behind a mask of simplicity. This raised many new questions that Colby was sure he was going to get answers for, one way or the other. For now, he watched his friend in all his graceful deadliness. Yes, deadliness, for if someone's that good with a wooden sword, what about a real one?
Two hours later, Colby followed Charlie into the locker-rooms like a man on a mission.
" Hey Colby, you wanna go grab a few drinks?" Asked Charlie suddenly, momentarily startling Colby once more. But the other man recovered quickly.
" How 'bout we go to my place?" Asked Colby, hoping fervently that his invitation would be accepted.
Charlie turned and gave his a smile that did nothing to erase the growing sadness behind his deep-brown eyes as he nodded in agreement. He then turned back to taking off his armor. Colby heaved a secret sigh of relief before he went to his own locker to change.
Twenty minutes later, the two of them were saying goodnight to the other guys and heading for Colby's Silver SUV. The drive to Colby's place was in semi-tense silence, with Colby stealing glances at his passenger and Charlie keeping his gaze firmly ahead.
When they reached Colby's apartment complex, they wordlessly got out and Charlie followed Colby inside. A silent elevator ride followed, then the two of them silently entered the apartment.
" Have a seat, I'll get us some beer." Said Colby, motioning towards the couch as he made his way to the kitchen.
Charlie obliged and took a seat on the well-worn piece of furniture and waited for his host to reasurface. He gave Colby a small smile when the other man returned withtwo bottles ofcold beer.
" Thanks."Said Charlie ashe took the bottle offered to him. Colby took the seat next to him and the two drank in silence, the tension was now thick enough to cut with aknife.
" Charlie, what the hell were you doing near a building that blew up, in Istanbul of all places? Asked Colby as he turned a hard gaze on his guest. He watched as Charlie shrugged and looked at him with faraway eyes.
" It wasn't a building it was a car-bomb. Sorry for lying to you man." Thought Charlie before he spoke.
" I was standing in the wrong place at the wrong time, I was walking out of restaurant, me and a friend of mine in the army had just had dinner. Me and him, we were walking to his car when everything just went boom, all I can really remember is waking up afterwards when they were loading me into an ambulance, before the doors closed, I saw a military coroner's van, my friend didn't make it, I get away with a piece of metal lodged in my shoulder and a few bumps and bruises." Said Charlie quietly, watching the shock situate itself onto Colby's face.
What Charlie had said was true in that when the actual event, a car-bomb explosionhad happened, a fellow American named James Palmeri had been killed. Ghost had recieved his injuries when he'd tried to drag Palmeri out of there, but by then it was too late, they'd both been caught in the blast. A little stretching of the truth yet again.
After a few moments to find his voice, Colby spoke.
" What about the Bullet graze?" He asked.
" That, I got it when I was in Russia. They told me to stay in the car and like the idiot I sometimes am, I got out of the car. There were bullets flying everywhere, then I feel this searing hot pain in my right side. I get yanked and shoved back into a car and only after everythings over and done do I realize that Oh my God, I've been shot." Sighed Charlie as he took a long sip on his beer.
All of this new information so far left Colby's mind reeling. Just what the hell was a College Professor doing getting himself blown up, or shot, even nearly disembowled, he still hadn't gotten an explanation for that one.
" To answer your question about my near disembowlment, it happened while I was in Japan, I was just starting out on using a real sword. One of my fellow students thoughts it'd be fun to spar, knowing full well that I would'nt stand a chance. So we spar, I manage to block most of his attackes with what I'd learned so far. Then out of nowhere, he catches me across the gut. The last thing I remember is seeing red splashed across the floor, it was my own blood. Then everything goes black and I wake up in hospital. When I get back to the Dojo, the student who almost killed me had been expelled, I never told him that there were no hard feeling." Said Charlie as he set his now empty bottle of beer onto the coffee table infront of the couch where they sat.
The two men sat in silence for the better part of an eternity before Colby spoke.
"Does Don know?" He asked.
" The only person who knew up until now was our mother, she took these secrets to her grave. I could tell her almost anything, she'd understand. We both thought it best that my father and brother should remain clueless about just how dangerous my life really is. " Said Charlie with a tiny smile.
" Man, how the hell does a Math teacher end up almost getting disembowled, shot, and blown up?" Asked Colby, still in awe.
" Colby, let me ask you something. When you first met me, what did you think of me?" Countered Charlie witha question.
At this, Colby paused to think back to the case where the Judge's wife was murdered.
" I thought you were the annoying consultant who thought I was the bone-head new guy from Idaho." Answered Colby, smiling when Charlie chuckled brightly.
" Well, let me apologize for that, I never thought of you as the bone-head, I just got really used to explaining everything math to you guys at the FBI, but it's nice to know you were paying attention in math class." Smiled Charlie.
Colby nodded in agreement and waited for Charlie to continue.
" Colby, how many times has Don told you, Megan and David abouthow sheltered a childhood I had, and how bad I am at dealing with bad situations, that I'm just a kid in a grown-up world?" Asked Charlie withan amused look in his eyes.
Colby squirmed under the knowing gaze.
" Don would have to eat all those words if he knew the total number of men I've seen die. He thinks that his line of work makes life for me dangerous, but the truth is, riding in a car with any of you is a nice Sunday drive to the beach compared to some of the live-combat zones I've been to. Hell, I might have even driven by where you were stationed at in Khandahar." Said Charlie smirking mentally.
" Wait... You were in Khandahar?" Whispered Colby.
" Colby Granger, I've been all over the world, and I can think of several different times when I almost met my maker." Said Charlie as he leaned forward and held Colby's gaze with a hard stare of his own.
" I'm still alive, and contrary to what Don thinks, I know about how ugly this world really is, I know there will alway be war and death between men. But there will always be peace and life between men as well." Said Charlie, he couldtell that these words had shaken Colby to his very core.
" Charlie, why didn't you tell Don any of this?" Asked Colby, gazingback at his friend in awed respect.
At this Charlie diverted his gaze to his lap for a moment before he looked back at Colby.
" He doesn't need the extra anxiety for the next time I disappear and besides, if he knew he'd probably lock me in my own house and never let me see the light of day again, he'd be that scaredthat something might happen tome." Said Charlie quietly.
" And I'd appreciate it if this conversation remained just between you and me." He added.
The two men sat in thecharged silence a while before Colby spoke.
" You are just full of surprises Charlie Eppes." He said with a breathlessgrin.
" That I am Colby Granger... That I am." Smiled Charlie.