Numb3rs/Primeval fic: "the Eocene Ham Sandwich" parts 1, 2/?
Title: The Eocene Ham Sandwich.
Rating: PG-15.
Warnings: Mind-melty timey-wimey things kept to a minimum.
Pairings: Charlie/Amita…Amita/Don.
Characters: Charlie, Amita, Don, the Eppes’ father; mention of Helen in chapter 3.
Spoilers: Pilot & from ‘The Chinese Box’ to ‘Power’.
Disclaimer: not mine! I own none of them.
Short Summary: First, Charlie Eppes gets the shock of his life. Then he isn't in Kansas anymore.
-----------------------------------------------
SoCal:
Charlie Eppes stood transfixed before the chalkboard, his mind reeling at the message Amita appeared to have left for him. There had to be another answer, so he re-did the math in his head, and again when he still got the same result as before. “I believe it,” he said to himself. “It’s definitely a surprise. Not a surprise which couldn’t be concluded from careful examination of initial events -“
“Is there anything that qualifies as that?” his dad asked, standing at the doorway.
“Well there’s always been -“ when curiosity struck him. Charlie turned to his dad. “Did you know about this?” Amita’s equation had only one answer: I’m pregnant.
“Some of us don’t need a chalkboard memo, Charlie. Though your mother would’ve disputed that.” Coming inside, he joined his son in looking at the board. “Amita didn’t tell me. I guessed, based on little cues, and she swore me to silence…until you figured this here out.”
“’Little cues,’ so I guess Don knows too.”
“Charlie, your brother’s been in Atlanta at a conference this past week and a half.”
Oh. “So…no?”
“That’s right.”
Charlie let out a nervous breath. “Well, I… Um… Dad?”
“Yeah?”
“How…?” To emphasize just how he felt, he said something he’d rarely if ever said before: “What does this mean?”
“That’s between the two of you.”
In a very small voice, “But I don’t know what to do. How do I proceede?”
“You think I knew, back before you and your brother were born?”
“I guess I just figured…”
“That dads’re all-knowing? It’s learn-on-the-job training, even with family lending a hand,” reinforcing that by setting a hand on Charlie’s shoulder.
``````````````````
When Amita peeked into the room, Charlie was alone and sitting on one of the desks as he continued to soak in the formulae. “Charlie?” she asked, stepping inside.
Contrary to usual, he stood up and gave her his full attention without prompting or giving the board a second glance; any other time, she might’ve felt his forehead. “Hi,” Charlie said, feeling a little lame that that was what he’d said: the first word out of my mouth after I learn Amita’s pregnant is ‘hi’??
“Hi.”
“I believe you. I mean, you wouldn’t say something if you weren’t convinced, Amita, and - well, you’ve never lied, and -“ stop babbling! “I want to help. What can I do? What do I do?”
All of that without anything couched in math, feeling both unsteady and proud of that. “I think -“ pausing when Charlie dropped to his knees. “Charlie?”
“This is how it’s done. I think - no, I’m pretty sure it is. Amita, will you marry me?” I should’ve done this before, I should have, I should have…
“Charlie?”
“Yes?” both answer and hope.
“Stand up.”
Oh. He dragged himself up. Opening his mouth to apologize -
“Yes,” Amita told him.
Charlie engulfed her in a bear hug, lifting her off the floor. Yes!!
It took a few moments, but his brain clicked in, and he gently set her back down. “Sorry.”
“It’s okay,” Amita assured him, setting his mind at ease, and took his hands in hers.
Charlie blinked.
“So what do we do now?” he asked.
“’We’? Charlie, I didn’t get tenure too, just you did.” The Dean asked me to tell you. She let go of his hands.
Noticing a ring on her left hand, Did Dad have a hand in this? as it was Mom’s ring. “So I got tenure and you’re pregnant? That’s fantast-“ stopping when Amita slapped him.
Anyone else would have slapped him; if Amita had slapped him, she would’ve stopped the flat of her palm just two centimeters from his face, and ball that hand into a fist that drops to her side.
The look on Amita’s face was slap enough for Charlie, who felt sick with the feeling he’d crossed a line somewhere, done something unforgivable.
She strode out of the room, not giving him another look or word, slamming the door behind her.
Her hair’s a hand’s-length longer, he couldn’t help but notice.
Confused, Charlie looked at the chalkboard behind him. The ‘I’m Pregnant’ equation was gone; in its stead was a fairly simple formula whose focus was a variable that was being increased in numerical value.
…and it was signed by Amita and Don.
```````````````````````````
Tbc.
(note: yes, I did that deliberately - Nick wants to get back to his own reality to rejoin Claudia…I had to give Charlie a reason too)
Rating: PG-15.
Warnings: Mind-melty timey-wimey things kept to a minimum.
Pairings: Charlie/Amita…Amita/Don.
Characters: Charlie, Amita, Don, the Eppes’ father; mention of Helen in chapter 3.
Spoilers: Pilot & from ‘The Chinese Box’ to ‘Power’.
Disclaimer: not mine! I own none of them.
Short Summary: First, Charlie Eppes gets the shock of his life. Then he isn't in Kansas anymore.
-----------------------------------------------
SoCal:
Charlie Eppes stood transfixed before the chalkboard, his mind reeling at the message Amita appeared to have left for him. There had to be another answer, so he re-did the math in his head, and again when he still got the same result as before. “I believe it,” he said to himself. “It’s definitely a surprise. Not a surprise which couldn’t be concluded from careful examination of initial events -“
“Is there anything that qualifies as that?” his dad asked, standing at the doorway.
“Well there’s always been -“ when curiosity struck him. Charlie turned to his dad. “Did you know about this?” Amita’s equation had only one answer: I’m pregnant.
“Some of us don’t need a chalkboard memo, Charlie. Though your mother would’ve disputed that.” Coming inside, he joined his son in looking at the board. “Amita didn’t tell me. I guessed, based on little cues, and she swore me to silence…until you figured this here out.”
“’Little cues,’ so I guess Don knows too.”
“Charlie, your brother’s been in Atlanta at a conference this past week and a half.”
Oh. “So…no?”
“That’s right.”
Charlie let out a nervous breath. “Well, I… Um… Dad?”
“Yeah?”
“How…?” To emphasize just how he felt, he said something he’d rarely if ever said before: “What does this mean?”
“That’s between the two of you.”
In a very small voice, “But I don’t know what to do. How do I proceede?”
“You think I knew, back before you and your brother were born?”
“I guess I just figured…”
“That dads’re all-knowing? It’s learn-on-the-job training, even with family lending a hand,” reinforcing that by setting a hand on Charlie’s shoulder.
``````````````````
When Amita peeked into the room, Charlie was alone and sitting on one of the desks as he continued to soak in the formulae. “Charlie?” she asked, stepping inside.
Contrary to usual, he stood up and gave her his full attention without prompting or giving the board a second glance; any other time, she might’ve felt his forehead. “Hi,” Charlie said, feeling a little lame that that was what he’d said: the first word out of my mouth after I learn Amita’s pregnant is ‘hi’??
“Hi.”
“I believe you. I mean, you wouldn’t say something if you weren’t convinced, Amita, and - well, you’ve never lied, and -“ stop babbling! “I want to help. What can I do? What do I do?”
All of that without anything couched in math, feeling both unsteady and proud of that. “I think -“ pausing when Charlie dropped to his knees. “Charlie?”
“This is how it’s done. I think - no, I’m pretty sure it is. Amita, will you marry me?” I should’ve done this before, I should have, I should have…
“Charlie?”
“Yes?” both answer and hope.
“Stand up.”
Oh. He dragged himself up. Opening his mouth to apologize -
“Yes,” Amita told him.
Charlie engulfed her in a bear hug, lifting her off the floor. Yes!!
It took a few moments, but his brain clicked in, and he gently set her back down. “Sorry.”
“It’s okay,” Amita assured him, setting his mind at ease, and took his hands in hers.
Charlie blinked.
“So what do we do now?” he asked.
“’We’? Charlie, I didn’t get tenure too, just you did.” The Dean asked me to tell you. She let go of his hands.
Noticing a ring on her left hand, Did Dad have a hand in this? as it was Mom’s ring. “So I got tenure and you’re pregnant? That’s fantast-“ stopping when Amita slapped him.
Anyone else would have slapped him; if Amita had slapped him, she would’ve stopped the flat of her palm just two centimeters from his face, and ball that hand into a fist that drops to her side.
The look on Amita’s face was slap enough for Charlie, who felt sick with the feeling he’d crossed a line somewhere, done something unforgivable.
She strode out of the room, not giving him another look or word, slamming the door behind her.
Her hair’s a hand’s-length longer, he couldn’t help but notice.
Confused, Charlie looked at the chalkboard behind him. The ‘I’m Pregnant’ equation was gone; in its stead was a fairly simple formula whose focus was a variable that was being increased in numerical value.
…and it was signed by Amita and Don.
```````````````````````````
Tbc.
(note: yes, I did that deliberately - Nick wants to get back to his own reality to rejoin Claudia…I had to give Charlie a reason too)