THINGS LEFT UNSAID 3

Title: My Fault

Author: Kali47

Rating: R

Fandom: Without A Trace

Timeline: Post-ep. 3X21 "Off The Tracks"

Style: Missing Scene

Summary: Danny and Martin talk after Danny left his brother.

My Fault

"Is he in there?" Martin asked Danny when he came out of the Garage.

He was leaning against the car and Danny stopped in front of him. Glancing at the floor, he was deliberately avoiding his friend's gaze. "Yeah, 'n completely high." He said.

"What are you gonna do?"

"I better call the cops. I'm sure they'll want to talk to him. 'Bout that drug we found." He replied, trying to sound detached.

"You want me drop you at your place, I can make the paperwork you know." Martin proposed.

"Nah, I'm fine." He replied and Martin started to walk to the conductor side of the vehicle.

Danny turned over and gave one last look at that miserable place. The moon was high in the sky but clouds were hiding her rays. The night was cold and quiet. Too quiet.
He could still see Raffie, in his mind. Sitting right where he'd left him, the strokes left by tears, still on his face.

He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned over to face Martin.
"Do you want to talk about it?" He asked in an uncommonly kind voice.

"What d'you want me to say. There's nothing to say about it." His answer was sharper than he intended, but he was not willing to talk about it. Nor did he want to see that look in his friend's eyes.

But Martin was not willing to let go. His hand was still on his friend's shoulder when he spoke, "Danny, you did good today. You found him and you probably saved his life."

"You think it's like that, that easy? You have no idea Martin. You don't know. You can't understand." He half-shouted, his voice harsh and shaking. Martin felt there was some anger too, but he doubted that was directed to him. Who then? His brother or Danny himself.

"Then tell me, explain it to me." He replied. Martin was not willing to give up. Not yet. He knew Danny probably didn't want to talk about it. But he knew that one cannot keep everything bottle up inside for it's never a good thing. So he kept his voice low, and there were no reproaches in it, no meanness, just some concern.

"Explain you what? That it's entirely my fault. That it's because of me, he's like this. Is that what you want to hear?" Danny shouted and all the suppressed anger and pain were freed in his voice. "Is that what you want to hear? That I feel responsible for all this. That it's because of me it all happened." Danny's voice trailed off and he moved away from Martin. He was furious and he kicked a stone with his feet. It made a loud noise when it hit a nearby empty can

"He's done it to himself. It's not your fault." Martin said with his voice still calm and gentle.

"Don't you understand? It's because of me they died! If they'd been here, things would have been different. It's because of me," Sorrow had now replaced anger in his voice and tears fell of his eyes. "It's because of me," He said again and he sat on the bare floor. His knees where not supporting him anymore.

Martin squatted in front of him. He didn't know much about Danny's parents' death. Just that they died in a car accident when he was a kid.
"It wasn't your fault Danny. It was an accident." He said, unsure what else to say.

"I said something and he turned to look at me. And then… and then the car crashed. It was my fault."

"You didn't want that to happen Danny. It wasn't your fault. And what happened to Raffie isn't your fault either. He made his own choices, like you did."

"Then why do I feel so bad about it?" Danny asked and Martin didn't know what to reply. He couldn't find anything to say that would make his friend feel better. So he just sat beside him, and put his hand around his shoulder for comfort.

It wasn't my fault. It was an accident. Danny thought and then he wondered if he would ever believed those words to be true.