Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Numb3rs or the characters therein. All characters are fictional and should not be associated with any other person- real or imagined.

Author's note: Sorry this took so long. I actually wrote this chapter and the next as one, but found a good breaking point so I'll list them separately. Will have Chapter 53 up by tonight. Should finish three more and the final probate hearing one by end of this week. Thanks for being patient. I had final papers due for college last week of July, and my sisters and I visited my dad this past week in Kentucky, so I couldn't work (though I tried, but two sisters arguing "you can do that when you go back home" made the point that my computer had to remain shut). I'm sorry I have yet to respond to the last reviews. I always appreciate getting them and will respond soon.

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Don nervously stood next to the car, waiting while his mommy opened the back door. He looked behind him once or twice, debating whether he should go back home and let Charlie rescue Buddy instead of him, but the decision was made for him when he was pulled into the car and heard the door slam behind him. Before he could respond, they were driving away, and he turned in his seat one last time, catching a glimpse of Charlie standing on the sidewalk, so very far away from them, before they turned a corner.

Melinda sat in the back with Donny, her lawyer driving the car. She looked at her son. She could tell that he was afraid to be in the car with her. He was huddled in the corner of the backseat, sucking his thumb while avoiding her eyes. Before she began to talk to him, she contemplated all that she was seeing.

She knew he could not think she was carrying the belt with her; late the previous week, she had finally jimmied open the lockbox and discovered it was empty. So, the little brother must have taken it, probably giving it to his F.B. I. friends to look for DNA evidence that it had been used on her son. Since her lawyer had not been contacted about further findings, she assumed this attempt had proven futile.

Still, for some reason, her little boy did not seem to want to be with her.

This was not in her favor. The Eppes' lawyer would be filing their petition papers again and the court investigator would be talking with her son. It would not be advantageous if Donny said he was afraid of her. Of course, by Monday or Tuesday at the latest, she would be the first choice in placement for any decision determining conservatorship. But Fairfield had warned her that the judge would take Donny's interview with the court investigator into consideration. Any statement from her son that she was violent would at the very least cause the court to wait to give her permanent papers until the investigator had come to her home and talked to her personally, leaving her son with the Eppes or a state conservator until the statements could be verified to be true or false. By that time, Donny might have enough nerve to let everyone know all about her secrets- which would land her in jail and keep him from her forever.

This Melinda could not have.

Not when she was so close.

Carefully, Melinda took Buddy out of a bag sitting on the floor. Don's eyes lifted at the movement and froze in place when they saw what she was holding.

"I told you I had Buddy here with me," Melinda said softly, "but I'm afraid that Mommy can't give him to you just yet."

Don could not keep his eyes off his friend, but he was still able to listen to every word his mommy said.

"Baby, you were such a good little boy for Mommy on Monday," Melinda continued, trying to ease her son's uneasiness at being in her presence, "remember, when we were in court, that room with the big, old fat man at the front?" She did not expect her son to answer. "You said everything that Mommy wanted you to say; you were just perfect. I'm so proud of you."

Don remained where he was, on his guard. He knew his mommy no longer had the belt, but he also knew she could be just as quick to slap or pinch him if she so desired, which could hurt just as bad as being belted; sometimes, it was even worse. Because of prior experience and his recent nightmares, he decided it was best not to trust his mommy, though it did make him feel good to hear her praise. He had a distinct desire to tell her all the other things he had been doing, how he had been learning to move his tongue and grip with his hand, that he could open the door by himself and no longer had to wear his special briefs- and that he was a special agent man. But he remembered when she had visited him at Daddy's and misunderstood everything he had told her, making it seem like he hadn't done anything good. She had gotten angry then and he suspected she would again if she knew all the activities he was finishing and how proud his family was at all he had accomplished. Don decided that no matter how much he wanted her to be proud of him, too, it was best to keep all of this to himself; after all, if Mommy could have secrets, so could he.

"We have a bit of business to take care of today. Do you think you can be a good little boy for Mommy one more time, baby? Do you? I just know you can." Melinda began to talk slowly, emphasizing every word so that her son could easily follow along. "Now listen very closely, because you have to say and do everything exactly the way Mommy says, and then I will give you Buddy and you can go back to Daddy and Charlie's house. Does that sound good?"

Don did not move for several minutes. He stared at Buddy, held under Mommy's left arm while she petted his head. He frowned. Buddy doesn't like to be petted that way, he thought. Slowly, he moved his eyes to meet his mommy's and he nodded, knowing he would do whatever she wanted if it meant he could have his friend back.

"You're such a good little boy, Donny. Now, remember how I told you to call me Dr. Thompson in court?" She waited until he nodded again. "Well, today I want you to call me Melinda. Can you repeat that for me?"

Don removed his thumb and said, "Melinda."

"That's right, baby. You make Mommy so proud."

Don tried not to respond to the praise, but he couldn't help it. A tiny smile found its way to his lips and he sat up straight, listening, telling himself he needed to perform perfectly so he could get Buddy, that he was listening to Mommy for that reason alone, not because he still had a deep need inside himself to please her; he didn't want to face that fact because he was afraid that Charlie and Daddy would be disappointed to know he still loved her that much, that it rose in him when he was in her presence, slipping through his fear of her.

"Now, you have to make sure you don't suck your thumb. Can you do that for Mommy?" Melinda waited until Don said yes. "Oh, baby, you're such a good little boy. I just know you're going to say and do everything just the way I want you to."

Don paid attention to every single thing Mommy told him he had to do and say. He was sure he could follow her directions, rescue his friend, and be home before Charlie and Daddy got too worried or angry at him.

And Mommy would be happy and proud of him, maybe enough that she wouldn't come visit him in his dreams with the belt. Don remembered his mommy hadn't come the night before, and he wondered if it was because he had done so well on Monday, in that room with the fat man. This idea caused Don to sit up straighter and concentrate on his mommy's words. He felt that doing what she said would garner him several rewards: Buddy, her praise, and no bad dreams that night.

The rest of the afternoon went so fast, Don wasn't sure what was happening. Mommy made him leave the car and they went into some building together, standing still until her lawyer showed up after parking the car. Then everything was move here, go there, some questions asked him and Mommy that they had to answer, he signed his name and showed some pictures of himself to a lady, comments running around him that he didn't quite understand about him and Mommy not looking that far apart in age and how much they must love each other, and then some papers were stamped and they were back in Mommy's car, driving until the lawyer stopped in the corner of a parking garage and shut the engine off.

Melinda sat facing her son. He continued to keep his body and face turned from her. She picked up Buddy and gently placed him in his lap.

Quickly, like a flash, he began to turn the rabbit about until he was certain he was holding his friend and not another imposter. Apparently satisfied, he relaxed into the seat, eyes closed; tugging on the rabbit's left ear and purposely sucking his thumb, getting comfortable with his friend again.

"Are you happy, baby?" Melinda asked. As far as she was concerned, Donny was to be hers shortly. However, she wanted to make sure the court had no reason to argue her belief, so she decided to use the last bit of arsenal she had left available to her to provide her son another reason for returning to her.

Don kept his eyes closed and concentrated on Buddy. The rabbit felt like it had been washed and smelled nice, like fresh flowers.

"Baby, I really need to know. Are you happy with your daddy and Charlie?" Melinda felt they had plenty of time to talk, so she went slow and easy, wanting her son to trust her enough to fall into her trap.

Don sighed contentedly. He removed his thumb and wrapped both arms around Buddy. "Yes, Mommy," he replied, his eyes staying shut.

"Does Charlie still do so many things for you?" Melinda asked, making sure to keep her voice tone at a higher pitch and her volume low, trying to evoke an air about her of interest and awe, as if really impressed by her son's brother.

Careful to avoid sounding too happy, which might upset his mommy, Don answered flatly, "Yes, Mommy."

"Oh, that's so amazing. I wonder how he manages to do all those things and his job, too. He does have a job, doesn't he?"

Don opened his eyes and pulled his body up in his seat. He hadn't thought too much about Charlie's job. Thinking hard, he remembered that during the memory game, Charlie had told him that he and Larry worked at Cal Sci.

"Works at Cal Sci," Don told her.

"Really, baby, what does he do there?" Melinda inquired.

"He teaches," Don said smiling, pleased he could recall so much of what Charlie had told him.

"Oh, that's just wonderful," Melinda stated as if amazed.

Don's smile widened. His brother must have an important job if it impressed his mommy. Melinda shifted in her seat, moving next to her son. Their legs were two inches from each other.

"Why, with a prestigious job like that, I bet he teaches every day. Tell me, how many days does he work?"

Don couldn't answer that question. As far as he could tell, Charlie was always home- always taking care of him. He didn't understand how Charlie could work at Cal Sci and be home at the same time.

"Don't know," Don said.

"Doesn't he like his job?" Melinda ran her fingers down his arm, her son so preoccupied with her questions that he did not seem to notice.

"I think so." Don wasn't sure, but if Charlie taught math and he was good with numbers, it made sense that he liked his job. Probably more than liked, Don thought, he must love getting paid to work with numbers.

"Oh, he must be a wonderful brother, to give all of that up." Melinda waited for him to think about the implications of her statement.

Don sat silently. He hadn't thought about that. Charlie said he worked as a teacher, but he was never gone. It was possible that Charlie had quit his job, though Don had no idea if he had or not. Even if he hadn't, it was clear that Charlie had not been teaching ever since Don had come home from the institute, and it was obvious why: he couldn't, because he had to take care of his brother.

And that's when Melinda's last weapon started to work, because Don didn't like to think of himself as a burden. Guilt emerged and started to infiltrate what emotional stability his family had brought him, and he began to wonder what other sacrifices his family was making for him.

Melinda was ready with the answers. "What about your daddy? Does he work, too?"

"No, he's retired." Don knew it was okay for Daddy to be home.

"But what about his business?" Melinda asked softly, settling against her son so that their bodies were now touching shoulder to toe.

"He don't have one." Daddy never said anything about a business.

"Yes, you're correct, baby, now I remember. He had to sell it to pay for your doctor visits." Melinda smiled when Don stiffened against her.

"He did?" Don pressed into his mommy, not wanting but needing to know if he was responsible for anything bad that had happened to his daddy and Charlie.

"Oh, baby, it's not your fault and it's not your family's fault either. They just don't have a lot of money." She soothed him with a kiss on the forehead. "Not like mommy does. Mommy has lots of money to pay for everything her baby needs."

Don thought about all the neat things Charlie had bought for him. He was ashamed to think how excited he'd been to get them, now that he knew Charlie really didn't have the money to buy them. And where did Charlie get what little money he had if he didn't go to his job? They didn't pay you money for staying at home with your worthless brother, did they? Don couldn't believe anyone did. He decided that Charlie and Daddy must be using the money left from Daddy's business, the one he had to sell because of him. Don hated that his daddy had to do that, just because he had one son that couldn't do anything by himself. His family loved him and was doing everything they could for him, but what had he done for them? He had been told that his job was to protect and save people, but Don hadn't been doing that, not except when he came to rescue Buddy, and he didn't think anyone would pay him for that.

Don hid his face against Melinda, laying aside his fear of her, needing and looking for her comfort instead, readily finding it as she wrapped her arms around him, ensnaring him in her embrace.

How could he not realize that he was costing his family so much?

"Now, baby, don't start crying. Nobody is mad at you. Your brother and daddy don't blame you, and I don't blame you, either. Maybe they have friends that can help out?" she asked, wanting to take the conversation in another direction.

"Maybe." Don thought about Larry. He didn't come to their house everyday, so he was probably still working at Cal Sci and had plenty of money.

"Do you know any of your brother's friends?"

"Larry," Don answered.

"Nobody else?" Melinda slipped her hands down around Don's waist and under his shirt, feeling the slight trembling that blended with the heat of his body.

"No," Don replied. He didn't know why Mommy was asking.

"How about your daddy- does he have any friends?"

"No." That didn't make sense, though. Daddy was very nice, so he had to have friends.

"Don't they ever have anyone come over?" Melinda massaged his bare skin, wanting to make a strong sensory memory of the feel of him. It would be at least five more days before she could touch her son again.

"No, just Larry."

"Oh, dear. I guess they just don't have time to spend with their friends." Melinda waited patiently while Don tensed again. "I suppose that's alright. I'm sure they always stayed at home before you went to live with them."

They have time, Don thought. Charlie spends lots of time with Larry. But he remembered that Charlie had said that he had other friends, and Don knew none of them ever came over and Charlie never left to meet them. He had been jealous of the time Charlie had spent with Larry, and they had resolved that problem; Charlie knew that he didn't mind if he decided to be with his friends, so that couldn't be the reason Charlie stayed home. Mommy must be right, Don reasoned, Charlie and daddy had no time to do what they really wanted to do, and with the people they wanted to be with- all because he had to be taken care of.

"Could if they want," Don said doubtfully.

"Well, you're right, I think. Even if they have to do so many things for you, I'm sure they could do other things if they really wanted to." Don was starting to feel a little better when Melinda added, "It's a good thing they're young and healthy. Otherwise, I would be afraid they wouldn't have the energy to care for you and do those other things."

"Not daddy…he's not young," Don told her. And he gets tired a lot, too, he thought. Don remembered the last thing Daddy said to him, that he was real tired and wanted to get some sleep. And yesterday, he had slept on the couch even though they had just taken a nap. At night, he was always groaning and his bones creaked, both signs that his daddy was in pain a lot. Don blamed his inability to care for himself for that pain- Daddy wouldn't be tired and his body wouldn't hurt if he didn't have to do so many things for his no good son. No wonder Daddy couldn't do or go anywhere else.

Don started to cry.

He didn't want his family to have to spend all their money on him and spend all of their time away from their friends and not go to the jobs they loved; he didn't want Daddy to hurt and be in pain because it was hard to take care of him. Ever since he had gone to live with his family, it had never entered his mind that he might be hurting them, but it had to be hard for Charlie and Daddy, always staying home because they couldn't leave him by himself. That would be especially true after today. They would know they couldn't trust him to be alone because he might lie and take off again, and then they would have to stay in the house and wouldn't be able to see their friends or do anything else but take care of him- forever.

'Shh, baby, don't cry. Nobody blames you. It's just the way the world works." Melinda gently lifted Don's face to her own, and kissed away his tears. "Mommy doesn't have any friends, and she has lots of money, enough to pay for everything. It's a mommy's job to take care of her little boy, anyway. Don't you want me to?"

Don dropped his head, allowing his mommy to guide it to rest on her breast, while he was thinking about Charlie and Daddy and the misery they must be hiding- all caused by him.

"If you let me," Melinda whispered, "I can solve their problems. I'll pay all of your bills so Charlie and your daddy don't have to worry about them anymore. And if your daddy wants his business again, I can buy it for him, too. Then he and your brother can go back to doing the work they love, and seeing the friends they miss, and doing the activities they enjoyed- everything they did before they had to take care of you. And when they want to, they can even visit you, too."

Feeling the time was right, Melinda reached in her bag and pulled out a bottle, bringing it to her son's face and laying its nipple against his lips as an invitation to accept or reject her offer.

Don thought about his family and how much he loved them. Don knew he couldn't do many things on his own and had to rely on somebody. He did not want to be dependent upon his family to provide for him and he didn't want to have to rely on Mommy, either, but he had no choice: it had to be one or the other. Don loved being with his family; they were always nice and taught him how to do a lot of things. Mommy could be nice, too, but she could be mean if he didn't do exactly what she said, and she wanted him to be a baby; he wanted to be a special agent man. But it wasn't fair to make his family suffer just so he could have what he wanted. It seemed that it would be best for everyone else if he chose to rely on Mommy. Charlie and Daddy had lives of their own before he came into their home, while Mommy had always just had him. It made sense to go back to the way it had been before, with Mommy happy to take care of him, and Charlie and Daddy happy to be able to do the things they loved to do and with the people they wanted to see, and without Daddy hurting all the time.

Don wrapped himself around his mommy, knowing he could stay with her if it would be better for the brother and father he loved, even if it wasn't what he really wanted. When he felt the coolness of the rubber against his mouth, he knew what his mommy was offering and the stipulations that he would have to meet if he accepted her offer. With the welfare of his father and brother foremost in his mind, Don relinquished himself to his mommy's care, believing he was doing what was best for his family.

Melinda smiled when she saw her son close his eyes and begin to drink in submission to his chosen fate.