Title: An important someone

Series: The Connections Series, part 3

Characters: Charlie/Colby, Alan, Don, David, Megan, mention of Amita

Rating: M

Spoilers: Seasons 1, 2, 3, 4

Summary: Colby finds himself wishing Charlie felt something intense for him.

Disclaimer: I do not own Numb3rs or anything related to it.

The Connections Series

Part 3: "An important someone"

Alan saw a car parking in front of the Eppes' house. He turned off the lawnmower and tried to smile when he realized that Colby was there.

"Hello, Agent Granger. If you're looking for Don or Charlie, they're in the solarium. But I wouldn't recommend you to go there"

"Why?"

He went to the front door, but stopped when he heard that the brothers were having a fight. He looked at Alan again and said with irony "So, how are things going? I think I should ask before I'm in the middle of a fight between those two"

"That's a smart move, I can tell. In days like these they don't even listen to their own father, but who would blame them?", Alan answered, and made a pause. "This kidnapping is making them both so susceptible about everything. Hey… maybe if you talked to Charlie, they would stop yelling to each other. My ears are going to be dead at any minute, as well as my mouth. But still… I came here to cut the grass so I could find at least five minutes a day to recover and come up with some way to help." He stopped, breathing heavily. "I've been afraid that something could happen to her, after that case"

"The online game case"

"Yeah, that one. She was very close to real danger that time. I talked to Charlie about it once and I could see he was very worried about the risk she was exposed to too. He tried to make her stop helping the FBI, but she's his girlfriend, she's intelligent and willing to help all the time. And now she's been kidnapped, and obviously Charlie thinsk he could have tried harder to convince her to drop this kind of job. He can't think, he can't even work in the P vs. NP problem."

"I know. I'm worried that something like that could happen to him too"

Alan looked at Colby in the eye, and saw how much the agent looked after Charlie.

"You're very considerate, Mr. Eppes. Trying to help your sons like this, being so supportive. Your presence is important for this case to solve because it makes Don and Charlie feel they're not alone"

"So I guess you haven't found the key to those symbols"

"No. We pretty much depend on Charlie right now. Larry tried to solve the puzzle, but he used a code related to the periodic table of the chemical elements, and it didn't work"

"I wonder why"

Colby smiled, but felt that they weren't doing anything well.

"Yeah. But we'll keep trying"

"I know. I just wished Charlie didn't tried so hard to be the hero"

"I've told him that. And he promised me he would try not to. Ok, I'm going in. Wish me luck"

He entered the house without hesitating and headed towards the solarium. Alan hoped he knew how to handle a discussion between the Eppes brothers, because it wouldn't be easy at all.

While he was walking towards the solarium, Colby felt his heart pounding. Since that last trip in the car, he has been very awake, like he could feel how reality really was in all its madness. No one had the right to take Amita from Charlie, they belonged together. She was one of the few people as smart as him that could understand him perfectly. The mathematician's sad smile had made him shiver, and realize that he would be capable of doing anything for him.

And now he was going to help him stop fighting with Don. Keep it cool, Granger. He's really pissed off at his brother and the world right now, and Don isn't exactly helping him to calm down.

So he walked into the solarium and heard them yelling at each other very loudly. They looked as angry as they father had described them. Colby took a breath and said "Hey"

"Hi", the brothers said at unison, and continued arguing like if he wasn't there.

"You have to set your mind at ease, Charlie. I know that you're struggling with the pain you're feeling and trying to make your head work, but we can't waste more time. It's been three days. If we don't find her immediately, god knows what those people might do to her"

"And you don't think I'm aware of that? Do you think I'm playing some game, that I don't realize the magnitude of the danger she's facing right now?"

Charlie's words went right to Colby's heart. They have been very close to the one he had said to him when he couldn't find the key to the journalist's case. He wanted to say something, but Don was talking again.

"Well, it doesn't seem like it. We can't do this without you, and you know it, and yet you're not trying to…!" Don suddenly stopped, and run his fingers through his hair. When he spoke, he apologized for his behavior. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I know that you're trying. I know that when things like this happen, it's very difficult to stay focused… and I mean everyone. I shouldn't have raised my voice like that"

Charlie didn't say a word. He stood there, in the middle of the solarium, with the chalk pencil in his hand and one of the many blackboards behind him. He have been writing equations, but obviously still none of them meant anything for the case, and this was what caused his brother to start the fight.

Now Don was looking at Charlie, like he didn't know how to continue. This was a serious issue, and all he was doing was making problems grow.

"I'm sorry, Charlie" he said once again sincerely, and left the room, without even looking at Colby on the way out.

Say something. Say something now. He really needs it.

"I think Don was just trying to help", he finally said.

"Yeah. By putting more pressure on me. Thank you, Don"

"You know what I mean"

There were some seconds of silence. Colby watched Charlie write more equations in the blackboard. When he stood by his side, he could see his cheeks turn red, and his eyes shine with an angry spark.

"I know that it's hard. But… I'm there for you, you know. All the way"

That was the moment when Charlie faced him and flushed even more. Colby felt his heart hummer inside his chest, and waited for an answer.

"I'm going to do this" Charlie said, his eyebrows almost joined in an angry look. "Because if I don't have her, then what? What person do I have in my life that could take her place? I have family, friends, my work, my responsibilities. But I… I don't want to loose the feeling she has made me discover."

"I understand"

"So I'm going to find her. I'm going to figure out the symbols and I'm going to take her home with me. Even if it takes all of my time"

Charlie said those words so fervently, that his energy made Colby's eyes come wide open. Few times he could get to see this side of the mathematician, this passionate focus and incredible direction. He thought that maybe it took him some time to get back on track, but eventually he always did. And when it came to his loved ones, Charlie was the more intense person he knew.

Colby found himself whishing he had someone like that in his life. Someone who cared about him as much as Charlie cared about Amita. He wanted Charlie to look after him. To make that intense energy appear in Don's brother, because of him.

He put his hand in his mouth; he couldn't believe he was thinking about Charlie that way. Colby was aware that his feelings for him were important, but he has never interpreted them as a romantic interest. Until now.

He removed his hand from his mouth, saying to himself that all of these images of Charlie being passionate about another man were only a reflection of his own desire to share his life with someone who truly loved him. He was definitely taking any person he knew and putting him or her in that empty place of his heart, at least for a few minutes.

"I'm glad you're back, Charlie. Do you want me to stay here for a while?", he dared to ask.

Charlie thought about it for a moment.

"Hmm. No, I think it'll be better if I work alone. I hope you don't take it as I don't want to spend time with you, because I do want to" And then the mathematician shut up, like he just said something that was supposed to be a secret. "I mean, you're the one who's made all this possible. You have helped me so much I could never thank you enough"

Now Colby smiled, feeling a little shy. Of course, he didn't know that Charlie was as confused as him. He was in denial. If he couldn't admit what he felt to himself, much less he could see it in Charlie. So he said goodbye to him and went to the office. When he told the team that Charlie was working again, and was determined to bring Amita home, everyone congratulated him.

"You're a very good friend, Colby. I knew you would make him do his thing again", David said, with a smile on his face.

"I knew that you should be the one to make this kind of connection with him", Megan added.

"Connection?", Colby repeated. He hasn't understood her.

"Yeah. A connection that links two souls when they have shared their experiences. That can work miracles in people's behavior sometimes", she clarified.

Most of them went to the rest room, feeling more confident about finding Amita very soon. The last ones to go there were Don and Colby.

"Thank you", Don said, and shook the other agent's hand. "If it wasn't for you, I think there would be nothing we could have done"

"Well, anytime"

"Charlie really likes you. And even as you and me have had some issues in the past, I have to say that I have learned to admit that sometimes I'm wrong. I'm proud of you, Colby."

Now feeling more than happy, Colby couldn't do anything but smile. Everybody seemed to have seen a more than special connection between him and Charlie. Even Don, who was someone he respected so much. And all of this was good enough already, but in the bottom of his heart he had this strange hope, one that he couldn't exactly identify, but that was definitely about Charlie taking a more important role in his life.