A/N – sorry for the wait, hope this doesn't disappoint and whets the appetite…It's short, but the next one is very close by. I promise.

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Warm but rough. Was it hands he felt gently wrapped around his tired body?

He felt safe. Finally. Don didn't know why, but he knew he could relax.

There was a small amount of pain as he felt his body tugged into a warmer, softer environment. Suddenly, every pain he'd kept at bay in order to reach his destination, cried out for attention.

The intense and sharp hammering that radiated from the side of his skull was the worst. It dampened the ache in his side and feet; they were pathetic compared to his skull.

"…hear…"

Snippets of words filtered through to his brain, not quite registering their meaning. The only thing he could do was lean further into the source of them, hoping he wasn't required to do any more than that,

"..now…a second…ok…"

A slight jerk and Don felt the warm hands which held him release. His body screamed at the hard alternative it was now resigned to. His head seemed to fare better, with a softness underneath it which, warm as it was, did nothing for the pain that was beginning to throb in time with his erratic heart beat. Don never liked the sound of his heart. Unlike some, he found it disconcerting to know that each beat was one less for his life. Too many times he'd reached to hear it in other's necks only to come away empty handed. When he wasn't at work, he didn't want to know.

"..soon.."

The hands had returned but they were no longer warm, they were ice cold. The same icy cold clamped itself over his skull and he wasn't sure if his cry of pain was audible or not. He hoped so. It really hurt. Now he was no longer fighting the pain within his skull but the pain that seared from the outside. Despite this, the cold and pressure began to be welcomed and Don allowed himself to stop fighting. If this was it, he was ready to go. Sleep. That's all he wanted. To close his eyes and not feel pain.

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David stared at Liz who was steadfastly finalizing the paperwork. It was late. The events earlier that evening had been strange.

"You think?"

Liz finished what she was typing and looked back at David. "Let's face it, it's a dream result for us. I know it sounds callous, but give me shock over hysteria any day."

"Yeah I guess you're right. It's just different when you know the people involved."

"Yeah, I know." Liz pretended to go back to her paperwork so David wouldn't notice the slight crack in her veneer. Don. Resentment had been welling up in her for some time. Resentment at what had happened during the Field drug case. Resentment that she was being kept out of Don's case. And resentment towards the man himself - Don. Why? She simply couldn't grasp why all this had to happen in quick succession.

"I guess you do. Look Liz…" David had leaned forward to open up to Liz, fill her in on some details of Don's case, for her peace of mind, when he was distracted by who he saw exiting the elevators. "What…the…?"

Liz flipped her head around to see where David was looking and saw Megan striding across to the cubicle where they sat.

"Now I know what Agent Reeves gets up to at night. Have to say ,I figured it was something a little more exciting than this." Liz attempted a smile as Megan approached.

"Don."

"What?"

"Yup. Don't know any of the details yet except Charlie is on his way home because Don just turned up at the craftsman."

"Are you kidding me?" David couldn't hide his elation.

Liz just sat there, stunned.

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"Dad? Oh god." Charlie rushed through the front door of the craftsman to find his brother lying motionless in Alan's arms on the floor, just inside the door.

Alan had placed a cushion under Don's head and was pressing a tea towel packed with ice against the side of it. He didn't know who looked paler, Don or Alan. Ok, it was Don by a long shot but Alan certainly wasn't looking so good.

"He's out, that's all…I think." Alan gently lifted Don's dirty and bloody wrist and felt for a pulse. It took a few seconds to find it, a few seconds Charlie could have done without.

"Paramedics?"

"On their way. I hope you don't think you're not important son, but I called them first. Evidently you were closer than they are."

Charlie knelt down beside his father and went to check Don's pulse for himself.

"Not the neck, the wrist. Less pain. In case he stirs." Charlie obeyed his father and let out a breath when he finally found Don's erratic pulse. Don seemed strange. It had been a long time since Charlie had seen his brother so pale and still. Sure he had slept here occasionally but he was a pretty vocal and restless sleeper. Don swore he always slept well, and no doubt he did, but Charlie always guessed that any woman sleeping with him may not have shared that state. Charlie never had the heart to tell his brother just how bad his snoring was. Mainly because any suggestion of it resulted in a cushion clipping his ear as Don's fine throwing arm met its mark every time.

"And he what, just turned up here?"

Alan looked away from Don for a second, up to Charlie, and then returned his attention to his eldest. "Yep. Thought you had forgotten your key again, took me so long to answer the door." Alan's shoulders shuddered ever so faintly and Charlie rested his arm on his father once more for comfort.

"San Diego to Pasadena – I don't even think that's possible for me. And I actually like walking."

"Yeah well, maybe he knew about the ribs I bought on Saturday. Who knows."

Charlie stared at Don's feet and hands. They were dirty and scraped with blood. Alan had clearly removed Don's shoes for comfort but one look from Charlie and calculations began to swarm around in his head involuntarily. Alan's words snapped him out o f it.

"Maybe you wanna call Amita. I'll be pulling rank and taking the seat in the ambulance. I'd be happier knowing you weren't driving yourself there."

"Hey I haven't had a problem since I got my licence back."

"I know, but you also haven't driven to hospital during that time to see your injured brother."

When Charlie didn't answer, Alan became irritated. "Have you?"

Charlie, pulled from his thinking, realized his faux pas. "What, god no. Hey, you know more about his life than I do."

At that moment both Alan and Charlie looked down at Don's body, still motionless. No matter how much they knew about his life, it always seemed they never knew enough.

With a sigh Alan gently removed the ice pack to see if it had stopped the bleeding from the wound Don had on his head. Charlie gasped but Alan didn't notice, all he did was whisper "What aren't you telling us this time?"