This was not the way Maddie had envisioned spending her night.
Sure, being in the shower wasn't anything special, but being tied up in it was something else. Especially, being tied up to David Addison! Couldn't their assailants have thought of other measures? Or at the very least have tied them up back to back, instead of thrusting them into each other's faces like this? She could literally count every pore on David's skin.
She eyed him with disdain as he tried to explain something to her through the pantyhose that was tied around his face and used as a gag. Finally, he simply gave up explaining and surged forward, drooling all over her face as he busied himself nudging her own gag down. Surprisingly, he was quite successful.
"Argh, did you have to slobber so much!" Maddie exclaimed, a bit embarrassed by the fact that her body reacted to having him so close.
David leaned forward again, ready to nudge some more and she quickly turned her head.
"It's off already!" she told him.
He mumbled something and she quickly understood that he wanted her to pull his gag down.
And yes… she would have to use her teeth. Oh, why did being involved in this business always land her in situations like these?!
Carefully, she leaned forward and bit down into David's gag, some of her teeth sinking into the skin of his cheek.
"Aargh!" David growled, glaring at her for biting him.
"Will you hold still? I can do it, all right?!"
Right. One more time of touching her lips to his flesh. Was it weird that she was getting a bit… excited?
She reached around and sunk her teeth into the material of the gag again. It slid down with difficulty and they snarled at each other with their mouths full. Finally, she was able to free him.
The lopsided smirk that she had come to love and hate so much in the past instantly appeared on his face and she knew that something lewd was coming.
"Somehow, I thought chewing your pantyhose off was going to be a lot more fun than this."
He looked down at their bodies, which were still completely tied up.
"Let me start down here."
Before she knew what was happening, he was back to chewing, this time around the area of her left breast. A red hue crept up on her skin when something fluttered in her stomach and her eyes shot up towards the ceiling, desperately trying not to see what he was doing.
"Hurry, David!"
She tried to sound annoyed; like she was desperate to get out of there. In a way, she was. Her body was betraying her and she really didn't like it!
"I'll be done in probably two to three hours," David muttered.
Two to three hours?! No, she definitely wouldn't be able to handle that!
Just then, he accidently bit into her nipple while trying to free her. He didn't bite hard or anything, but it was enough to make her having to swallow a guttural moan.
"Stop, David…," she breathed.
When he didn't immediately react, she almost screeched.
"Stop!"
His head shot up, eyeing her in confusion.
"Look," he began. "It's a tough job, but someone's got to do it."
Just as he went back to his place at her breast, an idea hit her. It would probably allow them to get free without having to touch each other so much!
"No, David! I have an idea: we'll turn the shower on, the pantyhose will get wet, they'll loosen up and we'll be out of here!"
"Okay, good. Move over here."
They wobbled a bit towards the faucets and ducked down together.
"Let me just get my shoulder under here."
Maddie wriggled her entire upper arm so that the faucet would move.
"Watch my face so it won't…"
Her words came too late; the water came crashing down on them… and it was cold! Well, maybe it was for the best. With the way they had been nibbling on each other, Maddie definitely felt in need of a cold shower!
"I liked my idea a little better," David grumbled.
Maddie shook her head, trying to get the water away from her eyes.
"We'll need some lubrication."
Wait. What was David saying? Lubrication? Oh, this whole sexual innuendo was getting the best of her! She looked on as he grabbed hold of a shampoo bottle with his mouth and dropped it down in between their bodies.
"Very nice," he joked. "All right. Are you ready? Squeeze!"
He was doing this on purpose, wasn't he?
"You can't be serious?!" she asked, but she already knew the answer.
"Maddie, you don't honestly think that I'm enjoying this, do you?"
Oh, he was enjoying this all right!
"I know you pay people to do this with you, David!" she threw at him.
Anger was good. Anger would distract her from the simmering lust in her body.
"This is no time to think of personal pleasure! Right now, out there is a tattoo that could shut down the shipping lanes to the free world! All right, are you ready? One.. two.. three… squeeze!"
Maddie had no choice, she knew that. She flung her body forward and squeezed herself against David as hard as she could. The shampoo bottle almost exploded with the force, the substance shooting out and upwards.
"Eureka, there she blows!" David said with almost boyish enthusiasm. "Okay."
"Okay what?" Maddie asked, not sure about what he would suggest next. It was already embarrassing enough as it was, with everything looking like a massive orgasm. After this was all over, she would crawl into her bed and hide for at least a day or two!
"Jump," David told her.
"Jump?"
She eyed him incredulously.
"Yes, jump. We've got to work up a lather."
He was already wriggling against her.
"I don't want to jump, it's dangerous in the shower!"
There was a huge grin on David's face and she wanted to slap him for making her feel this way.
"Trust me," he began, while jumping up and down against her. "If anyone can work you into a lather, it's me."
She jumped with him and indeed, felt the pantyhose loosening up around them. For a tiny moment there, she was actually having a little fun, hopping around in the shower with David Addison. A smile erupted on her face.
"It's working," he exclaimed, all excited.
He tugged at the remaining pantyhose and it came off, freeing them from their confines. He didn't release her yet, though. His arms came down around her waist and Maddie felt him pulling her near.
Damn. Was that her heart, missing a beat?
She wasn't supposed to still feel this way around him. Hadn't she worked hard at that? Still, she didn't swat him away yet and relaxed in his embrace for a moment.
"Do you want a cigarette now?"
Maddie shook her head at his antics.
"We should be getting out of the shower, dry off and think about what we're going to do," she said, trying to be the voice of reason.
His gaze lingered on her lips for a short moment and she swallowed with difficulty. The air around them was intense, she could feel it in the way electricity surged back and forth between them. Then, he let go of her and it was all over. The breath she hadn't realized she had been holding, escaped her in a whoosh as she hurried from the shower stall.
"While we think about what we're going to do, can we put our clothes in the dryer?" David asked, stepping out of the shower himself and reaching for a towel.
Right, he knew exactly where those towels were. After all, he had spent an entire month camped out in her bedroom, using her facilities… literally and figuratively.
"Good idea," Maddie agreed. "Will you unzip me?"
As soon as it was out, she realized exactly what she had asked of him. Her stomach roiled when he came up behind her and reached up, taking the zipper of her dress down in what felt like extreme slow- motion. She was standing with her back towards him, facing the mirror of her vanity, desperately trying to keep a straight face when she felt the tips of his fingers brush her back on their way down. Her body shivered, but she could play that off as simply being cold. However, the flushed cheeks would probably need some explaining, as well as the fact that she had closed her eyes to revel in the sensation of his fingers on her skin.
He knew what she looked like when she was aroused, as well as how she behaved. He must have been getting all the signs right then and there. She was almost afraid to open her eyes again when he was finished.
"There," he whispered in a husky voice behind her. "All done."
There were so many things wrong with this. For starters, those assailants could come back and finish the job. Also, there was a body in her ice box in the garage! If those thugs hadn't taken him, of course.
"Will you unzip me?"
Wait. Did David just ask…?
She finally opened her eyes, finding his in the mirror. She could definitely see naked longing in them, but he was obviously trying to shrug it off with that sideways smirk of his.
"We should alert the CIA or the FBI," Maddie suggested, desperately trying to get them on a different track.
She turned around to see him fumbling with the buttons of his wet shirt and tried really hard not to look at each piece of skin he exposed. It was almost impossible, though. Especially when there were drops of water trickling down between his chest hair and even lower. Her eyes travelled across his form, while he took said shirt off and began to work on his pants.
She quickly exited the bathroom when he pulled them down, not wanting to stay for the entire show. God, she couldn't trust herself with him right now!
Alone in her bedroom, she could relax a little. She slithered out of the wet garment that was her dress and went in search of her robe.
"Hey, I'm going to…"
They both froze simultaneously. It wasn't as if they had never seen each other half naked before, but the circumstances were different now… their feelings were different now. David's gaze automatically slid down across Maddie's body, which was clad only in her bra and panties. It also didn't help matters that the material of both garments was moist; he was probably getting an eyeful of her nipples, angrily poking through the lace. They were already hard because of the cold, but with his heated glance, they strained to attention even more.
She should get her robe, that's what she needed to be doing! Why was she standing there, like a deer caught in headlights? Why wasn't she moving or at the very least covering herself up?
Dear lord, was he licking his lips right now?
"I uhm… I wanted to take our clothes down to the dryer with me. See if our boy Harry is still with us in all of his stiffness."
Such an interesting choice of words… he had to be doing that on purpose, right?
"Yeah," Maddie almost whispered. "I have my dress right here. Thank you."
She watched as David stepped forward, gradually coming closer. Her heart sped up so much, that she was afraid it was going to burst free from her ribcage! Carefully, she held out her dress in front of her, waiting for him to take it.
He stopped in front of her, his eyes almost dark with passion. Maddie could feel an ache begin to develop and took a shaky breath. This was so wrong, right here. She had permanently placed David Addison in the friendzone only mere months ago. Wasn't it simply safer to remain there? Wouldn't these feelings, or whatever it was that was going on between them in that moment, stir up too many old wounds? Hadn't she been flat out scared of this guy for so many reasons?
A shiver ran through her, making goosebumps appear on her skin.
"You should probably put your robe on," David told her, noticing her reaction.
Maddie nodded.
"Yeah, maybe I should."
She hardly recognized her own voice; it sounded so squeaky and out of breath.
His hand came up to touch her cheek. It was nothing but a simple stroke against the side of her face and yet, she felt like spontaneously combusting. His other hand took away the dress that she hadn't realized she was still clutching like a lifeline. Somehow, when that final barrier was gone, she knew that she was done for. He knew it as well.
Maddie could feel something throb angrily between her legs, her chest heaving with anticipation. What would he do next? She refused to touch him and clenched her hands at her sides, not wanting to give into him just yet.
He dropped the dress to the floor, his eyes never leaving hers. Then, she felt him press a kiss to the corner of her mouth. It was so soft, that she almost wasn't sure that she had detected it properly. He proceeded to slide along her bottom lip, quietly nibbling on it. When he knew he could go all in, his tongue searched entrance. A soft moan escaped her. His kiss was so calm and languid, as if he was really trying to savor it.. to savor her. It wasn't what she was used to with him. Whenever they had kissed in the past, it had almost always been frenzied. Like they couldn't get wrapped up in each other fast enough. Those kisses had always terrified her; it had made her feel like she would die if she didn't return them with feverish passion. This was different and in a way, it was so much worse. His tongue drew lazy circles around hers as if he was slowly drawing her in, tip-toeing around the walls of her heart and taking a stone out one by one. There was a heavy feeling in her legs and Maddie just knew that she had to steady herself and soon, otherwise she would stumble against him.
Her hands travelled up his torso to where his shoulders were and she gripped them tightly, pressing herself against him automatically. Her body wanted more and the fact that they were standing there, kissing in nothing but their underwear, didn't help matters.
"David…," Maddie could hear herself whispering, when he released her lips to come up for air.
He raised his head to look down at her, his gaze so intense that she found it hard to look at him. His eyes searched hers for resistance, but she knew there was none. Something about this entire evening made her need this. She needed to feel him as close to her as he could possibly get.
Both of his hands were at her thighs now and he hooked his fingers inside the waistband of her panties, gently pulling them down. Still, his eyes were on hers as she stepped out of them. Maddie swallowed something when she realized that she really wanted to return the favor. Her hands glided down his chest and through the soft hairs there, becoming transfixed with the way his heart beat an erratic rhythm against her palm. Then, her hands slipped even lower, inside the elastic waistband of his boxer shorts. She calmly pulled them off.
There, they had probably reached a point of no return now. The only sounds in the room were those of their labored breathing. Maddie couldn't help taking David all in, her eyes appreciating his form. Her breath hitched when she came to the place between his legs. This was already proving to be more impassioned than she had ever experienced and a part of her wanted to run far, far way. The other part of her wanted something else, though. She quickly unhooked her bra and took his hand, pulling him with her towards her bed.
His brow seemed to furrow a bit when she laid herself down, her arms reaching out for him. It was an invitation without words and he didn't need to be told twice. His lips drove her crazy when he moved up her body excruciatingly slow. He kissed the skin of her calves, briefly stirred the inside of her right thigh and licked a path between her cream-colored mounds. When he was finally fully on top of her, Maddie felt like she couldn't take this extremely slow lovemaking anymore. It was too much… too intense… with the way he was boring his eyes into hers, pouring all of his emotions in this. He was slowly unraveling her, piece by piece, until there was nothing left of her but her love for him.
His agonizing rhythm was like music to her body and oh, she loved how he played. It was a masterpiece only he could carry out. Their souls merged and Maddie wanted to scream how much she loved him and how no man before him had ever been able to move her as he did. A lone tear escaped her when she realized that he had peeled away all of her layers and that she lay very naked before him, not just literally.
She pulled him even deeper into her, gasping when the telltale signs of her impending release made her head spin. His rhythm was still almost lazy, as if he was worshipping every inch of her and not wanting it to be over soon. Still, the intensity of it all was enough to make her catapult into the strongest orgasm that she had ever had. Every nerve ending tingled and hot lava shot through her veins. A strangled sound tore itself from her throat, while her back bended like a bow.
It took several minutes for her to return to earth again and she almost blushed when David looked down at her with a gentle smile. He didn't say anything, though. He simply kissed her and began his rhythm all over again. Quicker than Maddie had ever believed possible, she could feel herself begin to build up again. He knew every spot to hit and he did it with fervor. She mewled and hissed, begging for him to speed up before he would kill her with his excruciating, delicious pace. Her hands fumbled around, gripping the sheets beneath her. She felt dizzy with how every single emotion was wrung out of her.
"Please," she whispered in a barely audible voice. "I need you to… I… I can't…"
"Yes, you can," he told her. "One more time."
And she did. They both did. Maddie's mouth opened in a silent scream, feeling like her very essence was ripped from her body. She bucked against him, holding on tightly while the tremors slowly left her.
Then, she desperately needed to come up for air. She was grateful when he rolled to her side, looking about as drained as she probably did.
"What was that?" she asked in wonder, when she was finally able to speak again.
"What was what?"
Maddie turned her head his way and saw the absolute dazed expression on his face. He was obviously just as affected by everything as she was, even if he was trying to sound casual about it. This was the first time they had made love without any emotional barriers reigning them in. There had been no walls around their hearts or baggage from the past. It had been simple and… pure.
She sat up a little and looked down at him, pointing between their two bodies.
"That…. Us…. What we just did. What was that?"
David ran a hand through his hair, making it stand up a bit spiky.
"I don't know," he told her. "You tell me."
"Well, maybe it was due to the fact that we had a very stressful night. I mean, we almost died! Then, we got kidnapped and tied up in the shower… anyone would lose their head a little over something like that," Maddie reasoned.
"Okay. I wasn't going to write this off as a kneejerk reaction to severe stress, but if that's the way you want to look at it."
He suddenly sounded a bit agitated and Maddie frowned when he instantly shot out of bed, grabbing their clothes left and right. What was he doing?
"At least this time, you're not saying it never happened," David continued. "Or making pacts."
That's when it hit Maddie; he thought that she meant that the sex had only happened because she had been experiencing emotional strain because of this evening… that otherwise, she would never have done such a thing. It wasn't what had made her say those words. What she meant was, that the sex had been so deep and meaningful because almost dying might have made them realize something.
"David," she tried. "That wasn't…"
"It's okay, Maddie. I'm just going to take these clothes to the dryer and check on Harry. I'll be right back."
Maddie opened her mouth to speak, but he was gone before any sound could come out. Great! With everything that had already transpired, she could now add David being angry with her to her list. She flopped back down onto her pillow and sighed.
Why couldn't they ever get their communication right? Why were they always yelling or covering everything up by fake smiles and mile high walls? You would think that after all that had happened that night, that they would have learned a thing or two!
She dragged herself out of bed and put some clothes on. When David got back, they would have to talk about the conclusion to this Harry situation. She sincerely hoped that in a few hours, this entire whirlwind case would be wrapped up and she could finally get some sleep. Her entire body was aching.
Fifteen minutes later, David still hadn't returned to the bedroom and Maddie frowned. What was keeping him? Was he purposely keeping his distance? He wasn't that angry with her, right? She peeked around the corner of her bedroom door.
The house seemed eerily quiet and dark, making Maddie shiver a bit. A sense of dread filled her. If there was one thing David could never be accused of, it was being quiet. He was always making some kind of noise, whether it was singing, snapping his fingers or fumbling around with something in the house. He was just never silent; he even snored in his sleep!
"David?!" she called out, hoping for a quick answer.
There was none.
"David, what's going on?"
A dog howled somewhere in the distance, adding to the intense atmosphere in the house. Maddie took a deep breath and forced herself to go down the spiral staircase. Surely, David was pulling something on her. Any minute, he would pop out of some dark corner with that annoying smirk of his, wisecracking about some nonsense.
Any minute now.
She reached the bottom of the stairs and headed for her garage, hoping to find David huddled over her icebox, checking up on Harry. When she rounded the corner, she found something else entirely, though. Her heart missed several beats when she saw David lying on his back on the concrete floor. The garage door was open and so was her icebox. Harry was missing from it.
"David!" Maddie cried out, rushing to his side.
His eyes were closed and there was a nasty bump on his forehead. Their assailants must have come back… or maybe someone else who was after Harry and his tattoo. Her partner looked a bit ruffled, as if he had been fighting someone, before they conked him on the head. Why hadn't she heard anything?!
"Oh God, David! Please wake up!" she pleaded with him.
His eyes wouldn't open, though.
She rushed towards a phone, calling for an ambulance, before getting in touch with the police about Harry. She wanted nothing more to do with that case!
Half an hour later, David was lying in a hospital bed with Maddie watching him like a hawk. The doctor had reassured her that it was nothing more serious than a nasty concussion and that he could wake up at any minute, but she needed to be sure that he was going to be okay.
She had pulled up a chair and was examining his features closely, feeling all sorts of things going through her. What a night! They had been manhandled, buried alive, kidnapped and tied up in her shower together. Then, they had wound up having sex, before David had been knocked out by another criminal who had been after Harry's tattoo. Enough was enough!
Maddie carefully traced a finger across David's forehead, a lump forming in her throat. Then, his eyelids fluttered.
"David?" she whispered, her heart racing a mile a minute.
When his gaze finally landed on hers, still a bit unfocused, she almost wept with relief.
"There you are. I was so worried about you."
He looked around in a dazed manner, clearly not understanding what had happened.
"You're at the hospital," Maddie therefore explained. "When you went downstairs to put our clothes in the dryer, you were attacked by someone who was after Harry. Whoever it was, they knocked you out."
"My head is killing me," David finally managed. "I guess now I know why. But hey, you should see the other guy."
Still trying to joke, even though he was hurt. Now Maddie knew without a doubt that he was going to revert back to his old self in no time. A smile broke out on her face.
"Do you remember anything?" she asked.
"Well, I remember the bedroom."
They both fell silent after that and Maddie looked down, feeling somewhat uncomfortable.
"Yeah, about that…"
"Then I remember going downstairs to check on the body. It all gets a bit fuzzy after that," David interrupted her.
"Did you see the face of whoever attacked you?"
"Barely. I got a few punches in before I had the wind knocked out of me."
"Okay, because the police are probably going to want to talk to you."
"The police?" David frowned.
"Yes. I called them. I just wanted off this case, David! Let them handle it or pass it on to the FBI or whoever. This one was just way out of our league."
"All right. If the police show up, send them in."
Maddie nodded, pleased that he agreed.
"Right. So… this was quite a night," she mumbled, trying to bring up the subject of what had transpired in her bedroom.
David closed his eyes, snuggling into his pillow.
"Just another day at Blue Moon," he answered in his typical nonchalant way.
"Not really," Maddie countered him.
He didn't open his eyes or respond, though.
"I suppose some things need addressing," she continued.
"Like what? It happened and now it's out of our hands."
"What do you mean, it's out of our hands?"
"Aren't the police going to take over?"
Okay, was he being dense on purpose?
"I'm not talking about Harry, David. I'm talking about what happened between us," Maddie clarified.
David cracked one eye open and looked at her.
"I thought that what happened between us was due to the straining circumstances of the evening."
"In a way it was, but…"
"Well, there you have it. No sense in addressing anything."
He closed his eyes again and Maddie sat stumped, her mouth opening and closing without any sound coming out. Then, the doctor came in to examine David and the moment was lost in translation….
Two months later
Maddie frowned as she stared at her reflection in the mirror. She had opted to wear one of her pencil skirts again today and for some reason, it wouldn't close up. Had she really gained that much weight since she had last worn it? She pulled and pulled, but the fabric wouldn't let up.
Discouraged, she slipped out of the material and decided on a looser dress instead.
Maybe it was due to the fact that she had been working late a lot the past couple of weeks. Working late meant ordering take-out and that type of food wasn't exactly the most healthy kind. It was unfair how it didn't seem to affect her partner in the least. He had been right there with her eating the same food and yet, the only thing that seemed to fill out with him were his muscles.
Maddie grumbled as she grabbed her bag and headed for her car.
She was so aware of David's physique lately and it annoyed her to no end. He seemed to get better looking every day and she…. she just felt off, like she wasn't her regular self.
They had never discussed their romp in her bedroom again and maybe that was the problem. Maybe, she was feeling frustrated over it. Then again, who was she to expect anything from David? After Chicago, the loss of their baby and her constantly pushing him away, she understood why he avoided the subject of them having sex… why he avoided the subject of them, period. The pain that she had inflicted on him in the past was still raw today. The thing was; it felt like they were in a repeat performance from last year.
They had sex, she had said something that made him think that she was writing him off and now, they were never talking about anything ever again. The only thing missing was her running off to another part of the country.
So why didn't she just bring up the subject herself?
She had tried, she really had. Every time she had even remotely mentioned anything about that night, David had pretended to be invested in something else and claimed he didn't have the time to talk. Eventually, she had just given up and now, it was so long ago that she figured she just needed to let it be.
Maybe it was easier this way. The insecurities from last year were still there; she still worried about the fact that he had the uncanny ability to turn her soul inside out. When she was with him, he brought her to the edge of a precipice, before she willingly stumbled right over. No one in the whole world had ever made her feel that way before. He had actually managed to make her feel butterflies… freaking butterflies! Who the hell still had butterflies at this stage in their life?! A better question was; why hadn't anyone else made her feel them? It would have been so much more simple if it had been anyone but David.
When she thought back to their month long whirlwind romance and how deeply she had wanted… no, needed him, it left her breathless.
She should bring up that he had misunderstood the meaning of her words after they had made love, she just didn't know how or what to say that would make things a little better between them.
Her BMW rolled into the parking garage at Blue Moon and she parked it at her regular spot, before getting out. Today was a busy day; she and David had different meetings with three separate clients in the morning and in the afternoon, she had to meet up with her accountant and make a deposit at the bank.
"Good morning, Miss DiPesto," Maddie greeted her usual greeting at the brunette secretary.
"Good morning, Miss Hayes."
She quickly headed towards her office, feeling somewhat surprised that David was already there, hogging her desk chair.
"You know," he started, an annoyingly huge smirk on his face. "It doesn't happen too often that I'm here before you arrive. What was it this time? Flat tire? Is Tom Swiss back in town?"
Maddie growled at him.
"I had a clothing situation," she confessed.
"A clothing situation?" David's eyebrows shot up. "You look fine to me."
"Yeah well, I'm here now, aren't I? Out of my seat, Addison!"
"If you say pretty please," he teased her.
Maddie hauled him up by his tie, not in the mood for his games.
"Whoa! All right, all right! You don't have to strangle me!"
David quickly stepped aside and she sat down in her chair with a serious look on her face.
"Now, we have a busy day today. Mr. Hughes will come in at 10.30, which is in 10 minutes. After that, we have an appointment with Miss Jacobsen at 11.15 and Mr. Hansen will arrive shortly before lunch."
"Actually, you can relax for a little while longer. Mr. Hughes called to reschedule. We will meet with him next week."
Maddie sighed and leafed through her notebook.
"Isn't this the third time he's rescheduling? I believe the first appointment that didn't happen was over two months ago."
"He's a busy man, I guess," David shrugged.
"So are we."
"Costumer is King, Maddie."
Something appeared in Maddie's notebook that made her frown… She leafed some more, letting the pages quickly slip through her fingers. Two months ago…. Oh God, did she just forget to write it down?! The color drained from her face little by little, until she realized that she wasn't going to find what she was looking for. The last time she had jotted down that she had had her period was ten weeks ago… everything after that was blank….. she was late…. Like a lot late…
"Maddie? You look like you've seen a ghost," David interrupted her musings, looking a bit concerned.
Her skirt wouldn't close up this morning and she had been feeling off for weeks now. How on earth had she missed something like this?! Especially after last time… Panic bubbled over and she gasped for breath.
"Okay, breathe, Maddie. Come on." David dropped down to his knees in front of her, looking a little worried. "Hey, what's going on? Are you all right?"
Oh, she couldn't deal with this right now! She… they… had just lost their baby and now she was pregnant again? It couldn't be! It just couldn't be that she was expecting under the exact same circumstances as she had been the last time: her and David not together, being at odds and barely communicating about things that mattered. There was one difference, though. This time, she knew without a doubt that David was the father of her baby. There was no other man and there would be no gynecologist to mix up the due date, making her think that Sam was the father. Everything was crystal clear.
A strange thought rattled her brain about the fact that they must be incredibly fertile together. Really, she had already become pregnant within the blink of an eye the first time. This time, they had only made love once. Once! Not just that, she was a woman over 35! Usually, it didn't happen this fast when you were… well, older! And what was with them not using protection?!
"Maddie, talk to me! You're starting to worry me!" David interrupted her musings.
"I need to see a doctor."
She got out of her seat in a daze, pushing David out of the way.
"Is it that bad?"
Maddie didn't answer him. She grabbed her belongings and headed for the door.
"I'll come with you," David told her.
"You can't, David. Someone needs to stay behind and handle our appointments."
"Viola can do that! Or we'll have Miss DiPesto cancel everything for us, citing an emergency."
"There's no need. I want to do this alone."
"Maddie, come on! Your complexion resembled that of our boy Harry from a few months back. Are you sure you're even able to drive?"
Funny that he should mention Harry again, given the aftermath that night probably caused. Maddie shook her head, giving David a reassuring look.
"David, I promise you that it's nothing life threatening."
"But you need to see a doctor for it."
"Yes, but I just want him to check something for me."
David raised his eyebrows at her.
"Like what? Your blood pressure? Because that one sure spikes regularly."
"I already know what causes that. I'm looking directly at the very distinct reason," Maddie shot back, crossing her arms. "Look, I'll tell you about it when I get back. You have my word."
That made him back down a bit.
"All right. I'll hold down the fort for you. Hurry back with some good news, okay?"
Good news… Would he take it as good news if she were to have his baby? Again? She wasn't even sure how she felt about it herself. Things were still so complicated between them. Oh well, first things first.
"I will. See you later..."
"Blue Moon Detective Agency!
Was something misplaced,
or taken away?
We'll be sure to find it,
and bring it back in a hurr-ay.
Do you suspect foul play,
or is someone a cheat?
We'll get to the bottom of it,
and we'll be discreet."
Maddie smiled as she heard Miss DiPesto rhyming on the phone. Who would have thought that one day, she would grow to love this job? Not to mention the people working there? She stood in the doorway and looked around the office, taking it all in.
Things were surely going to change now.
"Miss Hayes! How did your appointment go?" the brunette secretary asked, and Maddie could tell by the anxious look in her eyes that she knew that the appointment in question was a doctor's appointment. David really needed to learn to keep his mouth shut!
"It was fine, Miss DiPesto. Could you.. uhm… hold all calls for me and Mr. Addison? There's something important that we need to discuss."
"Sure!"
Maddie quietly walked over towards David's office, feeling so nervous that her legs felt wobbly. She knocked on his door, waiting for his reply.
"David?"
"Yeah, come in!"
He was sitting in his chair, but instantly got up when she entered, looking rather worried.
"How did the appointment go?" he asked.
Maddie shut the door behind her and sat down onto his oversized leather couch. She really couldn't stand up for news like this.
"It went exactly as I suspected."
"Okay… what does that mean?"
David leaned back against his desk, crossing his arms as he examined her face.
"David, I…. that night when we were tied up in my shower together…"
"What does that have to do with you feeling ill this morning?"
"Please don't interrupt me! This is important!"
Maddie's eyes pleaded with him and he slowly nodded, listening.
"When we… uhm… in the bedroom, when…. when you and I…"
"Did it?" he finished for her.
"You said that you wouldn't interrupt!"
"Well, it didn't seem like you were going to finish that sentence anytime soon. I simply wanted to offer some help."
"Okay, could you be any more crass? When we made love..," she said, giving him a pointed look. "We never used any… uhm… well, you know…"
"Condoms?"
"Oh, for the love of God, Addison!"
"What?" David shrugged. "It's not a dirty word, or anything!"
Maddie began to blush up to the roots of her hair.
"You are the most horrible, immature man I've ever come across!"
"And yet, you stick around."
"You know what? Forget it!"
Maddie shot up and began to walk towards his closed office doors with big, angry strides.
"Maddie, just say what you were going to tell me!"
"I'm pregnant!"
The silence after that was deafening, and Maddie slowly turned around to see his reaction. He was standing stock still, his mouth hanging slightly open.
"Pregnant?" he uttered, a bit dazed.
"I realized I was late when I checked my notebook this morning and that's why I… Anyway, I guess that crazy night with Harry left us a little something."
"Pregnant?"
His gaze slid across her form, landing on her belly.
"I suppose it's a rather frightening thing after… The doctor assured me that what happened the first time was an isolated incident and that it shouldn't affect another pregnancy. Still, I'm… nervous," Maddie admitted.
She watched as David walked over towards his desk chair and slumped down on it.
"I didn't plan this, David, and with everything we've been through together, this is kind of a curveball. I get that. I just really want to know where you stand in all this."
His head whipped up at that and he narrowed his eyes at her.
"Where I stand in all this? Didn't I make myself clear on that the first time around?"
"Well, yes… but ever since then…"
"I have never been the one to walk away from anything, Maddie. If you're pregnant, I'll take care of you and the little one. You know that."
"Maybe I want you to do more than take care of us," she blurted out.
"And what does that mean?"
Maddie sat back down onto his couch and wrung her hands together.
"That night, I should have made you understand…"
"Made me understand what?"
"That what happened between us was… well… uhm…"
To her horror, tears welled up in her eyes and a sob escaped her throat.
"Never mind. I'll leave you to it."
For the second time in a few minutes, Maddie flew off his couch and made a beeline for the exit.
"Damnit, Maddie! Would you stay put for once in your life!"
She froze instantly when she heard the tone in his voice. He rarely talked to her like that, but when he did…. She could hear him coming up behind her and quickly wiped at the tears in her eyes.
"I have never met anyone more stubborn or pigheaded than you, Madolyn Hayes! Why are you always running away?"
Maddie turned around, but didn't answer him. She simply stared at him with big, blue eyes, trying her best not to let her tears fall again.
"I should have applied for another job ages ago, you know that? Do you know why I'm still here? You always talk about how you didn't see me coming. Well, likewise, babe! No one drives me as nuts as you do! And after everything, you still have no idea…."
David stopped talking for a moment and took a deep breath.
"You still have no idea," he mumbled angrily.
He ran a hand through his hair and took a few steps away from her.
Maddie watched him closely, her heart weighing heavy in her chest. He was the father of her child… no children…. Her first pregnancy would never be forgotten and that child was always going to be a part of her… of them. He was right, though. She took him for granted and treated him as such.
"I'm sorry," she whispered.
"For what?!"
His tone was harsh and Maddie almost winced.
"For not telling you straight away that you misunderstood my words that night with the whole Harry ordeal. I never meant to say that we only made love because of emotional stress. What I was trying to tell you was that almost dying... it did something to me. It made me realize that maybe it was time for me to… let my guard down. I didn't find the right words, David, and it backfired. After that, there was never the right moment to bring it up again. I'm sorry."
David stared at her incredulously. Then, he began to laugh.
"Why are you laughing?!" she hissed, feeling slightly irked all of a sudden.
"Because when we get it wrong, we sure get it wrong, don't we?"
A careful smile shone through on Maddie's face as well.
"Yeah, well. I guess this baby is going to force us to get it right this time."
The reminder of her pregnancy shook David out of his laughing spell and he looked at her abdomen in pure wonder. He hesitantly took a few steps forward.
"Can I?" he asked her.
Maddie was instantly catapulted back towards another time when he had asked her that exact same question. Of course, the circumstances were somewhat different. When David put his hand on her belly, she remembered how detached she had been that day at her office. She had been so afraid of her own feelings that she had gone and married someone else; the ultimate roadblock that would put a definite kink in their cable.
Would they ever get it right? David Addison had ignited something in her that scared the hell out of her. He brought out a side to her that she hadn't even known existed before. He was so wrong to think that she was running away from him, though. She had been running away from herself. Would she ever stop running? Would he ever forgive her for running?
"I do have an idea, David," she suddenly blurted out.
His eyes shot up towards hers and he frowned.
"About?"
"Earlier, you said that I still have no idea. I do, okay? I do know. I was just too scared to say anything about it."
"Why were you scared?" he softly inquired.
Lord, what that man was able to do with his voice should be illegal!
"I….," she started, but decided to take a different route instead. "You know, when Herbert Viola came to work here, Agnes was all over him. Do you remember that?"
David looked at her with an amused smile on his face.
"I think everyone still remembers that. She had him bent over on top of one of the desks out there."
"Well, I never told anyone this, but Mr. Viola was hiding in my office one day, not knowing how to handle the situation with Agnes. He told me that he didn't know how he felt about her, because he was always so busy running away from her. I remember telling him to stop running, but he said he couldn't, because then, she would catch him. I asked him what would happen if he let her and he was stumped, obviously never having thought of that himself. Me and Mr. Viola, we are actually a lot alike in that department."
He had to understand what she was trying to say. He had to! She wasn't good with words and feelings and everything that came with it. He had to know what she was trying to tell him!
"Are you saying that you're ready to be caught?" David nicely deduced. "No more Chicago? No more marriages to other people?"
Maddie took a deep breath.
"I'm saying that I'll… stop running and we'll see what happens then."
For a moment there, she was afraid that he still didn't understand. He just stood there with his hands in his pockets and his lips slightly parted, giving her this look that she found very hard to read. Then, a hint of a smile curled up the corners of his mouth.
"Come here," he told her.
She stepped forward cautiously, her eyes examining his face. Then, she closed the distance between them, burying her nose into his chest, while his arms came up around her.
"I've got you," she could hear him whisper above her.
That, he did…..
A/N: This one was written for Dustin, who opted this idea to me. I hope you all like it, as anything regarding season 5 usually takes me out of my comfort zone. Hahaha! It was a lot of fun to fix a scenario regarding that season, though. Anyway, I wish you all a very Happy New Year! Hopefully, it will bring us better things than 2020 did. Lots of love!