Disclaimer: None of the characters belong to me, though I do seem to have an inordinate amount of posters of them from other shows/movies they've been in... Takes place immediately after "Trick or Treat", and thus contains spoilers for that episode.
Denise successfully snuck through the Halloween party into Denny's office without attracting too much notice, and cautiously peeked outside to make sure Alan was alone before taking a deep breath and joining him on the balcony.
"Alan, I . . . uh . . . what the hell are you dressed as, Jackie O?"
"I'm one of the Lennon Sisters."
"Ah. Okay. Um . . . anyway, I wanted to thank you. For earlier. You were . . . surprisingly helpful."
"Did you find everything all right?"
"Not everything . . . Shirley's still helping me get a few things straightened out, but we found his head, at least." She sighed and sat down in Denny's chair. "Why did you help me, Alan?"
"Hmm?"
"At first, I thought you were going to try to take advantage of the situation, but you were so sweet and, well, so unlike you. You sat there and talked with me, went to the morgue with me. When I found out Daniel's body was missing, you kept me focused on finding him instead of being overwhelmed. So why did you do it?"
"If you promise to keep this between us, I'll let you in on a little secret."
"Okay."
Alan reached into his bra to get his wallet, removed a picture and handed it to Denise.
"She's beautiful. Who is she?"
"My wife."
"I'm sorry, did you say 'wife'?"
"My . . . my late wife, if you want to be a little more specific." He sighed.
"Oh." She looked at the picture again, then at Alan, who seemed to be trying very hard to avoid eye contact. "I didn't know."
"It's not a subject I like to talk about. I think Denny's the only other person around here who even knows I was married."
Denise handed the photograph back to Alan and they sat in silence for a few moments. She watched his face as he touched the picture reverently for a moment before placing it back in his wallet.
"There's an actual human being somewhere under there, isn't there?" she smiled at him.
"Maybe. Don't let it get around." Alan turned an empty glass right-side up and poured Denise a drink.
"You know, you make a fairly decent-looking woman."
"So it seems - Denny's already tried to hit on me twice."
"Shirley was right. That man really will go after anything in a skirt."
"To predictability." He held his glass up in a toast.
"And to common ground."
They clinked glasses and sat drinking in silence while the party carried on behind them.