Date: November 18, 2008
Title: Running from the Past
Author: Soccer-Bitch
Chapter: 12 of?
Rating: T (for language)
Pairings: Don Flack/Madison Messer
Warnings: Some Strong Language
Feedback: All opinions are welcome!
Disclaimer: I own Madison Messer and any other characters that I make up as this story progresses. Everything else does not belong to me!
Summary: Close to twenty years after leaving the Big Apple, Maddy Messer returns home, running from a past that won't leave her alone. Will her cousin be able to save her or will the past catch up with her?
Chapter 12
Danny was in awe. Simple as that. He had been dragged to see Maddy perform tonight by Aiden, and Flack and Stella were also with them. They were as surprised as he was. He always knew that Maddy was born to be on the stage. As a kid growing up she would put on plays and in school she was in many productions. Her mom had gone and taped them and sent them to his mother and she made him and Louie sit through them.
As the show ended Danny started to get up but was confused as to why the others weren't.
"Shows over, aren't we leaving?" Danny asked,
"No, we are waiting for Maddy," Aiden told him.
"You are interfering in something that you don't know anything about," Danny told Aiden with a glare.
"I know about Andrew," Aiden informed him.
"She told you?" Danny inquired, not sure how he felt about his partner knowing something so important before him.
"Yeah, and she was bawling her eyes out when she did," Aiden told him as he sat back down.
"I'm family and I am told second hand and you haven't known her a year," Danny said a bit aggravated.
"Danny, she's hurting. She lost someone close to her and now that her only true family by blood in the state is ignoring her, how do you think she feels?" Aiden questioned him. "Did you know that she was working up the nerve to tell you about the situation, but you never gave her the chance,"
"Don't worry about it Aiden, Maddy doesn't need someone that doesn't care in her life," a voice said from behind them. "I'm Angel,"
It was the person that played Angel in the show and he was still in costume.
"How would you know anything?" Danny sneered at him.
"I spend a lot more time with her then you do, honey," Angel said. "Trust me, that girl has been hurting since the moment she joined our cast,"
"I ain't gonna sit here and listen to this," Danny said as he stood up and got out of the row that he was sitting in. "She should have told me, that's all I've got to say about it,"
And before anyone else could say anything Danny was gone and it was a few more minutes before Maddy came out in a dark blue strapless Ralph Lauren dress. Her stage make-up was removed and her regular make-up was on lightly. She was also wearing her favorite pair of Guess evening sandals. They were referred to as "Ollioule"
"So I guess Danny had better things to do then to come," Maddy said disappointed as she made her presence known.
"He just left," Aiden told her as she stood up and gave her friend a hug.
"Maddy that performance you gave was divine," Stella told her as she got up to hug her.
"Thanks," Maddy said a tad bit embarrassed. "It took a while to get it down to a T, but we did it. See you in a few days, Angel," Maddy told him.
"What time are you coming?" Angel asked
"Late afternoon or early evening," Maddy said before leaving with her friends.
They were all dressed just as nicely as Maddy. Maddy was just going to dress down in sweats and go home and watch a romantic comedy, but she promised Aiden she would dress up and they would go out.
As they left the theatre, Maddy was having a hard time looking anywhere but at Flack. He just seemed to look hotter and hotter each time she saw him.
xxxx
"So how long have you been dancing?" Stella asked Maddy as they were sitting in a restaurant of Stella's choice.
"As long as I can remember, actually," Maddy said from where she sat next to Flack.
"I used to dance as well, nothing like Broadway, but I loved it," Stella said.
"What kind of dance?" Maddy asked as she looked over the drink menu.
"Don't get to wasted tonight," Flack whispered so only she could hear and the only response he got was an elbow to his stomach and a glare.
"Mostly ballet," Stella told her.
"So Maddy, how long do you think Danny will stay mad?" Aiden asked curiously after their drinks arrived and the waiter walked away after taking their food orders.
"As long as he can," Maddy sighed. "He still thinks that I am the little kid just visiting from California, but I hope he comes around soon."
"I'd give him another week before I start pounding on him," Flack smirked.
"I'd give him all the time in the world, but that probably wouldn't be enough for him," Maddy said as she felt Flack squeeze her hand under the table.
Maddy gave him a small smile. As far as she had come since she started telling people about Andrew, she still wasn't ready to take the next step and go on a date with Flack or any man for that matter. She really did like Flack and surprisingly he didn't freak out on her when she told him about Andrew the other night when she came by his place for a drink after work.
"Things will look up, don't worry," Stella smiled at her.
"So how are things at work?" Maddy asked.
"Busy as usual," Flack muttered.
"Well you do have a lot of sick people out there to make the city a safe place to live," Maddy said with a smile.
"Holiday is coming up soon, got plans?" Stella asked everyone.
"Thanksgiving day with the parents," Aiden said. "Same as every year,"
"Dinner at Danny's mother's," Maddy said with excitement in her voice. "I might be in a fight with Danny, but I'm not fighting with her and I won't turn down the chance to have her homemade pumpkin pie."
"My parents are on a cruise and so that leaves me alone with the TV, beer, and the pizza delivery man," Flack said.
"They may not be open on Thanksgiving you know," Maddy told him.
"Well then I will meet someone who can cook and have them cook me a Thanksgiving dinner," Flack said.
"Well you guys are lucky to have it off, I am working," Stella told them.
"You and Mac, both working the holiday, huh?" Flack asked.
"Seems that way," Stella said as the waiter brought refills for their drinks while their food was being prepared still.
"Does Mac ever take the time off?" Aiden asked Stella.
"Holidays are still hard for him since Claire died."
"I'll bring you some food before going over to my aunts then. For the both of you," Maddy told her
"You don't have to do that," Stella told her.
"I like cooking, besides its hard working holidays. When I was putting myself through college I had to work so many holidays and it was just horrible because my mom would start the bitching right when I got in the door about how ungrateful I was because I hadn't been there to help with dinner," Maddy said. "The funny thing is I made everything and she just reheated it."
"You make it all from scratch?" Aiden inquired curiously
"A few things, but mostly no," Maddy said. "I would have loved to but I never had the time or the money to do things the long way, the way my aunt does it."
"Sounds like you are going to have fun on Thanksgiving," Stella said smiling.
"I plan to," Maddy said thoughtfully. "I just hope if Danny is still not talking to me then he keeps to one side of the room otherwise I don't know what will happen between us."
"How many will be there?" Flack asked.
"Danny's parents, Danny, maybe his brother, then there are the cousins; eight of them in all and me," Maddy said. "Not too many but still enough to make me want to hide upstairs for a while,"
"Sounds like what I do," Flack told her before asking, "Do you have a TV upstairs?"
"No, just soundproof rooms," Maddy laughed.
"Soundproof rooms?" Stella asked surprised.
"Yeah, my parents are the reason for those," Maddy laughed. "When they were together they were not apart ever. But then came the fighting which always downstairs. So either Danny or Louie or sometimes both would take me upstairs so that I didn't have to listen to it,"
"Doesn't that make things harder?" Aiden asked.
"It makes me thankful for cousins like them but at the same time I just wish some things could have been different," Maddy said
"Here comes, our food, and not a moment too soon," Flack said as he polished off his third beer.
"Please make sure that you don't get drunk," Maddy asked looking at him.
"This is nothing, you should let me get drunk, that would be memorable," Flack laughed as the three women threw him a glare.
As soon as the food was in front of everyone they started to chow down almost immediately. It was a nice dinner to have no worries at the very second and just have dinner with friends that supported you no matter what.
"How are you getting home, Maddy?" Aiden asked after everyone finished and the bill was paid and they gathered in their coats outside the restaurant.
"Walking," Maddy laughed. "Which will be a lot of fun in heels, don't you think?"
"You want us to give you a ride?" Stella offered.
"No, its okay," Maddy declined the offer.
"Are you sure?" Stella asked. "It's not a problem at all,"
"I'm out of your way, plus I like walking," Maddy told them
"I'll make sure she gets home alright," Flack said as he put an arm around her shoulders and started heading in the direction of her apartment.
"Bye!" Aiden and Stella called with smiles on their faces.
"They should just get together," Stella said as she slid into the drivers' seat and Aiden got in on the passengers side.
"They will, but Maddy is finally making progress in letting the past go and when she's ready I think Flack will be there to take her to where they want to go," Aiden said.
xxxx
When Maddy and Flack got back to her apartment, she decided that she wasn't in the least bit tired, so she invited him up for a movie. She put on the movie Serenity. She had two copies; one she never opened and the one she watched every month.
She had changed into something more comfortable before sitting on the couch with Flack.
"You aren't gonna fall asleep or anything right?" Maddy teased him as she started the movie.
"Just play the movie," he told her with a grin on his face.
Maddy didn't know why she picked Serenity. It usually made her cry, but she hadn't seen it in a while and said he didn't care. Plus in her opinion anything with Nathan Fillion in it was worth watching at least a dozen times, maybe even more.
Forty-five minutes later, Maddy had fallen asleep. When Flack, he picked her up from the couch and walked to her bedroom so that she could have a goodnight's sleep.
After getting tucked into bed, Flack considered going home, but didn't think he'd make it that far. So after putting his gun and badge, he shed his shirt, shoes, and socks before lying besides Maddy on the bed.
***********************
Maddy groaned at the constant knocking at her front door, but when she attempted to get out of the bed she felt the arms holding her tightly against the hard body against her back.
"I've gotta get the door before one of the neighbors call the manager," Maddy whispered and he unwound his arms from her waist.
Maddy headed to the door in pajama pants and an old t-shirt that she had put on earlier.
"Okay, okay, I'm coming," Maddy shouted at the person who was still knocking.
When she opened the door she was surprised to see Danny there.
"Hi," Danny said taking in her appearance.
"Hi," Maddy whispered in surprise.
"I think we need to talk," Danny told her.
"Does this talk have shouting?" she asked. "Because if so then I don't want to talk,"
"I have no intention of yelling at you," Danny told her.
"That's not what I asked," Maddy said.
"No intention of yelling at all," Danny amended.
"Come in then," Maddy said opening the door wider so that he could enter the apartment.
"So what's this about?" Maddy asked once they were both sitting on ends of the couch.
"You remember that summer where I told you that I wish you hadn't come back to New York?" Danny asked and once he saw her nod he continued. "That was the biggest lie I've ever told you. I know it hurt you, but I didn't want you to see what Louie had been up to so I made you mad enough to hate me and go home early,"
"It didn't just hurt me Danny, "Maddy told him. "It crushed me,"
"And when you didn't tell me what really happened with Andrew that is how I felt," Danny told her.
"I had the worst time dealing with that and I didn't want to bring you into the slump that I created for myself, so I thought that you were better off not knowing," Maddy told him.
"Maddy, you are family," Danny said sliding over and grabbing her hand. "That means that I am always going to be here for you. And Louie wants to be as well, if you are willing to forgive him. I'm only the messenger on his part, but I still don't talk to him,"
"Danny, you're my best friend, but Louie crossed the line and I don't know how to forgive him," Maddy said with a confused look when she saw anger in his eyes. "Danny?"
"I said you could date her, not have sex while we were fighting!" Danny shouted as he dropped her hand and stood up to yell at Flack.
"Danny, stop!" Maddy yelled putting herself in between the two men. "I am not a sixteen year old who doesn't know what the hell she's doing. Trust that I know what I am doing,"
Danny didn't say anything; he just left and slammed the door on the way out.
"One fight over and another is just beginning," Maddy muttered as Flack wrapped his arms around her.
"He'll come around to us," Flack told her.
"I hope so, Donnie, I really hope so."
