It had been three months – three long months since Danny had stepped into the Missing Persons Office so it was with caution and uncertainty that he exited the elevator and made his way through the building and to his desk. As he made the journey to where he had last sat leafing through the journals of a young Ella Simmonds he noticed the turning of heads and over-enthusiastic smiles and pats of the shoulder he received from people, many of which he had never known very well.
It didn't worry him, it probably would have irked the Danny Taylor who was here three months ago, but it didn't worry the man who faced the office today. Hell he thought – it was good that they had noticed his absence.
Sitting at his old desk he swivelled the chair around, doing a three-sixty before putting his hands on the 'quality' FBI furniture. He looked straight ahead taking a deep breath and closed his eyes thinking of the last time he was here and the events that had followed. It was all in the past, he told himself subconsciously running his fingers along his arm, feeling the raised scars from beneath his shirt.
'Hey you,' Vivian came up beside Danny who had momentarily spaced out, readying himself for his return to work.
'Viv,' he smiled, 'Good to see you!'
'Not as good as it is to see you back Danny,' she fluffed up his hair. '… and if you ever need to talk…'
'I know,' he interrupted – 'Really Viv, I'm fine…'
'Ok, well the offers always there,' she replied, a warm smile on her face before heading to her desk with a folder full of files.
'What's the case?' he asked.
'The case,' interrupted Jack who had walked up behind him, 'involves finding a missing girl, uh Jackie Stounder, 17 years of age last seen 24 hours ago on her way to school.' He put his hand on his officers' shoulder, 'Good to have you back Danny.'
'Uh thanks Jack, sorry I wasn't back sooner.'
Jack ignored the comment and instead put a folder on Danny's desk, a folder filled with printed out emails from the girls' computer.
'I want you to check these and notify me of anything of importance.'
'Sure,' Danny replied casting his eyes toward the pile of print outs and anticipating hours of continuous reading – he knew Jack would be keeping an eye on him, everyone would, and he knew that any chances of interesting, be it strenuous or any work out of the office would be slim.
'Martin and Sam are interviewing Jackie's friends, and Vivian…,' he whirled around to face her, '… is coming with me to speak to the parents,' he continued raising his eyebrow at Viv in a questioning way as he realised that the team would be leaving Danny alone in the office.
'Well you two go have fun, and don't take sweets from strangers,' Danny tried to joke noticing the tension… 'I have plenty to keep me distracted for a while,' he nodded toward the pile.
'Right,' Jack mumbled, 'Uh… I'll call with more information…'
'I know you will,' Danny replied cursing his 'slip up' three months ago that had apparently demoted him to the office's babysitting. He was however, deep down touched that they cared.
