Oof... it's been a while since I've updated this story. My apologies.
I've been doing a bit of a rewatch again recently and wanted to continue this. Unfortunately, I've lost my initial outline and I don't fully remember where I was going with it so I'll be winging it for now unless I happen across my old notebook.
I guess I should note that I also wrote this before the Night Court reboot premiered. To be perfectly honest, I have not watched it and don't have an interest to. From what I've read, this has become even more of an AU...
FORMER HEAD OF THE PHIL FOUNDATION DAN FIELDING MAKES STATEMENT IN LETTER…
Everyone huddled around Harry as he sat at his desk with the newspaper open.
When they'd seen the headline, they'd felt an initial burst of hope. That didn't last long, reading on only to learn Dan had mailed a scrawled apology and mailed it without a return address, apologizing and lamenting over his failure. They'd seen him grovel before, but this felt serious.
And then the rumors began.
He left the country! He's somewhere in South America now.
He's hiding out somewhere so the police don't find him.
He's gone!
He's in a hospital somewhere. The grief was too much.
He's still lurking around!
He's in league with Will!
With Dan, any of these could be a possibility and more. But Harry in particular felt something was seriously off. Dan had been in binds before, granted, none so serious as this. Sure, he'd make a pitiful and embarrassing display, but he always came around in the end and faced it. He should have turned up by now. He knew what Dan was capable of both good and bad. He was concerned.
"Is the detective here yet?"
Harry looked up from his computer to see Christine coming toward him. He was so preoccupied with Dan that for the first time in weeks, he didn't tense up in Christine's presence.
"No," he said, exacerbated. "He should have been here half an hour ago."
Christine sat on the edge of the desk. "You'd think with the money involved they wouldn't be dragging their feet."
"I don't know if that's a good or bad thing."
"I'm worried about him, Harry. Increasingly so since that article. He's been so... not himself. Not in a long time. As good as the change has been, he's also been impulsive. I'm afraid he's done something rash."
Harry's voice was weak as he replied, "So am I."
They were quiet a moment before she spoke again. "Everything with The Phil Foundation... the change in him, I mean. What if it was all his grief over Phil? You know Dan. It takes a lot for him to admit even to himself when he feels any kind of affection or closeness to someone else. What if all of the charity and nonprofit work was some kind of denial? A blow like this shattered whatever allusion he might have built."
"I've had similar thoughts. We can't know for sure. There ought to be the truth in there somewhere. All we can do is hope that the detective is able to track him down."
Christine nodded but then quickly turned her head away as tears filled her eyes. Of course, Harry noticed.
He stood up and pulled her into a hug. "It'll be all right."
"How can you be sure?" she mumbled into his jacket.
"... I can't be. But what's the alternative?"
"This is reminding me of the time his plane crashed and was presumed dead."
"And he showed up at his own memorial service. That seemed hopeless, didn't it?"
She nodded again, stepping back but not out of his hold.
"Let's try not to panic until and wait and see what the detective has to say."
"I'll try," she sniffed.
Harry moved his hands up and ran his thumbs over her cheekbones, catching her tears before they rolled all the way down her cheeks. He gave a weak, forced smile, hoping it came across as encouraging. The smile soon faded as they both came to realize their stance.
"Harry-" she started but was cut off.
"Christine," he said, stepping away from her. "I know things are still unsettled between us. I know I'm the reason for it and I'm sorry. It's just now this thing with Dan-"
"Now's not the time," she agreed.
"No."
"All I was going to say is that I've missed you. Up until a few seconds ago, this was the first time in weeks you haven't looked terrified of me."
"I'm not terrified of you."
"You're terrified of us."
He took several seconds before responding. "Maybe a little bit."
"Can you take comfort in knowing we aren't going to try to work through it all tonight? Not run away every time you see me?"
He looked down. Before he could apologize, there was a knock on the doorframe.
"Sir?" Mac said, walking in with another man. "Detective Pepitone is here."