Disclaimer: I own nothing…
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Saturday 8:50pm
Charlie had done it again. He'd come through with a few fancy equations and helped solve the latest case... a woman and her daughter were proof of that. No shots had been fired to assure their safety and the man responsible for their kidnapping was in custody…it was a good day.
Recently there had been many cases that had gone terribly wrong in the end. Death…even the death of the bad guy…is never something someone should be proud about.
Don wasn't proud.
It had to have been the sudden success of rectifying their latest case that had everyone is such good spirits. Smiles were found everywhere and on everyone. Jokes and witty comments were being thrown around like fireworks making their celebration even more joyous. The entire team had decided to go to the nearest bar to celebrate that night. Facing the facts, it was an unanimous decision that they all needed the night out.
Charlie had been in the office when Don, David, Megan, and Colby had returned from the field and his brother had him tag along as well. After all, he had done plenty of mathematical tracking to earn him the right to celebrate with them.
Maybe it was because of the excessive euphoria that made Don not notice how quiet his brother was around them. He was smiling pleasantly around at everyone and took sips from his glass of water, but he didn't throw in any mathematical references or try to join in with the team ruckus. He seemed to be lost in his own world for most of the night.
Colby slung at comment to David, which earned a slap to the head from Megan and caused Don to choke on his beer when his brother nudged his shoulder.
"Yea, buddy," Don said trying to calm his laughter enough to speak.
"I think I'm gonna go." Charlie was slinging his backpack over his shoulders and started to stand.
"Hey…you okay?" Don noticed that his brother seemed a little pale. He also couldn't understand why anyone would want to leave such an accepting and intoxicatingly happy atmosphere.
"Yea," Charlie said with a slight sigh. "I just have a bit of a headache and still have a lot of papers to grade."
"Well, alright. You need a ride?"
"No, no, no," Charlie said a bit rushed, not wanting to take Don away from his team. "I'll catch a cab. See you tomorrow?"
"Yea, buddy."
Don felt his phone vibrating from its place on his belt, there was no way he would've heard it ring with all the noise around him. He answered it with the typical "Agent Eppes" and learned that they had just received a new case. There was a long string of bank robberies that had just been connected with one another and Don's team had been called in on it.
Don didn't want to believe that the mood his team held was about to end so quickly, like popping a balloon.
Sighing Don looked back up wanting to continue talking with Charlie, instead of breaking the news to his team, but he found that his brother had already gone.
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A/N: Ok trying to pick this back up. I'm determined to get these old fics finished… hopefully before summer's end I will have these completed. Reviews are appreciated.
TheDudeLordOfFantasy a.k.a. Kathleen