Moonlight Serenade
A/N: L&O Crossover: Martin's last-ditch effort to salvage his and Samantha's relationship, once and for all is interrupted by a missing lawyer who knows Jack McCoy. Set sometime in Season 3.
A/N 2: Want to learn more about McCoy and the missing lawyer? Check out "Moonlight Sonata" in the Law and Order section!
A/N 3: Thanks to the Sushi Den of Denver for the menu selections!
Disclaimer: As always: I do not own ANY of the characters mentioned that appear in either Without A Trace or Law and Order. Nor do I own the two songs used. The plot, however, is all mine!
As always – thanks to Teyerin for the crossover idea and all the help and support! And not bruising my shoulder this time!
"So what are you going to do?" Danny asked Martin over the coffeepot.
Martin turned to see Samantha laughing with Vivian over something, "I don't know, Danny. Got any suggestions?"
"On how to keep Hot Stuff happy?" Danny scoffed, "Dude, I don't even think god himself could help!"
Martin rolled his eyes, "I don't need help keeping her happy, Danny. I just want to tell the whole world how happy she makes me."
"And she won't let you?"
"Danny," Martin sighed heavily, "The only reason you know is because you caught us kissing. If you hadn't, you'd still be in the dark."
Danny laughed, "No, I wouldn't. The only reason I get to talk to you about this is because I caught you. I hate to tell you man, you two gave yourselves away weeks ago!"
Martin groaned, "Sam is so not going to like this!"
"You saw us?" Sam whispered.
Vivian laid her hand on the younger agent's arm, "No, I didn't see anything," not missing the look of relief, "But it's no secret you love him. Nor that he loves you!" Unlike Samantha's previous interoffice relationship, Vivian approved of this one whole heartedly.
"You think he loves me?"
"Think?" Vivian laughed and got Sam to laugh with her, "Honey, just seeing how he looks at you is enough to tell." Vivian would have continued in that vein for a while—saying anything to ease Sam's anxiety—but Jack rounded the corner and waved a stack of folders.
"Let's go team; we've got a case!" Jack Malone made sure his voice carried across the room. Once his team was assembled, he laid out the details, "Ok, meet Georgia McNeil. She's a partner with Stokes, Fife and Associates. Her last case involved defending Cristina Solano, a high school math teacher accused of assaulting a student."
"Did she do it?" Danny asked, his face showing confusion over why a teacher would harm a student.
"Good question," Jack replied, consulting the folder, "says here, Solano took a deal, two to seven years in Taconic without admitting guilt."
"I wonder why," Samantha mused.
"Well," Jack started, "When you get to Taconic, you can ask. Take Danny with you." He tossed her a folder and turned to Martin, "Why don't you and Vivian go see…" he flipped open another folder, "DA Jack McCoy and his assistant, Alex Borgia. See if anything unusual happened during the trial."
"Where will you be, Boss?" Danny asked.
Jack took one of the folders left on the table, "Guess I'll head over to her apartment and see if I can come up with anything. Once I finish there, I'll get to work on her phone and credit card info."
"Have a seat Ms. Solano," Samantha coolly instructed the prisoner once she was brought from her cell. "I'm Agent Spade and this is Agent Taylor, we're with the FBI and we have some questions regarding your lawyer."
"Georgia? What happened?" Cristina perched on the edge of the chair, her whole body tense.
"She's missing," Danny said. "She didn't show up for a court appointment this morning and no one remembers seeing her after about 10 o'clock the night before last."
"I don't know how I can help you. I've been here for the past week and I'll be here for a while longer," Cristina looked at the flaws in the table.
"Why don't you start with how things went while she was representing you," Sam opened her notepad and poised the pen.
"There's not much to tell," Cristina started, "I haven't fit in too well in my new school and there are students who resented my replacing a teacher who left…"
"Well, that was three hours of my life I'll never get back," Danny whined as Sam punched for their floor in the elevator. "She didn't know anything and never admitted she did anything either!"
Sam slugged him lightly, "Quit your whining, Danny! She told us a lot about Georgia's state of mind and that's what we need. Whether she actually assaulted her student or not is none of our concern."
Danny leaned against the wall, "Well, what about what she said about Georgia and the DA?"
"Now, that is something we can use," Sam headed for her desk once the doors opened. "I wonder if Viv and Martin got anything from the DA and his assistant. It'll be interesting to compare notes." She set her jacket down and headed for the whiteboard. Consulting her notes, she added Cristina Solano's information—last court appearance date and the fact that her lawyer and the DA mentioned dinner plans.
"So I guess we wait for everyone to get back, huh?" Danny leaned back in his chair and put his feet up on his desk.
"No, Agent Taylor, you get to go through our missing person's phone records," Jack heaved a thick stack of papers into Danny's lap. "But don't worry; Agent Spade here will be happy to help!" And taking the credit card reports, Jack sat at the table and got to work.
Danny managed to restrain a groan and silently handed Sam half of the stack. His hangdog look wasn't earning him any sympathy, however. Going though the phone and credit reports were their bread and butter for finding missing people.
Samantha wasn't looking long when she found something interesting, "Cristina Solano said that Georgia was having dinner with the DA. So who is Stanley Brenner?"
"Stanley Brenner?" Jack looked up from the credit reports, "That name sounds familiar. Just a minute, Sam." He went back to the notes and evidence he gathered at Georgia's apartment and flipped though her day planner. "Stanley Brenner, Stanley Brenner," Jack muttered to himself flipping the pages one after the other, "Ah, here he is. S. B. – dinner and dancing, 7 pm, September 25. S. B. – dinner, 8 pm, September 21. S. B. – dinner, 7:30 pm, September 18." Jack read from her planner.
"Sounds like dates," Danny commented. "When was the first one?"
Jack continued flipping back though Georgia's planner, "Looks like July. She circled the date and starred it too," he showed it to Samantha. "Do you think she was excited?"
Sam looked at the note and nodded, recognizing the notations, "I'd have to say yes, she was."
"So why did they stop dating?" Jack asked.
"Any number of reasons," Sam started, "She decided she didn't like him, he got creepy, he moved too fast, she got scared, she met someone new…it could be anything, Jack." She went back to the phone records, "But whatever the reason, I don't think Stanley got the message. She stopped calling him at the end of September, but he hasn't stopped calling her," Samantha looked up at the two men, "I think Stanley just became a person of high interest."
"I agree," Jack said, placing the planner back on the table. "I think that you and I should go have a chat with him, Sam."
"What about me?" Danny looked left out.
Jack patted the younger agent on the shoulder, "Stay here. Keep working on the credit reports and call when Martin and Vivian get back from the DA's." He held his arm out, "Let's go pay Stanley Brenner a friendly little visit, shall we?"
"Excuse me, Jack," Alex (Borgia) poked her head into her boss' office, "There are two FBI agents here to speak to you."
"Show them in," Jack McCoy stood up and shook hands, "Agent Johnson, Agent Fitzgerald, to what do I owe the pleasure?"
Martin pulled a photo from his breast pocket, "Georgia McNeil's been reported missing and as far as we can figure, you were the last person to see her alive."
McCoy sank back into his chair, shock clearly written on his face, "Gia's missing?"
"That's correct," Vivian affirmed, "Could you tell us about the last time you were together?"
He nodded and began to speak, his eyes never leaving the speck of dust on his desk, "It was last night. We went out for dinner and then I took her home on my bike."
"Bike?" Martin interrupted.
"A Yamaha FZ. Reminds me of the first bike my dad bought me for my 16th birthday. Georgia always loved riding with me in Law School. It was just like old times," Jack managed to look up.
"Did you go into her apartment with her?" Martin asked.
Jack nodded, "I was there for a couple of hours—three tops. We both had early court appointments and I didn't want to impose any longer, so I went home." He stood and paced about his office. "I didn't see anyone else when I left. I was too preoccupied. She kissed me good-bye and all I could think about was her." He stopped pacing and loosened his tie, "This is unreal. Georgia's missing," McCoy had no intention of telling these two agents everything in his heart, but once he got going, well, all bets were off.
"Surely you see worse in your line of work," Vivian commented.
"Of course. Just this morning I put a rapist and murderer behind bars for the rest of his natural life. But it rarely hits this close. I—I loved her in Law School, but she was too determined to make partner before turning 30 and we ended amicably. Kind of lost touch with each other after graduation when she went defending crooks and I went prosecuting them. Then came the Solano case," Jack sank back into his chair. "I saw my neighbor when I came home; she was walking her new puppy. I'll give you her name and number. She can verify I got home after 1 am," he wrote the information out quickly and handed it to Agent Johnson.
"Did Georgia mention anything about an ex?" she asked gently.
He looked up sharply, "Now that you mention it, she did…"
Once his heart rate had come back to normal, Jack pulled her into his arms, "I love holding you, Gia!"
"I love being held by you, Mac," Georgia kissed his bare shoulder and then his lips. A blinking light caught her eye, "Damn!"
"What? Did I hurt you?" Jack's hands had wandered down her back and over her bare ass, squeezing gently.
Georgia shook her head, "No, it's not that. I've got another message. Why doesn't he get the hint?"
"Who?" Jack stopped kissing her neck suddenly concerned.
"It's nobody," she started, "just an ex who doesn't understand it's over." Georgia sighed and leaned her head on his chest, listening to his heart's steady beat. "Can we not talk about him? I'm here with you and that's all I want to think about."
He kissed her deeply, "But you'll go to the police, right?"
"Tomorrow, I'll go tomorrow," Georgia murmured as she kissed her way down his lean chest and watched him grow hard. "Right now, I have better things to think about, Mac!"
"As do I, Gia," Jack replied, flipping her over and making love to her all over again.
"That was all she ever said," McCoy shook his head. "I should have stayed. Made sure she went to the police."
Vivian gave him a sympathetic look, "Don't beat yourself up about it, Mr. McCoy. 'What ifs' never help."
"Give it a rest, Stanley!" Sam bellowed, "She said 'no,' you couldn't hack it, so you whacked her! Just tell us where she is and we'll be done!" She pulled back from the cowering suspect. They had been in the interrogation room for more than two hours and Samantha was starting to lose what was left of her patience; she had lost most of it when she broke a heel running the turkey down. And the flying tackle left her with a skinned knee that was starting to throb.
"Mr. Brenner, Stanley," Jack said soothingly, "You didn't give us much choice to bring you here when you ran earlier. Why don't you just tell us the truth?" He really hoped they hadn't hauled an innocent man into a grueling session. 'Lawsuit' had an ugly ring to it. Not to mention the hours of paperwork.
Although they never planned their attack, it was a good switch on the 'good cop – bad cop' routine with Sam being the heavy. No one—especially men—seemed to expect a beautiful young woman to be the baddy. And since it was Samantha who tackled him, it just seemed the best scenario.
Sam leaned forward again and swallowed a smile when he flinched, "Mr. Brenner, if you know anything about Georgia McNeil's whereabouts, now would be a good time to speak up. Our colleagues are going though your apartment as we speak and if they find anything before you come forward…," she let her voice trail off.
Stanley Brenner was sweating. The blond just looked at him with her cold brown eyes and he could feel his insides churning. The other agent seemed sympathetic and when Stanley looked up at her last statement, he received an understanding nod from the agent.
"Don't look to Agent Malone for sympathy!" Sam slammed her hand on the table. "Look at me when I talk to you!"
Brenner felt a drop of sweat roll down the side of his face, "I—I—I really want to help," he started.
Samantha just leveled him a cool stare.
"G—G—Georgia and I were dating. It was going well. We were having fun. Then she stopped taking my calls and wouldn't talk to me when I went to her office," he whined.
"Did you ever consider she had changed her mind about a relationship with you?" Jack asked quietly.
Brenner just shook his head, "But she never said anything! It was like one day everything was fine, and then the next, nothing. She never told me why. All I wanted to know was why."
"And when you confronted her two nights ago?" Sam prompted quickly.
"She still wouldn't tell me!" Stanley's mouth was running without censorship from his brain. "I saw that man leaving her apartment and she wouldn't tell me who he was! Some asshole with a motorcycle sleeping with my girl! She wouldn't tell me and I grabbed her and shook her and she still wouldn't say anything! And then…" Stanley's brain had caught up and he stopped talking.
"And then she couldn't tell you," Jack finished for him. "Just tell us where she is, Stanley. Let her family have closure."
"Washington Square Park," Stanley Brenner shrank in his seat, "It was our first date. We went to an art exhibit."
"I'm on it," Sam said off Jack's nod. She gathered her papers and headed out.
Jack didn't say anything; he just watched Stanley Brenner crumple and start to cry. He shook his head in disgust. "I'll have someone come get you shortly. I suggest you hire a good attorney and pray you don't have District Attorney Jack McCoy prosecuting you in that courtroom."
Stanley looked up forlornly, "That's who Georgia was with? A DA?"
"Yep. Turns out they were old friends from Law School," Jack said sadly and walked out.
Samantha stood on the balcony and tried to regain her inner balance. She tucked a stray hunk of hair behind her ear and shook her head. Georgia broke it off with that boob to be with an old lover—an old lover that was looking like a new lover with staying power. And Brenner couldn't handle the rejection so he strangled her. Such was the perfidy of love. She hoped Martin would never turn on her like Stanley. Then she smiled to herself, no, he'd never do that. Martin was too much a gentleman to do something so base to a woman he stopped seeing. Or who stopped seeing him. Or whatever.
Martin opened the door and just watched her for a moment. The sun caught her hair and he smiled when she did. Her smile could light a room and he'd never tire of seeing it. "Hey," he sidled up to her.
Her physical response was on autopilot as she moved away from him. Never mind what Vivian had told her earlier. Never mind she wanted to be more open with their relationship. She cringed inwardly and moved partway back, "Hey yourself."
Martin didn't fail to notice she moved both away from him and back. Was she trying to tell him something? "I heard you cracked him like a walnut," he couldn't contain the pride in his voice. "Good work."
There was a warm fuzzy spot under her ribs when she heard the pride in his voice, but she snorted in derision, "Like it did Georgia McNeil any good."
"At least her family won't have to worry for the next twenty years what happened," Martin caressed her shoulder, "They'll have closure."
"And the DA?" Sam wondered.
Martin's hand moved to the base of her neck and he tried relieving some of the tension, "Viv and Jack went to talk to him. I think he loved her and it won't be easy."
They were quiet for a few minutes. Martin moved so he could use both hands on her tight muscles. "I know it wouldn't be easy if I lost you," he whispered in her ear.
She moved out from under his hands and turned to look him in the eyes. Vivian was—as usual—completely correct. She could see the love he had in his eyes. Knowing she finally felt the same way, but was having difficulty expressing it, she hoped he could see the same message in her eyes. Movement from the office caught her eye and her flight response kicked in, "I'm going to freshen up. Meet you inside?" and she turned before he could even nod.
'Damn,' Martin thought. They had been so close to 'that moment.' The one in which they could both express how they felt—openly and in plain view of everyone. He shook his head in frustration and headed back into the office.
"Hey, Martin!" Danny called. "We're all heading to Tama Toyo for sushi. Coming?" He had already gotten Samantha to say 'yes,' and he hoped Martin would agree as well. If all went according to plan, they'd publicly declare what the entire team already knew.
"Sushi?" Martin grinned, "Did I mention my hankering?"
Danny shook his head, "No, but Sam said something similar. She and Viv left already to secure a table."
"Well, grab Jack and let's not keep the ladies waiting!"
'Karaoke night,' Martin mumbled and groaned inwardly. How the hell could he have forgotten that Tama Toyo was famous for two things—their sushi and Karaoke weekends? Shit!
"Martin! Danny! Over here!" Vivian called loudly. It didn't escape her notice that Martin's expression upon entering the restaurant was the same as Samantha's. She really hoped Danny knew what he was doing bringing them here. "Sam's gone for drinks. Is Jack coming?" Viv asked as the boys took their seats.
"He said he'd come down after he finished with Van Doren," Danny replied glancing around at the full tables. It was perfect. He didn't recognize any faces, so there weren't any other FBI agents. Now, he just had to get them drunk enough to lose a few inhibitions, and who knew where the evening would lead.
"One Cosmo, one draft beer, one sparkling water and one very dry martini," Sam handed out the drinks, slipping into her seat and letting the first sip slide down her throat. She closed her eyes in appreciation and casually licked the back of her hand where some of the drink had spilled on her way back to their table.
"Not wasting a drop?" Martin whispered in her ear.
Sam shook her head, "Nope! That bartender knows exactly what he's doing!" She picked up the glass and drank deeply.
"Slow down there, Samantha! Why not wait for some food to go with that gin?" Vivian asked.
Martin's glass was nearly empty as well. "Don't look at me, Viv!" Sam gestured to the other glass, "I'm just keeping up with him!"
Vivian would have responded, but a shadow crossed the table and she looked up.
"Have you all had a chance to look at the menus?" a waitress interrupted.
"Do we really need to look anymore?" Danny quipped; glad to have the distraction from the near argument between Vivian and Samantha. His glass was completely empty, but then, it was just a sparkling water.
Martin just shook his head, "Not me. I'd like Miso soup and the Sashimi platter."
"I'll have the same," Danny told the waitress.
"And for the ladies?"
Sam tipped her head, thinking, "Calamari Spinach Salad and Tekka don."
"Good choice," Vivian quickly revised her order, "Tuna Tataki Salad and the Shrimp and Vegetable Tempura."
The waitress scribbled their orders, "Um, large or small tempura?"
"Just the small, please," Vivian handed her the menus. "And could you bring us another round of drinks?" Now that food was on the way, she didn't mind Martin and Sam drinking so heavily.
"Of course. I'll get your appetizers and salads up as quickly as I can," she scooped up the three empty glasses and headed off to fulfill their orders.
Two drinks later, as well as the appetizers, salads and dinner, neither Samantha nor Martin were feeling any pain. Martin had causally draped his arm across the back of Sam's chair, and she was leaning ever so slightly towards him. Danny had taken this all in with a grin to Vivian. Jack had bailed on them, playing the family card and taking his girls out to dinner far away from any restaurant involving either karaoke or alcohol. Leaving just the four of them to see who could be the most hung-over by morning. Well, Danny thought, more importantly to see who could end up declaring their love by the end of the evening.
"So, how did it go with the DA," Martin asked Vivian, picking at the crumbs left on his plate.
She sighed lightly, "It hurt. I think as soon as we spoke to him the first time, he knew she was dead. He's been on the job too long not to know the signs. But to actually get the news, to know for certain…well, I don't think Jack McCoy will be dating anyone for a long time now." Vivian shook her head to clear the image of a man torn apart by a love lost and turned her attention to the two people in front of her completely in denial of love at hand. "Let's not talk about work any more. Tell me, Martin, what do you think of Agent Spade here?"
Danny had taken a huge gulp of his water and almost did a spit-take. He hadn't expected Vivian to go on the frontal assault, but a couple of seconds later—after he was able to swallow—applauded her efforts.
Samantha for her part, sat frozen with her fourth martini poised half-way to her lips. How dare Viv ask Martin something like that in front of her. Half of her was mortified with the question, the other half, nervous with anticipation of his answer.
"A-A-Agent Spade?" Martin stuttered over the top of his beer. "She's great, why do you ask?"
"Oh, no reason," Viv responded casually. She carefully watched Samantha go from white to red. His answer was not what anyone expected.
Groaning internally, Danny again reached for his sparkling water. Martin had gone the safe route—neither admitting he loved Sam, nor admitting he didn't like her. "Viv, you can't just leave it there. Agent Spade is great. We'd all admit that. Why don't you ask what Boy Wonder thinks about Samantha?" They were drunk enough not to pull their weapons and shoot, so Danny decided to push the envelope a little further.
Vivian raised an eyebrow, "OK. So, Martin, what do you think of Samantha?"
Out of the corner of his eye, Martin noticed that Sam hadn't moved an inch. Her face went white at Vivian's first question, red at his answer and back to white with Viv's second question. Also, her grip on her glass got steadily tighter. He wondered if she'd break the stem and provide enough distraction for him not to answer. After several long seconds, he realized nothing was going to get him out of this. He cleared his throat and prayed for inspiration. Suddenly, a very drunk singer finished to great applause and Martin was struck with the inspiration he desired. "What do I think of Samantha?"
"That was the question," Vivian said with a note of impatience.
"Right," Martin stood and turned to walk away.
"Wait!" Sam managed to squeak out, "Where are you going?"
Martin turned back to the table and winked at her, "To get you an answer." He wove his way to the small stage and grabbed the Karaoke menu. Quickly finding the song he wanted he nodded to the attendant and grabbed the mike. "Good evening. Someone just asked me a question and I'd like to give my answer in song. I heard this on the radio the other day and I thought it was perfect. Hope you like it."
As he began to sing, Samantha felt the fierce pounding of her heart. And when he got to the chorus and changed the lyrics—just for her—well, the pounding turned into thudding, and she was sure Viv and Danny could hear it.
Danny exchanged looks with Vivian and smiled. If this didn't bring their relationship out in the open, it probably would crush it forever. Danny fervently hoped for the first scenario. Then, seeing that Samantha was about to spill her drink, he carefully took it out of her hands and set it on the table.
Vivian smiled at Danny and glanced at Sam. She could see the younger woman's face, and knew this had done the trick. Tonight, she had been pushed over the ledge and landed head-first into love—love that couldn't be denied. Viv did send a quick prayer that Sam wouldn't explode at Martin. Falling in love was heady—and frightening—all at the same time. She hoped Sam would be able to push through the fear and accept the man currently crooning into the microphone like a pro.
As Martin sang, he kept his eyes glued on Samantha. She was still sitting at the table; she hadn't run out the door. The look on her face was unreadable. He didn't know what she was thinking and while he kept most of his attention focused on the lyrics, he also wondered what would happen when he finished. Would they be finished?
Babe, tomorrow's so far away
There's something I just have to say
I don't think I can hide what I'm feelin' inside
Another day, knowin' I love you
And I, I'm getting too close again
I don't want to see it end
If I tell you tonight will you turn out the light
And walk away knowin'
I love you?
I'm gonna take you by surprise and make you realize,
(Amanda) Samantha
I'm gonna tell you right away, I can't wait another day,
(Amanda) Samantha
I'm gonna say it like a man and make you understand
(Amanda) Samantha
I love you
And I feel like today's the day
I'm lookin' for the words to say
Do you wanna be free, are you ready for me
To feel this way I don't wanna lose you
So, it may be too soon, I know
The feeling takes so long to grow
If I tell you today will you turn me away
And let me go?
I don't wanna lose you
I'm gonna take you by surprise and make you realize,
(Amanda) Samantha
I'm gonna tell you right away, I can't wait another day,
(Amanda) Samantha
I'm gonna say it like a man and make you understand
(Amanda) Samantha
You and I, I know that we can't wait
And I swear, I swear it's not a lie girl
Tomorrow may be too late
You, you and I girl
We can share a life together
It's now or never. And tomorrow may be too late
And, feelin' the way I do
I don't wanna wait my whole life through
To say I'm in love with you
Boston
As he finished, Samantha thought, 'Well, two can play at that game.' Maybe it was all the alcohol coursing through her system that was giving her courage. Maybe it was the strange, wonderful, frightening and excited feeling under her ribs. Nevertheless, she took a different route to the small stage without giving Martin a chance to talk to her. Perusing the list of songs available, a small smile came to her lips as she indicated to the attendant the song she had chosen. Then, Sam stepped onto the small stage and grabbed the mike, "I would like everyone to know that was the best answer I've ever heard. And although no one asked the question aloud to me, here's my answer." She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She knew the lyrics by heart, having heard the song once on the radio, Sam took her lunch hour the next day to hunt down the CD and had been it playing non-stop for weeks now.
Hmm, thought I'd seen everything
There was to see in this world
Now I'm not so sure I've really seen anything at all
I thought life could show me no surprises
And then you came and showed me I was wrong
I have seen the bluest skies,
Rainbows that would make you cry
I have seen miracles that moved my soul,
Days that changed my life
I have seen the brightest stars shine like diamonds in the dark
Seen all the wonders of the world, but I've never seen a smile
As beautiful as yours, ooh, ooh, ooh, oh,
I thought I'd been everywhere
I've climbed a mountain so high, sailed the sea, crossed the sky
And still I was nowhere at all, until that day, oh, you came to my senses
And your smile, it made sense out of it all,
(I have seen the bluest skies)
Rainbows that would make you cry,
I have seen miracles
(Miracles that moved me soul) that moved my soul,
Days that changed my life,
I have seen the brightest stars shine like diamonds in the dark
Seen all the wonders of the world, but I've never seen a smile as beautiful as yours
(Smile so beautiful) so beautiful, comes one time in a lifetime
A smile this beautiful, (a smile this beautiful) I've never dreamed I'd ever see, oh
(I have seen the bluest skies) I have seen it,
(Rainbows that would make you cry)
That would make you cry, I've seen miracles (miracles) moved my soul,
(days that changed my life) and days that changed my life
I have seen the brightest stars shine like diamonds in the dark
Oh, I've seen the wonders of this world (wonders of the world)
But I've never seen a smile (never seen a smile before as beautiful as yours)
Oh, I've never seen a smile before, (never seen a smile before as beautiful)
As beautiful as yours.
A Smile Like Yours
Natalie Cole
As Sam began to sing, Martin knew why he couldn't read her expression while he was on the stage. First of all, he never knew she could sing, let alone would sing in front of so many people. The shock of that alone kept every other emotion off his face. He remembered that Samantha told him once the first thing she noticed about him was his smile. Obviously, his smile made more than just a good first impression. And if this was what his smile drove her to, well, the rest of him must elicit a similar positive response.
Danny smiled and leaned over to pat Vivian on the back, "We've done good. Right, Vivalina?"
"Very good," she whispered back, "Maybe we should take care of the check and leave them alone."
"Pick up the check?" Danny looked at her incredulously, "Do I look that charitable?"
Vivian slipped out of her chair and pulled Danny along with her, "Tonight, Daniel, you look as rich as Trump himself. I'll split it with you so it won't hurt quite so much."
Danny sighed, "Fine. But they best remember this night and name their kids after us!"
"Danny, Danny, Danny," Viv shook her head as she threaded her way to the register, "That's all well and good, but first—I plan to not tell Jack a single thing when he calls in an hour!"
"Vivalina you're just down right cruel!"
"Darn tootin'! And you'd best not tell him anything either!"
Danny put his hand to his heart, "Not a single thing!"
Martin couldn't believe she voluntarily sang her emotions for the whole restaurant to hear. Well, the three martinis had probably helped, that coupled with the fact that she was using someone else's words might have helped a little, too.
Their eyes locked as she stepped off the stage and made her way back to their table. Neither Sam nor Martin noticed the absence of Vivian and Danny; the couple was too wrapped up in each other to notice.
A few of the other patrons kept their eyes on the couple, hoping for an ending to the question/answer session they had just witnessed.
"I didn't know you could sing like that, Sam," Martin said quietly.
Sam smiled up at him, "Right back at you, Marty."
"So, um, where do we go from here?" he reached out and put his hands on her shoulders.
"Well, you just told the whole restaurant you loved me. I kind of told them the same thing. Don't you think that maybe we should, I don't know, kiss or something?" she tipped her face up to his and leaned in expectantly.
He wrapped his arms around her small frame and pulled her close, "Kiss you? I think I can do that."
As he touched his lips to hers Martin could hear applause, but ignored it and focused on the woman in his arms. He felt her hand on his neck, holding him in the kiss longer. He slipped his tongue between her lips and deepened the kiss. When they parted, he looked into her beautiful eyes and whispered, "I love you, Samantha."
His kisses made her weak in the knees. She held on to his neck just to stay upright. That he deepened the kiss only sent further waves of emotion coursing though her body. Sam gasped when they parted, wanting more, needing more, but stopped by the deep blue of his eyes. She only had one response to his whisper, "I love you too!"
The next morning, Jack waited impatiently in his office for his team to arrive. His calls and messages to Vivian and Danny had gone unanswered, not returned and just plain ignored. He was the boss for crying out loud. That they ignored him made him wonder what would have happened if they had been handed a case. Well, he supposed his curiosity would be sated soon enough.
Danny bounded into the office, far more awake than Vivian thought possible. She slipped into her chair and slowly sipped the coffee she picked up on the way in. She had to remember she wasn't twenty anymore and staying up so late did not make it easy to get up early the next morning.
Seeing half of his team had arrived, Jack stepped out of his office, "Danny, Vivian, good morning."
"Morning, Jack," Danny answered happily from behind his cup of coffee. He was going to draw this out as long as he could. It wasn't often he got to tease the great Jack Malone.
Vivian just nodded. She too, planned to make Jack sweat it out. It wasn't her fault he chose to ditch the team after learning Danny's plan.
Several long minutes passed in silence until Jack couldn't take it any more, "Well?" he demanded.
"'Well' what?" Vivian asked sweetly.
Jack scowled, "You know damn well 'what.' I want to know how things went last night!"
Danny nodded to the hallway, "Don't ask us, Jack. As them," he pointed to Samantha and Martin coming into the bullpen hand in hand.
"Good morning everyone! Isn't it a glorious day?" Martin called cheerfully.
Samantha slipped her hand from his and tugged on his sleeve, "I don't think anyone cares about the weather, Marty," she commented quietly.
Martin looked down at her and smiled, "But it is a very nice day. Why wouldn't they care?"
Sam just tipped her head and grinned.
"Oh, you think they all want to know what happened after they ditched us at the restaurant," Martin pulled his gaze from Sam's, "Well, for everyone's information, it's none of your concern." And with that he kissed Samantha softly and headed to his desk.
Danny stood quickly, "Hold it right there, Fitzy! I want details and I want them now! Besides, I think you owe us for picking up the tab last night!"
"That was very sweet of you, Danny. We'll treat next time," Samantha kissed him on the cheek.
Danny just groaned and sank into a chair. Vivian looked pleadingly at the pair and Jack glowered.
Samantha and Martin exchanged looks. He tipped his head at her, giving her the option to not say anything. She smiled back at him and gave him the go-ahead gesture.
"Fine, we'll put you out of your misery. Yes, Samantha and I needed a push. Yes, last night was definitely a good push. Yes, we're seeing each other. Yes, we love each other. Yes, we'll probably name the dogs after you three," he looked at the rest of the team, "Satisfied?"
"Dogs?" Jack asked.
Sam nodded, "We've agreed to adopt a dog. We'll start small, maybe a Miniature Schnauzer? Then, after little Jack, maybe we'll adopt Daniel the Chihuahua and Vivian the Poodle. What do you think?" she smiled sweetly at her friends and managed not to giggle for about a minute.
Danny shook his finger at her, "You are in such trouble, Spade!"
Martin stood and held her tightly from behind, "Watch it, Taylor. That's my girl you're threatening!" he kissed her head and glared at his partner.
"All right, enough horsing around," Jack said with a small smile. "I think we're just catching up on paperwork today, unless something comes up. Let's get to work. Oh, and Martin, a word please?" Jack led Martin back to his office. "I'm not sure how this is going to fly upstairs, but I'll try to keep the team together. You might want to call you parents. Give them the heads up?"
Martin understood his underlying meaning, "I'll call them at lunch. Anything else, Boss?"
Jack nodded, "Just take care of her, Martin."
"I plan to. For the rest of our lives."
-fin-