Disclaimer: Characters are owned and produced by The Disney Channel and It's A Laugh Productions. I am just borrowing them for these stories. Original characters are owned by the author of this story.
From the movie Deep Blue Sea. Quotes from The Internet Movie Database (IMDb):
Russell Franklin: Was that a goddamn shark broke through that door?
Carter Blake: I expect so.
Russell Franklin: You expect so? Huh. Well, well, well. Am I the only asshole down here who thinks that a tad bit odd? It can do that? Bust through a steel door?
Author's Note: The only problem, Russell, is that's not a shark. IT'S TRIPLE L RETURNING TO THE SUITE LIFE FANDOM!
Triple L is back and better than ever and excited as all get out to bring you the long- awaited sequel to my first Suite Life fic, Requited. Now if you have gotten to this point and haven't read it, stop, go back to my profile and read Requited. I guarantee that if you love the idea of Maddie and London as a couple, then you'll love Requited. BTW, that reminds me… THIS IS A FEMSLASH STORY. If you do not wish to read a story containing that subject matter, then please select another story.
Now that the disclaimers are out of the way, here is the sequel, The Search for Tomorrow. I'm not telling you anything about the story except to say that you can expect appearances at some point from four of your favorite Disney Channel divas, Raven, Chelsea, Miley and Lilly. There are also some old original characters from the first story that I'm bringing back and two recurring characters from Suite Life that show up.
One last thing… when I create original characters for my stories, I use actual actors as my inspiration for the look and mannerisms of the character. And instead of revealing who they are as they show up, I'm gonna tell you now who's playing who so as you read, you'll know what they look like. Here you go.
Suite Life Characters
Corrie,former classmate of Maddie's – Vanessa Hudgens
Mary-Margaret,former classmate of Maddie's – Monique Coleman
Original Characters (and where to find them on the web)
Ray Collier, senior partner at Maddie's law firm – Robert Newman (Josh Lewis from Guiding Light. Go to the official GL website.)
James Beckett, senior partner at Maddie's law firm – Zeljko Ivanek (Many roles. Do a Google image search.)
Sandrine Mitterand, London's secretary in France – Nina Dobrev (Mia Jones from Degrassi. Go to IMDb search.)
Chloe Carpenter, Maddie's secretary –Bethany Joy Galeotti (Haley James Scott from One Tree Hill. Go to IMDb search.)
Whew! I'm out of breath. I'm done. Go read. I'll talk to you later.
The Search for Tomorrow
Chapter 1
Sleeping Beauties
Monday, January 8, 2018
London lay on the sofa in her fifteenth floor condo sound asleep. London was exhausted. She had spent the last three months personally overseeing the construction of Tipton Hotels newest resort at Walt Disney World in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. She would fly back to Boston every other weekend to spend time with Maddie. She had also finished negotiations with Simon and Schuster to write her first book, The Search for Tomorrow: How London's Bridges Came Tumbling Down, the story of her early snob days, her personal tragedy and the subsequent triumph with the help of the love of her life, Maddie.
London decided to take the day off, extending her weekend by one day to concentrate on writing her book. She was roughly seventy pages into writing when sleep overtook her. Considering that London had accumulated only twelve hours of sleep in the previous three and a half days, seventy pages was an accomplishment to say the least. It was one o'clock in the afternoon and London Tipton was dead to the world.
Maddie, on the other hand, was as alive as a woman could possibly be. She had been the hottest up-and-coming criminal defense attorney in Boston. Now she was the hottest young corporate attorney in the city. The law firm of Collier, Beckett and Associates had caught fire and was rising to the top of the heap of New England law firms. Maddie had just received a $20,000 Christmas bonus, for her contributions to the firm as well as a $30,000 raise, putting her over the $100,000 mark in salary for the first time. It was no where close to the $100 million that London cleared after taxes the previous year, but not once did London ever make Maddie to feel inferior to her. The heiress was actually quite proud of Maddie and her rising star reputation around town
Rumors were beginning to circulate around the office that Ray Collier and James Beckett were going to name at least one, perhaps two new junior partners to have their names added to the company letterhead. Could she possibly be named a partner at 28 years old? Was the name Collier, Beckett, Fitzpatrick and Associates a possibility? Maddie began to entertain that possibility as she took advantage of the rare moment of silence in her office. She stared out the window of her 27th floor office.
She wondered to herself what life might be like over in executive wing of the floor. As nice as her office was, the offices of the senior partners made her office look like a nineteenth century out house. Rich cherry wood seemed to adorn every nook, cranny, corner and crevice of those two palatial offices. She saw herself kicking back and propping her feet up on a desk big enough to play hide-and-go seek in. She even imagined what it would be like for her secretary Chloe to transition from a work area twenty paces from the elevator to an outer office alcove. Those thoughts of potential grandeur were interrupted by a knock on the door.
"Come in!" Maddie called out as she swiveled around in her chair to see who it was. She flashed a brief smile when she saw her secretary, Chloe. "What's up, Clo?"
To Maddie, Chloe Carpenter was an enigma wrapped inside a riddle. The pixyish, adorably cute five-foot-three inch blonde had many faces. There were days that it appeared that she and Maddie were separated at birth. They would have the same thought at the same time, she would bring coffee or supplies or a phone number to Maddie a split second before she asked for it. She was at times meticulous and at times scatterbrained. One moment, she would be lusting after Ray Collier behind his back, the next minute she was casting a silent, wayward eye at the redhead paralegal down the hall. But for all of Chloe's idiosyncrasies, she was Maddie's right hand and Maddie vowed to herself that if she rose to the top at Collier, Beckett, she would take Chloe with her.
Chloe stepped inside Maddie's office and closed the door before stepping up to the edge of Maddie's desk and sitting down in the wing chair.
"Mister Beckett said he wanted to see you in his office when you get a chance." Chloe said.
Maddie rolled her eyes. "Uhh! I wonder what he wants now. I swear that man doesn't like me."
"I don't think he likes anybody." Chloe said. "You know he referees in the youth basketball league. I heard he ejected his own son from the game for arguing with him!"
"Shut up, Chloe!" Maddie said laughing. "You are so stupid!"
Chloe responded. "I'm serious! He has the worst Napoleon complex I've ever seen! The short mother…"
"Clo! You've been hanging around me too much!" Maddie exclaimed.
Chloe laughed. "I guess I have. But look I didn't come in here to tell you that. I came in here to tell you that I heard from a reliable source that the big boys are thinking about adding two junior partners from inside the firm!"
"And who… is your reliable source?" Maddie inquired. "Would it be Collier's secretary, Jen, the one you have the hots for?"
"What are you talking about? I don't have the hots for her! And who said I was gay anyway?" Chloe said.
"My God, woman! You might as well have Closet Maid tattooed on your butt! Just come on out already!" Maddie exclaimed.
"I… haven't decided which team I like better yet. I'm… comparison shopping." Chloe admitted. "But anyway… Jen saw an email from Beckett to Collier saying that he has his eye on four or five possibles."
"Any idea who?" Maddie asked.
"No. But I'm willing to bet that one of them is a stunningly gorgeous blonde second-year associate." Chloe said.
"You mean Barry Levesque?" Maddie said. Chloe smirked. "Oh! You mean me! You think?"
"Just make sure you don't leave me behind when you move to Cherrywood City." Chloe said, referring to the executive wing.
"Cherrywood City. I like that. I'm gonna use that." Maddie said with a head nod and a smile. She then stood up. "Well, let me see what ol' Jimmy Boy wants. Probably wants to pile more work on my plate." She said as she walked toward her door and opened it. "Wish me luck."
"Luck." Chloe said with a wave as she watched Maddie leave and head for Beckett's office.
Maddie walked around to executive wing and into James Beckett's outer office. His secretary was on maternity leave and the temp agency had yet to send her fill-in so Maddie walked up to his door unchecked. She took a deep breath before knocking on his door.
James Beckett was a force of nature. He was about five-feet, eight inches tall on a good day, with rapidly thinning hair. He always gave you the impression that he was twenty minutes late for the most important meeting of his life and that you were four seconds away from wasting his time and that what you had to say had better be important. It took everything Maddie had inside her to tolerate him. He came off as dismissive and borderline rude. Ray Collier explained that he is so wrapped up in what he's doing that he forgets common courtesy. Collier even went as far as to say that Beckett really liked and respected the work that she does. She thought he was blowing smoke by saying that, but she smiled and pretended to believe him nonetheless.
Maddie's mind wrapped around all of that before she lightly tapped on the door.
"Come in." Beckett said curtly. Maddie pushed the door open to see him with a haphazard pile of papers on his desk with his head bent, poring over the documents. He looked up and, to Maddie's surprise, smiled. "Maddie. Please, have a seat."
Maddie walked over to take a seat with trepidation. "Mr. Beckett. Chloe said you wanted to see me."
"Maddie, I have this complex commercial lease that I need you to take a look at." Beckett said before handing a thick manila file to her. Maddie opened the file and skimmed the first couple of pages.
"Mr. Beckett, this is a big project." Maddie said. "I'm gonna need a few paralegals on this one."
"Done." Beckett said.
"And I've got three other leases and a pending sale coming up. I don't know if…" Maddie started before being interrupted.
"You can't handle it?" Beckett inquired.
"Of course I can handle it. It's just…" Maddie responded before being interrupted again by Ray Collier's entrance.
"Jim. Maddie. Sorry I'm late." Ray Collier said.
"Late? I didn't know you were joining us." Maddie said.
"Damnit. Jim. You didn't tell her that both of us were meeting with her?" Collier said.
"No. I just gave her the Banknorth Plaza project." Beckett said.
"And did you tell her why you gave that project to her?" Collier asked. He was met with silence and a disengaged chuckle from his co-senior partner. "Jesus, Jim!" Collier exclaimed before he turned to Maddie. "Maddie, I'm sorry about this. I thought we had our shit together but obviously…" Collier caught himself before he lashed out at his partner again. "We are not assigning this project to you. We are offering this project to you, but it comes with a catch."
"What's the catch?" Maddie asked.
"The catch is that you have to accept the title of Associate Partner and the $400,000 salary that goes with it." Collier said.
Maddie sat frozen in her seat. Her brain went into overdrive attempting to process what she just heard. "I… uhh… can I have some water, please?" Maddie asked. "I'm gonna need it… when I wake… up." And with that, Maddie passed out in the chair inside Jim Beckett's office.
"Maddie? Maddie? Maddie?" Maddie heard a faint voice above her head as the darkness faded away and gave way to the light.
"Where…"
"You're back in your office." Maddie's eyes fluttered open to see Chloe sitting on the edge of the sofa looking down at her. "The Incredible Hunk carried you in here and laid you down." Chloe said referring to Ray Collier. "What happened?"
"He…" Maddie started as she attempted to sit up. Chloe grabbed her arm and helped her sit up straight. "He… didn't tell you?" Chloe shook her head in the negative. "Clo, pack up your stuff. We're moving to Cherrywood City."
London had turned for the fourth time when the clock in the apartment hit seven o'clock. She had reached her sixth consecutive hour of sleep. She returned to her original position with her left arm draped across her forehead, her legs stretched straight out in front of her. She was dressed in a gray Boston Celtics t-shirt and black gym shorts, her lounging outfit of choice.
Maddie stepped into the elevator, headed for London's place. London had given Maddie a key to her condo the day she moved in. It was for all intents and purposes their place. Maddie wondered why they hadn't moved in with each other to begin with. They hadn't spent a night apart since they began dating. When Maddie stepped off the elevator on the fifteenth floor, she couldn't help but smile. All of the troubles of the day just melted away with each step she took toward the front door.
Of course on this day the troubles were few considering her new promotion and standing at the firm. Maddie was as close to walking on air as one could get. She wanted to scream her good news from the rooftops but first, she couldn't wait to tell London. She slid the key in the lock, throwing the door open in the process. Just as the door left her hand, she noticed the sleeping beauty on the sofa. Luckily, the door was on a hydraulic hinge and didn't slam up against the wall. Maddie cocked her head to the side and smiled. She hadn't seen London that peaceful in a while. And while she didn't want to disturb her, she knew London would kill her if she didn't wake her up to say hello.
Maddie sat her work bag and coat down in the arm chair and knelt down at London's feet. She placed a soft kiss on London's big toe. She saw a smile form on London's lips but her eyes had yet to open. She then wrapped her lips around London's toe and gently sucked. She heard a soft moan emanate from the Asian beauty. Maddie then began to slowly kiss her way up the inside of London's left leg, eliciting several more unconscious moans from her. It was when Maddie place her first kiss above London's knee did her eyes pop open for the first time.
"Maddie?" London exclaimed breathlessly.
"Hi baby." Maddie said softly.
"What time is it?" London asked.
"About ten after seven." Maddie said.
"Mmmm." London hummed. "Welcome home." She said sleepily. "How was work?"
"Wake up and I'll tell you." Maddie said, her head resting on London's knee.
"Finish waking me up." London replied with a mixture of sleep and arousal on her lips. Maddie responded by grinning then sliding London's t-shirt up just past her navel and placing several short kisses on her midsection. "Shit!" London whisper-spat. "You… know I like that."
"Figured that'll wake you up." Maddie said as she slid on top of London, coming face-to-face with her.
"So will this." London said before leaning up and capturing Maddie's lips in a scorching kiss. Maddie felt an electric intensity from London that she had never felt, not even on the first night they made love.
"Wha…" Maddie's attempted question was cut off by London's lips. Maddie managed to briefly pull away again and ask her question. "What has gotten into you?"
London looked up at Maddie with a look of lust in her eyes that stunned Maddie. "I had a sexy dream and you look really good to me right now." With that, London gently pulled Maddie's head down for another kiss while grinding her body up into Maddie.
The feelings that were shooting through Maddie's body were overwhelming but she was determined to share her good news with London. "Baby… hold on." Maddie said in between kisses. "Baby, please… Look. Wait." Maddie finally managed to get London to listen. "I promise that after I tell you what happened to me today, you can do anything you want to me, and I mean anything, but please let me tell you first."
"You know I can't say no when you call me baby." London said as Maddie lifted up allowing London to slide back and prop her torso up on the side cushion. "So… what happened to my baby today?"
"Your baby… works for a new law firm." Maddie said.
"WHAT?" London exploded. "When did this happen?"
"This afternoon." Maddie said calmly. "Your baby is the newest member of the law firm of Collier, Beckett, Fitzpatrick and Associates."
London looked at Maddie with a puzzled look on her face, still not quite following Maddie's train of thought. "Collier, Beckett, Fitz… OH MY GOD THEY MADE YOU PARTNER! AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" London screamed at the top of her lungs and threw her arms around a beaming Maddie, who returned the embrace. After several ecstatically loud moments, London broke the embrace and looked into Maddie's eyes. She then reached out to cup Maddie's face as she was overwhelmed by tears. "Maddie! You did it! I'm so happy for you!" This time London collapsed into Maddie arms sobbing. Maddie, for the first time that day, let down her emotional guard as she began to weep for joy as well.
Several minutes later, they began wiping away their tears as Maddie slid her heels off and tucked her feet underneath her on the sofa. "They offered it to me this afternoon and after I regained consciousness, I accepted."
"You… fainted?" London asked incredulously.
"I woke up on the couch in my office." Maddie said.
"What kind of financial package did they give you?" London asked.
"Four… hundred… thousand… dollars." Maddie said slowly, still not believing the figure.
"I had that in my piggy bank when I was four." London snapped in her rich bitch tone. Maddie looked at her in horror before London smiled. "I'm kidding, Blondie! I am so happy for you! What are you gonna buy first?"
"Well, after I buy you THE biggest lobster dinner in the history of Boston, Mass, I'm gonna buy my mother… you know what? Hang on a sec." Maddie said as she reached over London to grab the phone from the side table. She dialed a number and waited. "Hello Scott? This is Madeline Fitzpatrick… I'm fine, how about you? Look, remember when I came in there few months ago for our meeting and I told you about what I wished I could get for my mother? Well, wishes are about to come true. Draw up the purchase order and I'll come down to sign the papers in the morning… Yes, she will. Thank you. You too."
"Did you just…" London started to ask.
"I did." Maddie said. "My mother is going to have the best birthday dinner she has ever had."
"Are you sure she didn't want to go to a restaurant?" London asked.
"Yeah. Genevieve said that she just wanted to have a nice family dinner at home." Maddie replied, referring to her older sister.
"I guess that rules me out." London said flatly.
"Now stop that. I told you that you are welcome in the Fiztpatrick house." Maddie said.
"I was. But your mother has been cold to me ever since we started dating." London said.
"And I told you that as long as Irving Fitzpatrick is around, you will be welcome. Besides, Dad and I have been working on Mom. She can be very stubborn sometimes." Maddie said.
"Now I know where you get it from." London joked.
"Is that right?" Maddie asked with a smirk. "Well you know… being stubborn can have its advantages."
"For example?" London asked.
"For example…" Maddie started. "If I wanted you to come, my stubbornness could work to both our advantages because I wouldn't stop until I got what I wanted."
"And how would you go about doing that?" London asked.
Maddie got up on her knees and slowly crawled over until her body was pressed against London's. "I might do something like this." Maddie then snaked her right hand inside London's shorts, gliding her finger over London's wetness before bringing her finger back up and massaging her clit.
"I… see." London eked out. "Then… what?"
"We've got all night for the… then-what." Maddie purred.
"Then what… are you waiting for?" London purred in return before pressing her lips to Maddie's for the beginning of yet another night to remember.
Don't be greedy. We just got started. There is plenty of time for you to read about Maddie and London's escapades in the bedroom. But there's more of a story to tell. Dinner with the Fitzpatrick clan is next. Is there trouble ahead? Come back and find out. PLEASE REVIEW.
