Symmetry - Numb3rs
One Ficathon down - two to go!!!
Title: Symmetry
Author: strangevisitor7
Beta: Lyl_Devil & idontlikegravy
Rated: G
Word Count: 685
Fandom: Numb3rs
Spoilers: For “When Worlds Collide” and the end of season 4
Written for: family_haven ficathon for Magisterequitum
Prompt: Don's thoughts about Megan leaving the team
Characters: Don Eppes; mentions of Charlie and Megan
Disclaimer: The characters you know and love all belong to their respective creators.
Summary: Episode tag for season four: Don reflects on everything that has happened since Megan announced she was leaving
Symmetry
Don entered his apartment and closed the door behind him. Standing in the hallway hands on his hips, he stared at the floor trying to get his conflicting emotions under control.
What the hell had Charlie been thinking?. He’d asked himself that question over and over again since his brother had sent those documents to a foreign national and Don still didn’t have an answer.
Feeling the weight of the keys in his hand, Don gave into his anger and flung them across the apartment. He channeled all of his rage into that simple act. The keyring impacted the wall, cracking the plaster before dropping behind the couch.
Great. Ignoring the need to fish the keys out before he forgot where they were, Don stalked into the kitchen. Opening the fridge he reached for a beer only to remember that he’d had the last one the night before.
Damn. He slammed the door shut with a resounding thud that rattled the appliance.
He scrubbed both hands across his face and debated pulling out the hard stuff. After a few silent moments of internal debate, he decided against alcoholic oblivion, instead resigning himself to a night of sobriety.
Walking toward the bedroom, Don began shedding clothes and equipment. Stripped down to his boxers, he flung himself onto the bed and stared at the ceiling.
Things were spinning out of control. The well-oiled team he’d worked with over the past three years was falling apart.
Megan was already gone, starting a new life in DC and Charlie had betrayed him.
He didn’t begrudge Megan the opportunity to follow her dreams but he dreaded heading into the office on Monday with the prospect of trying to find someone to fill her spot. And if he was being honest with himself, he needed to find someone to replace Charlie, too. If that was even possible.
It had been the perfect balance of brains, brawn and heart. He understood that teammates came and went but the kind of symmetry the five of them had had was like capturing lightning in a bottle.
Don snorted at the word symmetry. That was a ‘Charlie-like’ thought but it fit and drove home the point that Don had lost something he feared he’d never find again.
Charlie. He’d lost more than the perfect team. He’d lost his brother.
Over the years he’d resigned himself to the idea that he and Charlie would never get along, never have the kind of connection that came naturally to other brothers. Then they’d started working together and he’d learned that he not only respected Charlie but that he also enjoyed his company in a way he never had when they were kids.
Don didn’t know if he could ever forgive Charlie and reclaim what they’d built over the past few years.
If Megan were here she’d probably tell him he was overreacting. Or maybe she’d just verbally smack him into forgiving Charlie, make him appreciate his brother’s motivation. She had a way of seeing right to the heart of the matter and showing Don the fallacy of his thoughts.
Either way Megan was gone and he was in no mood to understand why Charlie had specifically disobeyed him. Charlie had chosen a dangerous and idealistic position over the relationship with his brother. No matter how he phrased it, Don couldn’t get past the feelings of betrayal.
The cell phone rang, jolting Don out of his head. He sat up, reached for the phone and glanced at the caller ID. The identity of the caller surprised him and he wondered if she should add psychic to her growing list of credentials.
“Hey Megan,” he intoned neutrally as he answered the phone.
“Hey Don,” she replied, he could hear the smile in her voice.
“It’s awfully late there. What’s up? ” he asked.
“I know, but I wanted to talk to you about Charlie.”
Megan may be on the other side of the country but it was clear she would always be here for him. Don smiled for the first time in days.
“Yeah, let’s talk about Charlie.”
Title: Symmetry
Author: strangevisitor7
Beta: Lyl_Devil & idontlikegravy
Rated: G
Word Count: 685
Fandom: Numb3rs
Spoilers: For “When Worlds Collide” and the end of season 4
Written for: family_haven ficathon for Magisterequitum
Prompt: Don's thoughts about Megan leaving the team
Characters: Don Eppes; mentions of Charlie and Megan
Disclaimer: The characters you know and love all belong to their respective creators.
Summary: Episode tag for season four: Don reflects on everything that has happened since Megan announced she was leaving
Symmetry
Don entered his apartment and closed the door behind him. Standing in the hallway hands on his hips, he stared at the floor trying to get his conflicting emotions under control.
What the hell had Charlie been thinking?. He’d asked himself that question over and over again since his brother had sent those documents to a foreign national and Don still didn’t have an answer.
Feeling the weight of the keys in his hand, Don gave into his anger and flung them across the apartment. He channeled all of his rage into that simple act. The keyring impacted the wall, cracking the plaster before dropping behind the couch.
Great. Ignoring the need to fish the keys out before he forgot where they were, Don stalked into the kitchen. Opening the fridge he reached for a beer only to remember that he’d had the last one the night before.
Damn. He slammed the door shut with a resounding thud that rattled the appliance.
He scrubbed both hands across his face and debated pulling out the hard stuff. After a few silent moments of internal debate, he decided against alcoholic oblivion, instead resigning himself to a night of sobriety.
Walking toward the bedroom, Don began shedding clothes and equipment. Stripped down to his boxers, he flung himself onto the bed and stared at the ceiling.
Things were spinning out of control. The well-oiled team he’d worked with over the past three years was falling apart.
Megan was already gone, starting a new life in DC and Charlie had betrayed him.
He didn’t begrudge Megan the opportunity to follow her dreams but he dreaded heading into the office on Monday with the prospect of trying to find someone to fill her spot. And if he was being honest with himself, he needed to find someone to replace Charlie, too. If that was even possible.
It had been the perfect balance of brains, brawn and heart. He understood that teammates came and went but the kind of symmetry the five of them had had was like capturing lightning in a bottle.
Don snorted at the word symmetry. That was a ‘Charlie-like’ thought but it fit and drove home the point that Don had lost something he feared he’d never find again.
Charlie. He’d lost more than the perfect team. He’d lost his brother.
Over the years he’d resigned himself to the idea that he and Charlie would never get along, never have the kind of connection that came naturally to other brothers. Then they’d started working together and he’d learned that he not only respected Charlie but that he also enjoyed his company in a way he never had when they were kids.
Don didn’t know if he could ever forgive Charlie and reclaim what they’d built over the past few years.
If Megan were here she’d probably tell him he was overreacting. Or maybe she’d just verbally smack him into forgiving Charlie, make him appreciate his brother’s motivation. She had a way of seeing right to the heart of the matter and showing Don the fallacy of his thoughts.
Either way Megan was gone and he was in no mood to understand why Charlie had specifically disobeyed him. Charlie had chosen a dangerous and idealistic position over the relationship with his brother. No matter how he phrased it, Don couldn’t get past the feelings of betrayal.
The cell phone rang, jolting Don out of his head. He sat up, reached for the phone and glanced at the caller ID. The identity of the caller surprised him and he wondered if she should add psychic to her growing list of credentials.
“Hey Megan,” he intoned neutrally as he answered the phone.
“Hey Don,” she replied, he could hear the smile in her voice.
“It’s awfully late there. What’s up? ” he asked.
“I know, but I wanted to talk to you about Charlie.”
Megan may be on the other side of the country but it was clear she would always be here for him. Don smiled for the first time in days.
“Yeah, let’s talk about Charlie.”