Make Me Lose Control

[Addisonsgirl]

Maddie was full of enthusiasm when she started her new – and hopefully more acceptable - working schedule. She and David had pondered together over the question whether it was better to work 5 days part time or if she should work a few days from 9 – 5 and stay at home the rest of the week. Finally, they decided it would be best if she stayed at home two full days – Monday and Thursday – on those days she would work in her home office with Agnes and do the bookkeeping for the agency and other paperwork, telephone calls etc., and work at the office the other 3 days from 9 – 2. Maddie was doing her best to adapt to the new situation – and she thought she was doing well enough.

The couple had decided on hiring Edna Spencer, the middle-aged, stout British woman who had applied for the part time nanny job. She seemed to have been sent straight from Heaven when they had been at their wits end over the caliber of available nannies they had been interviewing and disappointed that none of them met their criteria. While Maddie and Agnes were doing their office work, Edna watched Jade and LB – at first mostly in the backyard, but after the women had observed her for a few days, they took an instant liking to her and with their mother’s instincts trusted her implicitly with their children; they knew as long as their babies were with Edna, they were doing fine, and so the nanny was free to take the babies to the nearby park or just for a walk without the moms worrying.

After a few days in the home office, Maddie developed a habit that seemed strange to her friend and secretary Agnes at first: she called the agency – mostly David – at least once every hour, sometimes even more often. Mostly she did it, as Agnes observed, to ask rather random questions about receipts and bookkeeping stuff that David couldn't answer anyway, but then she always managed to casually ask questions about the daily routine at Blue Moon, about what was going on with the staff, if there were any new clients, reports on cases she was involved in etc. Nothing that wasn't her business, of course – but on the other hand nothing that couldn't wait to be asked the next day or when David came home from work.

Agnes inwardly shook her head when she realized that Maddie's numerous calls were in reality control calls; she was checking to make sure that everything was going smoothly when she wasn't there. Can you say control freak, Agnes thought and sighed to herself. She could already smell the next conflict between Maddie and David rearing its head, and she knew for sure that she didn't want to be part of it.

So, the following Thursday, when she saw Maddie reach for the phone and dial a number – most assuredly the number of Blue Moon – she asked innocently: “Are you calling the agency again?” It was already the third time that day.

“Yes,” Maddie answered casually, “I just want to ask if the receipts I need for the last month are complete.”

“They are,” Agnes replied quickly. “I checked the dates, and I asked Bert last week to check on everybody's receipts. The next day he collected them all and swore to me they were complete.”

“Oh well,” Maddie smiled, “it can't do any harm to check again, right? I mean, you know David. Surely there is something missing.”

“I told Bert to especially check over David's receipts,” Agnes told her brightly. “No need to worry.”

Maddie's fingers closed tightly around the receiver, and Agnes noticed that her eyes narrowed a little. “I'd just rather...”

“Maddie,” Agnes interrupted softly, “it really isn't necessary. I see what you're doing. Please don't.”

Her friend raised an ironic eyebrow, and Agnes knew she was fighting a losing battle. “Oh, and what exactly am I doing?” she asked with a haughty undertone in her voice.

Agnes sighed. Why did she always have to be the one to voice the inconvenient truths? “Checking if everything's going as it's supposed to go and if everybody's doing what they are supposed to do while you're not around,” she told her friend and employer bluntly.

“Absolutely not!” Maddie contradicted indignantly. “Why would you think that?!”

Agnes tilted her head and just looked at her. “Because I know you.”

Maddie leaned a little forward. “You're wrong, Agnes,” she told her firmly but tried to keep any annoyance out of her voice. “I'm doing nothing of the sort. It was really just about the...”

“Well, fine then,” Agnes shrugged. “You asked me to help you with the paperwork here. I told you I saw to the receipts already.” She folded her arms and said nothing more, just throwing Maddie a challenging look.

“Fine,” Maddie replied in a very controlled voice and put the receiver down very slowly and carefully. “Then I guess I really don't have to call.”

Agnes nodded and resumed her work; an hour later however Maddie had found another reason to call the agency, and this time Agnes couldn't convince her not to – and to be honest, she didn't even try. She had understood that this obviously was one of the situations in which Maddie had to find out all by herself – and maybe the hard way – what was the right thing to do.

***
David had been a little taken aback by Maddie's numerous calls that day, and he asked himself what the reason was. He supposed it simply wasn't easy for her to let go completely and was confident it would last only for a few days. He knew that she was determined to make it work, that she was really behind this decision that they had made together, and if that meant overcoming a few obstacles that was okay with him. Both were a little relieved when the first weekend came and neither had to deal with the change in Maddie’s routine, or the pressure to pretend that everything was fine.

The weekend passed by peacefully and uneventfully and before they knew it Monday reared its ugly head. When David came home that evening, he found Jade on her playmat, peacefully playing with two of her stuffed animals, babbling to them. Maddie was sitting on the sofa, reading a magazine, looking quite relaxed. That looked good. She looked up when he entered the living room and smiled as he winked at her before he bent down to cuddle the baby. Then he sauntered over to the sofa and sat down beside his wife. She turned to him, and he kissed her.

"Hey babe... how was your day?” he asked and pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. “Beanie been good?" Given how it looked, that was probably a safe question to ask.

"Well,” Maddie replied and raised an ironic eyebrow, “as much as an Addison can be good..."

"Hey, she's half Hayes!" David protested.

Maddie put down the magazine. "She's thrown a few temper tantrums today and smashed one of her toys," she informed David. Okay, not such a safe question then.

"That's definitely the Hayes half," he chuckled.

"Very funny, David!” She shook her head. “We need to be a little less indulgent sometimes. Edna says she needs a little more discipline."

Edna says? David frowned. "Discipline?” he echoed. “What's this, the Army? Edna should just do her job and watch her," he said firmly.

Maddie shook her head. "But she's right. You're not around Jade all day, but I am!"

David bit back a dry or snarky answer; her remark had sounded a little too much like a reproach for his taste, but she probably just had had a busy day and was still in the phase of adjusting to her new routine. He was going to give her that. So, he just quickly changed the subject: "And how is working with Agnes? Is the study big enough for you both?"

Maddie raised a suspicious eyebrow. Was he suggesting now that she didn't get along with Agnes? "What is that supposed to mean?" she inquired.

David frowned. Really, had he said something wrong now? He shrugged. "It means what it means,” he just answered a little impatiently and explained: “It means – Is there enough space or would you need... say, a second desk? A tiny one may fit in."

Maddie sighed inwardly. She really needed to calm her nerves down. David was just trying to help, she thought ruefully. "No," she replied quickly. "It's fine. The study is perfect." She smiled at him. "And how was your day?"

You should know, was on the tip of David's tongue, we've talked on the phone roughly about four times today... But again, he kept himself from saying it, quite proud of himself. Who said the mouth always had to be faster than the brain? Give the girl a break. Wow, how mature. "It was fine," he replied, then his face lit up when he thought of something that would surely put her in a good mood. "Oh, and good news by the way," he said, "we have a new case. Quite interesting, it's about a will that has obviously vanished or maybe been stolen and..."

Maddie leaned a little forward. "A new case?" she interrupted with a frown.

David blinked confusedly. "Yes, that's what I said." Why did she sound like a new case wasn't something to be glad about?

"Hm." She pressed her lips together, not giving away more.

"Hm?" David echoed in a questioning voice. "And what is that supposed to mean?" He felt the faintest bit of upcoming annoyance at the back of his head.

"Couldn't you make an appointment for one of the days when I'm there too?" Maddie asked with a barely masked growl in her voice.

David ruffled his hair. "Where's your problem, Maddie?" he asked impatiently.

"You know I want to meet new clients too!" she snapped. Now, her voice had a definitely accusing undertone.

David had had enough. No more walking on eggshells for today. "The client didn't call, okay?" he replied sharply. "He came by spontaneously and asked if I could see him. What was I supposed to do, send him away?"

She felt stupid, and that fueled her annoyance. "No, of course not," she grumbled.

David threw his hands up in the air in exasperation. "Gee, I'm relieved I didn't screw up", he told her acidly and rose from the sofa with an ironic bow. "Tomorrow you'll have all the information on your desk, of course. Now if you excuse me I'll take a shower."

Without another word, he turned away and sped up the stairs. Maddie folded her arms and pressed her lips together, her angry eyes following him.

***
As that week went by, Maddie and David both felt a certain tension in the atmosphere grow, but neither of them could put their finger on what the exact reason was; but as the days went on, Maddie seemed to become edgier and also cranky sometimes, and that made David edgy and cranky too. Despite their constantly raging hormones, their sex life slowed a down a little – which didn't exactly help with the tension. Some days were almost normal while there were other days when they barely spoke to each other. David was partly relieved that he had a few days in a row when he had to go out in the field with Bert and by the time he came home they were both too tired to talk – or fight.

His short sidekick noticed that there was something bothering his boss and friend, and from his love muffin he knew that Maddie didn't seem as happy and relaxed as she should be either. Bert thanked his lucky stars that his relationship with Agnes was so uncomplicated.

***
Terri had been starting to feel a little uncomfortable lately and had her own struggles getting used to staying home from work completely, so the next weekend Richie surprised her with passes for a day at a luxury spa to be pampered and fawned over. David and Bert decided to surprise their wives with passes too so that they could keep their friend company as well as enjoy a day of relaxation away from work or kids. David for one sorely hoped this would calm is prickly and agitated wife – she had been edgy for a while and that made David uneasy and edgy himself; what alarmed him the most was that her edginess had started the same time when she had cut down her working hours and had started to partly work in her home office. Usually, he wasn't a worrier, but he had enough experience with his complicated wife by now to suspect the worst – that she was maybe having second thoughts about their decision and maybe even a change of heart. He forced himself to push those thoughts aside. Hopefully a day of being spoiled and indulged at the spa would help her unwind.

The men had taken the kids to the beach for a fun day of sand and surf; then they were going to take them to the amusement park on the pier. The three doting dads placed their beach chairs in a circle surrounding the three toddlers who were digging in the sand with their plastic shovels and putting the sand into their buckets. David had dug a big hole in the sand and filled it with water because he knew of Jade’s love of pouring and dumping. After the men had made sure to cover their toddlers with sun tan lotion – under direct orders from their wives – they settled back trying to relax themselves as they kept their eyes on the children.

Richie poked David as a gorgeous brunette in a tiny bikini that showed off her generous curves shimmied by smiling and giving them the eye. He whispered to his brother softly: “Two years ago I would have been drooling over a babe like that giving me the eye.”

David lifted his RayBans to stare at Richie. “Sorry, Rich, but that chick is giving me the eye.” And she was indeed, but since David was paying no attention to her she quickly moved on to greener pastures.

Richie laughed. “All the ladies always were after your dick, bro.”

“Ladies, hoes and wallflowers,” David replied smugly. He winked as he watched the woman’s curvy ass walking away. “But yeah, I know what you mean. A couple of years ago I would have definitely gotten lucky.” Then David nodded towards Jade who was happily pouring and dumping water with her beach pails. “Actually, I did get lucky. Now I have a woman I love and the Bean who is my world. I wouldn’t trade a quick fuck with that babe over Maddie any day.”

Bert who had been making a small sand castle with LB finally sat on his chair. “Babe?” He was confused. He hadn’t been paying any attention to David or Richie as he played with his son.

Richie waved his hand in the direction of the hot babe who was by the edge of the water playing in the waves with another sexy woman, this one blonde. “That chick was giving David the eye.”

Bert was aghast. “What a trollop, sir!” He pointed to the kids. “She must know that you are a family man! I am disgusted with the behavior of many of the young women of today.” He wiped the sweat off his brow. “Thank the stars I found my love bunny.” Then he looked at David. “Um you weren’t thinking of…”

David slapped Bert on the back of his head. “Of course not, knucklehead! Why would I? I have Maddie.” David nodded his head to the women still playing in the surf. “Why, you’d cheat on Agnes if the opportunity arose?” His voice assumed a slightly threatening undertone.

Bert was affronted. His face became red with his outrage. “I would never cheat on my love muffin. She is my world. I would never…”

David chuckled benevolently. “See, Bertie boy. I feel the same way.”

Bert sighed with relief as his self-righteous anger drained away.

Richie laughed. “We hit the lottery when we found our chicks.” He shook his head, as if he still couldn't believe his luck. “Why would we want some bimbo over the women we adore? Not me.” He elbowed his brother and smirked. “Terri is more than enough for this guy.”

David and Bert were nodding their agreement when they heard Jade’s loud screams. They quickly turned their heads and saw Jade standing with her hands on her hips – an image of a livid Maddie came to all of their minds – yelling at the boys who were looking up at her. Then she pointed to Nate’s shovel which was larger than her own. “Mine!”

Nate shook his head. “No! Mine,” he told her. Little Blondie didn’t like his reply, so she reached down and took a fistful of his hair in her hands. Nate began screaming in outrage and pain along with Jade as Richie and David jumped up to separate the battling toddlers.

Richie was trying to console Nate who was holding his head in pain. “Hey, you really gotta control her, Dave,” he told his brother. “This isn’t the first time she’s hurt Nate.”

David grabbed Jade a bit roughly and bent down to look into her face. His own eyes looked back at him defiantly. Suddenly, Edna’s words came into his head. “Jade Elizabeth Addison.” He wagged his finger at her. “Hitting or pulling hair is a No-no!” he scolded her firmly. “No one will play with you if you treat them mean!”

Jade fell into the sand, sobbing theatrically as David helplessly looked on. Finally, after a few minutes of embarrassment, David picked Jade up, and she instantly stopped crying as she snuggled into her father’s arms. He didn't see Bert frown or Richie shake his head. Maybe she’s just tired, David tried to rationalize her behavior. And Richie was just upset over Jade pulling Nate’s hair – I’m sure she doesn’t do this all the time. Conveniently he forgot about Edna’s words of warning – and really, how could she possibly judge? She had known Jade for how long, two weeks? No, David was sure this had been an exception in the Bean's behavior.

The rest of the time at the beach was peaceful as the toddlers played together in harmony in the sand with their pails and shovels and even their little hands. When it was time to leave, the men looked at their kids shaking their heads.

David was the first one to speak up. “I think that a bath and a nap might be the best thing,” he suggested. “Look at them all covered with sand and mud. We can take them to the rides another time.” He began to wipe some of the sand off Jade who was furiously fighting him, not wanting the fun to end.

The men agreed and began to pack up to leave when LB began to scream in rage. Jade stood over him – she had just dumped her beach pail filled with water over his head. The baby, who was the youngest one of the three, began to cry as the water dripped into his eyes.

David reacted instantly. “Jade!” he barked. “What did you do? That was bad. BAD!”

Bert ran to LB to comfort him, wiping the water off his face with a clean towel and finally in the safety of his father’s arms, the little boy’s sobs subsided. David picked Jade up, turned her around and spanked her diaper covered bottom with two slaps of his hand. “You have been very naughty today!” Again, Edna’s words ran through his mind. Okay, she hadn't been around for a long time, but usually, she was around when Agnes and LB were there too; he reckoned that probably she had witnessed a few more of these occasions. And he remembered Maddie telling him that he wasn’t around her all day – well, now he had seen the bad behavior and he didn’t like it one bit. He preferred a lively, strong-willed kid over a weak willed robot any time, but he wasn't going to tolerate this all-too temperamental, violent streak.

Bert cleared his throat. “David, not that I see anything wrong with a good spanking every now and then, but I think that true discipline is an ongoing thing. Children need to know who is boss. They need to…”

David threw Bert a nasty glare that stopped the scruffy man in mid-sentence. “Thanks for your advice, Mr. Spock, but I think I know how to raise my daughter.”

Bert hated when his idol was angry at him, but that had never really kept him from saying what he thought needed to be said. “I didn’t mean any ill will sir, um David. I just meant…”

David stared the shorter man down. “I know what you meant.”

Richie took Jade from David and held her close. “Leave the curly man alone, bro. You know he’s right.”

David whirled around and looked at his brother with green ice. “Whatta ya saying, Rich? That I don’t know how to bring up my kid?”

“Yo Dave, nobody said that,” Richie soothed in his deep voice. “Just that this little lady...” – he gave Jade’s pigtail a slight tug, and Jade in turn pulled on Richie’s hair – “...is pretty high maintenance. I mean, she has the Blonde’s bad temper and violent streak and your spontaneity and wise guy attitude. Whoa Dave, this little chick needs to be reined in now.”

David ran his hands through his hair in aggravation. He knew that his friends and Edna were right. He thought of how much Maddie's aggressive streak annoyed him sometimes, and he surely didn't want her bad sides multiplied by combining them with his own personality's bad traits. Maybe Jade needed more discipline and structure than most toddlers.

“Poo poo,” Jade giggled as she continued to pull on her uncle’s hair. “Beeg poo poo.”

The three men despite themselves burst into laughter.

***
“So,” Terri asked brightly when the three women sat together for a light snack after a morning of massages – after their light meal of fruit and assorted cheeses they were scheduled for a variety of beauty treatments that afternoon – , “how is this home office thing going? Richie told me the guys really did wonders to that study of yours, but he might have exaggerated of course.” She giggled. “Anyway, a home office sounds like fun.” She frowned when she saw Agnes quietly shaking her head, throwing her meaningful glances. She looked over to her blonde friend and saw that Maddie had a slightly sour expression on her face. Whoops, she thought, not that much fun, I guess...

“It's great that we can work together,” Maddie replied not very enthusiastically, “but I will admit it's quite a change in my life, and it takes time to adjust.”

“Do tell,” Terri laughed and decided to keep it light. “There are days when I would happily go back to obnoxious students.”

Maddie drew a deep breath. “Not that the babies can't be obnoxious at times,” she remarked and admitted: “Especially Jade. Thank God we found Edna.”

Agnes nodded. “Yes. Without her we wouldn't be able to do a thing in that home office.” She bit her lip when she saw Maddie cringe a little at the sound of that word. For some reason, she didn't seem to like it very much. “Let's just say,” she went on quickly, “it's not easy, for neither of us.” She sipped her wine, leaving it for the other women to interpret what she meant.

Terri suppressed a grin. She knew exactly what Agnes meant.

***
When David came home from work that night he found Maddie in the kitchen preparing dinner. He had to admit that under his tutelage and with practice she had become a pretty decent cook. He picked up a cucumber from the salad bowl and tossed it in his mouth as he looked around the kitchen. “Where’s the Bean?” he asked without greeting her first; he was still pretty annoyed for her calling him in the office the whole day with no real reasons – and to him, it was obvious that she was trying to check what he was doing and if he was doing it right. And now he could see when he entered the kitchen just by her demeanor – back turned to him and her shoulders straightened in a stubborn way – that she wasn't planning to be good company tonight.

Maddie had her back to him as she turned on the grill for the salmon steaks she was serving that night – she didn’t even turn around to look at David since she was furious with him for hanging up on her earlier that afternoon and then not taking her calls the rest of the day! He had even ignored her messages sent to his beeper! She was almost as hot as the grill she was heating up. “Edna is watching her in the yard,” she told him curtly.

David scratched his head; his annoyance with Maddie was growing. First all the phone calls – he hadn't counted, but she had to have called him at least a dozen times throughout the day along with numerous messages sent to his beeper – now she had the ‘helper’ watching Jade when she wasn’t working for the agency. What was going on here? “And why is that?” David tried to keep the irritation out of his voice.

“It was such a nice day that she volunteered to keep Jade outside while I cooked.” Maddie heard the underlying annoyance in her husband’s voice, and that was the straw that broke the camel’s back. How dare he be angry with her? He had nerve. She turned to David, holding the spatula in her hand almost like a weapon. “Is that okay with you?” she asked with a hint of sarcasm in her voice, daring him to say no as she glared at him.

David didn't fall into that trap though; he took off his jacket and tossed it on a nearby chair, then he loosened his tie and pulled it off. As he did this, his frosty eyes were pinned on Maddie. “I thought Edna was only going to watch the baby when you were working,” he asked instead, not really trying to hide his annoyance.

Maddie waved the spatula in the air. “What is it to you?” she snapped. “Now you’re making an issue of Edna wanting to help out with Jade. You’ve got to be kidding!” Her eyes were blue flint, and what was really bothering her came to the surface. “And really, Addison – how dare you hang up on me?”

David took one step into her direction and told her in a very low, barely audible voice that held a slight threat: “What is it to me?” He slowly shook his head, and the dangerous glint in his eyes made Maddie retreat a step. “You better not ask me again what it is to me when we're talking about anything concerning our daughter.” For a moment, he had stolen Maddie's thunder, and she didn't know if and what to reply. Then he went on: “And now about today – how dare you call me a dozen times to ask dumb questions?” He ran his hand through his hair, making it stand up in all directions in angry spikes. “What was that about?” David knew it wasn't probably easy for her to adapt to her new daily routine, but he didn’t understand Maddie’s reluctance to let go of Blue Moon and let him run it. Did she think he was going to run the agency into the ground? That thought made him see red.

“My questions were not dumb!” she shot back. “I needed information from you and the staff, so I could balance out the books!” She threw him a filthy glare. "Sorry if I disturbed you.” She made the word disturb sound like an obscenity.

David’s look was venomous. “You’re making us the laughing stocks of the office. Your wife is on the line. Oh, Mrs. Addison is on line 1 again…”

Maddie’s hand was wrapped so tightly around the spatula that her knuckles had turned white; she had the urge to hit him with the kitchen gadget. “Well, dammit – if you answered your phone every once in a while, then no one would have to know I called!”

“I’m working, Maddie, and I usually don’t answer the fucking phone!” he spat at her. “Maybe you’d like me to get a private line so you can call me direct?”

“You have an extension that rings directly to your office phone, you dummy!” Her voice was getting loud and shrill; she was beyond furious.

David shot his index finger at her like a loaded gun. “And that’s another thing I am fucking sick and tired of – you calling me names!” he barked.

“And I’m sick and tired of you cursing at me!” Maddie snarled back and added deliberately: “Idiot!”

“Fuck you!” David snapped, losing his head. This woman was really insufferable.

Neither saw Edna walking into the house holding Jade by the hand. Maybe Jade was used to their loud screaming matches, but it greatly distressed the gentle, low key English woman. She let go of the baby’s hand and clapped her larger ones together, trying to get the attention of the battling couple. Maddie and David were lost in their fight and paid no heed to the older woman – they hadn’t even noticed her walk into the room

Edna tried numerous times to get the couple's attention without any success, as a last resort the proper English nanny put her fingers in her mouth and whistled shrilly, finally getting Maddie's and David's attention.

The couple stopped shouting over each other when they heard the loud whistle. Both immediately glanced at Edna who was staring at them with narrowed eyes. In her clipped accent she began to speak slowly, a very icy tone in her voice. "Excuse me, Mr. And Mrs. Addison, and pardon me if you feel this is not of my concern but," the older woman nodded to Jade who had grabbed onto her father's leg and was hanging onto it screeching, "I don't think battling so loudly in front of your wee one is a good idea."

Maddie and David were staring at Edna with their mouths agape feeling strangely embarrassed over their behavior in front of their daughter. Edna continued wagging her finger at her employers, like she was their nanny and about to scold them. "Wee ones have big ears. I hope I have not offended either of you, but I felt it must be said!" Edna didn't care if she was fired; she wasn’t the type of woman to pull any punches. She spoke her mind, and damn the consequences! And the one thing that made Edna angry was watching parents fighting around their offspring, and she could see already that this couple both had fiery tempers that needed to be controlled – at least around little Jade! Edna left soon after with a warning to behave.

When Edna left, Maddie turned back to grilling the fish, quiet on the outside, but fuming inside. She had been not only embarrassed, but mortified by the nanny's reprimand, and of course it was all David's fault – riling her up like that, and then cursing at her, knowing how much she hated that! He really behaved like a caveman sometimes. That thought, however, gave her a funny feeling in her stomach and between her legs, but she quickly pushed that aside.

David ran upstairs to take a shower. Really, he already hadn't been happy to find the nanny there when he came home – not because he didn't like her or didn't think she was competent; but he simply didn't feel comfortable with strangers in the house when he was there; he wanted her to do her job and then leave for her own home, his home being his castle where he wasn't observed by anybody, where could run around naked if he felt like it, and where he could fucking curse whenever he felt it was necessary, without being told off like a ten year old school boy. And it was all that damn banshee's fault that was his wife! She really sometimes still behaved like the spoiled bitch she had been when he had first met her. That thought, however, made his dick twitch which was really inconvenient right now. He made that a cold shower.

During dinner most of their talk was about the baby. They were both edgy and cranky about the events of the day, plus they hadn’t made love properly in almost two weeks – David had worked late a few nights, then Maddie had been feeling under the weather and Jade was at the stage where she didn’t want to go to sleep, so they had spent a few nights calming the prickly toddler. And for a couple who were used to making love quite often this bout of almost-abstinence with only a couple of quickies for the last two weeks had them both feeling even more irritated and out of sorts.

David looked at Maddie from under his long lashes. She was wearing a tight t-shirt that was molded to her breasts and she looked so sexy he felt his dick twitch in his sweat pants. That cold shower hadn't really helped for long. He missed making love to his wife, and unfortunately this night already had started off on the wrong foot. And by the way Maddie was avoiding his eyes David didn’t see any boinking in his immediate future. He sighed inwardly.

Maddie was avoiding looking at David not because she was angry at him – although she still was very miffed – but because the sight of him with his damp hair and scruffy unshaven 5 o'clock shadow was making her ache in places that shouldn’t be aching at the dinner table. She had the urge to throw him down on the floor and have her way with him, but since they were now annoyed with one another due to what had happened that day, any passionate tryst didn’t seem to be in the cards for that night. She inwardly sighed.

David was engrossed in the ballgame when Maddie finally came down from putting Jade to sleep. It was Maddie’s turn to read the little girl her nighttime story, but instead of enjoying it that night she just wanted to get it over with and have Jade fall asleep. Thankfully, the toddler was very tired and had fallen asleep almost immediately after a warm bath and only one reading of her favorite story book.

Maddie noticed David didn’t even look up when she entered the living room, and that set her teeth on edge. And she still hadn’t gotten any apology out of him for hanging up on her, so Maddie was raring for a battle. She cleared her throat loudly.

David sat up and ruffled his hair. He knew his wife well enough to know that the argument that had begun earlier that evening was far from over. Really, she was as cranky as she had been during the second half of her pregnancy. He sighed audibly. “Soooo Goldilocks, got the little Bear to sleep?” he asked deliberately lightly.

Maddie put her hands on her hips and tried to stare David down with wide blue eyes. “I never did get an apology from you!” she told him haughtily instead of giving him an answer.

David’s jaw dropped open. “A what?” He couldn't believe his ears.

“An apology,” Maddie almost sneered. “You do know what an apology is, right?” She knew she was being bitchy, but she was itching for a fight.

David threw her a nasty glare as he stood up. “Yes, surprisingly enough, dumb David does know what an apology is, but what I don’t know is why you think I owe you one?” This blonde was being ridiculous now, and his annoyance at her returned full force. Sometimes he really thought she was crazy.

“For hanging up on me and not returning any of my calls!” She almost stomped her bare foot in her ire.

Still about the phone calls? David ran his hand through his hair again, leaving it in angry spikes to match his mood. “I can’t be on the phone with you all damn day,” he replied sharply. “I have a business to run.”

“And I am running part of that business from here, and sometimes I need to ask you questions!” Maddie insisted stubbornly.

David was done with this absurd argument. He pointed his finger at her like a dagger. “You are being ridiculous,” he told her angrily. “Nobody can possible have that many questions in the course of a few hours!” He turned around to leave the room.

Maddie couldn’t take it anymore when David turned her back on her; suddenly – and with a mind of its own – her hand reached out and pulled at the angry spikes on David’s head. To stop him from leaving, to take her fury out on him? Or to challenge him to – what? She didn't know.

“What the hell are you doing?” he screeched as he pulled her hands away from his hair. “Are you nuts?” He stared at her with green lasers and snorted. “Oh forget who I'm talking to – the answer is yes! You’re a fucking lunatic!”

“How dare you!??” Maddie yelled, her foot shooting out at David as she tried to kick him in her fury.

David grabbed her leg to stop the kick, Maddie grabbed on to his t-shirt almost ripping it off and in the process falling backward, pulling David along with her. The couch broke their fall as David landed on top of her. Their eyes locked for a moment in unbridled lust. Maddie ripped off David’s shirt completely as his mouth covered hers in a deep angry passionate kiss.

“I’m gonna fuck you so damn hard you won’t be able to move for a week, you crazy bitch,” David growled as he pulled off her clothes, almost tearing them. “And you’re gonna love it.”

Maddie pulled down David’s sweats and grabbed onto his ass as she writhed under him on the couch. “Oh yeah, fuck me hard, you bastard!” Her nails scratched and clawed at his butt and back, leaving red, angry marks on his body. David felt the sting of the scratches, and in some freaky way that just made him hotter.

The sound of her panties being ripped off made Maddie’s core clench as she waited for the hard thrust of David’s cock to enter her. Like a caveman, she thought incoherently. She wasn’t disappointed as David jammed is rock hard member into her sodden core and gasped as he filled her completely.

“Feels good, huh? You know it does!” he groaned as he pumped into her with deep heated thrusts.

“Oh God!” she screamed. “Oh yes! Yes!”

“Think you needed the big D, huh, is that why you keep calling me? You wanted to get laid?” David nipped at her erect nipple as he continued his frenzied thrusts, almost pushing her through the couch cushions. “Well, we fucking aim to please!” He laid one hand on the back of the couch to give him leverage as he pounded into her almost like a crazed man.

“Is that all you got?” she panted, knowing it would spur him on. “Why would I bother calling?”

“Wait, I'll show you, bitch!” He entangled one hand in her hair and pulled it roughly, banging her even harder against the pristine couch. Maddie hadn't thought it was possible for him to increase his pace and his force, but he did, and she felt like her mind was just about to be blown away.

“Oh David!” she cried out, squirming and moving her hips against his in a similar aggressive manner. “You bastard! But you’re my bastard.” Her teeth bit into the side of his neck breaking the skin – Maddie licked off the bit of blood on his neck as she began to come so hard and so long that she barely was coherent. “Oh, I’m coming.” She moaned louder and louder.

“Come baby. Yeah I’m almost there too. Oh yeah yeah.” David grunted as he thrusted himself to the hilt in her pulsating hotbox pushing her over the edge into another mind blowing climax.

***
A few days later, when David and Maddie entered the restaurant where they were meeting Virginia and Alex, Jade – who David was carrying – flapped her chubby arms enthusiastically when she saw her grandparents.

“Amma! Ampa!” she squeed happily, and Maddie's parents smiled.

They had already asked the waiter for a high chair, and five minutes later the four grownups and the toddler were seated around the table – the two couples chatting, and Jade looking around curiously, with the attentive attitude of an intelligent child, soaking up like a sponge every bit of input with all her senses – she saw the people around, observed what they were doing; listened to their voices and the clattering sound of cutlery and plates, overlaid by music; smelled the food and flowers around. She was fascinated by all this for like five minutes.

Virginia and Alex asked Maddie about the home office and expressed their appreciation for the couple's new daycare policy. Alex especially couldn't help but point out how much better he liked it that their grandchild wasn't in the daycare center anymore every day from 9 – 5; he had never approved of that and was happy that after his last talk with his stubborn daughter she had obviously changed her mind about that. He found it a little unorthodox that even though Maddie was at home now for two full days they had hired something like a nanny for exactly the time she was home – but Virginia had convinced him that it was a clever move to help Maddie adapt to her new working schedule. And if she was to work from her home office – which they both thought had been a brilliant idea of their son-in-law – it was surely easier with someone around to watch the quirky toddler.

Soon, Jade started to shift and squirm in her seat, and her mumbling grew more and more impatient and also louder. “Out!” she demanded and stretched out her arms.

“No, we stay seated on our chairs, Jade,” Maddie told her firmly. She then took out the traveling toy bag she carried around when she dined out with Jade. Usually the toys would keep Jade busy for a while the adults ate their meal but this time it wasn’t working. Jade shook her head when Maddie placed the small toys on her tray. “Jade, play with your fun toys,” Maddie told her again firmly to no avail.

“No!” Jade pouted and reached for David with a heart wrenching quivering lower lip. “Daddy, out! Down!” she whined.

“Maybe that thing's uncomfortable,” David said. “She's not used to sitting in other high chairs than her own.” That was a lame excuse, and he knew it. She was used to sitting in borrowed high chairs at Richie's and Terri's, at her pop's and Stephanie's and at the Violas' home. Also, they had a portable seat that could be screwed on to any table. The Bean was fine and comfortable in all of them.

Maddie frowned. “David, I don't think you should...” But he had already gotten up and was pulling Jade out of the high chair, much to his wife's dismay. Virginia and Alex didn't comment on it, but a close observer would have noticed the faintest shaking of Alex' head.

“It's only for a moment,” David told Maddie in a soothing tone, “just to calm her down until dinner is served.” Jade's face lit up and she calmed down immediately once she was on her father's arms, but there was also a somewhat triumphant twinkle in her green eyes.

Maddie pressed her lips together. She had to admit that she herself had been too indulgent with her daughter at times, but now as she spent more time with her and it was clear that being indulgent wouldn't make life with her easier in the future, Maddie had learned quickly the toddler's tricks to get her own way. And particularly after she had witnessed a few times how the little girl treated LB and also Nate sometimes, she knew definitely that Edna was right and Jade did need a firmer hand. Of course, it wasn't helpful at all that David didn't seem to be on the same page with her. He insisted on spoiling the child by giving in to almost every one of her whims, and Maddie had the hardest time when she had to deny her something. Jade was beginning to be quite recalcitrant, and when she didn’t get what she wanted there was hell to pay. Maddie knew something had to be done to curb the little girl’s defiant and obstinate nature before she became completely unmanageable.

Jade was content and happy that she had won her way and was now seated in her father’s lap, but soon she became bored. Before David could stop her she grabbed his large spoon and began to bang it against the table over and over again. The noise was unnerving everybody, even David, and he tried to stop her by guiding her attention to other things. But that didn't last long. Jade was adamant on once again getting her way and getting attention. David's annoyance grew. He heard his brother's deep voice in his head: pretty high maintenance...

“That's enough now, Beanie, you can sit in your chair again,” he finally told her and got up to put her back in her high chair, but Jade protested loudly and wriggled in his arms, kicking around with her chubby legs. Maddie was fuming inside; a few of the other people were already looking at them, some with frowns on their faces. She felt uncomfortable and embarrassed, and she hated that feeling.

“You made it only worse,” she muttered furiously under her breath.

“No! Poo poo!” Jade screamed shrilly and threw herself around, giving David a painful headbutt on his chest. She hadn't hit him deliberately, but it still reminded him of the many times Maddie had gotten physical with him in her fury and how much he disliked it although he mostly loved her fiery temperament which turned him on.

“Enough now!” David said – not loudly, but sharply. Jade was so taken aback that she stopped whining and squirming and looked at her father with big unbelieving eyes and her mouth hanging open. Maddie's eyes darted to his face, and she saw to her surprise more than annoyance; she saw a no-nonsense expression she knew all too well and a determination she had never seen on him before when it came to disciplining their daughter. Her mouth curved into a barely perceptible, satisfied little smile – it was good that he had experienced the bad side of their daughter's temper for himself, and it looked like it had been an eye-opener for him.

“We'll just go outside for a little walk in the fresh air,” David told them and turned around with the toddler in his arms. Jade was looking up at her father with wide green eyes; she was still totally flabbergasted. The amused looks of a few of the other restaurant guests followed the father and daughter as they left the restaurant.

Maddie and her parents made small talk as they waited for David and Jade to reappear. “That young lady needs a good spanking,” Alex grumbled not being able to hold his opinion back any longer.

Virginia put her hand on her husband’s arm. “Now Alex, she is just a baby.” She tried to make excuses for her granddaughter. She didn’t want to make Maddie angry and ruin what was left of their dinner.

Maddie shook her head. “No mom, daddy is right. Not a spanking, but she needs to know she can’t behave like that.” Maddie saw David returning and shrugged her shoulders. “Let’s just hope my husband has seen the light.”

They had been away only for maybe ten minutes, but when they came back Jade seemed like a different child. She wasn't terrified or anything like that, of course, but obviously she had just seen a different side of her father that had somehow impressed her. For the rest of the dinner she behaved quite decently.

“Okay,” Maddie turned to David after they had finished their desserts, “what did you say to her?” She nodded her head to the toddler in her high chair who was now playing with the toys they had brought for her. She wasn't exactly quiet, she was babbling to herself and giggling every once in a while, but she wasn't being obnoxious or too loud at all.

David shrugged. “Oh, I don't expect it will last forever. But let's just say I talked to her seriously. I made her understand who’s boss and that I wouldn’t take her little tantrums anymore. Obviously, that impressed her.”

“Do tell,” Maddie replied ironically. “Well, she never has seen that side of you before.”

“And I had never seen that side of her before,” he replied and admitted: “Edna was right, she has to learn she can't always have the upper hand.”

"Way to go, David," Alex told his son-in-law appreciatively. "Such a clever and lively girl like yours needs a firm hand." He cleared his throat. "Frankly, I was afraid you might be a little too indulgent sometimes..."

"Alex..." Virginia warned. She had thought the same as her husband, but she would never have brought it up to their son-in-law during a family dinner although she and Alex had discussed it among themselves. And she didn't know how David would take this; maybe he thought of it as an unwelcome intrusion.

But he shook his head. "No, no, it's fine," he told her and turned to Alex with a sheepish smile. "Honestly, I was," he said. "I admit it's not easy for me to be strict with her... I’m not with her all day and I find it hard having a firm hand when I’m with her."

Alex nodded. "I understand you so well!" His wife threw him a fond glance, and he went on, still directed at David: "I'm sure it's no surprise to you that Virginia had her hands full with Madolyn..." He nodded his head to his daughter, and Maddie's eyes narrowed when she saw David's amused face.

"No surprise at all," he chuckled.

"Very funny," she hissed.

"No, it's true, baby," Alex insisted, much to her dismay. "You were temperamental and stubborn, just like Jade here... but without her wisecracking attitude." Maddie rolled her eyes and pressed her lips together, and Alex went on, nodding his head to her: "I never knew how to react when she threw one of her temper tantrums and mostly thought of calming her down somehow... which was usually just the wrong thing to do, of course," he added with a sigh.

"You tried your best," Virginia chimed in and reached for his hand. "Sometimes I got angry when you were too lenient with her, but I understood it was difficult." She winked at her daughter. "She, of course, knew how to take advantage..."

"Mom..." Maddie almost pleaded. She hated the turn this conversation had taken. David tried his best not to chuckle over the grumbly face she made; but he on the other hand enjoyed the conversation and how Maddie was shifting on her seat immensely. Maddie noticed that, of course, and felt her anger at him well up inside... he had been the one to deny at first that Jade needed more discipline, and now he was taking all the credit for it and making fun of her... how dare he?! Alex, however, was unaware of the volcano simmering underneath her calm exterior.

"Yes, she had wrapped me around her finger and always knew how to get what she wanted in the end. And if she didn't get it... well, hell hath no fury," he finished his tale of the life and times of little Maddie Hayes.

Now David couldn't hold back any longer. He threw his fuming wife a kiss and remarked: "Gee, not much has changed since then!"

Maddie had heard enough. "And maybe with a firmer hand you wouldn't have turned out to be such a wiseass!" she snapped at David.

"Madolyn!" Virginia exclaimed, knowing about David's family and childhood history. Really, sometimes she thought she was thrown back in time to thirty years ago. Her husband and her daughter both hadn't been easy to handle, and she had always been the one to keep them in line...

But David almost felt sorry for Maddie; he knew that – like so often – she hadn't really meant what she had said and probably already regretted it. So he just said in a calm voice: "Probably you're right. But maybe I wouldn't be as charming either..."

Maddie just bit her lip and didn’t reply; she was regretting her words indeed when she thought back to why David had never experienced a firm hind during his childhood.

For a moment, a heavy silence seemed to weigh down the table; then Jade, who had been listening intently to the grownups and kept looking to and fro between them, somehow noticing the tension between them, flapped her arms and demanded firmly: "No poo poo!"

The tension dissolved into thin air, and everybody couldn't help but burst into laughter.

***
Terri was making pancakes and humming absentmindedly when Richie shuffled into the kitchen with tired eyes and messy hair. It was his day off and he was looking forward to spending it with Terri and Nate.

“Why are you already up?” he asked. “I wanted to make breakfast for you today.”

“I woke up because I was lying on my back, and it hurt,” she answered and turned to him for a good morning kiss, never turning her attention away from the pancakes cooking in the skillet.

“You could have woken me,” he complained.

“Ah, sit down and pour us some coffee,” Terri waved him off. “You needed your sleep, you came home so late last night.”

“Yeah,” Richie growled, “Pete came in late.”

Terri put a plate loaded with pancakes in front of him and sat down with a sigh, taking a mug of steaming coffee from him. “So, how's the new guy doing?” she asked.

“Hard to tell yet,” he shrugged. “He knows how to mix drinks, and he's good with the clients. Now we'll have to see if he's reliable. They all show their best side when they're new.”

Terri nodded thoughtfully. "True..." She sipped on her coffee while Richie started to attack the pile of pancakes on his plate and topped them abundantly with maple syrup. "I hope he turns out good."

"Me too," he nodded. "I want to be home more often of course when the bambino is here."

"That would be great," Terri agreed and fished one of the pancakes from Richie's plate; she hadn't made any for herself because the past days she had suffered a bit from heartburn in the morning, but watching Richie eat had fueled her appetite.

"Speaking of the bambino," she went on and took a huge bite, "how about we try and find a name for him?" Richie looked at her in surprise, his mouth full of pancake. She grinned. "I thought it would be nice if we were prepared this time."

"'coarsh," he agreed and wiped maple syrup from his chin. "Do you wanna make a list?"

"A list?" Terri wrinkled her nose. "No, I thought more we'd just, I don't know, toss out a few names we like, and I suppose we'll find one we both like?"

“Cool.” Richie smiled his lopsided smile. "That's my girl."

"You bet." She pointed at him. "You start.”

"Oh..." he looked very clueless, but then suddenly his face lit up. "No, you start," he told her and grinned. "I already named Nate, remember?"

"Okay." Terri put down her mug without any objection. "Richard."

He raised his eyebrows in question, not used to her calling him by his complete first name. "Yes?"

She shook her head, much to his confusion. "No, I meant I say... Richard." She smiled eagerly, but he just looked at her even more puzzled, and she rolled her eyes and went on: "...Addison Junior."

"What?" He made a face. "Name the bambino after me?"

She raised her eyebrows. "Why not?"

“Oh well... naming a kid after the father...” Richie shrugged. "I'm really not a fan of that."

"I think it's cute!" Terri exclaimed. "What's wrong with it? David is named after your father too!"

Richie smirked. "Yeah, well, I'm not a fan of him either."

"You're an idiot," she told him brightly and threw him a kiss. "You two love each other, and you know it. Seriously, I would love it."

"You would?" He was a little flattered, then he frowned. "But Nate is already Junior," he pointed out, and Terri melted a little inside.

"And he'll always be," she confirmed softly. "And this one will just be... oh, I'm sure you'll find him a fine nickname of his own."

Oh that was a sure thing, Richie thought. "So, you're really sure?" he inquired. Terri beamed and nodded. "Well," he purred, "then who am I to object?"

***
That Thursday evening when David came home from work, Maddie seemed a tiny bit more composed and peaceful than she had been for the past few days. Maybe she was finally adjusting to working at home he thought happily. Well, if she was trying hard then he would too, of course. He asked her about the Thursday Baby Dance Along class and even asked casually about her acquaintance James, the single dad whose baby boy Jimmy was in the same class as the Bean. David still didn’t like the idea that Maddie had a male ‘friend’ but he couldn’t lock his wife away in a box and anyway he trusted her.

“He's fine,” Maddie told him, not without throwing him a suspicious glance. “Why?”

“Oh, didn't you mention the other day the kid was sick again?” David shrugged. “I mean, must be pretty tough for a single guy.”

“How thoughtful of you,” she commented dryly.

“Yeah, I surprise myself at times,” he replied nonchalantly, and she couldn't help but grin.

The evening went by peacefully; Maddie got up from the couch where they had snuggled together and watched TV relatively early. David raised a questioning eyebrow at her.

"I want to be in the office early tomorrow,” she explained. “I need to get prepared thoroughly for the closing meeting with Mr. Barnes and want to go through my notes again."

Larry Barnes was the owner of Barnes Automobiles, a local car dealership. Money was disappearing from the business and he wanted to know which one of his employees had their hand in the till. He had hired Blue Moon a few weeks earlier, and both David and Maddie had put a lot of effort in checking every single one of his 25 employees, including sending their own employee Kris undercover. Finally they had found out who had been padding their own pocket; there had been quite a conspiracy going on at Barnes Automobiles.

"Oh!" David snapped his fingers. "I forgot to tell you... that meeting already took place today.”

Maddie's eyes narrowed dangerously. "What are you saying?"

"The meeting was rescheduled," David explained innocently, completely unaware of the dark storm cloud building on Maddie's face. "Barnes called yesterday and asked if we could meet a day earlier since he has to go on an unforeseen business trip tomorrow."

"He called yesterday??" Maddie echoed in an unbelieving voice. "Why didn't he talk to me?"

David shrugged, still not sensing the danger. "He called in the late afternoon, when you had already left for the day."

"And you didn't tell me??" Maddie gasped. She couldn’t believe that David was shutting her out of the business in this way! She didn’t get to work on many cases and this one she had been on top of from the beginning. She felt her fingers turning into claws ready to scratch out David’s sneaky eyes.

David finally noticed her shrill tone and threw his hands in the air in exasperation. "So I forgot!" he exclaimed. "What difference does it make? You weren't going to be in the office today anyway."

"Says who??" she snapped. "I could have made an exception! Or asked him to reschedule the appointment to later rather than earlier!"

David couldn't believe she was making up a big problem where there wasn't really any reason to get all worked up about. "Maddie, I told you the man is going on a business trip tomorrow!" He was talking with his hands animatedly. "He'll be away for a few days and wanted to close the case before! We're a service-oriented company – if the client wants to reschedule, we make it possible! We always have! What the hell is your fucking problem now?" His voice was getting louder now, along with the level of his annoyance.

"I'll tell you what my fucking problem is!" she told him hotly. "This was my case!"

David raised an eyebrow. "Our case," he corrected patiently. What the hell was she going on about now? Could he ever do anything right in her eyes?

"My case!" Maddie repeated furiously. "I had the first meeting with him all by myself, because you weren't in that day!"

David nodded as he glared at her with narrowed frosty green eyes. "Yeah, that's right – because I was out in the field with Bert you saw him alone. And did I make a fucking drama over it? No, I didn't!" he barked. Really, she was being more than ridiculous and reminded him very much of Jade on the beach when she went into a "mine – no, mine!" screaming fit with poor Nate. "And why would I?! It doesn't matter!" he went on angrily. "Our agency, our clients, our cases! And whatever you do or I do is always for the good of the business – this is no fucking ego trip!" His voice dripped with ice.

Maddie felt he was cornering her and saw red. "Ego trip?!" she hissed. "How dare you?!" She aimed her finger at him like a dagger. "You reschedule client meetings behind my back! You're the one excluding me!"

"Excluding you?" he echoed, his face mirroring all his disbelief and confusion. He had no clue at all what her problem was, had been over the last weeks – but he definitely had had enough. He drew a deep breath, trying to stay calm, and ruffled his hair. He changed the tone of his voice trying to placate her. The last thing he wanted that night was yet another argument over work. "Maddie, I have not the slightest clue what you're talking about. I'm not doing anything behind your back, and nobody is excluding you."

"Oh, but that's exactly what you're doing!" she insisted and put her hands to her hips in her trademark aggressive pose, but this time David wasn't turned on at all; he just found it aggravating.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" he barked, losing his patience completely – any idea of pacifying her flew out of his mind. He jumped up from the couch to stare her down.

"With me?!" Maddie gasped.

"With you!” he confirmed and ran both hands through his hair in exasperation. “I'm sick and tired of this shit! For two weeks you've been picking a fight almost every day!"

"What?!" she shrieked.

"You heard me,” he told her in a dangerously low voice and pointed a finger at her like a loaded gun. “You're driving me crazy! I mean, the making up is fine, but frankly, this is exhausting!"

She snorted in disdain. "Of course, all you can think of is the making up! Hot sex, Addison's cure for everything!"

Again, reducing him to that? Blaming him for what she enjoyed herself – because she was cranky for reasons she obviously didn't want to share with him? David was fed up with her attitude. He was hurt and angry and felt the urge to shoot back. "Hey, a guy's gotta take what he can get," he told her in a deliberately crude voice.

Her eyes narrowed, and she spat: "You're the most vile..."

David waved her off. "Yeah, spare me,” he interrupted snidely. “How easy is for you to call me names, right? So you don't have to think about your own behavior."

"My behavior?” she almost yelled. “What behavior? What are you even talking about?!"

He threw up his hands in the air, an angry gesture of defense. "Hey, I like hot sex, yes. Big deal. So do you." But when David saw her confused, distressed face, suddenly his anger evaporated. He ruffled his hair. “But I also like resolving things, clear the air, really making up.” He shook his head. “But you need to let me in and tell me what's bothering you.” The angry tone of his voice had changed to an almost pleading one. But Maddie wasn't there yet.

"Bothering me?” she snarled. “Nothing's bothering me!"

David shook his head and snorted. "Yeah, you keep telling yourself that.” He shrugged. “Fine, if you're gonna keep denying it I'm gonna tell you what's wrong with you."

Maddie had heard enough. She briskly turned away. "Nothing's wrong with me,” she snapped. “The only one who's wrong is you!"

"You're not happy at home!” David said firmly to her back, and despite herself she stood rooted to the spot. She didn't want to listen to him, she wanted to run away, run upstairs and bury her head under her pillow. “You're having second thoughts about our... arrangement,” he went on. “You can't stand it that you don't call the shots!"

Maddie whirled around furiously. "What are you saying?!" she hissed.

David took an angry step in her direction. "Every time you're not in the office and working from home, you go crazy because you can't control every move that's being made at Blue Moon!" he told her.

"That's not true!” she contradicted hotly. “You're imagining things I never..."

"Imagining??” David interrupted furiously. “You keep calling at the agency all the time when you're home! Today you called the office seven times, Maddie. Seven times!” he waved his hands frantically. “Did I imagine that??"

She folded her arms and raised her chin defiantly. "There were reasons for..."

"Bullshit!!” he barked, interrupting her again. “You made up excuses! Your only reason is that you can't stand the fact that things at Blue Moon might be working out without you observing every fucking detail! Because you're a control freak!" he threw at her.

Maddie opened her mouth to fire back a sharp reply at him, to contradict what he was saying, but she found that, unusual enough, she was lacking in words. And for the first time since she had changed her working schedule, she admitted to herself with ruthless candor that he was right. She was a control freak. But not for the self-centered reason he was implying – that she liked the thought of being indispensable. She knew they had arrived at a point where she needed to be honest with David.

"Yeah well, maybe I am!" she told him slowly and fell silent. When he didn't say anything – and what could he have said? She needed to explain herself! – she threw at him in an almost accusing tone: "You think I like that feeling?"

"What feeling?” David asked with puzzlement coating his voice and ruffled his hair. Its untidy spikes were as confused as he was. “Maddie, I don't even know what you're feeling! I just know that you seem to be far from enjoying this...” – he cleared his throat – “...our arrangement and that you seem to want to step back from it."

Maddie shook her head. "Can't you see I'm trying?” she asked. “Trying to adjust? To... to let go?" She drew a deep breath. "It's not easy for me, David." There, she'd said it!

"But why?” David asked in disbelief. Was that about her trust issues again? After all the time they had spent together, after all they had gone through together, did she still think he wasn't serious or mature enough to take good care of their business? “Do you really think our business will go down in flames if you're not in charge?” He shook his head. “Do you think that little of me?"

Maddie threw her hands in the air. "No! This is not about you at all!” she told him with fervor. “It's just that... that...” she sighed and fell silent for a moment; it still wasn't easy for her to talk about that period in her life, not even to David. But then she pulled herself together, drew another deep breath and went on: “The last time I let that happen, I let people take control over parts of my life...” – she swallowed a hard lump in her throat – “suddenly I was left with almost nothing – a bunch of fake companies and a rotten detective agency with the goal of losing every last bit of my money." She paused for the fraction of a second and then went on softly: "That turned out to be the greatest treasure of my life, but that's not the point."

David's eyes were staring at her in disbelief. "Are you really telling me this is about Sleazeball Sawyer?"

She shook her head. "Not about him. But that dreadful feeling that something terrible will happen if I'm not always keeping an eye on everything.” She shrugged helplessly. “Like... call the office all the time when I'm not there. Call Edna when I'm not home. Go crazy in my head when you're bartending." She scrutinized him closely, hoping he would understand. She needed him to know that this was not about her thinking badly of him at all. Of course, her controlling calls and whole demeanor must have made him think that.

Again, his hand ran through his hair. "Damn, Maddie... why didn't you..."

"Because I never realized until now!” she told him firmly. “I have learned the hard way that bad things happen when you don't watch your step, and that if you don't always keep an eye on everything, one day you might wake up and it's all...” she shrugged again, “...gone."

Slowly, David began to see what had been bothering her all this time. He was blaming himself for not recognizing her feelings. He had seen, a few years back in time, how much and how deeply the theft of all her money by her former accountant Ron Sawyer had affected her. And that had been far more than “just” losing money – she had lost all control over her life and had been humiliated in the process. David had always admired how she seemed to bounce back from that terrible situation but now he realized what had happened to her had left deep scars. He reached out and smoothed out a stubborn lock of her hair. His voice assumed a very soft tone when he spoke. "Baby... times have changed,” he told her. “You're surrounded by good people now, people who love you. People who would never hurt or humiliate you."

Maddie threw her hands up in the air. "I know. I know!” she exclaimed and went on firmly: “And I swear I'm trying to let go, I really am! But that feeling doesn't just... go away,” she told him unhappily. “It's a process. It takes time."

Without further ado, David did the only right thing and pulled her in his arms. He was happy to see she didn't withdraw. "I'm sorry, babe,” he told her in a hoarse voice. “I should have been more understanding. Let's make a pact."

Her eyes popped open at that word; after all this time, it still had a shrill, discordant ring. "A what?"

David smiled. "You can call the office when you're home,” he conceded. “Once in the morning and once in the afternoon.” She frowned, and he added hastily: “Unless it's a real emergency, of course. Can you live with that?"

Maddie sighed and looked at him questioningly. "Define real emergency," she demanded.

"The house is burning,” David answered promptly. “Someone's hurt.” He smirked and added with a devilish glint in his eyes: “You need to get laid."

She grinned. "Okay, I can live with that." She tilted her head back and looked at him; in his eyes she saw nothing but love, passion and the will to work things out. Maddie wrapped her arms tightly around David's neck and pulled him in for a kiss, and for the first time in at least two weeks she felt close, really close to her husband again – felt that they were still on the same page. When their lips finally parted and both smiled at each other, she sighed: "David?"

"Maddie," he replied in his slightly teasing tone that felt so much like home.

"I'm not having second thoughts,” she told him earnestly. “I want to stick to this, and I want it to work." Her eyes searched his; she needed him to understand, to believe that they were really on the same page – that she still believed in compromising about her working hours and having another baby. “I really do,” she added.

David smiled his lopsided smile. "Okay,” he nodded. “And I promise I'll do my best to help you." He tightened his embrace, pulling her closer to his body. "Now, about that hot make up sex..."

Maddie tilted her head up to stare into his eyes. "What you have in mind, fella?" She inquired as she pressed her body against his – her eyes two blue pools of desire and lust.

David chuckled as he pulled away from her with a smirk. "Well, I wouldn't want you to think all I'm interested in is hot sex, so maybe we should..."

Maddie pulled him back against her. “Shut up, Addison, and make love to me..."

David removed Maddie’s hands from around his waist and gently pushed her away from him. "Now, now, Mrs. Addison...” he purred. “I think we should discuss things just a little bit more. I mean, it seems to me that all you have on that blonde noggin is hot sex. Shame on you." He wagged his finger in her face as he slowly backed away from her.

Maddie wasn't in the mood to play games except of a sexual nature. She wanted to feel his arms around her. For some reason she didn’t understand in order for her to know they were once again moving on the right track she needed him to take her in his arms and make love to her. And of course she needed to get laid for purely physical reasons. Maddie stared at David, and the naughty teasing expression on his face just fueled her desire for him. She almost stomped her bare feet in exasperation. "Stop throwing my words back at me!" she fumed impatiently. "I'm not a child to be punished!”

David’s dick twitched as he moved away from his wife. Her hard nipples were pushing against the cotton material of her old t-shirt. He could tell she wasn't wearing a bra, and his hands itched to touch her nipples. "Nobody's punishing you, babe. Just don't want you to think all I want is sex sex sex." David drawled as he turned around to hide the massive boner that he knew was undoubtedly visible in his tight sweats. "And," David yawned dramatically, "this jamoke is dead tired.”

Maddie watched him walk up the stairs with her mouth agape. I should have seen that coming, she thought with heat raging all through her body, that devil! She raced up the stairs after him and caught up to him outside of their bedroom. She grabbed on to his arm but he was too quick for her and in a flash had Maddie pinned against the door. He put his arms on either side of her as he bent his face until it was less than an inch from hers.

Maddie looked into his incredible eyes; that along with the feel of his breath on her face almost made her moan. Desire pooled between her legs like hot liquid lead. "Bastard!" she panted breathlessly, and the word sounded like an endearment on her lips.

"Bitch!" The word was a caress.

Maddie moved against David and was happy to feel the huge boner in his sweats. She pressed her aching loins against it as her tongue ran languidly over his ear. "You really are a bastard, but I love you anyway," she whispered.

David grabbed hold of her hair and pulled her head back, but not roughly, so his lips could move over her throat. "And you really are one nutty bitch." His teeth bit into the side of her neck. "But you're my bitch." He pushed her hard against their bedroom door. “And you better remember that!” He covered her mouth in a passionate kiss as he was grinding his boner into her sodden core. "What am I going to do with you, babe?"

Maddie groaned as her hot hand snaked down his pants and wrapped her fingers around hard silky steel. Her legs opened with a will of their own. "Anything you want, big boy." She moaned deep in her throat as David pulled her shirt up and clamped his lips around her rock hard nipple.

“Ya like this?” David growled as his tongue played over her nipple and breast. “Yeah, you love it, babe.”

“Oh yes!” Maddie panted; just the feel of his mouth on her breasts and the way he was grinding his boner into her loins almost pushed her over the edge. She was so close. Her hips were rotating against David’s sweatpant covered erection as her hands tried to pull him closer against her writhing body. “Oh David.”

David knew Maddie was on the cusp of her orgasm. He knew the signs by now but didn’t want her to come so quickly. He wanted to play with her a bit – it always made the sex better. He chuckled to himself knowing that his teasing always made the sex so much hotter for both of them. He stopped doing what he was doing, moving slightly away from her until there was no longer contact between their bodies.

“Oh David!” Maddie whimpered moving her hips and trying to reach the tool of pleasure that had just been against her. “Don’t stop,” she begged.

David chuckled and moved his body further away. “Ssshh babe. It’s gonna be alright.” He began to move his tongue over her lips as he placed the palm of his hands over her taut nipples. “Have some patience babe.” He told her as his hot tongue traveled to that spot on her neck. “Let go,” he purred in her ear, “don't be afraid to lose control...” Her hips were determinedly trying to make some contact with his boner, but he wanted to see if he could make her come with little contact – he knew that she was near – and began to coax her with his syrupy voice.

“Come, babe,” he demanded. “Yeah, I love how your pussy wants my dick, but you’re gonna have to wait. But I want you to come hard for me now, babe.”

Maddie was squirming against the door trying to push her sodden core against any part of David, but the green-eyed devil was deliberately teasing her by withholding any contact with her hotbox. She felt a fire raging all over her body as he played with her breasts and slowly kissed that spot that seemed to be directly connected to her loins. Still it at the same time felt so weird and so overwhelming that she was on the verge of an intense climax although he was no longer touching her below her waist; part of her ached to let go and part of her tried to control herself and hold back, hoping to feel him touch her there where she longed for it the most.

“Now,” he repeated in his low no-objection voice, and that was the moment when she knew all trying of holding back would be in vain anyway, so she started to just let go. She knew that she was going to come soon as her loins began to throb and her hotbox began to spasm out of control with wave after wave of pleasure. Maddie felt her knees buckling from one of the most intense orgasms she had ever experienced.

David quieted Maddie’s screams of passion by devouring her with hot passionate kisses using his mouth and tongue to silence her. “Sooo good honey,” David purred into her mouth. “Yeah, nobody can make you feel like me.”

“Oh, God no!” Maddie cried as she held onto his shoulders until she felt as if she could stand on her own once more. Her face was deep red from her climax. “You bastard!” she teased in a hoarse voice, but the way her eyes glittered almost with tears showed how powerful the experience had really been.

“Ahhh, now you may touch the Beast again,” he told her cheekily as he kicked off his pants revealing his pulsating dick. Immediately Maddie fell to her knees to take the prize in her mouth; her hands went around his ass to push him deeper inside. His hands pulled on her hair as he fucked her mouth with his head thrown back and his eyes closed; three deep thrusts and he was coming so hard and fast he thought he might faint.

David’s head was leaning against the door as he attempted to come back down to earth. After a few moments he was able to move; he tumbled Maddie over on her back and with experienced hands peeled off her clothes leaving her naked and so very fuckable with her lust crazed eyes staring up at him. In one lithe move David covered her body with his, entering her hotbox with one deep push of his huge cock.

“Oooh,” Maddie cried out as he entered her. She loved how his bigness always seemed to fill her completely as it stretched her womanhood to its limit. “Yes, that feels so good. Fuck me, David!” She wrapped her legs around his waist as she moved her hips to meet his.

“Oh honey, I’m gonna fuck you alright.” He began to move in and out of her – pushing into her to the hilt, then pulling out almost completely – over and over. Maddie’s hands cupped David’s ass as she met him stroke by stroke.

“Oh David. I love it. Do it to me!” she spurred him on. Maddie’s second orgasm snuck up on her, bucking her body with its ferocity. She was chanting David’s name, and once again he used his lips and tongue to stifle her cries of passion. After all, waking Jade was the last thing he wanted to happen.

In and out, fast and hard, slow and lazy – David kept changing his rhythm which was driving Maddie wild. The way he was making love to her was mind bending. Her third orgasm left her gasping for air, and its force pushed David over the edge into his own mind numbing climax. The couple lay entwined on the floor for a few moments.

David was the first to move. He stood up pulling Maddie to her feet along with him. He slapped her on her bare butt. “I think it’s time to get this fine ass in bed.” He smirked broadly, his eyes twinkling.

Maddie moved against him and stroked his ass. “Speaking of fine asses...” she purred moving against him.

David chuckled as he led her by the hand into the bedroom. “Now now, you greedy hussy, tomorrow is a busy day for both of us, and I think we need to postpone the rest of this clambake to the weekend.”

Maddie’s jaw dropped open. “The weekend?” she echoed unhappily, a complaining tone to her voice, but this was a nagging David could easily live with.

He chuckled again which shot a bolt of lava right between her legs. “Patience honey chile, tomorrow is already Friday… and to me that’s the start of the weekend…”

Maddie was throwing a sleep shirt over her head. “Well, okay,” she grumbled a bit peeved but part of her was also exhausted and longed for sleep.

David winked at her with an emerald green eye. “Remember, Friday – the day we get paid…”

Maddie laughed cutting him off. “...the night we get what rhymes with paid,” she finished. “How could I forget?” She shook her head as she headed into the bathroom.

David laughed as he pulled on his sweats. “Yeah, like I remember every word you ever said to me.”

Maddie looked at him in surprise. “Really?”

“No lie.” He strode across the room and pulled her into his arms. “You crazy broad, don’t you realize I’ve been nuts about you since you first strutted that haughty ass in my office all those years ago?” He kissed the corner of her mouth.

She wrapped her arms around his waist. “Ditto, Partner.”

“Like the saying goes: ‘Ya had me at hello.’” David purred.

“And now we say goodnight,” Maddie teased as she moved toward the bathroom again. “So clambake tomorrow night – sounds like a plan.”

After Maddie went into the bathroom, David crawled under the covers and went out like a light. Maddie followed soon after snuggling up against him until she fell into a deep sleep beside her man.

***
Miraculously, the moment Maddie had opened up to David and voiced her fears, they seemed to loosen their grip on her, and she gradually relaxed more and more. Yes, she wasn't in charge and control over a few things concerning the business, but she still had all the important bases covered. And she knew that the rest would be taken care of. Yes, occasional mistakes would probably happen, but they wouldn't ruin the agency, and she knew that no one was going to try to deliberately harm her. And, unlike the last time she had lost control over her business, she knew that she had reliable allies in key positions who cared about her and would do their best to keep the business thriving.

The moment Maddie started to relax about her new work situation was also the moment she started to enjoy the other things in her life again – she actually laughed and discovered how much fun it was working that close together with Agnes, and they really grew to be a team; more than before at Blue Moon, where Maddie had mostly been sitting in her office while Agnes' place was the reception desk. Maddie realized that Agnes was a natural when it came to accounting, and she made a mental note to herself that she had one thing less to worry about when she would completely be away from work someday if and when their plans for a bambino #2 worked out.

When Maddie was away from the office, instead of worrying, she concentrated on Jade (when it wasn't a home office day) and was thrilled to see how many little steps the toddler was making in her development day by day. She quietly thanked not only David but also her father and found that they had been completely right: her life was so much richer when she could witness all those little miracles that happened every day with Jade. A miracle was also how Jade's behavior was slowly changing, now that she and David – especially David – pulled themselves together and tried to be firmer with their headstrong little Blondie. And once the toddler realized that playing both ends against the middle with her parents was no longer working things started to run much more smoothly.

Maddie started to enjoy life again without the powerful need to have complete control. With that burden off of her shoulders her senses seem to come alive more day by day. Maddie and David’s love life returned to normal – well what was normal for the oversexed couple - again, and about two weeks after the they made up from their latest disagreement Maddie suddenly she realized that she had completely lost track of her menstrual cycle, but she was pretty sure that she was a few days late. At first she blamed it on the stress, but then she started to suspect that maybe, just maybe their practicing for a new bambino was already paying off… Maddie allowed herself to consider the possibility, but she made a vow not to tell David anything before she was sure herself. She would wait another few days, not set her hopes too high, and if aunt Flo still didn't show up, she would get a pregnancy test.

A few days after her first suspicion, she and David had Terri and Richie over for dinner; their sister-in-law was due any day now, and this would probably be the last leisurely dinner out for her. The two couples enjoyed a nice evening with a great dinner – this time the men had been in charge of cooking while the women watched the kids; Maddie was happy to notice that Jade was behaving differently with Nate too – she played mostly nice with him. That was good to know, because when Terri went into the hospital to have her new baby, Maddie and David would keep Nate for a few days.

The Addison brothers had shown once more that they were perfectly capable of unleashing their magic not only in the bedroom, but also in the kitchen; but smug as they were, they did not reveal to their wives that they had just impressed them with a recipe of their father's.

Finally David pushed away his dessert plate after meticulously eliminating the last crumbs of cake which had been a contribution of Terri's. “God, Knowles, that chocolate cake tastes like heaven.”

Terri grinned and polished the last crumbs off of her own plate. “You can thank Stephanie. She gave me the recipe.” She wrinkled her nose and patted her big baby belly. “Damn,” she murmured, “the sooner this baby is born, the happier I'll be.”

“Aww.” Maddie patted her shoulder compassionately. “It can't be long now.”

“Speaking of number two,” David said and turned to his brother, “have you guys decided on a name yet? I remember Maddie and I had the hardest time choosing a name for the Bean.”

“And I don't know why we even bothered,” Maddie replied ironically, “since you call her Beanie anyway.”

David winked and threw her a finger kiss while Richie shifted a little uncomfortably on his seat. “My wife here insists that we name the bambino after me,” he finally revealed a little reluctantly.

Of course, the younger Addison couldn't let go of an occasion to tease the hell out of his big brother. “Oh nice!” he exclaimed. “That would make him... Little Richard?” he shook his head theatrically. “No, sorry, Rich – that would be a sacrilege.” Maddie rolled her eyes, and David snapped his fingers. “I got it!” He leaned a little forward with a mean twinkle in his eyes. “Little Dick!”

Richie threw a piece of bread at him. “Speak for yourself, asshole!” he growled.

“Addison!” Maddie snapped, not directed at one of them specifically, and both brothers turned her way. “What are you, fifteen?”

“Inches?” Richie asked dryly and added with a smirk: “Nah, that would kill you girls.” After a split second, both Addisons simultaneously erupted in roaring laughter and high fived each other across the table.

Maddie rose from her seat and threw death stares at the men. “You two knuckleheads should really be living in different states you are unbearable together!” she hissed haughtily and took her and Terri's empty dessert plates, turning away in the direction of the kitchen.

David and Richie exchanged clueless looks and shrugged – what is she worked up about? – and Terri shook her head at them, but with a grin playing over her face. Richie winked and blew her a kiss, and she got up and followed her sister-in-law into the kitchen.

“They are such idiots,” Maddie commented grumpily over her shoulder while loading the plates into the dishwasher.

“Snap out of it, sister,” Terri chuckled. “I saw you suppressing a grin.”

Maddie turned around and threw a crumpled paper napkin at Terri. “Yeah, but they didn't!”

Both women laughed. About half an hour later, Terri and Richie left with Nate, and Maddie hastily wiped the kitchen counter clean and then decided to leave the fine tuning to the cleaning woman who was coming in the following day. David came into the kitchen with the last two glasses and put them in the sink. He sneaked up on her from behind and kissed the side of her neck. “Yo, Blondie,” he purred, “come on, we were just fooling around. You know I'd never call my nephew Little Dick.”

Despite the shiver that was running down her spine, Maddie wriggled out of his embrace, and he knew she was game for the usual you're-disgusting/and-you-love-it foreplay. “Really,” she snorted, “one of you is already insufferable, but the two of you put together...”

“...we're irresistible, and you girls know it.” He grinned. “Even with less than fifteen inches.”

Maddie wanted so badly to make a grim face, but she just couldn't help it as she burst out laughing.

***
Richie was woken from his deepest sleep by a hand tugging at the sleeve of his t-shirt and Terri's husky voice floating to his ear through the darkness: “Baby, wake up...”

A one-eyed glance at the alarm clock told him it was 3 am. “What, again?” he murmured, still half asleep. But a smirk was crawling over his sleepy face as he turned around, blindly reaching out to pull her into his arms. “God, I swear you're the most insatiable...”

“Not that!” she interrupted him with an uncharacteristic edge to her voice, and he was wide awake within a second, sitting bolt upright. He turned the light on the nightstand on and saw a certain urgency on her face.

“Showtime?” he asked, already throwing back the sheets, and Terri just nodded. Richie jumped up from the bed and reached for his jeans. “Do we have time to drop off Junior at Dave's?” he wanted to know; Maddie and David had already volunteered to keep Nathan when the two went to the hospital.

“Yes, I think we're good,” Terri replied, her face tense but not terrified like the last time. “I went to the bathroom, and my water broke, but the contractions are still very light.” Only now he noticed that she had already pulled her sleep shirt off and had slipped into sweatpants and a sweater.

“Great,” he nodded. “I'm gonna get Junior. You need help, honey?”

Terri managed a smile. “Save that for later.”

Richie smiled back and kissed the top of her head. “We got this shit,” he told her firmly, “we're pros by now.”

***
It was already 10 am when, after the happy birth of their second son, Richie entered Terri's hospital room where she was resting for a bit during the initial medical examinations of their newborn son. She still had too much adrenaline rushing through her body to sleep, so she just lay there with a quiet smile on her face and enjoyed the silence for a bit. Her dark curls were still a little damp from the strain of giving birth, and she looked spent but happy and almost serene, even if that sounded a little cliché. To Richie, she had never looked more beautiful than now and here, in her slightly disheveled state. She turned to him when she heard the door click shut, and her face lit up even more if possible, her dark eyes shining.

He smiled. "Hey there, sugar. How are you feeling?"

Terri moistened her lips. "Like after going through a boxing match," she replied in a slightly croaky voice, "but one that I've won."

He sat down beside her bed and kissed her on the lips. "Of course you have,” he purred. “You got a mean right hook, and you're one helluva fighter."

She smiled feebly. "And I have a great coach." She reached for his hand. "I love you, Richard Addison."

“I know,” Richie replied nonchalantly, "and I knew you weren't serious when you cursed me."

She wrinkled her nose. "Ouch... was it worse than last time?" she asked sheepishly.

"Hmmm..." he rubbed his chin and pretended to reflect thoroughly. "Let me put it this way: compared to today, the last time we were in the labor room you were... flirting."

Terri sighed. "It's completely erased from my mind. What did I say?"

"Oh, I guess it was nothing the nurses haven't heard before..." he shrugged. "You said a lot, but basically the bottom line was that you hate me...” he smirked and added: “... and my big thing."

"Oh God," she moaned and covered her eyes with her free hand. "Okay, I can never come back to this hospital again."

He wiggled his eyebrows. "You should rather be worrying about the question if I'm gonna take you home with me again."

Terri threw him an amused glance. "Don't play the victim, Adman. You know I adore you."

Richie smirked. "And my big thing."

With surprising strength, she slapped him on his upper arm with the back of her hand, and both chuckled. "Especially your big thing," she muttered under her breath, because in that moment the door was opened, and a nurse brought them their freshly bathed and very hungry baby son.

“Here's someone for Mr. and Mrs. Addison,” the nurse announced brightly.

Terri remembered when she had given birth to Nate, and a nurse had addressed her as “Mrs. Knowles”, thinking she and Richie were married because he had been in the labor room with her; she quickly had replied that she was Miss Knowles, and it hit her like a ton of bricks how much had happened in the sixteen months that had passed since then. She threw a sideways glance at Richie and knew he was thinking the same when he mouthed to her I love you, Knowles.

She reached out for her son with both arms. “That would be us,” she replied with a beaming smile.

***
A little later, Maddie and David entered the hospital to welcome their new nephew and congratulate the happy parents. That morning, Maddie had called her parents and asked them to come over and watch Jade and Nate so they could rush to the hospital to see the new baby.

Right outside Terri's room they ran into a very tired-looking Richie. David punched his shoulder, though much less roughly than usual. "Congrats, man. You did it again!"

Richie snapped his fingers and smiled his lopsided smile. "Piece o' cake," he replied nonchalantly.

Maddie rolled her eyes at them and their gruffly fond sibling rituals and hugged her tall brother-in-law unceremoniously, stood on her toes and kissed his unshaven cheek. "I'm so happy for you both," she told him warmly.

"Thanks, sis." Richie hugged her back and winked, and she could see in his twinkling blue eyes how happy and in awe he was. A sideways glance at her husband told her he felt the same. David winked at her too with a telltale glittering in his own amazing eyes. Knuckleheads, Maddie thought fondly, I know no better guys than them.

"How's Terri?" she asked.

Richie motioned to the closed door with his head. "Just fell asleep," he told them. "Poor chick's bushed."

David grinned. "You look like shit yourself," he teased, "you're getting old, man!"

Richie opened his mouth for a snarky reply, but Maddie gave them both a push on the chest. "Down, boys!" she scolded ironically and turned to David: "How about we take a look at our new nephew?" She hooked her arms through her husband's on the right and her brother-in-law's on the left. "Let's go!" she demanded firmly.

They looked at the rows of sleeping babies in their cribs through the huge glass window, and Richie pointed proudly at his son. "Over there."

"Oh, look!" David exclaimed. "It's Curly!" The baby had indeed a thick mop of black curls like his mother's on his tiny head. But then the boy opened his eyes, and they were of such an intense, extraordinary blue that it was clear this color would last.

"No," Maddie laughed, "this is Richie!"

***
The next few days went by in a flash. Maddie still hadn’t gotten her period and along with swollen breasts and an ever present feeling of nausea she was almost certain that she was pregnant. She wasn’t feeling her best at work that morning so she decided to pick up Jade and head for home early that day. On the way home she made a quick stop at the drugstore to pick up a pregnancy test.

Maddie hurriedly put Jade down for her nap and nervously she went into the bathroom to take the test. A few minutes later Maddie left the bathroom with a huge smile on her face.

A few hour later Maddie heard David whistling as he walked into the house. A secret smile covered her face as she rushed to meet him.

David was looking forward to seeing his wife and baby. He had been in the field most of the day and hadn’t even had a chance to see Maddie or visit Jade at daycare. He was happy to be home. A lopsided grin ran up his face as his wife met him at the door. He bent down to give Jade who was laying on the rug with her toys a kiss then he turned to his wife with that irresistible grin.

Maddie held out a small rectangular gaily wrapped box out to David. He raised an eyebrow as he took the box out of her hands. “What’s the occasion?” David couldn’t think of why she was giving him a gift.

Maddie nodded to the box in his hand. “Open it.”

At first David didn’t understand what was in the box then realization dawned on him and he let out a whoop of joy. He picked Maddie up and spun her around in his arms. “My super sperm strikes again.” He laughed kissing Maddie all over her face.

Jade began to laugh and clap her hands as she watched her parents whirling around.

“Another bambina!” David gushed.

“Or bambino!” Maddie corrected.

“Bino, bina!” Jade exclaimed. Both Maddie and David turned to look at Jade then began to laugh with sheer joy.

Life was almost perfect….

[Guest]

Great chapter. It might be time for David and maddie to completely separate their lives from work lol

[Deleted]

May 18, 2014 3:08:38 GMT -5 Guest said:

Great chapter. It might be time for David and maddie to completely separate their lives from work lol

hmmmm that might be a little difficult though LOL

[Laurie x]

That's so maddie Hayes nice work when are you posting the next one ? This is my read at work I'm so busy lmao

[Guest]

Nice work but will they come out alive?

[Addisonsgirl]

What do you mean come out alive?

[Deleted]

May 24, 2014 19:05:46 GMT -5 Laurie x said:

That's so maddie Hayes nice work when are you posting the next one ? This is my read at work I'm so busy lmao

patience LOL we are doing our best!