Lead Me Home, Numb3rs, Part 37/84
Don't own; don't sue.
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Part 31 Part 32 Part 33 Part 34 Part 35 Part 36
Colby knew he should be embarrassed. After all, it took Charlie less than an hour to confirm what he'd spent two hours doing, and that was with information from the four closest counties added in. He'd also been able to go a step further and give a list of possible targets and dates.
Instead of feeling insecure about having to ask for help, Colby had Charlie on speaker phone in the bullpen as he downloaded everything he had sent him from Tony's computer.
"So, Charlie," Marge asked as she perched on the edge of the desk next to Colby. "How often do you do Colby's work for him?"
"Actually Colby did very well. My brother would have looked at it and went 'oh, it might have a pattern; let's send it to Charlie.' Colby at least had it organized for me; it just took a little refining from me."
"That doesn't answer the question."
"Charlie consults with us once or twice a month. We do plenty of cases without him."
"You do? I'm hurt."
"Take it up with Don. Okay, I've got the files." Colby glanced through them. "Looks pretty standard, I should be able to explain it to everyone here."
"Good. You've only been doing it in reports for two years. I would hope you'd get the hang of it by now," the teasing tone tempered the sharpness of the words.
"Yeah, yeah," Colby groused back good-naturedly.
"So, Dr. Eppes, how much do we owe you for an hour of consultation?" Sheriff Taylor asked before the bantering could get going to far.
"Oh, don't worry about it. I'll just have Colby work it off."
"Oh?" Tony looked almost gleeful at that thought. He winked at Colby. "And how will he do that?"
"I'm sure I can find some heavy lifting for him to do."
"Gee, thanks, Charlie."
Tony and Marge burst out laughing. Even the sheriff couldn't hold back his snickers. Even Charlie's chuckles could be heard over the phone lines.
As the mirth died down, Colby took the phone off speaker and headed back to the conference room for a touch of privacy. "Seriously, thank you, Charlie. I can't tell you how much..."
"It's no problem, Colby. It's what I do, remember?"
"Yeah, but usually for national security. This is just little Winchester, Idaho."
"Which is still America and more importantly where your family is. Their security is just as important as the nation's."
"Well, it is to me, but..."
"Me, too."
"Oh. Good." A warm feeling knotted up Colby's stomach and spread through his chest.
The silence that stretched between them was a little awkward. Colby was suddenly reminded of some of his first phone calls to girls as a teenager. Just like then, he didn't know what to say to break the moment. Fortunately, Charlie didn't seem to have the same problem.
"I'll let you go explain the math--who thought I'd be saying that--and then back to your family. I'll see you New Year's Eve, right?"
"Yeah, probably."
"Good."
"Okay. Thank you again, Charlie."
"You're welcome again. Have a good couple days."
"You, too."
"Bye."
"Bye."
Colby clicked the phone off and took a deep breath. He knew he had a goofy smile on his face. The grin needed to go away or everyone in the bullpen would know he had feelings for Charlie.
He started through all four verses of the 'Star Spangled Banner'. During boot camp, he'd had to learn the later stanzas. He'd often had to recite them while doing push-up or something equally exhausting. It was still one of the few things that instantly made him calm, his own little meditation.
"Are you done with the top secret FBI stuff?"
Colby smiled at Tony, who had stuck his head into the conference room. "Yes, are you ready for a math lesson?"
"Um, no. You know I never could pay attention to that stuff. That's why you're explaining it to Marge and the Sheriff too."
"It's not that hard. You should see some of the way out stuff he does."
"Hence the crush."
"Tony."
"Don't worry. Nobody heard me. But I get it, I really do."
"Really?"
"Opposites attract, right. And he's brainy and you're brawny and..."
Colby rolled his eyes. "Just shut up. You go get ready to be schooled."
"You can try, Fibbie; you can try."
~3~
Colby had just finished explaining the math, to less glazed eyes than he'd expected actually, when his cell phone rang. He pulled it out and saw it was his family.
"Do you mind?" he asked while pointing at his phone.
"Yes," Marge replied, "but you can make up for it with a dinner invite."
"All three of you?"
Sheriff Taylor shook his head. "I've got to explain all of this to my fellow sheriffs so I'll decline."
"Okay." Colby flipped is phone open. "Hello?"
"Unka Koba? You've been gone foreva."
"No, I haven't. It's just been the afternoon. But I'll be home soon. Can I talk to Grandma?"
"Pwomise you'll be home soon?"
"I promise. Now give the phone to Grandma."
"Otay!"
Colby pulled the phone away from his ear sure Jamie was going to yell into the phone as he called for Grandma. Instead he heard a faint, "Colby?"
"Yeah, Mom, I'm here. I'm almost finished up here."
"Good. Did everything go all right?"
"Everything is fine. But I do have a small request."
"Yes, Tony can come for dinner."
"How about Marge?"
"Oh, are they finally together?"
Colby coughed. He tried very hard to keep his face blank as he answered, "Um, no."
"Darn. Yes, Marge can come."
"Thank you. I'll be home in a bit."
"Drive careful. Jason said it was starting to get slick out there."
"I will. See you soon."
Colby smiled as she hung up. Marge and Tony were both also grinning at him which meant they'd been easedropping on his half of the conversation.
"So dinnner's a go."
"Good."
Colby grinned and turned back to Sheriff Taylor. "Would you like me to go through this again with you?"
"I think I've got it. I can't believe in three hours we have so much more to work with." The sheriff held out his hand. "Thank you."
"It's been my pleasure, Sheriff. I probably owed you for putting up with me as a teenager."
"That was my pleasure, Colby." The sheriff patted him on the back. "I knew you would good things one day."
"Thank you."
"Now, you get back to your family and your vacation."
"I will. But please don't hesitate to call if you need any more help with this. I can always have Charlie explain it to you if need be."
"And do a lot more lifting."
"Whatever it takes."
"That's the Granger I know. Now get out of here."
Colby grinned and, with a wave to Tony and Marge, did just that.
Next
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10
Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Part 15 Part 16 Part 17 Part 18 Part 19 Part 20
Part 21 Part 22 Part 23 Part 24 Part 25 Part 26 Part 27 Part 28 Part 29 Part 30
Part 31 Part 32 Part 33 Part 34 Part 35 Part 36
Colby knew he should be embarrassed. After all, it took Charlie less than an hour to confirm what he'd spent two hours doing, and that was with information from the four closest counties added in. He'd also been able to go a step further and give a list of possible targets and dates.
Instead of feeling insecure about having to ask for help, Colby had Charlie on speaker phone in the bullpen as he downloaded everything he had sent him from Tony's computer.
"So, Charlie," Marge asked as she perched on the edge of the desk next to Colby. "How often do you do Colby's work for him?"
"Actually Colby did very well. My brother would have looked at it and went 'oh, it might have a pattern; let's send it to Charlie.' Colby at least had it organized for me; it just took a little refining from me."
"That doesn't answer the question."
"Charlie consults with us once or twice a month. We do plenty of cases without him."
"You do? I'm hurt."
"Take it up with Don. Okay, I've got the files." Colby glanced through them. "Looks pretty standard, I should be able to explain it to everyone here."
"Good. You've only been doing it in reports for two years. I would hope you'd get the hang of it by now," the teasing tone tempered the sharpness of the words.
"Yeah, yeah," Colby groused back good-naturedly.
"So, Dr. Eppes, how much do we owe you for an hour of consultation?" Sheriff Taylor asked before the bantering could get going to far.
"Oh, don't worry about it. I'll just have Colby work it off."
"Oh?" Tony looked almost gleeful at that thought. He winked at Colby. "And how will he do that?"
"I'm sure I can find some heavy lifting for him to do."
"Gee, thanks, Charlie."
Tony and Marge burst out laughing. Even the sheriff couldn't hold back his snickers. Even Charlie's chuckles could be heard over the phone lines.
As the mirth died down, Colby took the phone off speaker and headed back to the conference room for a touch of privacy. "Seriously, thank you, Charlie. I can't tell you how much..."
"It's no problem, Colby. It's what I do, remember?"
"Yeah, but usually for national security. This is just little Winchester, Idaho."
"Which is still America and more importantly where your family is. Their security is just as important as the nation's."
"Well, it is to me, but..."
"Me, too."
"Oh. Good." A warm feeling knotted up Colby's stomach and spread through his chest.
The silence that stretched between them was a little awkward. Colby was suddenly reminded of some of his first phone calls to girls as a teenager. Just like then, he didn't know what to say to break the moment. Fortunately, Charlie didn't seem to have the same problem.
"I'll let you go explain the math--who thought I'd be saying that--and then back to your family. I'll see you New Year's Eve, right?"
"Yeah, probably."
"Good."
"Okay. Thank you again, Charlie."
"You're welcome again. Have a good couple days."
"You, too."
"Bye."
"Bye."
Colby clicked the phone off and took a deep breath. He knew he had a goofy smile on his face. The grin needed to go away or everyone in the bullpen would know he had feelings for Charlie.
He started through all four verses of the 'Star Spangled Banner'. During boot camp, he'd had to learn the later stanzas. He'd often had to recite them while doing push-up or something equally exhausting. It was still one of the few things that instantly made him calm, his own little meditation.
"Are you done with the top secret FBI stuff?"
Colby smiled at Tony, who had stuck his head into the conference room. "Yes, are you ready for a math lesson?"
"Um, no. You know I never could pay attention to that stuff. That's why you're explaining it to Marge and the Sheriff too."
"It's not that hard. You should see some of the way out stuff he does."
"Hence the crush."
"Tony."
"Don't worry. Nobody heard me. But I get it, I really do."
"Really?"
"Opposites attract, right. And he's brainy and you're brawny and..."
Colby rolled his eyes. "Just shut up. You go get ready to be schooled."
"You can try, Fibbie; you can try."
~3~
Colby had just finished explaining the math, to less glazed eyes than he'd expected actually, when his cell phone rang. He pulled it out and saw it was his family.
"Do you mind?" he asked while pointing at his phone.
"Yes," Marge replied, "but you can make up for it with a dinner invite."
"All three of you?"
Sheriff Taylor shook his head. "I've got to explain all of this to my fellow sheriffs so I'll decline."
"Okay." Colby flipped is phone open. "Hello?"
"Unka Koba? You've been gone foreva."
"No, I haven't. It's just been the afternoon. But I'll be home soon. Can I talk to Grandma?"
"Pwomise you'll be home soon?"
"I promise. Now give the phone to Grandma."
"Otay!"
Colby pulled the phone away from his ear sure Jamie was going to yell into the phone as he called for Grandma. Instead he heard a faint, "Colby?"
"Yeah, Mom, I'm here. I'm almost finished up here."
"Good. Did everything go all right?"
"Everything is fine. But I do have a small request."
"Yes, Tony can come for dinner."
"How about Marge?"
"Oh, are they finally together?"
Colby coughed. He tried very hard to keep his face blank as he answered, "Um, no."
"Darn. Yes, Marge can come."
"Thank you. I'll be home in a bit."
"Drive careful. Jason said it was starting to get slick out there."
"I will. See you soon."
Colby smiled as she hung up. Marge and Tony were both also grinning at him which meant they'd been easedropping on his half of the conversation.
"So dinnner's a go."
"Good."
Colby grinned and turned back to Sheriff Taylor. "Would you like me to go through this again with you?"
"I think I've got it. I can't believe in three hours we have so much more to work with." The sheriff held out his hand. "Thank you."
"It's been my pleasure, Sheriff. I probably owed you for putting up with me as a teenager."
"That was my pleasure, Colby." The sheriff patted him on the back. "I knew you would good things one day."
"Thank you."
"Now, you get back to your family and your vacation."
"I will. But please don't hesitate to call if you need any more help with this. I can always have Charlie explain it to you if need be."
"And do a lot more lifting."
"Whatever it takes."
"That's the Granger I know. Now get out of here."
Colby grinned and, with a wave to Tony and Marge, did just that.
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