"What?"
"Nina and I were at a casino bar, and we saw them singing with the Karoake machine. When they finished,I invited them to join us, and soon we're all going shopping."
"Good work! Stay close to dad until I get there." Don said and hung up. "I'll keep in touch"
Citing a 'family emergency', Don asked his boss for a couple of days off, which he got. Aside from pulling favors to quickly run her fingerprints, he also had started doing a more through background check after getting her full name from the fingerprint check. Some of what he hadread had disturbed him.Soon after getting the call and time offt he agent went to see Charlie at his office. A part of Don felt paranoid, but he just didn't trust Abby.
"Dad went to Vegas with Abby!" Don told him with worry.
"I know. I read dad's message on the fridge."
"And you didn't tell me?"Don glared at him
"They're going to be back by tonight" Charlie didn't understand why Don was upset.
"Aren't you the least bit worried?" .
"Why would I be?" Charlie had observed that Abby was spontaneous by nature, and so he wasn't surprised when Alan had left a note saying that he and Abby took a trip to Vegas.
"Do what you want!" Don said impatiently. "I'm going to Vegas to see about dad."
99999
As Don drove to LAX, the foursome went to a boutique per Abby's request.
"You should get this shirt! It's awesome" Abby showed one to Alan. "And in your size" She had a good eye for that, though David and Nina thought that she knew Alan's size for other reasons.
"Well..." Alan looked at the shirt and hesitated when he saw that the desighn consisted of skeletons ballroom dancing. As the two friends discussed other shirts, David took Nina aside.
"I called my boss and promised him that I'd stay close to his dad.That's why I asked to join them." he explained in case Nina resented the detour in their plans.
" I'd want someone to call me if they saw my dad with a much younger goth woman in Vegas" Nina nodded. Her father was also a widower.
Eventually, Don was on the plane to Vegas. It had doubled,even tripled the balance on his credit card, but he found it to be more thanworth the cost. As he sat in the plane, he remembered a conversation he had with his mother about a week before she died.
"Donnie" she had resorted to his childhood nickname. "Promise me you'll take care of your father, when I'm gone. He'll need you more than ever"
"I will, mom"
His thoughts were interupted by the pilot announcing that they were approaching Henderson airport.
Don only brought carryon so he didn't have to go to baggage claim. After renting a car, he called David and got the foursome's location. Then, he found them.
"Dad?" Don pretended to be surprised as he greeted his father. Of course, Alan didn't buy it as he remembered David excusing himself at the karoake bar and going aside toanswer a private phone callo on his cell sometime later. He put two and two together."David?"
"How's it goin'?" David greeted his boss. "You remember Nina?"
"You decided to take a vacation?" Alan asked. Don was a bit of a workaholic.
"Hey Don!" Abby said coolly.She figured outDon's real motive as well.
"Yeah, I things are light at the office, so I figured that it was time to take a trip." Don lied.
"And you just happened to run into us" Abby finished, tongue in cheek."What are the odds?"
"You'd have to ask Charlie that" Don shrugged. "What brought you and Abby to Vegas, dad?"
"A car" Abby replied.
Don gave her a look and took it as a sign that they were sidestepping his question.
"Abby wanted to see Vegas, so early this morning we drove down" Alan told him. "We were just shopping with David and Nina."
"Have you gotten anything for Edna?" Don asked.
"I suggested a few things, but Alan didn't think they were appropriate" Abby chimed in while David recalled her 'suggestions' with an inward, stiffled chuckle.
"Could I talk to you for a minute?" Alan asked Don.
"Sure..." The agent tried to remain neutral in his facial expressions, and prepared himself.
Soon, the two Eppes men went aside.
"Why the hell are you really here?" Alan demanded. "David called you didn't he?"
TBC
Author's Chapter Notes:
In this crossover, Abby forms an online friendship with Alan Eppes from Numb3rs.
part 8(Chapters 30-31): Don follows Alan to Vegas; conflicts ensue.
part 8(Chapters 30-31): Don follows Alan to Vegas; conflicts ensue.
Chapter End Notes:
I've got lots of chapters in this story, so I'll put a bunch at a time together.