Title: Brotherly Equation

Author: Signs Of Sun

Summary: One Shot (So long posted in two chapters). Sorry but that's all you're getting. Can't really say what you're getting with this one. May have warranted a warning but not willing to do that this particular time so if you're comfortable with that read away!

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Brotherly Equation

Part I

"Please tell me you brought it?" Charlie pleaded as his brother entered through the doorway of the house.

"Brought what?" Don inquired and closed the door behind him.

"No. No. No. I needed that to finish…I didn't have time…I can't….No. No. No." Charlie stammered stressfully as he moved hurriedly to the pile of work laid out on the dining room table. Don's right hand went to his forehead for a split second and then ran over his hair as an expression of realization washed over his face.

"Oh, buddy. I'm sorry. I forgot."

"I asked you to do one thing for me. You said you were on the way past here anyway. I can't believe you forgot." Charlie responded. His tone tainted with both hurt and irritation. But stress was most prominent. Work overload was having its effect.

"I did bring you something though," Don offered as he made his way from the door to the dining room.

"Oh yeah! What's that?"

Don reached inside the right pocket of his jacket and tugged out a small box. He placed it on the table and gave it a shove with his fingertips, forcing the box to slide the length of the table. The expansive stack of papers at the other end of the table halted it before it flew off onto the floor. Charlie stared down at the item for a moment before throwing a look in Don's direction. A smirk was growing on his brother's face as Charlie let out a noise midway between a sigh and a growl.

"You did that on purpose."

"Nothin' gets past you. How many equations did you go through in your head to figure that one out?" Don teased with a cocky nod of the head and a flash of a smile. Charlie scooped up the box into his grasp. He parted his lips as if he was about to speak, but no words arrived. He was so wound up from what he was working on and what Don had pulled the words had gotten all jumbled up before departing into the air. He ended up just shaking the box in his hand. The pieces of chalk inside rattled against one another

"Chalk crisis averted I take it!" Don stated.

"I can't believe you duped me." Charlie tossed back

"I'm your big brother. It's my job to not pass up an opportunity to mess with you."

"Here's an equation. Don as big brother equals Don as pain in the ass." The words came out as brotherly ribbing. Mostly.

"What no 'thanks for the rescue, Don'. No 'I'm glad I have connections with the FBI'. No 'thanks for having my back bro.'. You asked for chalk so I brought you chalk."

"I can't believe I fell for that. Why didn't I see that coming?" Charlie mumbled, more to himself than Don. He surely should have known by now how sneaky Don could be when in mischievous big brother mode.

"I'd say my work here is done then!" Don stated, shedding his coat and hanging it on the back of one of the chairs. He sauntered off into the kitchen, a pleased with himself grin plastered on his face.

"I was going to hold out longer on ya, but you seemed all key up. So I cut you some slack," he commented, returning with two mugs of coffee in hand. He took a sip from the one in his right hand and offered the one in his left to his brother. Charlie accepted it and glanced at the clock.

"Where did you buy chalk at this hour anyway? Where does one find school supplies at two in the morning? I didn't even think about the time when I called."

"I have my sources. Don't you worry about it!"

"Matter of national security huh?" Charlie inquired, jest drenching his tone.

"Need to know basis!" his brother retorted.

"I have my clearance back."

"My confidential sources will remain just that—confidential."

"You know you want to tell me. It's for a good cause!" Charlie rebutted.

"Yes. I see it now. Dozens of math equations will be saved."

"Perhaps some negotiation."

"Not gonna happen!" Don replied and took a long sip of his coffee. He walked into the living room, settled on the couch, and propped his legs up on the coffee table.

"Pain in the posterior!" Charlie commented, following behind him.

"Chalk junkie!"

"I can stop any time I want to!" Charlie stated firmly. To this Don let out a deep laugh, so entertained it verged on being a snort.

"Okay, maybe not so much. But if I'm a chalk junkie then you're enabling me. Bringing me chalk at two in the morning. Where did you buy chalk at this hour anyway?"

"Nice try." Don replied and let his head sink back into the softness of the couch at his back. Charlie intently studied him for a moment.

"What? I got schmutz on my face or something?" Don inquired, responded to the odd expression that had come over Charlie's face. He ran the palm of his free hand down over his face to reassure there was nothing there that shouldn't be.

"You look really beat bro."

"Long day. Longer night."

"Perhaps you should just crash here."

"I'll hang out for a few. Then I think I'll head out."

"I should have made the coffee stronger."

"Trust me, Charlie, this coffee is plenty strong enough. Just how many scoops did you put in here?" Don inquired, looking down into his cup rather suspiciously.

"I don't recall. I made the coffee with one hand and was working an equation with the other."

"If you're making coffee with one hand and doing math with the other in the middle of the night you need to take a break."

"Can't. Too many projects that need my attention," Charlie protested after a sip from his coffee mug. He then took a seat at the other end of the couch.

"Well, your health needs some attention too. You're going to run yourself into the ground."

"This coming from you."

"All I'm saying is the math will be there in the morning. The bad guys aren't courteous enough to hang around while I get some shut eye."

"A valid point, however, I propose that although the math will be there in the morning my same thought process may not be open. So I have to work when the line of thought presents itself."

"Well, you promise me you'll get some rest when the thought process closes up shop, okay, buddy."

"Scouts honor." Charlie replied. Don rolled his head to the right and raised his eyebrows at his brother.

"What?"

"I don't think you can swear on Boy Scouts honor unless you were actually a Boy Scout."

"Mathematicians honor?" Charlie suggested hopefully. If nothing more it made his brother smile.

"Yeah I'll buy that."

"Phew! Cuz that's all I had."

"So when I came in you seemed kind of wound about something. What's going on?"

"I'm helping Larry with a project. I keep hitting a dead end and having to turn around and retrace my steps. And Amita needed some calculations. She was asked to speak at a conference and I want to make sure its solid math before she presents. Then there's this grad student who has great potential but needs a little polishing. My publisher keeps calling hoping I have a piece close to ready. Something about not wanting too much time to go by between pieces. Then…"

'Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Charlie you have all that going on at once?"

"Yeah why?"

"Because it explains why you looked like you were about to spin off into outer space when I came in here. You need to give yourself a break."

"I can't. Larry, Amita, my publisher, my students they are all counting on me."

"They all understand that you have other things going on. Last time I checked math geniuses were human too and needed to rest once in a while," Don responded and straightened up in his seat a little. A reflective beat passed before Charlie finally confided his feelings.

"It's just they're counting on me and I don't want to let them down. There's just more work then minutes in the day. I wish I could do more."

"Charlie, it's great you are so generous with your abilities and wholeheartedly want to give it your all But they'll understand if you tell them you need to step back, even if it's just one day off. At least if they care about your well being they will. And if they don't then…well…" Don offered in a now softer voice.

"If they don't then what?"

"If they don't then they'll get a little visit from me, that's what!"

"Really?"

"Oh you can count on it. I'll tell that publisher where he can put his publishing!" Don commented jokingly. A boyish smile tugged at Charlie's lips and he let out a soft chuckle. He would argue up and down that he could take care of himself just fine, but there was something about when Don stuck up for him. Something deep inside that fulfilled a little brother's need to know that his brother cared enough about him that he would race off to kick somebody's ass. He was suddenly glad that Don was his big brother and not the brother of someone he had pissed off. He doubted it would have been a pleasant experience. He was extremely lucky to be on this side of that equation.

"Refill?" Don's voice asked from above him. The sound drew him out of his thoughts.

"Huh? What?"

"Your coffee. Do you need a refill?" Don asked. Charlie looked up at him and wondered when Don had gotten up off the couch. He must have wandered off into thought deeper than he realized.

"Oh no. I'm still working my way to the bottom."

"Oh yeah? I reached bottom hours ago! And I don't mean the coffee!" Don called back as he headed off into the kitchen. Charlie took a lingering sip of his coffee which was significantly cooler than the last time he had taken one. Don reappeared, fresh cup in hand. But he didn't return to his seat on the couch. Instead he began to wander the room, glancing out the window, studying a photo on the shelf, and peeking at Charlie's work on the table.

"So what about you?" Charlie asked.

"What about me?"

"What had you out so late? Hot date?" Charlie suggested, teasing in his voice.

"If it was a hot date would I be here hanging out with my brother?"

"Statistically unlikely."

"You better believe statistically unlikely!" Don responded and meandering towards the next room. Charlie drank down the last gulp of coffee and set the mug down on the table. He stood up and stretched out a kink or two as his brother made his way into the next room. Charlie was pulled to trail after him. He found Don steadily working his way towards the bottom of the second cup of coffee.

"Drink anymore of that coffee and you won't be able to close your eyes for the next three days."

"At this point I think I might be able to sleep with my eyes open for the next three days."

"You never answered my question."

'Which one was that?"

"What had you out so late? You were still at work when I called. New case?"

"Nothing so exciting. Unless, of course, you call a mountain of paperwork an exciting evening," Don replied. Charlie took note that his brother had ceased his wandering. They had arrived a few feet short of standing beside the piano.

"Are you looking for something?"

"What do you mean?" Don asked back.

"It's just you're wandering the house like you're looking for something in particular."

"It sort of felt that way when I was walking around but I got in here and it felt like whatever it was is in here." Don's gaze drifted around the objects in the room but the only thing that drew his attention for more than a fleeting glance was the piano. So he set his coffee on the table by the window and slid onto the seat of the piano bench. Charlie watched his brother looked longingly at the keys.

"Dad's asleep huh?" Don inquired without turning his attention from the piano.

"Yes. Many hours ago." Don's head bobbed his understanding in reply and the two were quiet for a moment. Don lifted his left hand to the cool surface of the keys and just barely skimmed them over middle C then along the next several. The feather light touch created no sound. But Charlie could tell that Don wanted to play something. It was a rare moment to find Don seated there and Charlie suddenly wished his father was awake so his brother could feel free to play.

"Having piano lesson flashbacks?" Charlie teased.

"I don't know. Something just drew me over here. Anyway, I probably should head out!" Don replied and stood up from the piano. It seemed to Charlie as if his brother hadn't gotten up right then he would have been compelled to play. So to avoid awakening there father he had removed himself from the temptation.

"You're welcome to stay here."

"And be subjected to more of that substance you call coffee?" Don called out as he headed to the dining room and scooped up his coat. He slipped it on and moved to the doorway.

"You're right that would be cruel, wouldn't it?" Charlie conceded as he trailed behind his brother.

"Alright! Well I'm on my way!" Don stated as he opened the door.

"Drive safe!" Charlie responded and headed towards the pile of papers on the table. Don caught him headed there and called after him.

"Oh and hey, Charlie!"

"Yeah." Charlie said, looking across the room to his brother.

"You were a huge help on that last case. Couldn't have done it without you."

"No problem. Thanks for having my back. You know with offering to kick some ass if I needed you too."

"Just say the word, bro, and I'm all over it. You get some rest now. Remember you promised. Mathematician's Honor."

"You too, Don. Don't be a stranger, okay?"

"I'll see what I can do."

"Goodnight!"

"Night. Remember to take care of yourself or I might have to pay some visits round town." Don called back as he left the house. Charlie heard the door clicked closed and he looked down at the enormous stack of papers spread out before him. They begged his attention but he had promised Don so instead he grabbed a blanket and pillow from the closest and clicked the lights off. In the darkness he made his way to the couch and settled in.

To Be Continued…