My plot bunnies have recently gone through a mental stage and forced me to write this fic. But to anyone that is/has been reading Deception and No Mas I am continuing them. Anyway back to Aviatophobia (the fear of flying) it is based during the season 1 episode Silent Partner – hope you enjoy.

I say this in every fic and chapter, but I will say it again. This fic would not be possible without my beta anmodo – who in her only right is an incredibly talented writer.

Disclaimer: - Although I wish I owned Without a Trace and its characters – unfortunately I do not, so please don't sue me.

Aviatophobia

"So I guess you white collar, silver spoon guys are not accustomed to flying with normal people?" Danny baited, as he walked through San Diego airport with Martin.

"What?" Martin exclaimed. He shook his head, he really shouldn't be surprised – Danny had been like this to him since the day he joined the team. Why couldn't Danny drop it? What the hell was his problem? So what? He'd grown up in a big house and had gone to a private school. But if Danny really knew what his childhood was like, maybe he would change his attitude – but he doubted it.

"You know, a commercial plane: packed in like cattle with crappy, dried-out food," Danny reeled off. He glared at Martin – what the hell was his problem? Didn't he understand how lucky he was? Didn't he know how lucky he was to have a loving family, a roof over his head and a hot meal on the table? Didn't he know how lucky he was that he didn't live in fear that he wouldn't wake up one morning? Because that's what he lived with; every day of his crappy childhood.

"What's your problem man?" Martin yelled as he stopped and glared at him.

"My problem?" Danny exclaimed. "Man, if you only knew!"

Martin shook his head. "Whatever! Are we getting on the plane or not?"

Danny looked passed Martin and grinned. "No, we shouldn't," he replied in a distant tone.

"Danny," Martin started. "What are you talking about?"

"Why fly on a commercial plane, where you are crammed next to weird, sweaty people who want to talk to you about their collection of lunchboxes or some other equally weird collection," Danny said with a slight grin.

Martin couldn't help but chuckle slightly. "So how do you propose to achieve this?" he asked.

"Well if I am not mistaken – that is the FBI plane," Danny said, as he pointed in the direction of the gleaming white Gulfstream jet

"And your point is…" Martin trailed off.

"We are FBI agents, I reckon we can wrangle a spot on that plane," Danny said with a smirk.

"Really?" Martin said with raised eyebrows. But all he could think was that he wouldn't have to sit in a tiny seat in between Danny and some weirdo. At least on the FBI plane – despite its size he could get away from Danny and write up the report in peace.

"Of course. I can get us a spot on that plane," Danny said grinning. "Watch and learn Fitzy, watch and learn."

Martin shook his head as he watched Danny flash his ID and walk across to the gleaming white Gulfstream jet. "Man what if-"

"What if your father or some other brass has ordered the plane and its flying to DC?" Danny started.

Martin rolled his eyes. "Yes, basically," he said. He knew Danny wouldn't drop it anytime soon that he was the son of the Deputy Director of the FBI. Didn't Danny realise how shitty it was to be the Deputy Director's son – that everyone judged him by his father not as an individual?

"I may have not been born with a silver spoon in my mouth but I still know a thing or two," Danny said as he strode, confidently towards the plane. He walked into the plane and began to talk to the pilot.

"Yo, Martin," Danny yelled out of the plane a few minutes later. "You're not going to believe this, but the plane's going to New York to pick up some brass – and it's empty."

"And your point is?" Martin asked, trying to hide his grin.

"The point is, my man, we have the plane to ourselves," Danny said as he made a sweeping gesture towards the plane.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"You know the most dangerous part about flying is the journey to and from the airport."

"Martin, if you are trying to diminish my fears, you are failing," Danny said nervously. He dug his nails into the armrests as the plane hit another patch of turbulence

"But then again, if the autopilot fails and struts deploy, we maybe a little bit screwed," Martin started with an evil grin.

"What!" Danny exclaimed.

"Well, the plane will go into a series of violent dives and inclines. The forces that will be exerted on the plane will be so great that – well the plane will probably break apart," Martin continued, as he tried to keep a straight face. He knew it was cruel – but it was payback, for all the comments Danny had made throughout the case. He watched as Danny paled and tightened his grip on the arm rests. "And it's a long way down," he added and looked out of the window for a dramatic affect.

Danny winced; he closed his eyes and tried to take a calming breath. Why the hell was Martin doing this to him? What the hell had he done to him? Sure he had been a bit of a jerk, but he had never played on Martin's fears – not that he knew what they were. "And you know this because you're a pilot?"

"No, I just know a bit about planes," Martin replied. He looked at Danny; he could see the fear in his eyes. He knew he should stop but after the shit Danny had put him through in the last few weeks – how much harm could he be doing? "As you know, planes like everything else in this world are built by the lowest bidder. So the engineer has been working a long shift and rushes the last couple of rivets. Anyway the panel looks fine until at 35,000 feet it flies off into the engine – causing it explode. Sure a plane can fly with one engine, but it can't fly with one wing."

"Fuck off, Martin," Danny yelled, as he unfastened his seatbelt and stormed to the other side of the plane. "You know what? After the last couple of days, I was willing to give you another chance – but now, maybe I was right about from the beginning; you are just like your dad – a cold-hearted bastard."

"Oh and you are holier that thou?" Martin replied sarcastically.

"No. I don't think that," Danny yelled back. He stared out the window. He was so scared that he either felt like he was coming to throw up or pass out - both sounded better that he felt now.

"Sure you don't," Martin muttered under his breath. He sighed and looked out the window. What he hell was Danny's problem? Why couldn't drop it? The plane shuddered violently and Martin frowned - that wasn't turbulence. He glanced across at Danny, who remained tense. The plane made another violent shudder to the right – he felt his heart leap into his mouth this was defiantly not normal. He looked over at Danny again to see him begin to unfasten his seatbelt. "Danny, sit down!"

"What?" Danny exclaimed. "Oh now think you can tell me what to do!"

"Please Danny, just do it," Martin said in a nervous voice.

Danny frowned as he sat and fasten his seatbelt tightly. There was something in Martin's voice that made a shiver run down his spine. "Martin," Danny said – fear evident in his voice

"I dunno – it's probably nothing."

"Martin, if you are messing with my head again…" Danny trailed off.

"I'm not, Danny, I swear to you. I don't know what's wrong but something is!" Martin replied

"H-How do you k-know that," Danny stammered.

"Because I flew a lot when I was a kid," Martin explained. "And this is not normal," he said as the plane continued to shudder violently.

Danny stifled back a panicked scream when he heard an explosion and the plane began to feel like it was falling out of the sky. He closed his eyes and dug his finger nails into the armrests as he heard the cockpit alarms sound. He was vaguely aware of someone yelling that they were going down and for the first time in years, he prayed. The next thing he knew he was being violently thrown around and heard the deafening sound of crumpling of metal – before everything went deathly silent.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Leaning back in his chair, Jack glanced at his watch – it was late. The case was closed and he was going to send his team home. They had worked several cases back to back and he could tell his team needed a break, so he was going to send then home and let them come in late tomorrow. He sighed as he heaved himself up and wandered into the bullpen.

"Everyone go home – you can do the paperwork tomorrow," Jack said tiredly.

"Are you sure?" Viv said as she started to pack up.

"Yeah – I'm beat. I left a message on Danny's cell. So go home," Jack yawned.

Sam looked from her desk. "The boys have caught the 1140 United flight, barring delays in LAX, they should be in just before ten."

"That's if they didn't kill each other on the way over," Viv added with a small smile.

"They will be fine," Jack replied, trying to sound confident.

"Sure will they will, Jack – just as soon as they have crawled out of their caves and stopped trying to kill each other with spears," Sam joked. She looked across at Viv who was stifling back a laugh.

"Seriously, Jack, did you really think that sending them across the country would make them rely on each other," Viv commented as they began to walk towards the elevators.

"Yes. They would've been forced to rely on each other and secondly, I wouldn't have to deal with them while they duke it out," Jack replied with a smile.

"So they will come back from this case - changed men," Sam added with a smile.

TBC