Disclaimer: I own nothing of Numb3rs... Don Eppes... Charlie Eppes... Alan Eppes... Megan Reeves... David Sinclair... Colby Granger... Merrick... (sobs...)

Title: S is for Sacrifice
Rating: PG

I had another one written that I liked a lot better... But the stupid computer didn't save it before it crashed... (Argh) So anyway... Let me know what you think... I might go back and touch it up a little so be forwarned.. :-)

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S is for sacrifice

"Dad? Are you here?" Charlie called out stripping his coat off and hanging it up.

"In the kitchen Charlie." Alan called out, chopping a few more carrots into the beef stew he was making for supper. "Don't you have a class right about now?"

"I had the day off." Charlie replied entering the kitchen and taking a seat at the small table. "I was helping Don with a case of his."

"How is your brother?" Alan asked. "I haven't seen him for a few days now."

"Oh he's got a case that's taking up every inch of his life right now." Charlie responded. "Megan told me that Don was way over on his overtime card and probably hadn't had a full nights sleep in a few days. David told me that the last thing that Don had eaten was a granola bar from the vending machine and that was yesterday."

"Well the more time Don takes for eating or sleeping the less time a person might get to live." Alan replied. "I'm sure that Don knows exactly what he is doing."

"I hope he does." Charlie muttered. "Cause he might end up in a hospital with lack of food and sleep."

"Charlie I'm sure Donnie is more concerned with bullets than sleep or food." Alan said with a smile. "Don makes sacrifices in his life so that someone else might be able to live."

"Don is good at making sacrifices though isn't he?" Charlie sighed, fiddling with the rough wood.

"What do you mean by that?" Alan asked stirring the rich broth before adding some seasonings.

"He sacrificed whatever life he had out in Albuquerque to come here when mom was sick, and then he ended up staying here." Charlie replied.

"Don knew exactly what sacrifices he was going to make when he came back here Charlie." Alan said.

"And what about Kim?"

"What about Kim?" Alan asked. "Any female who dumps her fiancée because he comes home to see his cancer ridden mother shouldn't have a chance with my son." He said vehemently.

Charlie looked up surprised. "I didn't know you felt that way about Kim." He said.

"Yeah well, it's in the past now. Can't change the past, but you can't erase it either." Alan replied.

"I overheard a couple guys at the FBI building and they were talking about how Don had sacrificed his career in the Albuquerque office to come up here to be back at the rookie stage." Charlie confessed. "They said that Don would probably be a director if he had stayed."

"But he didn't." Alan reminded his youngest. "And I highly doubt that Don would be good forever behind a desk. You know him, he need excitement and adrenaline. He hates paperwork."

Charlie nodded, thinking over many of the sacrifices his brother had made in his life. Some of the sacrifices hadn't been willing or even wanted such as Charlie going to Princeton and taking their mother with him. Leaving Alan without a wife and Don without a mother.

"Do you think Don is ever bothered by the fact that I have a higher security clearance than he does?" Charlie asked suddenly. "I mean Don finally finds something he excels at and here I have higher clearance."

"But that doesn't mean you're good at his job." Alan reminded Charlie.

"But it still has to sting a little." Charlie protested.

"Maybe it does, but I've never heard Don say anything." Alan replied.

"But Don is supposed to hide his emotions, his feelings… It's all part of being an FBI agent." Charlie said.

"Hide yes." Alan agreed. "But that doesn't mean Don doesn't have feelings. He feels every bit as much as we do, but his job doesn't allow him to fully show it."

"Another sacrifice." Charlie said hollowly.

"Charlie, what's going on here?" Alan asked. "What's all this about?"

"It's just that I've watched Don make so many sacrifices that I have to wonder if I ever made any sacrifices for him." Charlie replied.

"Well how about all the time you spend helping him with a case here and there?" Alan asked. "You're sacrificing your time to help Don."

"But that's more like a favor." Charlie protested.

Alan shook his head. "I'll be right back."

"Where are you going?" Charlie asked.

"To find a dictionary." Alan replied.

"Ok."

"Ah. Here we are." Alan reentered the kitchen. "S. SA… SAC… Sacrifice: to surrender for sake of obtaining some other advantage; anything given up for the sake of others."

"Anything given up for the sake of others." Charlie repeated.

"Dad? Charlie?" Don called out as he stepped into the house. "Is anyone here?"

"In the kitchen Donnie!" Alan called out.

"Hey Dad. Chuck." Don greeted opening the fridge door and pulling out the lemonade. "Hey Charlie thanks for helping out with the case. We made the breakthrough right after you left."

"Good." Charlie smiled. "I'm glad I could help."

"How soon is supper going to be ready?" Don asked.

"At least half an hour." Alan spoke up.

"I'm going to crash until then, wake me when it's ready, ok?" Don asked.

"Hard case?" Alan asked.

"Yeah." Don nodded rubbing a hand over his eyes. "But we got the bad guys." He yawned. "We sacrificed a lot to get these guys off the street." Don said. "It feels good knowing that it was all worth it."

Don yawned again. "Anyway… Crashing on the couch." He pushed the door open and wearily walked to the couch.

Charlie smiled slightly, then turned back to the open dictionary to read it once more.

Sacrifice: to surrender for sake of obtaining some other advantage; anything given up for the sake of others."