Disclaimer: This story is mine, but the characters do not belong to me. I make no money from this, but I did have a ton of fun writing it.
A/N: This story connects the dots between scenes in the episode "Witness For The Execution". Most of you are very familiar with this episode, but if you are not, watch it first. It's a great episode, and you'll be glad you did.
Again, I want to thank Ryan at MoonlightingStrangers for editing and for another brilliant title!
David: Nurse! Nurse! I think we got a man dyin' in here! Nurse!
Nurse: What are you doing? My God! You've killed him.
Later that night...
The drive was nothing but a blur, yet somehow David made it safely to her house. Maddie's house. He felt relieved that no one had followed him there. He threw the car in park and sat. For how long? He didn't know. He had no sense of time. It might've been minutes. Could've been hours. Eventually, the shock wore off, and for the first time since before he walked into the nursing home, he allowed himself to think. What the hell happened back there?
He'd arrived at the nursing home early. Was going to tell Mr. Everett he'd changed his mind. That he couldn't go through with it. He couldn't help a man die... even if it was the man's last dying wish. To carry that kind of burden around... for the rest of his life. He just couldn't. God-fearing man that he was, David knew deep down... deep, deep down... that the big guy upstairs would never approve. So, that was it. He'd made up his mind. He wasn't going to do it.
But then everything changed when he walked into the room. Mr. Everett was already dead. Gone. For good. Flatlined. How could he be dead? There were no flashing lights... no alarms. Aren't there supposed to be flashing lights and alarms? He remembered seeing that the life support system was turned off, and the sheer panic he felt. It was complete chaos. Just thinking about it made his hands shake and his heart pound. Who the hell turned the machine off?!
A smattering of heavy raindrops startled him when they hit the windshield, and he practically jumped out of his skin at the first crack of thunder. He shut his eyes tight, and when he opened them, a flash of lightning illuminated the wrought iron fence at the edge of the manicured lawn. He got out of the car and pulled the back of his jacket up over his head to keep from getting wet. He went quickly through the gate, continuing down the stone path that led him to the backyard.
Though never invited, he had been there before... on the patio behind her house. He'd scaled a trellis there once or twice. The nerve of him. He knew how to get inside, but something suddenly told him to stop and stand back. I can't go to her now. Can't tell her what happened. What am I doing here? She isn't gonna wanna hear this. He wasn't sure he was doing the right thing. She's going to be angry! So fucking angry! There was another flash of lightning. God damn it!
He looked around for a chair to sit on, but the heavens opened up, and it started to pour. So instead, he grabbed an empty planter, flipped it upside down and sat as close to the house as he could. The awning above the French doors afforded him some cover from the driving rain, but it was a cool winter night, and it was only a matter of minutes before he started to shiver.
He looked at the trellis and decided to go for it. It was now or never. Before he knew it, he was inside her house and standing at the foot of her bed. He'd crossed every line to get there. I know I shouldn't be here, Maddie. To him, she looked like an angel... so beautiful, and sleeping so peacefully. I don't wanna wake you. I'm afraid I'll scare you like this. I have no right to be here... to ask anything of you, but I need your help. I don't know what else to do.
A few hours earlier...
Maddie started to get ready for bed. She poured a glass of wine and brought it with her up the stairs. She turned on soft music and lit lavender-scented candles. She put her hair up and removed her makeup. Then she took off all her clothes and tested the water. Perfect. It was time to indulge in a much-needed, warm and relaxing bubble bath.
This was, after all, the nightly routine. But tonight, things felt different. She felt different... agitated, that's what it was... really agitated... because of a certain someone. Because of him. But as she immersed herself in the sudsy water, she made a promise. I am not going to think about the events of the day. But of course, all she could think about were the events of the day. And that certain someone.
The day started out with a fight with David. Why? Why does every day have to start out with a fight? First about responsibilities... then about a client. That was nothing new, a typical event. But I'm the boss, damn it! The boss... ME! I make the decisions... not him! She didn't speak a word to him for the rest of the day. Again, unfortunately, nothing new.
But what was new... was this uneasy feeling she had. It sort of felt like anger, fear and worry all balled up and circling around in her gut. She knew that David had intended to go against her wishes. That he intended to help Lawrence Everett. Can't he see this is wrong? She shifted her position in the tub, causing water to splash out onto the tiled floor. Then she cursed under her breath. Doesn't he know this is insurance fraud? That he is being selfish? That this could hurt our business?! Frustrated, she moved her hand and wine spilled from her glass and into the tub.
She chastised herself for letting David get to her like this. She glanced at the clock on the wall. With the small hand just slightly past the eight, she knew that whatever David decided to do, it was done now. And for some reason, that made her feel a sense of relief. I can't change what he did. I'll just have to accept it. Maybe it was just the peace before the storm. She didn't know, but she put her head back, closed her eyes, and settled into the warm bath.
Maddie lost track of time and she suddenly realized she'd been in the tub for far too long. Her fingertips looked like raisins, and before long her entire body would, too. So, she stood up and dried off and slipped into her pajamas.
It was about 9:15 when she finally laid down in bed. Between the wine and the soothing bath, she felt calm and relaxed. She figured that since she hadn't heard anything by that time, David probably hadn't gone through with it. She knew him... felt she knew his heart. And in her heart, she didn't think he'd go through with it. There was no way. He couldn't... he wouldn't...
Maddie fell asleep, and despite the raging storm outside, she slept soundly until she felt a man place his hand over her mouth.
Lt. Tappia: You have a partner at the Blue Moon Detective Agency... a David Addison.
Maddie: Yes
Lt. Tappia: You wouldn't happen to know where he is, would you?
Maddie: Right now?
Lt. Tappia: Tonight. Right now.
Maddie: Well, he could be anywhere. Is something the matter?
Six long hours later...
In a darkened corner of the parking garage there was a badly beat up Ford Pinto. The owner, likely a security guard or a night janitor, probably figured his car was worth more to him stolen, so he'd left the doors unlocked and the windows wide open. On the front seat he'd left a bag of pretzels, some sticks of gum, and an unopened can of root beer. It was as if the vehicle's owner knew some hapless soul might come along and need to hunker down there for the night, so why not roll out the welcome mat?
It was here that David spent the last few miserable hours, after grabbing whatever cash he could find in his office and realizing he couldn't go home. Feeling tired and spent, he had been relieved to find this car. But finding a good place to hide was David's one and only win. Everything else that happened to him that night stunk, and that was putting it mildly.
David stared straight ahead as he scratched the side of his five o'clock shadow. He couldn't help but turn everything over and over in his mind. She lied for me. The woman actually lied for me. What was she thinking? I didn't want her to lie to the police. Maddie. His boss. His partner. His friend. She outright lied to the police in order to protect him. He couldn't believe this. Not only did he have to worry about his own involvement in this huge mess, but now he had to worry about her, too. Why did she do that? Went and landed us both in hot water. Not that I'd mind bein' in hot water with Maddie, but not like this... not like this. This, however, is what David pondered all night long. From the moment he slipped out through her bedroom window to the moment he realized he couldn't go home to the moment he walked into the office parking garage. This huge mess is what he thought about. Well, this... and what the hell he was going to do to fix it. He had to make things right... for both of them.
At some point, exhaustion got the better of him, and he nodded off to sleep for a short time... only to wake up to a real-life nightmare. Still without a plan, he panicked, but quickly realized what he needed to do. I gotta leave town. I can't be here. They think I killed that man. The evidence points to me. He thought again about last night's sequence of events, and even he felt confused. Is it possible I did do it? That can't be, but... what if somehow... something I did caused... God, I don't know what the hell happened! There's no way I did this... no way.
He looked down at his wristwatch to see the time. Maddie would be arriving soon. I can't stay here...I gotta go, but I can't go without talking to her first. I know she's gonna try to talk me out of it... going underground... whatever that means. But I am a fugitive... and this is what fugitives do. We go underground. I'll tell her I'll find a place... maybe head to New York... subway tunnels are nice this time of year. I'll be okay... I'll tell her not to worry. He felt like all of this was crazy. It was absurd. But what choice did he have? And the worst part of all was that he'd have to leave her behind. His boss. His partner. His friend.
A short time later...
Maddie felt exhausted on the morning drive to work. After David skipped out on her, she'd had an awful time trying to fall back to sleep. She worried about him being out in the cold rain, and she wondered where he would go. Why didn't he just stay at my place? The police would never have known he was there. And why are we being so secretive about all this? David didn't kill that man. And besides, no one but David and I know why Mr. Everett came to see us in the first place. Maddie squirmed a little in her seat when she remembered that there was someone else involved in this. Another person. The person Mr. Everett hired. The murderer. What if the murderer had gotten there early?
It saddened her that David blamed himself. She could only imagine how confused he must have felt... seeing Mr. Everett's lifeless body. The thought of him wrestling with his decision at the last minute, only to walk in and see that... it made her feel ill. She could just picture him lunging for the life support machine and panicking... touching knobs and buttons he shouldn't have touched... leaving fingerprints behind for law enforcement to find. If she had been in his position, she would've done the same thing. She was sure of it.
There was no doubt in her mind that David was innocent, and she was eager to get to work on proving that fact. So, as she drove, she planned out her day... who she would need to speak to... where she would need to go. She had to stay focused for the sake of the business. That's what she told herself, but really, staying focused was the only thing that kept her from coming face-to-face with her feelings. I lied to the police for that man. That is something that I could never imagine I'd do, but I did it willingly... for him. She crinkled her brow, wondering what all that meant, and then she tossed the thought away and got back to focusing.
Maddie: Well, if I did not do it, and you did not do it, then I guess...
David & Maddie: It didn't happen.
All day long...
She'd kept herself busy. She needed to solve this case. No, she couldn't call this a case. It was a mystery, or more like a tangled-up mess they'd gotten themselves into. But no matter what... even if it meant paying off a janitor to let her sneak into Lawrence Everett's room... she did what she needed to do to prove David's innocence. You are not going to live like a fugitive, David. I won't let you. She wanted her partner back.
Lying in bed at night, Maddie's thoughts turned to that morning in the garage. His kiss... it stunned her. It left her momentarily unable to think straight. How did that happen? She swore up and down that she didn't do it. She only wanted to embrace him... to give him a simple goodbye hug. The next thing I know, he's kissing me. How did that happen?
She didn't want to analyze it... the kiss. She didn't want to let her mind go there. But lying in the darkness, when she closed her eyes, she could feel the way he wrapped his strong arms around her, and she could almost taste his lips on hers. She'd been kissed before, but not like this. This was the most passionate... the most intense... perhaps the most wonderful kiss she'd ever had. Too bad it didn't happen. But then, she thought about it some more. A kiss like that complicates things. It makes it hard to work together. Good thing it didn't happen.
Maddie rolled onto her side. For the second night in a row, she could barely sleep. Her eyes flitted across the room, absent-mindedly looking at things, but not really taking notice. She happened to look at her slippers on the floor. They were new. They looked like ballet slippers. She loved them in the store, but at home she didn't care for them too much. She hated having to bend down and take them off. She couldn't just step out of them and get into bed. She was particular, she knew that about herself... fussy about even the little things.
She rolled back over onto her back and had a flashback to being in Mr. Everett's room at the nursing home. She tried recalling where every single thing was... the call button, the pillows and blankets. The slippers! On the floor! Facing the bed! Like he stepped out of them! Oh, my goodness! Lawrence Everett could walk!
As the evening approached...
David thought about how he'd spent most of his day hiding out under an overpass not too far from the office. Pretending to be down and out on his luck, he befriended a couple of old homeless men, Harold and Owen. Told them his name was Bruno, and that he was there because his wife kicked him out. He'd been unemployed for far too long, and she got sick of seeing his sorry ass passed out on the living room couch. So, to commiserate over his newfound, unwanted freedom, David handed the men cash... told them to go buy some hooch and some cheap beer. I'll be damned if they didn't come back with all that and cigarettes! You'd think those fellas won the lottery. Most fun I ever had under a bridge!
As the sun set, the surrounding area took on a whole different feel. The businesses closed for the night and the commuters all went home, leaving the streets crawling with unsavory types. There were the addicts with their street drugs and the pimps with their prostitutes. David didn't want any part of that, so he took off.
He thought about going back to his office building, but left the area when he saw two men sitting in an unmarked police car parked out front. Could they be any more obvious?
Holmby Park was a thirty-five-minute walk from the office, but David managed to do it in thirty. It was dark out, and he'd walked in the shadows wherever he could. No one knew he was there. He was sure of it.
He used the public restroom and bought a soda and a cherry fruit pie from the vending machine. He found a bench to lie down on and a stack of discarded newspapers to use as a pillow. He had been so distracted all day... pretending to be someone he wasn't... maneuvering around the city unseen. Only now, looking up at the moon and the stars... rubbing his arms to stay warm, did he think of the kiss they shared and how much he was really going to miss her. Maddie, Maddie, Maddie...
David thought about how, when he was just a little boy, his father used to twirl his mother around the kitchen while singing along to The Everly Brothers' "Til I Kissed Ya". He would always laugh and tell his parents that he hated that song, but now... after kissing Maddie, that song was all he could think about. That and her soft lips and how they felt pressed against his. He swore up and down that he didn't do it. He wanted to give her a hug... she was crying. The next thing I know, she's kissing me. How did that happen?
The night air around him was chilly, but thinking about the kiss made his body warm. He'd wanted to kiss her since the moment they met. There were even times when he thought she might like him in that way. Maybe he might have a chance. A guy like me can dream, right? When they kissed... it felt like a dream to him. She said it didn't happen, but it happened all right. We can tell ourselves that it didn't, but it did. That's a memory that I'll never forget. I kissed Maddie Hayes. This could change everything between us. Or nothing. But it happened. It was hard for him to get comfortable, lying on that park bench. He didn't get much sleep that night, but he had nothing but sweet dreams.
Lt. Tappia: If all this pans out... you can tell your partner he can come in out of the cold.
Maddie: I'd like to Lieutenant.
From the moment she saw him, Maddie did not like that Lieutenant Tappia. His cockiness. His arrogance. The way he always had a filthy cigarette in his mouth. The way he was gunning for David. Well, take that, Lieutenant. Lawrence Everett could walk! She was appreciative of one thing, though. At least he was willing to consider her theory about what had happened that night at the nursing home.
Maddie had gone from the station back to the office and stayed there all day, waiting on pins and needles to hear from someone at the police department. She knew that if they could only find Mr. Everett's prints on the life support machine, that David would no longer be considered a suspect, and life could return to normal.
With David being out of the office it was much quieter than usual. But, as the day along, Maddie became increasingly aware of the loud buzz coming from the Wobbly rumor mill. I can understand why they thought I fired him. But Wilson, who asked if Mr. Addison left us to tour the country as a stand-up comic! Or Mandelberg, who asked if he went and joined the circus! Or Kris, who thought I'd cast a spell on him and turned him into a toad! As if I could actually do that! Hey, wait a minute! Was she implying that I'm a witch?! I may be the boss around here, but I certainly don't wear a pointy black hat! She didn't want to worry them, so she told them he was out-of-town on business. But Agnes knew better. I could never lie to Agnes. And so, when Agnes confronted her privately, Maddie had no choice but to tell her the truth.
It got to be seven o'clock in the evening, and everyone but Maddie and Agnes had left for the day. When the phone rang, Agnes picked it up faster than you could say "Dipesto". This was no time for rhymes.
Maddie's door had been left open, so she heard the phone ring, too. Immediately, she dropped what she was doing and lifted her head. Then she struggled to keep her composure when she couldn't get out from behind her desk fast enough and out into the front office. Agnes gulped when she handed her the phone, and then she raised both her hands... fingers crossed. It was Lieutenant Tappia! And, thankfully, he had good news! I have to let David know. But how? He could be anywhere!
Early the next morning...
David sat near the train tracks just on the outskirts of Vegas. He was waiting there for the train headed west. He didn't have a ticket... just high hopes that he could catch a ride back the same way he came. He had only been there a few short hours, but unfortunately, Vegas had not been very good to him.
His troubles began the night before... on a train out of L.A. He'd met a guy who went by the name Skeet. He was about six feet tall, real thin, with kind eyes and jet-black hair that looked like it hadn't been washed in a week. Like David, Skeet was looking to get out of town and fast. So, along with several other transients, they hopped aboard a freight train as it slowly started to leave the station.
The train car was mostly empty, except for a few stacks of lumber and some large wooden crates. David watched as Skeet picked a spot on the floor and laid down, using his rolled-up jacket as a pillow. David followed suit and did the same. He was tired and hoped the chugging of the engine would lull him to sleep. But after lying there for a while, he suddenly hunched over and clutched his belly. Oh, crap! It's those damn beans! He had gas... the worst kind of gas. I should've known better. What kind of idiot eats beans out of a bag?! He tried to hold it in. He really did, but the pain was excruciating. So, he let one fly.
Skeet, of course, being right next to David, woke up and wondered, Who the hell did such a foul thing? David looked to the other side of Skeet... at an overweight man who appeared to be sleeping soundly, and put the blame on him. Turned out the overweight man was not sleeping soundly, and he did not take well to being blamed for another man's flatulence. The large man got up, grabbed David by his shirt, and nearly tossed him out of the train. Hey, it's always good to ask the name of the guy who's threatening to throw you off the train. Found out his name was Verm - short for Vermin - as in rats and mice. Told him I thought he had a great name. He was flattered, so he let me go. After that, though, none of the other vagabonds wanted to be anywhere near David Addison.
The train pulled into Vegas shortly before two o'clock in the morning. David hopped off the train, followed by Skeet. When he turned around, Skeet took off running. In an instant David knew. He reached for his wallet, opened it up and discovered that his travel companion had stolen all his cash. Should've known better… "Skeet" was prob'ly short for sketchy. The stolen cash wasn't much... only about eighty dollars or so, but still. Thank God for the twenty I still had in my pocket. David went into a casino and tried to double his money. But he should've known better. The house always wins.
David realized he'd hit the end of the road. He wasn't very good at living the life of a fugitive. The severity of his situation hit him. With no money, no shelter and no food, he had to go back. This is crazy. What am I doing here? Why am I running? I didn't kill that man. Now I'm forced to go back... ask Maddie to front me some money and hope I can pay her back one day. Whatever happened to innocent 'til proven guilty? Thinking about Maddie and about work made him miss being home. So, even though he was exhausted, he trudged on back to the train tracks, hoping to hop aboard a freight train headed back to L.A.
Maddie: Los Angeles Times? Classified, please. I'd like to place an ad in the personals. Yes, personals... all caps. David A. Please come home. All is well. We love you... and miss you. Maddie.
Nine o'clock Friday morning…
Now that David was back, Maddie felt self-conscious and a little embarrassed about the message she'd placed for him in the personals. It just feels... I don't know... a little too personal. I mean, I only said what I said because that was then, and this is now. And now, I don't know that I would say what I said. She felt like her head was spinning, and her thoughts were running in circles. She just knew one thing, and that was that she did not want David Addison to see that message. So, she went around the office trying to collect and dispose of all the newspapers Agnes had left on desks and tables and chairs.
Once she filled up the wastebasket with all the papers she could find, she retreated back into her office. For the first time since she woke up, she felt like she could breathe.
She thought back to late last night... when David appeared in her bedroom, soaking wet. She had been so happy to see him... standing there in front of her... looking all scruffy with his lopsided grin. She popped right up out of bed and wrapped her arms around him. They both ended up tumbling onto the floor, where he'd caught her such that she was practically lying on top of him. That was when she smiled and told him the good news. She couldn't say it fast enough, that thanks to her clever thinking, he had been cleared of any wrongdoing in Mr. Everett's death. Looking intently into her eyes, he gently caressed her cheek with the back of his fingers and thanked her. Thinking about that moment... she had no words, but for some reason, it made her heart beat faster.
She hoped he'd gotten home okay last night. She'd offered him her guest room, but he declined. I understand, he wanted to get out of his wet clothes, take a shower... sleep in his own bed. I mean, it's not like he was turning me down. Still... I couldn't help but feel disappointed when he left, but that's silly, right? I mean, there was no reason to feel disappointed. Why am I even thinking like this? I'm just happy he's back. Now things can return to normal. Like nothing ever happened. Not even... that thing that didn't happen in the garage.
Maddie instructed Agnes to let her know when David arrived. She'd told him to sleep in... figured he could use the rest. She didn't think she'd see him 'til noon or so, but then she heard the cheering and applause coming from the outer office. Now, I wonder who that could be for? And then she smiled.
Even though Maddie had told him he could come in late, David wasn't able to sleep much past eight. He got up and got dressed quickly... figured he'd shave when he got to the office. He was actually excited to get to work. This must be how Maddie feels bright and early on a Monday morning. Hmmm, she must feel great... Stop it, David. He scolded himself for thinking like that. Remember, she's the boss. She'd probably remind him of that fact ten times today, but he didn't mind. He was just glad to be back.
Unbeknownst to Maddie, David did see the ad she'd placed for him in the personals. He'd been feeling a little disconnected from the world the last couple of days, so when he left for work that morning, he grabbed the newspaper one of his neighbors had left in the lobby. He read it in the cab on his way to the office.
Once all the ballyhoo was over, and after Maddie greeted him and left, he walked over to his desk and sat down. He pulled a folded-up piece of paper out of his pants pocket. Then, with great care, he placed it down on his desk and unfolded it... flap by flap. This was page ten of the classifieds, and he'd made a point to save it. With his pointer finger he drew an invisible circle around an ad at the bottom of the page. He read her words for what was probably the hundredth time that morning, and he could swear his cheeks blushed every single time... redder than the red hearts on his boxers. He smiled. We love you, too, Maddie H.
A/N: If you enjoyed reading this story, please let me know by leaving a review. Thank you!
