Disclaimer: I don't know own Numb3rs or anything associated with it. This story is for entertainment only.

Author's note: This is just a set of stories exploring Don and Charlie's relationship through the years. Each chapter can be seen as stand alone pieces with just a few common themes running through them. I've tried to make the time frame in each chapter clear but they're not in any particular order.

Just a little side note. I don't know if anyone's interested but this chapter was based (vaguely) on the song Opportunity by Pete Murray.

--------------------------------------------------

L for Longing

Charlie watched as his mother methodically took clothes from his wardrobe, folded them and placed them in the suitcase on the bed. Charlie had told her that he could pack his own things seeing as he was thirteen. But Margaret knew from family holidays that the Eppes men's idea of packing was to shove everything in the suitcase and sit on it until it closed. Anyway, she told Charlie, he was her baby. Charlie had rolled his eyes at that.

As he stood watching her, he felt a lump rise in his throat. Swallowing he walked over to the window, looking down on his father and brother on the front lawn. They were laughing and joking as they loaded up the car. Charlie couldn't help but feel resentful. He couldn't understand why everyone was so happy. Or maybe, why couldn't he be happy too? He could have sworn he was happy last week. Happy, excited, bubbling with anticipation. But as this day drew closer he felt all those emotion being replaced by anxiety and fear.

Last night he had gone to bed early on his mother's order's but found himself unable to sleep. He lay in bed, his mind racing. Fear and doubt taking over until he found he was unable to breath. Gasping for air he leapt out of bed and into the hall. He wanted more than anything to go out into the garage but he knew his parents were still downstairs so he settled for sitting in the hall just outside his room and started counting the cracks on the ceiling.

Suddenly he heard a voice floating down the hall. Don's voice. His bedroom door was slightly open and he was talking to someone. For a moment Charlie thought he had someone in his room with him but then realised he was talking on the phone. From his position Charlie couldn't hear what Don was saying. So getting on his hands and knees he crawled towards the open door. Settling down just beside the opening he listened closely, knowing that if he was discovered Don would skin him alive.

Don was talking to one of his best friends. Talking about how he couldn't wait until he went off to college. Couldn't wait to be out of the house and away from the family. Charlie had to blink back tears when Don joked about leaving and never coming back.

He scolded himself. Of course Don was happy. He was eighteen. Tired of being stuck at home with his little brother. Charlie should have known better than to think Don was as scared as he was.

Creeping back to his room, he hid under the covers, his breathing problems forgotten. Instead he just wanted to sink into the mattress and disappear. He spent most of the night awake, tossing and turning. His body alive with nervous energy. Every hour or so he would go to the bathroom and splash water on his face. Around three he had thought about going down and doing some work in the garage but he resolved to stay strong.

By morning he was more tired than he had been when he had gone to bed, but when his mother walked in to waking him, he dutifully got up and started getting his things ready to leave. Off to Princeton. He and his mother were leaving today. Catching a plane at 1 o'clock. Don would be staying at home another week before leaving for college on a baseball scholarship. Meanwhile Alan would remain at home, holding the fort until holidays came round and everyone would return. Or so they said, but as Charlie watching Don through the window in his bedroom, he had the feeling that something would suddenly come up preventing him from coming home.

"Charlie, are you ready to go?"

Turning back to his mother, Charlie saw that the suitcase was now closed and sitting by the door, ready to join his mother's in the back of the car. Nodding, Charlie turned to grab his backpack from the bed. He was so nervous now that he had to put himself on autopilot just to make it to the door. Stopping on the threshold he took one quick look at the bedroom before heading downstairs. He knew if he lingered too long he would never be able to leave. When he reached the front door he found Don standing just outside.

"Hey Buddy. Ready to go?"

Charlie nodded, not trusting himself to speak.

"I guess this is good-bye then."

Charlie couldn't hide his surprise. "You're not coming with us?"

"No, I uh, I have stuff to do here. I'll call you though. As soon as you get settled in."

That seemed like an empty promise to Charlie and he told himself not to be disappointed when it didn't happen.

"Okay. Bye then." Brushing past Don, he could sense his older brother's surprised. Grabbing Charlie's arm he held him back.

"Hey, that's it? I'm not going to see you for months and that's all the good-bye I get?"

"What do you care?" The words surprised Charlie as much as they did Don.

For a moment the two just stood there, frozen in time. Charlie glaring off into space while Don studied him. He couldn't understand where this had come from. The week before Charlie had been so excited. Going on and on about all the things he would be doing at Princeton, about how he would finally fit in. Don thought he wanted to go.

"Charlie..."

"Forget about it."

Charlie took off again, moving too fast for Don to catch him. Once he reached the driveway he handed his dad the backpack and threw himself into the car. Margaret hugged Don good-bye, Alan having to intervene when she wouldn't let go of his neck. Once they were all safely in the car, Alan started the engine and backed out of the driveway. When they got to the road, Don made his way back inside, still confused about Charlie's behaviour. Oh well, he thought. There was nothing he could do about in now.

Sitting down in front of the TV, Don was looking forward to having the house to himself. But before he had even turned the TV on, there was a frantic knocking at the door. Getting up, the knocking turned into banging and by the time Don got to the door it sounded like someone was trying to break it down.

"All right. I'm coming. Jeez."

Opening the door, he was shocked at the sight before him. His dad's car, which had been on it's way down the street, was back in the driveway. And Charlie was standing on the doorstep, eyes red with tears. When Don appeared, Charlie threw himself at his older brother. Wrapping his arms around his waist and burying his head in Don's stomach.

Almost immediately Don could feel wetness through his t-shirt. He slowly wrapped his arms around his brother, and when he felt Charlie's grip begin to loosen, he freed himself and got down on one knee. Once he was more level with Charlie's face, he met his younger brother's eyes. Without even needing a cue, Charlie began to speak.

"I'm not going. I can't. I'll stay here and go to Calsci, and you can stay too. And we can all be together." Charlie had grabbed Don's arm. "Don, please don't go. Please. If you go you'll never come back and we'll never be family again. Please don't go."

Tears were rolling down Charlie's cheeks and he wiped at them, suddenly self conscious. Don took a minute to take in what Charlie had just said. It all seemed to come out of nowhere, but Don could tell that Charlie had been thinking a lot about it. Of course Charlie had to go. That much was clear in Don's mind. Charlie had to go to Princeton. Charlie needed Princeton. Needed to be where he belonged, and if Charlie belonged anywhere it was there.

"Chucky, you have to go." Charlie open his mouth to speak but Don stopped him. "No, listen, you have to go to Princeton and I have to go off to college. That's just the way it has to be."

Don could tell that Charlie wasn't convinced, so he tried to explain. "It's like evolution. It has to happen for us to become the people we're supposed to be." He took his brother hands. "You are going to be a great man, Charlie. You're going to do great things. But first you have to go to Princeton. They are going to do things for you, amazing things. And you're going to love it."

Charlie was crying again. Deep down he knew Don was right, but he also knew that once they left things would never be the same. They would never be a family again. He wanted to tell Don, but he found himself unable to do anything but cry.

Hugging him again, Don stood up and walked Charlie back over to the car. As he ushered him in, Charlie grabbed at Don's arm again, but Don managed to evade his brothers grip.

"Don..."

"It's okay Charlie, everything will turn out okay. You'll see."

Closing the car door, Alan was quick to start it again and get moving. He knew that if he hesitated Charlie would be back out of the car in a second.

Don watched until the car was out of sight before heading inside for the second time. When he got to the couch, he sat down and turned on the TV. Don was known for his amazing level of self control, but at that instance he felt closer to breaking down than ever before.