Numb3rsWriteoff - Team Angst - Leave - The Stepford Man (Part 2 of 3)
Title: The Stepford Man (Part 2 of 3)
Author: CPWatcher
Pairing/Characters: Don Eppes/Robin Brooks, implied Don Eppes/Charlie Eppes
Rating/Category: R for language, mention of Incest, angst
Spoilers: Spree, Two Daughters and High Exposure
Summary: Don’s not the same man Ian knew years ago, back in L.A.
Notes/Warnings: Not beta’d because I barely finished it before the deadline was up for posting on the correct day.
continued from Part 1
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When Ian pulled up outside the address Don had given him, he saw Don standing in the middle of the walkway to his house with a young man and woman. Ian watched as Don talked to both of them. The woman scrabbled in her purse and then turned towards the house. Ian watched as Don’s eyes tracked her movements, and then Don turned his full attention back to the young man. Don’s hand reached out and rested on the man’s elbow as he leaned in and whispered into his ear for a long moment, the young man smiling and nodding in return. When the woman walked back out the house, Don released the man’s elbow and took a step back.
Ian had made it up the walkway by the time the young woman had returned to Don. “Am I interrupting?” he asked.
“Ian. No, you’re right on time,” Don said. He made introductions. “This is Marissa Neely. She babysits Aaron and Maggie. This is Agent Edgerton. He works with me at the Bureau.”
Ian shook hands with the young woman. She was pretty - blonde and perky, with a tight little athletic body - and couldn’t have been more than twenty years old.
“And this is Mark Thompson, Marissa’s boyfriend.” Edgerton shook Mark’s hand as well, noticing the firm grip. Ian guessed that Mark was in his mid twenties, maybe twenty-four. He had long dark curly hair, and kind of reminded Ian of Charlie. He greeted both of them with a casual smile.
“Well, we better get going,” Mark said as he placed a hand at the small of Marissa’s back. “I’ll see you tomorrow evening for your appointment, Mr. Eppes.”
Don gave a small smile. “Wouldn’t miss it.”
Marissa turned to look at Mark. “I thought you weren’t going into the office tomorrow?”
“Well, I wasn’t, but Mr. Eppes just told me he strained a muscle today. I told him he could come by tomorrow and I’d, ah, work it out for him. I figured since you’d be looking after Aaron and Margaret it was no big deal.
“No, it’s fine,” Marissa said, smiling. “I’ve seen him in his tactical vest, with all his heavy equipment on before. It’s a wonder he doesn’t come more often.”
Don smirked, his eyes crinkled in silent amusement. “Come more often? That might not be such a bad idea. Maybe I should schedule a weekly appointment. Think you can fit me in more often, Mark?”
Ian watched as the tips of Mark’s ears turned pink. “Sure, Agent Eppes, I’m sure I can fit you in. It might be a little tight, but I’ll squeeze you in at the end of the day. Any day in particular works best for you?”
“How about we play it by ear. I’ll give you a call when I’ve got some time, and you can take care of me. That work for you?”
Mark nodded, a subtle smile crossing his face. “Yeah, works for me, too. I’ll see you tomorrow night.”
“Goodnight Agent Eppes, Agent Edgerton,” said Marissa. She waved to the two men as she walked along the path with her boyfriend. Ian silently watched as Don’s eyes followed their retreating backs, contemplating the conversation he’d just heard.
Don led Ian around to the back of the house where the kids were still playing on their swing set. He led Ian over to the children.
“Aaron, Maggie, say hello to Agent Edgerton.”
Aaron rose from his swing and walked over to shake Ian’s hand. “Hi, Agent Edgerton. You work at the Bureau with my dad?”
Ian returned the firm handshake. “Yes, sir. Your Dad and I have worked on quite a few cases together.”
Maggie launched herself from her seat in the glider swing and raised her arms to Ian. He lifted her up and she put her arms around his neck and squeezed, the hug catching the sniper by surprise. “Thank you Maggie. I don’t get many hugs in my line of work.” He smiled over at Don.
“What do you do?” Aaron asked.
“I’m a marksman.” Ian replied, again looking to Don for assistance.
“He’s the number one sniper for the Bureau, Aaron. Ian has come to work with me to train other Agents.”
“I bet he doesn’t shoot better than you, Dad, does he?” Aaron asked with classic child infatuation of his father’s awesomeness.
“Well…” Don started, but he was cut off by Ian.
“Your Dad is the best all-around Agent that I know, buddy. No one even comes close to being as good as he is.”
Don gave Ian the second genuine smile since they’d met that morning. “Thanks,” Don mouthed quietly to the other man, as Aaron ran off pumping his fist up and down in the air, screaming “My Daddy’s the best agent in the whole wide world!”
“Yeah,” Don said, holding out his hand and getting a high-five from his son.
“Daddy, Daddy,” Maggie sing-songed, as she reached out for her father. Don took the little girl from Ian, kissing her on the top of her head, and then lifting her high to make her squeal with delight. “Spin, Daddy, spin.” Don twirled in a circle a couple of times, laughing and giving Maggie raspberries on her cheek.
“I want to spin, I want to spin.” Aaron bounced around excitedly.
“How about an airplane?” Ian asked, as he hoisted the five-year old under his arm and ran around the small play area with him.
“Look Mommy, I’m an airplane!” Aaron shouted as Ian lifted him up and down.
“So this is where all the laughter is coming from,” Robin said, smiling as she walked into the backyard.
Don, his back to the house, turned towards his wife's voice. Ian watched as a tiny muscle twitched near the corner of Don’s right eye. Even though his smile didn’t falter, Ian saw that it immediately lost its sincerity.
“Honey, you remember Agent Edgerton, right?” Don asked, not at all surprised at Robin’s happy demeanor. They’d perfected the act of being a happy, loving couple when people who mattered were around to see it, many years ago. People from the Bureau counted as important, just the same as with anyone from Robin’s office.
“Of course I do. It’s been quite a while, Agent Edgerton.” Robin extended her arm, and Ian put Aaron down to shake the proffered hand.
“Ian, please,” said Edgerton. “It’s good to see you again. Thanks for having me over tonight.”
“It’s our pleasure,” Robin said as she walked over to Don. She kissed him briefly on the lips, and then used her thumb to rub off the imaginary traces of lipstick, before she took Maggie from him. “Let me take her and put the kids to bed while you finish up dinner.”
The kiss, along with all the other public displays of affection like it over the years, was merely another way Robin used to try to cement the illusion of the happy family. Don had been confused by it earlier on. Confused at how they could have a screaming match in the car one minute and then the next minute walk into some job related function, hers or his, only to find Robin being the most attentive and adoring spouse in the whole room. She’d explained it to him once when he called her on it in the middle of an argument. “I don’t care what kind of reputation as a womanizer you had before we were married, Don, but so long as I’m carrying your last name I’ll be damned if you ruin my reputation. I don’t give a fuck what you do behind closed doors, but anywhere that someone can see, you had better damn well play along like we are Mr. and Mrs. Happiest Married Couple in the fucking World. You’re the one who wanted to suddenly up and leave L.A. You wanted the quick marriage, and the house and the kids. And I gave that to you, all of it. Now it’s my turn to get what I want. And that’s a full partnership in one of the most prestigious law firms in the country. And they want me. But only because I hit all the right bells and whistles: happily married mom with a full time job, raising incredible kids while also dominating the courtroom. So that means no divorce, no women on the side, no bad public image. And do you know why you’re going to play by these rules, Don?”
He knew. And she knew he knew. So he played along, following her ‘rules’ down to the letter.
Ian watched the interaction between Don and Robin, sensing the insincerity of it. Again, when Don smiled it never reached his eyes, although his voice sounded happy enough.
“Shall I bring you guys something to drink?” Robin asked as she ushered the children towards the house.
”I’ve already stocked the fridge out in the garage, and filled the bucket,” Don replied. “I’ll let you know when the steaks are done.”
Robin nodded. “Thanks,” she said as she closed the patio door.
“Nice little setup you got out here, Eppes,” said Ian, as he walked into the garage. It was a two-and a half car garage, but Don had left both cars in the driveway. On the deck area outside and to the right of the overhead door, there were a couple of cushioned chaise lounges, and a matching four seat dinette set. To the far left was the electric grill. A bucket filled with ice and beer sat next to the squat table between the loungers.
“Sit back, relax and take a load off. It’ll be a few minutes before the steaks are done. Then I’ll just need to sear the vegetables,” Don said, taking a swig from the beer that had been sitting by the grill.
Ian sat and watched Don as he quickly and efficiently cooked the food. Their conversation centered on the curriculum they wanted to cover in the upcoming ten week session.
Robin came back out to join them for dinner after Don retrieved plates and silverware from the house. Ian watched as Don put on a pretty respectable act of the dutiful, doting husband, to Robin’s lukewarm loving wife routine. He suspected Robin was a much better actress in front of her own peers and the higher-ups in the Bureau. Ian knew he wasn’t even a blip on the radar for a woman like Robin. And he’d known many a woman like Robin - smart, sophisticated, trail-blazers in their field - women like Robin who wanted to get to the top and stay there. But they wanted it on their own terms. Yeah, a beautiful woman could have slept her way up the ladder, but Robin wanted to be wanted for what was in her head, not for what was between her legs. So she played hardball in a man’s world. Yet she also always kept her feminine side, so as not to appear too over-powering, too threatening to the males around her. She was smart and she latched onto an outwardly appearing Alpha male to give the impression of being controllable. But Ian suspected, for some yet unknown reason, that Don’s was not the ruling voice in this household, at least not all the time.
continue to Part 3