Author's note: Well guys, this is it, the final chapter. Thanks for sticking with me and all the positive feedback along the way.
I hope you are all happy with the ending. Cheers TraceMK
Maddie took a deep breath and stepped out of the limo that Alex had been letting her use to travel to and from work.
This was going to be the final day of what had been a grueling trial, and she found herself actually looking forward to the weekend ahead.
Alex had talked her into accompanying him to his villa in the Bahamas.
He insisted that she needed a rest, as she hadn't allowed herself to stop since she arrived back in New York.
They were due to leave as soon as she finished in court that day.
She had been surprised when he had showed up at the apartment later on the day that she had returned, and had been grateful for a friendly face and a shoulder to cry on.
He had insisted that she stay with him as the contracts had already been exchanged for her apartment and the new owners were wanting to take possession in two days.
He had organized for all her furniture to go into storage, and had basically taken care of everything.
She was happy just to let him do this, as she didn't think that she had the strength to deal with it herself.
Alex had been wonderful, he hadn't put any demands on her and had given her the space she needed.
Even now, she couldn't bring herself to even think about what had happened that terrible morning.
She threw herself into her work and that seemed to help.
Night time was the worst, as this was when she was left alone with her thoughts and memories.
She straightened her skirt, picked up her briefcase and headed up the stairs in front of the New York City Courthouse.
She was just about to enter the front doors when she heard her name called and froze on the spot.
"Maddie, please, can we talk?" Maverick was standing right behind her.
"I don't think there's really anything that I have to say to you." She reached for the door handle and walked inside.
Maverick followed close behind her.
"Maddie, please honey, give me a chance to explain." He placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Don't touch me." Maddie whirled on him. " I saw everything I needed to know that weekend I came home to surprise you.
I hope you and Jillian will be very happy together, Darry must be thrilled to have his mum and dad back together.
You don't need to explain it to me Mav, family always comes first, even in my book. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm due in court."
He saw the hurt in her eyes as she turned and entered the courtroom and knew in that instant that her feelings for him still ran deep.
Maybe it wasn't too late, a plan quickly formulated in his mind.
Maddie quickly wiped her eyes and composed herself.
She hadn't been expecting that, and had underestimated just how much of an effect Maverick still had on her.
She glanced at the public gallery and saw Alex sitting there. He gave her a little wave and a smile.
She nodded her acknowledgment to him and sat down next to her client.
The judge entered and the Maddie began her summation.
She was almost finished when she heard something of a commotion in the gallery behind her.
The magistrate looked into the public gallery, annoyed at the disturbance.
Maddie's eyes rested on Maverick and she groaned inwardly. He obviously wasn't going to make this easy.
To her surprise, she also saw Sam, Lee and Ashley enter the gallery.
Sam and Lee took a seat on either side of Alex, while Maverick and Ashley made their way to the front of the gallery.
"Your Honor, I'm really sorry to interrupt proceedings but I need to speak to Counselor Harris urgently and she won't stand still long enough to listen to me." Maverick addressed the judge.
"Your Honor, I am so sorry about this…." Maddie began, but the judge interrupted her.
"And who exactly are you, young man?" He glared directly at Maverick.
"Captain Adam Mitchell, United States Navy, Your Honor." Maverick held his gaze.
Maddie whirled around and stared daggers at Maverick and the others, willing them to just leave quietly.
"You Honor, please give me a moment and I'll get them to leave." She said apologetically. "I am so sorry for the …." Again the judge interrupted her.
"Counselor Harris, I realize that you are unaccustomed to anybody else getting the better of you in a court of law,
but I feel that if the good Captain here has come all this way and has seen fit to interrupt these proceedings, then he must have something important to say,
so why don't you just be quiet and let the man speak."
Maddie looked at the judge open mouthed.
"Thank you, Your Honor." Maverick smiled at him.
He placed one hand on the gallery rail and easily vaulted it, striding to where Maddie was standing.
Alex went to get up from his seat when he felt something sharp dig into his foot and felt a strong grip on his shoulder.
He looked down to see the heel of Sam's stiletto digging into his shoe. She smiled sweetly at him.
"You stay right where you are and keep quiet, there's a good boy Alex." She said softly.
"You've done enough damage already, and if you don't do as you're told, I'm going to put this heel straight through your foot. Then I'm going to hand you over to Lee here."
Alex glanced to his right to see Lee glaring menacingly at him.
He shuffled uncomfortably in his seat, but stayed where he was.
Maverick took Maddie's hand and lifted her chin so that he was looking directly into her eyes.
"I know what you think you saw, honey, but it was all a set up between Jillian and Alex." He began. "If you don't want to believe me, then ask Ashley,
she overheard the whole thing when Jillian was talking to Alex over the phone. They wanted to break us up.
How do you think he even knew when you would be back in town?"
Maddie glanced at Ashley with uncertainty and she nodded in confirmation.
"It's true Maddie, why don't you ask Alex?" Ashley looked in Alex's direction.
"Alex, is this true?" Maddie looked straight at him, her voice trembling.
He couldn't look at her as he nodded his head slightly.
Maddie turned her attention back to Maverick, totally confused now.
The public gallery as well as the judge was on the edge of their seats.
You didn't get this sort of drama in a courtroom every day.
"Maddie, you have to believe me when I say that I would never do anything to hurt you." Maverick continued sincerely.
"I love you, you're my life and I'm just no good without you."
Maddie started to cry softly as all the hurt and tension of the past few weeks began to melt away.
To her astonishment, Maverick got down on one knee in front of her and the gallery started cheering.
"Madison Harris, you are the only woman I will ever love. I want to share the rest of my life with you. Would you please do me the honor of becoming my wife?"
Maddie was completely lost for words for the first time in her life.
"Well come on Counselor, put the man and all of us out of our misery and give him an answer." The judge said from behind her.
Maverick looked up at Maddie expectantly, barely daring to breath.
"Yes." She said softly, tears spilling from her eyes. "Yes Mav. I'll marry you."
He was on his feet in an instant, sweeping her up in his arms and engulfing her mouth in a passionate kiss.
They didn't hear the cheering and clapping from the gallery behind them as the judge declared the court in recess for the rest of the day.
Being an old romantic at heart, he couldn't wait to get home and tell his wife about how the handsome Navy Captain won his girl in the end.
The End