Note: Sorry about the delay; health issues.

Chapter Thirteen: Tried and True

Sam decided that they should talk somewhere indoors but Martin didn't feel comfortable telling them the truth with all the people that were around. He didn't know how they would react to his…Sam would probably be taken aback and there was a chance that she already had her own suspicions about what was going on. But Rafi? How would the ex-con take to hearing that his brother liked sleeping with men? From conversations he'd had with Danny, Martin knew that Rafi knew nothing about his brother's sexual orientation. It didn't seem fair that he was the one to out Danny, that should have been something that Danny could do himself but the circumstances weren't normal. They were actually looking a bit grim. He watched Sam order coffee for her and Rafi because his stomach couldn't handle the hot liquid or anything else at that precise moment. He had to come up with a convincing lie or tell them the truth.

How did that old saying go? Honesty is the best policy?

The more he thought about it the more he liked the idea. He could swear Sam to secrecy and then at least one person in the office would know about his relationship. He would have someone that he could talk to about it, someone to share the ups and downs with, someone to get advice from. But he continued to hesitate for fear of what Rafi would do. What if the ex-con was homophobic or refused to believe that his brother preferred men to women? Getting pummeled by a guy with prison experience didn't really sound all that appealing. He weighed the options. Telling Sam won in the long run. He figured that if Rafi wanted to hit him at least Sam would be there to help. Assaulting an agent worked much the same way as assaulting an officer.

But he wouldn't do it inside.

When the two of them returned with cardboard cups of coffee Martin told them that he couldn't talk in here, that he needed to be somewhere quieter. Sam was fine with the idea. Rafi wanted to know if one of them was wearing a wire. For some reason Danny's brother couldn't get passed the fact that he was with two Federal agents; one who had asked for his help and the other one had bought him coffee. Usually the law was trying to get him to confess to something so Martin didn't blame him for being suspicious. The group left the coffee shop and turned down the nearest alley. There were puddles of questionable liquid and the place reeked to the high heavens but at least they were alone, nobody else would hear them. And few people would probably even notice that they were there.

"All right, Martin," Sam said, sipping her beverage. "Out with it. Give me one good reason why I shouldn't report to Jack the fact that you're hanging out with him," she gestured toward Rafi.

"Maybe he likes my company," Rafi shot back.

"Guys, arguing is not going to make this any easier for me," interrupted Martin.

Sam checked her watch. "The longer I'm here…"

"Yeah, yeah, I know," he said. He brought a hand to the back of his neck and rubbed it somewhat nervously. "Danny and I are…we met at a bar about a year ago or so. We had a light conversation, mainly me asking him why someone who didn't drink would be at a bar. Didn't really think much of it but then we kept running into each other. From there we started to hang out, maybe catch a game on TV or shoot some hoops. Innocent stuff that all friends do."

"If the two of you are friends why didn't you just tell Jack? He would have understood, Martin," spoke Sam. "He would have removed you from any field work but left you to be the liaison in the office. Why keep all of this a secret?"

"Because Danny and I aren't just friends…"

"Then what are you?" asked Rafi. Both of the agents could tell that the other man's patience was wearing thin.

He ran a nervous hand through his hair. It was now or never. Tried and true, honesty worked every time. "We…um…Rafi, there's really no polite way to put this but…your brother likes guys."

For a minute nobody spoke as the meaning behind the words suck in. From the look on Sam's face Martin judged that she was taking the news better, as he had expected she probably figured it out a little while back. He would mention offhandedly that he had a significant other, someone he cared about, but he never brought the person 'round or really talked about them. That had to make someone suspicious. He was just happy to know that Sam picked up on it first. Maybe now she would understand why they're relationship hadn't worked out. That it wasn't her so much as him and his attempt to hide from the truth.

Rafi looked at him, the expression on his face unreadable. "You mean to tell me that my brother is…that he's gay?"

"Yes."

"Why didn't he tell me?"

Martin shrugged. "I never asked him that. He just told me that he had yet to tell you about it…guess now he doesn't really have to worry about it."

"And you…you're his…" Rafi couldn't finish the sentence.

"Yes."

Another moment of awkward silence passed between them. Then Sam spoke up. "Well, that explains the phone calls and the whole pill situation. What it doesn't explain is why you're hanging out with him and why you got yourself knocked off the case. Shouldn't you be trying like hell to get him back?"

"What do you think I'm doing?" Martin said. "I got arrested on purpose, Sam. The people that took Danny left me a message that told me to stall the case. I tried but…so I paid Rafi a visit, told him that I needed his help. We had a pleasant chat, cooked up the plan of me getting arrested and put on suspension. That left me free to work the case from a different angle, ways that the FBI might not exactly like."

"Ah, I see," she said with an understanding nod of her head. "Jack is going to be pissed."

"I don't care. I just want Danny."

She smiled. "How can I be of service?"