She was sitting on the bathroom floor, her head on her crossed arms, leaning on the edge of the bathtub. The toilet had just been flushed. He pulled her gently into his arms, alarmed at the pallor on her face. "Let me get you to the doctor."
"No, no," she whispered, "Just give me a minute, I'll be fine now, I think." She smiled weakly when he looked doubtful. "I'll be fine, really."
"Alright, but let me help you. And if it doesn't get better by midday, you're going to the doctor, even if I have to get your dad to make you," he threatened. He was gratified to hear a soft laugh.
-----
"I'm going to work, Verity," Darren murmured into Verity's ear. He smiled when she only stirred a little. She had told him once that she took after her mother that way. Gently, he traced the line of her face, pushing her hair away from her eyes. He pressed a kiss on her lips, and whispered, "I love you, Verity."
Still mostly asleep, she mumbled in reply, "I love you too. Be careful." He lingered for a moment, a little wistfully, when he realized that she'd never said the words to him while fully awake. Darren the clown with a princess, he thought to himself, who would have thought it possible? He'd been stunned and nervous when she'd agreed to go out with him. And totally blown away when she'd stayed with him. Darren sighed, he was going to have to go, or he would be late. He didn't want her father on his case for anything.
----
"You look like crap, Keeley," Darla said in concern.
"Gee, thanks. You're a real pal," Keeley said wryly.
But Darla only frowned, "You should go to the doctor."
Keeley sighed, "I'll be fine, Darla. Something just didn't agree with me, that's all." She looked up to see her husband and her brother hovering anxiously over her and sighed again, "Don't you guys have work to do? We can get Megan to assign you to our cases if you really have time on your hands."
Tyler grinned, but Justin still looked anxious. He tried again to get her to go to the doctor but she waved him off. She swallowed hard as another wave of nausea hit her.
"Keeley," Colby said gently from the entrance of the cubicle. David was just behind him, just as anxious as Justin looked.
Before she could control it, Keeley said on a sob, "Daddy," and threw herself into her father's arms.
"Ah, princess," he soothed, cradling her close with one arm, "Here, drink this ginger ale, it should help a little." He gripped Justin on his shoulder, stopping him as he started to leave. Justin had a wounded look in his eyes. It hurt that his wife preferred her father's comforting to his. "You should listen to Justin. Go to the doctor together."
She shook her head stubbornly. Colby grinned at Justin, "Stubborn, like her mother. Listen, Keeley, you need to go to the doctor with Justin. You want to make sure your baby is fine, don't you?"
He laughed at the stunned look in Justin's eyes. Keeley raised her head to her father, eyes wide, "Oh, God! I didn't even think..." Colby smiled down at her, and pushed her gently towards Justin. He sighed softly, his baby girl was going to be a mother.
Tyler whooped and dashed off to call the rest of the siblings. Colby called after him, "You let me call your mother, or I'll whup you." Tyler laughed, but nodded.
"I'll let Megan know you need to take Keeley to the doctor," David said to Justin. He was smiling too, even though he wasn't looking forward to losing Keeley to maternity leave. She was a good agent. "See you in a bit, Colby."
"A baby! Oh, God, Keeley! A baby!" Justin murmured in delight.
She smiled, "You wouldn't be quite so happy if you felt how I feel." But she hugged him tightly.
"Thanks, Darla," Colby said, smiling at her. She nodded in relief, she'd called him, afraid that Keeley might have been sicker than she let on.
Colby called Hannah when he got to his office, "Oh, Hannah! Keeley's having a baby!" He heard a gasp and then a soft sob, and tried to sooth her. "You should see them, they're so happy. She's sick as a dog though."
Hannah sighed, "My poor baby. I'll bring some things over to them tonight. Oh, God, Colby! We're going to be grandparents!"
He swallowed a lump in his throat, "Yeah, I'm not exactly sure how I feel about it."
She laughed softly, "You're going to be a pushover. You always were."
-----
Darren watched Justin and Keeley with some amusement. They'd always treated each other as equals, especially on the job. But this first bout of morning sickness that Keeley was suffering from had brought everyone running. And Justin was cradling Keeley like she was fragile porcelain. He was envious of Justin, his own relationship with Verity seemed to have stalled. He'd been more than a little nervous with Colby since he had to be pulled off Justin. Darren wasn't quite prepared to fight Colby off just yet.
He started when he realized that Justin was talking to him. "Penny for your thoughts," Justin grinned. "Thinking about Verity?"
Darren laughed and shrugged it off.
"I need a favor, Darren."
"Name it," Darren said without hesitation. They'd been good friends for a long time.
"Will you cover for me for a few hours? Tyler and I had an interview set up with a witness, but I really need to take Keeley to the doctor. Will you go with Tyler? I'll clear it with both Megan and David."
"That won't be a problem, Justin. Go ahead, Darren," David said from the doorway. He smiled. "The first grandbaby."
Justin laughed, "You're acting like it's your grandbaby."
David laughed too, but said nothing. They'd been a close knit team. It was definitely their grandbaby.
-----
"It was just a routine interview," Tyler whispered, still in shock. Justin hadn't spoken a word, he had been staring at his friend, tears streaming down his face. His friend, Darren, now in a body bag.
Just a routine interview that his friend was covering for him. No one had anticipated any trouble from a routine interview with a witness. No one expected the perpetrator to be there with a gun in hand. Darren had gone down in a hail of bullets. He didn't even have a chance to draw his gun. Tyler, busy tying his shoelaces, had still been behind the car. Saved by his shoelaces.
"Verity... love her," was all Darren managed to say to Tyler, before he'd died. Now he was in a body bag, at the morgue.
Both of them looked up at the commotion in the hallway.
"I want to see him. Please, let me see him," Verity was sobbing. "I didn't even say goodbye this morning. This can't be happening!"
"Verity, it's not a good idea," Colby tried to dissuade her.
"Please, Daddy, please let me see him."
Verity looked at her brother and brother-in-law, and burst into fresh tears at the looks on their faces. "Darren," she whimpered, "Oh no, Darren!" She took his hand and brought it to her face, rubbing her cheek against the palm of it. She gently caressed his face, tears still streaming down her face.
"Why him?" she raged at Justin. "Why him? Why was he there? Why Darren?" She flew at Justin, and started hitting him before Colby even realized what she was doing. Justin just stared at her, taking her blows. He was asking himself the same questions.
Colby pulled her away from Justin and held her close as he tried to comfort her. It broke his heart to see his daughter in such pain. She was sobbing like it was the end of the world.
-----
"I want Darren to have the best, Cameron, will you help me take care of it?" Verity whispered dully to her brother from the haven of her mother's arms. Hannah kissed her gently, her own eyes shining with unshed tears. Most of the Grangers had gathered at home to discuss funeral arrangements for Darren. He had become family in a very short time.
Cameron sighed at the pain in his sister's eyes, "You know I will, Verity." He touched her face gently. "I'll take care of the arrangements." Darren was an only child and his parents had passed on several years ago. He looked over and saw Keeley doing her best to console Justin. Cameron drew Erin into his embrace, and hugged her just a little tighter than usual.
"Justin," Colby said quietly, "It wasn't your fault. You realize that, don't you?" He sighed when he didn't get a response. He knew that Megan would recommend that Justin and Tyler see a therapist, but he had hoped to get through the wall of grief Justin had built up around himself.
Colby's heart lightened, just a little, when he saw Justin begin to stir, as Keeley placed Justin's hand on her abdomen, reminding him of what the future had in store for them.
Tyler felt a gentle touch on his arm, and was stunned when he turned to see Giselle.
"Cameron called," she said gently.
He stared at her, and she drew him into her arms as his tears began to fall again.
"Where's Brandon?" Colby demanded when he got Cameron alone, furious that Brandon wasn't there for his sister.
Cameron tried to calm his father down. "I'm sure he's painting, Dad. Probably painting Darren for Verity. He has to deal with things his own way, you know that."
Colby sighed. It had been a painful day for all of them.
-----
The day of the funeral dawned bright and clear. Don was impressed at how quickly Cameron had managed to make the arrangements for Darren's funeral. And a full military funeral at that, one that befitted the fine law enforcement officer that Darren Martin had been. It always hurt Don to lose an agent, but this one had also been important to Verity. He and his team had grown very close in the years they worked together, and their children were as nieces and nephews to him.
He watched as the motorcycle escort led the way, followed by the hearse, then the family's limousine, before his own vehicle followed, as befitted a director of the FBI. The rest of the procession followed, with a marked police unit bringing up the rear. And it was a long procession. Darren Martin may not have had very much family, but he touched many lives with his kindness and his easy laughter, and he had many friends among his fellow agents.
An honor guard from the LAPD stood at attention, six men on each side. Don's heart ached at the sight of the pall bearers. Verity's brothers took one side, Justin, David, and Colby took the other. They followed the honor guard to the graveside, and carefully placed the casket on the stand.
Verity was in the front row. She leaned on her mother, but she seemed calm and composed, her pallor emphasized by the traditional black. He saw Larry hover close by, ready to comfort if needed. Erin and a redhead Don didn't recogize, flanked Keeley. Megan was close to Larry, sitting with her daughter Darla. Then he saw Robin and Maggie and his heart lightened a little. They were sitting close to Olivia and Jonathan. Charlie, Amita and Jasmine brought up the rear of the family section.
Don vaguely heard the minister as he conducted his service. His mind was on his own speech. Verity had asked him to say a few words, and he had been unable to refuse those sad eyes.
"We've come here today to honor Darren Martin," Don began quietly. "Many of you here knew him personally. Knew him for the fine agent that he was. Knew him for the kindness and the laughter that he so generously shared. We look up to men like Darren, who pursued truth diligently, and unequivocally. We hold them up as examples, and they earn our deepest admiration and respect because of the actions they purposefully take, and the courage with which they take it."
He paused and looked in Verity's brimming eyes, "Men like Darren are the ones who are always ready to take action in the name of justice. Men like Darren show us the true meaning of courage, of devotion, and of sacrifice. I am honored to have known him. And I know we will carry him in our hearts, as I know we will live and laugh, as he would have wanted."
Don stood at attention, and his agents followed, as the honor guard and rifle team were called to attention. The rifle team performed the 21 gun salute, and as the last volley faded away, they presented arms, while the bugler played each plaintive note of Taps.
Clearing his throat, Don called the dispatcher, "Dispatch, locate Unit 721."
"721, Radio to Unit 721, Agent Martin, please respond."
"All units, be advised, Darren Martin, badge 587, Special Agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, having served this community for 8 years, has ended his watch. God rest his soul...
"Agent Martin is 10-7"
-----
Notes:
10-7 is the code for end of shift.
Taps
Day is done,
Gone the sun,
From the lakes,
From the hills,
From the sky,
All is well,
Safely rest,
God is nigh.
Fading Light,
Dims the sight.
Add a star
Gems the sky,
Gleaning bright
From afar,
Drawing nigh,
Falls the night.
Thanks and praise,
For our days,
Neath the sun,
Neath the stars,
Neath the sky,
As we go,
This we know,
God is nigh.