Without A Trace - Paternity Eternal

Summary: Another day, another case...but its Martin who's missing. Is the team ready for the secrets they will divulge?

Disclaimer: I own nothing...unfortunately

Author's Note: Thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed! I hope you have enjoyed :D Here is the last little bit of fluff to round things off!

Epilogue: Moving On

Six Months Later

12th December 6:30am

Quick white flashes and garbled images flew across his eyes. The sensation of the cold metal of the gun against his skin, the surprise of finding a guy in his backseat. The burning pain of the bullet piercing his leg. Seeing the security tape of Suzanne's death. Anya's frightened eyes as she didn't understand. Jay holding him up as Eddie leered at him. Telling Andy to run. It's 9634, not 9364! The glint of madness in Eddie's eyes, right before the world turned black...

Martin sat bolt upright in his bed, breathing heavily. He glanced around to double check he was safe. He wasn't in that house anymore, he told himself. He was home. He took a deep breath to try and slow his panicked heart and looked down at the woman he shared his bed with.

Sam smiled in her sleep, her blonde hair falling across her face. She had been curled against him before he had woken, but now she hugged the covers against her. Martin leaned down and planted a kiss on her forehead, making her stir slightly.

He climbed out of the bed and pulled a t-shirt on. Quietly he left the room and entered the en-suite bathroom. He looked at his reflection in the mirror. He looked tired from lack of peaceful sleep. The scar from the head wound ran from his hairline just above his right eyebrow down to just under his eye. After several tests the doctors had deducted that he hadn't lost his sight permanently and he had recently been allowed to take off the patch. He was thankful that he no longer had to wear the thing. There were only so many pirate jokes a man could take from his daughter.

He thought of his daughter and decided to check on her in the spare room. He had decorated it blue, Anya's favourite colour, when he had known she was coming to live with him. Her cuddly toys were strewn across the floor and her clothes hadn't managed to make it to the laundry bin. Martin smiled sadly; she had inherited her mother's untidiness. He turned to leave.

"Daddy?" murmured Anya. She rolled in her covers so that she faced the door. "Can I have a hug?"

Martin nodded and strode across the room. He perched on the edge of her bed and she lay across him, her ear pressed to his chest. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her hair.

"I can hear your heart," Anya giggled. "It goes thump-thump, thump-thump." She sat quietly for a while, and when she next spoke, sorrow filled her voice. "Mommy's heart used to do that. But when...when the bad men hurt her, her heart didn't make any sound. The angels took it."

"It's okay now, the bad men have gone, they're never gonna hurt anyone again," hushed Martin, concerned by her words. Anya snuggled closer into his chest as if afraid to let him go. "I'm not going anywhere."

Then the phone rang.

Anya visibly huffed. She knew what that meant. When the phone rang before it was light out, that meant that daddy and Sam had to go to work. Martin gently snuck off the edge of the bed and stood, wrapping the covers back around her.

"Martin?" Sam called from the other bedroom. A few seconds later she appeared by the door, her bed-hair falling all over the place. "Hey, that was Danny, said we got the day off today."

"Are you serious?" replied Martin disbelievingly. Sam nodded. "A day off? No work? What are we to do with ourselves?"

Anya laughed happily and threw her arms around his neck. Martin stood and carried her out into the kitchen. Sam followed laughing.

They were family now.

:D And that's your lot! I can't believe I finished it! I'm hoping to do a semi-kind of sequel, so look out for it!

Thanks to irishtwins04 and martinsmaid for reviewing the last chap, and thanks in advance to anyone who reviews in future!