numb3rsflashfic | Telling A Secret by Jestana, Challenge #8: Love

Title: Telling A Secret
Pairing/Characters: Megan Reeves, Larry Fleinhardt, Charlie Eppes; LF/MR.
Rating/Category: PG for character in danger
Word Count: 662
Spoilers: Not really
Summary: Megan does some thinking about her relationship with Larry.
Notes/Warnings: Larry is in danger, but he manages to live. Mainly because I like him too much to kill him off. *grin* Other fics.

Telling A Secret
When she became an FBI agent, Megan Reeves knew that anyone she cherished would now be a target for someone seeking revenge. For that reason, she'd done her best not to become attached to anyone besides her family. She'd succeeded for the most part; content with the satisfaction her work for the FBI brought her. Then she'd transferred to California and met Dr. Larry Fleinhardt. She didn't know quite how he managed it, but he'd somehow snuck into her heart and she didn't want him to leave. She just couldn't bring herself to tell him that, because there was a small irrational part of her that felt he would be just a little safer if she kept that small secret.

Now, as she watched him sleep, she realized how easily one of them could die and he would never know the truth. She would rather he died knowing how she felt than to live wondering. The sound of the door opening drew her attention and she smiled softly when she saw who had come in. "Hey, Charlie."

"Hey, Megan. How's he doing?" Charlie asked, coming up to stand beside the chair she was curled up in.

"All the equipment indicates that he's doing fine," she answered, indicating the numerous monitors hooked up to Larry with a wave of her hand, "and he seems to be sleeping peacefully, too."

Charlie nodded, his hand hovering over her shoulder hesitantly for a moment before he squeezed it comfortingly. "I'm sure he'll be fine, Megan. He eats well and manages to keep himself in pretty good shape."

"I know," she replied with a soft sigh. "It was still pretty scary."

Charlie gave a sigh of his own. She almost didn't hear him murmur, "It was very scary."

"I can assure you both that I have no intention of leaving this world just yet," Larry's voice interrupted their quiet conversation.

Megan was by his side in moments, holding his hand in both of hers. Charlie came to the other side of the bed, grasping Larry's hand. "Hey, Larry, how're you feeling?"

"Aside from feeling as if a supernova went off in my chest, I feel fine," Larry smiled slightly, squeezing each of their hands with his. "What exactly happened?"

Megan was too choked up to say anything and glanced at Charlie. "You had a minor heart attack, Larry. You gave all of us quite a scare."

"I apologize for that." Larry sighed, looking up at the ceiling.

Megan tugged on his hand to draw his attention to her. "Larry, you have nothing to apologize for. You didn't choose to have the heart attack, after all."

"I'm going to go let everyone know that you're fine, Larry," Charlie inserted quietly as Larry and Megan simply looked at each other.

Neither of them spoke until the door had closed behind Charlie. "Larry, I..." "Megan, there's..." "You first." "No, ladies first."

"All right, well, I had plenty of time to think while you were asleep, Larry," she began, toying with his hand nervously, "and I realized that I should have told you something a long time ago, but I didn't because I was, well, I was afraid."

He gently withdrew his hand from her grasp and tilted her chin up so she had no choice except to meet his eyes. "Megan, what are you trying to say?"

"Larry, I can't pinpoint exactly when it happened, but I'm in love with you," she told him, her eyes meeting his steadily.

He stared at her for several moments before a smile slowly appeared. "I had promised myself I would wait for you to say something, though I admit I was beginning to wonder if you would ever tell me."

"Larry, are you saying what I think you're saying?" Megan asked hopefully.

He nodded, still smiling. "Yes, Megan, I'm in love with you, too."

Too overwhelmed by her emotions to verbalize them, she leaned forward to kiss him softly.

End
Post-Fic Note: I started to write more, but it was detracting from the story, so I've started a sequel, but it's not finished yet.