Because some of you have been asking about this chapter, so here's the update. It's a bit short, but I didn't want to make you wait even longer.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Colby had declined the instruction from Williamson to sit simply on principle, instead staying on his feet to be at an even vantage point. David remained standing either because of the same or because Colby did so, to humor his partner.

When Charlie walked out of the kitchen, it was expected that Gregory Williamson was just a step behind shadowing his movements, but what was unexpected was the tall leggy brunette who exited after them. She was elegant and poised; soft curves, silky hair and totally unknown to both FBI Agents. Colby watched how she followed after Charlie and when the mathematician seated himself on the couch, she sat on his right, Williamson standing at his left.

Colby took in their positions with piqued interest and a raising sense of caution. A glance out of the corner of his eye where David was staring at the three told him that his partner was aware of the undercurrents as well.

“Hello Colby, David.” Charlie greeted, “Why don’t you have a seat?”

Although Charlie expressed the sentiment with genuine warmth and casual puzzlement, his words felt different than all the other times the FBI Agents had been in his company. It was a polite request, but somehow it seemed like it should also be an unsaid command. Colby slowly lowered himself into the one-seat and David watched him with a blend of curiosity and amusement before sitting on the armrest.

“Oh, let me make the introductions.” Charlie said, “Colby, David, this is my friend Jessica. Jessica, this is Agent Colby Granger and David Sinclair, they work at the FBI with Don.”

“Your brother Don?” The woman, Jessica, asked.

“Our team leader,” David answered.

Colby observed the lack of space between the two on the couch in front of him, the comfortable way that Jessica leaned towards Charlie, their shoulder’s brushing, and Colby wondered if this was the reason why Charlie never took Amita up on her interest; if the reason was the unknown beautiful woman in front of him.

“You wanted to see me?” Charlie asked.

David and Colby flicked their eyes over the company. “We wanted to ask you something privately.”

There was a small, but detectable stiffening of the Lieutenant’s back. Jessica’s gaze sharpened and Colby’s sense for caution rose again.

“Is it about the case?” Charlie questioned.

Colby assumed that Don had yet to let Charlie know that they had been pulled from the investigation, if so it was a bit of luck on their end, as this way their questions wouldn’t seem out of place to the professor.

Colby and David didn’t answer, looking at the present company over again.

Jessica pushed herself off from the couch, “I should probably get going. I still have errands to run.”

Charlie followed her up, eyes locked on her form. Colby was not sure if he was comfortable with the way the mathematician stared after the newcomer. “You’ll be back?” There was almost a pleading quality to the words and Colby shifted.

Jessica turned to him, all the coolness and detachment falling away; she smiled and years fell away from her face. “Of course. There are so many things to catch up on. I just have some errands to run.”

“You’ll be careful?” Charlie asked.

Jessica tilted her head, “I’ll have Company.”

“So you won’t be alone.” Charlie said and a matching smile spread across his face.

Colby waited but it seemed like the two of them got lost in each others eyes. The new woman definitely factored into the puzzle of why Charlie had never made advancements in his relationship with Amita. After another short moment where David moved his eyes from one to the other, the corner of his lips curling upwards in fond indulgence, Colby coughed.

The two broke their gaze and Charlie blinked at them. Jessica gave another lingering look at the distracted Eppes brother before heading to the door.

“Wait.” Charlie said and she turned, almost before the word was finished. “Greg will come with you.” He looked to the Army Lieutenant, “Since you were about to go soon anyways, keep each other Company.”

There was a second where Colby was sure Williamson was going to object but the Army man said, “Sure,” instead.

Colby and David watched the two leave and waited for Charlie to sit back down from locking the door. “So what did you need?” Charlie said once he was settled and smiled at them.

Some unknown tension seeped out of Colby’s shoulders; he hadn’t realized that it was there until now. “We just have some questions. About when you first met Williamson.”

. : - : .

“It wasn’t an assignment really. It was more of a consulting gig? It wasn’t really all that sensitive.” Charlie couldn’t help himself, because Don was right, he had never really been good at keeping secrets from him. Just the big ones. Just the most important ones. Just the ones which could shattered their world and change their lives forever. But this, this he could tell him, and Charlie wanted to. Just this one, this little bit. It wasn’t that important and he wanted his big brother to be proud of him; to share with Don, at least in part, of all the things that he couldn’t before. “We have troops stationed all over the globe right?”

“Stop. Stop, stopstopstop.” Don stopped him. Don always did. “Don’t let me play you like that.”

Charlie knew it was for his own good and it was a show of trust in a way, but it still hurt, somewhere inside, where for a moment Charlie had believed in being able to tell Don what had happened. Being able to share with Don, all those years they lost together. Even though Charlie smiled when he said, this time in part jest, “I really can’t tell you, it’s um, it’s top secret.” His smile was tinged with bitterness where Don couldn’t see.

. : - : .

“Don mentioned that you were giving a presentation.” David said. “Do you remember what the presentation was about?”

You should know, I’ve told you the same thing before: using muzzle velocity, inclination of discharge, and area of target range to calculate where the bullet should be. Charlie didn’t say. Or conversely, in terms of item of interest: where the dead or wounded body of the enemy should be. “I can’t tell you.” Charlie replied instead. “It’s top secret.”

David blinked and the two FBI Agent’s looked at each other. “Not even a clue?”

Charlie bit his lip and remained silent.

Colby stared at him for a long moment, a slow dawning realization in his eyes, before breathing in and slapped a hand down on his thigh. “Oh right. It was one of those presentations then. Well thanks, Charlie.” He pushed himself up from the sofa seat.

“Wait,” David said to his partner confused, “we’re not done yet.”

Colby shook his head lightly. “I don’t want to get Charlie in trouble.”

David looked back at Charlie and the genius mathematician looked down, away from his gaze. Charlie never grew good at lying but he learned to omit what he couldn’t say. Charlie knew that he was giving things away, that if it was Colby’s sense of discretion that picked up on it first, meant that it was military sensitive.

Colby played at being the slow jock or dumb lackey sometimes, but he was sharp and he noticed things. There was a very intelligent man underneath the laid back attitude and Charlie knew that there were a lot of things that Colby would never say, could never talk about, and that he was hiding something from those at the Bureau. Charlie had never confronted him, or mentioned anything because Colby wasn’t the only one who walked away broken and with regrets from the military; there were some things that were better not commiserated and reminisced over a beer. Charlie hadn’t known how he was supposed to feel about the ex-Army Agent; especially now with the changing circumstances.

Sometimes the straight line of Colby’s spine and the breadth of his shoulders had sent Charlie back, made him ache with the memories. Sometime’s Colby’s stance and the way he moved, his mannerisms, were so nostalgic that Charlie had to look away and stare into his math, breathe and try to lose himself in the abstract numbers. Sometimes Colby reminded him of everything good, everything that he had missed so much, that it made his heart ache; and sometimes Colby reminded him of everything that he couldn’t afford to think about, everything that he needed to forget and barely managed to.

Sometimes it brought it all back, when Colby first stood at the entrance of the briefing room, wide shoulders blocking the door way, a look of absolute bafflement in his eyes, but hesitant to enter the room to interrupt whatever calculations that Charlie might be drawing from the data spread out in front of him. And as Charlie sunk under the siren call of the numbers he would forget about his immediate surroundings, and sink into the past. A solider at the door, standing guard and flummoxed by the connection of a single formula to the next, but irresistibly drawn to the data before him, knowing that Charlie was reaching a conclusion that would point towards the next mission.

A soldier at the door and Krythan and Vahn down the hall, some of the Company in the mess and training rooms; people warily eyeing Gryffin and Moyne’s bent heads as they planned pranks; Osaki and Yami walking hand-in-hand through the corridors; James and Victor in the hanger fiddling with engines; Greg and Anderson walking by periodically to lean against the doorway, ignore or commensurate with the soldier on duty, staring in indulgent wonder as Charlie hummed along to a melody, slender body weaving back and forth between the posted pages, marker/pencil/chalk scribbling barely legible notations.

After a year of consulting with the FBI, Colby came and made Charlie feel safe, safer than Don did.

Charlie hadn’t been sure if he wanted to hug or punch him for that.

But now Colby was another complication, and not one Charlie was sure if they could avoid. If there was anyone who would be the most likely to notice the procedures they followed, the patterns of interaction, and the way of speech – it would be someone with a similar military background.

Charlie looked into Colby’s eyes and wondered. “I’m sorry I can’t help you.” Meaning it and at the same time not.

“No worries Charlie.” David said standing up, “It’s not our active case anymore anyways.”

“No?” Charlie questioned.

Colby shrugged, “It’s been handed off, the military’s got it. We’ve got a different case to focus on.”

Charlie didn’t know if he should be tense or not, the military having control of the investigation could be a good or bad thing for them, depending on who was put in charge. If it was someone who had previous affiliations’ with Frynd-Sign Charlie could depend on their cooperation, but if it was someone with old prejudices there was going to be obstacles. Charlie needed to start defining his terms and putting boundaries on his variables soon.

“Maybe that’s for the best.” Charlie said, mostly to himself.

Colby gave him a wry smile, acknowledgement of unspoken secrets between them. “Perhaps. Has Don said anything to you about the new case, because we could use your help on that one too.”

“Not yet.” Charlie answered, it probably wouldn’t be long before Don did bring Charlie into the loop or Charlie would ask. Ever since Charlie had begun consulting with the FBI there hadn’t been any significant amount of time that elapsed before Charlie would go to Don. Charlie always looked to Don.

“Then I guess we’ll see you at the office then.” David replied. “Sorry for bothering you Charlie, and interrupting your meeting. We didn’t know you had company.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Charlie smiled. “I’ll see them soon.”