A/N: Throughout Season 5, David Addison becomes increasingly bitter, to a point where he does things that seem out-of-character for him. The show itself never really explains why this happens. The purpose of this story is to tell a backstory that will help to explain the changes in David's behavior. It is set about two and a half months after Maddie lost their son. It is Christmastime. Maddie and David are struggling to figure out their relationship. Things are happening in their lives that will change both of them. This story is just the beginning…

Inspired by "Boink" at MoonlightingStrangers

Sunday, December 18, 1988

'Hey Maddie, c'mere! How 'bout this one?' David had to speak loudly so she could hear him over the sound of Andy Williams singing "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year." 'It's tall… got a perfect figure for a tree… pointy on top, full on the bottom… still has all her pine needles. This one would look great all lit up in your living room.' David stood holding the tree out for her to admire. His arm was beginning to get tired. 'C'mon, babe, it'll look perfect. Whaddya say?'

It was a chilly, mid-December night in Los Angeles, and this was the third tree lot David had stopped at in search of the perfect Christmas tree. Christmas was only a week away and the pickings were slim, but finally Maddie seemed ready to settle on this one.

Earlier that evening they had enjoyed a quiet Sunday dinner-date together at Maddie's house. David, dressed warmly in a light grey sweater and tight jeans, cooked the steak outside on the grill. Maddie, looking casual, but still sexy, in a matching pink blouse and pants, stayed inside making the salad and potatoes. They both enjoyed the food, but their conversation was light and their connection… distant. David was still feeling the burn of being labeled a "pal" when clearly, he was much more than that to her.

While they were cleaning up in the kitchen, Maddie tearfully admitted to David that she did not want a tree this year. She told him that she felt she couldn't enjoy Christmas so soon after losing their son. David suggested that maybe they could get a tree in memory of their son. She liked that idea. It was a good thing because helping Maddie deal with her grief was his own form of therapy. David always felt better when he was able to put a smile on her face. By the time they put on their coats and headed out into the cool night air, they were both feeling much better.

'Okay, David, I think you're right about that tree. I doubt we'll find a better one. Tell the man we'll take it.' Maddie's hands were cold so she held them together and blew hot air in between her fingers to warm them up.

While the man prepared the tree to be secured to the top of the BMW for the short ride to its new home, David took Maddie by the arm and strolled around 'til they found themselves directly under a sprig of mistletoe in a fairly secluded part of the lot.

'Looky here,' David said, pointing up. Maddie knew exactly what he was up to, and she smiled. David leaned in to give Maddie a kiss. Then she pulled back and gave him a questioning look.

'David, you smell like peppermint!'

'I know, you like that? They have mini candy canes in a bowl up at the counter, so I popped a couple in my mouth. Wanted to give you a peppermint kiss under the mistletoe. You do like peppermint, don't you?'

She grabbed him by the jacket and pulled him close. 'Yes, I like peppermint, you romantic, you! C'mere.'

She kissed him, and this was not a "pals" kiss. This was a deep, passionate kiss… the kind of kiss that warmed them both from head to toe. The kind of kiss that would have gone on longer had they not been called over to pay for the tree.

'That'll be $20, sir,' said the polite young man. He didn't look a day over 16.

David reached in his pocket and handed over a $20 bill.

'You put that tree up on our car like that all by yourself?'

'Sure did!'

'Well, that deserves a good tip I would say.'

David fished around in his pockets, but was embarrassed when he could only come up with another dollar. Maddie stepped up and pulled out her wallet. She handed the young man a $10 bill.

'Wow! Thank you, Miss… and Mister. I really appreciate it. Have a wonderful Christmas!'

'You, too, young man, and hey… don't spend it all in one place,' said David with a wink.

'I won't. Have a good night!'

Fifteen minutes later, David was pulling the car into Maddie's driveway.

'Would you like to come in and stay for a while? We could decorate the tree. Maybe you'd wanna get a fire going… we could sit in front of the fireplace? If… only if you want to,' Maddie asked, pretending she didn't already know what his answer would be.

David thought it was sweet and innocent the way she asked, but something about it made him a little sad, considering everything they'd been through together.

Fidgeting in his seat, struggling to get comfortable, David said, 'Maddie, can I… I need to say something here… I want to be honest with you.'

'What? What is it, David?' Maddie looked concerned… scared almost.

'Look… I love that you are asking me to do all that. But what I really want… is for you to not ask me.'

'What do you mean? Not ask you.'

'I mean that I just want this to be what we do on the weekends… stay together, ya know, be together like a real couple. Look, I understand that on work nights you want to be alone. I get it. But the weekends… I just wish that I could count on them being for "us", you know? Without the asking and the invites.'

'I know… I know that's what you want, David. I just don't know that I can give you that kind of commitment right now. I don't know why… I just know that I can't.'

David looked hurt. He bared his soul and felt he got nowhere. She reached out to hold his hand.

'Do you remember a few days ago… I said that our relationship was a lot like being on a ladder? I think… I know that you and I are on different rungs on that ladder, but that doesn't mean that we both don't care deeply… that we're both not invested in this. If this is going to work, David, we need to be willing to hold on 'til we get to the same place. Does that make sense?'

It did make sense to him. Made sense that she was still making excuses. Made him feel frustrated deep down, but he needed to push those feelings aside. He wanted to be patient and wait for her to get to the rung he was on. For now, though, he simply nodded, and said, 'Yeah, I understand. And yes, I would love to do those things with you tonight. You know I would.'

'Okay,' she said, anxious to put that conversation behind them. 'I'll go open the door. Why don't you start taking the tree off the car?'

Maddie grabbed her purse and started walking to the front door. She reached into the bag for her house key, but quickly realized that her wallet was missing.

Alarmed, she turned around and yelled, 'David, I can't find my wallet! It's not in my bag!'

David stopped what he was doing and opened the passenger side door. No wallet.

'It must've fallen out of my purse when I gave that boy his tip! We need to go back, David!'

He quickly walked up beside her, putting his arm around her shoulders. 'Now, now, Maddie, don't worry. I'll finish taking the tree off the car, and I'll run back to the lot. They don't close 'til 10. It'll be there. You go on inside and relax. Maybe put on one of those slinky nighties that I like. How 'bout the red one? It is a Christmas color,' he said with a smirk. She rolled her eyes in exasperation. 'Don't worry; I'll take care of everything.'

'Well, I just hope that boy is as honest and trustworthy as he looked. I had cash in there… my credit cards.'

'Maddie, I'll leave in a few minutes. Everything will be fine.'

Maddie stood outside her front door until she watched David drive away. The tree, which David had left leaning up against the side of the house, fell over as soon as he left the driveway.

'Ugh,' Maddie cried, 'this night! It can't get any worse!'

Maddie marched up the stairs to her bedroom. She was upset, and not just because her wallet was missing.

'What does he want from me?' she asked herself out loud, throwing her hands up in the air. 'I know he's confused, hell, I'm confused! Probably would've married him if we had a child to raise. But we don't! Can't he just accept what I give him, and stop making me feel guilty!'

Maddie stomped over to her dresser where she kept her lingerie. She pulled open the drawer, considered her options, and reached for her blue pajamas. Then with a harrumph, she pushed them aside and grabbed the red nightie.

A short time later Maddie was downstairs in her kitchen putting the clean dishes away. It was a bit chilly in the house so she threw on her white terrycloth bathrobe, covering the red nightie that she really only put on for him.

'Peppermint kisses… really? Why does he have to be so charming?' she muttered to herself. She knew she couldn't stay mad at him for long.

Suddenly she heard a car pull into the driveway, and she was surprised David was back so soon. It seemed odd to her when she heard banging on the front door, and it sounded like he was calling for her. She thought he must've forgotten his key, but why was he being so obnoxious about it.

She moved as quickly as she could, while the banging continued.

'David, would you hold your horses? I'm coming, I'm coming!'

Maddie threw open the door and came face-to-face with a man she did not know. He was short and pudgy, with dark hair and eyeglasses. She uttered a yelp, as out of sheer panic, she stepped back and tried to slam the door shut. But the man was already halfway in, blocking the door with his arm and leg. By the disheveled look and foul smell of him, she could tell he was drunk… very drunk.

Slurring his words, he said, 'David… is David here? Maddie, is David here?'

Maddie was shocked to hear this stranger say her name. She had never seen this man before in her life! And he knows David!?

'I'm so sorry, Maddie… I was looking for David.'

The man lost his footing in the doorway, and stumbled… landing on the floor. There, blocking the door from being shut, the man passed out.

Maddie didn't know what to do. All she did know was that this man was looking for David, and that David would be back any minute. She slowly backed up the stairs, not taking her eyes off the man. She felt out of breath, and she could feel her heart racing. When she reached the top, she sat down on the step, and waited for David.

Moments later Maddie saw headlights approaching. She heard a car door slam shut, and then the sound of running footsteps. Suddenly David was in the doorway, down on his hands and knees, frantically trying to revive the man. He managed to wake him, pull him up to his feet, and support him as he tried to stand.

It was at that moment that David saw Maddie stand up at the top of the stairs. She had her bathrobe on… pulled tightly around her body. Their eyes locked on each other, but neither spoke. Maddie looked angry. David looked torn. Torn between wanting to run to her… to comfort her, and needing to get this man out of her house. Maddie turned and disappeared into her bedroom. David turned to help the stranger, who unbeknownst to Maddie, was his friend.

'C'mon Benny, let's get you back to my apartment so you can sleep this one off.'

David threw Benny's arm over his shoulder, and helped him outside. Benny had left his car door wide open, and his key in the ignition. There were beer cans strewn about both inside the car and on the ground. David placed Benny in the backseat, and then he picked up the empty cans. He got in on the driver's side, turned on the car and left.

Sitting on the edge of the bed in her darkened room… irritated, upset, and alone… Maddie could hear the sound of the car speeding away.

A few minutes later, David became aware of Benny fidgeting around in the backseat behind him.

'Hey Dave, do ya think maybe you could take it a lil' slower around these turns? My stomach can't take it, man.'

'Really, Benny!? You want me to slow down!? God damn it, man! I told you never to come lookin' for me at her house! I told you! Not when you're like this!'

'Hey, I'm sorry, man. But she loves you, right? She loves you… so she won't be mad… hiccup… won't be mad at you, right?'

'Are you fucking kidding me? Benny! You know I walk on eggshells around this woman. Ever since she lost the baby… me and her, our relationship… it's fragile, man. I don't know what she's gonna think after this.'

'I'm sorry, Dave. I'm sorry.'

Benny was quiet after that. It occurred to David that he hadn't asked Benny what happened tonight. Or perhaps more likely, what happened last night. Considering the number of empty beer cans littered about the car, it seemed Benny had probably been on this bender for more than just a day.

'Hey Benny, what happened, man? Is Angie okay? She do somethin'… make you run out like this?'

David looked in the rearview mirror, waiting for an answer, but Benny had nodded off again. This gave him some time to think. He could not believe how this night had turned out. Had things not veered terribly off course, he'd be making love to the woman of his dreams right now… in front of a warm fireplace… under the soft colored lights of a beautiful Christmas tree. He couldn't think of anything better. So why then? Why did he walk away from all that, and from the woman who means more to him than life itself? And, how on Earth was he ever going to make this right with her?

The Next Morning

The elevator doors opened and Maddie stepped out into the hallway. Despite the restless sleep she had the night before, she looked terrific and walked quickly, eager to get to work. She was determined not to let the previous night's events get to her. David must've had a good reason to do what he did. She would find out eventually, but for now she'd just have to be patient. There was no way he'd be in today, she thought. She was almost certain of that.

Maddie opened the door to the office, and saw that she was the first person there. She thought that strange until she looked at the clock and saw that it was only 8:35. Oh well. She must've been in more of a rush to get here than she realized.

She walked into her office and her eyes were immediately drawn to her desk. She took in a sharp breath, and could feel her heartbeat quicken in her chest. She couldn't get to her chair fast enough.

'David was here?' she muttered to herself.

Lying there on her desk was a handwritten note and a single red rose. Her wallet was there, too.

Dear M,

I am sorry about last night.

I will make it up to you.

I promise.

Love,

D

Just then she heard someone turning her doorknob, and in walked Agnes Dipesto, carrying a pile of papers and phone messages.

'Ooo, I'm sorry, Ms. Hayes. I didn't know you were in yet. You're early?' she said, a little confused.

'I'm early,' Maddie said, in a sing-song voice. 'Just wanted to get a fresh start on a brand-new week.' She smiled.

'That's funny… Mr. Addison just told me the same exact thing. Did you two come in together?'

'Wait a minute! Did you just say Mr. Addison is in?'

'Sure did! Would you like me to give him a message, Ms. Hayes?'

'No! Well… maybe… yes. Please tell Mr. Addison that I would like to see him in my office.'

'Will do.'

Agnes placed the papers on the desk, and turned to go give David the message.

Not ten seconds later, she heard a knock on her door, and in walked David. He looked impeccably dressed, clean-shaven, not a hair out of place. She was shocked, and it showed on her face.

David stopped suddenly in his tracks, looked at her, and said, 'What? Why are you looking at me like that?' He looked down and patted the front of his suit jacket. 'What'd I do? Spill chocolate milk down the front of my shirt?'

'No,' Maddie giggled. 'It's just… I guess I didn't think you'd make it in to work on time this morning. I'm… pleasantly surprised is all.'

Pretending she hurt his feelings, he said, 'What little faith you have in me. After I went and found your wallet for you.'

'I saw that… thank you.'

David moved to sit on the corner of Maddie's desk.

'Everything in there?' he asked.

'Oh, I just got here, and haven't had a chance to look, but I will. I got your note, and the rose is beautiful, but you didn't have to do that.'

David picked the flower up off her desk.

'Yes, I did. I ruined what was looking to be… a romantic evening for us, and I felt bad.' Holding the rose out for her to take, he said, 'For you… the lady who floats my boat, puts a spring in my step, lifts my…'

'David!'

'Mood, you lift my mood, Maddie.' With a crooked smile and a wink, he leaned down and gave her a smooch on the cheek.

She got up from her desk and walked over to the couch. 'Well, I don't mean to dampen your mood, David, but aren't you going to tell me what happened last night?' She sat down, letting David know to take a seat by patting the cushion next to her. 'Who was that man? Clearly you knew him.'

'Yeah, you could say that. I know him. His name is Benny.' David stood up from the desk and went to sit down next to Maddie.

'Benny? I've never heard you mention that name before.'

'Yeah, he's a good friend of mine. Real good, actually. He and I… we go way back. He was the first friend I made when I moved out here about 10 years ago. We tended bar at this little hole in the wall down in Hollywood. We'd get all the pimps and hookers stumbling in… in the wee hours of the morning… right before closing time.' Pausing for a moment to reflect, David continued, 'Yeah, there was this one night, a pimp started roughing up one of his girls. Benny was not havin' it. Threw a beer in the guy's face, and chased him out into the alley. Knocked his lights out. Which was actually real funny when you consider he's a few inches shorter than me and not in the best of shape.'

Maddie sat glued to her seat. It was rare that David opened up about his past like this, and she didn't want to miss a single word.

'He… ahh… introduced me to his neighbor at the time, Jillian. You remember her.'

'How could I ever forget Miss "Great pair of eyes"?'

'Yeah well, I'm pretty sure those eyes are behind bars right now. But years ago, back when she dumped me… boy, I needed somebody to get me back on track. And yeah, Benny… he was right there. He did that for me. Sure was a good guy.'

'David, you say, "was a good guy". Did something happen? Is he no longer a "good" guy?' Maddie asked.

'Nah, he's still a good guy. He's just havin' a rough time of it right now.'

David got up quickly and went to stand by the window, sticking his hands in his pockets. Staring out at the city… an air of melancholy surrounded him.

'A little over three years ago, Benny fell hard for this girl, about 12 years younger than him… named Angie. They got married in Vegas after knowing each other for only a couple weeks. She got pregnant a few months later, and she miscarried.'

David snapped back to the present, and realized this story might be difficult for Maddie to hear right now.

'I'm sorry, Maddie. You don't need to hear all this.'

Maddie got up and went to him. She stood facing him, her hands tenderly touching his arms.

'David, I want to hear this! I can't believe you haven't told me any of this before.'

'Well, they decided they really wanted to have a baby so they kept trying. Angie had three more miscarriages after that.'

'That's terrible, David! No wonder your friend is struggling,' Maddie said, concerned.

'Angie's actually pregnant right now, and further along than she's ever been. I think about six months. So, Benny's on pins and needles waiting for this baby to be born.'

'I can imagine how stressful that must be.'

'Yeah, so he was pretty out of it last night, but I managed to get him to admit that he and Angie had a big fight. So, he went out and drank himself into a stupor. Then he came lookin' for me. Maddie, he didn't hurt you or anything, right?'

'No, no, not at all. I mean, he scared me when he came through the door. I only opened it because I thought it was you. But, no, he didn't touch me.'

'Okay, good. I didn't think he would.'

'So, what are you gonna do now?'

'Well, I left him at my place. He was sleeping, but I'll go back during lunch… check on him. He needs to go home and patch things up with his wife.'

'No, David. Your friend needs professional help.' Maddie let go of him, and started pacing back and forth. 'Don't you see he has a very serious drinking problem? He drove to my house in that condition. If you don't get him some help, he's liable to end up in jail, or worse, he could kill someone!'

'Maddie, he's just having a hard time right now. He needs someone to have his back, like he did for me. That's all.' David dreaded the thought of his friend having to go away to rehab so soon before his baby was due.

Maddie shrugged her shoulders. 'Look David, he's your friend; you're gonna deal with him however you want. I'll stay out of it. Besides, you never cared to tell me about him anyway. He had to crash through my front door in order for me to meet him.' She sat down behind her desk.

David looked up and his eyes widened, 'What is that supposed to mean?'

'David, just a few days ago, you and I sat out there in that front office, and you told me all about how you know me… better than anyone else in the world. And you were right. Because if I had a good friend out there, you darn well would know about it. But today, I find out that you have a good friend that you've known for 10 years, right here in this very city, someone that you see regularly, and not once did you even bother to mention him to me.'

David felt awful; he had no excuse. He stammered trying to find the right words, but could only say, 'I'm sorry… I didn't mean to. I don't know why, Maddie. I don't really even know what to say.'

'Well, you don't have to say anything. But right now, I have a lot of work to finish up before Christmas.'

'Maddie, please…' He made a move to walk towards her, but she put her hand up to stop him.

'David, just go. I'd really like to be alone.'

David nodded his head. He knew the best thing right now was to be quiet and leave. He didn't even return to his office. He just walked past Agnes' desk and slammed the door on his way out.

David never returned to the office that day. Maddie must have asked Agnes every hour on the hour if she had seen or heard from David. She was worried that she was beginning to sound like a broken record. Maddie had never been comfortable with publicly showing her feelings for David, but when she was worried about him, it became obvious to everyone around her how much she cared for him. She drove home that night with a heavy heart. She felt horrible for making him feel bad at a time when he was very concerned about his friend. How was she ever going to make this right with him?

When she finally got home and walked up to her front door, she noticed that the tree, which had been lying on her patio in the morning, was no longer there. She opened the door and could not believe what she saw. She saw Christmas.

In the living room, the tree was decorated beautifully with shimmering white lights and a bright star. Sinatra singing "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" was coming from the stereo, and there was a warm fire burning in the fireplace. The entire place smelled of homemade tomato sauce.

Maddie was startled for a moment when David walked up behind her carrying a box of ornaments he'd found in the storage room.

'There you are! I was hoping you'd get here soon.'

As he was walking towards her, she gently asked, 'How's your friend? Is he okay?'

'Yeah, he's doin' okay… he'll be fine. Thank you… for asking, I mean.' He didn't really feel like talking about Benny, so he quickly changed the subject. 'Listen, I hope you're hungry. Dinner's almost ready. Spaghetti and meatballs.'

She stayed put and watched him pass. As he went by, she couldn't help but notice he was wearing the silliest short-sleeved shirt. It was light blue with a black collar, and on the back it read Harem Scarem Carpet Cleaners.

'David! What on Earth are you wearing?' she asked with a quizzical look on her face.

He knew she would comment on the shirt, so he turned around and feigned surprise. 'Oh, this shirt? Yeah, this is my bowling shirt. While you were in Chicago, Benny convinced me and his friends, Gus and Lou, to join his bowling league… just to have somethin' to do. So that's what I do on Monday nights now… when I'm not working or lucky enough to be engaged in more pleasurable nighttime activities with you,' he said with a wink and a smile.

'So, it's Monday night. Does that mean you'll be leaving soon to go meet up with your friends?'

David placed the box down on the floor. He reached out and pulled Maddie into his arms.

'No, I'm not leaving you this evening. I only wore this shirt because I thought a lot about what you said earlier, and I just wanted to share something with you… something about me that you didn't already know.'

Maddie was touched by his words. She placed her hands on his chest, and lightly moved her fingers over the word stitched in cursive above the pocket.

'Twinkle. I take it that's what? A nickname they gave you?'

David giggled, 'Yeah, ever see Fred "Twinkle Toes" Flintstone bowl?'

'No, I can't say that I have,' said Maddie, completely clueless as to what he was talking about.

Wrapping his arm around her waist, and walking her into the kitchen, David said, 'See Maddie, now there's something else that I want to share with you. My appreciation for Saturday morning cartoons.'

'That's great, David, I can't wait,' she smiled at him. 'But right now, I think I just want you to share with me this wonderful meal you've prepared. Though, I do wonder where this talent you have for cooking came from.'

'Oh, you can thank my father for that. He had to work so much when we were teenagers, that Richie and I were forced to fend for ourselves when it came to making dinner. Whereas Richie opted for heating up TV dinners, I liked to experiment… mix a little of this with a little of that, and voila,' he said, as he lifted the lid off the pot. 'Best spaghetti sauce in town.'

'I don't know, David. You've got some pretty steep competition out there.'

He dipped a wooden spoon into the pot and offered Maddie a taste.

'Go on, try it. Oh wait, I forgot… there's one condition. If you like it, you must kiss the cook.'

Maddie opened her mouth as David fed her a spoonful of sauce. She was truly surprised at how good it was. Maddie couldn't keep the smile from forming on her face when she saw how nervous David had become awaiting her response.

'Not bad… not bad at all,' she said, as she slowly licked her lips, and went in for the kiss that she now owed the cook. David could taste the sweetness of the sauce lingering in her mouth as his tongue mingled with hers.

Dinner was going to be so delicious.

A few hours passed, and Maddie awoke. She was lying on the couch wearing nothing but David's sleeveless white undershirt. He was sound asleep lying between her legs with his head resting on her belly and a blanket covering him from the waist down. They had fallen asleep like that after having made love, once on the floor in front of the fireplace, and then again, a short time later after moving to lie on the couch.

She looked up at the beautiful Christmas tree, and replayed in her mind a tearful conversation that took place a little over an hour before.

'It's silly for me to keep it, David. I should just see if the store will take it back.' She went to put the ornament back in its box, but David took it out of her hand.

'Maddie, no, please don't do that. Look… maybe he wasn't meant to be born, but that doesn't mean he wasn't real… that he wasn't right here.' He placed his hand on her belly. 'I'll never forget what it felt like when he moved inside you.'

Tears were threatening to fall down Maddie's face when he lifted her chin up so she would look at him.

'This is his first Christmas, Maddie. In your heart, and in my heart… this is his first Christmas.'

It was as if his words were like a light at the end of a very dark tunnel, and she had a moment of clarity. David was right. Whether their son existed as a spirit up in Heaven or just as a precious memory the two of them shared… this would always be his first Christmas. She immediately stopped crying, and David wiped the tears from under her eyes.

'Go on… hang the ornament on the tree,' he said, holding out his hand. She smiled sweetly at him, and took the ornament from him, placing it carefully on a branch.

She then quickly turned around and held him tightly. They stayed like that for a while, until the soft Christmas music playing on the stereo enticed them to slow dance, and David began nuzzling her neck.

As she lay there on the couch, she knew she would always be grateful to David for convincing her to keep that ornament.

The sound of snoring brought Maddie's attention to David's weight, which was pressing down on her, causing her legs to tingle. She rubbed his back gently 'til he started to stir.

'David, you should get going now. It's getting late, and we have work tomorrow,' she whispered.

He begrudgingly got up, and the first thing he did was find Maddie's robe so she could cover herself. Maddie called for a cab, while he found his shirt and pants and got dressed. They sat together at the bottom of the staircase, waiting. Maddie was so tired that she laid her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. The cab arrived 10 minutes later.

'Hey… sleepyhead,' David whispered. Maddie had actually fallen asleep there in his arms. 'C'mon, sweetheart, time to get up… my ride's here.'

'Wha… oh, I fell asleep.'

'Yeah, sleep sounds good right about now, but you're givin' me the boot.'

'I'm sorry,' she said. Maddie lowered her eyes, and then looked up to see if he was really upset with her.

David placed his hands on the sides of her face and kissed her forehead.

They both said, 'Good night,' and then David left.

Maddie went right upstairs and climbed into her king-sized bed. The sheets felt cool, so she pulled the covers up under her chin, trying to get comfortable. She knew that if David had stayed, she'd be warm and cozy right now snuggled up in his arms, but she just can't… not on a work night. She felt bad each time she had to ask him to leave, and that always made her heart hurt. But his little habits like singing in the shower or leaving his towel on the floor… made her blood boil. It was hard enough that she was making an effort to accept his flaws when they were at work, but the thought of trying to do that in her personal life… that made her head hurt.

Trying to talk herself out of feeling guilty, she mumbled, 'It's better that he not stay…for our relationship… our friendship… ugh, whatever this "thing" is that we're in.' And with that, she rolled over and drifted off to sleep.

When David climbed into the back of the cab, he felt chilled and asked the driver to turn up the heat. Dean Martin's version of "Let It Snow" was playing on the radio, and even though he was in sunny southern California, it felt like it could do just that… snow. But he knew it wasn't really that cold outside. This was just how he always felt when Maddie asked him to leave in the middle of the night.

It was a few months back when Maddie had decided that it was best for her if David didn't stay with her on weeknights. Her reasoning was that he was a huge distraction for her in the morning when she had to get ready for work. He didn't like it, but, for the sake of the relationship, he felt like he needed to be the one to bend. First because she was pregnant, and then because she'd tragically lost the baby.

Her behavior planted a small seed of doubt in David's mind, and what he feared the most was that he would always have stronger feelings for her than she would have for him. This was a concern that he once shared with his friend, Benny, because he had a feeling that Benny could relate. There was no way Angie loved Benny as much as he loved her.

Benny told him, 'Don't worry about it, Dave. Get those negative thoughts outta your head, or you'll end up a bitter, lonely ol' man. She loves you, it'll all work out. She'll come around. Just look at me and Angie!'

The problem was… looking at Benny and Angie… David couldn't help but see some similarities between their relationship and his own. And Benny and Angie, despite having a baby on the way, were not in a good place right now. In fact, earlier today, Angie seemed ready to throw Benny out on his ass… she was so ashamed and disappointed in him. It made David think of all the times he'd disappointed Maddie… embarrassed her even. Probably why she found it so hard to commit to him.

"When we finally kiss good night, how I'll hate going out in the storm

But if you really hold me tight, all the way home I'll be warm"

'I don't know, Dean… maybe that's the problem. Maybe Maddie's not really holdin' me tight enough, 'cause right now, I sure don't feel very warm,' he thought to himself. 'But I gotta try to stay positive like Benny said. God knows I don't want to end up a bitter ol' man.' He shook his head, leaned back on the headrest, and allowed himself to imagine what waking up on Christmas morning with Maddie would be like… if only she would let him. If only he could count on it.

EPILOGUE – Friday, December 23, 1988

David rushed through the crowd of people so he could make it onto the elevator before the doors closed. Once on, he relaxed his posture and took a deep breath. With each stop though, David became more and more anxious. Finally, the elevator reached the 20th floor and he did an awkward walk-run to get to the office as quickly as possible. He couldn't wait to tell Maddie that he was able to book a dinner reservation for two at Limoncello's on Christmas Eve. She had been wanting to go there for weeks.

Before opening the door, he paused to straighten his tie and run his fingers through his hair. With his cool confidence fully restored, he pushed open the door and was pleased to see that the Blue Moon Christmas party was already in full swing.

'Good morning, elves and elf-ettes.'

'Good morning, Mr. Addison,' said the Wobblies, in unison.

'I see you, Mr. Viola, have the Jingle Bells rockin'… good song choice.' Bert was of course in charge of the record player.

'And you, Ms. Dipesto, have Decked the Halls… beautifully, I might add.' Agnes was in charge of the holiday foods and decorations.

'And I trust that Little Saint Maddie has come to town… and left you all a present in your stockings.' The employees all clapped and cheered.

Pulling Agnes aside, David whispered, 'Maddie Claus in yet?'

'Oh, yes, Mr. Addison, her sleigh has landed, but so have…'

He opened Maddie's door and came face-to-face with…

'… Mr. and Mrs. Hayes!' he said with great surprise.

'Good morning, David! It's so wonderful to see you,' said Virginia, as she reached out to greet him with a welcoming hug.

As hard as he tried, David could never completely hide how nervous he was around Alexander Hayes. He cleared his throat, stuck out his hand, and said, 'Mr. Hayes.'

Alex took his hand, and gave it a nice, firm shake. 'How are you holdin' up, young man?'

'I'm doing well, Mr. Hayes, doing well. And you two? How was your flight out here?'

'Oh, we're doing well, thank you. Yeah, we thought we'd surprise Maddie this year and come spend the holidays out here. Difficult year for her… for all of us… just thought it'd be nice if we could end it together on a positive note.'

Virginia piped in with, 'So we took an early flight out of Chicago this morning and after we landed… came right here.' She looked at David and then at Maddie, who was quietly sitting behind her desk. 'We hope that's okay with the two of you.'

'Of course, that's okay, Mom,' said Maddie in a firm voice. 'Don't you agree, David?'

'Absolutely! That's what the holidays are all about, right? Being with family.'

David may have fooled Maddie's parents, but she could sense his disappointment.

'Listen, there's a hoppin' Christmas party goin' on out there that I don't wanna miss, so I'm gonna leave the three of you in here to catch up.' With that David opened the door and left.

Virginia, ever so observant, suddenly had a worried look on her face. 'Is he okay, Maddie? We probably should've checked with you first before flying all the way out here. Did the two of you already have plans?'

'No, Mom, no plans. I'm sure he's fine,' Maddie said, convincing no one of that, not even herself.

A short time later, after Maddie's parents left to go get settled in at her house, she went to see David in his office. She found him sitting in his desk chair with his feet up on the windowsill. He gave her the impression that he was pouting.

'David, my parents wanted to make a dinner reservation for Christmas Eve. They wanted me to invite you to come with us. What do you think? Would you like to join us?'

'Sure, I'll join you.' He didn't turn around to look at her when he answered.

'David, you seem angry. Why are you upset?' She stood with her arms crossed, looking at the back of his chair. Suddenly realizing, 'Oh, I get it. I'm supposed to not ask you… is that it? Not invite you… right?'

No answer.

'Well, David. I'm sorry I worded it that way. Of course, my parents were including you.' She paused for a moment, then added, 'And I would really love for you to be there.'

Out of nowhere there was a crash, David's office door flew open, and a blindfolded Herbert fell onto the floor. Both Maddie and David reacted at the same time, 'What the hell is going on out there!?'

Agnes ran in, grabbed Herbert, and pulled him up from the floor. He pulled down his blindfold and said, 'I'm sorry, Sir… Ms. Hayes. Just a game of Pin-the-Tail-on-Rudolph gone terribly wrong. I apologize.'

'GET OUT!' they both yelled.

'I'm sorry, Ms. Hayes… Mr. Addison, it won't happen again,' said Agnes, as she yanked on Herbert's suit jacket to get him to come with her. 'We're sorry!' Agnes pulled the door shut as they left.

Maddie walked over to where David was sitting, and leaned on the edge of his desk. Neither said anything for a short while, they just stared out at the city. Maddie made the first move, reaching out and taking his hand in hers. He pulled her down to sit on his lap.

'How long are they staying?' David asked.

'Through New Year's Day.'

'Where are they staying?'

'With me… at my house.' David looked crushed.

'I know we can't… but can I at least tell you what I had planned?'

She placed her hands on his shoulders and looked deep into his gorgeous green eyes. 'Tell me.'

'Hmmm… let's see… Christmas Eve dinner at Limoncello's.' He said it like he was tempting her.

Maddie's eyes widened. 'You did not!' He smiled and waggled his eyebrows. 'David! Why didn't you tell me before?'

'Hey, I only just made them last night. I was lucky enough to call right after a cancellation. Maybe they can move us to Valentine's Day.'

'David, that was so sweet of you. I'm sorry your… our plans got ruined.' She took a deep breath and let out a sigh.

'Yeah, well… at least not all my Christmas plans got ruined… I'm just glad we did what we did… when we did "it" under your Christmas tree on Monday night.' He lifted her up, and sat her down on the edge of his desk. 'With your parents staying at your house this week, I doubt we'll be able to do "it"…'

'We'll be able to do "it",' she interrupted, coyly smiling at him, while squeezing and running her hands up and down his muscular arms.

'Where… and when?' he asked.

She took his hands and placed them on her thighs under the hem of her dress. Then she proceeded to unbutton the top few buttons on her dress… not once breaking eye contact with him.

'Your door has a lock on it, doesn't it?'

David was speechless, but his heart was pounding away. He stared into her blue eyes and nodded his head up and down. She slightly tossed her head to the side… silently telling him to go lock the door. He somehow managed to keep his cool, and not make it look like he was rushing.

When he stood in front of her again, she waited for him to make the first move. He took both her hands in his, but he seemed hesitant.

'Are you sure you want to do this, Maddie? You never wanted to do this before. I mean… here… like this, and with all the employees out there.'

Maddie placed her hands up around the back of his neck, pulling him to her for a deep, intimate kiss. His arms instinctively went around her, his hands… pulling and tugging at her dress.

When she broke the kiss, she looked up at him and in her breathy, most seductive voice said, 'I'm sure. You can think of this as a gift… something I've never given you before.' She grabbed him by the tie and planted a big kiss on his mouth. 'Merry Christmas, David.'

'Oh, Maddie,' David said as he wrapped her legs around his waist and gently pressed her down onto his desk…. smothering her with kisses. 'Merry, Merry Christmas, baby…'

Outside in the front office, the Blue Moon holiday party was still going strong, and Bert threw an Otis Redding record on the record player...

"Merry Christmas, Baby,

Sure Did Treat Me Nice"

A/N: Had to give this one a happy ending. It is Christmas, after all.