FIC: In the Arms of the Wicked, 33/36 (Charlie/Colby, McGowan, Don, Megan, Larry, Liz, David, PG-13)
Title: "Side by Side"
Series: In the Arms of the Wicked, Part 33/36
Characters: Charlie/Colby, Don, Megan, Larry, Liz, David.
Rating: PG-13.
Spoilers: Season 5.
Warnings: None.
Summary: Some secrets can't last for long.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything (characters, situations, etcetera) except my OCs.
Beta: The fantastic twins_m0m and the great lillyg
Previous chapters: Click here.
Previous chapter
Next chapter
33: Side by Side
“Professor, please. Come in,” McGowan said when Charlie knocked on his door.
Reckless, Charlie still had Colby in his mind, but he remembered well the melancholic look on his brother’s face when they’d talked near the elevator. McGowan would have to hear him; he wasn’t going to just sit down and hear a speech. “Don did what he did for me. He thought it would be better for the team if…”
“Let’s not try to cover the fact that he made the wrong choice, all right? We both know he knew exactly what he was doing,” McGowan interrupted him. “But I didn’t call you to talk about Don.”
“Then what is it?” It was hard for Charlie to control his anger. If he could, he’d tell him exactly what was in his heart. Deep down inside, he wished he hadn’t gotten mad at his brother and had told him what decision he and Colby had made. It would have avoided the current events from happening.
McGowan’s fingers reached for the keyboard and entered a command. Then the man leaned on his chair, joined his palms and focused on the sounds that were filling the room.
Charlie’s voice came up.
“Don’t you like it when I kiss you?”
He swallowed when Colby’s voice followed.
“Yeah, of course I do, it’s just that...”
“When I kiss you like this… or… like this?”
It was obvious what this audio had come from.
“I still owe you so much for what I did…”
“You… you don’t… owe me anything…”
“Oh, yes, I do…”
The garage. One of Amita’s tapes of Charlie and Colby before she went crazy.
“It’s just that your Dad and Don are up there, you know…”
“I see…But they’re asleep…”
“Yeah, but still… they could hear us…”
“Hear you, you mean…”
“Stop it,” Charlie said, but McGowan didn’t move. His voice was still in the air…
“Yes, just relax, Colby… This is good. This is what you want, this is what I want… What’s wrong with that?”
“Stop it,” he repeated, closing his eyes and swallowing hard. And the sounds stopped. When Charlie opened his eyes, he found McGowan's serious expression turned into stone.
“I think that’s enough of an explanation as to why you’re here.”
Charlie had to admit that it was. “Yes.” He and McGowan locked eyes, but the other man’s words took him by surprise.
“Secrets are risks.”
There was silence between them. There was nothing left to say. Charlie knew what he had to do, he knew what McGowan was telling him. But the strangest thing was that he was getting advice from someone who had hunted him and his brother down for weeks.
“Tell Agent Sinclair that I’d like to see him, please,” McGowan finished.
As a heavy feeling filled his heart, Charlie turned around and came out of the office. McGowan was right. Just looking at Farrow’s life, his every secret had turned out to be a way for others to hurt him and the ones around him. Not that Farrow was completely innocent, but he also wasn’t guilty of all the damage that had been done.
Determined, he went back to his spot beside the elevator. However, as soon as he saw its door, he found that David and Colby had already arrived and were getting the news about Don’s suspension. He walked towards them with only one decision in mind, and as soon as he was close, he urged Colby to follow him.
“I need to talk to you.” It wasn’t what he’d planned to say before. But after his little meeting with McGowan, his mental schedule had changed and accelerated.
Colby’s eyes widened. “Well, hello, Charlie… Wait…”
“Now. Follow me, please,” Charlie insisted, and he turned to David for a second. “McGowan wants to see you in his office. Don, please, wait for me before you go.” Then he dragged Colby to the place where they’d talked the last time - the gun locker room.
He waited for an agent to leave before starting to think about how to bring the subject up. Every time he got an idea, Colby’s possible reactions made him remain quiet. He couldn’t stop rubbing his palms.
Colby was obviously as nervous as him. “Charlie, why are you acting like this? It’s weird…”
Not even with that, did Charlie answer.
“Okay, what is it? I thought you’d kiss me to welcome me after the case was over, but apparently that’s not the plan.”
Charlie looked up into his lover’s eyes and realized that he was scaring him. That was the last thing he wanted to do. This should be easier; after all, they’d talked about it already…
Still in fear, he walked over to Colby and put both hands on his shoulders. He took a deep breath before saying what was on his mind. “McGowan knows what was on the tapes.”
“Well…” Colby muttered, and Charlie feared what he was going to say. “It doesn’t surprise me. Cameron suspended Don because he tried to talk to him about them, and McGowan works for him, so he’d get to listen to them eventually.”
That wasn’t that bad, but maybe Colby didn’t have all the data. “He heard us… when we were in my garage the last time. Do you remember?”
For a moment, Colby seemed to flinch, but he landed his hands on Charlie’s hip and said, “Yeah… I do.”
He wasn’t getting the point. Charlie stepped aside, folded his arms and walked around. “He knows.” He could hear Colby’s voice behind him.
“Yes, Charlie, McGowan knows. So what? We’ve talked about this, about people finding out. This is just the first step.”
This was suddenly so hard. As much as Charlie had thought that Colby would refuse to talk about it, it was actually him who found it odd. He remembered well that the subject had been previously discussed and that he and his lover had agreed that it was okay for people to know. But they’d never decided anything on the dates. Now, it seemed to be too rushed, too soon.
Colby’s large palms were suddenly on his back, massaging him softly. Charlie closed his eyes, feeling their warmth through the several layers of clothing and turned to face him. “I think we should tell everyone.”
“But you just said…” The other man seemed a bit surprised. “Are you sure?”
“Yes.” Charlie nodded frantically. “Yes. McGowan is right about one thing - secrets mean risks.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean that I don’t want anything to happen to you. I don’t want to get into a case of you - or me - getting blackmailed because of our secret.”
“I see,” Colby whispered, but he remained serious. “Have you checked those exceptions to the FBI view on same-sex relationships?”
Charlie remembered that the issue had come up in their last talk at the restaurant, before Farrow’s jet was blown up. That time, Colby had mentioned that the FBI was a lot more permissive on gay relationships than in earlier years, and Charlie had stated that he would research any kind of exceptions that could damage their careers and their lives. But with Farrow’s case and the news about the paternity results being available soon, it had been impossible for him to even think about it.
Colby cocked his head, cupped Charlie’s face. “Hey… Have you checked them?” he repeated.
They locked eyes. “No.”
The green-eyed man took a deep breath. “Okay.” He pulled Charlie into his arms, keeping him warm and safe. “It’ll be all right. We’ll be fine. We don’t have to hide anymore, which is good. No more secrets, nor risks.”
“I know,” Charlie whispered, nibbling the crook of his lover’s neck and breathing in his scent. “Let’s do it.”
“All right.”
Feeling sure of what he and Colby were going to do, they walked out of the gun locker room and went back to the elevator doors. Near the cubicles, they saw that Liz, Megan and Larry were talking to Don.
“We’re going to miss you,” Liz said, smiling sadly and massaging Don’s shoulder.
“Nah, Megan will be a great boss,” he assured.
Megan shook her head. “It’ll be hard to fill in those shoes, but I’ll do my best…”
“You will or you and I will have a serious talk when I’m back,” Don responded, and his eyes landed on Charlie and Colby. “Oh, hey, guys. I was leaving…”
“Not before we do this,” Charlie stated, standing beside his brother and gesturing Colby to come closer, too. They’d do this side by side. “People,” he called the FBI agents and employees that were working. “Please, I need your attention, please.”
Slowly, people interrupted their daily tasks and stood in their places to hear what Charlie had to say. They were probably expecting a new case had developed, but the news would be a lot more shocking.
When he noticed that he was the center of attention, Charlie glanced at Colby one more time and watched him nod. Then he turned to his brother, his friends and his colleagues. “There’s something you need to know. Something that’s been going on for a few months now.” He felt Colby’s hand on his shoulder, supporting him, and that gave him the energy to continue. “Agent Granger, who is by my side, and I…” Everyone’s eyes were on him, but he swallowed and announced, “He and I, we are partners.”
There were glances all over the place. Don’s eyes widened, while Liz and Megan opened their mouths. Definitely, none of them were expecting Charlie and Colby to decide to come out now. But Larry just smiled, satisfied with the outcome.
“We are… together... as in a relationship,” Colby added.
There wasn’t the need to explain more. People had obviously gotten the idea, as some of them were staring at them, astonished, and others were shaking their heads. However, a few didn’t react at all - could they know already?
Charlie didn’t really care. When he turned to his brother again, Don was smiling; so were Larry, Megan and Liz. That was all the understanding he needed. They obviously knew about him and Charlie, but having them there, right in that moment, supporting him, was more than enough to make him not care about what anyone else would say.
Colby offered his hand and Charlie accepted it immediately. “Let’s go.”
They went towards the elevator, called it and waited for its doors to open. Holding each other’s hands had never before provided such strong feelings to Charlie’s heart. He felt safe, protected. This had been the right decision to make.
But Charlie had forgotten about something, and now it was the perfect time to remember it. He looked at the people who were still looking at them from inside. Some of them were holding their files and papers, like they couldn’t believe what they’d heard.
Maybe it was the time to give them proof, as well as to show Colby how much he wanted him. So Charlie put his hands on the back of his lover’s face and pulled him down for a bruising kiss. He’d wanted to do it for so long now. Colby deserved that and more for solving the case and returning home safe, much to Charlie’s happiness.
The kiss was short but more than enough to make Colby blush. Even if Charlie was blushing, too, he was more focused on the way his lover's breaths were slower, calmer. “That was your welcome home kiss,” he muttered, close to Colby's mouth.
Colby looked back into his eyes and smiled. He guided him into the elevator and then pulled Charlie up for a little kiss near the corner of his mouth.
Everyone was still staring at them and coming up with stories about how they could have gotten together. But as the elevator doors closed, Charlie didn’t care. He didn’t care what happened as long as he could continue to take his lover’s breath away.
Series: In the Arms of the Wicked, Part 33/36
Characters: Charlie/Colby, Don, Megan, Larry, Liz, David.
Rating: PG-13.
Spoilers: Season 5.
Warnings: None.
Summary: Some secrets can't last for long.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything (characters, situations, etcetera) except my OCs.
Beta: The fantastic twins_m0m and the great lillyg
Previous chapters: Click here.
Previous chapter
Next chapter
33: Side by Side
“Professor, please. Come in,” McGowan said when Charlie knocked on his door.
Reckless, Charlie still had Colby in his mind, but he remembered well the melancholic look on his brother’s face when they’d talked near the elevator. McGowan would have to hear him; he wasn’t going to just sit down and hear a speech. “Don did what he did for me. He thought it would be better for the team if…”
“Let’s not try to cover the fact that he made the wrong choice, all right? We both know he knew exactly what he was doing,” McGowan interrupted him. “But I didn’t call you to talk about Don.”
“Then what is it?” It was hard for Charlie to control his anger. If he could, he’d tell him exactly what was in his heart. Deep down inside, he wished he hadn’t gotten mad at his brother and had told him what decision he and Colby had made. It would have avoided the current events from happening.
McGowan’s fingers reached for the keyboard and entered a command. Then the man leaned on his chair, joined his palms and focused on the sounds that were filling the room.
Charlie’s voice came up.
“Don’t you like it when I kiss you?”
He swallowed when Colby’s voice followed.
“Yeah, of course I do, it’s just that...”
“When I kiss you like this… or… like this?”
It was obvious what this audio had come from.
“I still owe you so much for what I did…”
“You… you don’t… owe me anything…”
“Oh, yes, I do…”
The garage. One of Amita’s tapes of Charlie and Colby before she went crazy.
“It’s just that your Dad and Don are up there, you know…”
“I see…But they’re asleep…”
“Yeah, but still… they could hear us…”
“Hear you, you mean…”
“Stop it,” Charlie said, but McGowan didn’t move. His voice was still in the air…
“Yes, just relax, Colby… This is good. This is what you want, this is what I want… What’s wrong with that?”
“Stop it,” he repeated, closing his eyes and swallowing hard. And the sounds stopped. When Charlie opened his eyes, he found McGowan's serious expression turned into stone.
“I think that’s enough of an explanation as to why you’re here.”
Charlie had to admit that it was. “Yes.” He and McGowan locked eyes, but the other man’s words took him by surprise.
“Secrets are risks.”
There was silence between them. There was nothing left to say. Charlie knew what he had to do, he knew what McGowan was telling him. But the strangest thing was that he was getting advice from someone who had hunted him and his brother down for weeks.
“Tell Agent Sinclair that I’d like to see him, please,” McGowan finished.
As a heavy feeling filled his heart, Charlie turned around and came out of the office. McGowan was right. Just looking at Farrow’s life, his every secret had turned out to be a way for others to hurt him and the ones around him. Not that Farrow was completely innocent, but he also wasn’t guilty of all the damage that had been done.
Determined, he went back to his spot beside the elevator. However, as soon as he saw its door, he found that David and Colby had already arrived and were getting the news about Don’s suspension. He walked towards them with only one decision in mind, and as soon as he was close, he urged Colby to follow him.
“I need to talk to you.” It wasn’t what he’d planned to say before. But after his little meeting with McGowan, his mental schedule had changed and accelerated.
Colby’s eyes widened. “Well, hello, Charlie… Wait…”
“Now. Follow me, please,” Charlie insisted, and he turned to David for a second. “McGowan wants to see you in his office. Don, please, wait for me before you go.” Then he dragged Colby to the place where they’d talked the last time - the gun locker room.
He waited for an agent to leave before starting to think about how to bring the subject up. Every time he got an idea, Colby’s possible reactions made him remain quiet. He couldn’t stop rubbing his palms.
Colby was obviously as nervous as him. “Charlie, why are you acting like this? It’s weird…”
Not even with that, did Charlie answer.
“Okay, what is it? I thought you’d kiss me to welcome me after the case was over, but apparently that’s not the plan.”
Charlie looked up into his lover’s eyes and realized that he was scaring him. That was the last thing he wanted to do. This should be easier; after all, they’d talked about it already…
Still in fear, he walked over to Colby and put both hands on his shoulders. He took a deep breath before saying what was on his mind. “McGowan knows what was on the tapes.”
“Well…” Colby muttered, and Charlie feared what he was going to say. “It doesn’t surprise me. Cameron suspended Don because he tried to talk to him about them, and McGowan works for him, so he’d get to listen to them eventually.”
That wasn’t that bad, but maybe Colby didn’t have all the data. “He heard us… when we were in my garage the last time. Do you remember?”
For a moment, Colby seemed to flinch, but he landed his hands on Charlie’s hip and said, “Yeah… I do.”
He wasn’t getting the point. Charlie stepped aside, folded his arms and walked around. “He knows.” He could hear Colby’s voice behind him.
“Yes, Charlie, McGowan knows. So what? We’ve talked about this, about people finding out. This is just the first step.”
This was suddenly so hard. As much as Charlie had thought that Colby would refuse to talk about it, it was actually him who found it odd. He remembered well that the subject had been previously discussed and that he and his lover had agreed that it was okay for people to know. But they’d never decided anything on the dates. Now, it seemed to be too rushed, too soon.
Colby’s large palms were suddenly on his back, massaging him softly. Charlie closed his eyes, feeling their warmth through the several layers of clothing and turned to face him. “I think we should tell everyone.”
“But you just said…” The other man seemed a bit surprised. “Are you sure?”
“Yes.” Charlie nodded frantically. “Yes. McGowan is right about one thing - secrets mean risks.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean that I don’t want anything to happen to you. I don’t want to get into a case of you - or me - getting blackmailed because of our secret.”
“I see,” Colby whispered, but he remained serious. “Have you checked those exceptions to the FBI view on same-sex relationships?”
Charlie remembered that the issue had come up in their last talk at the restaurant, before Farrow’s jet was blown up. That time, Colby had mentioned that the FBI was a lot more permissive on gay relationships than in earlier years, and Charlie had stated that he would research any kind of exceptions that could damage their careers and their lives. But with Farrow’s case and the news about the paternity results being available soon, it had been impossible for him to even think about it.
Colby cocked his head, cupped Charlie’s face. “Hey… Have you checked them?” he repeated.
They locked eyes. “No.”
The green-eyed man took a deep breath. “Okay.” He pulled Charlie into his arms, keeping him warm and safe. “It’ll be all right. We’ll be fine. We don’t have to hide anymore, which is good. No more secrets, nor risks.”
“I know,” Charlie whispered, nibbling the crook of his lover’s neck and breathing in his scent. “Let’s do it.”
“All right.”
Feeling sure of what he and Colby were going to do, they walked out of the gun locker room and went back to the elevator doors. Near the cubicles, they saw that Liz, Megan and Larry were talking to Don.
“We’re going to miss you,” Liz said, smiling sadly and massaging Don’s shoulder.
“Nah, Megan will be a great boss,” he assured.
Megan shook her head. “It’ll be hard to fill in those shoes, but I’ll do my best…”
“You will or you and I will have a serious talk when I’m back,” Don responded, and his eyes landed on Charlie and Colby. “Oh, hey, guys. I was leaving…”
“Not before we do this,” Charlie stated, standing beside his brother and gesturing Colby to come closer, too. They’d do this side by side. “People,” he called the FBI agents and employees that were working. “Please, I need your attention, please.”
Slowly, people interrupted their daily tasks and stood in their places to hear what Charlie had to say. They were probably expecting a new case had developed, but the news would be a lot more shocking.
When he noticed that he was the center of attention, Charlie glanced at Colby one more time and watched him nod. Then he turned to his brother, his friends and his colleagues. “There’s something you need to know. Something that’s been going on for a few months now.” He felt Colby’s hand on his shoulder, supporting him, and that gave him the energy to continue. “Agent Granger, who is by my side, and I…” Everyone’s eyes were on him, but he swallowed and announced, “He and I, we are partners.”
There were glances all over the place. Don’s eyes widened, while Liz and Megan opened their mouths. Definitely, none of them were expecting Charlie and Colby to decide to come out now. But Larry just smiled, satisfied with the outcome.
“We are… together... as in a relationship,” Colby added.
There wasn’t the need to explain more. People had obviously gotten the idea, as some of them were staring at them, astonished, and others were shaking their heads. However, a few didn’t react at all - could they know already?
Charlie didn’t really care. When he turned to his brother again, Don was smiling; so were Larry, Megan and Liz. That was all the understanding he needed. They obviously knew about him and Charlie, but having them there, right in that moment, supporting him, was more than enough to make him not care about what anyone else would say.
Colby offered his hand and Charlie accepted it immediately. “Let’s go.”
They went towards the elevator, called it and waited for its doors to open. Holding each other’s hands had never before provided such strong feelings to Charlie’s heart. He felt safe, protected. This had been the right decision to make.
But Charlie had forgotten about something, and now it was the perfect time to remember it. He looked at the people who were still looking at them from inside. Some of them were holding their files and papers, like they couldn’t believe what they’d heard.
Maybe it was the time to give them proof, as well as to show Colby how much he wanted him. So Charlie put his hands on the back of his lover’s face and pulled him down for a bruising kiss. He’d wanted to do it for so long now. Colby deserved that and more for solving the case and returning home safe, much to Charlie’s happiness.
The kiss was short but more than enough to make Colby blush. Even if Charlie was blushing, too, he was more focused on the way his lover's breaths were slower, calmer. “That was your welcome home kiss,” he muttered, close to Colby's mouth.
Colby looked back into his eyes and smiled. He guided him into the elevator and then pulled Charlie up for a little kiss near the corner of his mouth.
Everyone was still staring at them and coming up with stories about how they could have gotten together. But as the elevator doors closed, Charlie didn’t care. He didn’t care what happened as long as he could continue to take his lover’s breath away.