********

Chapter 5:

There were things Jack Malone wished he had never known in his lifetime. He wished he'd never known what it was like to live with the stigma of having a mother who killed herself. As a kid growing up that had never been fun.

He wished he'd never known what it was like to kill another human being. He'd done the whole army thing to make his father happy, but he had known it wasn't him. Army was a full ride to any college he wanted so it had been an okay trade off. He may have joked around with the team about his psychology degree, but he was damn proud of it considering what he had to do to get it.

He wished he'd never known what it was to have a failed marriage or have his kids not look at him like he was superman anymore. Pretty hard to deal with especially when they were in Chicago and he was in New York. It was definitely not the most ideal situation.

But there were something things that Jack really didn't want to know and the fact that Martin Fitzgerald, Deputy Director Victor Fitzgerald had the hots for Danny Taylor formerly Alvarez, was totally one of those things.

Sure he'd expressed wanting to know more about his team because it seemed like they were slipping in the group bonding department. He longed for those days when it was him and Viv Danny trailing at their feet. Those were some good days. They'd worked with precision that Jack had felt was unequalled by any other team.

Not that he didn't like Sam and Martin in the equation. They were damn fine agents and it seemed like for awhile there the team was definitely meddling as a group.

Jack guessed it was about the time that Martin started dating Sam that things got a little hairy for the team. Martin and Sam were so secretive. Like no one noticed their little office romance. They were entirely too obvious about the whole thing.

Viv would stare disapprovingly. Sam would go about pretending nothing was going on. Martin would go around looking like he cared that Sam went around pretending that nothing was going on. Danny... oh Danny boy would stare at Martin with such longing that it made Jack want to hit Martin over the head with something hard. He was almost surprised that Viv hadn't beaten him to the punch.

Because Jack knew Viv looked out for Danny. Knew that Danny told her just about everything that was going on in his head. Jack vaguely remembered lazy nights after a hard case where they'd go out and drink club sodas, both knowing about Danny's past, and talk about their lives. Jack longed for those days.

He knew Danny was gay. He'd had no problems with it whatsoever. Danny was like a son to him and Jack tried to make that apparent as often as humanly possible.

"Jack... you have to give them the rest of the day off." Viv said.

"But what if something happens. What if we get a call in for another missing person? We're understaffed as it is." Jack had argued.

"I think four agents can deal with one missing person. Don't you think?"

Viv liked to ask questions she already knew the answer to. Jack knew this trap very well... didn't mean he knew how to get out of said trap.

"Right... but Martin and Danny..."

"Could use the day off. Look Jack you were there when Danny was all sullen over Martin dating Sam."

Jack had been there. In an effort to rekindle some of that old three magic Jack had suggested they go out for club sodas. Danny and Viv had agreed readily if only to get rid of the total obviousness that was Sam and Martin's doomed relationship.

Danny had spent the night wallowing about Martin not even caring that his boss was there to listen. Jack couldn't say he hadn't done his own bit of wallowing about Sam. Viv had sat there and listened to it all.

"And you really don't want Martin to think he doesn't have a chance with Danny because Danny's too shy to say anything to Martin."

"Since when has Danny ever been shy about anything? And why wouldn't I want Martin to think he doesn't have a chance with Danny."

"Because then he might start going back to his back up... you know... Sam."

Jack had agreed to the day off.

And now he was witnessing something he thought he would never witness. Danny... Danny Taylor... man who flirted with inanimate objects and had enough confidence oozing from his pores that if turned into energy could power small cities was looking smitten over Martin Fitzgerald. It really was a sad sight to see.

They'd been on one date and he was already whipped. Jack winced as he saw Martin smile at Danny and watched as Danny readily got up from his seat and fetched whatever it was Martin had asked for.

Jack really wanted to shove them in a broom closet and yell at them that they couldn't come out until they stopped acting like a bunch of lovesick teenagers. How was anything supposed to get done like this.

"Disgustingly sickeningly sweet isn't it?"

Jack looked over to see Sam smiling softly at the display.

"You could say that."

"You know... that's the happiest I've ever seen Martin. I mean the honest to god happiest I've ever seen him." Sam said.

Jack nodded.

"Yeah... happiest I've ever seen Danny." He said.

Sam smiled at him and walked passed him blonde hair swaying in the slight breeze her walking gave off.

"Man you are so easy."

Jack looked over to see Viv laughing at him. Jack decided to fix her with a glare to which Viv answered with a glare of her own and of course Jack knew he was no match for Viv's glare so he stopped and rolled his eyes.

"You think that's going to be a problem?" Jack said gesturing his head over to Danny and Martin.

"Maybe in the office, but I'm sure they'll be professional outside when in the field. They're good agents Jack and you know Danny. He can be very professional when he wants to be."

"So no problems?"

"No I have to say everything is fine on that front. And Danny's happy."

"Yeah, Danny's happy. That's great. All the balance has been restored."

"Not quite, but we'll get there. So... Sam's free now."

Jack fixed her with another glare and he didn't care how scary Viv could be he was not backing down from this one.

"Alright, alright... I won't bring that up... yet." Viv said holding her hands up in mock surrender.

"Good."

"But there is one thing we could bring up."

"Oh and what's that?"

"Now I know you said that you wanted to bring on a new agent because we were under pressure, but I really think the new edition is just... unnecessary."

"You don't like Elena and you want me to get rid of her."

"In the quickest way possible." Viv said voice serious.

Jack looked around. Things were running smoothly. Sam and Danny and Martin were all laughing at something huddled together. Elena was looking over from her desk looking slightly confused and sad.

"You know it'll probably be best on her psyche if I pulled some strings to get her moved."

"You could always have Martin call Victor. I hear he doesn't really like Elena either."

"As much merit as that idea has I think I'll go through the proper channels."

"Quickest way possible, Jack." Viv said as she began to walk away.

Jack grumbled.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

It was late at night when Danny stopped by his office. He had given word to one of the other agents that wondered the halls of their little office building to give Danny word that Jack wanted to talk to him, but the day had been busy so it wasn't really a shocker that Danny was strolling by his office at eight o'clock.

"Wagner said you wanted to talk to me." Danny said as he sprawled into one of Jack's chairs.

Jack frowned at that. Danny couldn't sit properly in a chair to save his life. It was wearing on Jack's leather.

"Right... well... look I know about you and Martin."

"Haven't exactly kept it a secret Jack. And from what I heard you helped orchestrate the whole thing."

"Under protest I assure you."

"Viv strong-armed you." Danny stated.

It wasn't even a question. He just assumed and Jack really hated it when Danny smirked like that. If he didn't like Danny so much he'd hit him.

"That's a way of putting it."

"If you're worried about this effecting my work..."

"I'm not. I know you can do this and be discreet and still do a damn fine job. That's not why I called you in here."

"So why did you call me in here?" Danny asked looking interested.

"Because... look I know I'm not the easiest person to open up to, but I consider you a friend. Anyway what I'm trying to say is that if Martin... you know... hurts you or something like that I don't care who his father is he better start hiding." Jack said.

Danny stared at him eyes a little wide mouth open in surprise. He blinked at Jack and then smiled.

"You know Viv said close to the same thing. And then I got read the riot act by Sam if I ever hurt Martin."

"You've got friends that care about you and Martin's got friends that care about him."

"What if I hurt Martin?"

"Then I'd smack you and ask you if you fell off the wagon again. You don't screw up a good thing Danny and what you and Martin got... that's a good thing."

Danny nodded and seemed like he was going to say something else when Martin popped his head into the door.

"Oh hey Jack. Um... I finished up with the reports. I was just wondering if you were done with Danny cause it's pretty late and..."

Jack nodded.

"Go you two. Get out of her and do whatever it is couples do after long work days that I don't wanna know about."

Both smiled at Jack and Jack watched as Danny smiled at him.

"Go ahead. I'll catch up with you, Fitzie." Danny said to Martin.

"Okay." Martin said.

Danny stood in front of Jack's desk for awhile before Jack broke the silence.

"What?"

"Just... thanks Jack. I know it's... I know we haven't been spending a lot of time together outside work but I consider you a friend too. You and Viv so... thanks." Danny said rushing out of Jack's office to go after Martin.

Jack smiled at how enthusiastic they were. It was nice to see two people happy for a change. Jack backed his paperwork away and turned off his light.

He'd turn in his request to transfer Elena tomorrow.

FIN

Home ||| Spuffy Fan Fiction ||| Spander Fan Fiction ||| Spangel Fan Fiction ||| Harry Potter Fan Fiction |||Without a Trace Fan Fiction |||CSI Fan Fiction ||| Stargate: Atlantis Fan Fiction ||| Stargate: SG-1 Fan Fiction |||