Chasing Charlie, Numb3rs, PG-13

[phantisma]

Fandom: Numb3rs
Title: Chasing Charlie
Pairing/Characters: Colby/Charlie, Don, Alan, Liz, Amita, David
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: ~2700
Summary: As Don and Colby wrap up a case, a phone call from Charlie sends them scrambling to find him, afraid the case may not be over.

A/Ns & Warnings: For devon99 for generosity and all around awesomeness. Established Colby/Charlie relationship, in this case Amita and Charlie never got together. Sorry it didn't get all the way to the sexing...How is it I have no Numb3rs icons?




"I'm glad that's over." Don said as they watched the car pull away with their bad guy safely tucked in the back, cuffed and on his way to jail to await his bail hearing.

It had been a long, convoluted case. Colby sighed and reached for his phone, sure that at least one of the calls during the chase and take down had been Charlie calling to check up on their progress and whether or not he was going to make it to dinner. Sure enough, two calls from Charlie.

He got in the car beside Don and thumbed the button for his messages.

"Hey, Colby. Just on my way home. Checking in. Huh, that's strange." Colby could almost hear the frown in his voice. "I think that truck was at the college when I left….anyway, I stopped and picked up some steaks, so…if we're still on for dinner, call me when you're on your way and I'll start the grill."

"Charlie." Colby said when Don looked at him funny. He pressed the button for the next message.

"Hey, Colby…it's probably nothing…but I was thinking about that witness, the one who mentioned the truck? I don't know, like I said, it's probably nothing, but I'm wondering now if we should have dismissed it. I'm about five blocks from home. I may want to rework that probability analysis." He sounded strained, stressed, like maybe he needed a break, time off. "Huh…there's that truck again…at least I think it's the same one. Come on Charlie, tell me about the truck. "It's dark, blue, maybe black. California plates…can't see them clearly but I think they start with B42."

The message ended abruptly and Colby stared at his phone for a minute.

"What?" Don asked, concern on his face.

"Remember that witness that said our guy was driving a black truck?"

Don nodded. "Yeah, I remember. Charlie excluded her statement as unreliable. What of it?"

"Charlie said he was being followed by a blue or black truck with plates starting with B42." He frowned harder at the phone. "That was a half hour ago."

"Call him." Don said, speeding up.

"He was headed home." Colby said as he dialed Charlie's number. Pick up the phone, Charlie. It dumped him to voice mail almost immediately. "Nothing." His heart sped up a little and he had to tell himself not to panic.

Don pulled his own phone out of his pocket. "One call. Charlie." He pressed the button for his voice mail, letting the speaker phone play the message for both of them. "Don—Oh my—" There was the sound of the phone being dropped, screeching tires and then crashing, metal squealing…and then nothing.

"Try him again." Don snapped as he pulled out around slow traffic, turning on the vehicle's lights.

Colby dialed, while Don called the office. "David, I need a BOLO for Charlie's car. I don't know."

Colby plugged the ear not listening to the phone connect to Charlie's phone. It didn't ring, just dumped to voice mail. "Charlie, please call." Please call, please call. "Don and I are on our way, but let me know you're okay?"

He shook his head when Don looked at him. "Nothing."

"We'll find him, Colb." Don said, his eyes firmly on the road as he navigated around traffic, finally getting them off the freeway and heading into the quiet neighborhood where Charlie lived.

"Don." Colby pointed at skid marks on the road

"I see it." Don slowed down as they approached. Smoke drifted up from the embankment.

Colby's heart thundered as he threw the door open and drew his weapon. He skidded down the slick grass with Don right behind him. Charlie's car was slammed into a tree, it's front end smashed to hell. One back tire was still spinning uselessly, held off the ground by the twisting of the car's frame.

Don gestured to the driver's side and Colby nodded, picking his way over torn up grass covered in debris. The driver's side door was open, but there was nobody inside. "He's not here." Colby looked up at Don, fear in his eyes. "Don, he's not here."

"Easy, Colby. I'm sure he's fine." Don was flicking his phone open, calling in the accident. Colby leaned into the car, careful not to touch anything without gloves.

It was easy to see why Charlie wasn't answering calls. His phone was smashed to pieces on the passenger's seat. Colby's heart stopped as he pulled back and found blood on the steering wheel. "Don, I've got blood."

Don was checking the area out around the car, but he came to Colby's side instantly. "Okay, Colby, back off. I've got a team coming."

"That's Charlie's blood, Don." Colby said, even though he knew it was unnecessary. Apart from Colby, Don had most reason to be freaking out about the site of Charlie's blood on the wheel of his car.

"And we can't afford to contaminate the scene, Colby." Don put a hand on his chest, pushing him back a step. "Go back up to the road. Wait for David."

He was right, Colby knew that. He nodded tightly and headed back toward the SUV, though all he could think about was Charlie…out there somewhere, counting on them to find him.

He paced along the pavement, watching the road. He and Charlie had been friends a long time before they were suddenly more than friends. It had been a rocky road for them and it had only been the last few months they'd been able to be open about it.

Don had accepted it surprisingly well, after assuring himself that it was what Charlie wanted, that Charlie was up to being the partner of an FBI agent who might not come home one night. Alan took it with a shrug after Charlie told him he was happy.

Hell, they'd taken it better than Colby did himself. It hadn't been anything he expected. He'd never even looked at another man his entire life. But then, he'd never met anyone, man or woman, quite like Charlie Epps.

Two big black SUVs pulled up, David and Liz jumping out of one almost before it was stopped. "Hey."

David's eyes were filled with concern. Colby held up a hand. "Car's down there. So's Don."

"You okay?" Liz asked, one hand on his.

"I'll be better when we find him."

"We will."

David nodded tightly, glancing down the road. They were less than a block to the turn off to the Epps house. "Hey, David. I'm going up to the house." If Charlie was hurt, but still mobile, he might have tried to get to help rather than waiting. Sometimes his genius didn't think clearly.

"Good idea, I'll come with you." Liz said, nodding to David. The crime scene unit was descending to the car. "Let Don know."

To his relief, Liz didn't try to make small talk. She kept pace beside him quietly until they rounded the driveway. For a moment they both froze.

There in the driveway was a black Chevy 4X4 with California plates, the first three numbers of which were 425.

Liz drew her weapon and nodded to the door. Colby exhaled, adjusted his grip on his gun and went first. He had his hand on the doorknob when the sound of sirens reached them. The door opened and Colby lifted his gun into the stunned face of Charlie's former student.

"Amita?"

"Ambulance." She pointed over her shoulder at the ambulance pulling to a stop in the driveway. "He's in here."

"Charlie?"

She nodded and stepped aside. Colby charged past her into the familiar living room. Charlie was on the couch, eyes closed, blood dripping from a large knot on his forehead. He moved closer, reaching for his hand. Charlie didn't move.

"Sir?" Colby moved to let the EMT in to do his job.

"What happened?" Liz asked Amita near the door.

Amita shook her head. "I don't know. I got here a few minutes ago. He was on the porch and pretty out of it. He…I got him inside and called 911."

"He had an accident, down the street." Colby said, watching the EMT. "His phone was trashed." He blinked back to Amita. "That you're truck?"

"My boyfriend's." Amita responded. "Fiance. I was coming over to invite Charlie to the wedding."

"Were you at the school?"

She nodded. "Yeah, I stopped there first…but I missed him, so I headed here."

"But you stopped at a store first?" Again she nodded, eyes wide. "Charlie thought he was being followed." Colby shook his head, then looked at Liz. "You should call Don. Get him up here."

Liz nodded and stepped outside, around the EMT coming in with a gurney piled with a backboard, neck brace and other things. "Is he going to be okay?" Amita asked as the tech working on Charlie stood.

"We'll know more once we get him into the hospital and get some tests run. He's got a pretty hefty head injury. We're going to brace him and get him in to the trauma center where they can access the damage."

"Charlie?" Don burst through the door, slightly out of breath. He stopped cold as the EMT's fitted the neck brace onto him, then moved to Colby. "Is he okay?"

"They're not sure." Colby responded, though his eyes never left Charlie. "He wasn't being followed, exactly. The truck he saw at the college and the store was Amita."

Don nodded. "I think I know what happened. Two kids, playing with a football. They hit his windshield with it, and he lost control when he slammed on his breaks. They ran down the street to call for help."

The EMTs lifted Charlie onto the gurney once they had him strapped to the board. "I'm going to ride with him." Colby said, already moving.

"Meet you there. I'm going to call Dad."

Charlie opened his eyes as they pulled out of the driveway, blinking against the bright lights. "Mr. Epps? Can you hear me?"

He tried to nod, but was too strapped down. "Yeah." His voice cracked.

"Do you know what happened?"

"Car, tree." He blinked and his eyes moved until they found Colby. "Hey."

Colby nearly choked on his relief. "Hey yourself."

"I was dreaming. Amita…"

Colby smiled and shook his head. "Not a dream. She was there."

The EMT moved in, checking Charlie's eyes.

"Head hurts."

Colby slipped his hand into Charlie's and squeezed. "I'll bet it does, you've got quite a knot working there."

"Mr. Epps, can you tell me how many fingers I'm holding up?"

Charlie blinked slowly. "Two."

"Good. And what day is it?"

His face scrunched up. "Tuesday? No, Wednesday."

Colby chuckled. "Do you ever know what day it is?"

"You were coming to dinner, so it's Wednesday."

The ambulance came to a stop and the doors opened. They pulled Charlie out and Colby followed. Don was just pulling in behind them, lights flashing. "Dad's on his way."

"He woke up." Colby said. "That's a good sign."

Charlie disappeared behind the big double doors and they were consigned to waiting. At first Colby sat while Don paced. Then Colby paced while Don sat. Alan showed up and the three of them paced around each other.

Finally, a doctor appeared. "Family for Charles Epps?"

Don lurched forward, followed closely by Alan and Colby. "I'm Charlie's brother Don."

The doctor smiled. "Well, your brother is a lucky man. He's got a nasty bump on the head and some bruising on his ribs. He's going to be sore for a few days, but he's going to be fine."

"Can we see him?" Alan asked.

"We're going to keep him overnight, keep an eye on that head injury. We're getting him moved into a room right now. Someone will come get you once he's settled in."




At the door Colby stopped and looked back as the nurse check Charlie's pulse. It was almost semester break. Charlie really could use a break from school, from the work he did for Don…Colby had some vacation time coming. He wondered how Charlie would react to a surprise vacation. Somewhere warm…with no computers, no bad guys to catch…just the two of them.

It was something they hadn't done. He wasn't sure they were ready yet…but after today, Colby wasn't going to wait. He stepped into the room, smiling at the nurse.

"Visiting hours are over in fifteen minutes."

Colby nodded and moved to the bed.

Charlie's eyes opened as Colby slipped into the chair beside the bed. "Hey."

Colby offered him a smile. "Your dad's asleep in the waiting room. Don just headed home."

Charlie's hand fluttered up to the bandages on his head. "There was a…something hit the windshield."

"Football. A couple of kids were playing nearby."

"Are they okay?"

Colby nodded. "Yeah. Scared as hell, but they'll be fine."

"And the car?"

"Total loss, Charlie." Colby slid a hand over Charlie's. "It was stupid, you know?"

"I know. I wasn't thinking clearly…my phone…" He swallowed and turned his hand so he was holding Colby's. "I couldn't only think that I had to get to a phone."

"You scared me." Colby's thumb traced over Charlie's wrist, not looking up at him. "I saw the blood and your messages played in my head and I thought we overlooked something, thought someone…" He looked up. "Don't know what I would have done if I was right."

Charlie sat up slowly, wincing. He lifted their hands and kissed Colby's knuckles. "I do. You would have found me. You did find me."

He could feel the fear loosen its grip as Charlie paid more attention with his lips to Colby's hand. "Charlie…" He adjusted him self and pulled their hands toward him just as Charlie's tongue found skin. "Hey…"

Charlie pouted at him, then laid back. "I thought you liked that."

"I do." Colby moved so he was sitting on the bed, raising his other hand to wipe a stray curl off Charlie's forehead. "But, you're in no shape…and we're in a hospital…and you're brother would kill me if he thought I took advantage of you."

Charlie snorted. "Right. Because what I want involved in our sex life is you thinking about my brother."

Colby flushed and shook his head. "I tell you what…when you get out of here, I'll make it up to you."

"Yeah? How?" Charlie asked, his eyes sparkling with mischief.

"Well, I was thinking…we both could use some time off." Colby fidgeted a little.

"Like a vacation?" Charlie shifted on the bed, blinking up at him.

"Yeah, semester break is coming…we could go to Fiji or Hawaii…some place warm."

Charlie looked up at him for a long moment. "I really am okay, Colby."

"I know." Colby answered, just a little too fast. "I just…you deserve time off…really off…you and me...on a beach…" Colby smiled and leaned in to kiss him lightly. "No shirts…no shoes…just the sky, the sand, the water…"

"That does sound good." Charlie agreed, pulling Colby back to the moment. "You could convince me…"

Colby grinned. "We could rent a place on the beach. I could convince myself that you were completely okay." Colby kissed him. "For starters, I'll take off all your clothes, and check you over myself." Colby said, glancing behind him to make sure they were still alone.

"Can't be too careful." Charlie murmured. "You'll have to take your time."

Colby nodded. "Inch by inch. I'll have to touch you all over, and not just with my fingers."

There was some evidence that Charlie was starting to warm up to his idea, judging by the way the thin blankets bunched and tented as Colby leaned in, over Charlie's prone body.

"And then what?" Charlie asked breathlessly.

"Mr. Epps, visiting hours are over," a nurse's voice said from the doorway. The curtain around Charlie's bed moved and Colby could feel himself blushing.

"You're a tease." Charlie said, dragging Colby's hand back to his face. "But I'm going to hold you to that."

Colby stood and pressed a kiss to Charlie's forehead, well away from the bandages. "I'll start making the arrangements. Get some rest. I'll be back in the morning."