Disclaimer: As previously stated I do not own Numb3rs or any characters associated with it.

Chapter Two – Breakfast.

A few days after his encounter on the Freeway Colby was sitting at his desk in the FBI offices when his cell rang.

"Granger."

"Hi Colby, it's Jasmine Fuller."

"Hi Jasmine, how are you? Thank you for the muffins by the way."

"Oh, you're welcome. Look I'm really sorry to bother you but would you have time to meet me for breakfast?"

"Er, well I am at work right now, hang on a sec…" Colby turned to Don "Would it be OK if I head out for a bit?"

Don glanced at him curiously but replied "Yeah sure, there isn't much happening here at the moment, make sure you keep your cell on you and I'll call if I need you back here."

Colby turned back to his phone. "Jasmine, yes I can meet you. There is a place on West 3rd Street…"

"Toast Bakery Café, yes I know it."

"I can be there in 20 minutes, can you make it for then?"

"Yes, I'll see you then, and Colby, thank you." With that Jasmine rang off.

As he closed his phone he turned to find himself being scrutinised by his team mates.

"Jasmine as in the lady from the Freeway accident?" asked David.

Colby nodded "She sounded upset, I'm wondering if the guy from the accident has been bothering her."

"Only one way to find out." Responded Megan.

Colby nodded, grabbed his keys and headed out.

"You don't think he's getting into something over his head do you?" asked David, concerned.

"I am sure he'll be fine, if he needs our help he'll ask." Replied Don.

"Are we talking about the same Colby Granger, who's middle name might as well be hard headed and stubborn?" asked David, wryly.

Colby walked into the café 15 minutes later to find Jasmine already seated at a table sipping a coffee.

"Hi, thanks for meeting me. You hardly know me and here I am calling you out of the blue…"

He held up his hand to stop her. "It's ok, I gave you my card so you could call if there was a problem after the accident."

"It's not about the accident." She stopped as a waitress approached to take Colby's order.

"I'll have a coffee and some French toast please." The waitress nodded and went to fill his request.

He turned back to Jasmine and when he looked more carefully he could see she had been crying.

"What is it, what's happened?" he asked softly.

"I feel awful dragging you into this, but I didn't know who else to turn to, you were so helpful and kind the other day." She paused again as the waitress brought over Colby's order and watched him put sugar and milk in his coffee and start on his French toast, he motioned for her to continue, watching her intently, letting her know he was listening to her. "I told you I had just got out of a very bad marriage, well my husband has started causing problems for me. He's a very powerful man, physically and financially. I went to go home last night and he was parked outside my house, across the gate, preventing me from getting in."

"Did you call the police?"

"No, I was frightened of what he would do if I did."

"Jasmine, where did you sleep last night?"

"I went to a hotel, I went home this morning thinking he would be gone, but he wasn't, at least his car was still parked across the gate, I was too scared to get out and see if he was still about."

"OK, gimme a minute." With that Colby finished his breakfast and walked out of the café, pulling his phone out.

"Eppes."

"Don, it's Colby. This thing may take a bit longer than I thought, is that OK or do you need me back at the office?"

"That's fine, anything I can do to help?"

"Not at the moment, thanks man."

"OK, call if that changes."
"Will do." Colby hung up and headed back into the café, paid the bill and went back to Jasmine. "Did you drive here?"

"Yes, my car is in the lot."

"OK, we'll go back to the office, I'll pick up my car and follow you home and we'll try to sort this out."

"Oh, you don't have to do that, I was looking for a little advice, that's all."

"Look, this guy may still be there, I want to help and at the moment this is the best way."

"OK." They got up together, headed for her car and did as he had suggested.

Once in his car Colby followed her out of the built up area and along Laurel Canyon Road ending up turning into Canton Drive. He pulled up in the street behind her and got out and she joined him.

"My house is the next one along, his car is still there."

"OK, what's his name?"

"Jason Rutherford."

"Get back in your car and lock the doors." Once he was sure she had done as she was told he headed in the direction she had indicated. He was wondering if maybe he should have had Don check the husband out, but it was too late now as he noticed a man approaching him from the other side of the car that was parked blocking the entrance to Jasmine's drive.

Uneasily Colby reached under his jacket and released the clip holding his gun in place in it's holster.

"Mr Rutherford?"

"Who's askin'?"

"I am Sir."

"And who would you be?"

"I'm a friend of Ms Fuller's."

"Where's the bitch at? That her in that car?"

Colby winced at his language, but held his tongue not wanting to inflame the situation. Thanks to his stupidity, not running a background check, he had no idea what this man was capable of.

"Tell her to get her ass out here and talk to me." Rutherford continued.

"Sir that is not going to happen, I must ask you to leave the premises."

"Is that right? You going to make me?"

"I am an FBI agent and I will not hesitate to arrest you and turn you over to the LAPD should it become necessary." He said showing the other man his badge.

"Arrest me for what?"

"Trespass for one. Harassment. And anything else I can think of." Colby was beginning to lose his patience.

"I suppose she's been telling you that I'm a nasty piece of work and that she's scared of me huh? Well, man, let me tell you, if you're getting involved with that bitch you wanna watch your back, she's the nasty piece of work."

"Mr Rutherford, I will not ask you again, get in your car and leave."

Jasmine was watching this unfold from the car and could do nothing to help. She watched in horror as Jason stepped up to Colby and before the agent had time to pull his weapon or react, punched him hard in the face.

Colby staggered slightly from the impact but remained on his feet, before Jason could take another swing Colby had the larger man in front of him with his arm up at an awkward angle behind his back without even throwing a punch.

"Mr Rutherford you just assaulted a Federal Officer, I am placing you under arrest." Colby read Jason his rights, then handcuffed him and sat him in the back of his car, he picked up his phone and called dispatch asking for an LAPD unit and a tow truck for the car.

He turned back towards Jasmine as she got out of the car.

"Why don't you head into the house, I'll be in once LAPD have taken this guy in and his car has been towed."

"Your eye.." she started to say.

"It's fine, I've had worse, please go inside."

Jasmine headed towards the house as he said, as she did so she heard Jason screaming that he was going to get her for what she was putting him through, this threat caused her to pick up her pace.

Half an hour later Colby pulled her car into her driveway and walked up to the house, Jasmine greeted him at the door and invited him in.

"LAPD have taken him to be processed and towed the car to the impound lot, he'll be charged with assault, they recommend you get a Temporary Restraining Order against him, then if he comes near you again they'll be able to arrest him for breaching the order. Do you have a lawyer?"

"Yes, I do. I'll call him in a minute, come with me."

Colby followed her towards the back of the large house and into a kitchen.

"Sit down."

"I really should get back to work…"

"Not until I've given you something to help reduce the swelling round that eye." This said she handed him an ice pack. "You sit there with that for a few and I'll go call my lawyer."

Whilst he was waiting for her to return his phone rang.

"Granger."

"Colby, what the hell happened, I just had a call from Lieutenant Walker over at LAPD saying one of the patrols had been out to pick up some lowlife who had assaulted a federal officer, imagine his surprise, and mine, when he heard it was you!" Don did not sound happy.

"The guy is Jasmine's estranged husband, he was blocking her drive and had been since last night, I escorted her home and he was still here, he didn't want to leave."

"How did he come to assault you, are you OK?"

"I'm fine, he punched me, that's all."

"I told you to call if you needed help." Said an exasperated Don.

"I didn't think I did! Hang on a minute, how did Walker find out, he's on the Organised Crime unit." Said Colby with a sinking feeling.

"Uh huh, the guy that punched you, Jason Rutherford, he is a person of interest to the Organised Crime Unit."
"Oh."

"Yes, oh. You better get back here, you have some explaining to do." With that Don hung up before Colby could reply.

Just then Jasmine walked back into the room and saw Colby hanging up the phone.

"Everything OK?"

"Did you know your husband was of interest to the Organised Crime unit?"

She nodded "I left him as soon as I found out. I'm sorry I should have told you."

Colby's expression was thunderous "Yes you should have, this could have turned out a whole lot different. Dammit Jasmine."

"I didn't think you'd help me if I told you."

He ran his hand through his hair in frustration. "Of course I would have, I would just have been better prepared." At the look of anguish on her face he softened his tone. "It's OK, what did your lawyer say?"

"He's filing the TRO as we speak."

"Good. Now I have to get back to work and get my ass chewed off by an angry Don Eppes." He sighed and handed her the ice pack he had been using.

"Colby, I will understand if you say no, but would you come over for dinner tonight? I feel safer with you here and I'd like to do something to say thank you for all you've done."

"That's not necessary."
"I know, but I'd like to."

"Yeah OK, but just as friends Jasmine."
"I understand. Come by about 7pm."
"See you then."

"Thanks again Colby." With that he left and she watched him walk out the electronic gates and closed them behind him and locked her front door. She allowed herself a small smile as she walked towards the kitchen to plan for dinner.