Disclaimer – I don't own Without a Trace and its characters, CBS, WB etc own them.

A huge, huge thanks to anmodo for betaing this chapter, without her it would not be possible.

A Matter of Chemistry

Summary: - An undercover operation goes badly wrong for one team member, but it could have global consequences. Will the team be able to stop it?

Chapter 1

Sighing, Danny Taylor scanned the area; he couldn't believe they had to share the investigation with the DEA. Jason Roberts, their missing person, was a loving father of two and pillar of the community. Or, so they thought. His family, friends and neighbours had nothing but good things to say about him. But then, they began to do the requisite deep background check, and the cracks in Mr. Roberts's perfect life began to show. The contacts to gang members and dealers in the Bronx sent up red flags with the DEA. This is what brought Danny and Jack to their present situation.

Leaning against the car, Jack crossed his arms. The DEA agents were five minutes late. "They're late," he growled as he looked at his watch. "And I bet the arrogant bastards will just walk in here and pretend nothing has happened."

"And some might say that the FBI are more even more arrogant than us," a feminine voice called out from behind them.

Spinning around, Danny tried to hide his smile as his eyes met the voice. She was a petite, brunette with an easy smile, but just looking at her, he knew she could kick his ass. "I'm Special Agent Danny Taylor and this is my boss Special Agent Jack Malone," he said with a smile.

"Special Agent Lucy Knight of the DEA," she replied, extending her hand. "And this is my boss, Special Agent Andy Townsend. He's the guy by the car having his daily battle with technology," Lucy said with a smile. She looked at Jack before returning a sly grin at Danny.

"Special Agent Knight, what can you tell us?" Jack asked.

"Please, it's Lucy. Your boy has been cruising the neighborhood for several months," she started. "We've had the gangs and dealers associated with this area under surveillance for months. We've found no direct link between him and the local 'businesses', but you've gotta to be either pretty stupid or mad or possibly both to mess with these guys."

"And that makes you?" Danny asked with a sly smile.

"A Federal Agent. So, mad and underpaid by default. Go figure," Lucy said as she returned the sly smile.

Danny raised an eyebrow. "So, being slightly insane and underpaid? It's not just an FBI thing?" he asked.

Jack cleared his throat in an attempt to interrupt the suddenly flirty exchange. "Jason Roberts," he said as he tried to guide the topic of conversation back to the case.

"U-mm, yeah, Jason Roberts," Lucy repeated as she forced herself to concentrate on the case not Special Agent Danny Taylor. But there was something about him, apart from his smile and his eyes that drew her to him. "What do you have on him?"

"Happily married, father of two, lives in Manhattan and is self employed. By all accounts, he's a pillar of the community; he coaches the soccer and football teams," Jack explained as he shot a glare at Danny.

"And you want these done under the radar, so if he is this pillar of the community you say he is, then he can go back to that life?" Lucy finished.

"Exactly."

"Look, I will see what I can do but I can't guarantee anything," Lucy replied. She looked up and saw her boss, Andy Townsend approaching. "My boss is coming over. I am sure he can tell you more." She turned to her boss and introduced them. "Andy, meet Special Agents Danny Taylor and Jack Malone."

"Please to me you," Andy said he shook their hands. He turned to Lucy and handed her his PDA. "Fix it. It's beeping at me, please just deal with it."

Lucy tried to hide her smirk as she was handed the device. Andy Townsend was one the best agents the agency had, but he was slightly techno-phobic to say the least. A few moments later, she handed the PDA back to him. "Your inbox was full. You need to empty it once in a while," she said.

Andy just glared at her. "I never asked for one of theses. All it does is cause me grief," he explained. He turned his attention back to Jack and Danny. "Sorry about that. Anyway, the case. I've got a possible sighting. The thing is, it's in a walk-up…"

Jack smirked and turned to Danny. "That's one of the reasons; I recruit younger agents… so I don't have to do any of that energetic stuff."

Andy smiled and handed the piece of paper to Lucy. "Can you check this out?" he asked.

Lucy nodded and headed towards the FBI car. "I hate walk-ups!" she exclaimed.

Danny smirked. "Why do I get the feeling that this always happens?" he asked.

"The same reason why you are always sent to the walk-ups," she replied.

Danny laughed. "One day, one day, I will be boss and I will be the one sending my agents to do the walk-ups." As he climbed into the car, he shot another sly smile. The chemistry between the two people in the car was electrifying. "So want are you doing after this?" he found himself asking, but he had no idea why or how he was asking it.

"After what?" Lucy asked with a smile, as she started the car and headed towards the address.

"After this case, do you have anything planned?"

"No. Do you?" Lucy asked on impulse.

"I was thinking about getting something to eat," Danny replied, feeling strangely compelled to ask Lucy out, even though he had only met her five minutes ago.

"I like Italian, do you know of any good places?" Lucy asked, with a sly smile as she forced herself to concentrate on the road.

"I know a place that has the best Italian food this side of Italy," Danny replied with almost manic grin, still not believing this conversation was taking place.

"Sounds great"

"So it's a date?"

"It's a date," Lucy confirmed with a huge smile. She again forced himself to concentrate on the road; she had never met anyone like Danny before. Something told her that he was special. Something told he, that she really wanted to get to know this man better. "So why missing persons?" she asked as she continued to drive to the address.

Several Months Later

It was a crisp January night, and snow gently fell from the midnight sky as the newly engaged couple walked down the Manhattan streets.

"That was great, but so unrealistic," Lucy said of the new James Bond. Shivering slightly, she leaned into Danny.

"I thought it was more realistic than the other recent Bonds," Danny said as tightened his arm around Lucy and gently kissed her. "Anyway, it's Bond. Since when has it been realistic?"

"I know. It's just, well, I want the car. I always want the car," Lucy said with a grin as she leaned up and planted a kiss on his lips.

"So, for your wedding present…you want an Aston Martin?" Danny said as he stopped walking and lowered his head so it was resting against Lucy's. "And here I was thinking you weren't high maintenance."

"Me! High maintenance?" Lucy exclaimed, as she unsuccessfully tried to hold back her laughter. "No, I'm thinking, hot car, hot guy, well that's a dream come true."

""Hot car? Hot guy?" Danny exclaimed in mock shock. "Are you seeing someone on the side?"

Lucy grinned. "No. All I want is right here."

"Well then, now we have cleared that up, shall we take it somewhere warm," Danny said, as he tried to wipe the schoolboy grin from his face.

"So, Special Agent Taylor, what do you have in mind?" Lucy asked in a seductive voice.

"Well…" Danny said with raised eyebrows, as he leaned forward and whispered into her ear.

Lucy giggled and kissed him passionately. "We could wait, or…." She frowned with annoyance when her pager shrilled, but chose to ignore it. But as her cell phone began to sound, she knew she couldn't ignore it any longer. "Knight," she said in a distinctively pissed off tone. After a couple, of yes's and no's she ended the call. "I'm really sorry, but we are going to have to continue this later."

Danny sighed. "Work?" he asked.

"Yeah, the paper pushing, blood sucking weasel says it's really important," Lucy said of her new boss, Special Agent Kenneth Livingstone. "It's my night off as well, I bet it's not that important. I mean when Andy was my boss, he would only call me on my night off if, well pretty much it was a matter of national security."

Danny laughed at Lucy's description of her new boss. "Okay. I know he's an annoying paper pusher, and he does slightly look like a weasel, but have you actually seen him sucking blood?" he joked.

"No, but I wouldn't put it passed him," Lucy replied as she dug around in her bag for her car keys. "So shall we continue this were we left off?"

"I would like that," Danny replied, but groaned when his cell phone began to scream. He glared at it before answering it. After another quick conversation, he ended the call. "When we go on our honeymoon, might I suggest somewhere that has no cell phone reception, or in fact any forms of connection?"

Lucy laughed and passionately kissed him again. "I would love that, but your choices are limited. Amazon rainforest, Siberia… u-mmm I think even some of those areas have cell phone reception."

"Damn, Amazon… too many bugs and scary animals. Siberia…too cold."

"I will work on it. I love you and I hope to see you tomorrow," Lucy said as gave Danny one final kiss before turning and heading toward her car.

"I love you, too," Danny said as he watched her disappear into her car, before he headed towards his.