Oh, Snap! by Lopaka Tanu

Title: Oh, Snap!
Author: Lopaka Tanu
Disclaimer: I do not claim ownership of Without a Trace.
Prompt: 3 Transformation (inanimate)
Fandom: Without a Trace
Pairing: Mention of Sam/Martin - Danny/Martin
Rating: Adult
Warnings: Language, Violence
Summary: Time Missing: 24 hours, Subject: Samantha Spade.
Author's Note: Someone is crazy in this one.
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Completing her morning jog through Central Park, special agent Sam Spade held up her wrist to check her pulse against the time. A smile came to her face at the rate. It was a new personal best and her heart wasn't in her throat. So heavy was her breathing she didn't hear the bushes behind her part or the sudden exhalation of breath. The last thing she felt was the sting of something sharp hitting her neck.

~~~~~~~24 Hours Missing~~~~~~

Setting his coffee cup down, Jack ran a hand over his face, grimacing at the day's growth of beard. He felt worn out and at his wits end. They had tried everything yesterday they knew of. It had all been for nothing.

Glancing up at the white board, he went over everything they knew. It wasn't much. Her daily routine pretty much revolved around the office. During the end of her run, she had been attacked in Central Park, they knew this because her MP3 player had been found there crushed along side her wallet full of IDs. That, and he knew her personal routine from experience. A fruitless search had ensued all day and turned up nothing. As far as he knew, Martin and Danny were still out there.

He was about to reach over and call the police again when his office door opened. Vivian was there, the look on her face let him know she wasn't going to tolerate this. "What?"

"Danny and Martin are back. They found something." She barely had time to get out of the way before he came plowing out of the office. Shaking her head, she wondered just how bad he was going to get.

"What have you got?" Coming up to the briefing room table, Jack took in the situation.

Danny was holding Martin, one arm wrapped around his waist, the other keeping his head on Danny's shoulder. He shook his head, then went back to shushing Martin. The hand that had been stroking Martin's neck slid down to rub his back. "We don't have anything conclusive, Jack, just the clothes we believe she was wearing."

"Where were they found? Was there any blood?" At Jack's words, Martin squeezed Danny tighter. "Danny, I need details, now!"

"Sorry, Jack. We weren't the ones who found them." Danny let Martin lean on him further for support. "The police said they found her clothes and we came back here to tell you."

Already on his way back to his office, Jack started to remove his tie. He knew he needed to shave, but the quick wash in the lavatory sink and a change in suits was all he had time for. "Right. Viv, call the Precinct in charge, I want to know pronto."

"Already on it." Cell phone out, Vivian was waiting for someone on the other end to pick up. Hearing Martin's quiet sobs, she turned the cell phone from her ear. "Danny, why don't you take Martin home. See that he gets some rest and something to eat."

"Fine with me." Shushing Martin, Danny calmly extracted himself from the other man's grip. "Come on, Martin, let's go." He didn't want to completely let go, so he took Martin's hand in his own. The squeeze he received made his pulse speed up. "Keep us updated, Vivian," he told her as they passed for the elevator.

"Will do." Vivian didn't miss the complete lack of will in Martin's expression. He was totally dependant upon Danny at that moment and something about it made her frown. She was going to have to keep an eye on those two later. Right now, someone was talking on her phone.

~~~~~~~~36 Hours Missing~~~~~~~

Scowling, Danny flipped the switch on his bedside lamp as he sat up in bed. The phone on his night stand was ringing and he was going to rip whoever was on the other side of it a new asshole. Before he could pick it up, a groan and searching hand brushed across his lower back. "Shh, Martin, go back to sleep." He squeezed the hand, then pushed it up under the pillow.

After another incessant ring, he picked up the phone and placed it to his ear. "This had better be good."

"For the sake of our working relationship and friendship, I will chalk that up to stress." Jack's voice was thick with emotions, his need to vent making it hard not to snap at Danny in return. "They've analyzed the residue on the clothes. It was a type of rare South American poison used to stun prey animals by the Amazonian tribes. Whoever took her might have wanted her alive, Danny. Sam might be alive!"

"That's great news, Jack." Eyes closed, he bit back on a yawn. He didn't want to open his eyes to look at the bedside clock, he knew it would be late. Despite that, he knew Jack probably still hadn't slept. "How are you holding up?"

"That's not something I'm concerned with." Jack's grimace was audible over the phone line. "It's Martin we have to check in on, they are close now."

"I've got that covered, Jack. You go home and get some sleep." He knew Vivian was probably right there thinking the same thing at Jack. It wouldn't hurt if he put pressure on their leader as well. "I know you're concerned, but you're no good to her dead on your feet, Jack. Don't make me go over your head, Vivian won't like me calling her this late."

Jack almost smiled. "I appreciate that, Danny, but not until we find her."

"Jack." Danny wasn't surprised to hear the line go dead. A sudden intake in breath had him glancing over his shoulder at Martin. "Go to sleep, Fitzy."

Stretching, Martin rolled over to get closer to Danny's body heat. When Danny slid back under the covers, he draped himself over the other man and let the tears start to flow again.

Danny reached up and shut the light off. With a slight smile on his face, he drifted off back to sleep.

~~~~~~~~120 Hours Missing~~~~~~~~

"DNA testing of the clump of hair found at the crime scene confirmed it belonged to FBI Agent Samantha Spade. Agent Spade, who had been reported missing five days ago when some of her personal belongings were found in Central Park..."

After shutting off the radio, Vivian turned to watch her remaining team mates. Jack was busy staring off in to space, making her wonder how much longer he would be here. Martin wasn't much better, only his attention was switching between Sam's desk and Danny. She knew there was a lot of guilt there. As for Danny, he was busy wiping off the white board and taking down her picture. He was doing it a little too cheerfully in her opinion.

She hadn't been blind to the way Martin was hanging all over Danny the past week, or how Danny encouraged it. Vivian knew it was only a matter of time before Martin realized what he was doing and then things would really get bad. There would come a time very soon when there little team wouldn't exist any more. For once, it didn't seem like such a bad thing. They had gotten too close to survive something like this.

Dusting off his hands, Danny faced the rest of his team. "I'm going to the memorial on Saturday to help set it up. Will you be there?"

"No... I've got my kids." Rubbing his mouth, Jack rose from the seat at the briefing table. "Excuse me, I've got a call to make." He placed his hands in the pockets of his suit jacket to hide the fact they were shaking.

"I'm with you." Lowering his head, Martin was ashamed for the fact that he drew so much comfort from Danny's mere presence. It was wrong, he should be stronger than this. Sam had just died, they had meant a lot to each other, yet he was in another man's bed almost from the time it had happened. What did that say about him, about their relationship? What relationship?

Moving in close to the sitting man, Danny slid a hand over Martin's shoulders. "Of course, Martin, I'll be there to help you."

"Of course you will." She had it all figured out. Vivian knew Danny too well for him to fool her. "I'll also be there to help you, both of you." Both of them were using the other. She only hoped Danny didn't get too attached to him before Martin came to his senses.

~~~~~~~~Saturday~~~~~~~~

"It was a nice ceremony." Finishing off his soda, Danny set the tumbler down on the table. It had been a memorial right out of the movies, right down to the life-sized molded plaster angel. Everyone had remarked on how it looked just like her and asked how they found it. Toasting the angel with a new glass of soda, Danny waved good bye.

"I'm ready to go, Danny." Now that everyone else had gone, Martin was ready to leave. He hadn't left Danny's side the entire time and didn't feel up to it now. Glancing down at their joined hands, he barely felt the tug of guilt on his heart. It was something he was learning to accept.

Bringing Martin's hand up to his mouth, Danny kissed it. "Meet me at the car, I want to say one last good bye in private."

He almost protested, but it wasn't worth it. Danny would be along, he wasn't going to disappear like she had. He was going to be there. Nodding, Martin released Danny's hand and walked to the parking lot.

When he was alone, Danny set down his drink. A bitter smirk stained his face as he walked up to the statue. He glared up at it. "You ignorant bitch, didn't know what you had. Used him, hurt him at your whim, but not any more, he's mine now."

"You know, it's funny." Coming from behind the statue, Vivian frowned at Danny's heated glare. This was the dangerous part, and she wanted to confirm what she suspected before she did anything. "This crime was too perfect. No trace evidence of any kind to prove who did it. All the clues that pointed directly to the crematorium where they found her hair and ashes seemed to be set up. I think it was convenient that there was just enough to get a positive DNA match but little else."

Giving her his patented half lidded smirk, he put his hands behind his back. "Based upon your deductions, what is your conclusion?"

Putting on her gloves, Vivian shook her head. "Nothing, it was just an observation." Slipping passed him towards the parking lot, she paused then turned to look at him. "You know, that angel is her spitting image. How did you come across it again?"

"I know a guy." He ignored her snort, it wasn't worth it. After her footsteps faded from hearing range, he reached up and tapped on the statue's forehead. It really was fine craftsmanship. No one would be the wiser. Whistling, he walked to the parking lot and the waiting Martin.

THE END..................