Making Peace
Written for the fanfic100 prompt: Fixed
Title: Making Peace
Character(s)/Pairings: Colby, Emily
Rating: G
Summary: Would she forgive him?
Author’s Notes: As you can imagine, Emily was none too happy that Colby had hurt her best friend so deeply. Naturally she didn't trust him.
Spoilers: None
Disclaimer: I don't own anything affiliated with Numb3rs...sad.
Colby got out of the car and took a deep breath as he closed the door and looked up at the quaint house before him. He shoved his hands into his pockets as he made his way onto the porch and knocked. As he waited for an answer, he looked around at the various plants that hung around the porch and smiled when he looked at the well-worn porch swing that seemed so out of place here in L.A.
His attention turned back to the door when he heard it open and he offered a friendly smile. His heart sank when Emily Eppes stood before him, unsmiling, which was completely out of character for her. She crossed her arms and leaned against the doorway, not offering to open the screen door and invite him in.
He cleared his throat and stated, "Good morning, Emily."
"Colby," she said curtly.
He shifted from one foot to the other and rubbed his hand over the back of his neck as he sighed, "I...I was hoping that we could talk. Do you think that I could come in?"
She looked at him for a moment before replying, "You know...I'm not so sure that's a good idea. Did Callie send you over here?"
He took a deep breath as he shook his head, "No, she didn't. I came here on my own. I want to talk to you about what happened, to try and at least give you an explanation."
She looked away from him, and he added, "Emily...please. You're an important part of Callie's life...you're important to her and that makes this important to me. I want to fix this...if you'll just let me try."
He nearly held his breath as he waited to see if she would turn him away. She studied him for a moment before unlocking the screen door and standing to one side, a silent invitation for him to come inside. He nodded a thank you to her and she asked, "Can I get you some coffee?"
He looked around the house as he stated, "No, thank you. I'll take some sweet tea or lemonade if you have something already made though."
She nodded and sighed, "Why don't you go have a seat on the back porch and I'll bring your drink out?"
He nodded, "Okay..."
As he turned and walked away, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Even though he and Emily hadn't really spent much time together, he'd never seen her this cold...this distant towards anyone before. This was going to be harder than he thought. But, it would be worth it. Since he'd come back, things had been worked out between him and Callie, but anytime they invited Emily to join them for anything, she'd refused, coming up with one excuse or the other and she hadn't stopped by the FBI office even once.
He cast her a smile when she stepped outside and took the drink she offered him as she sank down onto the porch swing. "So, what do you want to talk about?"
Colby took a deep breath and let out a loud sigh before he began his story. He told her everything that he could tell her about what had happened, about how he really felt about Callie, and what he wanted his life to be like from now on. He wanted a normal life with Callie...a simple life filled with love, laughter, and children....friends, family, and someone to grow old with.
When he'd finished, he looked at her as she sat across from him in silence. It was so difficult to tell what she was thinking, what she was feeling. Finally, she spoke, "I'm...sorry for all that you went through. I can't imagine how difficult it was to have to keep things from Callie and to have her give your ring back to you. I have to say that I was dead set against you coming back. I was appalled at Don for letting you back on the team and made him sleep on the couch for days. But you came back and there wasn't a thing I could do to stop it. I watched Callie go through a different kind of hurt and then suddenly you were back in her life. Even though she told me that things were all right...I still didn't trust you, not with her."
Colby shifted uncomfortably, feeling like he was sitting in the principal's office being scolded. He looked into her eyes as he cleared his throat and asked, "And now?"
She replied, "And now you're going to tell me that you're going to love Callie and take care of her for the rest of her life. And I'm going to tell you that there won't be a second time for forgiveness as far as I am concerned. Even if things weren't as they seemed...you hurt her and I won't stand for that again."
Colby nodded, "Fair enough. In fact, I never expected anything less from you. I promise you Emily that I am going to spend the rest of my life doing everything in my power to make sure that Callie is taken care of and that she's happy. She's the most important thing in the world to me and I can't bear the thought of losing her again...it nearly killed me the first time."
Emily stood to her feet and motioned for him to do the same and he was surprised that in the next instant, she was squeezing him tightly. "Callie really loves you...more than she's ever loved anyone and I'm glad that she has you. Even a blind person could see how happy you make her...I...I just wasn't ready to forgive you yet...but I'm glad you came today. Thank you..."
Colby smiled a genuine smile for the first time since he'd started talking to Emily, "Thank you. It was really important to me that you know and understand, so thank you for letting me in at all...and for listening."
Emily nodded and then sighed, "Well, I am not trying to be rude, but you'd better get going. You know how Callie hates waiting and I am sure she's dying to know what happened."
Colby chuckled, "Isn't that the truth? You're right...I need to get going, but...don't be a stranger anymore, ok? Callie misses you..."
Emily smiled softly, "I miss her too. We'll all get together sometime soon, ok?"
He nodded in agreement and she walked him to the door. He turned once more and waved as he stepped off of the porch. He felt years younger at having this resolved. He meant every word he'd spoken to Emily and suddenly he couldn't wait to get home and wrap Callie up in his strong arms and hold her for the rest of the day...
Title: Making Peace
Character(s)/Pairings: Colby, Emily
Rating: G
Summary: Would she forgive him?
Author’s Notes: As you can imagine, Emily was none too happy that Colby had hurt her best friend so deeply. Naturally she didn't trust him.
Spoilers: None
Disclaimer: I don't own anything affiliated with Numb3rs...sad.
Colby got out of the car and took a deep breath as he closed the door and looked up at the quaint house before him. He shoved his hands into his pockets as he made his way onto the porch and knocked. As he waited for an answer, he looked around at the various plants that hung around the porch and smiled when he looked at the well-worn porch swing that seemed so out of place here in L.A.
His attention turned back to the door when he heard it open and he offered a friendly smile. His heart sank when Emily Eppes stood before him, unsmiling, which was completely out of character for her. She crossed her arms and leaned against the doorway, not offering to open the screen door and invite him in.
He cleared his throat and stated, "Good morning, Emily."
"Colby," she said curtly.
He shifted from one foot to the other and rubbed his hand over the back of his neck as he sighed, "I...I was hoping that we could talk. Do you think that I could come in?"
She looked at him for a moment before replying, "You know...I'm not so sure that's a good idea. Did Callie send you over here?"
He took a deep breath as he shook his head, "No, she didn't. I came here on my own. I want to talk to you about what happened, to try and at least give you an explanation."
She looked away from him, and he added, "Emily...please. You're an important part of Callie's life...you're important to her and that makes this important to me. I want to fix this...if you'll just let me try."
He nearly held his breath as he waited to see if she would turn him away. She studied him for a moment before unlocking the screen door and standing to one side, a silent invitation for him to come inside. He nodded a thank you to her and she asked, "Can I get you some coffee?"
He looked around the house as he stated, "No, thank you. I'll take some sweet tea or lemonade if you have something already made though."
She nodded and sighed, "Why don't you go have a seat on the back porch and I'll bring your drink out?"
He nodded, "Okay..."
As he turned and walked away, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Even though he and Emily hadn't really spent much time together, he'd never seen her this cold...this distant towards anyone before. This was going to be harder than he thought. But, it would be worth it. Since he'd come back, things had been worked out between him and Callie, but anytime they invited Emily to join them for anything, she'd refused, coming up with one excuse or the other and she hadn't stopped by the FBI office even once.
He cast her a smile when she stepped outside and took the drink she offered him as she sank down onto the porch swing. "So, what do you want to talk about?"
Colby took a deep breath and let out a loud sigh before he began his story. He told her everything that he could tell her about what had happened, about how he really felt about Callie, and what he wanted his life to be like from now on. He wanted a normal life with Callie...a simple life filled with love, laughter, and children....friends, family, and someone to grow old with.
When he'd finished, he looked at her as she sat across from him in silence. It was so difficult to tell what she was thinking, what she was feeling. Finally, she spoke, "I'm...sorry for all that you went through. I can't imagine how difficult it was to have to keep things from Callie and to have her give your ring back to you. I have to say that I was dead set against you coming back. I was appalled at Don for letting you back on the team and made him sleep on the couch for days. But you came back and there wasn't a thing I could do to stop it. I watched Callie go through a different kind of hurt and then suddenly you were back in her life. Even though she told me that things were all right...I still didn't trust you, not with her."
Colby shifted uncomfortably, feeling like he was sitting in the principal's office being scolded. He looked into her eyes as he cleared his throat and asked, "And now?"
She replied, "And now you're going to tell me that you're going to love Callie and take care of her for the rest of her life. And I'm going to tell you that there won't be a second time for forgiveness as far as I am concerned. Even if things weren't as they seemed...you hurt her and I won't stand for that again."
Colby nodded, "Fair enough. In fact, I never expected anything less from you. I promise you Emily that I am going to spend the rest of my life doing everything in my power to make sure that Callie is taken care of and that she's happy. She's the most important thing in the world to me and I can't bear the thought of losing her again...it nearly killed me the first time."
Emily stood to her feet and motioned for him to do the same and he was surprised that in the next instant, she was squeezing him tightly. "Callie really loves you...more than she's ever loved anyone and I'm glad that she has you. Even a blind person could see how happy you make her...I...I just wasn't ready to forgive you yet...but I'm glad you came today. Thank you..."
Colby smiled a genuine smile for the first time since he'd started talking to Emily, "Thank you. It was really important to me that you know and understand, so thank you for letting me in at all...and for listening."
Emily nodded and then sighed, "Well, I am not trying to be rude, but you'd better get going. You know how Callie hates waiting and I am sure she's dying to know what happened."
Colby chuckled, "Isn't that the truth? You're right...I need to get going, but...don't be a stranger anymore, ok? Callie misses you..."
Emily smiled softly, "I miss her too. We'll all get together sometime soon, ok?"
He nodded in agreement and she walked him to the door. He turned once more and waved as he stepped off of the porch. He felt years younger at having this resolved. He meant every word he'd spoken to Emily and suddenly he couldn't wait to get home and wrap Callie up in his strong arms and hold her for the rest of the day...