Notes – This is the final chapter and epilogue to Never Look Back. It starts a year after The Road Home and follows five years into the future. This is more about the agents' fates than Danny/Katie, but Katie is still very much there. Also, there's an Easter egg in there for J/S fans. I'm not a shipper per se, but I did want to tie up the personal story arcs that started in the first season--for all the agents. Thanks so much for reading and reviewing this series. It's been my favorite thing to write. And thanks to Mariel for being an awesome beta!
One Year Later
"Thanks again for doing this, Martin."
"You don't have to thank me, Danny. It's an honor. I'm glad I can be here for you," Martin replied genuinely as he helped Danny put on the black tuxedo jacket.
Taking a deep breath, Danny looked at his reflection in the mirror as he straightened his tie.
"You nervous?" Martin asked.
"I didn't think I would be. I mean, Katie and I have been together for a while. We've been living together for over a year. I'm not really sure why I'm nervous," Danny said as he turned and looked at Martin. "The marriage part doesn't make me nervous. I guess it's everything after that."
"Well, if there's one thing I've learned from you in the last year, it's that you take things one step at a time. Right?"
Danny smiled. "Right. Very good, Martin. But you know now as well as I do that it's a lot easier said than done," he said, looking down as his smile faded.
"Yeah, I know," Martin replied in a sympathetic tone. A few moments of silence passed between them, before he added. "I'm sure that your brother would have been very proud to stand next to you today."
Nodding, Danny responded solemnly. "Yeah, maybe. I just hope he's finally at peace now. He could never seem to slow things down enough." Running his hand through his hair, he took a seat on the couch in the church rectory.
Sensing that Danny needed a moment alone, Martin excused himself saying that he would check to see if how close they were to starting.
Leaning back on the sofa, Danny took another deep breath and closed his eyes. So much had changed in the last year. After he'd helped Martin, Danny had decided to work even harder to get his brother out of prison. He and Raffi's lawyer had spent hours putting together documentation to petition the courts for Raffi's early release. As they got closer and closer to getting Raffi out, Danny had sensed that Raffi felt more and more pressure about living life on the outside again. He'd pleaded with Raffi to talk to him or someone more qualified about his feelings, but Raffi had assured Danny he'd be fine. And then the day came when Danny finally got the news that Raffi would be released in a month. Danny remembered being so happy that he'd finally been able to deliver on his promise to Sylvia.
The elation was short-lived, though. A week before Raffi was due to be released; prison guards found him hanging in his cell. When Danny had gone to the prison to claim his brother's body, the warden had given him the note they'd found in Raffi's cell.
Danny,
You've been there for me and my family more than I was ever there for you. I'm sorry for the way you suffered because of me.
Tell Sylvia that I love her more than life, and that it's better this way. I couldn't stand it if I hurt her again.
Don't lie to him, Danny. Tell Nicky about who I was so he'll never make the same mistakes I did. I know he won't – because he'll follow your example.
I know I'm leaving them in good hands. Protect them and love them like I couldn't.
Te quiero, hermano del bebéAt first, Danny was angry, so angry because Raffi had left him again. And angry because he was now responsible for his family. Danny spent weeks in a deep depression. Katie gave him the time and space to deal with his grief. She didn't get upset that he wasn't confiding in her. She just waited until he was ready to talk about it.
Danny had done a lot of thinking during that time. He'd thought about his life and what he valued. And he'd realized that time was precious. He hadn't wanted to waste anymore time being scared about the future.
On a whim, he'd surprised Katie with a trip to Miami. He'd shown her where he'd spent his tumultuous childhood and together they came to terms with his past. Danny had even spread part of Raffi's ashes on the beach that his mother had taken them to as children. Finally, the day before they were due to leave, he'd proposed to Katie as they walked along the beach at sunrise. With tears in her eyes, she'd accepted without hesitation.
Smiling at the memory, Danny heard a knock at the door. Before he could say "come in," the door opened and Jack poked his head in.
"How you holding up?" Jack asked with a sly grin.
"Jack! You're here," Danny exclaimed, rising from the couch. In two long strides, he got to the door and opened it wider. Then he greeted Jack with a warm hug, not caring that Jack still wasn't a hugger. "Katie said that you RSVP'd, but I still wasn't sure you'd be able come all the way here for this."
"Are you kidding? Danny Taylor, Special Agent Casanova, finally settles down, and you think I could miss it?"
"Thanks for coming, Jack. It means a lot."
"Besides, after Kate got over her disappointment that you weren't going to wait for her, she got very excited at the thought of buying a new dress and coming to a fancy wedding. Hannah's thrilled, too."
Danny laughed. "Maria let the girls come? That's great, Jack. I can't wait to see them."
"We tried to get here sooner, but Maria didn't want them to miss school. But we're coming back this summer for a vacation, so we'll get to see more of you then."
"Sounds great. How's Chicago?"
"It's Chicago. I'm happy to be with the girls. The job is pretty flexible so I get to see a lot of soccer games and Kate's ballet recitals. Those girls keep me very busy."
Six months ago, Jack had moved to Chicago. After the girls had spent their summer vacation with him, he'd realized that seeing them one weekend a month wasn't good enough. He'd come to the decision that he needed to be a better father to his girls than his father was to him. So he'd taken a job in a private security firm and moved to Chicago. Vivian had been promoted again and flourished in the role. Danny had just lost Raffi so losing Jack had made it harder, but he put on a brave face while at work. While Sam had been disappointed that Jack was leaving again, inside she'd felt he was doing the right thing for his daughters.
"I'm glad things worked out, Jack."
"Yeah, I made the right decision, even though I miss this place like hell," he responded emphatically.
"We miss you, too. Viv's great, though. You'd be very proud."
"I am proud. I'm proud of you, too. This is a big step."
"No kidding? I think I'm starting to freak out a little," he said in a nervous tone.
"You'll be fine. Just breathe. Once you see her walking down the aisle, you'll do just fine," Jack said as he extended his hand to Danny. "Congratulations."
"Thanks, Jack. It really does mean…," Danny started, but couldn't finish.
Giving Danny's shoulder a squeeze, Jack winked. "I'm going to find the girls and take our seats. See you at the reception."
XXX
Jack was right. As soon as Danny saw Katie walking down the aisle on her father's arm, wearing a strapless champagne-colored gown, all the fear melted away. When he kissed her at the end of the ceremony, he felt as though they were the only two people in the church.
"We did it," he whispered in between kisses.
"I love you, Danny," she responded before they turned to walk up the aisle.
The reception was an elegant, but lively affair. They'd kept their guest list fairly small, so they got to spend a lot of time with all of their guests. After Danny and Katie danced their first dance together, they spent the next hour dancing and talking with everyone else. Danny danced with Hannah and Kate. And then he cut in on Marcus so he could dance with Vivian.
"You know, Danny, I found myself actually crying during the ceremony. I'm going to need serious help when Reggie gets married."
Danny smiled as looked down at Vivian. "Reggie's a lucky kid," he responded as they looked over at Reggie and his father.
"I'm so happy for you, Danny. I know you've had a tough couple of years. I hope this is the start of something wonderful for you."
"You know what, Viv? As hard as things have been, I've had so much to be thankful for: Katie and Raffi's family," he said as he looked over at Nicky and Sylvia on the dance floor. "Not to mention that I have a great job with the best boss in the whole world."
"Please Danny. You're just buttering me up so I'll give you more time off for your honeymoon."
Danny laughed as they continued to dance.
Samantha was next. Danny had a hard time coaxing her onto the dance floor.
"I never thought Samantha Spade would be wallflower. You're really surprising me, Sam."
"Weddings make me nervous," she said as they danced. "Although this one has been especially beautiful – I have to say."
"Yes. You do have to say. Hey, where's your plus one tonight?" Danny asked with a smile.
"These are hard times for a girl. I couldn't buy a date," she replied sheepishly.
"Actually, you probably could have, but that would have been a little weird," he said with a smile.
Sam tried hard to stifle her laugh, but failed. "You're a funny guy. So what's up with Martin's date?" she asked as she glanced over at Martin dancing with an attractive young woman.
"I'm not sure. He hasn't said much about her. I think he's taking it slow, which is a wise decision."
"Yeah. I can't believe it's been a year. So much has happened."
Nodding, Danny arched an eyebrow. "Speaking of, have you talked to Jack?"
"We said hello before the wedding," she replied.
"Hmmm. It was good to see him. I'm glad he came."
"Yep," Sam replied, with a nervous smile.
Just as the song started to change, Danny felt a tap on his shoulder.
"May I cut in?" Jack asked. "Your wife requests your presence over by the cake."
Smiling, Danny let go of Samantha. "My wife? God, that's weird. Thanks, Sam," he said as he leaned in and kissed her cheek.
"Congratulations, Danny," Sam responded.
Before Danny turned to walk away, he watched as Jack took Samantha in his arms for a dance. They seemed almost awkward with each other, which struck Danny as odd, but very quickly his attention turned to his new bride.
"Hey," he said coming up behind Katie and kissing her neck. "What's up?"
"The photographer wants to take some pictures of us with the cake."
"Okay, but I think this photographer guy must be charging your dad by the picture for as many as he's taking," Danny joked.
"Ha. Ha. Someday, we'll be very happy we have a picture with the cake."
"Oh believe me, I know. Hey, I don't care how many pictures he takes. I'm good with all of it. You know why?"
"Oh this will be good. Why?" she asked as she rolled her eyes.
"I hear there's going to be a hell of a honeymoon after this. And that, quite honestly, is the whole reason I'm going along with this dog and pony show."
Katie couldn't help but laugh. "Just a few more hours, and then we'll be on our way. I'm looking forward to it as well."
After the photographer finished with the cake pictures, Danny got an idea. "Hey, man, would you mind taking a picture that's not on your list?"
"Not at all," the photographer replied.
"Great. Meet me over in that corner over there. I'm going to get a few people together."
As quickly as possible, Danny tracked down Martin and Vivian sitting at one of the tables, and then found Jack and Samantha still dancing on the dance floor. They all followed him over to the photographer.
"I was thinking…I was thinking we should all take a picture together. I mean, Jack's already officially left us. It may be one of the last times we'll all be together."
"I doubt that," Viv interjected.
"Well, maybe not, but still, humor me," Danny replied with a smile as they all lined up for the picture.
XXX
Three Months Later
They'd been working for almost forty-eight hours straight looking for a missing four-year-old girl. They finally tracked her and her kidnapper down at a house in Queens where a shootout ensued. Once again, Martin and Danny found themselves in the midst of gunfire in their efforts to secure the girl. Luckily, this time they were able to disarm the man before he could do any damage.
After returning to the office, Danny wearily collapsed into a chair in the hallway after watching Viv reunite the girl with her family. Minutes later, Martin approached with cup of coffee in each hand.
"I thought you could use this before you head home. I, for one, don't think I can make it home without it."
Smiling slightly, Danny took the coffee as Martin took the seat next to him. "Thanks, man."
"I should thank you. You tackled that guy today before he had a chance to take a shot at me."
Shrugging, Danny answered. "It was nothing. I'm just glad it all ended well."
"Yeah," Martin said quietly.
Nervously chewing the inside of his mouth, Danny glanced over at Martin. "Um, I um, I want to tell you something, Martin. I wasn't going to tell anyone yet, but—"
"What is it? Is something wrong?"
"No. No, nothing's wrong. I've just made a decision, and I need to tell someone before I lose my nerve."
"Okay."
"I'm quitting," Danny blurted.
"What?" Martin asked voice full of surprise.
"I'm leaving the FBI."
"What? Why? When did you decide this?" Martin asked, voice escalating.
"Katie and I have been talking about it pretty seriously for the last month. But honestly, Martin, it's kind of been on the table for me ever since I passed the Bar. Walter Miller, from the firm that handled Raffi's case, has this great job lined up for me. And I just think now is the time to do it."
"Now? Jack hasn't even been gone a year. We're still getting used to two new agents, and now's a good time? I thought you loved this job."
"I do. But the thing that happened today – it's not so exciting anymore. I used to get such a rush – pulling my gun and apprehending suspects. But now, it just turns my stomach every time it happens. I need a change, Martin."
"I understand that, Danny. I do. But there's more to this job than just that. I just don't think you should rush—"
"Katie's pregnant, Martin," Danny interrupted.
Martin's eyes widened and small smile formed on his face. "Congratulations. That's great."
"She's not very far along, just a couple of months, so we aren't telling people yet. But I don't want her to worry about this stuff anymore. And this opportunity with Miller's firm is pretty great. I mean, I wouldn't have many forty-eight hour workdays anymore. "
"I understand. I mean, I hate to see you leave, but I do understand."
"You, Viv, Sam…you guys are the reason it's been so hard for me to make this decision. I've been doing this for over ten years. I can't imagine not having this in my life anymore," Danny said as he looked toward the bullpen.
"You'll still have us, Danny. You aren't doing anything crazy like leaving town, are you?"
"No way, man. I could never leave here."
"Then nothing will really change," Martin responded definitively. "Now what's this great opportunity?" Martin asked with enthusiasm.
"The firm funds this legal aid clinic downtown. They work a lot with social services and DCFS, and they do great things for child advocacy. I'll be working out of that office, mostly. But then I'll also be working out of the main firm a couple days a week. Mr. Miller wants me to consult on some of their criminal cases. That part might not be so fun, but that's where I'll earn my money."
"Sounds great, Danny."
"Yeah, I'm pretty psyched about it. Katie's crazy happy. And her father is over the moon."
"Viv won't be so over-the-moon about it."
"No, she won't. The thought of telling her is literally making me nauseous. I don't think I can face it today. You think you can keep this under your hat for another week or so?"
"No problem, man. Thanks for telling me."
"I wanted to tell you first. I figured it was the least I could do after everything…"
"Yeah," Martin replied with a little sadness before his lips curved into a smile again. "God, it's going to be so quiet here now. I mean, really quiet. Like now we're actually going to get a chance to get a word in edgewise."
XXX
A year and a half later
"Vivalina!" Danny greeted warmly as he walked into the coffee shop and approached her at a table. "You're a sight for sore eyes," he said as he bent down to kiss her on the cheek.
"It's so good to see you, Danny," she responded as he took a seat across from her. "It's been too long."
"I know, Viv. But you never warned me how crazy things would get after having a baby. Katie and I are barely able to find time for each other, let alone other people."
"Oh, how is she? How's Lucy?" Viv asked happily.
"So good. She's beautiful, Viv," he said as he pulled a recent picture out of his pocket. "I'm telling you, we can't take our eyes off of her."
Taking the picture, Viv smiled as she looked at it. "Is she already six months old? She's getting so big. I have to come see her."
"You'll see her soon. Katie and I will bring her to Reggie's birthday party at the end of the month."
"Oh, good. Glad you got the invitation," Viv said as she continued to look at the picture. "Look at those brown eyes, and all that hair. She looks so much like you," she said as she handed the picture back to him.
"I'm hoping that means she'll be like Katie in every other way. We'll be in good shape if that happens."
Sighing, Viv rolled her eyes. "How are you doing? You look great."
"I feel great. Things are good. The family's good. The job is good. I've got no complaints. How are you?"
"Well that's actually why I asked you here. I wanted to talk to you about something."
"Oh God, Viv, are you okay? Your heart—"
"It's nothing like that, Danny. I didn't mean to alarm you. No. It's about the job."
"What about it? Have you had a tough time replacing Martin?"
Martin had transferred to Washington, D.C. two months earlier. He'd applied for a supervisory position on a whim and was actually surprised when he had been selected. Danny hadn't believed it when Martin said he was surprised. Danny had to remind Martin of what he'd told him after he had first me him. Missing Persons was just a stepping stone because, "He's off to bigger and better."
"I had tough time replacing you. I had a tough time replacing Martin, and now I'll have a hell of a time replacing Samantha."
"Sam? Sam's leaving?" Danny asked, completely surprised.
"She told me yesterday. She's transferring to Chicago."
"Chicago? Chicago?" Danny asked with a sly smile, as he arched an eyebrow.
"Don't go there, Danny. She says she wants to be closer to her mother and sister. Her mother's been having a tough time, and she wants to be closer to her. Chicago is just a short drive to Kenosha."
"I'm sorry, Viv. That sucks. I mean, I'm happy for Sam if this is what makes her happy, but I know it makes it harder for you."
"You have no idea how much. That's why I asked you here."
"Really? Why?" he asked in a confused tone.
"I know the FBI can't pay you near what you make now, but I have to ask: You want come back and help me out for a while?"
"Viv…I…"
"Before you answer, they want to disband my team. The higher-ups have decided that Violent Crimes doesn't need a specialized missing person's team anymore. But if I can tell them that one of my experienced agents is coming back, they might let me keep the team intact until I can get the other agents up to speed."
"What's going to happen to you if the team disbands?" Danny asked in concern.
Shrugging, Viv responded, "I'm not sure. I think they'll just put me over a random group of agents. We'll take on duties as assigned. We could work kidnappings, drug trafficking, federal murders, but no more specialized work."
"But you'll still be a supervisory agent? They can't take that away from you again, can they?"
"No. They can't."
They sat there in silence for several minutes as Danny pondered the situation. "I never thought I would ever be saying no to you Viv, but I can't. I like my job. I even get a chance to work from home a day a week. It's worked out really well for me and Katie."
"I know it was silly to even ask, but I figured I'd take a shot…just in case you missed the action."
Danny smiled. "I don't think I need any more action in my life. You're not going to believe this, but Katie's pregnant again."
"She's pregnant again? Danny, I thought you just said you didn't have time for each other?"
Danny smiled sheepishly. "It's crazy, I know. Katie's freaking out, but we're happy about it."
"Congratulations. You've never been on to waste time!" she responded as she laughed. "I guess I'll go back and just go with the flow at work. I just can't believe everybody's gone. It's not the same there anymore."
"So when is Sam's last day?"
"Two weeks. I'll call you about her going away party. I'm sure she'll be calling you soon as well. Maybe we can get Martin to come up for her send-off?"
"I'll call him and let him know. Katie and I actually saw him a few weeks ago. He was up here visiting family and stopped by to see Lucy."
"Is he still engaged to the doctor?"
"Yes. I believe they are closing in on a wedding date this summer. I'm betting the Fitzgerald's will make it the social event of the season in DC. Maybe we can all get together again."
"Oh yes. Let's plan on it."
XXX
Two Years Later
Danny looked on in concern as Katie took a couple of deep breathes. Gently rubbing her back, he leaned down and asked her, "You want me to ask the flight attendant for a ginger ale or something?"
Looking up, Katie shook her head. "I'll be fine. It's just the change in altitude. The doctor said the morning sickness would last longer this time."
"Yeah, but you're in your fifth month. This is crazy. With Lucy and Rafi, you were okay by this time."
"Well there are two babies in there now, so I guess it will just be twice as long," she said in an irritated tone.
"I'm sorry. I'm really sorry," he replied guiltily.
"It's okay, Danny. I'll be okay," she said, taking his hand. "How are you doing?"
"You know I should fly with you more often. I'm so worried about you that I don't have time to worry about crashing and burning."
Shaking her head, Katie tried not to laugh. "That's a nice thought. Now I feel really good that we both decided to go to this wedding. Maybe I should have stayed with the kids."
"No way. This will probably be our last moment alone until those two go to college," he said pointing to her stomach. "We need to enjoy it while we can. Besides, we'll be fine and your Dad and Charlotte have been dying to spend time with Lucy and Rafi. It's all for the best."
After they landed, Danny took Katie to the hotel. All she wanted to do was take a nap, so after he got her settled in, he decided to pay a visit to the bride and groom on the day before their wedding.
Walking the short distance to their brownstone, he ascended the stairs and knocked on the front door.
Samantha opened the door with a flourish and almost jumped when she saw him. "Danny! It's so good to see you!"
Embracing her tightly, Danny kissed her forehead before letting her go. "You look beautiful, Sam. This whole marriage thing agrees with you."
"Can you believe it? I still can't," she said as she led him into the kitchen. "Where's Katie? I know Viv said you weren't bringing the kids, but I was looking forward to seeing Katie."
"She's here. She's just exhausted from the trip. She's resting. This pregnancy has really been tough on her."
"Danny, has she gone a year in your marriage without being pregnant?"
"Yeah. Last year. I guess she didn't like it much, because this year she's at it again," he said jokingly.
"I don't know how you guys do it."
"She's an amazing mom. I just go along for the ride."
"Somehow I doubt that."
"Hey, enough about me. The last I heard, you moved here to be closer to your family. You confirmed that when I saw you at Martin's wedding. Were you and Jack together when you were at Martin's wedding?"
"Sort of, yes. But we were taking things slow so we didn't want to make big deal of it or take away from Martin's day."
"So how did it all happen?"
"We danced at your wedding, and it just felt right."
"My wedding? That was over a year before you moved here."
"Like I said, we took it slow. He came to New York a couple of times. We talked on the phone quite a bit. And then my mom's latest husband left her, so I went to Kenosha to help her because she had to move. Jack drove up and met me there. I didn't even ask him. He just came. I knew then that my place was here."
"How are things with the girls?"
"They were rocky at first. I don't think Maria gave them the best impression of me, not that I can blame her. But over time, they've gotten comfortable with me and I think they accept me now. I don't try to be their mother. It's kind of fun just being their friend."
"Good for you, Sam. So did Jack like get down on one knee?" Danny asked with a grin.
This made Sam laugh. "Not quite. He has bad knees. I never thought we'd get married. I was just happy when we moved in together. That was enough for me. But he asked me, and I thought "why not"? So here we are. It's a nice opportunity to get everyone together again. Martin's coming, isn't he?"
"He wouldn't miss it, but he's coming in tomorrow. His wife is in her last trimester so he just wants to make it a day trip."
"You and Martin have stayed close, haven't you?"
"Yeah, we have. I go to DC on business quite a bit. I stay at their house when I'm there. They come up to New York a lot to visit family. It's good."
"Yeah, it is good. I'm so glad you're here, Danny."
"Me, too."
Just then the front door opened, and the house filled with laughter.
"That would be Jack and the girls," Sam said with a smile.
Rising from his chair, Danny followed Sam out to the foyer.
"Danny!" Kate screamed as she ran into his arms. "You're here!"
"Who is this?" Danny joked. "Where's the little girl I used to know?"
"It's me. It's Kate. Just a little taller, that's all."
Danny then gave Hannah, who was always more shy, a warm hug. And then greeted Jack with a hug as well.
"Jack, you look…you look great," Danny said sincerely. And he did. He looked relaxed in a button down shirt and blue jeans. "I never thought I'd see you out of a suit on a week day."
"Very funny. Gotta love casual Fridays."
"So Sam here has been catching me up on the last couple of years, and Jack's been a busy boy," Danny teased with a sly grin.
"You don't know the half it, but not nearly as busy as you. Viv tells me Katie is pregnant with twins. God help us if there are two little Danny's running around at the same time."
"We could only be so lucky," Kate blurted without thinking.
At that, they all broke into a fit of laughter.
XXX
The wedding was small: Hannah and Kate; Danny and Katie; Vivian and her family; Sam's mother, sister and her sister's family; and Martin finally arrived with only a few minutes to spare before the ceremony.
"Nice of you to show up, man," Danny whispered as Martin slipped into a seat next to him and Katie.
"Things are crazy back in DC. Between the job and my wife's miserable state right now, I'm lucky I got out at all."
Katie snorted next to Danny. "Imagine if you were inyour wife's miserable state right now. You wouldn't be able to handle it," Katie interjected as she laid a hand on her protruding stomach.
"Don't mind her, Martin. She has a bit of a problem with anyone who doesn't have a uterus right now. I'm in for a fun few months."
They all three laughed at that before Viv shushed them as Samantha appeared at the door to the chapel.
Samantha was glowing in simple off-white dress. Her eyes danced in happiness as she walked up the short aisle to meet Jack and the girls, who were their witnesses. Glancing in Martin's direction, she smiled widely when she saw him and squeezed his hand before continuing up the aisle.
When she met Jack and took his hand, Jack's eyes filled with tears.
"I never thought of Jack as an emotional guy," Katie murmured in Danny's ear.
"He's layered like that. He's not the badass he wants everyone to think he is," Danny responded in her ear. Then he kissed her cheek and took hold of her hand as they watched the short ceremony. Taking his hand, she laid it on her belly and breathed deeply as she listened to Jack and Samantha recite their vows.
After the wedding, they all went to a beautiful restaurant overlooking Lake Michigan. It was a picturesque setting. They spent hours talking, laughing and catching up on old times. As the night started to wind down, Sam's family left to drive back to Kenosha. Marcus and Reggie decided to head back to the hotel, but Jack, Sam, Martin, Vivian, and Danny weren't ready for the night to end. It was like they all knew that there might not be another time to get together again in the near future. They wanted to take advantage of every moment.
"Are you tired, babe? You want me to take you back to the hotel?" Danny asked when he noticed Katie stifle a yawn.
"I'm okay. I don't want to cut this evening short. I'm having fun listening to all the stories – especially all the ones about you," she said with a smile before kissing him.
"We have a million of them, especially about Danny for some reason," Martin commented. "But since things are winding down, would you mind if Danny and I excused ourselves for a few minutes? There's just something I want to run by him."
"Not at all. I bet Viv will tell me all the incriminating stuff while you guys are gone."
"You bet I will," Viv said as she raised her glass to them.
"Be right back," Danny said as he kissed her forehead and rose from the table.
"What's up?" Danny asked as he and Martin walked out onto the veranda and took seats that overlooked the lake.
"I've, um, I've been thinking about making a change in my career, and I kind wanted to talk to you about it."
"A career change? You? You're on the fast track now at the bureau. You'll be leapfrogging your father to Director in no time."
"I don't think I want that anymore. We've talked about this before. Nothing ever changes, Danny. These horrible crimes happen every day, and nothing ever changes."
"The crimes happen, you go after the bad guys, and the streets are safer because of it," he replied simply, in typical Danny fashion.
"Are they? Really? How many bad guys have you helped set free by defending them?"
Sighing, Danny shook his head. "I'm not going to argue about this with you again, Martin. The Justice system is set up so everyone gets a fair trial. Sometimes bad guys go free, but sometimes not so bad guys go to prison when all they need is to get some help to prevent them from becoming career criminals. That's what I try to focus on."
Nodding, Martin understood where Danny was coming from. In many ways, his defense attorney work was his way of honoring his brother's memory. "I know, and you know I respect that. But I still think I can make more of a difference in another arena."
"What arena would that be, Martin?"
"Politics. Cassie and I are thinking about moving back to New York. I plan on re-establishing residency and running for a state congressional seat."
Danny couldn't help it when a laugh escaped his lips. "Seriously?"
"Yes. Seriously."
"Have you told your Dad yet? Because I thought I would have heard his giant sigh of self-satisfied approval from DC by now," Danny responded sarcastically.
"This isn't about him. This is about wanting to do something more with my life. I never feel like we make any progress, Danny. The same awful things are happening today that we saw when we worked together. I just want to see if I can make things better at a higher level. I want to give it a shot."
Smiling, Danny nodded in approval. "Well, you know you always have my vote."
"I was actually hoping to have more than that," Martin replied expectantly.
"What do you mean?" he asked with an arched brow.
"I need someone in my corner. I've already talked to some of the best people about running a campaign and getting the right support to put a platform together. But what I don't have is someone I trust completely. Someone who knows the law and can advise me in an honest way. And also someone who has the ability to talk his way in and out of everything."
"Me? You want me to work on your campaign?" Danny asked, completely surprised. "Martin, I'm a lawyer, but I wouldn't say I am all that political. How much help could I possibly be to you? I'm sure there are much smarter guys in DC when it comes to this stuff."
"You don't give yourself enough credit. You never have. You have your finger on the pulse of major social issues because of your work in legal aid. You can guide my way in areas that I'm not as strong."
"I don't know, Martin. I just made partner not too long ago."
"You wouldn't have to give that up, at least not right away. At first, we have to see if we can even get a campaign off the ground at all," Martin said skeptically, before adding, "We'd be a team again, Danny. It's not selling shoes, but it's something."
This made Danny smile. "Since you put it that way," he said, extending his hand to shake Martin's, "I can't promise anything, but I'll definitely talk about it with Katie."
"What are you going to talk about with me?" Katie asked as she approached them.
Danny and Martin both rose after hearing her voice.
"Oh…it's…a long story. We'll talk about it on the plane tomorrow. It will take my mind off flying and yours off morning-sickness."
"Speaking of morning-sickness," Martin said as they walked back into the restaurant, "I probably should head to the airport if I want to catch the last flight out tonight."
"Before you go, Sam wants me to take a picture of all of you. That's why I came out to track you down."
They all lined up for the picture: Jack first, then Sam, Danny in the middle with his arms draped across their backs, then Vivian and Martin on the other end. Katie smiled and tears filled her eyes as she took the picture. It reminded her of a moment not too long ago, when Lucy was looking through their wedding album. She came across the picture Danny and the team had taken at their wedding almost five years ago. Lucy asked her, "Who's that?" And Katie replied, "That was your daddy's family before he had us, baby."
XXX
Epilogue
After Jack and Sam's wedding, the team didn't have many opportunities to all get together. Of course, Vivian stayed in close touch with everyone because she lived in New York where Danny and Martin still resided and, after she took early retirement and Reggie went off to college, she and Marcus traveled often to Chicago. Vivian and Jack's bond had remained long after they'd stopped working together.
But Jack and Sam didn't get back to New York nearly as much as they would have liked so they didn't get to see Danny, Martin and their respective families very often. Jack and Sam lived a quiet life in Chicago. Shortly after they got married, Sam was promoted to supervisory agent for the Chicago FBI Missing Person's unit. Danny, Viv and Martin were all so proud of her. But no one was more proud than Jack.
They never had children of their own. Sam was content to have a challenging career that she never imagined she'd having growing up in Kenosha. And they were both just very happy to have finally found each other again – the unlikely love story of the team.
Martin ran a successful campaign and was elected to state Congress. He was a candidate that all constituents seemed to get behind. He had the brains, compassion, good looks and the picture-perfect wife and two beautiful children to go very far in politics. It also helped that Danny had advised him every step of the way – even taking a leave of absence from the law firm during the campaign. When Martin had first met Danny, he'd never imagined they'd become friends – let alone trusted confidantes with a bond almost as strong as brothers. After he'd won his first campaign, he asked Danny to be his chief of staff. Danny had to decline. Instead, he stayed Martin's trusted advisor throughout his political career – which eventually lead to a New York Senate seat.
Danny declined Martin's offer because he could never uproot his family to go to Washington, DC. Katie gave birth to twin girls shortly after Jack and Sam's wedding. They took a break from having more for a few years after that, but were surprised to add a fifth child, another girl, when the twins turned five. By that time, Danny had left Walter Miller's firm and had opened his own practice, Taylor and Associates. He worked tirelessly on child advocacy cases and other cases involving less fortunate people who couldn't usually afford good defense council.
While the team didn't get together very often, the bonds between them stayed forever. They had grown into a kind of family and would forever be intertwined in each other's lives, in one way or another. Danny had come to realize that their lives intersected for very specific reasons.
Jack wanted to save everyone, but mostly had needed to save himself. When all was said and done, the team he had assembled became his saving grace.
Vivian never wanted to be the den mother, but she didn't have much of a choice. They all looked to her for guidance and hope in their own ways. Once she accepted it, she realized that it didn't really bother her because she got so much out of her relationships with each of them.
Samantha made so many mistakes in her personal life that she wondered if she'd ever get it right. Work and the team were her refuge, despite the fact that she let her personal conflict seep into that refuge. She took pride in knowing that it never affected her ability to help people. Work and the people she worked with validated Sam. It made her strong and it healed the many wounds of her past. In many ways, Sam and Danny were so much alike. They had both come to New York to run away and start over. It eventually worked for Danny, but Sam had to go home again to really find her missing piece.
When Martin walked into the office of the Missing Persons unit for the first time, he had just wanted to make a difference and do his best. Subconsciously, he'd wanted to show his father that he could make it on his own. In the end, Martin accomplished his goals, but that's not what he thinks about when he remembers his work in Missing Persons. He remembers that someone was always there for him. When he faced the hardest moments of his life, he was never alone: Jack standing up to his father, Viv offering a kind word when he wasn't sure he could cope with what he'd seen and done, Sam reaching out to him when he needed her the most even though their romantic relationship hadn't worked, and Danny. Danny, who always seemed to crack a joke at the exact time he needed to laugh. And who saved his life on more than one occasion. And who got past unspeakable personal demons to guide him through one of the most challenging periods of this life.
Danny knows he wouldn't be where he is today without them. He knows it like he knows Katie's smile. Jack and Vivian eventually filled the void for Danny that had been there since he lost his parents that fateful day. It's not as if they had acted like his parents, but they gave him support and injected him with a sense of confidence that no one ever had before. He and Sam were never all that close, but without even knowing it, Sam helped Danny realize the true meaning of friendship and being there for people. And after a rocky start, now Danny can't really imagine Martin not being his trusted friend.
Danny often finds himself missing the days of looking for the missing with his team. He wouldn't trade what he has now for anything, but he looks back on those times as some of the best of his life. Growing with the team is what made him into the man he had become.
