A/N: Ruby, you have a point – but in the first two episodes, he doesn't seem to have much understanding of Charlie's mind. It's only as the series progresses, and the brothers continue to work together, that Don starts figuring it out. Charlie mostly remains oblivious, I think most would agree – at least for the first couple of seasons, which is all I've seen. But thanks for taking the time to review.
This one… not my best work. But it was kinda amusing, so I thought I'd share it anyway.
Episode tag: Uncertainty Principle
Prompt: 058 Dinner
"I tell you, if your mother could see you two boys now, she would be… so proud."
Charlie and Don shot each other embarrassed glances. They simply didn't know how to deal with emotional issues.
As if sensing this, Zillah broke the mood by sitting up and resting her head on the table next to Charlie's arm and gave Alan a baleful look. All three men let out a chuckle as the serious mood was broken.
"Yes, you too, Zillah," Alan conceded. "You managed to physically drag Charlie out of the garage, not many people can do that."
"Wait, she did what?" Don looked surprised, while Charlie looked embarrassed again.
"Yeah, she kinda helped me get out of the bubble. I'd been working for fourteen hours straight, and I guess she'd had enough. She caught my jeans and pulled me into the house, depositing me into the lounge with Dad, and refused to let me get back out until I'd talked to him."
"Really?" Don looked at Alan, who grinned back at him.
"Really. It was certainly interesting to watch."
"Woah," the elder son turned back to the dog in question, who did have a rather smug look on her face. "So in a way, we've got Zillah to thank for the stats we needed to solve the case."
"In a way," Charlie nodded, willing to share credit with his dog.
"So…" "Don smiled fondly at the hound. "Who wants a celebratory beer?"
Zillah beat him to the fridge.