The Greatest Story Ever Told, a without a trace fanfic

A.N – This is my first attempt at a song fic. I hope it's okay. The song is called The Greatest Story Ever Told by Oliver James and I love it. Hope I managed to do it justice.

The room was packed as the young woman took to the little platform at the front. She seemed a little nervous as she took the mic and started to talk.

"I want to tell you a story." She began. "A story most of you probably know, but I want to tell it." She continued surveying the room. She caught sight of some people she really loved and respected. " It's a story I have known all my life and that's because it's the story of my parents. Martin and Samantha Fitzgerald."

Martin smiled to his wife, squeezing her hand as their daughter spoke. Samantha smiled back at him, knowing roughly what their beloved daughter was going to say.

"Most of you know how they met. They were both FBI agents and it was in 2002 in New York City they met. My father had just transferred and although they weren't together for a while, there was still a spark there. In fact it is safe to say my mom didn't think much of him when she first met him." She looked down to where her parents sat in front of her and smiled at them. They gave her a smile back. "My father was there for her when she was shot, she for him when his aunt went missing. And finally after she almost got shot again they got together."

Flashback

"Hey Martin, you want to share a cab?" She asked, a look of trepidation on her face.

"I live uptown."

"I know."

He smiled and jogged up to the cab, joining her in the back seat.

End Flashback

"They were together and happy and a secret. That was how my mom wanted it. She had been in bad relationships in the past and wanted her and my dad to be special. You only have to look at them to realise they are special." The woman smiled again watching her parents snuggle closer together. "My grandfather was never one who liked my mom, but over the years he grew to love her like one of his own which was good. Everyone knows my grandfather was not an easy man to get on with." The room fell silent for a minute remembering the great man that was Victor Fitzgerald. "My parents were engaged and married within a few weeks of one another. She tells of his proposal being romantic. The sun setting in Central Park, birds tweeting in the distance, the faint sound of children laughing in the background. They had been having a picnic and she was about to eat her piece of strawberry cheesecake she noticed something shining on top of it. The solitaire diamond shone in the last light of the sun as my father proposed."

Flashback

The diamond shining in the sunlight caught Samantha's eye just before she put her fork into the cheesecake. She gasped as she picked it from the desert. "Samantha you mean the world to me. Would you do me the honour of becoming my wife?" Martin asked as he crouched on one knee.

Samantha was speechless as he placed the ring on her finger, she could only nod an answer, hoping it would be suffice until she regain the power of her voice. His lips descended on hers, knowing she would be his and his alone for now and forever.

End Flashback.

"There wedding day, 25 years ago today was spectacular by all accounts. My Uncle Danny tells me that he had never seen a couple so much in love before them. He tells me my mother was a vision in white. Her hair shone like gold, curled on her shoulders, tiny flowers dotted across it. My father stood awaiting her arrival, biting his fingers. A habit he still has when he waits for her." The audience giggled. "It was a small wedding, just what they wanted. Nothing at all like the wedding my grandparents would have planned. Daddy always said that if grandma had a hand in it, it would have been huge."

Martin glanced at his mother and watched the tears gather in her eyes, remembering back to the glorious day.

Flashback

"Martin, I am so proud of you." Victor placed his hand on his son's shoulder. "As much as I wasn't sure of her, you really have picked a little gem. She is wonderful."

Both men turned to see Samantha on the dance floor with little Ava who had acted as flower girl on "Marty's" big day. "That she is dad. That she is. Is mom still mad that we didn't have the big wedding she always wanted me to have?"

"Your mother is just happy you've settled down." Victor told him as Catherine made her way towards the two men in her life. "Aren't you dear?"

"What's that?" Catherine asked, wiping imaginary fluff from Martin's jacket.

"You're happy."

"Yes I am, I couldn't be more happier."

End Flashback

"Fortunately they decided to make grandma even happier, when just a year later they produced, yes you've guessed it me. Victoria Jessica Fitzgerald. I was a whole seven pounds a birth. Mom said Dad cried like a baby when I arrived and was placed in her arms." Martin tightened his grip on his wife's arm, remembering the day. "My first visitors were grandma and grandpa Fitzgerald, uncle Danny and aunt Viv. According to Dad, grandpa and uncle Danny got a little embarrassed when I was to be fed, but hey, it's all natural, isn't that right uncle Danny?"

"You're right kid." His voice travelled from the table behind Martin and Samantha. "Most natural thing in the world." He said turning to his wife, Jill, the mother of his four children.

"Mom gave up her work in the FBI to stay at home with me. With all her FBI training she could do anything and said she would find something to do but do it from home. She was happy, which she never thought she would be. The next part of their lives wasn't that great, but I'll tell you about it." Victoria looked down to her parents and saw the tears in their eyes. "It was a hard time on all the family, but we survived. At some point we thought we wouldn't but here we are. Mom and dad had always said I wouldn't be an only child, but for a while it looked like it was going to be that way. Mom fell pregnant four times in four years, from me being the age of 4 to the age of 8. But none of those times were to be. It's scary watching your mom go through something like that, and then coming to terms with it in the weeks that followed."

Flashback

Victoria sat in the waiting room of the hospital with her legs swinging and her teddy bear in her arms. Uncle Danny came running up to her. "Hey princess, what's going on?" Even though he had an idea.

"Mommy's loosing he baby again." She answered so matter of factly. It was a regular occurrence in the Fitzgerald household now. At the age of eight Victoria knew the signs. She watched her mother that morning double over in pain. She watched in horror as she began to bleed. She watched the panic on her fathers face when he came rushing through the door at the same time as the paramedics. She watched her father follow the doctor into her mother's room with tears in his eyes. She may only have been eight but she knew what was going on.

Danny wrapped his arm around his niece's shoulder and pulled her to him. "Everything will be all right princess."

"I suppose." She answered, her voice void of emotion. She knew what was going on but still couldn't comprehend any of it. "Where's aunt Jill?"

"She's at home with DJ and Nicole."

"Oh. Maybe I can come over and play?" She asked looking up to Danny with her huge brown eyes.

"That sounds like a good idea princess. I'll just find your daddy and let him know where we are." Danny got up and walked towards the room where Victoria had pointed too. He caught Martin's attention and told him what he was going to do. Both men looked to where Victoria sat. She looked so little. "Don't worry about her. Just concentrate on Samantha."

"Thanks." Martin said before disappearing back into the room.

End Flashback

"So we lived happy lives. They were so happy. None of my friends had parents like mine. Most of my friends came from one parents families. They envied me. Having parents who loved me and loved each other. It was unheard of in my school." She paused. "I used to love watching them. Especially when they didn't realise I was doing so. At night I would sneak downstairs and sit on the third top stair and watch them through the living room door. Most nights they would just be sitting wrapped in one another's arms watching a movie. Dad hated when mom watched sad films, though he did love wiping away her tears. I still remember the first night I found them dancing. They seemed to fit together in a way they were supposed to. Dancing was one of their favourite things to do, even if they won't admit it."

"As much as we were happy I knew mom would still have loved another child, and then when I was sixteen along came our little surprise. My baby sister Juliana Catherine Fitzgerald." Juliana joined her sister on the podium. "Now she may be a pain now but she was the most gorgeous baby, the most adorable child. Just look at that face. Isn't she a beauty?" Victoria squeezed her little sister's shoulder. Juliana just looked with so much pride up to her adored older sister. "Now we really were the perfect family. Maybe not as many children as mom and dad would have liked but they had us and each other and now they have a son-in-law and a new grand-daughter, whom they adore." Victoria's husband handed his wife their daughter, who at four weeks old was sound asleep. "In the years I have known them they've been through so much. The lose of their children, parents, friends, colleagues. But they've come through it stronger than ever and that is why I think this is the greatest story ever told. So mom and dad Happy anniversary and here's to the next twenty five." Everyone began clapping as martin and Samantha took to the dance floor to the song they danced their first dance as a married couple.

They music flowed along as Martin wrapped his wife in his arms. "I love you." He whispered in her ear.

"I love you too."

Thank you for this moment
I've gotta say how beautiful you are
Of all the hopes and dreams I could've prayed for
Here you are

If I could have one dance forever
I would take you by the hand
Tonight it's you and I together
I'm so glad I'm your man

And if I lived a thousand years
You know I never could explain
The way I lost my heart to you that day
But if destiny decided I should look the other way
Then the world would never know
The greatest story ever told
And did I tell you that I love you tonight?

I don't hear the music
When I'm lookin' in your eyes
But I feel the rhythm of your body
Close to mine
It's the way we touch that sends me
It's the way we'll always be
Your kiss, your pretty smile, you know I'd die for
Oh baby, you're all I need

Did I tell you that I love you tonight? Tonight...

Did I tell you that I love you tonight?

As the music faded from their song into another Martin and Samantha walked up to where their daughters stood. "Thank you so much for that speech baby. It was beautiful." Samantha commented.

"Your welcome mom. And I meant everything that I said. Your story really is the greatest I have ever heard." Victoria told them as her daughter began to stir. "Looks like someone's needing feeding."

"Better hide from your uncle Danny then?" Martin laughed.

"Nah, he's used to it now. At least he better be. After four kids he should be."

"Ah but you're his princess."

"Well his princess is all grown up with one of her own. You guys go dance enjoy yourselves. Look even Juilanna's dancing. That's something." Victoria pointed to where her sister was dancing with DJ, Danny's eldest son.

"Okay, just bring Lexi back to us when she's done. A dance with our granddaughter to start a new tradition. We did it with you and with Juliana so we want to do it with her too."

"I suppose since she is now part of the greatest story ever told." Victoria told them, as she headed off to feed her daughter. She watched as her father swept his wife into his arms and kissed her. They really were the perfect couple