Need to Know (The Have to Ask Remix) [NUMB3RS; David, Colby; PG-13]
Title: Need to Know (The Have to Ask Remix)
Author: 10pmpacifictime
Summary: Between being trained up from a probie, dealing with Afghanistan PTSD, and being a triple agent, Colby's run David through the wringer. David had been hoping they were coming to the end of the big drama.
Fandom: NUMB3RS
Pairing: Characters: David, Colby (very mild Colby/OC)
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: "The Janus List," "Trust Metric," and "Breaking Point"
Disclaimer: If I owned them there would be mad crossovers with the other beloved characters I'd own.
Original story: Don't Have to Tell by bluflamingo
Notes: A few weeks ago bluflamingo posted her original fic and I loved it, but it was missing a little something for me. Since she was in the middle of writing her sgabigbang fic, I didn't think it was fair to ask her to rewrite Don't Have to Tell just to satisfy my curiosity. So I decided to take a shot at it myself and ask forgiveness rather than permission. Here it is, breaking a year and a half long writer's block and my first serious attempt at fanfic. I suggest reading bluflamingo's original story first, but I'm not sure whether or not it really makes a difference. All dialog, except for a few instances of emphasis, and some prose unchanged. Unbetad so please drop any corrections or criticisms in the comments section (what is the past tense of "beta" anyway?).
David was still working on his first seltzer water by the time Ben was on his third beer. He nudged his old friend with an elbow when the mixed martial arts standings showed up on ESPN’s screen and the name Ellis was up amongst all the other top nationally ranked fighters.
“In a few years, I am going to own that number one slot.” The bar’s jukebox shut off and the volume of conversation swelled to fill the lack.
David’s been surprised and thankful for how easy this friendship has been to repair after years of bad blood and silence. If the last year had taught him anything, it’s how important his friendships are to his mental wellbeing. He’s been doing everything he can to repair his broken friendships, both old and new. “I’d bet you that it's only gonna be a few months, but it’s bad sense to bet against the man who has insider information on the fight.”
Ben punched him lightly (for Ben) in the shoulder. “If I make number one within the year, I’d gladly fork over the money, ‘cause you can bet there’ll be plenty more where that came from.”
“And I’m sure you’ll be more than happy to.... Hang on a second.” David pulled his vibrating cell phone out of its clip and flipped it open, covering his free ear to better. “Sinclair.”
“David, it’s Don. Matt Parker, the guy Charlie figured would be the next victim, he just showed up at USC University Hospital, beaten to hell and back with a few well placed burns thrown in. LAPD’s providing protection, but I want you and Colby there to take his statement the minute he’s available.”
“Sure thing, Don. See you as soon as we get that statement.” He put the cell phone away and pushed his glass towards the far end of the bar.
Ben shook his head over his beer. “Man, I knew better than to bring you out while you were working a case. You won’t get drunk with me and the minute your cell rings, the night’s over.”
“Sorry,” David said.
“Don’t worry about it. You gotta do what you gotta do. Get the bastard, whoever he is.”
“Thanks. We’ll do this again sometime. Grab a free weekend and really celebrate.”
David paid what was on his and Ben’s tab and then left for the car. Once he was on the road he chose a route that would take him past Colby’s tiny house and dialed Colby’s cell. Colby picked up on the fifth ring.
“It’s the middle of the night, man, this better be good.” Guy sounded cranky.
“You need your beauty sleep? Matt Parker just got admitted to hospital, injuries consistent with the other victims. Don wants us to get over there and talk to him.”
“Great. Meet you at the hospital?”
“Don’t be stupid. I’m coming past your door, I’ll pick you up.” The light up ahead turned red and David pulled into the right hand lane to make the turn down Colby’s street.
“I’m not at home,” Colby said. “I’ll meet you there.”
“You’re not-what happened to never meeting any women?” He could have just been out somewhere like David, but there was no sound except for Colby’s voice coming out of his cell.
“It’s not what you think.” So that’s a definite no. If Colby’d been out somewhere, he’d have said so.
“Right.” David pulled into Colby’s empty driveway. The lights in the tiny house were out and David knew that the car could be in the garage, but it wasn't likely. Granger didn’t park his car inside when they had a hot case. The house and the street were quiet. Even the house apparently hosting a fairly large party was quiet.
“You wanna discuss this some more, or you want to let me get-let me find my keys and come meet you?”
Ha! “If the end of that was gonna be ‘get dressed’, I think I want to discuss it some more.”
“Well, I want to do my job so we don’t get chewed out by Don again. Be there in twenty minutes.” The connection cut abruptly and David backed out of Colby’s driveway to turn around and head back the way he came.
***
David had already been in, gotten the doctor’s report and coordinated the protection detail by the time that Colby decided to grace the hospital with his presence. In fact he’d been waiting outside the hospital for his partner for about fifteen minutes. Outside the hospital wasn’t much quieter than inside, but there were fewer walls for the sound to bounce off of and it felt less congested and didn't smell like bleach.
“You’re late.” Colby was damn lucky that there no superior agents were present, or he’d have been getting some nasty looks for his ratty appearance. David mentally shook his head. You’d think a spy would be more aware of the importance of appearances.
“Car accident,” Colby said. “Got held up till the patrol cop deigned to check my badge and let me through.”
David didn’t buy it. “Right.” He took in Colby’s tattered jeans and day old t-shirt and...missing socks. Dressed like that, he hadn’t been out cruising bars. And whoever she was, she’d been around long enough and was interested enough to not care how dressed up Colby was. When had Colby found the time? “Doc said we could see him in a bit, when they’re done stitching him.”
Colby bobbed his head in what David took to be acknowledgment. “Great.”
David turned and opened the hospital doors, motioning for Colby to go in before him.
“So. Who was she?”
He couldn’t see Colby’s face from where David was still slightly behind him, but he’d bet good money Colby rolled his eyes. “I was at a friend’s, I fell asleep. First time we’ve been out of here before midnight in a week, I was tired.”
“Uh-huh. I know I fall asleep naked with my friends all the time.”
“Whatever, man. That the doctor?”
“What?” David looked up to see the lovely Doctor Brightman bearing down on them, her green surgical scrubs stained the same color as her red hair. “Yeah. Saved by the case.”
“’Bout time.”
***
Between the case finally going somewhere and Colby taking care not to saying anything about wanting to find a woman, it only took David a few days to drop it.
***
David slid his hands into his pockets and leaned back against the cubicle divider to watch the show. Megan was fussing with Colby’s tie while Colby let her with all the grace of a three year old. David half expected Megan to take out a handkerchief to wipe away imagined smudges on Colby’s face. She was gonna make somebody (somebodies) a good mommy someday, if she didn’t snap under whatever had been going on with her lately.
“I still don’t see why we have to go to this,” Colby said.
“Because we’ve got the highest solve rate in the department for the year?” David suggested.
“Then why isn’t Charlie suffering through it with us?” Colby asked. Apparently having had enough, he gently circled Megan’s wrists with his hands. “It’s fine, thank you.”
She took the hint and stepped back with one last twitch to his tie. “Your loss. You’ll never get a girlfriend with a crooked tie.” David smirked at that because if last month was any indication, Colby hadn’t been striking out with the ladies completely.
“Oh, so that’s what attracted you to Fleinhardt, his neat tie.” David really didn’t want to hear Colby-doesn’t-get-Megan-and-Fleinhardt Round 373 so he asked the question he knew was going to shut Colby up.
“What happened to that girl from a few weeks ago?”
“Which girl is this?” Megan asked.
“I already told you, I was with a friend.” Colby started checking his tie in the reflection of the interrogation rooms window.
“And yet you remember the incident so well.” Megan said.
“Because he,” Colby pointed to David, “wouldn’t shut up about it for three days.”
“And where was I?” Megan asked. He and Colby shared a look of sudden solidarity, because Megan’s hit and miss attendance in the FBI building was a fragile subject.
“Vacation?” Colby suggested.
“In-service training?” David offered.
Megan must have realized that she’d touched a tricky subject because she shrugged and just said, “Uh-huh,” and tweaked Colby’s tie one last time as he walked past her.
In the nearly empty office every sound was noticeable. Something was beeping in from the other side of the room and the hum of a few active computers still processing information lay underneath everything. The air conditioning thrummed from nearby vents.
The door to the conference room opened and Don leaned out, his hair mussed and half his shirt un-tucked from his pants. “You guys ready? The Director’s not going to be happy if we’re late.”
“We were waiting for you.” Megan swept past Don, reached out one bare arm, gave an end of Don’s already unraveling bowtie a sharp tug, and without stopping swept into the elevator, the back of her blue gown fluttering with each step.
David held back his laughter and followed her.
***
David had tried to hold polite conversation with the other guests at their table, but they were pretty boring and equally uninterested in anything David had to say. He’d thought about eavesdropping on other tables, but they were tucked pretty far away from everyone else and no one was speaking loud enough.
Colby broke the silence before it could become awkward. “Guess we’re the table of dateless singletons.”
Megan gave an elegant snort into her water glass. “Speak for yourself.”
“Larry couldn’t make it?” David teased, schooling his face into the picture of innocence.
Megan glared darkly at Don. It unnerved David a little, to see her so remarkably unsubtle. “Larry wasn’t allowed to be invited.”
David didn’t know what her problem was. From what he’d been able to tell, Megan and Fleinhardt hadn’t had much time for each other between his space adventures, her secret DOJ work, and the various personal crises those events had created. Then again if things were on the mend between them, he didn’t doubt that she’d resent restrictions on whatever time she and Fleinhardt could get together.
Colby seemed oblivious to Megan’s bad mood. “Isn’t he seeing Robin?”
“He is now.” Megan punctuated it with a sip of water. Don had been pretty sullen when he’d handed out the tickets. And that sullenness had apparently been infectious.
He recalled the way that Don had avoided looking at David that week, right after Liz had left. Well no one liked I-told-you-sos “Right. Never mind.”
***
David was beyond bored and Colby wasn’t being particularly talkative. Their table had broken up, scattering to find various friends and colleagues. The two administrators were off brown-nosing. Once Don had wandered off to find Walker (and David was kinda hoping that they didn’t wander back over here), Megan had unwound enough to ask one of the other guys at their table to dance. They were chatting amiably, stopping every few minutes to exchange pleasantries with acquaintances. She was looking truly relaxed for the first time in a long time, and David felt a barely noticed worry go silent with the realization.
Colby, on the other hand, was a whole ‘nother tune. David was a little pissed at himself that he’d brought up Colby’s girl again after so long. Something must have happened between Colby and whoever she was if he was gonna be so sore about so long after. They were the only two left at the table and if the man didn’t lighten up and start keeping him entertained, David was gonna go looking for Don and Walker himself.
“You think anyone would notice if we snuck out?” David asked.
Colby didn’t look up from the third cocktail napkin he was shredding. “In a room full of people trained to be observant?” Colby asked. “Nah, I’m sure we’d be fine.”
“Spoil sport,” David said into his coffee. “You know, I think I’d actually rather be doing paperwork right now.” He took the last swallow and tried to place a name with the face of the person who was making a bee-line for their table.
“Oh, come on, it’s not that bad, is it?” The man moved around behind Colby until he was standing in front of the two of them. He smiled the kind of practiced smile that was all about placating the masses and recognition clicked.
“Harper.” David rose and offered his hand to the press agent. “This is your thing, huh?” The guy had always seemed nice enough for a PR stooge, but Don was the one who handled most of that stuff, and if not Don, then Megan. It was nice of the guy to stop over and make sure everyone was enjoying him or herself. And if David wanted to get anywhere in the agency then it couldn’t hurt (in fact was probably a good idea) to make a few friends in the press department.
Harper raised a shoulder in half-hearted acknowledgment. “Partly. Not quite as glamorous as chasing down missing TV reporters, but what can you do?” Colby didn’t acknowledge the compliment. He hadn’t stood up, hadn’t even looked up when Harper had made his presence known, only started gathering the napkin confetti he’d been working on into a pile in front of him. David was couldn’t believe him. There was an honest desire to be left alone, and then there was just being rude.
David responded before the silence could become awkward. “What can I say?”
Harper nodded to David’s response, but didn't take his eyes off Colby. “You having fun, Colby?” Harper asked.
‘Colby’? David thought. He hadn’t known Colby and Harper were friends. Well that explained why Harper had come over here in the first place. Might explain Colby’s bad mood to. If he and Harper were friends and had had some sort of falling out, and Lord don’t I know what that’s like, then apparently Colby wasn’t ready to kiss and make up as easily as Harper seemed to want to.
But Colby’s body language...wasn’t exactly irritated or angry. It was expectant, apprehensive, maybe even a little fearful.
“Best night of my week,” Colby finally said. He gave Harper the briefest of smiles and then snagged Megan’s abandoned extra cocktail napkin.
Harper gave a sharp, barking laugh. “You must be having a boring week, then. I have to go check on a few things, but let me buy you a drink later, okay?” The way Harper’s focus was all on Colby and Colby was trying damn hard to not let any of his be on Harper made something in David’s head go click. David felt his eyebrows go up and Harper must have realized that he’d given something away because the next words out of his mouth, oh so casual, were, “You too, Agent Sinclair, if you like.”
Well fuck, Granger. Colby raised his head slowly, staring into the middle distance with a tense look on his face. “Sure,” David said. He stood up slowly with his back to Granger. A lot of shit was falling into place and he felt the conflicting reactions merge and cancel each other out so there was nothing left in his gut but a twisting numbness.
Sometimes it was easy to see how Granger had made such a good spy. He wore so damn much on his damn face, it was hard to believe he could hide anything.
Harper’s gaze flickered fast between the two of them, and a slight wince cracked his perfect TV camera facade. He’d fucked up and he knew it. Harper knew it, David knew it, and Granger definitely knew it. “Okay, well, you guys have fun,” Harper said, and he took off for the other side of the ballroom.
When David sat back down he looked long and hard at Granger, who was making careful, sharp folds in Megan’s napkin, being sure to line up all the edges neatly. “So,” David said. “You and Harper.”
“Me and Harper what?”
Did he actually think that was gonna work on David? “He’s the one you were with, the friend.”
“You know, I’m sure you were there for Don’s lecture last week about not jumping to conclusions.” Granger raised his head to briefly meet David’s eyes, but he must not have liked what he saw there, because he went back to his napkin. The hired band launched into a new number.
David started counting down the points, curling a finger under as read each one off the mental list he’d put together. “He calls you by your first name. He came over to speak to you. He offered to buy you a drink.”
“He’s being friendly,” Granger said. He picked up his heavy water glass and began using it to iron the folds in his napkin as sharp as possible.
David scanned the room, making note of where Megan and Don were, formulating what he was gonna say next. What could he say? Granger clearly wasn’t in a talkative mood. Well too fucking bad. “I’m not stupid. I couldn’t figure out why you wouldn’t just tell me who you were with, even if it wasn’t a girl. You always have before.” Colby winced. “And now he’s over here flirting with you, come on, Colby, I don’t need Charlie to help me put two and two together.” Granger didn’t react. He just kept sliding his glass back and forth over his folded napkin like David wasn’t even there. “Why didn’t you just tell me?”
All of a sudden, Granger pushed his chair back, the legs stuttering over the carpet, and he stood up.
“You want to interrogate me somewhere there’s less chance of being overheard by the Director of the FBI?” He made for the doors, not even stopping to grab his coat.
David followed.
The sound of traffic was muted by the distance the reception hall was from the street, but he could still hear the hum of cars and somebody laughing in the distance.
The minute the doors swung closed behind him, David grabbed Granger’s arm and turned him so he had to face David. “What the hell is this? I’m meant to be your partner, why the hell didn’t you tell me?”
David could just barely hear the band and the murmur of voices inside through the closed glass doors.
“Maybe ‘cause it’s none of your damn business? Or because I was worried about how you’d react? And, hey, nice to see you taking the news so well there, David.”
“Please. Don’t even try that.”
“Try what?”
“Try to make me sound like some homophobe who can’t handle the fact that his partner’s gay. There’s no way you think I’m like that.” That’s not what’s going on here and you damn well know it, Granger.
“Oh, so that’s why we’re out here with you looking at me like I’m your best suspect in a murder case, because you’re totally fine with the thought of me being attracted to men.”
Now David was seeing red, because Granger was twisting this around. There was no damn way Colby actually thought that about David. His own partner’s taking cheap potshots to try and get out of answering a damn question. He’s sure as Hell acting like a suspect, or at least a hostile witness. Just what the damn Hell does Granger....
He’s not gonna let it be about this. He’s not gonna let Colby derail him. He doesn’t look away, doesn’t drop Colby’s arm, won’t concede the point, but he took a deep breath and let it out slowly.
“You can be really stupid some days,” David said, “you know that? I’m not pissed because you’re gay, I don’t care who you sleep with. I’m pissed because you’ve been my partner for two and a half years, and you never told me. I get the spy thing, that you couldn’t tell us, but this? What did you think was going to happen?”
“I don’t know.” Colby broke David’s gaze and looked at his feet. The anger and tension seemed to leave him and his shoulders relaxed into a defeated slump. “Just-let me go, please?”
David let go, but he didn’t back out of Colby’s space.
“Thank you,” Colby said. He didn’t even look up, just turned and headed back inside. David didn’t follow. Colby came out a couple minutes later with his coat on and his cell phone out, talking to a cab company, and he headed into the shadow of the building.
When Colby had disappeared completely into the darkness, David headed back inside and found Don with Megan and Walker. He almost did’t recognize Walker without his police uniform.
“Hey,” David said. “Granger wasn’t feeling too great. I put him in a cab and sent him home.”
“Oh yeah?” Don asked. “What was wrong with him?”
“Dunno,” David said. “Hopefully just a twenty-four hour thing and he’ll be at work on Monday.”
Don wasn’t buying it, but he let it slide. Megan and Walker weren’t buying it either, but Megan was a profiler and Walker was a suspicious, paranoid bastard, so David figured that the lie’d done well enough since they didn’t call him on it.
“Alright. David, keep Detective Walker here company while Megan and I go grab some more drinks.”
So maybe Don wasn’t gonna let him off as easily as he’d hoped. Well fine. He could put up with Walker if it meant a few free drinks. And Walker might just be the right kind of company for the mood he was in.
***
“Oh, turn your damn cell back on, for God’s sake, before you wind up in any more trouble with Don. I get it, you’re screening my calls, you don’t want to talk. Fine. Get over it before Monday.”
David flipped his cell phone closed and then back open again to dial his voicemail. He half hoped one of them would be Colby.
“First unheard message:
“Hey, David. It’s Ben. If you and that team of yours can pry a weekend free next month, I got some extra tickets to my next event in Vegas. I figure that partner of yours and the psychologist lady at the least might enjoy it. I’ll e-mail you the details. Gimme a call back.”
If this were a normal Sunday afternoon, he and Granger would be at their usual dive just outside of downtown. Granger would joke about girls and check out the pretty blonde waitress at the bar they hung out at.
So. Who was she?
For God’s sake Granger’d asked Megan to set him up. How did Granger expect David to figure it out, to not assume that the mystery date was a woman if he pulled shit like that?
“Second unheard message:
“David, it’s Claudia. I didn’t want to say anything last night, but you seemed kinda out of it at dinner. If there’s anything I can do to help, baby, let me know. I’m a little worried, baby. Hope I won’t see you until after work.”
Granger hadn’t expected David to figure it out. He’d expected David to forget about it and move on and Colby would have gone back to sneaking around.
It’s not what you think.
I was at a friend’s, I fell asleep.
So why hadn’t Granger just made up some bullshit girl, let David rag on him for a bit and they could all have moved on?
"Third unheard message:
"David, this is Olivia Rawlings from the recreation center. We got a rather large donation in and we’re having a community meeting on the twentieth to discuss what should be done with it. I’d like you to be there since so many of the parents have been appreciating your conflict resolution workshops. If it goes right, there may be room for your self-defense workshop.
"Also, if it wouldn’t be too much trouble and not illegal, could you run a background check on the donor. We don’t need another scandal. The last one’s still gonna cause a stink at this meeting and I’d like to be able to reassure the board with some hard facts."
If Granger hadn’t made such a big deal out of it, David would have forgotten it.
...let me buy you a drink later...
It wasn’t like David had followed Granger home. He hadn’t gone through his e-mail or his cell phone call log.
“Fourth unheard message:
Alright, David. Nobody bought your excuse for Colby, least of all Don. I’m sure it was all Colby’s fault, but you’re probably going to have to take the lead on working it out. If you need some advice, I’m only a phone call away.”
He’d overreacted a little last night. He was a big boy and he could admit that he’d lost it a bit. Thing like this had to be scary for Granger. Hell, for any guy. Going from a small town in Podunk, Nowhere, to the army, to a job in law enforcement. Not exactly easy environments for a guy who...well...for a guy like Granger.
The kid next door and his friends were getting together for a jam session, and he could hear the off-key wailing and misplayed chords through his neighbor’s garage and his own walls. David moved out of the living room and into the kitchen to escape the racket.
And even if Granger knew that David wouldn’t get a bunch of other guys together and beat him brainless in the parking garage, he might think that Don and David wouldn’t feel as comfortable with Granger watching their sixes if he might be...well...watching their sixes.
He probably didn’t want to stink up their friendship with David’s paranoia that Colby was just hanging around for a shot at something else. David had plenty of platonic female friends, this probably wasn’t any different.
A siren wailed from down the street and David flipped aside the curtain to check. An ambulance sped past, followed closely by a small fire truck. None of his business, yet.
You guys work funky hours, long stakeouts. You’re dodging bullets together. Sounds like adrenaline. I mean adrenaline’s great, but I don’t know if that’s a real relationship.
That probably applied to friendships too. He opened the fridge to grab some juice and then slammed it shut again a couple times.
Damn it. Granger had been the spy. Granger had been the one watching all of them, measuring them up as potential traitors. Granger’d been the one lying and using his friends to get what he, what counter-intelligence, wanted. Granger didn’t get to be the one who was mistrustful and second guessing the loyalty of his friends. He’d be damned if he was gonna let Granger make this about him.
***
Colby was already in the office and bent over a stacks of folders and reports when David stepped off the elevator. He didn’t look up as David walked past his cubicle. He nodded to Megan who gave him a knowing look and turned back to her own computer.
Well if Colby wasn’t gonna talk, they might as well get some work done. It wasn’t too long before Don stuck his head around the door frame.
“We’ve had a call about a break-in downtown, local cops think it might be connected to the ones from a couple months ago.”
Megan took off her glasses and looked at Don. “And you think?” David watched them both. Colby watched his computer.
“I dunno,” Don said. “It doesn’t really sound right, but I said I’d send someone down to take a look.” Don pointed to Colby, trying to grab his attention and then gestured to the elevator. “Colby, David, you want to take it?”
David waited for Colby to make some kind of reply, but Colby just shifted his gaze to the cubicle wall.
“Guys?”
Megan intervened before Don could snap. “I’ll go with Colby. David looks busy.”
Well, that was a blatant lie.
“Okay. Whatever.” And that was Don not buying it, and on his way to pissed off. “Call if it turns out to be connected to our case.”
Colby stood, gathered his files into a rough pile, grabbed his gun and his badge. “Sure,” he said. He took off for the elevator and Megan followed.
David headed for the break room without meeting Don’s eye. He knew what was coming next and he doubted Colby would appreciate it being carried out in front of the entire agency.
He was stirring creamer and sugar into a fresh cup of coffee when Don came in, blocking the doorway with his body.
Don’s voice was too low to attract the attention of anyone else, but it was loud in the dark break room which has usually a haven of silence. “I thought we were done with this; I thought you guys had worked it out.”
“So had I.”
Don waited a beat and then reached around him and snagged the coffee pot. “So?” he asked.
David shook his head. “New problems, same old shit. Granger’s shit this time.” He felt a slight twinge of guilt for having sold Granger out, but it was the truth. “It was a little bit my fault.”
“Yeah, I figured as much. It gonna work itself out?”
“If it doesn’t, I’ll make it work out.”
That seemed to satisfy Don. “Well alright then. You’ve got until our next case. Which means if Colby and Megan come back with something....”
“We’ll be trading nail polish and braiding each other’s hair by this time tomorrow.”
Don put the creamer back in the cabinet where he found it and grabbed a coffee stirrer. “Okay. You let me know if you need anything.”
“Will do, Don. Thanks.”
David took the coffee stirrer out of his own mug and flicked it towards the trash. He was kinda wishing he’d gone with Megan now. He could use someone with a little bit of psych know-how. Megan and Terry didn’t always have the right answers, but at least they had some good ideas.
Hell, Megan might already know. She could have profiled Colby a while ago and right now she’s feeling a whole lot of compassionate, understanding, friendly feelings for Colby and just a little bit smug and superior to the rest of them.
David considered cornering her when she and Granger got back from the scene, but he quickly rejected the idea. Megan had set Granger up with a definitely female Cirque de Soleil contortionist. And even if that had just been her playing along with Colby's straight act, David wasn’t gonna talk about Granger behind his back, especially not about something that so obviously had his panties in a twist.
***
Colby continued to avoid David once he came back. Megan and Colby had determined that there was no connection between the current break in and their previous cases, so based on Don’s rules he could probably put it off, but he didn’t really want to.
Don and Megan kept finding excuses to leave the two of them alone together, obviously trying to get him to talk. This needed to get fixed as soon as possible. It wasn’t just about him and Colby. But the office, in the middle of the work day wasn’t a good place for it.
So David was lurking around Colby’s car nearly an hour after he’d packed up to go home and left his desk.
The silence echoed in the parking garage. A few agents called out and waved to him on their way out, but David just waved back and didn’t engage them in conversation. David saw Colby before Colby saw him.
Colby was so quiet that David almost expected him to just get in the car and wait for David to leave. Instead Colby stopped a few feet away.
“Hey,” Colby said.
“I figured you’d rather not have this conversation in the office, and you’re not answering your phone.”
Colby still wouldn’t look at him. “Actually, I’d rather not have it at all.” David had figured that out as well.
“Yeah, well, tough. Unless you’re planning on transferring out of here to avoid me.” That may have gone a little too far, but it got Colby to look at him, so he kept going. “Yeah, didn’t think so.”
David hopped up on the hood of the car and let the open space next to him speak for itself. Colby chose not to take the hint.
“So. What else don’t I know about you?”
“Hey.”
“Fine, sorry,” David apologized. “But, come on, man, we’ve been working together for nearly three years.”
“It’s not important.”
“Try again. All that stuff about wanting to find a girlfriend, that was all - what was that?”
“Habit. Mostly.”
“Because of the army. Right.” David nodded. “You know, that’s probably why you never manage to pick up any women.”
Colby laughed despite himself. “Thought it was lack of social skills.”
“Yeah, that too.”
Colby rubbed the back of his neck and seemed to come to a conclusion. “I got used to being in the closet, in the army. I don’t think I ever learned how to tell people, you know?”
“Because, ‘Hey, David, by the way, I’m more attracted to men than women,’ would have been too simple.”
Colby laughed again, much softer.
“You try slipping that into casual conversation.”
“Okay, point.” David had to concede. He wished Colby had been cool enough about this so they could have had this conversation in a bar. Or that David had had the time and forethought to pick up some beer. He wanted a beer. And if he’d been able to give Colby a beer when they first started talking, maybe he would have sat down with David instead of standing there, waiting for the other shoe to drop.
“Yeah.”
“Still, though. You didn’t trust me?”
That got a reaction. Colby leaned against one of the pylons and stopped himself from kicking it with one of his very shiny shoes mid-swing.
“Man, you know more about me than anyone else in the world. I trust you more than anyone else. You’re the only person who knows about my dad, you’re the only person who knows about the friendly fire in Afghanistan.”
“You don’t talk about that stuff with Harper?”
“With-Oh, no, it’s not like that.”
Damn. Just when David thought he’d been making some progress. “Right.”
“No, seriously, it’s not like that. We just, you know....” Oh, man. It may be like that for Colby, but Harper had definitely been throwing off Very-Interested vibes. He didn’t want to be having that conversation with Colby yet.
Colby must have seen something on his face. “Hey, you asked.”
“And now I’m sort of wishing I hadn’t. You never told anyone?”
“That I’m....” So apparently this wasn’t any easier for Colby than it was for David. “Some people know. Knew.”
The list in David’s head, the one from Friday night that had brought them both to this garage and this conversation, synced up with the one that was everything else, the list of Who-Is-Colby-Granger-and-What-I-Know-About-Him. Yeah.
“Dwayne Carter,” David said quietly. They could really use some of that beer right about now.
“He saved my life. And we were-I guess we were close already, I wasn’t ever going to say no. And then when we got back here…. Neither of us wanted anyone to realize there was a connection between us other than the army, you know? It’s not like we were-it was just convenient.”
“Sure.” And Carter had come home from Afghanistan, gone back to his wife and his kid. And then sold out his country to the Chinese and tried to bring Colby down with him. “But it can’t have been easy, doing what you did.”
“He was selling state secrets to the Chinese.” Frustration threaded through Colby’s voice. He was probably sick of having to explain and justify this to everyone, including himself. “He used to be on the front-line, protecting the country. I guess I was hoping I’d turn out to be wrong.”
“I get that.” David nudged Colby’s shoulder and gave him the best look of understanding he knew how.
“Yeah?” Colby gave him a questioning look.
“Yeah.” David gave him the best you’re-a-dumbass look he had in return.
“Oh. Thanks.”
David wondered about the other people who knew, all the other friends Colby had told him about, whether or not any of them had been more: the super genius friend (now dead) who’d already been a grad student twice over by the time Colby started college, the frat-buddy-basketball-star who’d gone into law enforcement after blowing out his knee, the air force pilot from Afghanistan who’d disappeared into special ops a few years ago and hadn’t really talked with (been able to talk with) Colby since, the FBI agent who’d first gotten Colby interested in the FBI, the JAG lawyer who told Colby stories of running away to Vietnam at sixteen (now married in San Diego) that Colby’d worked with while he was still CID.
And then David realized this was probably exactly the kind of thing Colby hadn’t wanted him thinking.
“Yeah, well,” David joked, “I saw you with women, you’re not exactly 007.”
“I’m better with men.” Colby froze like that admission had escaped without his consent. David decided to rescue him.
“Apparently,” he said. “Harper’s pretty good looking.” Colby’s face froze with a strange, twisted expression on it and they both stopped waiting for the other to say something.
“Okay,” Colby finally said, “that was surreal.”
“Whatever, man, I’m as open-minded as the next guy.” This was gonna be alright. He’d told Don he’d make it alright, and he was.
“That’s…good to know,” Colby said slowly. “I guess.” Colby took a deep breath and he tipped his head back, pointed at the ceiling, his eyes closed. It was probably time for that beer now.
“So, you wanna go get a drink or something?” he asked and then winced. He’d been trying to avoid that moment this whole conversation. “That came out wrong.”
“I’ll say.” Colby had probably been trying to avoid that moment for a long time. “You’re buying,” Colby told him.
“Yeah, we’ll see,” David shot back. A few beers was a cheap price to pay for making things right with Colby.
He stopped Colby before he could get into the driver’s seat. “Look, for what it’s worth, I get why you didn’t want anyone to know. But I’m glad you told me.”
“‘Told you’ is probably an exaggeration.”
“Yeah, well.” He could explain the whole thing about how he’d just put together the pieces that Colby had left lying around, that David hadn’t been spying on him. That he hadn't meant to pry. But Colby probably already knew that. “All we need now is Don,” he said instead and walked around to the other side of the car, pretty sure now that Colby wasn’t gonna drive off and leave him.
“What?”
“Look,” David said, getting into the passenger side. “Me, African-American, Megan, female, you, gay, we’re like the poster team for equality and diversity in the FBI. Apart from Don.” David was imagining some kind of Charlie’s Angels/A Team amalgamation.
Colby laughed as he tried to get his key in the ignition, probably picturing something similar. “He uses a mathematician to solve crimes,” he said as the car rumbled to life. “That’s pretty diverse.”
David gave him the cheekiest grin he could manage. “Your friend Harper would like it.”
Colby groaned and deflated a bit again, but in a way that was more rueful than unhappy. “I’m going to be hearing about that for a while, huh?”
“Oh yeah.” Maybe it wouldn’t be too long before David and Colby would want have that talk about the reality of Harper’s affections. Giving Colby shit over guys instead of girls wouldn’t take that much adjustment.
Author: 10pmpacifictime
Summary: Between being trained up from a probie, dealing with Afghanistan PTSD, and being a triple agent, Colby's run David through the wringer. David had been hoping they were coming to the end of the big drama.
Fandom: NUMB3RS
Pairing: Characters: David, Colby (very mild Colby/OC)
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: "The Janus List," "Trust Metric," and "Breaking Point"
Disclaimer: If I owned them there would be mad crossovers with the other beloved characters I'd own.
Original story: Don't Have to Tell by bluflamingo
Notes: A few weeks ago bluflamingo posted her original fic and I loved it, but it was missing a little something for me. Since she was in the middle of writing her sgabigbang fic, I didn't think it was fair to ask her to rewrite Don't Have to Tell just to satisfy my curiosity. So I decided to take a shot at it myself and ask forgiveness rather than permission. Here it is, breaking a year and a half long writer's block and my first serious attempt at fanfic. I suggest reading bluflamingo's original story first, but I'm not sure whether or not it really makes a difference. All dialog, except for a few instances of emphasis, and some prose unchanged. Unbetad so please drop any corrections or criticisms in the comments section (what is the past tense of "beta" anyway?).
David was still working on his first seltzer water by the time Ben was on his third beer. He nudged his old friend with an elbow when the mixed martial arts standings showed up on ESPN’s screen and the name Ellis was up amongst all the other top nationally ranked fighters.
“In a few years, I am going to own that number one slot.” The bar’s jukebox shut off and the volume of conversation swelled to fill the lack.
David’s been surprised and thankful for how easy this friendship has been to repair after years of bad blood and silence. If the last year had taught him anything, it’s how important his friendships are to his mental wellbeing. He’s been doing everything he can to repair his broken friendships, both old and new. “I’d bet you that it's only gonna be a few months, but it’s bad sense to bet against the man who has insider information on the fight.”
Ben punched him lightly (for Ben) in the shoulder. “If I make number one within the year, I’d gladly fork over the money, ‘cause you can bet there’ll be plenty more where that came from.”
“And I’m sure you’ll be more than happy to.... Hang on a second.” David pulled his vibrating cell phone out of its clip and flipped it open, covering his free ear to better. “Sinclair.”
“David, it’s Don. Matt Parker, the guy Charlie figured would be the next victim, he just showed up at USC University Hospital, beaten to hell and back with a few well placed burns thrown in. LAPD’s providing protection, but I want you and Colby there to take his statement the minute he’s available.”
“Sure thing, Don. See you as soon as we get that statement.” He put the cell phone away and pushed his glass towards the far end of the bar.
Ben shook his head over his beer. “Man, I knew better than to bring you out while you were working a case. You won’t get drunk with me and the minute your cell rings, the night’s over.”
“Sorry,” David said.
“Don’t worry about it. You gotta do what you gotta do. Get the bastard, whoever he is.”
“Thanks. We’ll do this again sometime. Grab a free weekend and really celebrate.”
David paid what was on his and Ben’s tab and then left for the car. Once he was on the road he chose a route that would take him past Colby’s tiny house and dialed Colby’s cell. Colby picked up on the fifth ring.
“It’s the middle of the night, man, this better be good.” Guy sounded cranky.
“You need your beauty sleep? Matt Parker just got admitted to hospital, injuries consistent with the other victims. Don wants us to get over there and talk to him.”
“Great. Meet you at the hospital?”
“Don’t be stupid. I’m coming past your door, I’ll pick you up.” The light up ahead turned red and David pulled into the right hand lane to make the turn down Colby’s street.
“I’m not at home,” Colby said. “I’ll meet you there.”
“You’re not-what happened to never meeting any women?” He could have just been out somewhere like David, but there was no sound except for Colby’s voice coming out of his cell.
“It’s not what you think.” So that’s a definite no. If Colby’d been out somewhere, he’d have said so.
“Right.” David pulled into Colby’s empty driveway. The lights in the tiny house were out and David knew that the car could be in the garage, but it wasn't likely. Granger didn’t park his car inside when they had a hot case. The house and the street were quiet. Even the house apparently hosting a fairly large party was quiet.
“You wanna discuss this some more, or you want to let me get-let me find my keys and come meet you?”
Ha! “If the end of that was gonna be ‘get dressed’, I think I want to discuss it some more.”
“Well, I want to do my job so we don’t get chewed out by Don again. Be there in twenty minutes.” The connection cut abruptly and David backed out of Colby’s driveway to turn around and head back the way he came.
***
David had already been in, gotten the doctor’s report and coordinated the protection detail by the time that Colby decided to grace the hospital with his presence. In fact he’d been waiting outside the hospital for his partner for about fifteen minutes. Outside the hospital wasn’t much quieter than inside, but there were fewer walls for the sound to bounce off of and it felt less congested and didn't smell like bleach.
“You’re late.” Colby was damn lucky that there no superior agents were present, or he’d have been getting some nasty looks for his ratty appearance. David mentally shook his head. You’d think a spy would be more aware of the importance of appearances.
“Car accident,” Colby said. “Got held up till the patrol cop deigned to check my badge and let me through.”
David didn’t buy it. “Right.” He took in Colby’s tattered jeans and day old t-shirt and...missing socks. Dressed like that, he hadn’t been out cruising bars. And whoever she was, she’d been around long enough and was interested enough to not care how dressed up Colby was. When had Colby found the time? “Doc said we could see him in a bit, when they’re done stitching him.”
Colby bobbed his head in what David took to be acknowledgment. “Great.”
David turned and opened the hospital doors, motioning for Colby to go in before him.
“So. Who was she?”
He couldn’t see Colby’s face from where David was still slightly behind him, but he’d bet good money Colby rolled his eyes. “I was at a friend’s, I fell asleep. First time we’ve been out of here before midnight in a week, I was tired.”
“Uh-huh. I know I fall asleep naked with my friends all the time.”
“Whatever, man. That the doctor?”
“What?” David looked up to see the lovely Doctor Brightman bearing down on them, her green surgical scrubs stained the same color as her red hair. “Yeah. Saved by the case.”
“’Bout time.”
***
Between the case finally going somewhere and Colby taking care not to saying anything about wanting to find a woman, it only took David a few days to drop it.
***
David slid his hands into his pockets and leaned back against the cubicle divider to watch the show. Megan was fussing with Colby’s tie while Colby let her with all the grace of a three year old. David half expected Megan to take out a handkerchief to wipe away imagined smudges on Colby’s face. She was gonna make somebody (somebodies) a good mommy someday, if she didn’t snap under whatever had been going on with her lately.
“I still don’t see why we have to go to this,” Colby said.
“Because we’ve got the highest solve rate in the department for the year?” David suggested.
“Then why isn’t Charlie suffering through it with us?” Colby asked. Apparently having had enough, he gently circled Megan’s wrists with his hands. “It’s fine, thank you.”
She took the hint and stepped back with one last twitch to his tie. “Your loss. You’ll never get a girlfriend with a crooked tie.” David smirked at that because if last month was any indication, Colby hadn’t been striking out with the ladies completely.
“Oh, so that’s what attracted you to Fleinhardt, his neat tie.” David really didn’t want to hear Colby-doesn’t-get-Megan-and-Fleinhardt Round 373 so he asked the question he knew was going to shut Colby up.
“What happened to that girl from a few weeks ago?”
“Which girl is this?” Megan asked.
“I already told you, I was with a friend.” Colby started checking his tie in the reflection of the interrogation rooms window.
“And yet you remember the incident so well.” Megan said.
“Because he,” Colby pointed to David, “wouldn’t shut up about it for three days.”
“And where was I?” Megan asked. He and Colby shared a look of sudden solidarity, because Megan’s hit and miss attendance in the FBI building was a fragile subject.
“Vacation?” Colby suggested.
“In-service training?” David offered.
Megan must have realized that she’d touched a tricky subject because she shrugged and just said, “Uh-huh,” and tweaked Colby’s tie one last time as he walked past her.
In the nearly empty office every sound was noticeable. Something was beeping in from the other side of the room and the hum of a few active computers still processing information lay underneath everything. The air conditioning thrummed from nearby vents.
The door to the conference room opened and Don leaned out, his hair mussed and half his shirt un-tucked from his pants. “You guys ready? The Director’s not going to be happy if we’re late.”
“We were waiting for you.” Megan swept past Don, reached out one bare arm, gave an end of Don’s already unraveling bowtie a sharp tug, and without stopping swept into the elevator, the back of her blue gown fluttering with each step.
David held back his laughter and followed her.
***
David had tried to hold polite conversation with the other guests at their table, but they were pretty boring and equally uninterested in anything David had to say. He’d thought about eavesdropping on other tables, but they were tucked pretty far away from everyone else and no one was speaking loud enough.
Colby broke the silence before it could become awkward. “Guess we’re the table of dateless singletons.”
Megan gave an elegant snort into her water glass. “Speak for yourself.”
“Larry couldn’t make it?” David teased, schooling his face into the picture of innocence.
Megan glared darkly at Don. It unnerved David a little, to see her so remarkably unsubtle. “Larry wasn’t allowed to be invited.”
David didn’t know what her problem was. From what he’d been able to tell, Megan and Fleinhardt hadn’t had much time for each other between his space adventures, her secret DOJ work, and the various personal crises those events had created. Then again if things were on the mend between them, he didn’t doubt that she’d resent restrictions on whatever time she and Fleinhardt could get together.
Colby seemed oblivious to Megan’s bad mood. “Isn’t he seeing Robin?”
“He is now.” Megan punctuated it with a sip of water. Don had been pretty sullen when he’d handed out the tickets. And that sullenness had apparently been infectious.
He recalled the way that Don had avoided looking at David that week, right after Liz had left. Well no one liked I-told-you-sos “Right. Never mind.”
***
David was beyond bored and Colby wasn’t being particularly talkative. Their table had broken up, scattering to find various friends and colleagues. The two administrators were off brown-nosing. Once Don had wandered off to find Walker (and David was kinda hoping that they didn’t wander back over here), Megan had unwound enough to ask one of the other guys at their table to dance. They were chatting amiably, stopping every few minutes to exchange pleasantries with acquaintances. She was looking truly relaxed for the first time in a long time, and David felt a barely noticed worry go silent with the realization.
Colby, on the other hand, was a whole ‘nother tune. David was a little pissed at himself that he’d brought up Colby’s girl again after so long. Something must have happened between Colby and whoever she was if he was gonna be so sore about so long after. They were the only two left at the table and if the man didn’t lighten up and start keeping him entertained, David was gonna go looking for Don and Walker himself.
“You think anyone would notice if we snuck out?” David asked.
Colby didn’t look up from the third cocktail napkin he was shredding. “In a room full of people trained to be observant?” Colby asked. “Nah, I’m sure we’d be fine.”
“Spoil sport,” David said into his coffee. “You know, I think I’d actually rather be doing paperwork right now.” He took the last swallow and tried to place a name with the face of the person who was making a bee-line for their table.
“Oh, come on, it’s not that bad, is it?” The man moved around behind Colby until he was standing in front of the two of them. He smiled the kind of practiced smile that was all about placating the masses and recognition clicked.
“Harper.” David rose and offered his hand to the press agent. “This is your thing, huh?” The guy had always seemed nice enough for a PR stooge, but Don was the one who handled most of that stuff, and if not Don, then Megan. It was nice of the guy to stop over and make sure everyone was enjoying him or herself. And if David wanted to get anywhere in the agency then it couldn’t hurt (in fact was probably a good idea) to make a few friends in the press department.
Harper raised a shoulder in half-hearted acknowledgment. “Partly. Not quite as glamorous as chasing down missing TV reporters, but what can you do?” Colby didn’t acknowledge the compliment. He hadn’t stood up, hadn’t even looked up when Harper had made his presence known, only started gathering the napkin confetti he’d been working on into a pile in front of him. David was couldn’t believe him. There was an honest desire to be left alone, and then there was just being rude.
David responded before the silence could become awkward. “What can I say?”
Harper nodded to David’s response, but didn't take his eyes off Colby. “You having fun, Colby?” Harper asked.
‘Colby’? David thought. He hadn’t known Colby and Harper were friends. Well that explained why Harper had come over here in the first place. Might explain Colby’s bad mood to. If he and Harper were friends and had had some sort of falling out, and Lord don’t I know what that’s like, then apparently Colby wasn’t ready to kiss and make up as easily as Harper seemed to want to.
But Colby’s body language...wasn’t exactly irritated or angry. It was expectant, apprehensive, maybe even a little fearful.
“Best night of my week,” Colby finally said. He gave Harper the briefest of smiles and then snagged Megan’s abandoned extra cocktail napkin.
Harper gave a sharp, barking laugh. “You must be having a boring week, then. I have to go check on a few things, but let me buy you a drink later, okay?” The way Harper’s focus was all on Colby and Colby was trying damn hard to not let any of his be on Harper made something in David’s head go click. David felt his eyebrows go up and Harper must have realized that he’d given something away because the next words out of his mouth, oh so casual, were, “You too, Agent Sinclair, if you like.”
Well fuck, Granger. Colby raised his head slowly, staring into the middle distance with a tense look on his face. “Sure,” David said. He stood up slowly with his back to Granger. A lot of shit was falling into place and he felt the conflicting reactions merge and cancel each other out so there was nothing left in his gut but a twisting numbness.
Sometimes it was easy to see how Granger had made such a good spy. He wore so damn much on his damn face, it was hard to believe he could hide anything.
Harper’s gaze flickered fast between the two of them, and a slight wince cracked his perfect TV camera facade. He’d fucked up and he knew it. Harper knew it, David knew it, and Granger definitely knew it. “Okay, well, you guys have fun,” Harper said, and he took off for the other side of the ballroom.
When David sat back down he looked long and hard at Granger, who was making careful, sharp folds in Megan’s napkin, being sure to line up all the edges neatly. “So,” David said. “You and Harper.”
“Me and Harper what?”
Did he actually think that was gonna work on David? “He’s the one you were with, the friend.”
“You know, I’m sure you were there for Don’s lecture last week about not jumping to conclusions.” Granger raised his head to briefly meet David’s eyes, but he must not have liked what he saw there, because he went back to his napkin. The hired band launched into a new number.
David started counting down the points, curling a finger under as read each one off the mental list he’d put together. “He calls you by your first name. He came over to speak to you. He offered to buy you a drink.”
“He’s being friendly,” Granger said. He picked up his heavy water glass and began using it to iron the folds in his napkin as sharp as possible.
David scanned the room, making note of where Megan and Don were, formulating what he was gonna say next. What could he say? Granger clearly wasn’t in a talkative mood. Well too fucking bad. “I’m not stupid. I couldn’t figure out why you wouldn’t just tell me who you were with, even if it wasn’t a girl. You always have before.” Colby winced. “And now he’s over here flirting with you, come on, Colby, I don’t need Charlie to help me put two and two together.” Granger didn’t react. He just kept sliding his glass back and forth over his folded napkin like David wasn’t even there. “Why didn’t you just tell me?”
All of a sudden, Granger pushed his chair back, the legs stuttering over the carpet, and he stood up.
“You want to interrogate me somewhere there’s less chance of being overheard by the Director of the FBI?” He made for the doors, not even stopping to grab his coat.
David followed.
The sound of traffic was muted by the distance the reception hall was from the street, but he could still hear the hum of cars and somebody laughing in the distance.
The minute the doors swung closed behind him, David grabbed Granger’s arm and turned him so he had to face David. “What the hell is this? I’m meant to be your partner, why the hell didn’t you tell me?”
David could just barely hear the band and the murmur of voices inside through the closed glass doors.
“Maybe ‘cause it’s none of your damn business? Or because I was worried about how you’d react? And, hey, nice to see you taking the news so well there, David.”
“Please. Don’t even try that.”
“Try what?”
“Try to make me sound like some homophobe who can’t handle the fact that his partner’s gay. There’s no way you think I’m like that.” That’s not what’s going on here and you damn well know it, Granger.
“Oh, so that’s why we’re out here with you looking at me like I’m your best suspect in a murder case, because you’re totally fine with the thought of me being attracted to men.”
Now David was seeing red, because Granger was twisting this around. There was no damn way Colby actually thought that about David. His own partner’s taking cheap potshots to try and get out of answering a damn question. He’s sure as Hell acting like a suspect, or at least a hostile witness. Just what the damn Hell does Granger....
He’s not gonna let it be about this. He’s not gonna let Colby derail him. He doesn’t look away, doesn’t drop Colby’s arm, won’t concede the point, but he took a deep breath and let it out slowly.
“You can be really stupid some days,” David said, “you know that? I’m not pissed because you’re gay, I don’t care who you sleep with. I’m pissed because you’ve been my partner for two and a half years, and you never told me. I get the spy thing, that you couldn’t tell us, but this? What did you think was going to happen?”
“I don’t know.” Colby broke David’s gaze and looked at his feet. The anger and tension seemed to leave him and his shoulders relaxed into a defeated slump. “Just-let me go, please?”
David let go, but he didn’t back out of Colby’s space.
“Thank you,” Colby said. He didn’t even look up, just turned and headed back inside. David didn’t follow. Colby came out a couple minutes later with his coat on and his cell phone out, talking to a cab company, and he headed into the shadow of the building.
When Colby had disappeared completely into the darkness, David headed back inside and found Don with Megan and Walker. He almost did’t recognize Walker without his police uniform.
“Hey,” David said. “Granger wasn’t feeling too great. I put him in a cab and sent him home.”
“Oh yeah?” Don asked. “What was wrong with him?”
“Dunno,” David said. “Hopefully just a twenty-four hour thing and he’ll be at work on Monday.”
Don wasn’t buying it, but he let it slide. Megan and Walker weren’t buying it either, but Megan was a profiler and Walker was a suspicious, paranoid bastard, so David figured that the lie’d done well enough since they didn’t call him on it.
“Alright. David, keep Detective Walker here company while Megan and I go grab some more drinks.”
So maybe Don wasn’t gonna let him off as easily as he’d hoped. Well fine. He could put up with Walker if it meant a few free drinks. And Walker might just be the right kind of company for the mood he was in.
***
“Oh, turn your damn cell back on, for God’s sake, before you wind up in any more trouble with Don. I get it, you’re screening my calls, you don’t want to talk. Fine. Get over it before Monday.”
David flipped his cell phone closed and then back open again to dial his voicemail. He half hoped one of them would be Colby.
“First unheard message:
“Hey, David. It’s Ben. If you and that team of yours can pry a weekend free next month, I got some extra tickets to my next event in Vegas. I figure that partner of yours and the psychologist lady at the least might enjoy it. I’ll e-mail you the details. Gimme a call back.”
If this were a normal Sunday afternoon, he and Granger would be at their usual dive just outside of downtown. Granger would joke about girls and check out the pretty blonde waitress at the bar they hung out at.
So. Who was she?
For God’s sake Granger’d asked Megan to set him up. How did Granger expect David to figure it out, to not assume that the mystery date was a woman if he pulled shit like that?
“Second unheard message:
“David, it’s Claudia. I didn’t want to say anything last night, but you seemed kinda out of it at dinner. If there’s anything I can do to help, baby, let me know. I’m a little worried, baby. Hope I won’t see you until after work.”
Granger hadn’t expected David to figure it out. He’d expected David to forget about it and move on and Colby would have gone back to sneaking around.
It’s not what you think.
I was at a friend’s, I fell asleep.
So why hadn’t Granger just made up some bullshit girl, let David rag on him for a bit and they could all have moved on?
"Third unheard message:
"David, this is Olivia Rawlings from the recreation center. We got a rather large donation in and we’re having a community meeting on the twentieth to discuss what should be done with it. I’d like you to be there since so many of the parents have been appreciating your conflict resolution workshops. If it goes right, there may be room for your self-defense workshop.
"Also, if it wouldn’t be too much trouble and not illegal, could you run a background check on the donor. We don’t need another scandal. The last one’s still gonna cause a stink at this meeting and I’d like to be able to reassure the board with some hard facts."
If Granger hadn’t made such a big deal out of it, David would have forgotten it.
...let me buy you a drink later...
It wasn’t like David had followed Granger home. He hadn’t gone through his e-mail or his cell phone call log.
“Fourth unheard message:
Alright, David. Nobody bought your excuse for Colby, least of all Don. I’m sure it was all Colby’s fault, but you’re probably going to have to take the lead on working it out. If you need some advice, I’m only a phone call away.”
He’d overreacted a little last night. He was a big boy and he could admit that he’d lost it a bit. Thing like this had to be scary for Granger. Hell, for any guy. Going from a small town in Podunk, Nowhere, to the army, to a job in law enforcement. Not exactly easy environments for a guy who...well...for a guy like Granger.
The kid next door and his friends were getting together for a jam session, and he could hear the off-key wailing and misplayed chords through his neighbor’s garage and his own walls. David moved out of the living room and into the kitchen to escape the racket.
And even if Granger knew that David wouldn’t get a bunch of other guys together and beat him brainless in the parking garage, he might think that Don and David wouldn’t feel as comfortable with Granger watching their sixes if he might be...well...watching their sixes.
He probably didn’t want to stink up their friendship with David’s paranoia that Colby was just hanging around for a shot at something else. David had plenty of platonic female friends, this probably wasn’t any different.
A siren wailed from down the street and David flipped aside the curtain to check. An ambulance sped past, followed closely by a small fire truck. None of his business, yet.
You guys work funky hours, long stakeouts. You’re dodging bullets together. Sounds like adrenaline. I mean adrenaline’s great, but I don’t know if that’s a real relationship.
That probably applied to friendships too. He opened the fridge to grab some juice and then slammed it shut again a couple times.
Damn it. Granger had been the spy. Granger had been the one watching all of them, measuring them up as potential traitors. Granger’d been the one lying and using his friends to get what he, what counter-intelligence, wanted. Granger didn’t get to be the one who was mistrustful and second guessing the loyalty of his friends. He’d be damned if he was gonna let Granger make this about him.
***
Colby was already in the office and bent over a stacks of folders and reports when David stepped off the elevator. He didn’t look up as David walked past his cubicle. He nodded to Megan who gave him a knowing look and turned back to her own computer.
Well if Colby wasn’t gonna talk, they might as well get some work done. It wasn’t too long before Don stuck his head around the door frame.
“We’ve had a call about a break-in downtown, local cops think it might be connected to the ones from a couple months ago.”
Megan took off her glasses and looked at Don. “And you think?” David watched them both. Colby watched his computer.
“I dunno,” Don said. “It doesn’t really sound right, but I said I’d send someone down to take a look.” Don pointed to Colby, trying to grab his attention and then gestured to the elevator. “Colby, David, you want to take it?”
David waited for Colby to make some kind of reply, but Colby just shifted his gaze to the cubicle wall.
“Guys?”
Megan intervened before Don could snap. “I’ll go with Colby. David looks busy.”
Well, that was a blatant lie.
“Okay. Whatever.” And that was Don not buying it, and on his way to pissed off. “Call if it turns out to be connected to our case.”
Colby stood, gathered his files into a rough pile, grabbed his gun and his badge. “Sure,” he said. He took off for the elevator and Megan followed.
David headed for the break room without meeting Don’s eye. He knew what was coming next and he doubted Colby would appreciate it being carried out in front of the entire agency.
He was stirring creamer and sugar into a fresh cup of coffee when Don came in, blocking the doorway with his body.
Don’s voice was too low to attract the attention of anyone else, but it was loud in the dark break room which has usually a haven of silence. “I thought we were done with this; I thought you guys had worked it out.”
“So had I.”
Don waited a beat and then reached around him and snagged the coffee pot. “So?” he asked.
David shook his head. “New problems, same old shit. Granger’s shit this time.” He felt a slight twinge of guilt for having sold Granger out, but it was the truth. “It was a little bit my fault.”
“Yeah, I figured as much. It gonna work itself out?”
“If it doesn’t, I’ll make it work out.”
That seemed to satisfy Don. “Well alright then. You’ve got until our next case. Which means if Colby and Megan come back with something....”
“We’ll be trading nail polish and braiding each other’s hair by this time tomorrow.”
Don put the creamer back in the cabinet where he found it and grabbed a coffee stirrer. “Okay. You let me know if you need anything.”
“Will do, Don. Thanks.”
David took the coffee stirrer out of his own mug and flicked it towards the trash. He was kinda wishing he’d gone with Megan now. He could use someone with a little bit of psych know-how. Megan and Terry didn’t always have the right answers, but at least they had some good ideas.
Hell, Megan might already know. She could have profiled Colby a while ago and right now she’s feeling a whole lot of compassionate, understanding, friendly feelings for Colby and just a little bit smug and superior to the rest of them.
David considered cornering her when she and Granger got back from the scene, but he quickly rejected the idea. Megan had set Granger up with a definitely female Cirque de Soleil contortionist. And even if that had just been her playing along with Colby's straight act, David wasn’t gonna talk about Granger behind his back, especially not about something that so obviously had his panties in a twist.
***
Colby continued to avoid David once he came back. Megan and Colby had determined that there was no connection between the current break in and their previous cases, so based on Don’s rules he could probably put it off, but he didn’t really want to.
Don and Megan kept finding excuses to leave the two of them alone together, obviously trying to get him to talk. This needed to get fixed as soon as possible. It wasn’t just about him and Colby. But the office, in the middle of the work day wasn’t a good place for it.
So David was lurking around Colby’s car nearly an hour after he’d packed up to go home and left his desk.
The silence echoed in the parking garage. A few agents called out and waved to him on their way out, but David just waved back and didn’t engage them in conversation. David saw Colby before Colby saw him.
Colby was so quiet that David almost expected him to just get in the car and wait for David to leave. Instead Colby stopped a few feet away.
“Hey,” Colby said.
“I figured you’d rather not have this conversation in the office, and you’re not answering your phone.”
Colby still wouldn’t look at him. “Actually, I’d rather not have it at all.” David had figured that out as well.
“Yeah, well, tough. Unless you’re planning on transferring out of here to avoid me.” That may have gone a little too far, but it got Colby to look at him, so he kept going. “Yeah, didn’t think so.”
David hopped up on the hood of the car and let the open space next to him speak for itself. Colby chose not to take the hint.
“So. What else don’t I know about you?”
“Hey.”
“Fine, sorry,” David apologized. “But, come on, man, we’ve been working together for nearly three years.”
“It’s not important.”
“Try again. All that stuff about wanting to find a girlfriend, that was all - what was that?”
“Habit. Mostly.”
“Because of the army. Right.” David nodded. “You know, that’s probably why you never manage to pick up any women.”
Colby laughed despite himself. “Thought it was lack of social skills.”
“Yeah, that too.”
Colby rubbed the back of his neck and seemed to come to a conclusion. “I got used to being in the closet, in the army. I don’t think I ever learned how to tell people, you know?”
“Because, ‘Hey, David, by the way, I’m more attracted to men than women,’ would have been too simple.”
Colby laughed again, much softer.
“You try slipping that into casual conversation.”
“Okay, point.” David had to concede. He wished Colby had been cool enough about this so they could have had this conversation in a bar. Or that David had had the time and forethought to pick up some beer. He wanted a beer. And if he’d been able to give Colby a beer when they first started talking, maybe he would have sat down with David instead of standing there, waiting for the other shoe to drop.
“Yeah.”
“Still, though. You didn’t trust me?”
That got a reaction. Colby leaned against one of the pylons and stopped himself from kicking it with one of his very shiny shoes mid-swing.
“Man, you know more about me than anyone else in the world. I trust you more than anyone else. You’re the only person who knows about my dad, you’re the only person who knows about the friendly fire in Afghanistan.”
“You don’t talk about that stuff with Harper?”
“With-Oh, no, it’s not like that.”
Damn. Just when David thought he’d been making some progress. “Right.”
“No, seriously, it’s not like that. We just, you know....” Oh, man. It may be like that for Colby, but Harper had definitely been throwing off Very-Interested vibes. He didn’t want to be having that conversation with Colby yet.
Colby must have seen something on his face. “Hey, you asked.”
“And now I’m sort of wishing I hadn’t. You never told anyone?”
“That I’m....” So apparently this wasn’t any easier for Colby than it was for David. “Some people know. Knew.”
The list in David’s head, the one from Friday night that had brought them both to this garage and this conversation, synced up with the one that was everything else, the list of Who-Is-Colby-Granger-and-What-I-Know-About-Him. Yeah.
“Dwayne Carter,” David said quietly. They could really use some of that beer right about now.
“He saved my life. And we were-I guess we were close already, I wasn’t ever going to say no. And then when we got back here…. Neither of us wanted anyone to realize there was a connection between us other than the army, you know? It’s not like we were-it was just convenient.”
“Sure.” And Carter had come home from Afghanistan, gone back to his wife and his kid. And then sold out his country to the Chinese and tried to bring Colby down with him. “But it can’t have been easy, doing what you did.”
“He was selling state secrets to the Chinese.” Frustration threaded through Colby’s voice. He was probably sick of having to explain and justify this to everyone, including himself. “He used to be on the front-line, protecting the country. I guess I was hoping I’d turn out to be wrong.”
“I get that.” David nudged Colby’s shoulder and gave him the best look of understanding he knew how.
“Yeah?” Colby gave him a questioning look.
“Yeah.” David gave him the best you’re-a-dumbass look he had in return.
“Oh. Thanks.”
David wondered about the other people who knew, all the other friends Colby had told him about, whether or not any of them had been more: the super genius friend (now dead) who’d already been a grad student twice over by the time Colby started college, the frat-buddy-basketball-star who’d gone into law enforcement after blowing out his knee, the air force pilot from Afghanistan who’d disappeared into special ops a few years ago and hadn’t really talked with (been able to talk with) Colby since, the FBI agent who’d first gotten Colby interested in the FBI, the JAG lawyer who told Colby stories of running away to Vietnam at sixteen (now married in San Diego) that Colby’d worked with while he was still CID.
And then David realized this was probably exactly the kind of thing Colby hadn’t wanted him thinking.
“Yeah, well,” David joked, “I saw you with women, you’re not exactly 007.”
“I’m better with men.” Colby froze like that admission had escaped without his consent. David decided to rescue him.
“Apparently,” he said. “Harper’s pretty good looking.” Colby’s face froze with a strange, twisted expression on it and they both stopped waiting for the other to say something.
“Okay,” Colby finally said, “that was surreal.”
“Whatever, man, I’m as open-minded as the next guy.” This was gonna be alright. He’d told Don he’d make it alright, and he was.
“That’s…good to know,” Colby said slowly. “I guess.” Colby took a deep breath and he tipped his head back, pointed at the ceiling, his eyes closed. It was probably time for that beer now.
“So, you wanna go get a drink or something?” he asked and then winced. He’d been trying to avoid that moment this whole conversation. “That came out wrong.”
“I’ll say.” Colby had probably been trying to avoid that moment for a long time. “You’re buying,” Colby told him.
“Yeah, we’ll see,” David shot back. A few beers was a cheap price to pay for making things right with Colby.
He stopped Colby before he could get into the driver’s seat. “Look, for what it’s worth, I get why you didn’t want anyone to know. But I’m glad you told me.”
“‘Told you’ is probably an exaggeration.”
“Yeah, well.” He could explain the whole thing about how he’d just put together the pieces that Colby had left lying around, that David hadn’t been spying on him. That he hadn't meant to pry. But Colby probably already knew that. “All we need now is Don,” he said instead and walked around to the other side of the car, pretty sure now that Colby wasn’t gonna drive off and leave him.
“What?”
“Look,” David said, getting into the passenger side. “Me, African-American, Megan, female, you, gay, we’re like the poster team for equality and diversity in the FBI. Apart from Don.” David was imagining some kind of Charlie’s Angels/A Team amalgamation.
Colby laughed as he tried to get his key in the ignition, probably picturing something similar. “He uses a mathematician to solve crimes,” he said as the car rumbled to life. “That’s pretty diverse.”
David gave him the cheekiest grin he could manage. “Your friend Harper would like it.”
Colby groaned and deflated a bit again, but in a way that was more rueful than unhappy. “I’m going to be hearing about that for a while, huh?”
“Oh yeah.” Maybe it wouldn’t be too long before David and Colby would want have that talk about the reality of Harper’s affections. Giving Colby shit over guys instead of girls wouldn’t take that much adjustment.