Fic: In Love & War, Chapter 6 (Numb3rs, Don / Martin)
Title: In Love & War, Chapter 6
Pair: Charlie Eppes / Colby Granger,
Don Eppes / Martin Fridegord,
David Sinclair / Ian Edgerton
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Not mine, etc.
Feedback: Always Welcome
NUMB3RS Main List
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
“Sorry I dozed off like that.”
“What?” Don mumbled through a mouthful of toast.
“Last night. Those episodes can be exhausting.”
“It’s okay. You’re not the first lover who falls asleep on me.”
“Do I want to know about the previous ones?”
“First one was in high school, when some of my buddies from the baseball team had a house party. Someones parents were gone for the weekend and I told mom the team had an all weekend training camp. She even drove me to the bus stop with my bags and all.”
“Did she really buy it?”
“Probably not, but I think she knew I would feel like hell when I got back. Hung-over, sore nose, reeking like vomit and all the guys laughing at me.”
“Why were they laughing?” Martin poured himself some more coffee.
“Because of Roseanne… something. She was the team mascot.”
“With the costume and everything?”
“Not that kinda mascot. The kind that goes through the whole team before the baseball season is even halfway through. The easiest thing in our school, right after shoving Chuck into his locker.”
“Don.”
“I didn’t say I did that!”
Martin shot him a sceptical glance.
“It was a game! You got points based on style, speed, the number of eyewitnesses, how long he was stuck in there-”
“I don’t want to know.”
“But I didn’t do it! I did dump his lunch on him once, but that was it. I swear.”
“That would sound a lot more convincing without that grin.”
“We were kids and we’re brothers, we fight. Happens in every family.”
“I never had fights with my siblings.”
“You don’t have a brother, it’s different with sisters.”
“I guess.” Martin shrugged. He tore a small piece from his sandwich and leaned down to feed it to the kitten. Misse had been waiting next to his chair ever since they had started their breakfast. “And don’t look so hungry, I just fed you.”
“What?”
“Not you. Maybe the age gap had something to do with it too.”
“With the cat?”
“No, sisters. You can’t fight with little sisters. My mom was always strictly against any kind of fighting.” He took a bite from his sandwich and gave Don a crooked grin. “Of course she also believed that most aggressions originate from unresolved sexual frustrations.”
“Why am I not surprised…”
“Back then she used to see her patients at home, we had to stay away from her study when one of them was in.”
“I used to think my childhood was weird because of Chuck, but every time you start talking about your upbringing…”
“Yours sounds almost normal.”
“Yeah. I don’t know how you and your sisters didn’t end up in the looney bin.”
“Well, one of us did. It wasn’t really the looney bin, it was one of those special summer camps.”
“Joanna?”
“Yeah. So what happened?”
“To what?”
“With Roseanna Whatever.”
“She got drunk and hung all over me like a cheap suit.”
“Your closet is full of cheap suits.”
“Yeah, but they don’t throw up on me. We got up to the bedroom, and by the way Mark was grounded when his parents came back and saw the place. Then we started pulling our clothes off, she tripped on her own panties, fell on top of me, threw up and started snoring.”
“What did you do?”
“I’m not telling.”
“I told you about my first boyfriend and whatever you did couldn’t have been more embarrassing then that story.”
“Maybe not embarrassing, but a lot more painful. Her big brother was back from college for the weekend, someone told him where the party was, and he came to guard her virtue. Like she had any left, she was the only girl in the cheerleading squad, who got kicked out because she flashed her Netherlands to the whole audience. And she was on top of the pyramid, everyone saw everything.”
“Maybe it was an accident.”
“No, that was the third time. Anyway, the guy almost broke my nose.”
“You’re not getting any sympathy from me. I had four younger sisters to defend. No guy got anywhere near them till I went away for college.”
“You didn’t call to check up on them?”
“I did.” Martin laughed and almost choked on his sandwich. “For months, till they finally refused to pick up the phone. Mom and dad were wondering how four teenage girls suddenly decided to stay away from the phone when normally nothing could get them away from it.”
“The age before cell phones… How did people manage?” Don deadpanned.
“I don’t know, but every time the phone rang there was a big race to answer it. And then a shouting match calling whoever was wanted on the phone.”
“Is it a sign of old age when you think about stuff like and get all nostalgic?”
“Yeah, and it wasn’t even that long ago. You could spend a whole day without having to listen your phone ringing every ten minutes-” His expression turned worried. “When was the last time it did ring?”
“Your phone?”
“Yeah.” Martin leaped up from his chair and headed to the foyer. He came back riffling through the content of his coat pockets. “I remember I had to take a call when I was at Charlie’s. I think I left it there.”
“You can pick it up on the way to work.”
“I’m not going in till afternoon, we’ll go through my itinerary for next week.”
“Where are you going?”
“Britain.” Martin folded his coat on the backrest of his chair. “I told you about it last week.”
“I forgot that… What about David and Ian’s case?”
“Gleeson has it under control, and I’ll be back before the case worker is done with her evaluation.” He emptied his mug and let out a deep sigh. “I tried to count once how much time I’ve spent in airplanes and airports over the years, and I lost count.”
“Do you really have to go?”
“Part of the job.” He weighted h the empty mug in his hand. “And you’ll undoubtedly live on take-out while I’m gone, so I don’t need to worry about you starving.”
“Or I can just go to Chuck’s and raid their fridge.”
“Just remember to feed the cat or she’ll start scratching the furniture again.”
“That happened once-”
“Don, I’ve loaded the cupboard full of cat food. Remember to feed her in the morning, leave some fresh water before you go, and give her the second portion when you come home.”
“Are you gonna leave me those sticky notes all over the place?”
“I’m considering it. They worked nicely last time.”
“I guess I should be glad you don’t just ask Chuck to come here once a day to feed both me and Misse and handle the litter box duties.”
“Great idea…” Martin grinned. “Speaking of duties, are you working on a case?”
“Not right now. Why?”
“I think I owe you some kind of compensation for last night. It’s not polite to promise action and fall asleep before you’re even out of your clothes.”
“It wasn’t your fault, but I wouldn’t mind a rematch when we come back.”
“I’ll be home pretty late, but… you could call and say you’ll be late for work.”
“What do I tell them? Sorry, I’ll be late because I’m too busy in the sack?”
“You could say you have an important meeting with your solicitor.”
“Solicitor?”
“I meant lawyer. This is what happens when you’re travelling all the time, vocabulary gets wide and weird.” He picked up Don’s phone from the table and handed it over to him. “I promise I won’t fall asleep in the middle of things.”
“Well… If you’re gonna be away for a while, I better take every chance I can get.” He dialled one of the speed dial numbers. “Megan? Are you at the office? Do we have a new case? Good, I’ll be little bit late. I need some legal counselling. Yeah, I’ll see you when I get there. Thanks.”
Chapter 7