Chapter 21:
"So how do you like your new place?" Samantha asked as she, Danny, Elena, and Martin sat watching the new television, having just finished painting and moving in Martin's things.
"I love it." He answered taking an appreciative look around his home. "Thanks for helping today, guys. I never would've gotten all of this done on my own."
The five of them had worked well into the afternoon cleaning, painting, assembling, and anything else that needed to be done. Brady left around four o'clock to shower and change for his date with Jennifer that night leaving the four agents to finish the work.
"Hey, Fitz why don't you fix us up something to eat? I'm starving." Danny spoke, never pulling his eyes away from the basketball game on TV.
Martin laughed, settling further into the couch and wrapping an arm around Samantha's shoulder. "Well, I don't have any groceries yet, so I guess you'd better go back to your place if you're that hungry."
"What kind of host are you?" He gaped from his seat on the floor. Elena leaned forward in the recliner, slapping him playfully on the top of the head. "Okay, okay. I'll just get a slice of leftover pizza."
"Bring me something to drink while you're in there." Sam shouted unmoving from her place beside Martin.
"Who do you think I am? You're man is sitting right beside you, and his legs aren't broken." Danny quipped sarcastically, emerging from the kitchen with a slice of pizza and bottle of water. "But since he obviously doesn't know how to treat a woman, I'll give him a little demonstration. See, Marty boy, when a lady says that she's thirsty, you pick your lazy butt up off the couch, walk into the kitchen, and get her something to drink." He smirked, tossing the bottle of water to Samantha. "Simple as that."
"Whatever, man. I know how to treat a woman. You've mistaken being a gentleman with common courtesy." Martin defended.
"Oh yeah? How's that?" He countered, tossing Martin a skeptical glance.
He smiled widely at Danny, his eyes turning a brighter shade of blue. "Ah Grasshopper, the Master never reveals his secrets."
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"We've got one." Samantha announced the next day, walking into the bullpen and placing the picture of a teenage girl onto the whiteboard. "Jack's coming in a few minutes to give us all the details."
"Who is she?" Elena asked for all of them stepping over to the conference table.
"Melanie Davis." Jack answered joining the team at the table. "She's been missing since sometime late Saturday night."
"It's Monday. Why didn't anyone call it in sooner?" Martin questioned, looking over the blonde hair, blue eyed teen's picture.
The SAC let out a long sigh. "Apparently she has a history of running off, but the parents say she usually comes back the next day. They haven't seen or heard from her since Saturday afternoon, and they called around to her friends and none of them have spoken to her either supposedly. Sam, you and Danny go to her home in Long Island. Martin and Viv, I need you to go see her friend, Leah Matthews. Last time she ran away, that's where she was staying. Her picture will run on the news tonight, so I need you to man the phones for any possible leads." He nodded his head in Elena's direction. "Let's get to work."
The team scattered, preparing for a long day ahead.
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The Davis' home was situated in a typical suburban neighborhood complete with a white picket fence and giant Golden Retriever. Danny knocked on the door, coming face to face with the tear stained cheeks of Melanie's mother. "Mrs. Davis, I'm Special Agent Danny Taylor. This is Special Agent Samantha Spade. We're with the FBI."
"Please, come in." She managed to say.
Samantha could tell from the woman's appearance that she was absolutely terrified about where her daugher could have possibly gotten off to. Her slightly graying, blonde hair was collected in a messy bun. Looking closely, she could see the remnants of makeup on her face, and her eyes were puffy and red. "Michael is in his office calling everyone we know." Mrs. Davis spoke, attempting to wipe her moist eyes dry. "I'll tell him you're here. Make yourselves comfortable." She gestured to the empty living room and disappeared into a room that Samantha assumed was the office.
The living room was filled with pictures of Melanie as she grew up. She was a beautiful girl. Samantha hoped that that didn't have anything to do with her disappearance.
"Sorry to keep you waiting." Mr. Davis apologized, entering the room with his wife close behind.
"It's no problem." Danny assured the two of them. "We just need to ask you a few questions."
"Of course."
"When was the last time you saw your daughter?"
"Around four o'clock Saturday." Sarah Davis answered, running a hand over her tired face. "She stayed in her room nearly all day, but she left that afternoon to meet some friends at the mall, or at least that's what she said."
"Which friends?" Samantha asked, writing the information down quickly as Mrs. Davis spoke.
"I don't know for sure, but Leah doesn't have a driver's license yet, so she usually catches a ride with Melanie. Maybe she knows something."
"Thank you both. We'll call if we have anymore questions." Danny answered, standing and leading Sam out of the Davis' home.
"Please call us whenever you hear anything." Sarah pleaded, tears threatening to fall once again.
"We will." Samantha commented. "Try not to worry. We're doing everything we can to find your daughter."
Mrs. Davis nodded, attempting a weak smile. The two agents left the house and headed back to the Bureau. The parents didn't know much about their daughter's possible whereabouts. Sam could only hope that Martin and Viv learned something useful from Leah Matthews.
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"We got nothing." Danny announed entering the bullpen later that day. Martin and Viv had already returned and Elena was still fielding phone call after phone call. "The parents last saw her around four o'clock Saturday afternoon, and all they know is that she was going to meet some friends."
"We didn't get much either." Viv began. "She picked up Leah as usual on the way to the mall. They stayed there for a couple of hours with a few other girls from school. Then, Melanie dropped her off at home later that night."
Elena slammed the phone down, rolling her chair over to the conference table. "The only sightings of Melanie Davis were from people at the mall on Saturday."
"So basically we still know absolutely nothing." Samantha concluded joining Elena.
Martin shrugged, falling into his deskchair. "Well, we know some things, but none of them are relevant." Samantha rolled her eyes playfully. "Hey, I'm just trying to see the glass half full here."
"Well, please stop." She laughed. "You're optimism never ceases to amaze me."
"I'll take that as a compliment." He flashed her a big smile, dimples and all, before turning back to his computer to continue chasing down leads.
Samantha pulled her gaze away from him getting back to her work as well. Leave it to Martin to make her smile while in the middle of a case. He always seemed to be able to do that, professionally and personally. She glanced up to find Danny's eyes glued on her with his usual smirk playing on his features.
"What?"
"I've never seen you act like such a girl." He quipped, pointing out her bright red cheeks. "You've a pretty big thing for Marty, huh?" He whispered. He was happy to finally see Sam happy. It wasn't something he was used to seeing. Not that she was a miserable soul, she just never seemed to be truly content with her life. He couldn't be happier for her now that things were finally falling into place.
"Yeah. I guess I do." She answered quietly through a wide smile, catching Martin's eyes with her own. For the first time in a long time, she felt truly happy.