From Where You Are

A/N: This is the second part to 'The Difficult Kind', so if you haven't read that, you may want to before reading this. Hope you like it and sorry it took so long! :) Enjoy!

Disclaimer: The song is by Lifehouse. I don't own it or anything to do with Lifehouse or Without a Trace.

Today was the day. The day he'd waited nearly two years for. The day he'd see her again.

Ever since she'd left New York, he hadn't been the same. There was a void inside of him that only she could fill. He tried to move on, tried desperately to find someone else that could make him feel whole, complete, but there was no use. He knew only one person that could fit that mold, and she was halfway across the country.

He continued dating Gabby a few months after Sam left, but his heart was never really in it. The demise of their relationship wasn't much of a surprise to either of them. He'd given his heart away a long time ago. After Gabby, he didn't go on very many dates. There wasn't any point.

His heart belonged to a certain brown-eyed blonde, and he didn't want it back.

Every day he thought about packing his bags and chasing her to Texas to tell her how much he loved and missed her, but he knew he could never make himself do it. She'd left New York for a reason, to get away from him. Despite how much he wanted to be near her, he respected her decision to leave. If distance was what she wanted from him, distance he would give her. It's the least he could do.

He'd given up his chances at rekindling their romance the moment he uttered those fateful words and ended things between them. He didn't regret breaking their relationship off by any means. She was treating him badly and he wouldn't stand for it, but he couldn't rid himself of the guilt of how he did it. The look in her eyes that day plagued his every waking hour now. Even though they'd managed to rebuild their friendship before she left, he couldn't seem to get that image of her confused and wounded expression out of his mind.

She'd finally made an effort, finally put herself out there, and he did the exact thing she feared most. He broke her heart.

So far away from where you are
These miles have torn us worlds apart
And I miss you
Yeah, I miss you
So far away from where you are
Standing underneath the stars
And I wish you were here

Thankfully, they'd been able to keep their friendship intact over the years. They spoke on the phone every Saturday afternoon like clockwork, unless work interfered of course. Sometimes their conversation lasted only fifteen minutes or so, but often they found themselves speaking on the phone for hours at a time. Never did they broach the subject of their feelings for one another or the significant others in their lives though. It was an unspoken rule between them.

The last time they'd talked was three days ago. She'd called him after one of their cases ended with the discovery of their 16 year old MP's body near the Mexican border, raped and strangled. All it took was one word from her lips to signal to him that something terrible had happened. The minute he asked 'What's wrong?', a dam let loose inside of her. Details from the case poured from her lips as tears fell down her cheeks.

He heard her sobbing over the telephone and wanted nothing more than to reach through the line and take her in a tight hug. Instead he soothed her as best he could with soft, whispered words of comfort. After her tears finally subsided, they sat silently, phones pressed closely to their ears, content to hear the other's steady breathing.

Laying in bed that night, Martin couldn't seem to find sleep. The sound of Samantha's muffled sobs had his heart twisted in knots. There was nothing worse than listening to her cry and being unable to do anything about it.

I miss the years that were erased
I miss the way the sunshine would light up your face
I miss all the little things

I never thought that they'd mean everything to me
Yeah, I miss you
And I wish you were here

Somehow, he managed to drag himself out of bed and into work the next morning despite the fact that he'd slept a grand total of four hours. Danny, of course, had a field day with Martin's disheveled, sleep-deprived state, making quite a few comments on his friend's bloodshot eyes and wayward hair.

It didn't take long for his day to turn around though. The annual FBI-CIA conference was coming up, and Jack designated him and Danny to represent the New York Missing Persons Unit this year. His initial reaction was annoyance mixed with dread. The year before they'd been sent to Butte, Montana where the most interesting thing that had happened all year was a string of cow-tipping episodes by a group of local college kids. But the moment Jack said 'Houston', an enormous smile covered the blue-eyed agent's face.

Finally, after nearly two years, he had a chance to see her again, and he couldn't wait.

I feel the beating of your heart
I see the shadows of your face
Just know that wherever you are
Yeah, I miss you
And I wish you were here

Time passed quickly, and before he knew it, they'd landed in Houston and were on the way to the hotel where the conference was being held. Stepping through the front entrance, he was met with the sight of many people dressed much like himself in suits and skirts. His eyes scanned the crowd, hoping to catch a glimpse of that all too familiar golden blonde hair. Since she lived nearby, she'd most likely only show up for the lectures throughout the day, but he couldn't help but scour the room for her anyway.

Danny retrieved their room keys from the front desk before leading his friend to the third floor where their single rooms were situated side by side. He tossed Martin his key, then made his way into his own room next door. He slid the plastic card into the slot on the door, hearing a soft beep as it unlocked. He tossed his bag on a chair nearby before falling back onto the plush comforter of his queen-sized bed.

Staring up at the ceiling, his thoughts drifted to the familiar brown-eyed blonde that was so often on his mind. A smile crept ever so slowly across his features. He couldn't wait to see her.

He hadn't said anything to her about the conference or the fact that he was attending, but he figured she'd have found out somehow. He could only hope that she wanted to see him as much as he wanted to see her.

The first lecture of the conference was set to begin in less than two hours. He slipped his suit jacket off before settling back into the pillows. His eyelids fluttered shut as he succumbed to the sleep that had been threatening to overtake him for the past few hours.

A loud knock woke him sometime later, interrupting his pleasant dreams. "Fitz, you in there?!" He heard Danny shout. "It's time to head downstairs."

"I'm comin'. Hold on." Martin groaned, climbing out of bed and pulling his jacket on. He made sure to grab his key from the end table before joining Danny in the hallway. "Okay, let's go."

I miss the years that were erased
I miss the way the sunshine would light up your face
I miss all the little things
I never thought that they'd mean everything to me
Yeah, I miss you
And I wish you were here

Walking into the crowded auditorium, he spotted her. It didn't matter how many people were in the room. His eyes always gravitated to her.

Her head dipped back as laughter escaped from her lips. Her blonde hair cascaded in waves down her shoulders and back, swaying gently with each movement of her head. He was absolutely mesmerized by her. Danny grabbed his friend's elbow, fully aware of where his attention was focused, and led him to their seats a few rows behind Samantha and the three people he assumed were her team. "I'd ask what was so fascinating that you almost got us trampled for, but I'm pretty sure that I already know the answer to that question." Danny said sarcastically, hoping to pull Martin from the trance he was in.

"What'd you say?" He asked, still not pulling his eyes away from Samantha. She was just as beautiful as the last time he saw her, if not moreso.

"Nevermind."

"Maybe we should go say hi." Martin suggested in Danny's direction already beginning to rise from his seat.

Danny stood up as well, following Martin towards her. There was so much heartache between the two of them, Danny couldn't stand to see anymore, but he couldn't just let his friend walk headlong into what would be an awkward situation to say the least. "Hey there, hot stuff." Danny spoke first, his usual smirk settled across his lips.

Her head snapped around to find the source of the voice, and a small smile crept over her face. She jumped up from her seat, taking him into a tight hug. "I didn't know you guys would be here!" Sam admitted happily. Pulling away from him, her eyes drifted to the blue eyes she'd missed so much. Before she knew it, he'd wrapped his arms around her. The scent of her hair drew him in and he tightened his hold on her briefly before releasing her.

"That's probably because Jack only told us a few days ago." Martin explained with a smile, avoiding the questioning gazes of the three people sitting next to Samantha.

"Yeah. I think he forgets that some people actually have lives outside of the Bureau." Danny quipped. "Well, I do at least. Marty here is a different story."

"Oh yeah?" She asked, trying to convince herself that Martin's personal life no longer interested her. "How's that?"

"For starters, he hasn't been on a date in a year, and he works enough overtime to take the next three months off. I find more ... productive ways of spending my free time."

Martin rolled his eyes at his partner. "I don't work [i]that[/i] much overtime." He gestured to the people situated behind them, hoping to take the focus off of his personal life or lack thereof. "Is this your new team?"

"Oh yeah! Sorry, I should've introduced you all. This is Leslie Reynolds, Trent James, and Jacob Alexander." She said pointing at each one respectively. "Guys this is Danny Taylor and Martin Fitzgerald."

A look passed between Sam and Leslie, that caught Martin's eye as she said his name. He wasn't sure what it meant, if anything, but he intended to find out.

Before the conversation could go any further, the lights dimmed as a tall agent with salt and pepper hair stepped onto the stage. The two of them went back to their seats as the seminar began. The entire time the man spoke, Martin's eyes were locked on the blonde a few rows ahead. She seemed happy to see them, but he couldn't be sure. She was good a very good actress when she wanted to be.

His thoughts were consumed by her, and he couldn't wait to speak to her again. They had a lot of catching up to do.

So far away from where you are
These miles have torn us worlds apart
And I miss you
Yeah, I miss you
And I wish you were here