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Conversations	By : IrenaAdler Category: M through R > NUMB3RS Views: 1770 -:- Recommendations : 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.

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Section 4 �
�Charlie�s support�
(Charlie POV, Don, Alan � Charlie tells Alan about Colby.)
[Takes place during Looking for Love, Part 17]

�Dad, can I talk to you for a second?�� Charlie said, twisting his hands
together.� He looked over at Don who was
leaning against the wall nearby.� Don gave
him an encouraging nod.� Charlie was
trying to keep his breathing under control but his chest heaved with nervous
breaths.�

His dad looked up from his newspaper at the serious tone in
Charlie�s voice.� �Sure, Charlie, what is
it?�

Charlie reached in his pocket and touched the cell phone
that was there.� Colby was waiting for
him less than two minutes away.� All he
had to do was call.� Charlie squeezed the
phone then released it.� Don was here to
keep things civil and his father wouldn�t � Wouldn�t what?� What sort of reaction do parents have when
learning that all of their hopes for a progeny�s future weren�t going to come
to pass?� What sort of reaction when they
learn that their child is a social deviant in even more ways than they thought?� Scorn, disgust, disbelief.� All very normal reactions.� But Charlie didn�t know if he could deal with
his father�s scorn or disgust.� Good thing Mom won�t have to hear this too,
Charlie thought bitterly, though he had a feeling that she would have
understood more.� His father who was,
well, a man, and therefore societally conditioned to be less forgiving to
sexual deviance and gender--

�Charlie?�� Alan said, breaking into Charlie�s churning thoughts.

�Oh,� Charlie said, his voice shaking.� �Yeah, I have something I need to tell you.�

�You can tell me anything,� Alan said firmly.�

For a brief moment, Charlie believed him and cast about for a
way to start.� �You know how after I was
kidnapped that I went and started sleeping most nights somewhere else?�

Alan nodded.

�Right, of course you noticed, I mean how could you not
notice when I�m disappearing every night and not coming back until the morning?�

�I noticed,� Alan acknowledged.

�Well I�m sure you wondered where I was going but you�ll
never believe where I went.�� Charlie
paced back and forth across the living room, unable to look his father in the
face.� �It wasn�t Amita, but I�d already
told you that before though I don�t think you believed me.� It wasn�t Larry either or � anyone else you
can think of.

�First, it was just sleeping, I swear.�� Charlie ran a hand through his hair.� �I couldn�t sleep but with � this person, I
could.� I felt safe and didn�t keep
waking up sure that someone was shooting at me.�

Charlie sneaked one last look at his father.� Alan had pushed his chair back and sat,
watching Charlie pace back and forth.� He
looked calm.� He has no idea what�s coming �

Charlie fixed his eyes on the middle distance and returned
to his pacing.� �But it didn�t stay just
sleeping.� I knew that � this person
cared for me and things just sort of evolved.�
You know how evolution tends to go from simple things to more and more
complex organisms?� What was between us
started out simple and got more complicated but better, just like
evolution.� Well, not that evolution is
always a movement in a positive direction but I�m sure this isn�t any dead-end
evolutionary branch with some sort of unsurvivable mutation��

�Charlie,� Alan said patiently.� �Get to the point?�

�Point, point, right,� Charlie mumbled.�� He looked over at Don who was smiling
slightly.� He made a �go-ahead�
gesture.�

Charlie tried to �go-ahead�, he really did.� �I guess evolution is a poor metaphor because
furthering of the species is certainly not guaranteed here.� Though modern techniques have made
significant advances but I�m not sure if that�s circumventing evolution or
aiding it��

�Charlie,� Alan interrupted, sounding a little frustrated.� �Please, just tell me who this person is that
you�ve been seeing.�

�Seeing?�� Charlie
blinked, unable for a moment to understand what sensory perception had to do
with the issue.� �Oh, right, seeing.� I guess that �seeing� is an accurate term
though other senses are involved as well, though I�m sure you didn�t really
need me to explain that, given as you��

�Charlie,� Alan said, shaking his head.� �You�re getting nowhere.� And considering I only have another forty or
fifty years to live, I�ll give you a hand.�

�A � hand?�� Charlie faltered.� �He
stopped pacing and stared at his father.

�A hand,� Alan said firmly.�
�I can tell you that I�ve known who you�ve been seeing for quite some
time now.�

�I know you think it�s Amita,�
Charlie said, �But it�s not.�

�No,� Alan agreed.�
�It�s definitely not.� But I want
you to know what I�m okay with it.�

�How can you say that when you don�t know��

�Colby,� Alan stated.�
�You�ve been seeing Colby Granger.�

Charlie�s jaw dropped open and he gaped at his father.�� Behind him, Don burst out laughing.� Charlie�s eyes swiveled to Don and back to
his father, utterly bemused.

�God, you boys must think I�m an idiot,� Alan said, shaking
his head.� �Not to figure out such a
simple thing.� The clues were all there.�

�� Clues?�

�Charlie,� Alan said, getting up from his chair and coming
to take Charlie�s trembling hands.� �I�m
okay with you being in love with a man, I really am.�

�You � are?�

�Yes, I am.�� Alan
said firmly.� �I�m glad that you finally
felt like you could tell me.�� He
chuckled.� �Though I
got tired of waiting for you to spit it out.�

Charlie�s brain spun, unable to find traction.�� He had tried to prepare himself for all
sorts of reactions, but relief and acceptance were not among them.� �I don�t understand.� Why aren�t you upset?�

Alan sighed.� �The
same question your brother asked me a month ago.� The truth is that your mother and I always
thought that you were gay, but when the years went by and you seemed perfectly
happy with women, we figured maybe we were wrong.�

�You � and Mom always thought �?�� Charlie had to pull away from his father and
stumble to a chair.

�Yes,� Alan said.�
�All that really matters here is that you�ve found someone who you love
and will be happy with.� Are you happy
with Colby?�

�Y-yes.�� Charlie stammered, then
realized that didn�t sound definite enough.�
�Yes, I am, we are, very much.�

�Good!� Alan nodded.�
�So that�s that.�

�That�s � What about grandchildren?�

�As you said,� Alan winked.�
�Modern medical techniques are amazing.�

�But, but �� Charlie stumbled but couldn�t say anything
more.

Alan looked past Charlie to Don, who was leaning against the
wall, quaking with silent laughter.�
�Donnie,� Alan said, shaking his head. �You had entirely too much fun
watching your brother stumble through that.�

�Yes,� Don said, his laughter bubbling out.� �I did.�
But it was great to see from this side.�

Charlie blinked at them, unable to fathom what they were
talking about.� Too many shocks to the brain at once.� Colby would have to�

�Colby!� Charlie said
abruptly.� Colby must be sitting in his
car, still anxious and fearful.� Charlie
dug his phone out of his pocket and pressed a speed dial number.

Colby picked up so fast he must have been sitting there with
his thumb on the answer button.� �Charlie
you okay?� he asked with a rush.

�Yeah,� Charlie said slowly.�
�He knew.� He knew.�

A startled pause.� �What?�

�He�s known for months.��
Charlie said then added with a grumble, �Don thought it was hilarious.�

�Don told him?�� Colby
snapped.

�No, no, Dad says he didn�t.�
Says he isn�t stupid and figured it out all by himself.�

�And he�s not � mad?�

Charlie shook his head.�
�No, he�s not mad.�

�He � he doesn�t mind?�

�No.�� Charlie said,
still dazed.� �Says he�s glad I finally
told him.� Says he�s happy that I have
someone I will be happy with.�

�� Oh.�

�Says he and mom always thought I might be gay but then when
I was always with women, they thought they must be wrong.�

�Always � thought,� Colby echoed, obviously having as much
trouble getting a handle on this as Charlie was.

�Charlie,� Alan called behind him.� �I�ve got a pot roast in the freezer.� Why don�t you invite Colby over for dinner?�

�Um,� Charlie said, staring at his father.�

�Was that your dad?� Colby said in his ear.� �What did he say?�

�He said to invite you over for dinner.�

�D-dinner?� Colby stammered.�

�Yeah.�� Charlie said dazedly.� �Dinner.� Come over?�

�Uh, okay, if you�re sure.�

�Yeah, see you in a minute.��
Charlie closed the phone and blinked at nothing.� He�d told his dad and the world hadn�t come
to an end.� He�d told his dad he was gay
and his dad had said he�d known.� He�d
told his dad that he was sleeping with Colby and his dad had invited Colby over
to dinner.��

Around Charlie, reality broke up and began reforming, like
it did when he finally grasped some fundamental math concept, like it did when
he was able to look beyond that concept and the numbers grew new shapes � like
it had when he�d realized he was in love with Colby.

Charlie pushed himself up from the chair and headed towards
the kitchen.� �Colby�s coming,� he
called.� �Better be a big pot roast!�
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