Author's Note: I started this fic about 2 months ago, maybe more, but I like to take my time with things so that is why it's only getting up now. The good thing about this story is it's finished, so I won't be able to abandon it like I have all of my others, the bad news is, I still have to type it up.

There are 2 things I can say about this based on what my beta has said. One is that you may not like it much, just because I don't realyl follow a normal path, I guess, but that's why you shoudl read it. The other is that it may be a bit confusing, if your confused let me know, I'll clear it up.

Disclaimer: I am in no way, shape or form associated with Without A Trace or its, well, associates. This is a pure work or fictions for purely entertainment purposes.

No one ever thought they'd be here.

Sure, they knew they wouldn't go through life without visiting this place once or twice, but not for this, not for them.

The worst part was the black, such an empty color, lifeless, so unlike these people who brought them here in the first place. And they were expected to wear it, like it would make it easier to move on…no, like they were never supposed to move on.

It was just the three of them now, half were gone. Standing on the damp earth, now, they all thought about it. Worst than not seeing them anymore, was the fact that someone new was coming to take each of their places. Someone they just had to accept. But how could they?

They grasped each others' hands just a little tighter. Heh, it's funny how what was so important at one time is so pointless at another. Just a week ago, these three wouldn't look at each other, much less comfort each other.

Who would have thought the events of these last months were so simple compared to what they were standing right in front of.

4 Months Earlier

"Hey, Viv," Martin said taking off his coat and heading towards the familiar white board, "sorry if I'm late, had a…rough morning. What do we got?"

"Twenty-three year old female went missing from her apartment. Dog walker comes in everyday at 3:30, noticed she hadn't let the dogs out, called it in/"

"Who was the last person to see her?"

"The pizza guy around 6:45, two nights ago." Martin got out his notepad and began writing down the address of the missing women's home.

"Martin, you all right?" Vivian had a curious tone in her voice.

"Yeah, I'm fine ,why?"

"Your hand…it's shaking." He looked down at his arm, which had a hand attached that was shaking like a leaf. He tried to stop the uncontrollable jolting.

"Oh, it's nothing…just a rough morning, like I said." He couldn't look Vivian straight in the eye.

"All right, if you say so," sensing his discomfort, she changed the subject, "Danny and Elena will meet you there." Martin was still staring at his arm. Vivian put her face in front of his to be seen.

"Better get going." Martin gave her a small laugh.

"Right," he responded.

Martin arrived at the last place the victim had been seen. It looked like every other missing person's apartment, completely normal. But still the forensic team has to sweep through everything, and that's what they were doing now. Danny and Elena stood in the corner, discussing something with a man, presumably the landlord. Danny flipped his phone shut, and headed towards the door, as Martin headed in the opposite direction. A slight nod was given by Danny to acknowledge Martin was there, but Danny was in too much of a hurry to give much more. Martin turned his focus to Elena.

"Hey," Martin said, then asked "where's he going?" pointing towards the open doorway Danny just walked through.

"Out to meet Jack at the girl's office."

"Excuse me, but I have to go supervise on a repair of a leak upstairs, may I go?" the landlord spoke.

"Yes you may, thank you for your time," Elena responded then turned back to Martin.

"Can I talk to you for a minute please…in private?" she asked. She led him out to the balcony, and shut the door behind them.

"Listen, I have a personal favor to ask you."

"Sure, what is it?"

"I'm having some problems with my ex…Sophie's father? I'd ask Danny to help me out, but I think he'd only make things worse."

"Yeah, whatever you need."

"Ok, thank you so much Martin…I need you to please get some records for me. I'd do it myself, but I don't want to look suspicious."

"I can probably get them by tonight if they're within the state."

"Great and I'll appreciate it if you could drop them off at my house."

"I'll see you then." They opened the balcony door and went back to work on the missing girl's home.

"Martin, what did you guys find at the house?" It was six o'clock and they were all gathered at the conference table. Most people would be on there way home by now, but never these ones.

"Her boyfriend thinks she ran away." Vivian chimed in.

"Nu-uh, she didn't run away…"Martin replied to her quickly.

"Why not? Trouble in the work place, a failing relationship…"she was about to finish her sentence when Martin snapped at her.

"No, listen to me, I've been in this girl's place, I know her. I've been to her house, I've met her friends, and she's not. running. away!" He was about to burst into an even bigger tantrum, when Samantha spoke up.

"Martin!" Her eyes were furious. He turned to look at her, along with everyone else. Sam was looking at his hands…they were shaking.

"Can I have a word with you?" She took him to the elevator, where they both got in. Sam pushed the button for the last floor of the building.

"Martin, what's going on?"

"What do you mean?" he was irritated Sam had raised her voice to him in front of his colleagues.

"You're using again…"he looked away," and don't lie to me."

"I thought you were doing better," she continued, "I thought you were getting help." Martin was still in silence.

"How could you do this to yourself again? To Danny and I?" Martin slammed on the emergency stop button, and then pressed the button for the floor above the one they were on, then started the elevator again. Without a word, the doors opened, and he walked out.

"Martin…Martin! Martin!" Samantha called his name in vain as the elevator doors shut on her again.

Knock, knock. Martin clacked on the address Elena had given him, files in hand.

A little girl answered the door. He bent down to say hello.

"Hi there…is your mom home?"

"Yeah," she answered shyly and skipped away. Elena soon came to the door looking rattled, Martin noticed.

"Hi, I brought the files; I'm not sure how they'd help you but…" Elena looked like she was about to burst into tears.

"Hey…are you okay?" She looked up at him

"He, he came here…her came to our home. He wants to see her." Martin had never seen Elena so scared.

"How 'bout I spend the night, I'm not being presumptuous," he tried to make light of the situation, "I'll sleep on the couch…you do have a couch right?" He got a small smirk out of Elena.

"Yes, yes I do."

It was around eight o'clock, and Danny had just left work. Sitting in his car, he was heading home when he got this pang. He hadn't gotten one of those over s a girl in a long time.

He had to see her, and besides, her place was closer than his at the moment. A quick left was made, and he was on his way.

Not too long after he made the turn, Danny was pulling up to Elena's home. He parked his car out in front where a small portal shone into her living room, her life. He noticed two bodies moving through the glass. It was definitely two adults, not her daughter. Danny squinted his eyes to see more clearly. The figures were sitting on her couch…now he could see their faces. It was Martin. Martin with Elena. Elena was in her pajamas and Martin's tie was sitting on the couch, his white shirt half unbuttoned. He was holding her. Danny's eyes were watering, his heart was breaking, and he had to get out of there. Putting the key into the ignition he turned it and drove away. He didn't know where to go…there was nowhere to go. No place or thing could take his pain away…except, except his worse enemy, his old friend. He headed towards the bar they used to go to after a hard case, the bar where he'd always order soda water, but this time, he had no intention of doing so.

Danny couldn't have felt more alone or betrayed as he walked through the doors of that bar. He walked straight and forcefully to the bartender, and ordered a shot of his past poison. Sitting down near him she saw a familiar face…Sam's. She looked like just as much of a wreck as he did, but she had already four drinks on her belt. His mind took him back to the scene earlier that day between her and Martin. Man, did she look like hell. Samantha must have felt his staring because she turned to face him.

"Danny?...What are you doing here?"

"Bad night."

"Wait…you're not thinking about having a drink, are you? Danny…you can't." After what had happened today, Sam couldn't stand to see one more person go down the drain.

"I'm way past thinking about it." The bartender came over, drink in hand. He stretched out his arm to give Danny his order. He eagerly took the drink and brought it towards his lips. Before he had a chance to taste it, Sam grabbed in from his hand, spilling it all over both of them.

"Stop!" fury once again lit her eyes, as it did his. The struggle stopped, hands both on the small glass. Without an outward though, Danny pressed his lips against hers, hard, kissing her. As they slowly, awkwardly pulled away, Samantha whispered what was troubling her mind most of all at this moment.

"Martins taking pills again." For a moment, they looked into each other's eyes, empathetic pain and disappointment apparent, and Danny grabbed her kissing her again.