OMG I can't believe I have finally finished and I think this is the longest chapter I have ever posted period. Thanks to all your kind reviews and I hope this last chapter doesn't disappoint.
Warning: This story does contain slash even though it hasn't really come up yet.
Dinner passed rather slowly and quietly without Charlie, Larry and Amita's conversation of math's that would usually make Don's head spin trying to comprehend it. Occasionally one of the two would ask Charlie a question on it but Charlie only gave a short reply and the table would fall silent again. Just as Don was about to pull his hair out in frustration he realized that everyone had finished and Amita was clearing up the table. Once she had returned Larry finally asked the million dollar question.
"Charlie, what did you bring us here to tell us?" Don saw Amita and Megan gaze turn to Charlie looking completely interested in what he had to say. Don met Charlie's eyes for a split second and shot him a reassuring smile.
"Charlie, it's ok. You can trust them." Don said as he reached out to squeeze Charlie's shoulder gently. Shuddering slightly Charlie took a deep breath before speaking.
"Yesterday I was cleaning the attic, as da- Alan had been on my back on it for months…"
"Charlie, why did you call your dad Alan? I have never heard you use is name before," Larry asked but was silenced by a quick look from Don. Ignoring the comment Charlie continued with his story.
"… anyway I found a filing cabinet in there and curiosity getting the best of me I had a look. At first though I found nothing of interest but I felt myself being compelled to look again. When I looked in the second time I noticed a folder with my name written on it, although I didn't know it was at the time."
"How do you mean you didn't know it was your name at the time? How could not know it was your name?" Amita asked sounding bewildered.
"Because it was my original name and not the one I have now." Don unconsciously held his breath as Charlie spilt his devastating secret to three of the most important people in his life. "I was adopted." The words seemed to echo around the room and Charlie instinctively moved towards Don as if trying to seek his protection against the silence. The tension was relieved however as Amita smiled at Charlie gently.
"Charlie, it's ok. Do you really think the fact that you're adopted would make you any less important to us?" Amita said but instead of making Charlie calm down and be happy that they wouldn't be turning him away, he turned ashen.
"Amita, this will affect you probably more than anyone in this room, bar Don." Don watched as Charlie braced himself slightly as he prepared for the impact of his next words. "Amita I'm your cousin." The effect this had on Amita was massive as her face lost every trace of the colour that usually radiated off her skin.
"No… that is not possible… you're supposed to be dead." She whispered venomously.
"Whoa, wait a second. Can anyone please explain what is going on here?" Larry said in an attempt to ease the mounting tension.
"I just found out that Charlie is in fact my disgusting cousin David who is responsible for the deaths of his parents." Charlie looked stunned as she continued, venom filling her voice as she spoke. "Yes, you heard me right murderer. If you hadn't been born then your parents would still be alive. Don't give me that look. It's your fault and you know it!"
"Wait just one second Amita. It is not Charlie's fault that his mother died in labor. Nor is it his fault that his father decided to commit suicide." Don said in an attempt to reason with her.
"Don, I never thought that you would be one to stick up for a murderer." Amita shot back, her eyes never leaving Charlie's dead ones.
"You know I would never stick up for a murderer. Also have met a lot of murders in my job and I know for a fact that Charlie could never be one." Don replied coldly. An icy silence fell over the once close companions and Don noticed that sometime during his fight with Amita he had wrapped his arm around Charlie protectively. As if noticing that too Amita blinked as comprehension dawned on her.
"David was being a murderer not enough for you? You had to be a faggot too." Amita spat as she stood up. "I'm leaving, congratulations Megan and Larry and Don I expected better of you." She said as she turned to them for the first time since the news of Charlie's adoption got out. Once she left the room fell back into silence until Charlie also stood up and left and Larry decided to speak up.
"One of the real reasons me and Megan decided to come tonight was to tell you and Charlie that we were engaged. But in the long run I guess your news was a lot more explosive than you thought." Larry said looking up at Don from across the table.
"Yeah I guess it was, I'm sorry about that." Don said carefully.
"No that's fine I was just wondering how in her angry, depressed state she picked up on something that has been right under our noses the whole time." Larry replied sounding almost normal again.
"What do you mean Larry?" Don asked curiously.
"Don this may be hard for you to hear but I think I know where Amita was coming from when she said that you two were gay…"
"EXCUSE ME?" Don said stunned.
"I want you to answer me honestly; are you in love with Charlie?" Don's eyes widened as Larry spoke those words he wasn't prepared to hear.
"No, I can't… I couldn't…" Don said trying to sound confident but failing horribly. Could he love another man? Could he love Charlie? He had always found it hard to think of Charlie as a brother but to think of him as a possible lover? Did he?
"But you do anyway don't you?" Larry said calmly in his usual voice of reason as though reading Don's thoughts. "Don, me and Megan will let ourselves out so you can think about what I have said." Don nodded mutely as his thoughts were suddenly overflowed with images of Charlie just being Charlie. Although he hadn't really shown it Larry's words had hit him hard in a way that he wasn't ready for. Loving Charlie was wrong in so many ways but he couldn't not love him either. Making up his mind he went to speak to Charlie.
Don found Charlie in his room staring up at the ceiling, his dark hair contrasting against the whiteness of the pillow his head was resting on. Don knew that if almost anyone else had have made him feel even partially what he had felt towards Charlie he would have noticed it a hell of a lot sooner but it was Charlie so he passed off them off as resentment when he was younger and as he grew older he passed it off as brotherly affection. They butterflies in his stomach when Charlie smiled, the fact that only around Charlie would he ever truly let his guard down and the deep urge that Don always felt to protect Charlie from coming to harm. Don was so caught up in his thoughts that he was startled when he heard Charlie speak.
"You know me not being your brother is actually kind of a relief." Charlie said still looking at the ceiling.
"Why?" Don asked confused, what was Charlie trying to say? Was he such a bad brother that it was a relief to know that they weren't related at all?
"Well at least now my feelings for you aren't as wrong as they would have been, had we actually been related." Don was really confused now, what on Earth was Charlie going on about? " Don ever since we were kids I have always admired your strength not just physical but mental as well and how you never let me wallow to much in self pity when people used to tease me about my mathematical ability, although it didn't seem like it at the time. But as I grew older I began feeling myself become attracted to you physically so I began to bury myself in my work as I tried to forget…"
"What about Amita? I thought you were in love with her." Don said interrupting his heart lifting with hope as he heard those words tumble from Charlie's lips.
"You made my job easier though when you suddenly left. You made it easier for me to fool myself into believing I had moved on… that I had fallen in love with Amita but I hadn't… I couldn't." Charlie finished but his expression was one he would find hard to forget. Charlie's face held a mix of fear, regret and self-loathing as he had curled himself up as if trying to protect himself from whatever might be thrown at him from this confession. Don frowned slightly at Charlie before going over and sitting beside him. Now was his chance to tell Charlie everything and neither of them where going to leave until he did.
"Charlie now that you have finished I think I should tell something too…"
"…no Don I don't want to hear it, I don't want you to tell me its wrong or that you can't because I have told myself that a million times already." Charlie said dully, his dark eyes looked blank without their usual spark of life that seemed to always be there.
"Charlie, I was talking to Larry before and what he said really opened my eyes. All my life I have tried to protect from the world so that you would always have that innocent glow about you, you are my light Charlie. The one person that can break down my barriers, no matter how strong I try to make them. All I have to do is look at you to know there is some good in the world when my job makes me look at so many bad things that people are capable of." Now it was Charlie who was confused as Don continued to pour his heart out to the one who taken it. "Charlie you are crazy yet you are the one that can stable everything in my own and I…" it was time for him to finally tell Charlie the secret that he had only just discovered himself. "…I love you."
"But not the same way I do," Charlie said sounding pained as if hearing him say those hurt him more than if he hadn't said anything.
"Oh, are you sure about that?" Don said sounding amused. Charlie's silence answered him and Don leant down and pressed his lips softly against Charlie's. Pulling back he saw the dazed look on Charlie's face and smiled slightly. "So are you convinced now?" Suddenly a glint appeared in Charlie's eyes and Don found his mouth was covered with Charlie's own.
Downstairs Alan Eppes had just returned home. He had decided to go to dinner with one of the volunteers and it had gone a bit long. Thinking that Don and Charlie had probably gone to bed already he went upstairs. He was surprised however to see Charlie's light was still on and he went to investigate. As he looked in he noticed that Don was there as well and the two had obviously not noticed him at the door. Smiling he closed the door, his son and the one who was as good as had finally found the one they were searching for in each other.
There you have it, the last chapter of my NUMB3Rs fanfic. Thanks once again to everyone has read and reviewed in particular luvnumb3rs since you have reviewed every chapter, thank you so much for that.