love equations -- charlie eppes x reader - numb3rs

ch ;; 10

''cesium...?'' ciara questioned, looking to don, obviously not caught up on the case. ''well, it's a by-product of the fission of plutonium and uranium. it has a half-life of 30.2 years.'' larry said,  ''half-life.. that's how long it stays dangerous?'' don asked. ciara shook her head, answering before the scientist could. ''how they measure radioactive spoil.'' she said.

''what's going on?'' charlie asked, looking up at don. charlie had reluctantly sat next to ciara, and after a moment of sitting a few inches apart, larry joined them on the couch, forcing them to sit hip to hip. they didn't seem to mind, though. ''what you hear stays in this room.'' don said, pointing at them. ''oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.'' larry agreed.

''a truck carrying three casks of this stuff was hijacked this morning.'' he explained.  ''oh, that's not optimal. you weren't exposed, right?'' charlie asked his brother. don shook his head, ''no, and, as far as we know, no one has yet.'' he explained. ''that's encouraging.'' ciara said sarcastically. ''but what I would like to know is specifically what happens if anyone is.'' don pushed the scientist for answers.

''well, the danger comes from something called ionizing radiation. you see, any energy source gives off some radiation.'' larry explained. ''cell phones, computer screens, even a light bulb...'' charlie listed, giving examples of what released radiation. ''that's right, but ionizing radiation is particularly damaging because it has the energy to literally knock an electron off an atom. for instance, normally an electron is locked in orbit around an atom. sort of spinning round and round like-like this,'' larry explained, drawing on the chalk board that charlie had flipped over.

''but when an atom is exposed to high levels of ionizing radiation like gamma rays, the energy can cause an electron to break free.'' larry said.

~~'~~'~~

''thank you for coming down, mrs. sites.'' terry said politely, ciara sitting down by her side. ''yeah, well, those agents really didn't give me much of a choice.'' mrs sites said, rolling her eyes. ''have you heard from your husband today?'' ciara asked, cocking an eyebrow. ''ray? no, he's on a haul. why do you want to know about ray?'' she asked, leaning back into her chair. ''your husband's truck disappeared this morning.'' ciara said.

''what do you mean, "disappeared"? where's ray?'' she said, jumping up to her feet. ''well, that's what we'd like to know.'' terry said, standing up as well to match mrs sites. ''well, is something being done to find him?'' she asked, frantic.

after talking to the wife for a little bit, terry and ciara started to head back. once they got in the car, terry started it up and begun driving. ''can't believe we drove a half an hour just for her to barely know anything.'' ciara said, picking hairs off her pants. ''i know.'' terry agreed.

''so, what's going on with you, lately, ci? we don't get to talk as much as i'd like to.'' terry said, jokingly pouting at the younger girl next to her. ''uh, i mean, more cases, as you know. other than that, not a very active week or anything.'' she laughed nervously. ''nothing?'' she asked suspiciously, raising an eyebrow. ciara sighed in defeat. ''how much did don tell you?'' she asked terry, embarrassed. 

''just that you and charlie kissed. was there more than kissing??'' terry asked, raising and dropping her eyebrows in a suggestive manor. ''no! i- i just- he- we, uh..'' ciara stumbled over her words, taking a second to let her brain decide what it wanted to say.