Let me know what you think! A little bit more about Madeline and some action! Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own Person of Interest, just Madeline and Justin~
Edited: 11/1/12: I fixed it up and established that John and Madeline are in fact dating. (Thanks to msgemgem for letting me know.) Sorry for making any/everyone confused about that. D:
~J~
The next morning Madeline awoke to find her back pressed into the back of the couch where she sat last night. An arm was draped over her side as her head rested on John's chest, listening to his heartbeat. She looked up and
found him awake.
"What time is it?" she asked sitting up and running a hand through her tousled hair.
"8:15 AM. Glad to see you've rejoined the world of the living." Finch answered from the next room.
"How does he do that?" Madeline whispered sitting up.
"I'll have to get back to you on that." John replied standing up from the couch.
Madeline stretched her arms over her head, popping her back in the process. She let out a sigh of content before joining John and Finch by the computers. She was surprised to find the board empty and turned her gaze to Finch. He turned to look up at her.
"The machine doesn't have a new number for us. You're both free for the day, but I will call you if something comes up."
"What about you? Are you just going to stay inside all day?" Madeline asked.
"Oh no, I have other plans for today. Now if you'll excuse me, I don't want to be late." Finch said pushing away from the desk and standing up.
Madeline shuffled out of his way and watched as he grabbed his jacket and exited the room. She turned back to John who was look through something on the computer.
"You do know if he finds out you're being nosey, it won't end well." She said walking backwards toward the door.
"Aren't you a little bit curious as to what he does in his free time?" John asked not looking at her.
"Not particularly. What Finch does in his free time is none of my business, nor is it yours. Keep that in mind for next time." Madeline said turning around and leaving.
"Where are you off to?" John called.
"Home for a shower then visiting an old friend." She called back opening the gate. She walked down the stairs and maneuvered around the scattered books on the floor before exiting out the old library entrance.
~J~
The bathroom filled with music as Duran Duran's "Hungry like the Wolf" played. Madeline rinsed the tangerine smelling shampoo from her hair and applied conditioner, quickly washing it out. She turned the silver knob shutting off the water and reached a hand out to grab her towel. Her hand brushed the fluffy white towel and pulled it around her. Madeline stepped out of the shower and dried herself off before pulling on a matching pair of underwear and bra. She grabbed the grey jeans and pulled them on, followed by the grey tank top.
The song changed to a Volbeat's "A Warrior's Call." Madeline grinned remembering it was Lacey who turned her on to the song. She ran a brush through her hair before blow drying and straightening it. She applied some foundation and powder, finishing it off with some black eyeliner. Satisfied with her appearance, Madeline grabbed the teal Kismet cowl top and pulled it over her head. She turned off the iPod dock station and exited the bathroom heading for the closet. She reached in and grabbed a pair of Steve Madden ankle boots and slipped them on. Madeline exited her room as she was fastening a silver watch bracelet on her wrist, but stopped when there was a knock at her door. She walked over and peered through the peephole before pulling the door open.
"Hey Maddie, it's been a while." Lacey beamed walking inside.
"That is has, come on in. Let me grab my phone and wallet and then we can head out." Madeline said walking over to the dining room table. She slipped her phone into her back pocket along with her wallet, and headed back to the front door. She reached for her keys but they weren't on the table.
"Looking for these?" Lacey innocently asked swinging the keys back and forth. Madeline shook her head and snatched them from Lacey when she least expected it.
"Hey!" Lacey protested.
"Do you honestly think I would trust you to remember to lock my door?" Madeline joked.
"That was one time! I've gotten better about making sure everything's locked before I leave. You can even ask my grandma."
"Mhmm, sure, whatever you say. So what's on the agenda for today?" Madeline asked as they reached the sidewalk.
"I figured we could grab something to eat and then go shopping before hitting the flower shop."
"How about shopping first and then we can eat? It's not fun trying on clothes after you just got done eating." Madeline suggested.
"Fine, we'll do it your way today." Lacey playfully groaned. Madeline nudged the younger girl with her elbow and laughed as she stumbled. Lacey went to shove Madeline but she ended up missing. Madeline chuckled as she dodged more of Lacey's failed attempts at hitting her only to end up running into someone.
"I'm sorry about – John?" Madeline blinked realizing who she had run into. She saw the all-knowing look of who-is-he Lacey was giving her. She ignored her and turned her head back to John.
"Madeline, what a pleasant surprise, I hope I'm not interrupting." He smiled.
"Actually…" Madeline started to say but was cut off by Lacey.
"We were just going shopping and then out to lunch. Would you like to tag along?" Lacey smiled. "After all, a friend of Madeline's is always welcome, especially if he's as handsome as you."
"We're you the one who wanted a girl's day?" Madeline asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Thanks and I'll take you up on your offer." John replied.
"Wait, wait, say what?" Madeline stammered eyeing John suspiciously.
"You know what now that I think about it; he could be our body guard Maddie." Lacey commented.
Madeline groaned and hung her head; Lacey didn't even know how close she was to John's job. She lifted her head and gave John a hard stare before softening it. "Fine, now can we get going?"
~J~
Madeline kept a close eye on John as they walked around the shops. Lacey would drag her from one end of the store to another, piling clothes in the older woman's arms and forcing her to try them on. Madeline and Lacey laughed as they both exited the dressing room and found out they had tried on the same outfit. The day went by quickly but it was nice for a change. Madeline stepped out of the dressing room holding the bundle of clothing items she wanted to buy. She found John standing off to the side waiting for them. She placed the items she didn't want on the rack before heading over to him.
"Is there something going on that I don't know about?" she asked once she was by his side.
"No, why do you ask?"
"Oh I don't know because you purposefully had me run into you earlier. If you wanted to spend time with me all you had to do was ask." Madeline smirked. She let out a small squeak when John pulled her close and leaned forward.
"Don't be alarmed, but we're being followed." He said before kissing her. Madeline heard the sound of footsteps passing by them before disappearing. John ended the kiss and straightened up, putting an arm around Madeline's waist. Madeline scoped out the area but didn't see anything.
"I hope I didn't interrupt." Lacey said from Madeline's right.
"Uh…No, you're not." Madeline replied, "Ready to check out?"
"Finally, I'm starving!" Lacey said grabbing Madeline's wrist and dragging her to the register. Madeline glanced back at John and saw him trying to hide a smile. She smiled at him before turning to the cashier and paying for the clothes.
Once everything was bought and paid for Lacey led the trio to a nice Italian restaurant. John held the door open for the women before following Madeline inside. They were seated by the windows and handed a menu. Madeline made sure the bags were safely under the table before opening her menu. The waiter came by a few minutes later and took their order. Madeline folded the menu and handed it to the waiter who thanked her before leaving. She glanced over to John before looking out the window.
"So how do you two know each other?" Lacey curiously asked.
"We're dating…"
"We work together." John said at the same time.
"Isn't it against the rules to date a co-worker?" Lacey inquired with a smile.
"Our boss doesn't mind. He's…" Madeline started to say.
"He's a private person." John interrupted. Madeline gave him a confused look, but brushed it aside; she'd ask him about it later. She looked up as the waiter brought their drinks. She gently took the glass from his hand and took a sip once he left.
"You know Maddie; I think our waiter likes you." Lacey said setting her glass of Negroni down.
"Are you sure it's not you he likes?" Madeline teased. "Besides he'd have to get through John first, and that's not going to happen."
"No, I'm pretty sure it's you. Mmm, have you ever had one of these before? It's delicious." Lacey replied taking another sip from her glass. "I definitely like the burnt orange flavor."
"Do you know what's all in it?"
"No, why do you? Please tell me you do." Lacey pleaded grabbing Madeline's arm.
"It's equal parts Gin, Bitter Campari and Red Martini. Shake it with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. As for the burnt orange flavor, they get that by holding a flame above the glass and squeeze the orange peel. That's how you make it." Madeline answered grabbing one of the breadsticks. She looked up and found Lacey and John both staring at her. "What?"
"Are you sure you never worked in a bar before?" Lacey asked tilting her head.
"Oh look food's here." Madeline said ignoring Lacey's question. She spared a glance at John and saw him smirking.
~J~
Madeline set her knife and fork on her empty plate and handed it over to the waiter. She grabbed her glass and finished her Bellini. Madeline heard John's phone start to ring; she had an idea who it was. John answered the phone. She saw his eyes dart over to her before darting away again. Madeline was confused, had another number come up? Or was it something else? She waited until he hung up before speaking.
"What's up?"
"It was just Lionel checking in."
"For what?" she asked.
"Just a little side job I'm having him do." John replied, "If you two will excuse me I need to go meet with someone."
Lacey said goodbye to John before she grabbed the bill. She opened the billfold and found it had already been paid.
"Did you pay this?" Lacey asked handing it to Madeline.
"Nope."
"Well that's strange…One last stop and then we are done." Lacey said standing up and grabbing her bags. Madeline grabbed her bags and followed Lacey out of the restaurant.
"Lace, how about we drop our bags off at my place? It will be one less thing we have to carry around. Besides the flower shop is near my apartment."
"Sure, sounds good."
Madeline led the way to her apartment building when she caught a glimpse of someone watching them from an alleyway. She stopped walking and turned back to the alley to see no one was there. She shook her head and caught up to Lacey. They took the elevator up to Madeline's floor. Lacey waited by the elevator as Madeline took the bags and set them inside the door. She locked the door again and got back in the elevator.
The two headed toward the flower shop and picked out two bouquets of roses. Madeline carried one of the bouquets as they made their way to the cemetery. Madeline couldn't shake the feeling that they were being followed. She kept glancing around trying to see anyone suspicious. When they reached the cemetery Lacey led Madeline to a middle lot and knelt down in front of the tombstone.
"Hey mom, dad. As promised I brought Madeline with me this time. She's the one who worked with grandma and me at the bookstore."
Madeline knelt down beside her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "It's nice to finally meet you two. Lacey's told me so much about you. You've got a great daughter, even if she's terrible at math. I promise to keep an eye on her for you two." Madeline said with a smile as she gave Lacey a noogie.
Madeline stood up and walked over to the other side of the cemetery. She walked amongst the rows of graves until she reached the very end. She stood in front of the last grave in the row and knelt down. Madeline set the second bouquet of roses on the tombstone and ran her finger over the name. Katherine Simmons, beloved mother and wife.
"Hi mom, I know it has been a while since my last visit but I'm here. I'm no longer with the agency, as you most likely already know if you're still watching over me. I met someone that I think you'd have liked; his name is John." She paused, plucking a long piece of grass, "He's ex-special forces. I guess I have you to thank for me always falling for military men. So thank…"
A noise behind her caught her attention. She sprung up to her feet and whirled around ready to attack.
"Damn it, Lacey. How many times do I have to tell you not to sneak up on me?" Madeline sighed lowering her arms.
"Sorry, sorry. It won't happen again I swear." Lacey said holding up her hands. "I take it this is your mom? Katherine is a nice name."
"She was a young mom but she was an amazing woman. I wouldn't be here today if she hadn't pushed me to be successful. It was either that or she was going to send me to military school…" Madeline said.
"If you don't mind my asking, how did she die?"
"Killed in action, I was sixteen when I heard the news. The two Marine's showing up on our doorstep was the saddest day of my life. I never expected it to happen…"
"What about your father?" Lacey asked but soon regretted it. If looks could kill, whoever Madeline's father was would be six feet under by now.
"I haven't talked to him since I turned eighteen. He turned to the bottle for support and pushed his own daughter away. I don't even know where he is."
"I'm sorry…"
"Don't worry about it. You didn't know. It's getting late; don't you have a plane to catch in the morning?" Madeline asked turning away from the grave.
"Shit… I totally forgot! And I still have to pack!" Lacey exclaimed. Madeline chuckled and steered her friend back to her apartment to grab her bags and be on her way.
~J~
"Have a safe flight!" Madeline called down the hallway as Lacey waved back. She closed the apartment door and threw the locks. She walked over to the couch and sat down slipping off her shoes. She sank into the couch when a noise of something hitting the floor put her on high alert. She slowly slid a hand between the cushions of the couch looking for the gun she had hidden there, but it was gone. Madeline silently cursed and stood up. She walked over to the light switch and shut it off followed by opening and closing the front door.
The room was silent. Madeline hoped the opening and closing of the door would signal to whoever was in there that she had left. She hid in a hidden alcove as she waited. Nothing happened for a few long minutes…until her phone started flashing and vibrating. She pulled it from her back pocket and looked to see who it was. Number Withheld. Footsteps echoed around the room. Madeline answered the call but turned the volume of the caller down and placed it back in her pocket.
A silhouette appeared in the entrance of the hallway. Madeline pressed herself further into the wall when the shadow moved toward her. She quieted her breathing just like she was trained to do and waited. She silent killer inside her slowly surfacing as the shadow grew closer. When the shadow was within arm's length, Madeline made her move. She swiped the person's feet out from under them. The person let out a groan as he hit the floor. Madeline was on top of the man and sending punch after punch to his face before she was thrown to the side.
"Damn it…" she muttered as her head hit a leg of the coffee table.
The lights flickered to life, temporarily blinding Madeline. When her vision returned she flung her hands up and caught the man's foot. She pushed his foot to the side and rolled out of the way. Madeline jumped to her feet and crouched into a defensive position. The room was empty. Her eyes danced around the room looking for the intruder. Before she could pivot she was put in a chokehold. Her hands flew to the man's arm, keeping him from applying more pressure. She gasped as her airways constricted. She clawed at the arm before thrusting her elbow into his abdomen.
"Shit." The man muttered releasing her. Madeline recoiled and grappled the man to the ground, twisting his arm behind his back. She pushed his arm up further and heard the man shout in pain.
"Who the hell are you?" she spat tightening her grip.
The response she received wasn't what she expected. He started to laugh. She pushed his arm further back forcing him to inhale deeply from the pain.
"Answer me." Madeline growled.
"You should be more careful of your surroundings, Maddie." A voice said from behind.
Madeline's body froze. She recognized that voice. She slowly looked over her shoulder, her eyes wide as saucers. The man beneath her struggled to get away but Madeline refused to move. She got tired of him struggling and knocked him out. She gradually rose to her feet and turned to face Justin. Her hands rose as a gun was pointed at her.
"I thought you were dead?" Madeline breathed out.
"I was compromised. I couldn't let the agency take me in, not after all the work I did."
"You…You were the mole?" she asked in disbelief.
"If only you had kept your nose out of the investigation none of this would have ever happened. You were too smart for your own good. An exceptional spy too. Too bad I had to ruin your career by planting evidence in your desk and on your computer. No hard feelings?"
"Why? I thought we were friends…" she said lowering her head.
"You trusted people too easily, that was your stupidest mistake. It's a miracle you weren't killed. Everything was set up perfectly; your body was to never be found."
"That was your master plan? Blame me and then have me killed in a hail of gunfire? Kudos to you, no matter how piss-poor a job it was." She smirked as her hair hid her face from view.
She lifted her head and took a step forward. Justin narrowed his eyes as she didn't stop moving.
"There's no one here to save you."
Madeline kept walking.
"Damn it, Madeline. I will shoot you!"
When she stopped walking the barrel of the gun was aimed right at her head. Her eyes were cold and devoid of life as she stared Justin in the eye.
"What's stopping you from pulling the trigger? I'm right here." She said.
"Madeline…" Justin ground out.
"Do it, Justin."
"Maddie, stop."
"Goddamn it, Justin! Do it!" she shouted.
Justin cocked the gun. Madeline's eyes fluttered to the door for a split second. She saw John standing there. When he caught her eye, he lifted a finger to his lips telling her to keep quiet. She turned back to Justin and closed her eyes, hoping John acted quickly. Time seemed to slow as Madeline opened her eyes. She looked back up at Justin who was watching her.
"You have guts. That's one of the things I liked about you." He said lowering the gun. Madeline's brow furrowed at the action. She went to speak when she heard movement behind her. She glanced to the door but didn't see John. Her eyes trailed over to the alcove she had occupied and saw him. He signaled with his eyes that someone was behind her. She dipped her head slightly so as not to alert Justin.
"You don't have to do this. I'll give you enough money to get out of New York, or even the country. New passport, new credit cards you name it." She tried to reason.
"You don't know who sent me do you?" Justin said.
"How would I know?"
"Denton Weeks, does that name ring any bells?"
"No…" Madeline slowly answered.
"Too bad." Justin said before nodding his head.
That's when John moved. He tackled Justin to the ground and wrenched the gun from his hand. They wrestled on the floor until John landed a punch to Justin's nose, breaking it. Madeline went to retrieve the gun when a chain wrapped around her neck. She clawed at the chain and tried to kick the man behind her holding it. She grunted as the chain tightened, closing her airways once again.
"John…" she gasped, "John…!"
He looked over to see what was happening and cursed. "Maddie!"
John punched Justin in the solar plexus, making sure he wasn't getting up. He grabbed the gun and aimed it at the man's head. The man pulled Madeline in the line of the gun and let out a sinister chuckle. Madeline stopped struggling and focused on John.
"Do you trust me?" John said.
Madeline was silent for a few seconds and then answered, "Yes."
"What are you doing? You'll end up hitting her!" The man exclaimed, but the fear wasn't hidden.
John's hand was steady as his finger curled around the trigger. Madeline held her breath as she waited for him to shoot; her eyes never leaving his. A few seconds later the gun fired and Madeline fell back as the bullet embedded itself in the man's head. She rolled off him and tossed the chain to the floor. She coughed and massaged her throat. John knelt down beside her and grabbed her shoulders.
"Let me see." He said softly. He brushed the hair from her neck and ran a hand over the already forming bruises. John gently prodded the skin and apologized when Madeline flinched. He helped Madeline to her feet and guided her to the kitchen and had her sit at the table. He made a bag of ice and rested it against Madeline's neck.
"Thank you." She whispered.
"That was some pretty good acting back there. You had me convinced." John smirked and sat down. His smirk faded when he saw the look in Madeline's eyes. He grabbed her hand and rubbed his finger over her knuckles. "Do you want to talk about it?"
"How much did you hear?"
"Him framing you for being the mole and nearly having you killed. Pretty much everything."
Madeline cracked a small smile when groaning from the other room alerted them.
"I'll take care of him. Go pack a bag and be ready to leave when I come back." He said standing up and planting a kiss on her forehead.
John swept out of the room before she could say anything. She heard a small scuffle followed by the door opening and closing. The chair scrapped across the floor as Madeline pushed away from the table. She stood up, leaving the chair out and headed for her room. Madeline roughly pushed the door open, not caring that it bounced off the wall, and stalked over to her bed. She got down on all fours and reached under the bed pulling out an army green duffle bag. She walked to the closet and mindlessly started tossing clothes into the bag. Once she was done, she turned around and jumped back seeing Finch standing in the doorway.
"Damn it Harold, are you sure you're not a ninja or something?"
"I'm guessing breaching the space-time continuum doesn't count?"
"Not unless it has been proven. And when it does please let me know."
"I'll be sure to remember that." Finch said pulling out his phone, "John's in the car waiting. If you're ready that is?"
Madeline held up her index finger and turned back to the closet. She felt Harold inch toward her for a closer look. Her right hand knocked along the side wall of the closet, searching. A portion of the wall was hollow and with a smile on her face Madeline gave a little push hearing it pop. She slid the secret door up to reveal a small safe.
"Do I want to know how you built that in?" Harold asked.
"It's my little secret." She replied opening the safe. Madeline grabbed a few wads of cash and what looked like a remote. Harold didn't question her about the remote, whatever it was he knew he would find out in time. She turned around and placed the cash in the bag and zipped it up. With the bag slung over her shoulder, she was set. Harold led her down to the car and opened the door for her. Madeline thanked him and climbed in behind John. Harold climbed into the passenger seat and they were off.
~J~
I think eleven pages are the most I have ever typed for a story. This is kind of a filler chapter because I don't want to just keep going through the episodes. I might just start doing this from now on, but still have the last few episodes incorporated and move on from there. Happy Halloween everyone!