Chapter 10

"What's up sweetie?" Anna asked dropping down beside Amita on the quad lawn. Amita looked up and smiled. She hadn't seen Anna in forever

"Grading papers" Amita answered. Anna grimaced

"Why are you grading papers? Isn't that Charlie's job? Come to think of it, where is Charlie?"

"He is out sick because he was up until two, three in the morning working on some math problem"

"For Don?"

"Nope. Don had no clue what he was working on. We called him in sick when we saw he was still passed out COLD at seven"

"Why do I have this distinct feeling that you're not happy about this whole situation?"

"Cause I'm not happy. I'm worried. Worried that he's going to hurt himself…" Amita trailed off not wanting to finish. Amita didn't want to share with Anna what she believes to be paranoid thoughts

"I'm sensing an unspoken addition"

"I'm being paranoid" Amita said shaking her head and turning down to finish grading the paper she had in her hand

"I'm sure you're not. I can only guess you think that he's hiding something from you"

"It feels that way. He snapped at me when I asked him what he's working on. He never snaps at me like that. I mean he said that he was writing an article where the deadline was in two weeks, but it's not a contest, it's a magazine. Why rush?"

"Now I'm going to sound paranoid but are you sure that was it? I mean did you get a good look at the work?"

"Kinda. It was three different types of math from what I could tell. I don't know, I'm trying not to think. I'm banking on the fact that he will get the article done and then everything will go back to normal" I hope she added going back to her papers

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At around seven o'clock Don wandered in to the solarium with a sandwich, knowing that his brother hadn't stopped working since nine that morning.

"Hey buddy" Don called to Charlie who was hunched over his laptop. Charlie held up a finger, showing Don that he would be with him in a minute. After the keystrokes ceased Charlie rubbed his eyes and looked up

"What time is it?" Charlie asked standing to stretch

"Around seven" Don answered smiling watching his brother. He had looked so childlike for a moment, he had forgotten that Charlie was thirty now

"Oh thank god I'm almost done"

"Are you? That's great!" Don said placing the food down on the little table in front of the chair Charlie had moved too, then taking a seat across from him

"All that's left to do is to transfer the equations onto the computer"

"And that should take how long?" Don asked sprawling out

"Another hour or so" Charlie answered his puffed out with food.

Don laughed at his brother, and received a smile in return. He did. He really did it. His life with Amita was, well, was falling apart and he handled it without going into P vs. NP and not working himself into exhaustion

"So um so how's Amita?" Charlie asked into the silence after a few moments

"She's still here which is more than I can say if I were her" Don quipped

"Don, not funny. But she's really still here?"

"Charlie, she loves you, you know she loves you, she moved in with you. You hurt her but she's ok now. We talked this morning-" Charlie's head shot up at that statement so Don continued on quickly "-and I explained to her that you had to work but that you feel horrible about snapping that you apologize and that as soon as you're done you're taking her out to a huge meal. I personally suggest making her breakfast in bed and then taking her put to a large dinner at a nice restaurant"

"Thanks Don"

"You're welcome buddy. Now, as much as I like you part of the rest of the world, go and finish up that article so you can enjoy your weekend"

"Come and get me at ten" Charlie said rising from the chair and sitting back down in front of the laptop.

"Ok" Don replied but Charlie was already gone. Don turned and walked out the solarium and into Amita.

"Ow!" Amita exclaimed as she fell on her butt

"Oh, sorry!" Don took a few steps to cross the hallway and then helped Amita up

"Its fine. I was going to go check on him. Is he ok?" Amita asked with a few too many emotions in her voice to be sorted out at the moment

"Yeah. He's almost done. He said to get him at ten. Thinks he'll be done by then"

"Good. I just can't believe what got into him? Why was there such a rush to get this article out?"

"I have no clue, but for whatever reason he's almost done. Oh and he's going to make you breakfast in bed tomorrow so if he wakes you up just play dead"

"And this was his idea?" Amita smirked turning to walk back down the hall with Don

"No that was mine. Though he is going to take you out to dinner at a nice restaurant which was your idea"

"You have good taste Don" Amita said laughing as they descended the stairs

"I try. I didn't spend all that time with Terry and not learn anything" Don divulged. What he didn't see, that Amita did, however was that Terry had apparently decided to drop in with some notes about a case they had just closed and had heard everything Don had said

"Glad to hear I taught you something" Terry spoke and laughed as Don jumped

"TErry" Don's voice cracked and leveled out "I uh I didn't know you were here"

"Your dad let me in. I believe he was about to tell you I was here when he heard you and Amita coming downstairs" Smiling she handed the notes to him and then moved on to hug Amita "Hi sweetie"

"Hey Terry. Good to see you"

"You too. So what's up? Late studying with Charlie?" Terry calmly asked. Amita looked at her strange for a moment before she realized that Terry didn't know

"Um, Terry, I guess you didn't hear"

"Hear what?" Terry questioned looking a little confused

"I moved in with Charlie. I live here now" Amita braced herself for one of two things: confusion followed by the typical 'what are you thinking moving in with your professor while he's still your professor?' or the joy and hugging and yelling. Terry opted for the latter

"THAT"S GREAT!" Terry grabbed Amita in a huge hug. Don laughed at the look on Amita's face.

"What am I missing?" Charlie questioned and the strangling Terry, the strangled Amita, and the laughing Don. Don raised his eyebrow questioning Charlie's presence for a few seconds before he realized that it was better to just not say anything

"Terry found out that Amita moved in" Don answered

"Ah" Charlie answered then laughed at the relief shining on Amita's face when Terry finally let go

"CHARLIE!" Terry exclaimed spotting Charlie

"Uh oh" Charlie turned to run but he just wasn't fast enough. Now it was Amita's turn to laugh. All the while though Alan was silently observing the four, smiling happy that the four of them had found happiness, if even for a moment with each other.

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A/N: Ok, so maybe I added a little fluff at the end. I don't know how much sense it made but I thought it would be nice to break up all the blackmail and strife. Now, you know that you want to click on that little purple button and make my day. Or at least I hope you that it would make my day :-)