Chapter 3

Madison hated funerals with a passion. All the people saying how sorry they were as if they could possibly understand the pain she was in; the sideway glances from the people who didn't know what to say were as painful as the long stories about how wonderful her dad had been. She had never once regretted her decision to leave Haven until the exact moment she was told her father was dead. Time was one thing she would never be able to get back.

She smoothed out her already pin straight black dress to give her hands something to do as another person she wasn't even sure she had ever met before gave their condolences. She felt like she was suffocating in the room that continued to fill with people. Nathan had graciously spoken in front of them thanking them all for coming.

Madison focused on nothing but her breathing because at that very moment she felt as though her heart was going to beat out of her chest. She was so focused on trying to make sure she didn't pass out that she hadn't noticed Duke as he made his way over to her until there was a hand on the small of her back.

She gasped, her hand going over her already pounding heart, and Duke grabbed her free hand to lead her out to the patio. He let go of her hand once they were free of the crowd but the loss of contact was almost too much for Madison and she held onto his arm making sure that he wasn't going to leave her out there all alone.

Wordlessly, he pulled her in for a hug and though he thought she was going to push him away she wrapped her arms around his frame and clung onto his shirt, finally letting all the emotions of the day come out in waves. He never once let up; he just stood there and let her cry.

"I shouldn't have left," Madison whispered into his chest.

Duke pulled back a little to see her face, not having heard what she had just said as he wiped away her tears with his thumbs, "What?"

"I shouldn't have left," she repeated, angrier, and fully stepping away from Duke. "I should have been here. I missed so much time with him. What if I could have done something?"

"He was troubled, Maddie, there was nothing that you could have done."

Madison didn't even correct him as she sat down in one of the chairs, her elbows on her knees and her head in her hands. Tears flowed down her cheeks with no end in sight. "I thought I would have more time."

Duke went to put a hand on her shoulder but the moment had passed and she shrugged him off.

X-X-X

"Mads," Nathan sighed as he stepped next to her on the patio. The night air brought a chill with it and he took off his jacket, placing it on her on shoulders.

She took another sip from the tumbler in her hands, emptying it of its contents. "I thought I was coming back to Haven for…" she trailed off and tried to collect her emotions. "I don't even know why I came back but it wasn't supposed to be for his funeral, Nate. After mom's…after Jason's…I never thought I'd be able to make it through another. At least this time I can drown my sorrows legally," she slightly shook the empty glass for emphasis.

"Listen, I know this isn't the best time but there are a few things we need to talk about," Nathan started and guided her over to an open table, thankful that besides Duke and Audrey inside everyone else had cleared out for the night.

"If you're going to ask me to stay, Nate, I don't know if I can do that. This town only brings heartache and is going to turn me into an alcoholic."

Nathan sat there and took in his little sister. He thought about the times when they were younger and she would beg for him to take her along wherever he went. He thought about the bubblegum she got stuck in his hair and the first boy she ever punched in the face when he tried to kiss her. He'd give anything to bring back those days, they were easier times. She was happier then.

He mustered up the courage he needed and took one of her hands in his own. Madison looked at him curiously, knowing he couldn't feel it so it was all for her benefit making her nervous what he was going to say. "What do you know about Max Hansen?"

Madison scrunched her face in confusion definitely not expecting that, "Who?"

"Do you remember him? Know anything about him?" Nathan tried again, being as patient as he could be because he wasn't sure how this was going to go.

Madison thought back and shrugged her shoulders, "I don't know, Nate. I think I remember hearing about him in the news. Some murderer or something. Every time it came on the TV dad would turn it off."

"He was troubled," Nathan stated and when Madison didn't make the connection he continued. "He couldn't feel anything either." He paused for a moment allowing her time to try and put the pieces together, "just like me."

Madison went to take a sip from her glass before remembering it was empty and set it back on the table with a sigh. "It's Haven, Nathan. I'm sure one out of every five people has a trouble. Would it be so out of the ordinary for more than one person to have the same trouble?"

"Except that troubles run in families."

Exhausted from the day, Madison all but whined, "What are you trying to tell me?"

"Max Hansen was my father."

He wasn't sure what he had expected when he finally told her but it wasn't the chuckle that bubbled out of her until she was laughing so hard she was gasping for breath. "For the love of God, Nate. It's the night of dad's funeral and while I am on my way to being inebriated I am not drunk enough to fall for that crap. Besides, what kind of cruel joke is that? I appreciate you trying to cheer me up but that is a horrible thing to joke about."

Madison left Nathan on the patio and joined Duke and Audrey inside. Both watched her carefully to see how she was and were confused when it looked like she had been laughing. Audrey gave her a kind smile as Madison slid onto the stool next to her.

"Hey, bartender," she got Duke's attention and shoved the empty glass down the bar towards him. "What does a girl have to do to get a refill around here?"

Duke easily caught the glass and glanced over to Nathan who had just joined them inside for some kind of hint what was going on but Nathan just slightly shook his head. "Think you're good for tonight," Duke placed the glass in the sink behind the bar.

Madison pouted, "Oh c'mon, what happened to the Crocker who popped acid with me on my eighteenth birthday?" Audrey and Nathan gave Duke a look who just shrugged, now wasn't the time to get into their dirty little secrets. Madison pushed herself up enough to reach behind the bar and grab a beer. It wasn't the liquor she wanted but it was better than nothing.

"We need to talk about this," Nathan pushed because the last thing he wanted was for her to find out from someone else.

Madison heavily sighed, kicking off her high heels, "What do we need to talk about, Nate? The fact that dad is dead? The fact that I still have no idea why he wanted me to come back to this town in the first place?" She stopped short a realization hitting her with full force. "Oh my God. He knew. He knew he was going to die and that's why he called me. To say goodbye. I…I should have stayed at the park."

"Mads," Nathan was having a hard enough time with his own emotions but they were pushed aside because his sister would always come first. When she didn't answer him he tried again, needing to finish their conversation. "Madison."

She slammed the beer bottle down on the bar hard enough that a few drops splashed out of the top. "What, Nathan? We just had dad's funeral and you really want to talk about how you think some murderer is your father?"

"Max was Nathan's father," Audrey tried to put a comforting hand on Madison's shoulder but she rose from her seat to get away from her.

Tears formed in Madison's eyes for the hundredth time that day and she wasn't sure how she could have any left at this point. She turned to Nathan, "And me?"

"We don't know."

Madison took a step back from the small group, "What do you mean you don't know? So what you find out that dad…or the chief…isn't your dad and then what you just stop asking questions?" She took a deep breath and shook her head, muttering to herself, "I don't even know how to process this right now." The other three were silent, giving her a moment to try and wrap her head around the idea being as patient as possible with her. "I have to go talk to him then. I have to know."

"Max Hansen died the same day Garland did," Audrey spoke up.

"So my dad and my 'could be' dad both died and no one has answers for me?" Madison all but screamed. She turned to Nathan, taking his jacket off, and tossing it at him. "Am I even your sister?"

Nathan tried to take a step closer to her but she mirrored his actions and took a step back. "Of course you are."

"But we don't really know that now, do we?"

Duke stepped out from behind the bar, wishing he could take away everything that she was feeling. "Maddie."

"Don't," she growled, putting her hand up to stop him from coming any closer. "Troubles run in families, right? Max was troubled. Nathan is troubled. The chief was troubled. I'm not. And trust me I am thrilled I don't have some affliction that can hurt the people around me but does that mean that none of them are my family?"

Audrey went to get up from her seat but Duke put his hand out, keeping in her place so Madison wouldn't feel as though she was being corned. "That doesn't mean that either of them isn't your dad. Max's affliction was passed down to Nathan." She paused debating whether or not she wanted to give the other possibility but the wound was already open so she continued. "It is also possible your trouble just hasn't been triggered yet."

Madison let out a dry laugh, "Yeah because my life has been roses. It's more likely that Nate isn't my brother."

Nathan reached out for her, knowing how much she was hurting and wishing he could some how fix it all, "Mads, no matter what you are my sister."

"I need some time," Madison whispered, snatching up her shoes and walking out of the Grey Gull way more sober than she wanted to be.

X-X-X

Madison sat on the same cracked bench that she had occupied just a few short days ago when she thought her life couldn't get any more turned upside down than it already was. She had been keeping to herself trying to figure out what to do with the information she was given and as much as she wanted to get in her car and leave Haven once and for all she knew she would never get the answers she needed back in New York.

Audrey walked up next to her and sat down, "Hey."

Madison forced a smile that didn't reach her eyes, "Look, if Nate or Duke sent you here on some mission to check on me you can tell them I'm a big girl and don't need to be taken care of."

"I can see that," Audrey commented, trying to choose her words carefully. "I actually thought that it might be nice to talk to someone who isn't from Haven."

Madison picked at a fray in her jeans, clearly trying to distract herself from the wave of emotions that were threatening to drown her. "I don't have anything to say."

"I'd like to help you find out about where you come from if you'll allow me to," Audrey wasn't about to give up that easily. The idea of helping people had always appealed to her but being able to do it for Nathan's sister made it more personal. "I grew up in an orphanage, or at least I thought I did, but I don't know who my parents are either. It's a lonely feeling not knowing who your family is but-"

"With all due respect, you have no idea how I am feeling right now," Madison cut her off with a low growl, standing so that she was towering over Audrey. "And I don't really care to hear your sad story and how you are trying to relate with me on some 'we don't have parents' level because I just went to my father's funeral and whether or not he was my blood he was my dad. And now he's gone."

Madison left Audrey on the bench and stormed away. She felt like she wanted to scream, or hit something, or drink her way to the end of a tall bottle of liquor but instead she ran. She ran as far and as fast as she could until her legs screamed in protest and she slowed to a stroll.

"Madison Wuornos," she heard her name being called out behind her.

She thought about continuing on but she was getting so tired of running away. She turned to see Reverend Driscoll standing on the sidewalk. She didn't bother with pleasantries as she waited to see what he wanted.

"Not a great time for you to have come back to Haven." She was about to ignore him and continue on her way when he called out to her again. "Do me and the town a favor and make sure your brother knows that he will not be the chief. This town needs someone who can handle the troubles. Not someone who is damned."

Every little thing that had happened over the last few days bubbled to the surface as Madison punched the Reverend square in the jaw. "If you threaten my brother again I will kill you." Her knuckles stung from the impact but it was the release she needed and when she saw the drop of blood in the corner of his lips she smiled as she reeled back landing another hit to his face.