The Space Between All Things

Set during S1 "Friendly Skies". The thoughts behind the words during the last scene. S/M

Chapter One: Lonely Day

Disclaimer: As much as I would like to own Eric Close, the F.B.I and Without A Trace, alas I only have the licence to dream. The plot is mine, my own, my preciousssssssssssss.

A/N:- And I have finally seen an episode of the absolutely splendid and addictive WaT having bought Season One DVDs with the money I don't have. Since this is the only proper Martin/Sam moment that I've seen, I've been obsessing over it and if I have Coldplay's 'Trouble' coming out of my ears ….! Originally this was going to be a reworking of the ending but I've left it like this and maybe leave the ideas for another time. So, anyway, this is me getting my obsession with the scene out of my system!

He looked down at the report he held in his hands and attempted to concentrate on it but no matter how hard he tried, his eyes always drifted up, resting on the only other person in the office. She was on the phone over at her desk with her back to him, her free hand tapping the complimentary free F.B.I biro on the desk impatiently. He sighed. It was everything about her that just drew him in. Sure there was the physical attraction there. Blonde hair, great body – she got hit on at least twice a day by unsuspecting guys looking for an easy lay. But it wasn't just male impulses or lust on his part. There was something else.

When he walked in that office that first day, it was like all of a sudden he found the person he wanted to be with, without having a clue why. She was smart, intelligent with a wry sense of humour and a smile that just got him. Badly. Those first few months made it quite clear who was the heart of the team, whose opinion really mattered. Of course Jack was the boss but he relied heavily on Samantha's opinion. Danny had given him the cold shoulder but he was just as answerable to Jack as he was – Vivian was the second most senior person on the team and had given him a chance when the others had just frowned upon him – and yet it seemed it all came down to the fact that if he could not get on with Samantha then life at work would be hell. That day with the Anwar Samir case when she had basically told him that he was ready to screw over his own co-workers to gain glory – her words had really hurt. Partly because he did not even know what he was doing and how it would look to his team mates and partly because it was true. He had come into the team as a new member and had screwed up on his first case. They all had much more experience than him and he wanted to prove to Jack and to his father that he was a good Agent. And partly because he had wanted to impress her.

These past couple of weeks the tension between her and him had eased a bit and they seemed to be more comfortable in each other's company. He had felt himself falling for her in a serious way. He felt a pang in his heart every time she stood there, alone, her thoughts dwelling on a case that maybe struck too close to home for her. He just wanted to reach out and tell her that she could talk to him anytime, that he was there for her, that it was okay to cry on him. Maybe he was just a coward or scared of ruining their working relationship but it was like there was this aura around her and a barrier which prevented him from ever getting close to her. That time during the Annie and Siobhan case when she had been sitting there staring at the laptop screen and he had asked her how she felt …….he should have checked that she was feeling okay after they had finished working on the case, ask whether she wanted to talk about it.

He knew that it was just a bomb waiting to explode. Rule one of any F.B.I handbook stated that you should never get involved with anyone at work. Especially not with the pretty smart one.

Samantha stood up as the phone conversation was coming to and end. "Okay, thanks. Bye." She could feel Martin's eyes on her. She thought it was probably because he wanted to know the outcome of her conversation but she had caught him looking at her more and more often recently – and today she felt she had imagined him watching Eric closely. With most other guys she would have just marched right up to them and confronted them, telling them not to bother wasting their time checking her out but with Martin it was different ……. he never stared at her ass and he always kept eye contact, not letting his eyes travel down her neckline. It was like he was searching for something in her, something that she didn't even know she had.

"The Fishkill P.D. found the body. They're bringing her back to Manhattan for the autopsy."

Martin nodded every so slightly and stood up. He seemed lost in his thoughts, thinking about something that wasn't really related with the case. She reached out and touched his hand gently. "I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" she said before walking away. Maybe she should have asked him if he wanted to talk but she didn't want to keep Eric waiting.

It had been fun working with Keller again today, it reminded her of old times. They had dated on and off for a year but they had eventually gone their separate ways when she had joined Missing Persons team. The chemistry was still there and she knew he still liked her but she wasn't sure if she wanted to walk down that path again. She often used to think to herself that with her ex-husband it was the closest she had ever come to insanity, with Keller it was the closest she had ever come to commitment and with Jack it was the closest she had ever come to love. Whatever love was. How could there have been love in a relationship based on lies and forbidden passion? Samantha was beginning to doubt she had ever – or will ever- be in love. She certainly hadn't been 'in love' with Eric but in a moment of madness had agreed to move in with him. What a commitment that would have been. Eventually she had come back to her senses, retreated back into her shell and Eric had been so irritated by her lack of faith in their relationship that they had mutually called it off. Maybe this time they could keep it just a casual thing.

Martin watched Samantha begin to walk away and he shifted the file he was holding nervously in his hands. Maybe he was mad to think it but that little gesture of her touching his hand … that little bit of contact …. Maybe there was the smallest chance that she wouldn't completely tread on him and mince him up if he asked her out for drinks. "Samantha." He called tentatively.

Samantha turned. The way he let her name hang in the air like that reminded her of the time she had completely put him down about the whole Sam/Samantha thing. She didn't even know why she had snapped at him – everyone called her 'Sam' from time to time. She looked at him expectantly.

"You, uh …." He looked down at the ground nervously. "You got time to grab a drink?" There. The words were out before he could back away. His stomach was churning.

Samantha froze. His words had taken her completely by surprise. Whatever she had second-guessed about Martin's feelings for her, she never expected him to come right out and ask her out. Wait. How did she know he was even asking her out? He could have meant going for drinks as friends, as work colleagues. Maybe he didn't even have any romantic intentions. She looked at him. He was meeting her gaze steadily but his eyebrows were furrowed together slightly, his lovely blue eyes hardly daring to hope, mentally preparing himself for the blow. He held his breath, waiting for her to say something. All of a sudden Samantha didn't know what to say, she didn't know what she felt for Martin. He was certainly very good-looking and she knew he was a lovely guy. Yes …….. yes, if she was being honest with herself then yes she was attracted to him. Maybe she did want to try things with him. But he was a work colleague. If she'd learnt nothing else from her past two relationships, she knew that she should never get involved with someone from work – nothing good could come from it. But he was so cute and sweet. And he cared. And he was single. Then she remembered Keller. 'Oh, I've ...'

She didn't need to say anymore. Martin knew it was what he had been bracing himself for.

Samantha took a couple of paces closer. "I-I told Keller I'd meet him." she said. She was hesitating, why was she hesitating? And she had said 'Keller' not 'Eric'. Was her brain subconsciously trying to let Martin know that she and Keller were not anything serious?

Martin kept his eyes on her and thought he did a pretty good job at hiding his disappointment. It was not like he was surprised by her response anyway.

"But, I mean, you're welcome to come with us if .." Samantha continued, trying to avoid the awkwardness. She already knew what Martin's answer would be but by inviting him along she hoped it gave the impression that she and Keller were not going on some kind of date.

"No, no, that's all right. No, you guys go ahead. Thanks." Martin replied. Inside he was mortified at the thought of having to make idle conversation with a devishly handsome NYPD cop who had already had a big impact on Sam's life and getting locked into some kind of internal competition for her.

Samantha looked at him and got the impression that it wasn't as 'all right' as he said it was. "Okay, well, maybe some other time?" she said, showing that this was not a straight turn-down.

"Yeah, some other time." Martin said firmly but he knew that he certainly wouldn't be putting himself on the line by asking her out again anytime soon.

"Okay." Samantha said, taking a step back unsurely. She was not sure she if she was leaving thing okay between them. He was obviously putting a brave face on but she got the impression that this was not just a spur of the moment thing and that he had been waiting for a good time to ask her for weeks. She started to walk away.

As soon as Samantha turned her back, Martin looked down at the ground and exhaled. Considering he had tried not to get his hopes up, he was more disappointed than he expected to be. Maybe it was because he was already feeling down at not being able to find the girl and the thought of Sam and Keller on top of it …….

As she walked away, Samantha sensed that Martin was certainly a bit down. Maybe he liked her more than she thought. Maybe she liked him more than she thought and that was why she felt so bad. She turned. "Martin?"

Martin walked back to his desk. Why had she turned? He wished she had just gone. "Yeah?"

"You okay?" she asked questioningly.

And now she was walking back towards him. Didn't she have a date to be on? At least she cared. He sighed and shook his head. Honestly he wasn't all right. He was usually upbeat and relaxed but not he felt tense and depressed. "It's ... it's not very satisfying, is it?" he said, tapping the desk anxiously before looking at her.

"What's that?" she asked softly, looking at him intently. Surely he wasn't talking about getting turned down for drinks? He wasn't about to declare his undying love for her was he? …………… Maybe she was just caught up with the realization of her feelings for him.

"Not finding them alive." came the reply. He was looking at her as if it was obvious as to what he was talking about.

Samantha looked down and it was at that moment Sam realized how disappointed she was that he was talking about the case right now.

Martin looked at her closely. Had she thought he had had a double meaning there? was she surprised that his sadness was because of the case? Had she seen through it?

Samantha paused, trying to work out when she had started hanging on every word Martin said. She thought of what to say. "Well, her mother will have some closure. The bad guy's going to go to jail. We did our job."

Martin looked away and forced a smile. "Yeah, I guess." he said. Samantha smiled faintly and they locked gazes for a moment. Something changed slightly in her face. Samantha looked into his eyes and the realization hit how much she wanted to be with him, see whether he was still the 'ideal boyfriend' type out of work. Her heart was telling her what a great guy was standing right in front of her now, staring at her.

Martin felt that is they stood there looking at each other any longer then he wouldn't be able to resist walking up to her and playing with her hair, brushing his lips against hers. "G'night." he said ending it.

Samantha gave a forced smile. She knew he was ending the moment, sending her away to be with Keller. She didn't break eye contact until she was sure that there was something there between them. "Good night." she responded softly, sadly, regretfully, apologetically, a touch seductively, before turning to go. She could feel Martin's eyes on her all the way to the door.

After she was gone, Martin looked down and sighed again, thinking about Sam and wondering whether it would be one of those things where that that moment had been a once in a lifetime thing and they spent the rest of their lives denying their feelings. He drew himself out of his thoughts and looked at the whiteboard before taking the photo down. It was raining outside. He wondered if Samantha had an umbrella. If not he was sure Keller would offer her his jacket.

All of a sudden Martin felt totally alone.

A/N:- Sketched this out whilst watching the scene over and over and over again and whilst listening to 'Trouble' by Coldplay and 'Lonely Day' by Phantom Planet. I can now tell you about every facial expression in this scene! Anyway, hope you enjoyed.