Seen Around || Alex

Maddie had been walking through the park a lot over the past few days and she was always alone, her mind seeming miles away as she had her Ipod with her, she always took it with her to take her mind off things.

She had saw a nice guy each time she was at the park, shy to even speak to him, she had a wall built around her due to her past, never knowing what to expect or if it would fall into place.

Will these two ever speak and find out just how much they have in common?

Alex sighed, his hand supporting his head as his elbow rested on his knee with one leg crossed over the other, his eyes closed. Dammit, dad, why'd you do it?His past was catching up to him way to fast for his liking over the past few days. He'd been way to distracted on his days at work recently and Grissom had given him the week off. He'd been coming to the park to get his mind off things. It hadn't worked. He opened his eyes as the image of his father lashing out at him flashed through his mind. He was distracted again by the girl...he'd seen her here just about every day he was here. I wonder what her name is...

Maddie had been listening to country singer Carlene Carter and as the lyrics floated from the song, Maddie related with the song but not in the way she wanted to.

She just happened to look over and saw him, smiling as she did while her headphones were in her ears.

Alex looked down at his hands for a moment, he wasn't the romantic type and he quickly flashed a glance at his watch. Why he had checked the time he didn't even know. He sighed quietly, trying to pull himself together enough to get up the courage to talk to her. He looked back over at the girl, struggling to decide if he should go up to her.

Maddie lowered the volume on her Ipod, as she changed the song to something much more different and she had a lot of music on her Ipod, she found the artist she was looking for and put on the songs she had.

She had also wondered who he was too.

Alex frowned slightly to himself and fumbled around in his pockets for his Ipod. He shifted quickly to yank it out of his back jeans pocket. His clothing style was somewhat laid-back today. A light short-sleeved shirt and jeans. He didn't do much more when he dressed for work, but he at least attempted at some sort of professionalism. He stared at his headphones, quickly untangling them before he browsed through what he had on his Ipod. He honestly felt he didn't use the Ipod often enough, but..oh well.

Maddie walked on and went home, listening to her Ipod on the way back to her place. She couldn't help but wonder who he was.

Alex had spaced out, so he jumped when his phone went off. He pulled it out without turning down his music on his Ipod. It was a text from one of his co-workers at the crime lab. He smiled slightly and sighed, quickly sending a message back before he put his phone back and pulled his keys to his Tahoe. He smiled when he remember he was playing his bass guitar that night at a local bar. There was something to look forward. He needed to practice a couple songs tonight for that...he was going to enjoy that.

Maddie was at her home, she still couldn't stop herself from thinking about him. She wondered why.

Alex headed back to his apartment where he pulled his guitar and song sheets and started to go over his songs he had planned for his playing at the bar later that night. He smiled, in his own world as he played his guitar.

Maddie got herself something to eat and drink, before she sat by the fire and watched a film.

Alex tossed a glance at the clock, he had an hour before he had to leave. That was definitely enough time to go over one of his newer songs. He pulled that sheet and ran over it quickly, tapping his pencil against the sheet as he mentally went over the rhythm and beat. "Alright,"he finally said, setting the sheet down and smiling as he went back to his guitar, following the rhythm he had planned out on the sheet. He would be playing this one later. He personally felt connected to the song, it told a lot about him, which was something a lot of people didn't know and probably would never know. For Alex, the song and his guitar was a pretty good way to remember the past, but also not go on having nightmares about it. He smiled as he got to the last line in the verse, "I guess that's what they call 'Second Chances'..."

Maddie would be staying in and she was shattered after the vents of today. She needed a rest.

Alex soon started packing up his stuff to head over and meet the event coordinator for the night at the bar and headed over in his Tahoe. "Alex! You made it!"Alex smiled as he heard the coordinator, "I was planning on it,"he pointed out as he closed the rear driver's side door after pulling out his guitar and walking around the front end of the Chevy to come face to face with Terry Johnson, the bar owner who did a lot of his own event planning. Terry offered Alex a smile, "Well, c'mon in and make yourself at home, I saved the best for last,"he said with a wink at Alex as he led the way in to the bar. Alex smiled, shook his head, and headed after Terry in to the bar.

Maddie still thought about him, she had to wonder why she could not stop thinking of him..

Later that evening Terry and Alex sat in front of the crowd, "So, how are you doin' tonight Alex? Anything special for us?"Terry asked. They did this before every show Alex could fit in to his schedule, him and Terry. Alex shrugged and nodded, "Well, you've already heard some of my newer songs, but I got one last one I've got that I think you'll all really like,"he said, looking back at the crowd. Terry smiled, "I'm sure we'll love it, go kill out there, bud,"he said giving Alex a pat on the shoulder as Alex smiled and nodded, "Ladies and gentlemen, Alex Walker!"Alex shot a glance at him. "Alright, alright, chill! The stage is yours!"Alex smirked and caught a couple laughs from the audience. "Anyways, this one's something I think you guys'll like, this is another one of my newer songs, it's called 'Second Chances'."

Maddie sighed as she then decided to head out and saw him.

Alex gave everyone a moment before he started his song,

"Some people tell me that time will heal old wounds,
But they've never experienced what I've gone through,
If anything, time has only reminded me, reminded me of those wounds.
It's not every day though, you meet someone who cares.
Someone who will listen and you don't always get another chance.
But I guess that's what people call 'Second Chances'."
Alex looked up as he sang, his eyes just so happened to find her. He recognized her and he wasn't able to keep a smile off his face.

Maddie smiled back towards him, she was glad that she had decided to head out, now she saw him all the while feeling butterflies in her tummy, she hadn't felt like this before and it was rather a nice feeling.

As she listened to him, she admired how good he was, she liked him but she wasn't sure if he even liked her, they had never said any words to each other but a smile always happened when they did see each other.

"You know I ran for most of my life,
Ran from the past, ran from home,
Now I find myself in this bar,
The old songs ringing in my ears,
When I thought I found a place I could stay,
A new leash on life, A new start from the past,
I guess that's what they call 'Second Chances'."

Alex kept on playing through his song, letting his mind wander to how he liked the girl. He'd never even talked with her before, but he had this feeling that he just liked her. It was a feeling he hadn't felt in many years-since before he ran from his childhood home, those nights alone with his mother without his abusive father going at him and his mother. He didn't even know if the feeling was shared. He decided to talk to her after the show.

Maddie was by thebar, drinking a Barcardi and coke as she listened to him, feeling goosebumps which she hadn't felt before not like this, se liked him but wary of getting close.

Not knowing that they would finally speak to each other properly, Maddie was feeling excited but nervous all at the same time.

Alex soon finished his song and noticed her by the bar and he was nervous to talk to her, but he went up to talk to her. "Hey, I saw you earlier."he said, offering her a slight smile, "Like the song?"he asked as he took a seat beside her.

Maddie smiled, then replied " Yeah I loved the song, was amazing. Yeah I saw you too."

Alex smiled, "It's pretty personal for me."he admitted. "I wrote it to try and help myself push my past away and put it to rest, it's been catching up with me a little too fast recently."he said with a sigh, his eyes darkening slightly at the darker memories of his childhood. "And I guess I also wrote it to give those people who have the same kind of feelings I do about the past an idea on where to go from here."he said with a shrug. "I'm honestly not too sure about why right now. I just know I'm glad I did it."

Maddie nodded, then said " Lotta things do tend to creep up on people who least expect it to, wondering if it will bite back"