A/N: Thanks for reading and reviewing...

Thank you to the wonderful starfishyeti and monkeydluffynaruto!

The stalker

by elessar73

*** 10. chapter : Laugh,laugh,laugh***

Megan´s call had left Don angry and afraid . He was angry because he knew that Charlie was in danger, but also afraid because he couldn't do anything about it. Don felt helpless almost useless, but hovering over Charlie wouldn´t make the threat go away.

The FBI agent in him was determined to find a solution while the big brother just wanted to protect Charlie; an internal fight going on, with too many thoughts in his mind. He had to sort them out, and the best place for that was his apartment.
Don needed the silence of his own four walls to think straight. His family would understand when he explained it to them, to Charlie.
The agent took a deep breath in and opened the door. He descended the stairs and walked into the kitchen where his family was waiting for him.
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Mary spent a good part of the day getting ready for the evening. The young woman covered the bruises in her face with make up, and decided to wear eye shadow and lip gloss again. She smiled at her reflected image.
`Perfect - it doesn´t matter to me what you may think mother.´
Finally she brushed her hair and let the strands of it flow over her shoulders. Mary walked over to her wardrobe and grabbed the black silk dress. The soft fabric wrapped around her body and showed just enough skin to appear interesting. True to the word she looked beautiful. But a closer look into her face revealed her madness. The green eyes held nothing but cold and repressed rage. The smallest incident would push her over the edge into the abyss of her insanity. The perfect style may have given her the look of an angel but her eyes told another story.
Before Mary left her apartment she grabbed a single rose from her nightstand. Its blossom touched her picture of Charlie standing there. She smiled, and deeply inhaled the rose´s heady scent. She was ready.
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Paul left the university late that evening. He was having problems coming up with the menus for the following days. He was too preoccupied with thoughts about a very special woman. But at last he was done.
The cook almost had reached his motorcycle-, when he noticed a movement on the other side of the street accompanied by with a rattling sound.
A woman in high heels was walking towards a car parked at the curb. Paul strained his eyes. Somehow the woman looked familiar, but Paul couldn´t recall from where until the woman climbed into a black car. ´Mary´s car!´

He was stunned, Mary looked so different, so beautiful.

Just looking at her nearly took his breath away. And it was just in that moment when realization setteled in. He understood that Mary must be involved with somebody. He had made a fool out of himself. He had never stood a chance. The cook slapped his hand against his forehead, swallowing hard. "Fool!" he muttered under his breath.

The engine of the car roared to life. In a hasty decision Paul ran to his motorcycle and within secondes he was ready to follow. Never before had he been so excited as adrenaline rushed through his tense body, hands shaking slightly and his breathing speeding up.´I need to know who the guy is Mary is dating.´ He was ready to drag Mary´s secret into the light.

Paul followed Mary´s car closely on the highway, but when she took the exit for Pasadena, he decided to fall a little behind. In a residental area it was much easier for Mary to discover that she was being followed. He stayed in range of sight as Mary turned into a quiet street and slowed down.
Big old houses with large yards, almost parks, bordered the street. Paul stopped at the run-in and watched her with astonishment, wondering who might live here. `Must be a rich guy.`, he mused.

Finally she came to a halt in front of an old respectable house. Several lights from the inside illuminated the yard with a soft glimmer. A sprinkler watered the grass and flowers. Even from his location, Paul could hear the sound of cicadas.
`How romantic!´ Paul thought sarcastically and felt all his hopes sink. He couldn´t compete with whoever lived there.
Defeated, he shook his head. He was about to start his motorcycle and drive away when he realized that Mary hadn´t gone to the front door. Paul watched her prowling along the side of the house stopping right beside a shining window. He frowned, `What´s she doing?`

Mary had reached a window on the right side. The sound of voices had magically dragged her there, and very carefully she peered in. She recognized Charlie sitting at a table, surrounded by his family, but he didn´t look happy.

He was pale, and his brown eyes were sad when he tried to make eye contact with his brother.
Mary could make out muffeled voices, but couldn´t understand what was being said. She pressed her back tight against the wall and strained her ears to hear better, but to no avail. Finally she closed her eyes and let pictures of Charlie rise up in her mind. She clutched the rose tight to her chest and was completely engulfed in her imagination when suddenly she heard laughter drift through the window. Her green eyes snapped open. `No! That´s impossible! No way was Charlie laughing at her!´
A stabbing pain started to radiate through her head, as silent tears ran down her face. She pressed the palm of her left hand against her forehead in an attempt to make the pain disappear.
´Stop laughing!´
Mary fell to her knees holding on to the rose like a life line that was keeping her away from insanity when an instant from her past came back to life.

Flashback

Mickey sat in the backyard of their house, playing with his favorite action figure. The boy was so engrossed in his fantasy world that he hadn´t noticed her.
"Hey Mickey wanna play together?"

The question hung over them like swords of Damocles. Mickey raised his head, his lips pressed tightly together and his eyes emotionless. Mary slowly stepped closer, encouraged by the silence.
"Go away!" Mickey suddenly screamed at her.
She froze in mid-motion. Mickey shook his head vigorously, the curls whirling around his head.
"Mommy said you're no good. Even she doesn't like you. So just go, or H-Man will kill you."

Mickey grinned and pointed the toy at her producing firing sounds with his mouth.
Mary´s jaw dropped open in shock. Then slowly rage over took her and she clenched her hands into fists.
`How could her own brother treat her like that? How could Mickey hate her?`
Time seemed to stop and Mary was unable to move. But as the sound of laughter filtered into her mind, she was slowly dragged out of her stiffness.
"Stop laughing at me, Mickey!"
But he ignored her. The laughter seemed to increase everytime Mary begged him to stop.
Finally Mary couldn´t take it anymore. She took three large steps and roughly grabbed his thin shoulders and shook him, but that only encouraged him more. Mickey´s shrill laughs hammered into her head, making her unable to think rationally.

SHE. JUST. WANTED. HIM. TO. STOP!

Mary saw red, and her breathing quickened with every laugh Mickey made. She slammed her fist into Mickey´s face.
"STOP LAUGHING!"
In a violent rage she hit him again and again in his face. She heard bones snap when Mickey´s laughter ebbed away until it ended completely. Mickey was silent at last.
Mary looked down on him. Her brother was a heap on the ground, his face a mask of blood. She could see fractures of bones piercing through the skin.

Mary stared down at her bloody hands and as tremors ran through her body she let out a satanic laugh.
´Finally it´s done.! Silence! No more laughter! Nobody laughs at me! Nobody! I´m free.´
She slowly turned around to go inside. Her mother was still sleeping on the sofa...

Flashback end

Laughter surrounded her completley when Mary snapped back to reality. She couldn´t stand the humiliation any longer. She rose to her feet and took one last spiteful glance through the window.
`Why do you want to hurt me so much?´
She clenched the rose in her fist, crushing the petals. She escaped unseen to her car, but before she got in she threw the rose to the ground. She didn´t need it anymore.
`Charlie doesn´t deserve it, not now.`
An evil grin had erased all the beauty in her face. She had to find MICKEY!

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Paul had witnessed the whole scene, Mary´s behavior was weird.
`Why hadn´t she entered the house? Why just look through a window, nearly collapse in the yard, and then dash away?´
As Paul thought about what to do, the front door of the house in question opened. Two people stepped out on to the driveway, and as he looked he was astonished when he recognized Prof. Charles Eppes from CalSci.
Everything was getting more and more confusing.

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Alan watched his sons as they stepped out to the driveway. Against all odds they had spent a nice evening together. A smile played around his mouth when he replayed the day in his mind.

Alan sat in his recliner pretending to read a book, but couldn´t concentrate on the words. The strain was almost tangible-, since Don´s announcement that he would spend the night in his apartment. The two boys had circled around each other like caged tigers, with Charlie trying to make eye contact with his brother but Don avoiding the glances very skillfully. Alan had frowned. His eldest son had shown up in the morning unusally quiet and withdrawn. As Don has sat down at the table, he ignored the looks his brother was giving him. Alan had poured him a cup of coffee and had placed it in front of Don.
"Want some breakfast son?"
"No, I´m not hungry Dad." Don answered absentmindedly."Coffee´s just fine."
Alan nodded. An odd silence had descended, as all three Eppes hung onto their own thoughts.
"Ummh, I´m going to sleep tonight in my apartment." Don´s announcement had made Alan and Charlie look at him.
"What? Why?" Charlie had questioned, his voice barley a whisper.
Alan had looked from Charlie to Don, as his uneasy feelings increased.
"I need some time on my own buddy. Just one night." Even to himself the words appeared false and hollow, but it was all Don could offer. With no further explanations, he had stood up and left the kitchen.
Charlie had frowned in confusion. Over the last few days Don had tried everything to make him talk, and now his brother refused to stay with him in the house.
The professor had known that something was wrong the moment Don had woken him up before sunrise. He didn´t need his doctors´ degrees to see that. But he had no idea what was going on, and Don´s behavior made it impossible for Charlie to find out.

From time to time Charlie had looked at his brother but Don hadn´t reacted to his looks. Charlie had sighed silently and finally gave up.
Alan had checked the clock."I´m going to prepare something for dinner. Are you staying Don?"
"Yes, if I´m allowed."
Alan had had enough. The whole day he´d tolerated his sons´odd behavior, but this clipped response was too much.
"It was your decision to leave young man. I have no idea what is going on, and maybe it´s better that way, but I expect you to behave like an adult."
Don hadn´t seen his father this furious for a long time.
"I-I-I´m sorry Dad." He´d stammered looking to the ground ashamed.
"Okay then. Now, I want you two to talk and come to some sort of understanding." He´d pointed at his two sons."And when you're done, you can come in the kitchen."
Alan had been in parent-mode and it hadn´t mattered that his sons were old enough to be parents of their own. He´d rushed into the kitchen, leaving Don and Charlie speechless.
Don´d been the first to speak. He´d turned towards Charlie, and had seen his brother sad and even more fragile. Doubtshad grown in his heart; doubts that´d told him that perhaps it would be better if he stayed. He´d taken in a deep breath, before he´d spoken.
"Listen Charlie, I´m sorry but you have to understand that I need to go. It´s not because of you, it's just that I need some time for myself."
Charlie´s brown eyes had looked askance at Don.
"But why? I don´t..."
"Charlie, please just trust me. You do trust me, right?"
Charlie hadn´t responded, just closed his eyes.
"Charlie, please." Don´s tone had increased. "Answer me."

Charlie´s hands had begun to tremble as tears had run down his cheeks. Don had taken his brother's hand in his and had caressed them gently.
"Charlie?"
Charlie had felt the warmth of his brother´s hands flooding through his body making him relax slightly.. But he hadn´t been able to stop the sobs escaping when he´d finally answered.
"Of course I trust you. But..but..why are you leaving? Did I do something wrong?"
"Oh, Charlie no. Please look at me. It isn´t your fault."
With a gentle touch of his hand, Don had lifted up Charlie´s chin. Charlie had opened his eyes, his dark brown eyes glistening from tears.
"I love you buddy." Don´s voice was hoarse, as he´d fought back tears of his own. "None of this is your fault. I can´t explain it right now. You just have to trust me. Please."

"Mmmmhh."

"Was that a "yes" Charlie?" Don had grinned a little. When Charlie had noticed the smile in Don´s voice he felt his mood lighten.
"Yeah I trust you, though I don´t understand."
"I know Charlie, but I can´t explain it right now."
"It´s okay Don."

Charlie had tightened his grip on his brother´s hand.
When dinnertime had come around, all three Eppes had tried their best to make it a pleasant evening with conversation and laughter, but Charlie couldn´t hide his sadness.

The sound of Don´s cell had ended the family dinner. Don had stood up.
"The agents are here. They'll be staying outside and watching the house."
Alan had nodded.

"Okay. Will you´ll be back tomorrow?"

Don had looked at Charlie.
"Yeah I need to take care of Chuck here."
Charlie had grinned a little sheepishly feeling a little better knowing that Don would come back. He had tried to lighten the mood a little, "Oh my hero." He had batted his eyes at his brother, "And don´t call me Chuck, Donald,"
Don had grinned back appreciating the effort his obviously upset brother was making.
Charlie had walked with his brother out to his SUV.
"Good night buddy. Call me whenever you want okay?"
Don couldn´t stop the protector in him.
"I will. Don´t worry, I'll be okay."
"I´m sure."

Don had opened the door of his SUV and had climbed in.
"See you tomorrow then."
"Alright. See you tomorrow."
A smile had crept out on Charlie´s face. He´d slapped Don on the shoulder and had waved a good bye when the SUV had rolled onto the street. Don hadn´t noticed the red rose lying on the street and obliterated it completley with his SUV.

TBC