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: Okay, a little light before the impending dark. A reviewer asked me if Don might get hyper and I've tried my best to express that concept. If it's hokey, don't poke-me; but constructive criticism continues to be welcome.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Melinda leaned towards Gordon, her hand gripping the arm of his chair. "Will this be a problem?" she whispered. She hadn't thought something like this would occur. After all, she had known the man for years- she just assumed he would trust her.

Gordon shuffled the papers in front of him. The attorney was more knowledgeable than his client and had prepared for this eventuality. Not knowing if anyone was within earshot of the conversation, he also kept his voice low.

"It would be a problem," Gordon replied loosely, "if I hadn't tied up Dr. Fillmore's schedule yesterday. Johnson won't file their papers until this afternoon at the earliest."

"Really?" Melinda was impressed with her attorney. "So you suspected this might happen?"

"Of course."

Gordon sat wearily in his seat. The entire situation was continuing to wear on him. He was glad his part in it would soon be over. Late Thursday night, Caleb had called him at home, wanting to know if Melinda was still threatening him. He had gritted his teeth and lied through them, telling her it was not safe for them to talk long; he had not told her which person in the word 'them' was unsafe . In her simplicity, Caleb still trusted him.

And it was breaking his heart, an organ he thought he had donated to criminal law years before.

Melinda interrupted his thoughts. "How did you do it?"

Gordon sighed. "I just scheduled several appointments for fictional patients, hired a few men to meet him and pretend to be in need of services. With each of them offering double his fees if their reports were provided last night, I knew Fillmore would focus on completing them, delaying the one he wrote for the Eppes." He grunted. "Actually surprises me that he finished so soon. His secretary says he always has his reports within a day of seeing a patient."

"The man must be a workaholic," Melinda said disapprovingly. "He should put his family first."

She quieted as a man entered the room, sitting in front of them.

Melinda smiled at the man she had known for over twenty years. He lived around the corner from her house, his daily drive into the county seat only ten minutes in length. As he began to talk, she purred- content . All those years of supporting his position were finally paying off.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

To their knowledge, Friday was uneventful to the Eppes. Johnson called them after lunch and informed them he would have their petition filed before four o'clock and that the court investigator would see them at eleven Monday morning, which would push their hearing date to Tuesday. Alan told his lawyer that Thompson had taken his son on Wednesday. Johnson apologized that there was no legal course of action that they could take, but that he was glad that Don had returned home. Alan asked his lawyer if there was anything Don and Thompson could have done in the short time they were gone to sway the hearing in her favor, but Johnson could think of nothing, though he promised to see if he could find out anything, again reassuring Alan that Charlie was first in line when the judge appointed a conservator. He and Alan made a date to meet the next day to go over the new evaluation and petition, as well as discuss what questions they could expect the court investigator to ask on Monday.

"I don't typically work on Saturday, Alan, but there is no other time for us to talk except Sunday, and I never work then." Alan thanked the lawyer, wondering if he was going to be billed overtime for being given the privilege of seeing him during the weekend.

Charlie joined Alan and Don during their nap. The fright the gun incident had caused them still hung in the air, like the smoke after a shot is actually fired. Leaning across a napping Don, Alan quietly told Charlie about his conversation with Billy, asking him why he thought the agent felt they would need to contact him in the future. Charlie just shrugged, telling his father he had no idea. Then both men had fallen asleep, remaining so beyond the sound of the alarm, emotionally drained.

Most of Friday evening was spent in the swimming pool, all three Eppes needing the relaxation that the warm water and quiet music afforded them. Alan first insisted that Charlie check the property. Halfway through his inspection, Alan came to the back door, telling him Megan had called and said she had been keeping guard across the street. Apparently, she had seen no nefarious sign of Thompson or her lawyer. Trusting her, Charlie and Alan took Don outside, helping him into the pool, their eyes still keenly watching for movement around them. About an hour into their foray in the pool, Alan felt they needed some fun and he left his sons, returning shortly from the garage. Charlie was floating on his back next to Don, his hand entwined in his brother's, when he felt something hit him on the nose and he sat up, grinning when he saw the large plastic ball floating in the middle.

"Hey, Don," he said.

Don pulled up; thanks to Charlie, he no longer wore any flotation devices, his fear of the water having subsided as his trust in his brother's presence had ebbed forward.

"Here," Charlie pushed the ball across the water, not wanting to hit Don in the head. Don batted it back, Alan splashing both his sons as he dropped into the pool, sending the ball spinning.

"Hey," Don said. He raced for the ball, but was stopped by Alan.

"Not too fast. We have to keep your head safe." Don nodded, accepting the rule. He pushed the ball with the flat of his palms, sending it across to Charlie, who sent it on to their father. They each found a comfortable spot against the inside of the pool and lazily batted the ball to each other, laughing and smiling, unaware of the storm clouds that were gathering in the sky behind them.

Too late, they felt the first drops of rain hit the pool. Charlie and Alan scrambled out, helping Don climb over the edge. Charlie covered the pool as his brother and father went into the house, just missing the start of the downpour.

Charlie entered the kitchen, shaking his long curls like a dog, splashing water around the kitchen as Don and Alan held up their hands for protection.

"Ah, man!" Charlie suddenly yelped. He ran outside, around the side of the pool. When he reentered the kitchen, he held their cassette player in his hands. Alan opened it and tried to retrieve the cassette, but its ribbon had backed up on itself and crinkled beyond repair, the old machine malfunctioning in the rain.

"We lost Mom's music," Charlie said quietly. Alan gave him a forgiving smile, "We'll find more of her later."

Don stood to the side, unaware of their loss.

Toweling first themselves and then Don, Charlie and Alan led the way upstairs, where they changed into bed clothes and slunk back down to the solarium, switching on an old black and white comedy.

Alan slipped into the kitchen and warmed some chocolate, measuring exactly one-half cup for Don and putting it in his sippy cup, while giving a more generous portion to himself and Charlie in two coffee mugs. He went to the hall closet and laid three throw blankets over his arm, then went back to the kitchen and balanced the cup and three mugs in his hands, heading to the solarium when he finished.

Don and Charlie gladly accepted their drinks. Embarrassed once again, Charlie allowed Alan to wrap him in one of the blankets, watching as Don readily and unashamedly welcomed his father to do the same for him. Alan switched off the lights, pulled a blanket over his shoulders and settled between them. They merrily watched the old-time antics of the comedy duo on the screen, their cares dissolving in the flowing warmth from a combination of chocolate, soft blankets, and body heat.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Larry quietly stole outside the Eppes's home, sitting in the front passenger seat of their car. He thought the day was beautiful, a perfect Saturday for an outing. Only, he wasn't sure if there was to be one.

Charlie stood in front of his father, his arms crossed, Don in front of him whining, "Please, please, Daddy."

Alan had his hands on his hips. "This decision is not yours to make," he told Don.

Don sank into the dining room chair, stopping his quiet cries by placing his thumb in his mouth. Charlie placed a hand on his shoulder, stepping up to face his father. "He earned all fifty stars this week, and we promised he could go to the park. We can't go back on that now."

"Well, he should have thought about that when he took off on Wednesday." Alan refused to back down. It had been less than three full days since Don had snuck out of the house to meet Dr. Thompson, and he thought both of his sons were out of their minds to ask for permission to go to the park. "Charlie, I'm not taking any more risks with him. Don't you remember what happened at the institute- and I was right there. And two days ago, Don was out of our sight for less than ten minutes, right here in his own home. There is no way in hell I'm letting him go to a public place as open and unguarded as a park."

Charlie understood his father's concern. When Don had first asked him about the park that morning, Charlie had told him the same things his father was saying now. Only, Charlie found it impossible to resist Don's pleading, easily falling victim to his puppy-dog eyes and quivering lips. Instead of dropping the subject, Charlie had taken the time to think about whether it was a wise decision. It was true- Don had taken off with Thompson on Wednesday. However, Charlie believed she had done so in order to accomplish something that would affect the upcoming hearing, otherwise, why send Don back home? That being the case, there was little or no chance the woman would try to nab Don again. But Charlie wasn't one hundred per cent positive, so he swayed back to an answer of no because even a minute chance was too big of one to risk losing Don again.

Then Larry had stopped by, having given the Eppes a couple days to themselves in the correct belief they needed time alone, and Charlie saw his friend's visit as an opportunity to swing the pendulum in favor of going to the park. Surely, with both him and Larry attentive to Don, there was no way Thompson could kidnap him again? Still, Charlie was leery of leaving the house. The hearing was in just a few short days, and it made sense for them to wait until he had the legal papers that would keep Thompson away. He had tried to tell Don that they could wait, but Don had sulked, crying and begging as best as he could that no, only today would do. Charlie had frowned at the severe reaction because the prior week Don had been content to stay in the back yard, briefly wondering if Thompson actually did have plans to meet with his brother.

Charlie's final decision was made when he had cupped his brother's face and directed him to look into his eyes; he had then asked Don if he wanted to go to the park to meet someone, or for any other purpose than to play baseball. Don had sobbed no so many times that Charlie was convinced his brother just wanted his reward and had no ulterior motive for wanting to go.

This had led Charlie to the argument he was currently having with his father.

"Dad, he promised me he wouldn't go anywhere; he'll stay with me and Larry."

Alan looked at Don, his heart wanting to melt at the misery he saw on his face. "Donny, go into the living room and sit on the couch. Your brother and I need to talk." Don pouted his way out of the room, giving one last plea with his eyes towards his brother.

Once Don was gone, Alan said, "Charlie, you said so yourself, we can't trust Don. This might be another trick of Thompson's to get him out of the house."

"But she had him already, Dad. Why didn't she just keep him if that was her plan?" Charlie crossed his arms again, unrelenting.

"I don't know," Alan snapped, sinking into a chair. "I don't understand anything she does. I just know I can't lose him again, Charlie. I just can't."

"Dad, you have to trust me"-

"I trusted you the other day."

"That's not fair."

"Neither is life."

Charlie drummed his fingers on the back of the chair, his other hand running through his curls, not knowing what to say to convince his father. He glanced into the living room; one look at Don slumped on the couch and he knew he couldn't give up.

"What if we called you every hour- let you know he was safe?" Charlie tried to come up with something that would satisfy his father.

"In the meantime, I would worry." Alan sat hunched forward, his hands clasped tightly in front of him.

"Okay, how about every thirty minutes?" Charlie felt as if he was making headway. "And you can talk to Larry before we leave, make sure he understands that we have to stay with Don at all times."

Alan's head fell to rest on his hands. He hated this, but Don did not seem to understand why he couldn't receive his reward; at least, Alan hoped and prayed that was the reason Don seemed so upset. Alan lifted his head and looked at Charlie. His youngest son was standing up to him, refusing to back away from the argument. Alan was proud of him for showing so much strength, even if he did think it was a mistake to let Don go to the park. Horrible images of Percy Jackson assailed his vision and Alan had to rub away a tick at the corner of his mouth.

He wondered if it would always be like this- him being afraid to let his adult son out of the house. How do other people handle these kinds of situations? Other parents had special children, too- ones that were blind, or deaf, or in wheelchairs, others who were children in their minds all of their lives. At least he had some hope that Don would return to being a man- but how did those other parents cope with seeing their often innocent adult children thrust into a world that was anything but innocent? Alan thought about Jim's suggestion that he and Charlie seek a support group; for the first time, he was really beginning to understand why one would be of benefit to them.

Still, he didn't believe many parents had someone like Dr. Thompson focused on their child and nobody else. Then he remembered Jackson again and realized there probably were parents out there who could relate to what they were going through, other parents who worried about people who were determined to prey on their children.

At least Don has Charlie to protect him, Alan sighed, that one thought changing his mind about letting Don go to the park. Don did have Charlie to protect him, and Alan trusted his youngest son to take care of his brother. The other day, neither one of them had been with Don when he took off, nor had Charlie been present when Jackson had tried to steal Don; but Alan was positive if Charlie had been present when Don had tried to leave or during Jackson's attempt, he would have protected his brother and taken care of the problem- taken care of him.

Charlie could tell from experience when his father changed his mind and he snuck a thumbs-up to Don behind a chair. Alan noticed the move and rolled his eyes. He stood up, telling Charlie, "Fine, you can go. But not unless he wears a helmet for his head."

"We can stop by the toy store and buy him one," Charlie said quickly.

"And you need to take his medicine with you"-

"Already packed."

"And some"- Alan went to a drawer in the buffet, searching through it.

Charlie continued his list, "Extra clothes, his briefs, baby powder, baby wipes, rash medicine, ground food in a cooler, his feeding utensils, holding glove, a first aid kit, a blanket to sit on, my fully-charged cell phone"-

"And this," Alan said, holding up the item he was looking for.

Charlie fell silent, staring at it. He shook his head, "No, Dad, I can't put that on him. It would be too embarrassing for him to be seen in public with it."

"Oh, and his carrying around Buddy won't be." Alan crossed his arms, knowing he would be the one not backing down from this particular demand. "If you're taking Don out in public, I want to be assured that he can't get away from you. So, either he wears it or you stay home- there will be no negotiations."

Charlie knew this was one lost cause. He could only hope Don would forgive him later on.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Slow down, Don," Charlie panted, having a hard time keeping up with his brother, whose strides were much longer than his own.

Don loved the freedom of the toy store. There were so many brightly colored items and wonderful things to see. He darted to an army soldier, staring at the gun he held, longer than the one he'd had in his hand two days before. Before Charlie could stop him, Don dashed to some blocks, trying to pick them up and put them in place, dropping the one he could grab when he saw cars careening down the aisle. He ran after one and stopped when it did, smiling down at the little boy that was controlling it, grinning when the boy offered him the box in his hands. Don fumbled with it, the boy seeing he was was uncertain how to manipulate the controls, so he took it back from Don and held it out to him, showing Don how to move the steering wheel and push the lever that moved the car forward and back. Don smiled, laughing with the boy when he crashed into a wall or backed into a display.

Charlie stood next to Don, his right arm jerking every time Don moved his left one. Buddy was stuck in a loop of Charlie's jeans; after Don had first taken off, he had insisted his brother give him the rabbit, afraid it would get lost. Larry came up behind them, tapping his mouth as he observed Charlie's discomfiture.

"Maybe we should have stayed in the car after all," he apologized.

"Yeah," Charlie breathed out, "Ya think?"

He groaned when Don took off again, the child strap that tied him to his brother going taut as Don quickly followed the boy to a television display, a video game on it. Charlie jogged to keep up, glad when Don stopped to play the game. Larry sauntered up behind them a few minutes later.

"I think we are wasting valuable time that would be better spent looking for a well-fitting helmet for Don," he stated.

Charlie glared at him. "Well, maybe I could have been looking for that well-fitting helmet if you hadn't insisted that Don be allowed to come in with me."

"Hmm," Larry murmured, "I don't believe I ever insist on the actions of others. I may attempt to persuade, but would never insist my will upon another."

Charlie ran a frustrated hand through his hair, only to be yanked off his feet as Don and the boy left the video game, heading to an aisle with sports equipment. At least we're finally heading to the right section, Charlie thought, holding on to his arm as he was tugged forward by the strap. While Don bounced a basketball with the flat of his palm, Charlie searched the shelves for adult helmets. Finding one that seemed the right size, he turned to Larry, who was standing by his side, looking at the same display.

"Do you think you could take that one down for me?" He pointed towards a solid red helmet. Larry stepped on the bottom shelf and reached for it, bringing it down and handing it to Charlie.

With the helmet in hand, Charlie spoke sternly to his brother. "Don, do you still want to go to the park?" Don stopped bouncing the ball, nodding his head at Charlie. "Then let me see if this helmet fits your head." Don stood still as Charlie placed the bike helmet on his head, careful not to push down on his temples. Charlie made sure it fit correctly, and when satisfied, took it off his brother's head. "Okay, we're done here. If you want to go, we have to leave now."

Don told his friend bye and walked towards the front of the store, Charlie trailing behind him with Larry. When they stood in the checkout lane, an older woman passed by and stared at them, her eyes following the strap from Don to Charlie and back again, noting the helmet in Charlie's hands and the rabbit swinging from his jeans. Charlie was just about to tell the old bitty to mind her own business when she addressed Don.

"It is so nice of you to take care of your little brother. My grandson is special, too."

Don smiled, puffing up his chest. Charlie withered, wondering how many other people had thought that it was he who was attached to his older and taller brother, and not the other way around. But as they moved in the line and Don continued to stand proud, Charlie found it easy to allow him his moment to shine. It had been a long time since Don had a reason to feel proud for watching out for his little brother.