Chapter 4

Reverend Driscoll wanting to only further tarnish the Wuornos name insisted on pressing charges against Madison which led her to the police station in cuffs. If she were being honest it was more of a walk down memory lane than she would have liked to admit and it put a pull on her heart that her dad wasn't going to be waiting there for her with a lecture.

Nathan did what he could to get the charges dropped, using their newly passed father as the golden ticket needed to get Madison out of the cell. He went to scold her; she wasn't a teenager anymore and her actions had larger consequences now but she just shook her head and left the station.

"Maddie?" Duke couldn't hide the surprise in his voice as she boarded the Cape Rouge.

She smiled and made her way over to him, "Hey, Crocker."

"What's going on?" He set down the radio he had been tinkering with, giving her his full attention.

She shrugged, taking the beer bottle that was sitting in front of him. After a long pull she set it back on the barrel. "You know I love you, right?" Duke stared at her and while he fought back the sarcastic comment that threatened to spill, he simply nodded. "Good," she continued as she leaned on the side of the boat before sliding down it to sit on the floor. "Because you and Nate are all I have left now and if I lose either of you I really don't know what I'm going to do."

"I'm not going anywhere," Duke promised but didn't make a move to get up knowing it was a big step for Maddie to even come to see him. He noticed her scrapped knuckles and his curiosity peaked. "Who ended up on the other side of your fist this time?"

She glanced down at the dried blood and rolled her eyes, "The Rev."

Duke's eyebrows rose, he wasn't sure who she would have gotten into a fight with but the Reverend wasn't even a thought. "You hit Driscoll?"

"He had it coming."

Duke nodded, "That he did. Just wish I was there to see it."

The first few drops of rain went unnoticed until the skies opened up drenching the pair before they even had second to think about taking cover. Madison took a deep breath, loving the feeling of the rain pelting against her skin, soaking her clothes, and washing out her raw knuckles.

"I've missed you," Duke admitted, standing from his spot, and making his way over to where Madison was sitting.

She pushed herself up from her spot, shaking her head, "Stop. We can't do this."

"Do what?" Duke asked but Madison answered by climbing over the side of the boat, ready to get as far away from more complicated feelings. He followed her effortlessly hating that once again she was walking away from him. "Maddie, please!"

"I don't know what you want from me, Crocker?!" Madison exclaimed, ready to pull her own hair out with how frustrating the man in front of her was.

"I want you to stop walking away!"

The rain poured down from the skies but she didn't seem to care since at least the water masked the tears streaming down her cheeks. "I left because Jason died. I left because my dad didn't know what else to do with me and I couldn't take the pitiful side glances and whispers I got every time I walked down the street because I was the girl that survived. I left because there is more to life than Haven! And you knew that once! You and me talked about leaving this place all the time."

Duke took a tentative step closer with his hands in front of him to show he wasn't going to hurt her. Not that he ever would but he felt like he was approaching a skittish animal and the last thing he wanted was for her to bolt down the pier and away from him again. "Maddie," he started but she instantly cut him off.

"It's Madison!"

He nodded slightly, blinking the water from his eyes, "Madison, I miss him too. I still can't walk into the deli without expecting to see him behind the counter making some lewd gesture. But, when you left, it was like I was losing another best friend all over again."

Madison wanted to hit him for bringing up the past and wanted to kiss him so that he knew how much she cared for him but instead she just cried. "I left Haven. I didn't leave you."

"I could have helped you."

Madison shook her head, confessing one of her fears in the heat of the moment. "I could have gotten you hurt too."

Duke closed the space between them, grabbing her face in his hands so she couldn't move and placed his lips against hers. She froze not fully believing what was happening but it was the spark she needed. It was the reassurance that she really wasn't as alone as she had been feeling. Allowing him to take control, she parted her lips, sinking further into him, further into the comfort he was bringing.

He easily lifted her into his arms and she wrapped her legs around him, their lips never once parting. The rain washed away every painful memory that had been plaguing her mind as he carried her back aboard the Cape Rouge. In that moment she was eighteen again and everything was right with the world. Time stood still and she was free.

Laying her gently back onto the bed, he planted soft kisses down the side of her neck as she fumbled with the buckle of his belt. She wanted him, all of him, and felt if she didn't have him right then she wouldn't even remember how to breathe. They broke a part for a moment so they both could tug off their soaked shirts and Duke froze, his eyes landing on her scar.

Madison grabbed his chin, forcing him to look her in the eyes. "Don't go there. Not tonight." She leaned up and caught his bottom lip with her teeth. "We need this. I need you."

X-X-X

Madison blinked the sleep from her eyes and looked around trying to figure out where she was. The slight rocking of the bed reminded her that she was still on the Cape Rouge. She carefully slipped out from under Duke's arm and made her way to the bathroom to freshen up for the day. The impromptu sleepover left her without any clothes for the day and she snagged one of Duke's shirts while her clothes were hung up to dry.

She wasn't sure what the night before meant. Her and Duke had fooled around when they were teenagers but last night was the first time they had ever gone all the way and she would be lying if she said she didn't want to do it again. It lit a fire deep within her stomach that made her feel invincible in the bright morning light though that fire had turned to smoldering ashes. It was easy to get lost in the moment when it was the middle of the night but in the light of day reality had a way of sneaking up.

The coffee had just finished brewing and she went to grab a mug out of the cabinet when she caught sight of someone out of the corner of her eye. Dropping the mug, she let out a blood curdling scream. Seconds later Duke was in the kitchen fearing the worst, eyes wild as he searched the room for Madison who was cowered on the floor under the table.

He scanned the room one more time before crouching down to her level, "What are you doing down there?" Her eyes were as wide as saucers and she was paler than Duke had ever seen anyone before. "Maddie, what's going on?"

"He was here. I saw him."

Duke glanced behind him again thinking he missed something, "Who? Maddie, who is here?"

She put her hands out silently asking for Duke to help her out from under the table and he obliged still scanning the room for any threats. "I have to go see, Nate."

She pushed past Duke and tried to pull on her still damp jeans. He followed her, grabbing clean clothes for himself. "Give me a few minutes to get dressed and I'll take you."

"No," she stopped to give him a quick kiss on the cheek. "I have to go now."

X-X-X

By the time she made it to the police station she was nearly gasping for breath. If Nathan wasn't here she was going to lose her mind. Stan tried to greet her on the way in but she ran right past him and into Nathan's old office but he wasn't there. She was about to scream in frustration when she went to her dad's office and saw Nathan sitting behind the desk.

"Nate," she breathed out, running over, and hugging him the moment he stood from behind the desk.

He held onto his sister sharing a look with Audrey over her head wondering what could have happened. It had been years since Madison had run into his arms seeking out a comfort only her brother could provide. He pulled her back so that he could look in her eyes. "Mads, what's wrong?"

"Dad is dead, right?"

He glanced over to Audrey again beginning to wonder if Madison was having some kind of psychotic break from all the stress before addressing her question. "Yes, you know he is. What is going on?"

"Nathan Wuornos," Madison threatened, a finger pointed in his direction, "I swear on everything holy if you are lying to me right now I will burn this whole place down."

Realization hit Nathan and he rubbed a tired hand over his face, "You saw him, didn't you?" When she stared at him in disbelief he continued. "He came to 'visit' me earlier too. It's a trouble."

"The hell do you mean 'it's a trouble'?" Madison nearly screamed.

Audrey rose from her seat, taking the file she had been going though with her. "I'll give you two a few minutes."

Nathan waited until the door was closed behind her to try again. "There is a troubled person who is causing-"

"The dead to rise?!" Madison cut him off.

Her breaths came too quick and Nathan knew that if he didn't get her to calm down soon she was going to have a full blown panic attack. He moved them from behind the desk and led her over to the couch, helping her sit when her legs all but gave out. He pulled his chair over so he could sit in front of her and be at the same level.

Taking her face in his hands, he locked eyes with her. "Take a deep breath. You're fine."

"Fine?! Nate, I saw dad!" Madison's voice hitched.

"Madison," Nathan demanded her attention, not wanting her to think about anything but breathing at that moment. "You're okay. You are safe. Take a breath with me." He inhaled slowly and held it until she did the same and then nodded to her to release. They sat like that for a few minutes, Nathan reminding her that she was going to be just fine until her heart rate started to even out and she had her breathing under control.

Nathan removed his hands from her face as she leaned back against the couch, worn out. "We will figure this out. Audrey and I handle things like this all the time."

"It's things like this why I didn't want t come back in the first place," Madison admitted, crossing her arms over her chest, holding herself together the best she could. "I never thought I would see him again."

Nathan nodded, remembering his own disbelief when he had seen the chief. "I think you should talk to him."

Madison stared at him in disbelief, "Yeah, let me call up Miss Cleo so we can have a nice little chat."

"It may be your only chance to ask him any questions you have. I don't know how long it's going to last but you deserve some answers."

X-X-X

If Madison had been anywhere else she was sure the Duke would have had her committed for admitting she saw her dad that morning but this was Haven. She made her way back down to the kitchen on the Cape Rouge and looked around not really sure if she wanted her dad to reappear or not. She sat at the table and waited unsure what else to do as she heard Duke working on something topside, giving her the space she needed.

"Mads."

She froze, goosebumps washing over her body as the chief slid into the open seat across from her. So many questions flooded to the front of her mind but the only thing she could do was stare.

"As you know by now I was troubled."

Madison slightly nodded, "Is that why you wanted me to come back? Was there something I could have done?"

"It was too late for me. I was being selfish. I wanted to see you one more time before I couldn't control the tremors anymore."

A tear slid down Madison's cheek, "I should have stayed at the park. I should have been there with you."

"No, that's not something I wanted you to see. It was bad enough your brother did."

Madison hung her head because as much as she loved that she was able to speak to him again she also needed answers. "That is if Nathan really is my brother. Are you…are you my dad? He told me about Max being his father and I…I don't even know what to say."

"Oh my girl," he went to reach out for her but his hand went right through hers causing more tears to fall. "Max Hansen was an evil man and what he did to his wife and little boy…no one should have to live like that. When he got sent to prison I adopted Nathan and well one thing led to another and I married his mother. Your mother. You completed our family Madison."

A weight felt like it was lifted off her shoulders at her father's words. She was his daughter. She was Nathan's sister. The image of her father started to fade away and Madison stood from her chair. "Dad?"

He smiled at her as he faded away completely.

She stood there just staring at where he had been just moments ago when her cell phone began to ring. She almost missed it completely but answered it on the last ring. "Yeah?"

"The trouble is over," Nathan started on the other end. "Did you…?"

Madison swallowed the lump that began to form in her throat, "Yeah, Nate, I did. And I'm so sorry. I should have never doubted you." She paused for a minute. "Bye, big brother."

"Bye, little sister."