Title: Say Goodnight, Not Goodbye

Rating: PG

Pairing: Tiana (Tom and Diana)

Notes: The song lyrics found in this piece are from Ryan Cabrera's song "She's."

Summary: The day is over and Tom and Diana head home. However their rides may not have an end for one of them.

Tom had gone to hand in their final report for the day and Diana was in the office packing when he walked in. She couldn't hide the way her cheeks blushed slightly whenever he walked in the room. Even with the extra concealer that she caked on every morning.

Note to self, buy better concealer. "So are we ready to clock out?" Diana asked.

"Yes, work is over for the day. Jarvis can't torture us anymore." Tom said jokingly as he gathered turned off his computer.

"Yes, another day down," Diana said as she swung her purse over her shoulder.

"And no crazy 4400s," Tom said.

"I don't really care about that, I'm starving."

"So am I," Tom said. "You want to go to dinner?"

"I haven't seen Maia all day. I kind of just want to go home. I'm pretty tired too. I'm sorry. Rain check?"

"Yeah, go home and get some rest," Tom said. "Have a good night Diana." They walked out of the office and shut off the light before locking the door. As Diana continued walking Tom found himself looking at the way Diana walked. So graceful and elegant. You're amazing.

Why couldn't he say that to her face? Why did he chicken out whenever they were in a position were he could reveal his feelings to her? She's beautiful. That's why.

"You too Tom," Diana said as they walked out of NTAC and into their cars. "See you tomorrow?"

"Yeah," Tom said. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Te two climbed into their cars and drove off in their perspective directions. Tom to his home with Kyle and Diana to her apartment with her sister and Maia.

As Tom drove her thought. Diana would be the perfect woman for me. Why do I keep freezing up? It was true. He had been carrying a lit torch for her the past six months. He leaned over to turn on the radio and heard the perfect song to symbolize his feelings.

Diana was his air, water, and food. Everything that sustained him. Yet they only saw each other at work, on cases. They complemented each other nicely. She had a take charge attitude while he was kind of laid back. It was the perfect balance for a relationship.

As he pulled up to the house he dreaded the stack of bills that awaited him, and the cold Chinese that would be in the freezer. As much as he tried to deny it he and Kyle did live in a bachelor pad. They always had some take-out and had stacks of bills all over the place.

He opened the door to his house and immediately went to the kitchen to see a note from Kyle saying that he was going to a concert. He crumpled the note up and threw it away as he went to the fridge and found some leftover lemon chicken from Thursday night's dinner. He grabbed a fork and went into the living room where he flipped through the channels until he settled on an episode of Who's Wedding is it Anyway?. It was late. There wasn't much good programming on.

Tom sat there watch the finicky bride and invisible groom taste food with their wedding planner who dropped in a hint of advice now and again to make sure that the couple were sure that they had made the right choice. Will that be me and Diana someday?

If you combined their tastes you could come up with a pretty nice wedding. Of course Diana wouldn't want anything cheesy like a line dance; especially the Macarena or The Chicken Dance. He saw how Diana cringed whenever the Macarena came on the radio, which it rarely did. And maybe they could find some nice floral decorations, maybe add a hint of color with orange lilies?

Hold on Baldwin. You haven't even asked her out yet and you're planning your wedding. Tom let all thoughts of a might-be wedding flee from his mind and went back to watching the show.

Diana was driving along the Seattle roads. There was a slight shower that was going to build up, she could tell. After all it was an El Nino year. Heavy precipitation was to be expected.

But Diana didn't really mind. The truth was that she loved the rain. She would drive through the rain a little slower than normal just to make sure she was safe, but also to listen to the rain. The way it fell on the pavement is small spatters and collected in puddles along the sidewalk.

When she was little she used to love jumping in them and splashing her sister, and now Maia liked to splash her. Payback came in the most unlikely forms.

There was a fog forming in the air as Diana got closer to her apartment. Fog makes me nervous. She prayed silently that she would be able to get out of the clouded mass and into the parking garage safely. She squinted her eyes as she tried to press through the fog.

It's thick like the mascara on Jarvis' eyelashes. As she continued looking she could have sworn she saw some light. Another one emerged from the fog and they began to take their circular shape coming closer and closer to Diana. Headlights, a car is coming right towards me. Diana gripped the steering wheel and tried to move to the side of the road but the other car was too fast.

She over corrected just as the car hit her. The impact sent her crashing into a light post while the other car continued driving. Her head connected with the steering wheel for a moment, before she was jolted back against the seat. Her head rolled over the window and the sound of the rain started to dissipate.

"Where is your mother?" April asked as she put the take-out on the counter. She began unloading the food slightly worried about her sister. Diana is so punctual. The latest she'd usually be is on time. She looked at her blonde-haired niece as she took off her coat and sat down at the table. "Don't you see her? Can you see what time she is getting home? Anything?" Maia shook her head as she took a bite out of the deli sandwich. "Well you do have a sixth sense."

"I don't know why I can't see mommy," Maia said.

"Well at least if you don't see her, she probably isn't going to be part of an earth-shattering event right?"

"I don't know."

"Okay, I'm calling her partner?" April said as she picked up the phone and looked at the list of emergency contacts. "What's his name? Sal? Sam? Tim?"

"Tom."

"Thank you," April said as she located the number and dialed it hastily. The phone rang a few times before a deep male voice answered.

"Baldwin."

"Tom Baldwin, this is April Skouris, Diana's sister," April said.

"Yeah, I remember her talking about you," Tom said.

"Well, she hasn't come home yet, is she with you?"

"No, we left around the same time."

April's heartbeat accelerated. "If she calls can you tell her that we're worried?"

"I'll do you one better. I'll try her cell phone and if she doesn't answer I'll go out looking. Just stay home in case she shows up."

"Thank you," April said.

"It's no problem."

April hung up the phone and sat down at the table with Maia. The little girl was eating silently not saying much until she looked up at April for a moment and said. "Ant April, you're not going to like what happened."

It was raining. The roads were slippery. Why do people go out in this weather? The rain made Tom nervous and the fog only added to his nervous state.

He had driven to NTAC and then drove from NTAC in the direction of Diana's apartment, figuring that he would cover more of the search area if he approached it that way. His heart was beating a million miles a minute and he had to keep reminding himself that Diana was probably just at the store picking up some cereal or something that they desperately needed back at her house.

But the ran was making him nervous. The road was slippery and not every car was made for such treacherous paths. The fog was thick, but Tom managed to see a red light peek through the haze, followed by some blue light. The police. Tom pulled his car over and was greeted by the site of a totaled car.

Diana's totaled car.

Tom jumped out of the car and ran towards the scene of the accident. He was immediately stopped by a burly police officer.

"Sir, you can't be here," he said.

"Please," Tom said. "I know the victim. Her name is Diana Skouris, she's my partner."

"I understand sir but we're trying to help her," the police man said.

In the background Tom could hear one of the paramedics saying, "Start a line." He looked past the cop to see Diana lying on the pavement with a few paramedics around her. '

"Diana!" he called as he pushed past the cop and ran to where Diana was lying on the ground. Her face was cut multiple times and her abdomen was cut a few times as well causing a lake of crimson red liquid on her abdomen and chest. "Oh god."

One of the paramedics was bending down checking her pulse. "She's not going to make it?"

'What?" Tom said. "No she'll live. Just please, take her to the hospital."

"She's coming around," one of the other paramedics announced. Tom looked down to see Diana fighting to open her eyes.

"Diana? Diana?" Tom prompted. "It's okay wake up."

The rain was coming down hard causing her clothes to stick to her body almost as if she was covered in a heavy blanket. But instead of the cozy feeling she usually got from bed sheets, she was uncomfortable. She tried to move only to bet with bullets of pain coming down her spine.

"Don't try to move," a voice said to her.

There was something about this voice. It was different, unlike the others. The other's were stern and urgent. This one was familiar gentle. It was Tom's voice.

"Start an IV line, and get her on a backboard," one of the other voices said. "…have to get her to the hospital...might not…make it."

Diana forced her eyes open to see Tom sitting at her side. "Tom?" she managed.

"Diana," Tom said. "Oh god. It's okay hang in there." He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, keeping her from moving. "It's okay, you're gonna make it."

"Tom, what happened?" her voice was soft.

"It looks like you were in an accident," Tom said. "April called me. She was worried when you were late."

She laughed slightly at the fact that her sister was worried, but was meant with a wave of pain passing through her. "Don't make me laugh. It hurts."

"I'm sorry," Tom said.

They sat there in silence for a minute as the paramedics continued their first aid treatments. "She's losing too much blood," one of the paramedics said as if Diana wasn't even there. "She's not going to last the ride."

"She'll make it." Tom said. "Please, take her to the hospital."

"Tom," Diana whispered she could feel her eyelids getting heavy and as an ex-CDC she remembered that after a certain amount of blood was lost there wasn't much that could be done. "It's okay…just hold me."

Tom could feel the tears brimming in the corners of his eyes as he tried to lift her upper body. She was covered in so much blood. It couldn't have all come from the abdominal wound. He consoled himself by saying that she had other wounds elsewhere and then gently lifted up her shoulders. He threaded one arm underneath her shoulders allowing her head to rest on his upper arm.

She reached up feebly and clutched his jacket. He moved his other hand up to hers and covered her pale hand in his tan one. There was so much he wanted to say. And only a few moments to say it.

He could feel her breathing on his chest. Short un-even breathes. She coughed a few times causing blood to come out of her mouth. A few spots dribbled on his shirt.

"I'm sorry," she said as he wiped the rest of the blood away from her mouth.

"It's okay," Tom said. He wouldn't wear these clothes again after tonight anyway. Not if the one woman he loved with all his heart was about to die. He leaned down and planted a kiss on her forehead. He looked down to realize that she had closed her eyes and on her face was a small smile.

"I love you," she whispered.

Tom's heart was caught in his throat. He had no idea that she felt that way. A lump caught in his throat as he watched her fade away.

Don't lose this, his mind said to him. Say something. Anything. He looked down at her and smiled, "I love you too," he said as he felt her breathing slow. Her smile grew a little bit as he wiped her wet hair away from her face.

He couldn't believe this was happening. Not today.

"It's getting darker," her voice stated.

Tom held back a sob as he looked down at her, "It's okay sweetheart, go to sleep. Everything will be alright."

"Take care of Maia for me…" she said.

"I promise," Tom said. "I won't let anything happen to her."

"Thank you," Diana said. Tom could feel her grip loosen slightly on his shirt. "Tom…" she said.

He turned his attention to her, "Yes."

"Please, don't dwell on this…move on…with your life," Diana said, it was becoming harder for her to string words together.

"I can't promise that," Tom said as he pulled her closer, hoping that he may be able to will her to regain her strength. Moments passed before he felt her shiver against him, "Cold?" She nodded into his chest and he bent down to kiss the crown of her head. "I love you more than anything Diana."

More moments passed, and he could feel her slip away. It was like sand was sliding through his fingers. Her grip on his shirt eventually loosened and he felt her body go limp against his. He squeezed her hand.

Tom held Diana's body in his arms for several minute before reality overcame him. "Diana!" he screamed. "No! You can't leave me!"

"Sir, the coroner's office is here," the paramedic said. "They're going to take her."

"No! Take her to the hospital! There has to be something that you can do," Tom screamed at him.

"I'm sorry sir, she's gone."

"I was talking to her no more than a half hour ago," Tom said. "How could this have happened?"

Tom wouldn't let go of Diana's body. She was gone, but the smile on her face assured him that she was at peace, but he felt that if he held onto her, he would able to bring her back.

He brought a hand to her cheek. "She's still warm," he commented.

"It takes a while for the body to lose heat," the paramedic stated.

Tom gently traced her cheekbone before his hand traveled down to her neck. There was no pulse. She was gone. As he started crying he laid her down and watched as the coroner laid out a new body bag and shifted her onto it.

He'd seen the action done almost a hundred times, but this time was different. This time it was his partner. He watched as the zipped body bag was transferred to a stretcher and wheeled to the coroner's van, before slipping back to his car and driving towards Diana's apartment.

"Maia! Maia!" April called through the apartment. "Maia where are you?"

Moving into Diana's room Maia heard a sob come through the closet. She opened to the door to see a distressed Maia sitting in the closet with her knees up to her chest.

"Maia, what are you doing in your mom's closet?"

"It's smells like mommy in here," Maia stated.

"Maia, what's wrong?" April asked as she sat on the floor in front of her niece. The next minute the doorbell rang and April stood up, "I'll be right back." She ran to the door and opened it, thinking that Diana had lost her key or something of that nature. Instead, she found Tom.

"Tom…" April stated.

"I…" he started. "I found Diana."

"Where is she?" April stated, subconsciously knowing that the new wouldn't be good.

"She was in a car accident," Tom said.

"Oh my god. What hospital is she at? We have to get there."

"No…" Tom stated. "April, she bled out at the scene."

"What?" April asked, tears brimming in her eyes.

"She died," Tom broke the news to her. "About ten minutes ago."

Tears sprung to April's eyes. "Was she in any pain?"

"No," Tom said. "When she talked to me, she said that she was numb. She couldn't feel any pain."

April sniffed and walked back to Diana's room. She turned to the closet and saw Diana curled up into a ball. "Mind if I sit with you?" April asked the little girl. Maia nodded and April settled next to the nine year old on the floor of the closet. "You're right it does smell like your mom in here." The tears started rolling out and Maia wrapped her arms around her aunt, looking for comfort.

A shadow loomed over the two and April looked up to see Tom standing there watching them. "Come on in," April invited. April pulled Maia onto her lap and Tom sat next to her. "She's really gone?" April asked.

"I wish she wasn't," Tom said.

"What's going to happen…" Maia asked.

"We're going to give her a proper burial," said Tom. "We'll say goodbye and we'll remember her until we die."

"She's always going to be your mother," April whispered to the little girl. "She'll always be part of your life."

-END-