A Long Way
folder
M through R › NUMB3RS
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
8
Views:
1,521
Reviews:
1
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Category:
M through R › NUMB3RS
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
8
Views:
1,521
Reviews:
1
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Disclaimer:
I do not own NUMB3RS, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.
Questions
Title: Questions
Author: scots_rock
Pairing: Don/Charlie
Fandom: NUMB3RS
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 838
Disclaimer: Not mine. This is fiction.
Feedback: Awesome
Author's Notes: Alex visits a long lost friend. This is the, let me think, yes, it is the 7th part of the Alex-series. There is only one part left. Enjoy! Oh, the darkness is fading by the way.
Alex is standing in the doorframe of the small office watching his uncle watching him. His eyes are big, surprised, shocked, lips slightly parted.
“Alex...?”, he mutters. His hand is trembling, the chalk slides from his fingers and falls to the ground.
Alex smiles gently. Charlie hasn’t changed much. His baby face is still in perfect harmony with his black, curly hair. He has trimmed it, cut it here and there, it doesn’t surround his face the way it used to.
There is no embrace, no kisses, not a word spoken. Charlie is standing opposite of Alex, looking at him, his eyes glitter with tears and finally a small smile starts to play around his lips. Alex enters the room and comes to a halt in front of the desk. It’s been long. Too long. Twelve years exactly since he has last seen his uncle.
“How are you, Uncle Charlie?”, he asks gently.
Charlie awakens suddenly from his trance, inhaling deeply, he searches for the right words.
“Fine. Fine, I guess.”, he brings out finally. There is a long silence. It is as if both of them have to understand what is happening now.
“I came to talk.”, Alex says and sits down. He can’t bare the silence any longer. “I have some news that might be of interest to you.”
Charlie frowns, he doesn’t understand fully.
“What’s wrong?”
“My father is moving back to L.A.”, Alex begins and already senses that this is not going to be easy. Charlie’s body language shows that he doesn’t want to talk about his father, about the past. His arms are folded, his gaze fixed on some spot on the ground.
“Why is he doing that?”, Charlie asks eventually.
“He wouldn’t tell me.”, Alex lies. He told Alex that he wanted to move back to the place where he felt home the most. A place where he felt safe. “Do you know why he is doing that?”
“No, I don’t.”
The answer is quick as are Charlie’s steps as he walks to the end of the room to look through the book shelve, obviously looking for a special mathematical reference.
Alex doesn’t look up, he keeps on facing the black board.
“You know, Charlie, it isn’t your fault.”, he continues calmly.
“What do you know, Alex?” Charlie’s voice is tensed, yet not loud, Alex feels the suppressed anger. “You disappear for a few years, then you come back and tell me that it is not my fault?” Alex feels the pain. “What do you really know?”
This time Charlie is screaming, shouting, raging. He’s crying his desperation and fears into the little room. Because of the echo all the pain comes back again.
“That’s the point now, isn’t it, Charlie?”, Alex shouts and stands up from the chair, turning around and looking at his uncle. “I know nothing. Nothing at all, Charlie. But you do! And that is all that matters!”
Charlie’s eyes are narrowed, he is about to cry. He looks so fragile and broken. Just like Dad.
“No, Charlie! No! I won’t let you cry. This is not your fault, you hear me?” Alex approaches his uncle and seizes his shoulders. “You know whose fault this whole mess is? It is mine. My friggin’ fault.”
“No, Alex, no...”, Charlie stutters, shaking his head slowly, his eyes tightly closed.
“What are you doing here, Charlie?” Alex’s voice is calm. It’s the question that he wanted to have answered since he has decided to come here. “He needs you. You abandoned him in his darkest hour.”
Alex gulps, unnoticed by his uncle. Though words, he knows that. But maybe this is the way to fix his biggest mistake. It seems to work. Charlie looks up at his nephew.
“Where is he?”, he asks silently.
“You already know.”, is Alex’s answer at which Charlie embraces his nephew for the first time in twelve years. He grabs his brown schoolbag and runs out of the office.
Alex won’t move. He looks around, sees the fine chalk lines on the boards, the chaos, papers, books, pencils and pens everywhere. Among all this mess one little thing sticks out. A frame picture on Charlie’s desk. Alex smiles when he sees what is on it.
He sits on his father’s lap while David’s small arms are around Charlie’s neck. Both cousins are laughing, giggling. His father is sitting next to his uncle, their shoulders touching slightly. He is smiling, talking maybe quietly to Charlie, whispering gentle words. Alex is reminded of the warmth and safety he has felt then.
Alex is a grown man who has a job at the Washington murder squad. He has family, a loving wife and two wonderful children. He has his father’s eyes and dark hair. He has his mother’s hands and lips. His father says he has his uncle’s cleverness. He is an Eppes. Alex Alan Eppes. He knows he has made right and sometimes bad decisions. But he also knows that coming here today has been the right choice.
Author: scots_rock
Pairing: Don/Charlie
Fandom: NUMB3RS
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 838
Disclaimer: Not mine. This is fiction.
Feedback: Awesome
Author's Notes: Alex visits a long lost friend. This is the, let me think, yes, it is the 7th part of the Alex-series. There is only one part left. Enjoy! Oh, the darkness is fading by the way.
Alex is standing in the doorframe of the small office watching his uncle watching him. His eyes are big, surprised, shocked, lips slightly parted.
“Alex...?”, he mutters. His hand is trembling, the chalk slides from his fingers and falls to the ground.
Alex smiles gently. Charlie hasn’t changed much. His baby face is still in perfect harmony with his black, curly hair. He has trimmed it, cut it here and there, it doesn’t surround his face the way it used to.
There is no embrace, no kisses, not a word spoken. Charlie is standing opposite of Alex, looking at him, his eyes glitter with tears and finally a small smile starts to play around his lips. Alex enters the room and comes to a halt in front of the desk. It’s been long. Too long. Twelve years exactly since he has last seen his uncle.
“How are you, Uncle Charlie?”, he asks gently.
Charlie awakens suddenly from his trance, inhaling deeply, he searches for the right words.
“Fine. Fine, I guess.”, he brings out finally. There is a long silence. It is as if both of them have to understand what is happening now.
“I came to talk.”, Alex says and sits down. He can’t bare the silence any longer. “I have some news that might be of interest to you.”
Charlie frowns, he doesn’t understand fully.
“What’s wrong?”
“My father is moving back to L.A.”, Alex begins and already senses that this is not going to be easy. Charlie’s body language shows that he doesn’t want to talk about his father, about the past. His arms are folded, his gaze fixed on some spot on the ground.
“Why is he doing that?”, Charlie asks eventually.
“He wouldn’t tell me.”, Alex lies. He told Alex that he wanted to move back to the place where he felt home the most. A place where he felt safe. “Do you know why he is doing that?”
“No, I don’t.”
The answer is quick as are Charlie’s steps as he walks to the end of the room to look through the book shelve, obviously looking for a special mathematical reference.
Alex doesn’t look up, he keeps on facing the black board.
“You know, Charlie, it isn’t your fault.”, he continues calmly.
“What do you know, Alex?” Charlie’s voice is tensed, yet not loud, Alex feels the suppressed anger. “You disappear for a few years, then you come back and tell me that it is not my fault?” Alex feels the pain. “What do you really know?”
This time Charlie is screaming, shouting, raging. He’s crying his desperation and fears into the little room. Because of the echo all the pain comes back again.
“That’s the point now, isn’t it, Charlie?”, Alex shouts and stands up from the chair, turning around and looking at his uncle. “I know nothing. Nothing at all, Charlie. But you do! And that is all that matters!”
Charlie’s eyes are narrowed, he is about to cry. He looks so fragile and broken. Just like Dad.
“No, Charlie! No! I won’t let you cry. This is not your fault, you hear me?” Alex approaches his uncle and seizes his shoulders. “You know whose fault this whole mess is? It is mine. My friggin’ fault.”
“No, Alex, no...”, Charlie stutters, shaking his head slowly, his eyes tightly closed.
“What are you doing here, Charlie?” Alex’s voice is calm. It’s the question that he wanted to have answered since he has decided to come here. “He needs you. You abandoned him in his darkest hour.”
Alex gulps, unnoticed by his uncle. Though words, he knows that. But maybe this is the way to fix his biggest mistake. It seems to work. Charlie looks up at his nephew.
“Where is he?”, he asks silently.
“You already know.”, is Alex’s answer at which Charlie embraces his nephew for the first time in twelve years. He grabs his brown schoolbag and runs out of the office.
Alex won’t move. He looks around, sees the fine chalk lines on the boards, the chaos, papers, books, pencils and pens everywhere. Among all this mess one little thing sticks out. A frame picture on Charlie’s desk. Alex smiles when he sees what is on it.
He sits on his father’s lap while David’s small arms are around Charlie’s neck. Both cousins are laughing, giggling. His father is sitting next to his uncle, their shoulders touching slightly. He is smiling, talking maybe quietly to Charlie, whispering gentle words. Alex is reminded of the warmth and safety he has felt then.
Alex is a grown man who has a job at the Washington murder squad. He has family, a loving wife and two wonderful children. He has his father’s eyes and dark hair. He has his mother’s hands and lips. His father says he has his uncle’s cleverness. He is an Eppes. Alex Alan Eppes. He knows he has made right and sometimes bad decisions. But he also knows that coming here today has been the right choice.