Ghostwoman Chapters 39-40
Pairing/Characters: Don/OFC-Elle, Billy , Colby, Robin
Rating: Pg-13~Don Angst + H/C
Summary: Don relfects on the last year, Elle welcomes their daughter and a new Rift opens.
Spoilers: None really but I do try to incorporate canon as much as possible
Notes/Warnings: Thanks to shaolingirl for betaing. Any other boo boos are mine!!!
Disclaimer: I do not own Numb3rs. I just like to play with them
Chapter 39
After convincing his Dad, Charlie and Amita to go home, Don called Megan to see how things were being wrapped up. She told him that forensics showed there had been three shots fired at his place. One broke a hallway lamp, another hit Elisabeth and the third was the one that killed Mary Parker. The scene also revealed there had been a struggle between the two women, culminating in the lethal turn of events.
Megan revealed that when Colby and David went to Mary Parker’s house they found photographs of all the other victims and a bottle of Rohypnol. They also found photos of a woman named Dee Uhler who was two days shy of being forty weeks pregnant. Colby and David figured that Dee was Mary’s intended forth victim.
Based on the two agents' descriptions of the equipment at Mary Parker’s house Megan surmised that Mary’s plan was to induce Dee into labor and take the baby. The whole attack on Elisabeth was precipitated when Mary saw the agents asking questions at the lab.
Don told Megan that his dad was going to stop by the house and picked up Elisabeth’s suitcase. He hung up the phone and went to find out what room Elisabeth had been assigned. The nurses told him that room 817 was hers and that he was welcome to go in even though she had not awakened as of yet. Don sat in a chair at the side of the bed and lost himself in his own thoughts.
His mind drifted over all that had happened to him in the past year. All he could think of was Elisabeth, but his mind was not able to settle on one thought about her. They all whirled through his brain. Don let the memories from the last year wash over him. He remembered:
The glint of steal in the unknown woman’s eyes when he ordered her to put her hands up so he could cuff her.
Her amusement when he told her that she was free to go.
The cool way she observed him and his team as they worked on the joint case.
The day she came to his apartment looking like a lost puppy. Her telling him she quit because of him, and than flashes of him kissing her in his bed with her eyes full of passion. He remembered how he murmured her name, over and over like salve for her wounds.
The crazy twist of fate which brought her back into his life.
Charlie giving him a small grin and saying, "I guess Dad was right. It is a woman."
He remembered when he realized that he wanted more from their relationship.
How she rarely called him by his first name. He knew that is was a defense mechanism on her part. Always keeping him one step away from her.
The first time he woke up and she hadn’t left him. Her sleeping form curled up next to him. How she looked innocent when she slept.
He remembered the words she spoke when she broke up with him and the pain he felt at those words "...we shouldn’t see each other anymore. I don’t think it’s working out."
His memory flashed forward to when she told him that she was pregnant and she would put the baby up for adoption.
The night they both decided that they would keep the baby and raise him or her together.
The inscription that professed her love for him in the book she gave him at Christmas.
The joy he felt when Elisabeth pressed his hand to her belly so he could feel the baby kick.
An hour or so had passed when he noticed Elisabeth stirring. Her eyes slowly opened in confusion and pain. “What’s going on?” Her hand immediately went to her abdomen. She yelped in pain when she moved quickly to sit up. She cried out as she tried to get out of the bed, "My baby? Where’s my baby?" He quickly went to her side to try to calm her. "Shh, Elisabeth, calm down. It’s alright."
"Don? Oh my god, Don, where’s the baby?"
"Elisabeth, please just listen. The baby's all right. She’s fine and in the nursery. They had to deliver her because of your injuries."
Don saw realization awaken in her eyes. She pulled up the side of her hospital gown to look at the area where she had been shot. Her fingers traced the dressings. She shook her head as if to shake off a nightmare.
She grabbed his hand and spoke, "Don. That woman? What happen to her?"
"She’s dead, Elisabeth."
He watched her eyes fill with rage. She spoke with frightening force, "Good." A split second later Elisabeth’s eyes filled with tears as a small sob escaped her lips.
He sat down on the edge on the bed and put his arms around her. He stroked her hair and murmured, "It’s okay Elisabeth. Everything is gonna be fine now."
She said between sobs, "I want to see my baby."
Tenderly he said, "Shhh it’s okay, calm down. I’ll go tell the nurse that you’re awake."
She grabbed his hand as he started to stand up. "No, please don’t go."
He squeezed her hand. "Elisabeth, I’m just going to go out in the hallway to the nurses' station. I’ll be back in a sec."
He got up from the bed and stepped outside. When he returned he sat on the edge of the bed with Elisabeth until a nurse arrived.
A petite blond woman stepped in. "Hi, I’m Helen, one of the staff nurses here. I’m going to take your vitals while Louise goes down to the nursery to bring your daughter."
After taking her vitals the nurse told Don and Elisabeth that the doctor would be in later to go over her prognosis with them. She left the room as the other nurse came in with the baby. “Hi, I’m Louise.” She picked the sleeping baby up and placed her in Elisabeth’s awaiting arms. She said, "Here’s Mommy’s girl. I’ll be back later to take her back to the nursery, so you can some rest." The nurse left the room to allow them some privacy.
Don watched Elisabeth. She just stared at the baby as if trying to believe that she was really in her arms and not an apparition.
Elisabeth pulled the pink hat off her head. She ran her fingers through the mass of wild dark hair that was atop the baby’s head and slowly pulled the blanket off of her. She examined her toes and her fingers. She said quietly, "Her fingers are so long."
Don smiled and nodded. Elisabeth bent down and kissed the baby on her forehead and nuzzled her close.
Elisabeth stopped staring at the baby and looked at Don. She whispered, "We created her. She’s absolutely perfect."
"She is." Don smiled at Elisabeth as he touched the baby’s cheek. He kissed the baby on her little forehead and gave Elisabeth a tender kiss on her lips.
“Hi, Margaret Caroline. I’m your mommy.” She held her up in Don’s direction. “And this is your daddy.”
Don smiled at the baby and in a sweet voice said, “Hi, sweetheart. Mommy and me love you so much.”
He looked over at Elisabeth, who was blinking back tears. She breathed, "She’s so....”
Don finished her sentence by saying, "Beautiful?"
"Mmm, yes. She is."
"Just like her mommy."
A small smile tugged at her lips as she gazed at the baby. "Maybe. Let’s hope she only inherited my looks and not my temper."
Don laughed. "I have to agree.” He put one of his arms around Elisabeth and the one to help hold the baby. “I hope she doesn’t have either of our tempers." He paused and kissed his daughter’s fingers. "She really is beautiful."
With a sly smile she said, "Uh huh. Well, you better get started."
Don looked puzzled. He said, "Get what started?"
A small smile formed on Elisabeth’s lips. "Building the tower. The tower you’re gonna have to lock her in when she turns sixteen to keep all the boys away."
"Tower?” He grunted. “Maybe more like a fortress with well-armed guards. Oh, yeah, and a moat with sharks in it. Better yet add on some feral attack dogs and lions."
Elisabeth smiled. "Ok, papa, calm down. You have some time." She squeezed his hand. "I love you, Don. I really love you."
"Definitely a moat and killer sharks, with laser beams on their heads, huh?" He stopped talking and grinned back at her. "I love you too,“ he added. “My little ghost."
Chapter 40
Elisabeth needed to talk to Don. There was no question about it. She had to convince him that she did love him and that anything that happened before him was in the past. She had to let him know she wasn’t what she used to be. She was different She thought he knew that. Everything she did over the last year was for him. Why didn’t he see that? Things were great since the birth of Maggie. Don had taken two weeks off to stay home to help care for Maggie; doting over her with such love and devotion that Elisabeth felt her own love for Don grow. He even finally asked her to marry him.
After those two blissful weeks their usual riffs started to open up. Their bickering intensified. Elisabeth felt that Don was not spending enough time with her and the baby. To make matters worse she knew that Don was working closely with Robin and Elisabeth's jealousy threatened to spill over, making Don retreat back to the office. He told her at one point that she was being silly and she shouldn’t be jealous over Robin and his working relationship.
How could he be so blind to that woman? Elisabeth knew in her heart that Robin wanted Don back. Elisabeth knew that if they didn’t work things out between them their relationship would be over. A little over eight weeks after Maggie was born, Elisabeth decided to swallow her pride and try mending things between them. She bought a new piece of lingerie, cooked his favorite dish and got Maggie to go to bed early. She was in the middle of lighting candles when Don called and said he would be home late that night and not to wait up for him. Elisabeth felt like a deflated balloon and instead of trying again she wrapped herself up in the care of their daughter.
From there things got worse. A month later, Don found out about Billy Cooper. Don accused her, "Another secret you kept from me." She tried to explain that it wasn’t a secret. She had just recently realized that he and Billy were old partners. She asked him, "Why is it such a big deal? It was four years ago."
Elisabeth had gone to the grocery story while Don stayed at home with Maggie. She came in the front door and heard another man's voice along with Don's.
Don called from the living room. "Elisabeth, come on in here and meet my old partner."
She smiled as she put the groceries on the counter and started into the room. She heard the other voice say, "Yeah, I’d like to meet the woman who’s domesticated my old partner."
She said, "Well, it’s always a pleasure to meet a friend of--"
As she walked in to the room she heard the voice yell, "You!"
Elisabeth watched Coop draw his weapon and point it at her. At the same time Elisabeth grabbed Don’s gun from the coffee table. They both circled each other as if stalking prey.
Don, alarmed, said, "Coop, what the hell do you think you’re doing? Elisabeth, put the gun down!"
Coop snarled, "So it’s Elisabeth now. How cute!"
Elisabeth’s eyes flared with anger.
Coop yelled back, "I told you if I ever saw you again I‘d kill you."
"Yeah, not if I shoot you first."
Don tried to insinuate himself between the jackal and the tiger. "What the hell are you two doing? Elisabeth, put the weapon down."
Elisabeth said, "Only if he puts his down first."
"Like hell. She’ll probably shoot me in the back!"
Don put his hand on Elisabeth’s shoulder and said, "You’re not going to shoot him. Tell him you’re not.” Her eyes flicked towards Don. “Give me the gun, Elisabeth." After a moment or two she handed the weapon to Don.
"Coop. Now it’s your turn."
He muttered, "Fine," and holstered his weapon.
Don looked between the two of them and said, "Which one of you is gonna tell me what the hell is going on?"
Coop growled, "Go on Elisabeth, if that’s your real name. Why don’t you tell Don?"
Even though she didn’t have a weapon in her hands, Elisabeth look like she still might attack Coop. "He’s mad because my old team and I intercepted one of his fugitives."
Coop replied, "Oh, is that how you remember it?" He turned his attention to Don and said, "Don, listen to me, man. You don’t know anything about this woman. You don’t know what she's capable of."
A small grin appeared on Elisabeth’s face. "Oh, Coop here, he knows. He knows all too well. But why don’t you tell the truth. Tell Don the reason you’re so pissed is that you can’t stand the fact that I’m not with you." She said with contempt, "Go on, Coop. Tell your friend that you’re still in love with me. It’s sweet. I still get your love letters at my old post box."
She heard Don's sharp intake of breath and saw the look between the two of them.
Elisabeth heard the baby start to fuss. Without a second glance she said, "My daughter needs me." She stalked upstairs and went to check on Maggie.
Later on that Don came into the bedroom and confronted her with what Coop had told him.
"You slept with him."
She put her hands on her hips and replied, "So? What of it? That was four years ago."
"You slept with him to keep him occupied while the rest of your team picked up his fugitive." He looked at her and said, "You knew that he had feelings for you and you did that to him."
She sat on the side of the bed. Her voice tinged with regret, she said, "Yeah. I did."
"Was it your idea?"
She looked at the floor. "No. It was the Director’s." Trying to justify her actions, she said, "We needed the suspect more then he did."
"So is this something you did a lot?"
Elisabeth felt her heart leap into her chest. "Excuse me? What are you implying?"
He cut her off by saying, "I’m not implying anything."
She said with quiet rage, "No. Of course not."
"I can’t believe that you would use someone like that, especially knowing how they felt about you."
"Don, listen to me. I did things that I’m really not proud of, but that is all in the past."
She got up and tried to touch his arm but he pulled away.
Realization gripped Elisabeth. She moved around so she was standing in front of Don. "You’re not mad that I hurt your friend’s feelings. You're mad because I slept with someone else." She snorted. "You can’t stand the idea I’ve been with some one else. You’re jealous."
Without saying another word he left the bedroom and went to stay at Charlie’s.
That incident was two weeks ago. The two of them only spoke when they needed to.
But tonight, Elisabeth went to the FBI building to try to talk to Don but instead of him being there she found Colby.
Elisabeth asked, “Colby? What are you still doing here?"
Wearily, Colby looked up. "Hey, Elisabeth. Just needed to get caught up on paperwork. My date with Julie in accounting got canceled. She has the flu so I thought I would get myself ahead on paperwork. What are you doing here?"
‘I’m looking for Don. He didn’t pick up his cell and I need to talk to him."
"Sorry, he ain’t here.”
Dismayed, she said, “Oh.”
“I think he left maybe an hour ago. He was giving Robin Brooks a ride home."
Elisabeth spun around and said, "Did you say Robin? Damn!"
"Yeah, her car is at the shop….." Before Colby could finish his sentence Elisabeth took off.
She ran to her car. She knew where Robin lived. She kept saying over and over again, "Please don’t still be there. Please don’t still be there." She prayed that he was over at Charlie’s and that she wouldn’t find his car in front of Robin's house. She knew things were bad between them but she didn’t think that they were bad enough that Don would be driven into the arms of another woman.
She arrived at Robin Brooks' house and saw Don’s SUV in the driveway. She felt like she was going to throw up. She put her head down on the steering wheel and wept. "No, no, no. Oh god. Why!" She sobbed in the car for over ten minutes. After she couldn't shed another tear Elisabeth sat in the car feeling numb. She wanted to rush up to the door and kick the crap out of Robin. How dare she do this? How dare he?
Should she fight for him?
She thought, No, what would be the point, since he had so clearly decided that he didn't want Elisabeth anymore. He wanted Robin.
She couldn't believe that he chose Robin over her. Was his profession of love for her all lies? She felt the pain of his betrayal change from sadness to pure anger. She started up the car engine and started to drive over to Charlie’s to pick up the baby. Sitting at the red light she decided that she wanted to hurt him back as much as he had hurt her. The best way she knew how would be to take his daughter from him.