Chapter 14: Talking to Bonnie

Martin had been at White Collar Crimes for two years now. Time was up and Martin knew where he had to go next. He finally found out where Danny Taylor was. Why Danny hadn't found him was beyond Martin.

When he first saw that Danny had joined the MPU he thought it was a joke someone pulled on him, but then, no-one knew about Danny. So he looked into the whole MPU in New York and found that Jack was their superior. Crap. What now?

He went to his aunt's place and remembered all too well how it was spending all those holidays here with his cousins. Why he was here, he didn't know. Maybe to see Jamie and Allison, his cousins, maybe he wanted to see Roger or just Bonnie.

"Marty, how are you?" Bonnie asked him and smiled at him. She hugged him and let him enter. "What brings you down here? Is Seattle too cold?"

"Actually, I'm looking for a place in New York . That's why I'm around and I thought I'd stop by and see how you all were doing." Martin entered the house, already feeling at home, like he'd never been away.

" New York ? That would be good so you could stop by more often," Bonnie smiled and eyed her daughters welcoming Martin.

"Hey Marty, how are you?" Allison smiled, hugging him.

Before Martin could reply Jamie's arms were around him and he hugged her back before answering. "I'm good, well, look at you two. You're prettier than I can remember."

"Well, that might be because I'm ten years younger and maybe because Jamie's pregnant," Allison laughed with a smile.

"Well, that would be the explanation than," Martin nodded. It was the first time in a while that he felt happy, truly happy.

"Why don't you ever bring a girlfriend with you?" Allison asked. With that Martin's happiness flew away and though he still smiled he knew that they all saw it.

"He gave his heart away a long time ago. Is that why you're here?" Bonnie asked and hugged Martin once more. The girls fell silent and watched it all.

"Actually, I don't need a reason to visit you, but yeah," Martin blushed. Bonnie was the only one he could tell about Danny, she knew everything, but his cousins were close to him, too.

"The reason you run away once?" Jamie asked carefully and they all moved into the living room. Roger wasn't home and for once Martin was glad he wasn't.

"Sort of," Martin nodded and fell quiet. He didn't know where to start.

"You found him, didn't you?" Bonnie asked and ignored Allison and Jamie being stuck on the 'him' part.

"Yeah, I did. I found him two years ago." Martin didn't know how to tell them. Maybe he should fill Jamie and Allison in, it might help "I'll tell you," he said to Jamie and Allison. "I met him fifteen years ago. I was playing basketball then and my team was on the field when that gang showed up and we played who was to stay and who had to leave. The other team won. My team turned against me and Danny with his team was there to protect me. They took me in and we started hanging out.

"They were all street kids and I was so not fitting in but Danny made it feel naturally. They then got the idea robbing a store, we got caught, had to go to church and everything was just perfect. Then Danny's foster parents kicked him out and he stayed at my place, in my bed…" Martin looked at them and hoped they caught on what he was saying.

"You slept with him…" Jamie nodded and filled some glasses with water.

"Yeah, I did. We both didn't know…it was the first time either one of us…well, we managed," Martin breathed nervously and smiled. "The next morning Petra woke us up, left the house to us and we went out playing basketball again…just one week later, my Dad had his official promotion ceremony to become the Deputy Director and that morning he told me he was sending me away for boarding school." Martin stopped to drink some water.

"I bet he didn't know…still doesn't," Allison added and refilled Martin's glass.

"Yeah, you're right. The same night Danny got thrown out of his foster home and was to be moved away. We made plans and ran away. On the border the newest agents in the newest unit found us. Jack Malone promised me that I could say my goodbyes to Danny, and he kept his word. He also arranged to get this picture for one another because we had nothing." Martin showed it to all of them.

"He's cute," Jamie grinned and immediately got reminded that she was pregnant and she'd be married sometime next year.

"So I went to school and never saw him again. We promised to find each other but I never got the heart to call him or visit him. He told me he would change his name for me to find him. Okay, I only found him two years ago, when he started at the FBI, Missing Persons Unit with the name he promised he would." Martin stopped.

"So, he's the reason why you want to move to New York ?" Bonnie asked. Martin nodded again.

"Yes, but there's a problem. Jack Malone is the supervisor of the MPU and doesn't know Danny. He never fully saw him. Nor did my Dad but if I'll go there, they might know…and you all know being gay and in the FBI is worse than worse," Martin told them their problem and they all looked at him like he was crazy.

"Why does it have to be the same team as Danny?" Allison asked.

"Victor never saw him. He told us repeatedly," Jamie said.

"I would risk it. You still love him after all this time, you have to take that risk," Bonnie advised and they all said it in sync.

"Hey, you know, for all I know he could hate me or worse. I mean he might not even recognise me. " Martin wanted to reverse his idea but tomorrow he had to be in Jack's office. No matter what.

"Which other reason does he have to be right under Jack's nose and risk everything? Do you know if he's married?" Jamie asked and leant close to Martin, taking his hand in hers.

"I…I don't know," Martin whispered.

"Didn't he change his name for you? What name was it anyway?" Allison asked and took Martin's other hand.

"On my fake id, when we were running away, my name was Martin Taylor and he promised to take Taylor as his surname for me to find him." Martin finally was convinced. Okay, at least a bit more.

"When do you have to be in Jack's office?" Bonnie asked and was sitting in front of him and on the floor.

"Tomorrow afternoon," Martin answered and all the girls moved at once.

"I'll iron your suit," Allison called and went to the car to go get Martin's things.

"I'll cut your hair down," Jamie called to Martin and moved to get a scissors and a comb.

Bonnie was still sitting there. "You'll find your happiness, Marty. I'm sure of that. Now, I'll go and dry some herbs for a 'calm-down-tea' tomorrow morning. The girls and I we're coming with you to New York . We have some shopping to do and maybe we'll get a glimpse of Special Agent Danny Taylor. We then wait till you're accepted in your new job and then, we'll leave you for Danny to hook up." Bonnie, too, moved away, giving Martin his picture back.

"Thank you so much," Martin called after them and chuckled low in his throat. He had his hopes up, butterflies once again in his belly and his heart skipped a beat now and then.

tbc