By the time she finished I already had tears pouring down my cheeks, my eyes were already red from the tears and I knew sooner or later it would be all of ours turn to say goodbye. That's the thing, I am dreading to say goodbye, because it feels to final. I want him to be back, I want this to be all a horrible nightmare that I am going to wake up from, but I know that's not going to happen

STELLA'S POV

By the time Lucy was done having her speech, it was my turn. To tell the truth I was scared to death stepping on that podium and making everything final. My husband looked at me and gave me a reassuring nod with his famous slight smile. Then I started my speech

Hi, Danny was and is a real good friend of mine; we treated each other like brother and sister. We each had our moments when we shined. For Danny, it was the very moment when he came all the way from New York to New Orleans and forced me to move back here. I could honesty say it was the best thing that anybody did. He knew how bad Mac was hurting for me being a few states away, because of what Danny did for me; he brought me and Mac closer than ever before. He even brought this team closer. He was a great uncle for Mac and my children; they loved him like their own. I know if Danny was standing here right now he would be saying don't cry over me, but make a step to recover instead. It seems he was always the wise one; he would always be within our hearts, because I know he would be in mine. You know the funny thing is that each time I step foot in the lab I keep hoping Danny will appear from around the corner with new evidence in hand. I keep waiting for that day to happen again but deep down I know it would never happen again. Danny replacement would never be him and that person would never be part of this team completely, though we would be honoured and happy that we can have someone coming and probably make it easier to at least move on from this tragedy. Danny is a kind of person who can lighten each room he enters with his bubbly personality, he's like a kid himself, though more matured, may I add. Being around him is like you forget what you're doing at hand and you become younger too. My life in the lab would never be the same again. I would for sure miss his strong New Yorker accent. I am honoured to have worked with him, and know him as a friend. Thank you and rest in peace my friend.

I walked down from the podium and went back to my seat, Mac and the children was looking at me, I gave Mac a slight push, to tell him that it was his turn to speak, of course I know he was going to mention being his boss. I only have one arm because my other was still in a sling. I just can't wait till I get to get rid of it.

MAC'S POV

It was my turn now to make my speech. I had I whole page worth of possible speeches, but heck with it, I would just say what comes to my mind at this moment. I wish I could top my wife's confession of who special Danny was to her and the team. I walked to the podium that just moments before my wife stood there and had her speech. It felt like ages till I got there. I started to speak but nothing came out. I took a deep breath and began.

Danny, what can I say about him? For one he never backed down from a fight. People always say that I am the hero of the team, but to me Danny always trumps me. He was a great asset to the team, kept everyone happy to come to shift everyday. He and Adam were the very few that kept me from blowing out of shear stress and frustration when at work. He was always there for me when I needed it. Like what my wife said, Danny would not want us to cry but to recover. I can stand here all day and tell you all, all the amazing stories about Danny from the past few years on the job with him, all the people he saved and help put away, all the achievements he deserved but never got, all the unnecessary comments and jokes he made, but most of all how brave he was till the moment he died. It breaks my heart today standing here and talking about my friend and colleague because it seems so final. I still remember a ceremony that was held once a year at ground zero to honour the people who lost their lives that day, my first wife was one of them, the first year was the hardest and I can still remember it like it was yesterday, and so I know for the rest of my life I would never be able to forget this day and we would honour him and his life for as long as we live. We would live the life he never really got to. We would make the best of what we got. Danny was always close to Cassandra and the same goes vice versa. I know this would be hard to bounce back from for all of us. He would be truly missed and never forgotten, rest in peace Danny, you deserve it. Thank you.

I walked down and back to my family, on the way back I saw Lindsay and Lucy crying from all the things everybody is saying of Danny. I know if it wasn't for the circumstances Lucy would want to know all the stories I have of her father. I sat next to my amazing wife and children and watched the many others talking about Danny, the people who worked with him before he came to the Crime Lab, when he was still working beat.

CASSANDRA'S POV

After I heard my parents and Aunt Lindsay and Lucy and so many others talk about Danny, it was finally my turn. I stood up and walked the same path my parents took. I stood there at the podium and felt really nerves. I am 6 after all.

Hey everyone, most of you know me as detective Taylor and Bonasera's kid. The truth is Danny was like a second father to me, he loved me like one too. Lucy is only 4 years older than me and seeing her here today, crying over her loss hurts me, because that day when my family were trapped I kept thinking what life would mean if one of my parents died. I kept thinking how would I get through a day, I know Danny shouldn't have died that day; none of us should have died that day. Going through something does things to you, it makes you more matured and you think more to the future rather than the present like I used to, I have a more open knowledge of the world we live in. we all do. I can say this for all of us when I say that Danny was a great guy and put his heart in the job he does and his family. Seeing what he sees on a daily basis is gotta be hard, I am still trying to get Teresa's dead body out of my dreams, and Danny sees dead bodies day in and day out, some innocent and some guilty. Today we are here to have the closure we are sure to get within time, to get answers and lifelong memories of someone we would never see, to relive the past and many more we can come up with. You might all think I am weird knowing what to say with my age of six, and shocking all of you. I have a piece of paper here, with written speeches that my parents help me wrote. Well, I would really miss Danny and he was a great second father. I love you. Rest in peace now Ο ήρωάς μου. (Translate: my hero)

I went back to my seat and many more people stepped up and talked about Danny, I just didn't have the heart to hear any of it. All this just seems like a dream that I would wake up of. The rest of the ceremony was spent crying and giving our hearts to the one special person we see here, at least a picture of that special person.

The whole ceremony lasted for about 2 more hours; gosh I didn't know Danny knew that many people in his life. That is what happens when you only knew him for 6 years of your life.

STELLA'S POV

After today I just hope Lindsay doesn't decide to move and jump to a different state, she would need the teams help to get through this, not some random people she meets on the way. Mac, I and the children are now on the way back home, we need the space and the silence. To clear our heads and anything that keeps our mind racing for answers and near death experience. The team decides tonight to toast Danny unfortunate dismiss, we all were thinking of going to a bar-restaurant, so the kids can come along too.

After about 1 hour at home and getting ready we headed off to the bar-restaurant, everyone was already there when we got there. Since Mac is the leader of this group he would be the one saying a speech of our own before us all toast Danny. Many were drinking beer but I and the children were drinking plain water.

Mac's words:

To our best friend and colleague, what I said today I meant, he was always the hero, never backed down from a fight, so we are not going to back down from a fight. EVER! In his honour. We would live the life he never really got to experience and make the recovery that he is right no begging us to get. This is for him, let's cheer for all the things he's done.

We then clinked our cups together and took a swig of water/beer/wine to keep the memory of Danny existence forever in our overcrowded minds.

His tombstone read:

R.I.P

Daniel Messer (Danny)

Loving father and husband

Great friend and an even better detective

1980-2011

TO BE CONTINUED…..

PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW! WELL THERE YOU HAVE IT, THE END OF THIS CHAPTER! NEXT CHAPTER IS THE 1 YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE EVENT. STAY TUNED! NEXT CHAPTER IS GOING TO BE SHORT, YOU WERE WARNED!