Title: Are you mad at me or something?
Series: The Connections Series, part 6/?
Characters: Charlie/Colby, David, Larry/Megan
Rating: M
Spoilers: Seasons 1, 2, 3, 4
Summary: Charlie's avoiding Colby and the agent asks David for advice. Then Larry comes up with a very good idea that involves Megan… but she has other plans.

Feeback: Yes, please! Feedback is love. I'm begging you, READ & REVIEW.

Disclaimer: I do not own Numb3rs or anything related to it.
Beta:Thanks to my beta, who, as always, helped me a lot.

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The Connections Series

Part 6: "Are you mad at me or something?"

Things had been strange since Tuesday. Even if the cases were solved successfully, the atmosphere at the FBI quarters had somehow become darker.

Charlie was angry all the time about everything. And this time it wasn't because he couldn't make his head work; it was because everybody knew Amita had broken up with him and they still tried to not bring up the subject. The team made a huge effort to sound like nothing had happened, even when Amita's presence was obviously missed.

Of course, Colby knew that this was at least one of the reasons why Charlie seemed to not want to talk to him lately. After all, the agent had been the one person to express to the team his concerns about Amita and Charlie's terrible fight.

Colby hated himself so much for that. Then he had tried to find out if anyone knew what could have caused that discussion, but he had ended up making the mathematician's love life become the new source of gossip of the entire office. Why couldn't he just keep his mouth shut? Why did he have to start caring so much about Charlie again?

Now, on Thursday, it was like the wonderful connection they once shared was on a hiatus. And there was a big possibility that Colby had ruined it himself forever. So he didn't say a word about Amita either. He just wished that time could pass by faster and that the anger in Charlie's face would vanish to never appear again.

Playing with the pen he was holding between his index and middle finger, he felt nervous just watching Charlie finish telling everyone about some commonalities one of his algorithms had highlighted. Colby took a deep breath when the mathematician stopped talking. Charlie just grabbed his stuff and got out of there without even looking at him.

Damn. This is worse than I thought.

He felt a hand land on his right shoulder. It was David, who knew Colby so well that he was aware that something was going on inside his friend's head. He smiled at the blue-eyed agent, and prepared himself to give him some advice. "Hey, he's gonna be ok. You know how upset he gets when he can't make things work his way."

"I know. But I did cause everybody to know about that fight. I didn't have the right to spread the news."

David saw sadness and concern in Colby's face. He was playing with the pen in a way that always meant one of two things: that he was thinking deeply or that he was indecisive about something.

"We've had our issues in the past, haven't we?" David asked.

"Yeah. Why?" Colby said, and turned to look at him with lifted eyebrows.

"Well, we've passed through all that. Our friendship survived. I don't see any reason why you and he couldn't get along again."

Colby shifted his position. "Hmm… I guess you're right, although it would take some time."

"Sure."

"What do you think I should do to… you know… hurry up things a little?"

That was a question that David knew was coming, but he hadn't expected the almost embarrassed look in Colby's eyes.

Colby said quickly, "I don't like feeling like this every time he's around. I think it's better for the team that this awkwardness can be put to and end, so that we all can continue working together as we always did." Colby calmed down when he saw David had bought his lie and was now thinking about what to respond.

"You know, just talk to him."

"I don't think it's gonna work."

"Maybe not so soon, because this mess started only two days ago. So yeah, he will probably yell at you now, but it will make him forgive you eventually. And anyway you can prevent having to argue with him by taking him to some place where you can be alone."

This was a good idea. David was a very good friend, trying to give his best to help. So Colby patted him on the arm, said "I think I'll do that. Thank you, David", dropped the pen he was playing with and said to himself he would fix any problem Charlie could have with him.

He needed to feel the mathematician didn't hate his presence, he needed to know whether he was welcome in his house or not. Since the Friday night dinner issue had been brought out, he was again thinking about Charlie in an almost romantic way.

So what if I like him. It's not like he's ever going to know.

So he went to CalSci, knowing that the mathematician had classes on the afternoon. He looked for him at his office, and at the class room, but didn't find him. Finally, he started walking around the campus, hoping he would see that dark mass of curly hair pop out when he less expected it.

Luckily, his wishes came true. He saw Charlie and Larry sitting in silence at a table. While the physicist looked completely relaxed and pleased with the calm ambience, the mathematician seemed to be very worried about something.

Colby approached them without making a sound, because Larry had his eyes closed and was almost at a state of meditation that no one should probably take him out of. So he mouthed a "Hey" to Charlie, who didn't smile back at him like he always did. This made the agent a little nervous.

Well, I was already expecting this kind of attitude from you. But how the hell am I going to convince you to talk to me now?

Larry opened his eyes and looked at Colby, smiled friendly to him and offered his hand. The agent accepted it, said a quick "Hi" and then turned to Charlie.

"Hello, Charlie," he said, and when the mathematician's face became darker, he asked, "I just came here to ask you what we should do about tomorrow's dinner." He didn't receive any answer.

Just tell me. Just talk to me.

But nothing happened. Charlie just remained there, sitting in his chair, his hands in fists.

"Should I go or not? Because if you're mad at me or something…", Colby wanted to know.

"I'm not mad at you. Why would I be?" Charlie finally said, but he didn't look like he was cool about Colby's presence at the university or at any other place.

"C'mon, Charlie, I can see that you're not exactly happy to see me, not here, not at the office. I would like to talk to you sometime, if you let me. And I wanted to know if it could be on Friday night dinner, but I guess it's not going to happen."

"I said I don't have a problem with you."

"Then why are you avoiding me, then?"

"I'm not avoiding you, I'm here, with you!" Now Charlie was letting his anger go. He had stood up and gone to where Colby was. Both men stared at each other, trying to figure out what they should say next.

But Larry spoke first. "May I suggest that you do have that Friday night dinner, but that you invite someone else? That person could act like a symbolic barrier between you two, moderate the high scales of anger and probably fix the conflict that has risen here."

This idea seemed more than good to Colby. It was better that the suggestion hadn't occurred to him and that it had come from somebody else, because this would upset Charlie less. So Colby he said "I think that person should be you, Larry."

"What? No, no, I couldn't. I'm not good at anything related to any discussions…"

"Please, Larry. It's for us," Colby insisted.

"You don't have to do this, Larry," Charlie said immediately, "I can deal with this situation by myself, I don't need a life coach." He was being serious about that.

However, Larry looked at the two men's faces, put his hands on each side of his own face and considered the implications of an extension of the fight between the agent and the mathematician. The perspectives weren't good at all. This kind of conflicts were making Charlie more reluctant to speak about anything, and also making Colby not be able to concentrate on his FBI duties.

"I don't think I would be of any help… but I could ask Megan to do it."

"I said I don't..." Charlie started to say, but Colby cut him off.

"It's fine, Larry. If you don't feel comfortable, then Megan could help us with this."

"This is so unnecessary," the mathematician muttered. Then he sat again on the chair, and covered his eyes with his hands.

Colby watched him breathe hard, but he felt satisfied with his own moves.

I got you. You're not going to escape from me this time. I'm going to do things go back to normal between us again. I'm going to rescue the connection we had, even if it takes Megan to filter whatever I want to say to you.

"So, I'll be knocking at your door tomorrow night at about eight," he announced, and left Charlie and Larry at the table.

The physicist took a breath and tried to find the right words to explain to Charlie why he had come up with such an insane idea.

"Look, Charles… I really think this is for the best. Megan is a very sharp expert in psychology. She will be able to identify the underlying problem that is hiding down this distance… this silent discussion… that you are both holding on to."

"Well, thank you for your good intentions. But as I said, I don't need someone else to fix my problems." There was something almost desperate in Charlie's voice now.

Larry just wished he would calm down. The physicist always felt more than awkward dealing with someone else's confusion and discomfort.

But finally, Charlie seemed to go back to earth and dropped the angry tone. "I'm sorry, Larry. I guess that… sometimes I do need help. I really don't know what to do about Colby. Just to see him… just to know that he's around… it makes me shiver."

"Well, let's hope that your relationship with him can be improved with this kind of therapy session."

"Yeah, let's hope so."

They talked for a while about new theories, new professors, and some of their students. Then Charlie had to go give his afternoon class, so they separated looking at peace with each other.

So when he was left alone Larry thought it would be a good time to visit Megan and tell her about the session plan. He found her outside the FBI quarters with a latte in her hand, sipping it slowly while she watched the sky turn black.

"Hello," Larry said, and stood beside her.

"Hi, Larry," Megan answered, and offered him a big, cute smile. "I'm glad you're here."

"Well, all the main events of this afternoon drove me to you."

"Oh, I wonder what those could be," she said, still smiling.

"It is related to the Charlie and Colby situation."

"They have been acting like they were strangers to each other today. David told me that Colby thinks Charlie is avoiding him because he told us about Amita leaving."

"Do you think that is the main reason?"

"No. The fight was at the office. Anyone could have let us know."

As always, Megan was right. So Larry went straight to the point.

"Colby came to see Charles at CalSci this afternoon."

"That doesn't surprise me. David told me that they would try to talk alone."

"Well… yes, that was the initial idea."

"Is everything ok?" Megan sounded worried. She thought that the agent and the mathematician had had a fight at the university. She started to think of a way to make them get along before their problems started to affect the bond that existed between all the members of the team.

"They are going to talk. But they are looking for someone to be there to control their reactions."

"It seems like a good idea, but I don't really think it's necessary yet. It's usually recommended to people with very deep anger feelings to each other, and it's not the situation they are dealing with."

"Oh… I didn't know that. I told them I would ask you to help them. Was that ok?"

Megan smiled at Larry, who looked afraid that he'd done something she shouldn't have. "Yes, don't worry about it."

"So what are you doing to do? Are you going to call them to tell them that you'll be there tomorrow?"

"No. I'm going to do nothing."

Larry's eyebrows almost joined. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that if I told them that I'm not going to Charlie's house tomorrow, then they would probably not gather together."

"I see your point. So you are planning on letting fate work its magic between them, and if it doesn't, then you will intervene."

"Exactly," she said, and smiled again. "Saving a special connection with someone always requires a high level of intimacy," Megan added, and saw Larry nod in agreement. Then she crossed her fingers, wishing everything was ok between Colby and Charlie, and watched the blue sky while taking a sip of her last cup of coffee of the day.