A/N Well it's been a while. I have a plethora of excuses as to why I haven't updated. But I suspect you guys really just want to get onto reading this story. Let me tell you, I've written it, rewritten it, deleted it, started over, and now I'm just working chapter to chapter. (It seems to work better. Makes me actually update, and prevents me from changing it too much.) Also, as a warning, I've been writing other stories (Non-fanfic) so I apologize if my writing style changes a bit.

Also, to the reviewer who said that Charlie was in a closet in an attic (or something like that) good observation! Not exactly what I had planned at the time, but it is a good idea. (I don't know why I didn't catch the connection…I'm writing this after all.) But, in the end I've decided to go a different route. (Forgive me if I botch it.)

Disclaimer: With 4 cats, 4 kittens, 4 rats, and a family of stray cats, I can barely afford to feed myself let alone own anything of actual value. Aside from my potentially forged Peter Mayhew autograph…I like pretending it's real and a creepy guy obsessed with me didn't give it to me. I suppose in this fantasy I can also own Numb3rs…

A language warning has also been issued for this chapter, and subsequent chapters. (I know, there were some h-words previously, but now there is going to be at least one F-bomb. I felt it was needed to get the stress of the situation across. Hate me if you like.)

Quantifiable Love

Chapter 6: Resounding Regrets

After calling Don's cell for the 6th time, Colby concluded that there was either something wrong, or Don and Charlie were having some issues. Either way, he thought, they should head over. They really needed Charlie and Don working together on this, safe and relatively sound.

"So you wanna drive?" David obviously had the same thought as Colby.

"Sure. Time is of the essence." Colby couldn't help but tease David a little. A while back, during some down time, the team sans Megan had headed out to the local park to play Frisbee Golf. After a much debated win by Colby, David and him agreed to a race to determine the actual victor. Colby, of course, had won.

"You may be able to run like a criminal, Granger, but I'm the one that can drive like one." David enjoyed playing into the teasing. Hell, he actually looked forward to it. They had a great team, and he had some of the greatest friends.

"We'll see about that." The seriousness of the situation caught up with him, and Colby found himself unable to continue the banter. He couldn't help but get the feeling that something was wrong. If Don and Charlie were "discussing" their issues, which Don would have no doubt put aside until after the case is over, Don wouldn't have no answered his phone. Colby always pegged Don for a guy who would use every excuse he could think of to get out of talking about personal issues, even if it was just with Charlie. Don, almost certainly, would have answered his phone unless there was something preventing him from doing so. And that was what was worrying Colby.

"Yeah, let's get going. The sooner we get there, the better." Obviously David, once again, was trailing down the same thought path.

Despite preparing himself for the possibility of something going wrong, David hadn't prepared himself for what he saw upon arrival at Charlie's.

Don't SUV was wrecked into Megan's car. And under any other circumstance that scene may have been funny. But all humor died at the sight of blood on the front of the SUV, and Megan's cell phone lying under the car.

Getting out of their own vehicle, David and Colby first checked to make sure they were the only ones in the area. "I don't see anyone, and the blood seems dried." David didn't want to think about where Megan and Don were, or how long ago they had been assaulted. Nor did he want to think about them being hurt, or even worse. Right now, he just wanted to know why Megan was there. He didn't recall Don saying he was having Megan go to the house. All Don had told them that he was going to Charlie's to get him, and then he'd be heading into the office. But the initial shock of the situation had him cursing.

"Why the hell was Megan here?!" This case went from closed, to potentially open, to fucked up in about 4 hours. This was so not good.

"Maybe Don called her. I don't know. Let's secure the house." Colby was all business. But mainly, he was concerned for Charlie, and wanted nothing more than to check on the good professor. If they got lucky, all three were in the house. If they were only a little lucky, Charlie had somehow managed to escape. But with the way things were progressing, Colby just knew that they would be shit out of luck on all fronts.

During the night the heat of the attic was rather unbearable, but now that it was late morning, the heat was deadly. Don had no semblance of time. He knew that it was night when he went over to Charlie's. Probably around 10, was his guess. And going off that, he probably woke between midnight and 3am. Now it had to be somewhere around 10 am, judging by the rising heat and the amount of sunlight streaming through the window. And it was only going to get hotter.

When he awoke the first time, he was thankfully laying down. It had been a lot easier on his leg, which he determined was definitely broken. But, in his vain attempt to stand up, he ended up slouched in a seated position. There was no doubt that the wetness on the back of his head was blood, for now there was a path running down his face. Thankfully the bleeding seemed to have stopped…At least for the moment, though the dizziness and nausea still dominated.

As if the threat of a heat stroke wasn't enough! He knew that he needed to get out, and get out fast. Though the sluggishness of his brain left him with little options in remedying his situation. He was also having a bit of a problem concentrating on one problem at a time. First and foremost he thought of Megan. He knew she had been unconscious, but after that his imagination could only fill in the gaps. He remembered at least attempting to move her out of the path of his SUV. Don wasn't really sure what happened in the seconds before he was hit…Or during the hour(s) that passed before he woke up.

Another thing that puzzled him: his captor. Or, possibly captors. No one had talked to him or been by to see him while he was awake. Granted the first time was only for a few minutes, and he'd only been awake for a little bit this time. But, he figured if they went through the trouble of getting them, or at least him, here alive, they would make some effort to either talk to him. They must need him for something.

That something was his next train of thought. He assumed that they had to be connected to the case somehow. It was only a matter of time before they found out others were involved. At least anyone guilty would have come to that conclusion. Charlie had realized that there was at least one other person involved. At the time, though, they had no evidence against him. Charlie was right though.

Charlie: his brother. He'd been unforgivably mean to him during their argument. Sure, they've had their fair share of ugly spats in the past, but none recently. And, as far as Don was concerned, nothing like what happened the other day. Charlie was just giving his professional opinion. He thought that Don needed to look more into this guy, keep the case open, expend more resources to prove that this guy was indeed connected. Sure, Charlie accused him of not being thorough and not doing his job, but hell, he didn't need to take everything out on him. With all the stress of the case and lack of sleep, he just got carried away. And he said many things that he regretted immediately. More so now.

He didn't know where Charlie was. He didn't know what happened to him, if anything did happen. All he knew was that the last thing he said to Charlie was the only thing he's ever said to Charlie that made him cry in front of him. Even as a kid Charlie never cried in front of his brother…And that look of sadness that Charlie shot him as he walked away, tears rolling down his face, had those words resounding in his head…

"You know what Charles, at this point I could go without you in my life. I don't need you telling me how to run things. I've always done my own thing. You were the one following me. I didn't want you in my life then, Chuck, and I don't really care for you right now."

"I'm sorry Charlie…"

A/N Hopefully that chapter was long enough for everyone! I decided to leave Charlie and Megan for the next chapter…Adds to the effect, or something. Thanks for the wonderful reviews. And a special thanks to PaulaXan for motivating me to update.