Chapter Text
Prologue
Lisa Sykes sighed as she walked down to Ross Moore’s table, where he was to be signing autographs for his fans and she was to make sure he took his medication before the events of the day, though he was pretty good at remembering them.
She felt sad for the man, who was struggling with his health problems but he managed to keep his spirits up for the most part.
As she was organizing his table, she heard shouting and screaming coming from down the hall, making her wonder what the commotion was about.
To her shock, she saw a familiar looking man lying in the crowd and she knew immediately it was not good.
‘His family is not going to like this.’ Lisa thought to herself
Chapter 2: Chapter One
Notes:
Disclaimer: Don't own anything related to the show.
Author's Note: Sorry for the delay, things have been busy and internet was spotty where I was.
Chapter Text
Chapter One
FBI…
David smiled as he walked with Don as his now former boss to his new office, as he never could have imagined the man actually not being in the field.
“This is really happening.” David said, not being able to help himself.
“Well, this is something that I had been thinking about for a while anyway, as I can’t be in the field forever, but I’ll admit it was quicker than I thought it was going to be.” Don admitted, smiling at his friend.
David simply smiled, knowing how close it was for Don and Colby, who was still at a doctor’s appointment, seeing if any residual infection was gone or not.
Knowing Colby, he will be in the office in no time, which would be a relief for David, as that way he knew that his best friend was still there.
“So… how did the appointment at Bradford’s go?” Don asked
David smiled bigger, as he knew that Don was going to ask
“Really good, while Bradford thinks that we still have a long way to go, it feels like that we are more in sync right now.” David admitted
“I’ve noticed.” Don smiled, as he was happy that his two former agents were getting along much better compared to what had been going on the past couple months.
David smiled back, as he was really feeling more at ease with Colby ever since they started their sessions with Bradford
“Anything else new with you?” David asked, deciding to change the subject.
“Well, me and Robin are doing better this time around.” Don said with an even bigger smile.
David shared the sentiment, as after everything his boss has been through, he deserves some happiness.
He just hopes that Colby will find the same thing, too.
Then he had to ask another hard question.
“Have you heard from Megan?”
Don nodded before saying.
“She says that she’ll be back in a couple weeks, as she is feeling better about her whole situation and she and Larry are enjoying their time off.”
That put David at ease, as he wasn’t sure what Megan was planning on doing, given the assignment that she was given at the Justice Department and the aftermath for her.
“Hopefully, she’ll forgive herself for the whole situation.” David said as his phone went off
“One could only hope.” David agreed, as he turned his attention to his call.
He frowned as he listened in, surprised at what he was hearing.
“Got a case?” Don asked out of curiosity, as Colby was returning tomorrow and they had been assigned two temporary agents, who David only just met two days ago.
The only reason that David was allowed to work cases was because the FBI was dealing with a couple high profile cases and they needed a couple teams to handle smaller cases, though he really couldn’t complain much.
“Yeah, and it’s at comic con.” David said, now thinking about how he had been unable to go due to all the issues and scheduling he had to deal with the past few months.
“Well, now you can go there.” Don said, knowing how David likes these kinds of things.
“Yeah, but not in a way that I would’ve wanted though.” David said ruefully as Don patted him on the back
“Hey, at least you are taking a lead on the case.” Don said with his trademark smile.
“There is that.” David admitted as he walked to the elevator with one of said new agents, Samson Donner, right behind him.
“Hey, glad we got a new case we can work together on.” Donner said
“Yeah, glad to have your help.” David agreed, just glad that they almost have a fully functioning team again.
Chapter 3: Chapter Two
Chapter Text
Chapter Two
Two hours later…
Convention Center
David and his team were walking around the area, David was amazed at all the events and people’s costumes that he wished that he could take part in.
He had always wanted to go to this Comic Con since he was a kid, especially with the thought of meeting his heroes, who would inspire him to become an FBI agent, which he figured would be his best chance at being one.
‘Maybe if the case wraps up before the con ends, I’ll be able to attend on my own time.’ David thought to himself, though he knew that would be highly unlikely.
Before he could think about it anymore, a female voice called out to him from the crime scene
“Are you Agent Sinclair?” The woman in a dark suit asked as she offered her hand to David
“Yes and you are..?” David answered as he shook her hand with a small smile
“Detective Lauren Sanchez.” She said, returning the smile before asking the obvious question
“Do you know why the FBI was called in?”
“No, just that we needed to be here as quickly as possible.” David answered, still annoyed that he wasn’t told the identity of the person that was found dead.
“It’s probably best that you see for yourself.” Sanchez said cryptically as she lead David to the body,
David was confused at first but when he saw the body, it immediately clicked for him as to why the FBI would be involved in the first place.
“Does his uncle know?” David asked
“No, there has been some difficulty in trying to reach him.” Sanchez answered
“Okay I need to make a phone call to give one of my colleagues a heads up.” David said quickly as he took out his phone.
“Don, we have a bit of a situation here.” David said, before saying.
“We need to contact Walt Merrick as soon as possible.”
Chapter 4: Chapter Three
Chapter Text
Chapter Three
Two hours later…
Convention Center Office…
David simply couldn’t believe it… Walt Merrick’s nephew, John “Jack” Anders Weller Jr., was dead and it was at a comic con.
‘I wonder if he was even aware that his nephew was into comic books or was going to be at the convention.’ David thought to himself.
David had mixed feelings about the man, as on one hand, Merrick had him observe and report Don aka see if he threatens Merrick’s job but on the other hand, he was a man who seemed to want to do right for both the agency and the people they try to protect.
Don was understanding of David’s feelings, though David suspected that Don actually dislikes Merrick but his friend hasn’t said anything about that or otherwise.
It was just a feeling that David had.
After another half hour of phone calls, they were finally able to reach both Merrick and Jack’s mother, Amanda ‘Mandy’ Merrick-Weller were finally notified of the situation.
Jack’s father, John Anders Weller Sr., died three years ago in a car crash and the family had never recovered from it since.
Merrick had been in high level meetings all day long in Washington DC, which was why it took so long to get the news to him and he won’t be able to get to LA until later that evening, so they had other issues with Mandy as well.
Mandy was visiting Jack’s sister, Ada, who had been in the hospital in upstate California recovering from a lung-related illness and David worried that the situation could make things worse for Ada’s recovery.
He was pulled out of his thoughts when Charlie, who had just returned from a conference in San Diego, came running into the room with Amita and Larry right behind him.
“Hey Charlie, what brings you here?” David asked, as he didn’t think there was anything math related in the case just yet.
“I heard about Merrick’s nephew, so I decided to help out to ensure that Merrick doesn’t try to use this against you or Don.” Charlie quickly answered with a knowing look to the agents.
David and Don, who had just come into the room after finishing one of his calls, were really touched and knew that Charlie was right.
Merrick will also be a problem in this case, especially since he never seemed to have been happy with Don after the first case that Charlie worked on.
“How do we work with Merrick?” David asked Don, who merely just shrugged
“I don’t know, he just lost his nephew and his family has been going through some things, so we have to actually meet with him before we actually know.”
“That’s what I was afraid of.” David muttered, as he would have to admit that they are probably going to have to go easy on Merrick as they try to work with him.
Only time will tell.
Chapter 5: Chapter Four
Chapter Text
Chapter Four
Evening…
FBI Building…
David was waiting anxiously by the elevator door, unsure of how Merrick will be when he comes into the building.
‘No matter what, just make sure he doesn’t make things more difficult for the case.’ David thought to himself
The elevators soon opened with said man speed walking to the war room, making David even more concerned as he followed the man.
Don was just as concerned when he saw Merrick, as the man looked like he hadn’t slept last night.
“Sir, I just want to say that I am sorry for your loss.” Don said, unsure of what else he could say at this point.
“Thanks, Agent Eppes, I appreciate it and I would like to be kept in the loop on this.” Merrick simply said.
Both Don and David nodded silently, knowing that they wouldn’t have much of a choice in the matter and both agents just hoped that Merrick didn’t make anything worse.
Charlie walked in pushing a white board with Larry and Amita in tow, with Charlie clearly trying to not to say anything to Merrick, about what, David wasn’t sure.
“Merrick… Do you know when your sister will be here?” Don asked, unsure if it was the right move.
“Tomorrow, as her doctor told her, she needed to take it easy today before she could deal with the situation.” Merrick simply said in a strained tone.
Everyone else in the room decided to leave it at that, knowing that there was something else going on with Merrick’s family but they will deal with it as they go through the case.
“Okay, first we need to know all his friends and coworkers…” David started while Merrick intently listened, with a look that told everyone one important thing.
He was going to be there when they find the people that killed his nephew and there was no way that they were going to say no to that.
Chapter 6: Chapter Five
Chapter Text
Chapter Five
Next Morning…
Eppes home…
Alan sighed as he saw Don with Colby, David, and a couple of rookie agents tiredly drinking their coffee while talking to Walt Merrick, which Alan himself never really took a liking to.
The patriarch, while he never really met the man, found the FBI head to be a jerk, especially given how the man treated Don but he also felt sympathy for Merrick’s loss of his nephew.
He then saw Robin coming into the room with a new batch of coffee with her and he found himself smiling at the sight.
Despite his misgivings about her, he was relieved with the renewed relationship between the two, as Don seemed to be happier with her and she seemed to be happy with him as well
His thoughts were interrupted when David came into the room, making the older man concerned, as he knew that the younger man was under a lot of pressure in this case, reminding him of how Don can be at times.
“You okay, David?” Alan asked
“Mostly fine.” David admitted after a few moments of silence, as he didn’t want the Eppes father to worry too much.
“If you want to talk about it, you know where to find me.” Alan reminded the agent as David’s phone started ringing again.
David nodded as he went to another room to answer the phone, just glad that that older man was around to talk.
Though, given that Colby was back in action, he doesn’t feel as awkward about it now, though they haven’t had time to do much talking since the agent came back.
He just hoped that his best friend didn’t run afoul with Merrick, as he had heard that the man didn’t appreciate the undercover operation and not being informed of the situation.
‘Sinclair.” He answered and listened with more dread when he heard the news
“On my way.” He said as he motioned Colby and the new agents to follow him.
“It’s Ada, she’s in the hospital again.” David said as they raced out the door
Chapter 7: Chapter Six
Chapter Text
Chapter Six
Half Hour later…
Huntington Hospital…
David and Colby stood in front of reception, concerned about Ada’s condition and how it would impact her son’s case.
From what they knew so far, Ada went into shock after hearing about her son’s death on the news and she was quickly driven to the emergency room.
Colby felt a certain amount of discomfort being at a hospital again, though he made some effort to hide that from David, but his friend was quick to catch that.
“Colby, are you okay?” David asked, as he had an idea of what was going on in his friend’s head.
“Not really.” Colby admitted after a few seconds of silence, as he didn’t want to lie about anything to David, even about this.
“Is it the hospital?” David asked the obvious question
“Yeah, I didn’t really expect to go back so soon.” Colby answered before continuing
“Honestly after that whole Janus fiasco and my recent medical treatments, I was hoping to stay away for a while but now that might not be possible.”
At first, David didn’t know what to say, as he still felt shame for his behavior at that time, but he knew he had to say something.
“Colby, when this case is over, I’ll make sure that you won’t have to go into one during a case, unless you have an appointment.” David promised, not sure if it was enough.
“Thanks, David.” Colby said just as one of the nurses was coming up to them.
“Excuse me, are you here to see Ada?” The black-haired older woman asked the agents
“Yeah, can we speak with him, Nurse…?” David asked, anxious to talk to her.
“Lydia and yes you can, but only for a short amount of time.” Lydia answered with a small smile towards the agents before handing them some folders to David
Confused, David looked into the folder and didn’t know what to make of it when he opened it.
The folder contained several folded up papers with unfinished-looking panels that contained drawings and fighting, making David think about why the victim was at the convention in the first place.
“Is it what I think it is?” Colby asked as he looked at the pictures, thinking as David was about this whole thing.
“Wonder if Merrick knows about this.” David said as they headed into Ada’s room, wondering what they’ll get out of her.
Chapter 8: Chapter Seven
Chapter Text
Chapter Seven
Ada’s Hospital Room…
One quick look at the woman and David could tell that she was not well, and not just physically speaking. She looked like she just went through a marathon run being chased by a bull during the summer and that worried him.
“Ada… Are you willing to talk to us?” Colby asked, himself feeling uneasy to interview her, unsure if it will make things worse for her.
The tired-looking woman simply nodded, though Colby wondered, not for the first time on the job, if anyone ever truly is ready to talk about something like losing a child.
The agents took a seat at each side of the bed, unsure as to how she would react to the questions they would have for her.
David decided to start with something that was possibly easy and pulled up the pictures that the nurse gave him.
“Ada, are these pictures yours?” David asked gently
The woman shook her head before saying:
“No, it’s my son’s, he had been trying to break into the comic book industry for the past couple years.” Ada answered
This suddenly clicked for both of the agents as to possibly why her son was at the convention in the first place and the type of people who might want him dead.
“Ada, do you know if he was working with anyone at the time of his death?” David asked as gently as he could.
Ada shook her head before saying:
“He just said that he was meeting with a big artist in the comic book field and that there was a chance he was getting a big break.”
Neither agent knew what to make of that statement, as there were a number of famous, and semi-famous, comic book writers and artists there.
Then he had an idea of one artist in particular.
He looked at Colby, who looked like he had a similar idea but they would have to talk about it in a different room.
“Ada… what was your son like in the last few days, did he seem stressed or anything like that?”
“No, he was just excited and talked about how he might finally make it in the comic book world.” Ada answered
The agents simply nodded, knowing that they were not going to get too much more out of the older woman, and that they (mainly David) had to have a talk with Merrick about this new piece of information.
He just wondered how well the man was going to make sense of the situation.
Chapter 9: Chapter Eight
Chapter Text
Chapter Eight
FBI headquarters…
Merrick and Don were in the war room, with Don watching Merrick nervously pacing back and forth in the room as they waited for David and Colby to return.
` This made Don nervous, as he had no idea what new information that his now former agents would come back with but he did hope it would help with the case.
Looking for a way to distract the older man, he decided he needed to get a better idea of the man’s relationship with his nephew.
“So…What did you and Jack talk about the last time you guys saw each other?” Don asked awkwardly
Merrick stopped pacing and looked directly at Don for a few moments, making Don worry that he might have crossed a line before the older man finally talked.
“Nothing out of the ordinary, just that he said he was embarking on a slight career change and he needed to talk to a couple people before he could say anything more to me.” Merrick merely answered
Don could only nod, as he felt that he was on thin ice for even asking some of these questions about his boss’s family but he knew that he still had a job to do.
He was rescued, for the moment, when Colby and David came into the room, though he noticed some concerned looks on their faces.
“Hey, learn anything new from Ada?” Don asked
“I believe we did,” David said before turning to Merrick
“Sir, has Jack always have an interest in comic books? Specifically with super heroes?”
Merrick simply nodded before saying:
“He did, at least when he was a child, but he hadn’t talked about it for years, at least with me, at least until several weeks ago when he mentioned that he was going to go to some comic conventions to get to know the people behind the endevors.”
“All right, then what Ada told us lines up with that, as he was planning on creating comic books of his own and wanted to meet with one of the more prominent writers there.” David said
Merrick simply blinked for a second before saying:
“Do you know who he could have been meeting with?”
“Ada didn’t know but I have a few ideas as to who it could be, one of whom is Ross Moore, who is quite the legend in the industry.”
“Do you know where he is?” Don asked, feeling uneasy being next to Merrick at the moment
“As of right now, I am not sure, though he is scheduled to be at the convection again in a couple hours.”
“They aren’t canceling the rest of the event?” Don asked in surprise, as he figured it would bring even more unwanted press towards the event.
“No, because of something about contracts and they also moved some events to different parts of the building to avoid more issues.” David answered, not entirely believing it himself
“Okay, see if he is still there and ask any other writers that were present at the time and see if he tried speaking with them.” Don said, knowing it wasn’t too much but at least it was a start for them.
“Gentleman, I want to be present when you question Moore.” Merrick said, in a tone made it clear that he wasn’t budging on his decision.
All three of the other men reluctantly agreed, knowing that while it might be a mistake, they still could get to the bottom of this.
Though, Don did plan to have a talk with him about this later in the day.
Chapter 10: Chapter Nine
Chapter Text
Chapter Nine
Meanwhile…
CalSci…
Charlie was feeling anxious as he got off the phone with Don, wondering if he should be concerned as to how involved it seemed that Merrick was getting with the case.
He also wondered about the comic con connection, as Jack didn’t seem to have had any related works published, so it seemed odd that the young man thought he would have some kind of a chance of getting work in said industry.
‘It might be likely he was looking for some advice on how to get in said industry but that might still be far fetched’ Charlie thought to himself when he then noticed Amita walking in
“Hey, you okay?” Amita asked, concerned
“I’m… mostly fine, I’m just concerned about this case.” Charlie admitted, still unsure of what else to even say
“Because of Merrick?” Amita asked, remembering when she first met the man
“Yeah, especially given his and Don’s history, back when we seriously started working together.” Charlie explained as he found himself starting to think about how things between him and Don really are different now but snapped out of it when Amita started talking again.
“Would Merrick really try to go after Don?” Amita asked, concerned
“No, at least not yet and I am trying to think of something if it comes to that.” Charlie answered, just hoping Merrick won’t do anything
“Okay, do you need me to do anything to help?” Amita asked, knowing Charlie’s concerns
“Not sure, but maybe you help me more with his emails and see if there is anything that could tell us more about his recent career moves.”
“Sure, I can do that, though I only have a couple hours before I have a class to teach.” Amita said, as she realized the time when she saw the clock.
“Oh, I thought you had only one class this morning.” Charlie said in surprise
“So did I but one of the teachers, Dr. Linda Martinez, suddenly got sick with the flu and I happened to be the only one available for that class.” Amita said, shaking her head.
“Is she okay?” Charlie asked, concerned
“She seems to be, but considering the fact that she got sick overnight has me a little concerned.” Amita admitted
“Okay, how about you look at the data more in-depth after the class, as I don’t want to accidentally make you late to a class, again.” Charlie said sheepishly
Amita simply nodded when they heard a knock on the door and turned to see Larry and, to their surprise, Megan by his side.
“Hey, Megan, didn’t expect to see you today.” Charlie managed to say
“Hey, I didn’t know I was coming in today but after what Larry had told me about the case, I figured it was a good place for to start working again.” Megan admitted with a small smile, which made the professors smile in return
“Have you told Don?” Amita asked
“Not yet, but I am about to, I just wanted to surprise you guys, as I have missed you when I was away.” Megan answered with a mischievous smile
“Okay, but let us in the call.” Charlie said as she took out her phone.
It only took one ring before Don answered, which made their smiles even wider.
“Eppes.” Don answered automatically
“Hey, Don, how are youd doing?” Megan said
“Megan? Is everything alright?” Don asked, trying to keep himself from being slightly shocked that she would be calling him
“Oh, I’m good, I just wanted you to know that I am going to be helping you on this case, though I would like to talk to you more later.” Megan said, as she felt that she needed to clear some things with Don.
“Sure, we can use all the help we can get and we can have our talk as soon as we can.” Don said, just relieved that one of his agents is going anywhere anytime soon.
Not yet at least.
Chapter 11: Chapter Ten
Chapter Text
Chapter Ten
Half an hour later…
War room…
Don had a big smile when he saw Megan entering with David, Colby, and Charlie with Amita and Larry in tow.
“Hey, Megan, how was your vacation?” He asked, just glad that they had an extra hand on this case.
“Nice and relaxing, I’ll tell you about it later.” Megan said with a smile he hadn’t seen in a while.
“Okay, do think you can give us some insight on this whole case.” Don asked the obvious question
“Oh, I think I can do better than that.” Megan said with a smile as she pulled out some notes that she took while Larry drove them there.
This made Don smile even more, as he knew that, at least for now, he had one of his best agents back and she was on top of things.
“Hey, Chuck, why don’t you and Megan compare notes while I try to update Merrick on how things are going with this case.” Don said, dreading the talk he is going to have with their boss.
“You sure you want to do that alone? I think I can help with that as I definitely need more experience in this part of our job.” David said, also not wanting his boss having to deal with Merrick by himself.
“Okay, you can come with me, just make sure that you don’t do anything to further upset Merrick, all right?” Don answered when they heard an interesting voice.
“Excuse me, but I was told that I could talk to you about the man who was murdered?” The older man said
Everyone turned around and looked in surprise when they saw Ross Moore with his wife with an FBI escort bringing them in.
“We are… What can we do for you?” Don answered, knowing that David was going giddy with one of his favorite comic book creators in the building.
“I believe that I might have some information about the young man and how it might be related to his death.” Ross said simply.
“Okay, Agent Granger will take you to an interview room and we’ll meet you there.” David managed to say, hoping he didn’t sound too awkward.
There was a few moments of silence before David spoke again:
“Think we should call Merrick?”
“I don’t think we can’t.” Don admitted
One thing was sure, was that this was going to be tricky with Merrick involved and they just hoped he doesn’t make things worse.
Chapter 12: Chapter Eleven
Chapter Text
Chapter Eleven
20 minutes later…
Outside the Interview Room…
Charlie, Amita, and Larry waited with Colby as they Don and David talked with Merrick, as they could tell Merrick was still eager to talk to Moore, but seemed content to let David and Colby handle it, as no one believed that Moore had anything to do with it directly.
They were also eased when they saw Merrick’s facial expressions softening, since while they weren’t entirely sure what it meant, they just knew that they wouldn’t have to worry about Merrick doing something that he would regret if he went to talk to Moore.
David and Don seemed to have felt the same way as Charlie noticed both his brother and David relaxing slightly as they ended their conversation with Merrick.
“Are we good?” Colby asked when Don and David came into the room while Merrick was still outside
“I think so, at least for now, so you and David can go talk to Moore before Merrick changes his mind.” Don said before fully turning to David
“Well, you get to meet Ross Moore.” Don said with a smile, though they both knew it had to stay professional
“Yeah, but this time, I can’t ask for his autograph.” David lamented, though he did hope that when the case was over he could still talk to Moore.
Don smiled sympathetically as he patted David’s shoulder before the younger agent went with Colby into the interview room.
David took a breath before they entered and was amazed when he saw Ross Moore in the flesh, exactly like the agent had seen in the few interviews Moore had done over the years, only a bit older.
“Thanks for coming, Mr. Ross, I’m sure you’re rather busy.” David said in his usual but slightly different tone professional voice that almost made Colby laugh but managed to keep it down.
“Not that busy but I figured it would be easier that I would come in, as I already had to cancel an appearance for an appointment.” Ross admitted
“May I ask what kind of appointment?” David asked, having his suspicions due to news had heard about the older man for the past couple years.
“New medication for my emphysema.” Ross said casually
David wasn’t surprised, as he had seen on various comic news sites that Ross Moore had been dealing with a lot of health problems in the past couple years, despite having quit smoking almost forty years prior.
“How are you doing, if I can ask?” David asked sympathetically
“Okay, at least for now, like I’m sure you’re aware how fast the disease can progress, especially for someone my age.” Moore said calmly, though both agents could tell that his health was wearing on him.
“I’m sorry.” David said and he meant it
“Thank you but I am not here for me, though.” Moore said, to which both agents agreed with before David spoke again
“Right, so what can you tell me about Jack, did you meet up with him?” David asked
“We didn’t meet face to face but we did exchange some emails over the last couple months.” Ross answered as he gave some paper to Colby
“Was it about him trying to break into the industry?” David asked
“Sort of, in that I mean he was showing me a rough draft of a comic story he was writing, along with some pictures that he made as a proof of concept.” Moore answered
“What were your thoughts on the…rough draft?” Colby asked, as he read the story and was unsure of what to think of it.
“I told him to keep writing and to take some classes to help improve it, given it was only a rough draft, but I wasn’t entirely sure where he would fit in a bigger comic company but he could try one of the smaller ones, as that would be a good place to start.” Ross admitted, though both agents could tell that he wasn’t too impressed with the young man’s work.
“Is it possible that he would have been able to make a career out of it?” Colby asked, as he had no idea what it was like in the industry.
“Maybe, but it is really hard to stand out, especially now, new artists/writers and you have to deal with a lot in order to get in the door.” Ross said
“Okay, is there anything else that you can tell us?” David asked
“Just that Jack wanted to meet with me the day that he died, but I was only going to be able to after a signing, and he was early that day, which I suppose was due to him being excited.” The older man said
“Does anyone else know about this?” David asked, wondering if Jack was killed out of possible jealousy
“Other than Lisa Sykes, who I’m sure you’ve talked to but another possible person is Seth Marlowe, as he might be able to fill in the gaps.”
“Can you give me his contact info and we will send you on your way.” David asked as he gave the legend a pen and paper.
After another couple minutes of discussion, Ross and the agents exchanged goodbyes and after Ross left, the agents knew that they weren’t too much closer on solving the case.
“Think Seth Marlowe might be able to help us?” Colby asked
“Don’t know but it couldn’t hurt to ask.” David said, as he just hoped Marlowe won’t be dead end.
After a quick discussion with Merrick, who wasn’t happy that they didn’t get too much of Moore but had to concede that the comic book legend was in the clear, they quickly left to go meet with Marlowe, just relieved that they kept Merrick at bay, and that Don would do everything that he could to keep things going smoothly.
Chapter 13: Chapter Twelve
Chapter Text
Chapter Twelve
Half an hour later…
Marlowe’s home…
David and Colby were surprised how quiet the neighborhood was, but then again, crime seemed to be down in the area, so neither agent could complain.
“Think this Marlowe guy will have much to say about this case?” Colby asked
“I don’t know, but it is worth a shot.” David admitted as he knocked on the door
The man himself, Seth Marlowe, opened the door, looking exhausted and slightly sick, and just stared at the agents for a couple moments before asking.
“May I ask what you guys are here for?” Seth asked, now looking slightly nervous
“Sure, we are here about the death at comic con the other day and Ross Moore said you might be able to answer some questions.” David answered, hoping to keep the man at ease.
“Sure, come in, I just had been really busy helping at the convention that I seemed to have something that finally got me to take a break today.”
“Right, we’ll be quick than.” Colby said, now concerned about being around someone with a possible illness, as he still didn’t feel entirely confident about his own health
David sensed his friend’s concern and had to think of something quick before being interrupted by Seth
“Don’t worry I’m not contagious, I just have a migraine, so nothing to worry about.” Seth said quickly, knowing what they would ask about that.
That eased the agents up a bit, and they could go to an FBI doctor to get a quick checkup afterwards
“So, did you know Jack Weller?” David asked
“Not very well, as we had only met a couple weeks ago when he asked if I knew Ross Moore, which I do, as I had been helping Moore out quite a bit due to his health, and financial, problems he had been having the past few months.”
“How did you come to have that relationship with Moore?” David asked, with Colby now curious as well.
“I had been working at comic events for the last couple years and I had met Moore multiple times since I started and I was getting concerned about him lately and I offered my help until things were more settled for him and his wife.” Marlowe answered
“How did Jack fit into all this?” Colby asked
“He wanted to know if he could meet with Moore at the convention, as he had some ideas that he wanted to show to him.” Marlowe said
“Did you get a glimpse of his work?” David asked
“Some of it, though I wasn’t sure what he was going for, as it seemed to be a combination of several comic series I had read over the years but he said it was just a rough draft.”
“Moore said that Jack could try applying to a couple independent comic companies, but I don’t think even he thought that Jack would have much of a chance, especially given how competitive the industry can be.” Marlowe admitted
David and Colby looked at each other, sensing that there was more to it but they weren’t sure as to what.
“Did you try helping Jack with his work?” Colby asked
“Yeah, as I felt like he needed some additional help, as Moore wouldn’t be able to for at least for a few weeks and Jack seemed too impatient for that to happen, so I thought that I could give him more ideas to help out.”
“And how did that go?” Colby asked, now curious about that arrangement
“Well as it can go, as while he had some good ideas, he still needed help with some of the writing and I did as well as can be expected but we still needed an editor, though I have no idea if he really had one or a friend who was also helping.” Marlowe admitted
“Do you know the person’s name?” Colby asked
“Just the name Miles, who works for one of Moore’s colleagues, though I don’t remember her name.” Seth said apologetically
“It’s fine, anything else?” David asked, knowing that they could simply just ask around for anyone named Miles, though that might still be a little difficult.
“No, not at the moment.” Marlowe said
“Ok, if you can think of anything else, call us.” David said as he handed a card to the younger man before the agents went out the door.
“Think he was being honest with us, especially about Miles?” Colby asked as they got into the car.
“Don’t know,” David admitted, “But it is worth checking out, though.”
He just hoped that it wasn’t going to be a dead end.
Chapter 14: Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Text
Chapter Thirteen
Meanwhile…
The Craftsman…
Don was grateful when Alan handed him some coffee, as he originally wanted a beer but his father talked him out of it.
“How are you doing, son?” Alan asked, as he knew that his oldest had come to his childhood home to cool off after having to deal with the case, along with the issues with Merrick, and to talk to someone about it.
“Slightly better than yesterday but I am still concerned about this case, as I don’t know what Merrick will do, though I have all my confidence in David.” Don admitted
“Well, would you be feeling the same if it was Charlie, or anyone else you know?” Alan asked
“Yeah, but I really hope that he doesn’t go as far as I did.” Don admitted, finding himself now feeling some guilt before Alan interrupted his thoughts
“You need to remember that you saved Megan and you learned from your mistakes while Merrick seems like he needs to be reigned in but I know that you can do it.” Alan reminded his oldest, as he hated seeing Don still beat himself up about the Crystal Hoyle situation.
“I know.” Don said while Alan patted him on the back.
“Also, she was a danger to everyone, so you had to make the call.” As Charlie came into the room, having got there to also take a break, but also talk to Don.
“Thanks, Buddy.” Don said, feeling slightly better about the situation.
“And besides, I think you are getting through to Merrick, as he seems to be standing down at the moment.” Charlie said, knowing that Don was worried as to how his superior could derail the entire case.
“That’s good to know.” Don said, “I do need to talk to David and Colby when they get back, as they went to go interview someone that Marlowe told them about, and hopefully they will get a new lead.”
“Are you doing okay with not being in the field? I mean I know you took the promotion, but are you really ok with it?” Charlie asked, as he knew that his active brother loved the field.
“It’s a bit of an adjustment, I’ll admit, but like I had said to David, I had been thinking about it for a while and it just makes things easier for my relationship with Robin.” Don said, as he also found himself feeling more relaxed since he took the desk job.
“Makes sense, though I will miss seeing you with the team, though you will visit a lot.” Charlie said with a smile, although he will be glad that his brother has a far safer job in the office.
“Same here, though I think David will do a great job leading the team, he definitely earned it.” Don said, feeling proud of both David and Colby for their work.
“So do I.” Charlie agreed as the Eppes men settled on the coach and put on a game as Don waited to hear back from David and hoped he was right that things will go smoothly for the newly promoted agent.
Chapter 15: Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Text
Chapter Fourteen
Comic Convention help desk…
Colby and David waited patiently as the secretary looked for a name with Miles, both just hoping that they weren’t misled with a fake name.
Fortunately, the secretary found Victoria “Vicki” Miles, much to their relief, though they wondered if this was going to be yet another dead end.
The agent found said woman talking with an older woman, presumably her boss, something about the schedule when the two agents approached them.
“Can we talk to you Miss Miles?” David asked
“Sure, is it about Jack’s death?” Vicki asked, not surprised
“Yes, it is, we wanted to talk about some of his works that you may have helped out with in recent weeks.”
“Yeah, I helped him out a bit, though the work was still somewhat rough the last time I checked it, as it needed some more tweaks before it could be shown to someone in the industry to see if he had a shot.”
“When did you last see him?” Colby asked
“About a week before his death, as he wanted to get my input before he was going to another artist to get another opinion to see how else he could improve.” Vicki answered
“Do you have that guy’s name?” Colby asked
“Oh it Ben Thompson, and he is over at one of the main artists booths there.” Vicki said as she pointed to a man around Marlowe’s age, who looked slightly nervous, which piqued the agents’ interest in him.
“Thanks.” David said as he and Colby headed over Ben’s direction.
Before they even got a decent few feet, Ben spotted them and quickly ran, to the confusion of everyone that was near him.
“Oh he knows something.” Colby said as they raced to catch up with the man
“No kidding.” David agreed, as they knew that they caught a break on the case, though they weren’t sure if they had found the killer or not.
Chapter 16: Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Text
Chapter Fifteen
Five minutes later…
Colby signed in relief and contentment as he and David took Ben into the car, just amazed that they were able to catch the guy in just three minutes, as Ben just ran into another person when he was distracted by another person appearing, allowing the agents to finally catch the man.
“Ben Thompson, you have the right to remain silent, anything you say…” David started to say before Ben interrupted
“I know my rights!” Thompson said, annoyed
“Hey, let me finish.” David said, equally annoyed before he started to say the rest of it as Colby smirked, mostly holding in any laughter
An hour later…
FBI headquarters…
Don and Charlie both had to stifle a laugh when they saw the man that David and Colby were escorting was pouting, as they couldn’t believe that would be the reaction of the possible killer, though they did wonder if he acted alone or not.
Don was still concerned as Merrick was still in the building, though thankfully on a different floor, though that would quickly change if Don didn’t contact him before someone else did.
“I need to make a quick phone call.” Don told Charlie, who simply nodded in understanding
David had the same thought when he heard Don as he and Colby escorted Ben into interrogation, knowing of the possibility that Merrick would want to be there just in case, despite any potential issues in court.
His fears were soon dashed when he saw Don walking with Merrick, who looked a little rough but from their body language that Don managed to either talk the older man down or Merrick had already come to senses, perhaps both.
Either way, it was just a relief that Merrick was doing better, though about as well as anyone would be in his situation, anyway.
His feelings further improved when Don and Merrick briefly talked before Merrick went back to the elevator and Don went into the observation room, making it far less complicated to talk to Ben.
Now for the somewhat easier part.
Chapter 17: Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Text
Chapter Sixteen
Interrogation…
After waiting a few minutes for Ben’s lawyer, the minute they all sat down, Ben said everything, despite what his lawyer was trying to advise him to do.
Unsurprisingly, Ben had help, specifically Seth Marlowe, as Marlowe was worried about Jack’s influence on Ross Moore, while Ben admitted he was a bit jealous of Jack’s possible talents, as Ben himself wanted to get into the industry and thought of Merrick’s nephew as considerable competition but he never wanted to hurt him.
To everyone’s surprise, Marlowe showed up just then a few minutes later, with a look that showed he knew that it was only a matter of time before they found out his part in Jack’s death.
It took a few more minutes of processing before they officially booked the two men, with their lawyers talking with David about potential deals and waiting to hear from a judge, but it looked like they wouldn’t have to go to trial, which suited David just fine, as he just wanted to finish the case and adjust into his new position, though he was feeling more comfortable about it and his relationship with Colby seemed to be at a point where they don’t have to worry about not working together as much anymore but they can see each other out of work more often.
Still, he would miss working with his best friend, and he knew Colby would feel the same way.
Chapter 18: Epilogue
Chapter Text
Epilogue
A few days later…
The Craftsman…
Don and Charlie were playing cards with Robin and Amita while David and Colby were sitting across the room, both trying to think of something to say about the events of the past few months, while they all heard a knock on the door.
It was Megan and Larry, both looking happy, more so than when everyone had last seen them, and Don was just glad that he had his agent back, giving more normalcy for the team again, or as normal as they could be given everything that had happened in the last few months.
After sharing their greetings with the couple, David pulled Colby aside so they could have a private conversation.
“Are you doing okay?” David asked
“I was about to ask you the same thing.” Colby said with his trademark smile before saying that he was
“So am I but I just wanted to have a talk. Since we now have different roles in the FBI, I just wondered what we were going to do to ensure that we don’t lose touch.” David admitted
“I also thought about that, but since we are still in the same city, it shouldn’t be too much trouble for us.” Colby said
“Maybe but you do know the hours that we have.” David said, thinking that there were still some logistics for them
“I know, so maybe if we have really busy weeks, we schedule a meet-up once a week and see if that works.” Colby offered, knowing that it would be difficult but they both could make it work.
“I’m just glad that you are still here.” David said to his best friend
“So am I.” Colby said, touched by how much David meant it.
They returned to the room to a very welcomed sound of laughter, with Don also looking happier than he had a few months ago and things looking up for everyone.
While they still had their challenges ahead, everyone knew that as long as they had each other’s backs, things would be alright.
Fin.
PurpleFigment on Chapter 1 Sat 10 Aug 2024 06:21AM UTC
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PurpleFigment on Chapter 8 Fri 10 Jan 2025 09:12AM UTC
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PurpleFigment on Chapter 13 Sat 24 May 2025 09:54AM UTC
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