Author's Note: This continues from my previous Ally McBeal Fanfiction, Returning Home. Read that to understand the context here. Please leave constructive comments there and here, thank you!

Ally and John Cages' apartment

New York, New York

Late December 2020

Early morning

We got it together didn't we?,

We've definitely got our thing together, don't we baby?

Isn't that nice?

The lyrics of the late Barry White's famous sang through John's head and he silently sung along, not wishing to wake up his new wife, Ally who was still deep asleep. John lay there and recollected how he became married. Many years ago, as a co-senior partner at Cage & Fish, he asked Ally out but she refused, stating he was her boss but she would consider dating him in any other case. Around four years later, he overheard Ally confessing to the new associate, Jenny, that she though he had a mammoth heart and she loved him totally. He later did try to reveal his love for her and wished to be a couple. Ally replied stating she could never love him romantically and only love him as a friend.

Now, eighteen years later, here she was his wife, his darling and now he's a stepfather to a precious young lady. He definitely had no problems with the first and as for the second, John felt he was a natural, even more like a biological father to Maddie. The lyrics to 'You're the First, the Last, My Everything' continued to blast in John's head until Ally's eyes blinked.

"Morning A…Morning sweetheart," John greeted, remembering that she never liked to be 'Ally-ed' the first time in the morning.

"Morning," She replied, kissing him deeply on the lips. Ally was in a nightgown and wearing the same necklace he gave her as a parting gift in 2002 when she left for New York with Maddie.

"Singing Barry White?" She asked, although she knew the answer.

"Yes. Poor man, I don't think I can be him in reincarnation but at least I can remember him by singing his songs in my head," John replied and was about to close his eyes and drift into 'Barryland' until Ally patted his shoulder.

"Do you remember when you sang Till There Was You for my thirtieth birthday?"

"Yeah, from The Music Man. It wasn't easy to hit the notes," John recalled.

"It was a wonderful gift. You know the song Lisa Rose?" John nodded but protested he couldn't sing that song, however, Ally sang the song then urged John to try.

Lida rose I'm home again rose

To get the sun back in the sky

Lida rose I'm home again rose about a thousand kisses shy...

"That was a tinge off, but try again," Ally urged. John shook his head, telling her it was too complex. Instead, he sang:

Friend, either you're closing your eyes

To a situation you do not wish to acknowledge

Or you are not aware of the caliber of disaster indicated

By the presence of a pool table in your community

Well, Ya got trouble, my friend, right here

Ally smiled, recognising the song John used in court defending a Senator. She started to recall the first time she saw John in perform in court in October 1997 and found him beyond eccentric. She herself drifted back remembering the times she ran to John for both help and later made his then-girlfriend Nelle jealous. She recalled all those times with John, especial the time she pleaded with him to return as a lawyer instead of a Mariachis singer. Ally finally snapped back to reality and got out ready to shower. Both she and her new husband were now training new litigators in New York, virtually of course due CVOID-19 virus. Ally was about to undress and enter the shower when there was a knock and Maddie burst in.

"Mom! Dad! I have great news!" Maddie shouted.

"You passed your Masters degree earlier than expected?" John replied.

"No, I'm engaged to George!" Maddie held up a diamond ring.

"What?!" Was Ally's only response and after many years, she fainted.

Later that morning…

Ally and Maddie were screaming at each other and John, despite his years of arguing in the courtroom and in depositions, he couldn't settle the argument. Finally, he screamed liked he previously did in trial.

"You can't get married! You're too young!" Ally shouted.

"What?! You two are married. I'm in love!" Maddie retorted, confused.

"You're too young!" Ally repeated, although that was hardly an argument. In her mind were flashes of her smelling Billy's bottom as a child, kissing him, kissing him in Cage & Fish, kissing him in the courtroom as he passed away, kissing Dr. Greg Butters, kissing Brian Selig, kissing Larry Paul then kissing Victor Morrison her last long-term boyfriend. All these memories zoomed through her mind as she shouted again that Maddie was too young to get married and she should focus on other aspects of life.

"Too young?! I'm not a kid anymore; I'm twenty-eight now and you're unstable again. Dad, John please help out."

"Poughkeepsie… Poughkeepsie," John lapsed into his old method of stopping stuttering. "Well…" Just then his cell phone rang. Answering it, he immediately raised his eyes then turned to Ally.

"That was Richard. He, well he and Nelle decided to close down Fish & Porter. We've got to return to Boston."

Ally screamed and fainted again. John retrieved smelling salts and revived his wife. "We'll discuss this when we're back, don't do anything stupid," John informed Maddie.

"Fine, Fine Ally," Maddie stuck out her tongue, switching back to 'Ally' instead of 'Mom' for the first time in years.

Boston

Hours later

John and Ally emerged from the classic elevator wearing face masks. Elaine also wearing a mask, rushed towards them, checked their temperature, and gestured them to lower their masks.

"It's so wonderful to see you both!" Elaine exclaimed. "How…

"Where's Richard? Where's Nelle?" Ally asked and Elaine gestured with her head. They found their old two friends in Richard's office. Ally again started screaming and pushing Richard, stating the firm was so critical to Boston's legal environment, a firm that built up he expertise of litigators, won many successful cases for clients and drew in more clients the firm was simply shrine. "You can't do this! You can't do this! You can't do this!" She screamed rapidly in her typical Ally-speak.

"Man, after years in New York she's become a tiger, but nothing to my level," Nelle scoffed.

Ally continued ranting but all three of them managed to get to sit down. Over cups of fresh coffee, Richard began to explain.

To be Continued.