Title: Untitled

Summery: Martin is not amused; his relationship with Sam seems to be going no where, and then Danny starts to behave strange and Martin wants to know why. Set before 3x17 'Lone Star' MS, DOC, MD friendship

Disclaimer: Characters aren't mine :-(

Author's Notes: Writing comes easily lately. A little too easily, because I've got exams soon and I should be studying. But writing ff is just so much more fun... ;-) However, I decided to give a taste on what my next story is going to be about before I finished 'Another Cold Case'; please let me know what you think!

I had to write something about the relationship between the boys during the 3rd season. I loved it, what a pity it all got destroyed by the shooting!

………………

It was a beautiful day.

Well, for anybody else it might have been a beautiful day. Martin, though, was irritated and the fact that the sun shining brightly, the sky was a beautiful blue and the area they were driving through was god damned beautiful, it all seemed to mock him.

The fact that Danny, who was driving their car – way too fast, by the way – was in a good mood, and had been either babbling or humming that stupid song he liked ever since they had got into the damn car was not helping either.

Martin hadn't said a word since they had left the office. He was sitting in the passenger seat, chewing on his bottom lip and staring outside, trying to ignore Danny. They were on their way to question the brother of their latest missing person; an assignment Martin hated because from all they had found out so far, the MP – Martin had taken to call them MPs in his thoughts – hadn't been in contact with his brother for years.

Still, there was a chance the man might know something, and that was why Martin was here. In the car. With Danny.

Oh God, please, make him be quiet before I kill him!

They reached the address where the man was working. Martin knitted his brows; this was obviously a private home and the man they were looking for was a cook. Martin had expected a restaurant.

A restaurant would have been better, at least he might have been able to buy something to eat there! It was four pm, and he hadn't eaten since breakfast!

"Here it is", Danny commented, unnecessarily, and got out of the car to start walking up the path towards the entrance.

"Thanks. I hadn't noticed", Martin growled. He regretted it a moment later when Danny stopped and looked at him.

"Hey, what's with you?"

"Nothing." He wasn't going to discuss his relationship problems with Danny Taylor. Hell, he wasn't going to discuss them with anyone!

But certainly not with Danny.

Considering that Danny wasn't even supposed to know about it.

Even though he did.

He was Danny, after all.

"You've been moody all day…"

"So?"

Raising his hands in defence Danny pulled a face and said: "Okay, sorry man, didn't know it was that bad."

Martin just shrugged, feeling slightly guilty; it wasn't Danny's fault. That he and Sam had argued that morning.

God, he hated it! The mornings always started so well; waking up with her, they would have breakfast, or – and those mornings were even better – they would make love, then he would drop her off at her place on his way to work so she could get into some fresh clothes, discussing it on the way. Again and again.

"We can't tell people about us, Martin, and you know it!"

"Yeah, you kinda mentioned it before…"

"Look…", she paused, staring at him with that serious expression he hated, "you know that it isn't possible. We're colleagues, we work on the same team. Jack wouldn't approve of it…"

"Yeah, I bet!"

"… and neither would your parents and…"

"Okay, forget it." He hit the breaks hard enough to make her 'nod' and looked in the other direction while he said: "We're here, anyway. See you at the office."

It still made him angry. They weren't in high-school anymore, so why the hell did they have to hide that they were having a relationship?

"I've rung the bell", Danny's voice pulled him back to the present.

"Huh?"

"I've just rung the bell, so you might want to start concentrating", Danny informed him in sweet voice that made Martin almost lose his temper. Luckily the door was opened that same moment, saving him from saying or doing something they might both have regretted

"Yes?"

A woman had opened the door. Martin ran her eyes over her, curiously. She was around forty, a little smaller than him, with a thin, wiry build. She had dark blonde hair and a thin, but good-looking face.

There was a moment of silence that was strangely uncomfortable although Martin couldn't have said why; finally he pulled out his badge and held it under the woman's nose.

"Special Agents Fitzgerald and Taylor, we're with the FBI and we would like to speak to…" he paused when he noticed that she wasn't listening to what he said; instead her eyes were fixed on Danny.

Martin turned his head to look at his co-worker and saw that he was staring back.

"Danny", the woman finally said, her face a shade paler than it had been before.

Danny had obviously recovered from his shock. He answered in a dry tone. "Claudia."

There was another long moment of silence and this time it was really uncomfortable. It took him a few moments to overcome his surprise but finally Martin found himself able to inform the woman – Claudia, as he had just learned – who they were looking for: "We're here to speak to Mr. Downey."

"Huh?" She looked at him – no, it was more like she was looking right through him, but then her eyes focused and she said: "Oh yeah, Kirk Downey, right… he's my mother's cook. She's a bit old to do look after the household herself, you know. Please… come in!"

She made room for the two men to step into a huge house that suggested it inhabitants were quite wealthy and led them into a big living-room.

"Take a seat… can I get you something?" Her eyes were fixed on Danny again and Martin began to wonder what this was all about. He decided to ask him later, once they were back in the car, even though he suspected that it would be useless.

Now wasn't the time for asking, anyway, because Claudia was already bringing them both a glass of ice tea and a few minutes later Kirk Downey entered the room.

The interview went exactly the way Martin had expected it; the man knew nothing about his brother.

At the end Martin handed Kirk Downey his card and was surprised when Danny did the same; usually only one of them handed a card out so as not to confuse people. Martin decided to keep his mouth shut about this strange behaviour on Danny's part until they were in the car.

Which they now where, and this time Martin was drivingand it was Danny who was sitting in the passenger seat, staring absentmindedly out of the window.

Martin waited for few minutes to see if Danny would say anything, and concentrated on driving, but nothing happened.

"So?" he finally asked.

"So what?" Danny turned his head slowly and looked at Martin as if he didn't know what his co-worker wanted.

"I suppose you don't want to tell me who she was, and where you know her from?" Martin asked; he couldn't help a grin spreading across face.

Danny took a long time to answer before he finally said: "You're right. I don't."