DISCLAIMER: I do not own "Hawaii Five-0" or any of its characters. I do, however, own Maddie, Pete, Tina, Carl, Mo, Johnny, Karen, the stalker, etc.


AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Hi everyone! I finally am updating again now that I have had time at home. I don't know where you all are located, but I'm in Los Angeles. Here we have been ordered to shelter in place to hopefully slow COVID. Because of this, I am going to have a ton of time on my hands. So, I'll be writing a lot and updating. This completes everything pre-show. I will not be writing the show out. I will mention a few things from it in the next chapter and then continue on with the story. I spent wayyyyyyy too much time on this whole pre-show. Sorry, guys! Thanks for sticking with me!

I don't want to go on too long here, so I'll remind you of a couple things.

1. Thoughts are in italics.

2. Notes and flashbacks are in BOLD.

3. This takes place in Season 2 of Hawaii Five-O, but the entire story will span the rest of the seasons. (btw, how sad are you guys that the show is done?)

4. As always, reviews are incredibly welcome!

Because you all have been BEYOND patient, I gave you a couple Maddie and Steve moments in this that weren't originally going to be there. I hope you enjoy them.

I will have the next update to you in a couple days at most. It's so much easier to write now that the pre-show is done!

On that note, I will let you get to it!

I hope you all are healthy and safe!

xoxo


"Hey princess!" an African American man in his late fifties greeted her as he and a woman walked into the dressing room.

Maddie was pulled from her terrified thoughts over her stalker as she stared at the new people in her dressing room. It took a few seconds for her mind to compute who was standing in front of her. Finally her eyes widened in recognition. "Johnny," she replied. Immediately she realized that someone must have contacted him telling him what was happening. To say she was mad was an understatement. Sure, he was her manager, but he had more important things to worry and focus on right now. Her eyes moved to the woman standing slightly behind him smiling at her. "Karen," Maddie exhaled, obvious relief and happiness in her voice. She moved to stand, but was immediately waved off.

"No, stay seated. We'll come to you!" Johnny told her. He and his wife walked to the couch, leaned down, and hugged Maddie.

"Really good to see you both!" Ryan stated as he stood from the chair he'd been sitting in. "I'm going to go to our dressing room and give you some time to catch up." He hugged both Karen and Johnny before leaving.

Back at the table Kono gave Lori a look. Understanding, Lori helped her begin to pack up the fan letters they were going through. "We are going to do the same," Kono stated as she and Lori began heading to the door carrying the box.

"I'll join you guys in a minute," Steve added closing his laptop and standing. As his coworkers left he walked over to the couch and hugged both Johnny and Karen. "Really good to see you guys!"

"You too, son," Johnny replied. "I hear she's been a handful," he added.

Steve laughed and glanced at a scowling and pale Maddie. "A bit."

"Did you call him?" Maddie asked Steve, obviously angry.

"Wasn't me, Mads," Steve told her honestly.

"Pete…" Maddie seethed. "He's dead."

"He did the right thing," Johnny told her seriously. "In fact, let's talk."

"I'm going to excuse myself," Steve said. He grabbed his laptop and before heading out the door he added, "Maddie, I'm just gonna be in the main room. All you have to do is text or call and I'll come back." She silently nodded. He saw the fear in her eyes as she glanced at him. He was going to kill the asshole scaring her. "No shenanigans while I'm gone."

"Don't worry. There won't be anymore shenanigans," Johnny answered while giving Maddie a serious and reprimanding look. She scowled.

Steve smiled. "Hopefully you can get through to her on that front." With that being said he walked out and headed to the main room where he assumed Kono and Lori had gone to continue going through the fan letters.

With it now being just the three of them, Johnny sat in the armchair to Maddie's left while Karen sat on the couch on Maddie's right side.

"I'm just going to get right to it," Johnny began, his tone serious. "Why didn't you tell me about all the things going on?"

Maddie averted her eyes, refusing to look at him. Her only response was a shoulder shrug.

"Okay, let's start with one thing at a time," Johnny began. "This is George's last show. So that's taken care of. I'll be supervising him the rest of the day, so he won't be causing any more problems and stress."

"What about the second leg of the tour?" Maddie asked, her voice quiet and timid. Johnny and Karen met each other's eyes at how despondent and different Maddie was. Pete hadn't been kidding. Karen scooted closer to Maddie on the couch and put her arm around her back. Maddie immediately laid her head against the woman who had been like a mother to her since she was a teenager.

"George won't be your tour manager. I'll talk to Barry. He will do it. It will all be fine." He paused. "However, given what's been going on and how rundown you are, the second leg of the tour will probably be pushed back."

"What?" Maddie asked in disbelief. Her head shot up from Karen's shoulder.

"We will play it by ear, but I want you to know that I might push it back," Johnny replied. He licked his lips subconsciously before continuing. "Pete told me you have some kind of crazy stalker. What do you know about it, Madeline?"

Maddie inwardly cringed at the use of her first name. He might be her manager, but he was also like a father to her. When he said her full name in any kind of serious tone she always felt like she was in trouble. "I only know that there's a stalker."

He watched her closely. "Are you sure?"

"Yes," she answered, lying.

It was quiet for what felt like forever. Johnny sighed. "Well, Steve and his team are working on it… I heard you and Steve made a deal about getting rid of security for a few weeks, but you remain with him… I think that's a good idea. You'll be safe, but still get a bit of a break from security. However, no more taking off without security. It's too dangerous on a normal day for you let alone when you have a psycho after you." He stared at her. She said nothing. Finally he got tired of waiting, "Got it?"

Maddie sighed. "Fine…"

"Alright, I'm going to go take care of some things." He looked at his wife, giving her a knowing look. She nodded imperceptibly understanding what he was silently asking her to do. To get any information he could out of her. Johnny ruffled Maddie's hair before heading out, leaving her with his wife.

"Sweet girl, you look so tired. And you're really warm," Karen told her, bringing her hand up to her forehead followed by her cheek.

"I'm okay, I promise," Maddie responded. "How do you feel?" she asked, changing the topic.

"I'm doing well, baby girl!" Karen told her. "I'm in remission."

"What?!" Maddie's head shot up. She looked at Karen, relief and happiness displayed openly on her face.

"That's right, I kicked cancer's ass!" Karen exclaimed.

Maddie dove her upper body and head into Karen's arms. Tears came to her eyes. However, unlike the thousand times she'd cried in the last week, these were happy tears.

"Oh sweet girl, everything is okay! I'm not going anywhere," Karen told her before kissing her head. She held her for several minutes before saying anything. "Maddie, what's going on? Do you know more than you've said?"

Maddie debated answering her, but she couldn't risk it. Instead, the happy tears she'd felt moments before turned into tears of sadness and pure fear. They slipped from her eyes. Karen only held Maddie closer as she cried. After more than ten minutes of holding the woman who would always be the girl she helped raise, she felt her tears begin to slow and turn into little hiccups. She felt Maddie's body suddenly relax and knew she'd fallen asleep. Thank God, Karen thought rubbing Maddie's back tenderly. She is exhausted, the poor thing. She waited until she was sure she was in a deep sleep before carefully positioning her against a pillow on the side of the couch. She kissed her head softly, her heart breaking at Maddie's appearance. Karen turned and quietly slipped out of the dressing room, smiling at Cudney, one of Maddie's original eight bodyguards, guarding the door. "She's sound asleep on the couch," Karen relayed to the incredibly tall and muscled man.

"That's really good news," Cudney responded, relieved to hear Maddie was sleeping. She was in desperate need of rest. "I'll make sure no one goes in."

"Wonderful. Thank you!" She grinned before turning and heading towards the main room.


Steve, Kono, and Lori were continuing their work at one of the large picnic style tables in the main room. Even though he knew Maddie was safe, he hated not being with her. She had been so despondent and withdrawn since waking from her short nap. I can't wait until this damn show is over with, he thought, frustrated.

He suddenly caught movement out of the corner of his eye. He looked up to see Karen entering the room. Seeing him, she walked over and sat across from him at the table.

"How is she?" he immediately asked, anxious to know how Maddie was.

She smiled. When are they going to figure out that they're in love with one another and soul mates? she wondered to herself. "She's asleep."

Steve's face broke out into relief. "Thank God! … Thank you! Did she seem to be in a deep sleep?"

"Yes, I waited until I knew she was really asleep. I heard that she's having nightmares. Hopefully she can get some restful sleep," Karen answered.

"I know. Me too. I'd gotten her to sleep a little bit ago, but she woke from a nightmare that made her physically ill," Steve responded. "She hadn't even slept an hour."

"Well, hopefully she can get some sleep. I can tell she really needs it." She changed the topic. "I am going to go to the hotel and get situated before coming back for the show tonight." She began to stand.

"I'll take you," Steve replied, standing. He knew Maddie was safe with her security team. Plus, Chin, Kono, and Lori were all at the venue.

"Are you sure?" she asked.

"Absolutely! Plus it would be good to catch up. It's been way too long." He smiled at her.

The two walked towards the door leading to the parking lot. He grabbed Johnny and Karen's suitcases that were against the wall before exiting the building with Karen at his side. He helped her into the passenger seat of his truck and then placed the suitcases in the back.


As they drove to the hotel they chatted. Just chit-chat until Karen decided to change the subject. She watched Steve closely. "So, I know you two hadn't seen each other in a couple years. How's it been seeing one another?" She was trying to find out if they'd opened their eyes regarding their feelings for one another without coming right out and asking.

Steve tried to fight the small smile that came to his lips thinking about his best friend. And especially thinking about kissing her. "It's really good to see her. I wish she wasn't so rundown, but as soon as this show is done that will change. She's not leaving her bed for at least a week."

Karen chuckled. "Still protective of her I see."

"Always," he replied. He paused. "I wish I hadn't let 2 years go by without seeing her. I'll make sure that never happens again."

Impatient to know more, she sighed. "I'm just gonna come right out and ask. When are you two going to give me grandbabies? I kicked cancer's ass this time, but who knows what the future holds. I want babies, Steve," Karen honestly told him.

Steve blushed; the image that kept popping to mind at the barbeque days earlier appeared again. Maddie pregnant with his child. "Um… I…" he stuttered.

Karen was watching him closely. She noticed him blush and now with his stammering she knew something was FINALLY different between the two. "YES!" Karen exclaimed. "You guys finally realized!"

Steve's face pinked even more. Karen laughed, beyond ecstatic. "Well…" Steve began. "We are trying to figure things out."

"Oh come on! Give me more. Don't make me play the cancer card," Karen told him, her eyes sparkling with happiness.

"She's my best friend," Steve simply answered.

"That you've realized isn't JUST your best friend," Karen told him.

Steve was uncomfortable, but Karen had always been someone you could go to for advice. Plus, she was a female, and she knew Maddie well. Maybe she'd have some miraculous guidance that could help him. Steve gave her a quick synopsis of what had been going on with them including the stupid things he'd said and done.

"You idiot!" Karen exclaimed.

"So I've been told," Steve muttered coming to a stop at a red light. He looked over at her.

"I know it's scary, Steve. It's a big change. But what you don't realize is that you and Maddie have never been JUST friends. This was always inevitable. You two just didn't realize it." Karen paused taking a deep breath. "Something is off with that girl. Something bad. Am I right?"

Steve's jaw clenched as he sighed. "Yes, whatever's happening is bad. This isn't your run-of-the-mill stalker. And she refuses to tell me what she knows. She claims she knows nothing, but she's lying."

"Yes, she is," Karen replied.

Steve's head whipped around to look at her. "Did she say anything?"

She gave him a sympathetic look. "No, honey, I'm sorry. She just cried, but wouldn't tell me why. She cried until she fell asleep."

"Damnit!" Steve yelled. "I hate seeing her like this. And so far I haven't been able to do anything about it. I'm flying blind here." He shook his head, his heart aching. All he wanted was to get to the bottom of what was happening and with every dead end he and Five-O hit he felt like he was letting her down.

"I know. But I know you're going to be able to figure this out. You'll find the son-of-a-bitch after her," Karen told him sincerely. "And when it comes to the two of you, everything is going to be fine. Just be there for her no matter how many times she pushes you away. Just stay right there. She'll get the message. Might take her a minute, but she will realize that you do have feelings for her. I promise. Unfortunately, you both are incredibly stubborn. In this situation, given how unlike herself she is, you are going to have to be the one who bends." He rolled his eyes at that, making her laugh.

Her unwavering faith in him on every level was humbling and gave him a boost of confidence he desperately needed. "Thank you, Karen." He turned his head and smiled at her. "And, I'm so glad you kicked cancer's ass!"

Karen's smile was radiant as she looked to the man who had grown up so much since she'd met him as a teenager. "Thank you!" Her smile turned mischievous. "You guys are going to give me the cutest babies in the history of the world! I can't wait! If you could get on it I'd really appreciate it!" Karen laughed at the dark blush that broke out on Steve's face.

They pulled up to the hotel, which Steve was incredibly grateful for. He was doing his best to shake the image of Maddie pregnant. He got out of the car, walked around, and opened the door for Karen. He helped her out and then folded her in his arms. He held her there before whispering, "I'm so glad you're okay."

She rubbed his back in a motherly way. A way he hadn't realized he'd missed this much until now. "I know, honey. And everything is gonna be okay. You got this. And if you ever doubt that or need an ear, you just call me."

He released her slowly, immediately missing the contact. "Thank you. I will." With a final shy smile in her direction, he grabbed the luggage out of the back and then walked with her into the hotel.


It had been a couple hours since Maddie had fallen asleep with Karen. Steve hadn't checked on her himself since security had. She was still sound asleep. Something he was beyond grateful for.

As soon as he'd returned from taking Karen to the hotel he'd gone back to his seat with Kono and Lori in the main room. They were still going through fan letters. In fact, they'd made it to a second box.

"Hey guys," a voice greeted them.

Steve looked up, immediately smiling when he saw who it was. "Hey, T! You seem to be feeling better."

She grinned at Steve. "I am! Thank you! I just needed some rest. Just making sure Gladys has Maddie's order for an early dinner. It's about that time."

"Is she awake?" he asked.

"No, not yet. I'm going to go now and wake her. She needs food in her to be able to do this show." She smiled at Steve. "I'll be back in a few minutes."

As he watched Tina walk in the direction of Maddie's dressing room he prayed she was feeling a little better after getting sleep. She really needs it to be able to do this show.

Before he knew it he saw Tina and Chin on each side of Maddie as she entered the room on crutches. His eyes immediately began taking inventory of her. She's a little less pale, he happily thought to himself.

Chin helped Maddie sit on the bench across from Steve while Tina went and grabbed Maddie's food from Gladys. "You good, Mads?" Chin asked.

She said nothing. Only nodded.

"Hey you," Steve quietly said to her. "Feeling any better?"

She never glanced up at him. Instead, she just nodded. The nightmare she'd had mixed with her stalker getting to her while Steve sat in the next room was on a constant loop. Don't get too close to him, she told herself. It saddened her, especially since they had begun to clear the air. She could still feel his lips on hers as if they'd branded her. She knew if she wanted to keep him safe that they could never do that again.

She's still distant, Steve thought watching as she never looked at him. Even without looking directly into her eyes he could see fear in them. In fact, it was visible in her entire demeanor. That nightmare had to be different than the others. He made a mental note to ask her about it when the opportunity was right, once the show was over.

"Here you go, Mads," Tina said as she set food down in front of her.

"Thanks, T," Maddie whispered. Food was the last thing she wanted right now. Her stomach was churning and she felt like she could throw up at any second. However, she knew Steve was worried about the reports in the press. On top of that she knew she needed the fuel.

Steve noticed that her voice wasn't as rough as it was before she napped. Thank, God!

He watched her carefully as she slowly began to eat. He could tell she was forcing herself to, something he took as a good sign. At least she's eating and it's her choice, he thought, the eating disorder rumors still extremely present on his mind. So she wasn't the only one eating, he got up and grabbed himself some food.

Just as he sat down with a plate, Ryan walked in, grabbed some food, and then took a seat to Maddie's right. Kono was to her left while Lori sat on Steve's right. "Hey," Ryan greeted.

Maddie simply nodded in greeting as she slowly chewed some grilled chicken. Ryan glanced at Steve raising his eyebrows in question. Steve almost imperceptibly shrugged. He knew what Ryan was asking and he didn't have the answer. He didn't know EXACTLY what had happened to cause Maddie's emotional shutdown.

Nearly ten minutes later almost everyone was seated eating dinner. They laughed and joked while Maddie sat there in a mind prison of fear and worry as she continued forcing herself to eat.

A breathy and gruff male voice effectively pulled her to the present. "Maddie?" She looked up and to the side. A larger male complete with a suit and proper security badges stood there, his hand outstretched. Although she had never met him she recognized the voice from various phone calls. Her demeanor immediately shifted to one that evoked more confidence, her back no longer hunched over. "Nice to meet you… in person," he said.

"You as well, Mr. Kern," Maddie politely responded giving the new head of her record label her hand to shake. Inwardly she was weirded out. His hand was sweaty and even though the look in his eye was friendly, she could see the mischief and meanness lurking just under the surface.

"I have the contract for you to sign." He handed her a sheet of paper with black printing on it. As Maddie took the contract from him with her right hand, she used her left to push her food forward, giving her space to read and sign the paper. "Everything's just like we talked about." The glint in his eye told her she was right that he'd try and change the terms at the last minute. She began quickly reading it.

"Wait…" she started, making her voice sound nervous and slightly panicked. "We agreed on four new songs."

"No, we agreed on eight new songs," he lied.

Eavesdropping from his spot across and slightly down the table it all suddenly made sense to Pete. He took another bite of his dinner to try and keep the smile from his face.

"How am I supposed to add another four new songs in the next three hours?" Maddie asked, feigning worry.

"If you want the time off then you'll figure it out," Larry Kern told her, his tone and demeanor giving no room for argument.

Ryan glanced across at Steve and could tell he was about to say something. Before he had the chance, Ryan kicked him under the table. Steve's focus shot to Ryan's face, obviously not happy he'd just been kicked. Ryan subtly shook his head, hoping Steve would listen to him. Thank God, he did.

Maddie sighed loudly as she ran her long, thin fingers through her hair. "Okay… well…" she took a deep breath, "I will figure it out and make it work."

As she looked for the signature line at the bottom of the page, Larry added, "There's more on the back."

Maddie didn't need to look at him to know she'd find laughter and mischief in his eyes. She quickly initialed the front side and then flipped it over having a very good idea of what she'd find. As she quickly read the paragraph on the back she wished she'd been wrong. However, she wasn't. The last several months on tour made sense. Larry Kern's behavior made sense. Fucking asshole, she thought to herself. Both are fucking assholes.

"Wait, what?" Kono nearly yelled as she read what was a condition for Maddie to get two months off. She wasn't the only one reading the contract Maddie had in front of her.

"No way!" Ryan cried.

Before either had a chance to stop her, Maddie signed on the line and dated it. She grabbed her phone and took a photo of the front and back before handing it over to Larry.

"Pleasure doing business with you, Maddie," he smugly said. "Good luck tonight."

"Good thing I added 10 new songs," Maddie told him, a look of triumph on her face. "And I won't need luck tonight."

Obviously angry, Larry clenched his jaw. She'd already signed the contract. There was nothing he could do. But then he remembered what she had to follow through with besides the show. She had to see Jesse, his stepbrother. He smiled knowingly at her. She knew what he was wordlessly saying, what he appeared to be gloating, and she refused to give him the satisfaction of seeing her fear over knowing she had to see her ex-boyfriend. With one last smug smile he walked away.

"Are you insane?" Ryan yelled. "What were you thinking?"

"Seriously!" Kono added.

Maddie ignored them as she pulled her food back towards her and returned to her dinner.

"Wait a minute! You aren't even the littlest bit surprised!" Ryan said to her accusingly.

Maddie said nothing as she took another bite.

"You knew!" Kono cried. "How could you agree to that?"

"Let it go," Maddie quietly told them.

"Bu-," Kono began only to be interrupted by Maddie.

Maddie knew she needed to shut them both up so Steve wouldn't find out what had happened all those months ago and in turn what she'd just agreed to. Or Pete. Pete could never know what she'd just said yes to. "Let. It. Go." The shortness and finality of her tone did the trick. Her two friends stopped talking.

"What's going on?" Steve asked. He'd been watching the three friends carefully as they argued. Obviously Maddie had been forced to do something they weren't okay with, which probably meant he would be even more upset about it. Great, he thought, waiting for any one of them to answer, but the three remained quiet. Just as he was about to ask again, but more forcefully, Pete spoke up.

"You anticipated that," Pete said to Maddie. Her eyes moved from her plate to his face. "You knew he wouldn't keep to his word on the amount of new songs…" She cracked a small smile. "That's why you added 10 instead of four."

"Next time, Pete, have a little faith in me," Maddie told him before she returned her attention to her food. She reminded herself how everyone had thought she'd added 10 instead of four because she was upset about Steve, but that hadn't been the truth. Sure, the additional work added as a distraction, but it wasn't why she'd done it.

"I will, Shorty," Pete told her. "Well played."

"Thanks," she mumbled.

"Wait, you prepared 10 new songs in the last few days?" Steve asked incredulously. He couldn't believe she'd been able to do that given all the circumstances. "No wonder you're exhausted."

Maddie glanced at him and shrugged before looking back down at her food and taking a bite. Now that Larry was gone, her mind returned to her stalker and the nightmare. She'd worry about having to see Jesse later.

Everyone continued chatting and eating around her. Steve kept a close eye on her, getting more and more worried as time went by. She was so much more withdrawn than she had been hours before.

"How long have you known?" Ryan quietly and randomly asked. He'd been silent since Maddie had shut him and Kono down.

Maddie set her fork down and sighed. "Two days. I figured it out two days ago." She remembered listening to Jesse's messages, each one more irate than the next. It had suddenly dawned on her. Larry Kern had to somehow know Jesse. How or what their relationship was she didn't know. All that mattered was that they knew one another and Larry cared enough about Jesse to force her hand into seeing him.

"And you didn't say anything?" Ryan asked her, the hurt obvious. "Why?"

"Because, contrary to what everyone seems to think, my business is just that… my business," she slightly snapped.

All Steve wanted to do was hold her and tell her everything was going to be fine. For the millionth time he couldn't wait until this show was over. She was struggling. On so many levels. Getting her back home where it was just them was what she needed.

Maddie started to stand. "T?"

"Yeah, let's go," Tina replied as she quickly stood. She grabbed Maddie's crutches and helped her off the bench before handing them to her.

"Lockdown?" Pete asked, already knowing the answer.

"Yep," Maddie replied quietly. She couldn't wait to get away from everyone. Plus, she needed to be in hair and makeup pretty soon. She began crutching out of the main room and to her dressing room with Tina to her left. Pete remained where he was, but using the mic at his wrist he told Mo they were on their way back.

Once the two women were gone, Steve didn't waste a second. "What did she sign?" Kono and Ryan looked away from him. "What was it?" he asked again, his tone impatient.

"We will make sure she tells you later, boss," Kono reluctantly answered. Her anger towards Maddie was still very apparent.

"Good luck with that," Ryan answered, still hurt by the fact Maddie hadn't confided in him. With that he got up and headed towards the dressing room he shared with the other male dancers.


Shortly after she'd been locked down in her dressing room, Tina had told her that Johnny had cancelled the red carpet and press and instead was having them at the after party, which was in a couple days. He also had rescheduled the meet-n-greet to Friday. It would be its own special event in the afternoon several hours before the after party, giving Maddie more time to spend with her fans. By that time she would have been able to get about a day and a half of consistent rest.

Maddie was sitting on the couch with her robe over her bra and underwear as she waited for Doc. Her hair and makeup were done and her opening costume was hanging up ready for her. Show time was only thirty minutes away. She'd been alone in the room with her glam team while Tina went in and out as needed. She wanted Steve with her more than anything, but she knew it was a bad idea. She was still upset about his mixed messages, but more than anything she knew she had to keep him safe from her stalker. The last couple hours her nightmare continued to play on repeat. That and her stalker's note. I thought you'd learned your lesson already. Have a good show… She knew that Pete and the rest of the security team had been on high alert all day, but he'd gotten in while she'd been asleep with Steve in the next room. It wasn't so much her safety she was worried about. It was Steve's. And her friends. And her fans. She'd be lying if she said she wasn't terrified for her show. Her stomach was in knots. What does he have planned for tonight, she wondered for the millionth time.

Her thoughts were interrupted when Doc finally got her attention. "Maddie? You okay?" he asked.

When did he get here, she wondered. "Yeah." She tried to give him a smile, but he didn't buy it. "Let's do this."

Over the next 12 minutes Doc gave her a shot in her tailbone, one in her knee, wrapped her foot so it wasn't bulky, but still protected, gave her a breathing treatment, gave her some last minute Advil and cough medicine, among other things. "You're good to go," he finally said. "You got this." He threw that last part in because he could feel the nervous energy coming off her, something he'd never really witnessed from her before.

"Thanks, Doc," Maddie replied, giving him a sad smile.

"I'll be waiting in the wings in case you need anything. And I left an inhaler in each dressing area for in between songs." She nodded in response. "Kick some ass, kid." With that, he rose and left the room.

"Ready, Mads?" Tina spoke from her spot in the armchair to Maddie's left.

"Yeah," she answered, however she didn't stand. Minutes went by and Tina realized she was afraid to get dressed. "Everything's going to be okay, Maddie. Pete and the team have continued to check things over while you've been in here." She still didn't move. Tina peeked at her watch seeing that they were running out of time. She knew she couldn't wait any longer. "I'll be right back." Maddie made no acknowledgement as Tina rushed out the door and down the hall towards the main room.

Hanging out in the main room with Steve and his entire team as well as others like Joe, Kamakona, Rachael, and Gracie, Maddie's dancers were in complete glam and costume. Tina ran to Ryan and whispered to him before they quickly took off towards Maddie's dressing room. Tina would normally have grabbed Steve, but she didn't think Steve was going to be able to get through to Maddie, at least not in time.

"What's going on?" Steve worriedly asked Pete. The last couple hours had been agony for him knowing Maddie was there, but that she wanted no visitors. But at the same time he knew she was using that time to try and get herself in the right headspace to pull this show off.

"I don't know," Pete answered just as concerned. "Let me find out." He spoke into the mic at his wrist, "Mo, what's going on?"

"Not sure, boss," Mo answered.

Pete waited for what felt like forever, but was only just a minute before Mo came back. "Apparently, Maddie isn't getting dressed. Tina is asking for you."

"On my way," Pete responded before rushing towards the exit. Before he left the room completely he stopped and called back, "she's fine" so Steve wouldn't worry. Then he took off running.

"Hey Shorty…" Pete greeted Maddie as she sat on the couch in her underwear and robe. He walked towards her and sat on the edge of the coffee table in front of her. She met his eyes and he could see the complete fear in them. He grabbed her hands. "Everything is gonna be okay. I promise."

He waited to see if she'd respond. He had just given up hope when she whispered, "You won't let anything happen to him?"

Her question surprised him. He thought she was just scared of getting hurt during her show. But he realized that wasn't it. She was scared something was going to happen to Steve. He knew they were running out of time, they had less than 10 minutes until show time, so he decided to ask her more about it later. In the meantime, he just had to assure her enough so she'd get dressed. "I promise. I'll even tell him to wear his weapon. Will that make you feel better?"

She nibbled on her lip, thinking, before finally nodding.

"Okay, good. Let's get up and get dressed," Pete said to her as he stood, never once letting go of her hands. He gently pulled her into a standing position and then walked her away from the couch. As she stood she gripped his hands in hers and continued to stare at him. "Everything's gonna be just fine, Shorty." Knowing she couldn't get dressed while still holding his hands he let go, having to push hers away slightly. Her team immediately pulled her robe off before getting her dressed in the skin tight black sparkly jumpsuit that she wore for the opening songs. The entire time she never broke eye contact with Pete. When she was dressed and her 5 inch heeled black boots were on, he secured her mic pack in its designated pocket on her jumpsuit, plugged her in-ear monitors to it and then placed one on each of her shoulders. Next, he grabbed her black harness and had her step into it before he began clipping it. It wasn't just around her legs and her waist. It went up over her shoulders and clipped again below her boobs, but was made to blend in to her costume as much as possible. He checked and rechecked making sure it was secure. He'd already looked it over to make sure it hadn't been tampered with, as well as the other harnesses she wore during the show. Satisfied that she would be safe, he said, "Good to go. Ready?" He glanced at his watch seeing they had five minutes before show time. We are cutting this close.

Maddie stared at him, licked her lips, and sighed. "Yeah, let's go." Tina helped her back into her robe and fastened it around her waist.

Pete smiled at Maddie confidently before speaking into the mic at his wrist. "On our way." He opened and held the door open for Maddie and Tina before joining them in their brisk walk towards the main room.


Maddie's dancers were jumping in place and stretching to keep their muscles warm when Maddie, Tina, and Pete rushed into the main room. The crew joined Maddie and her dancers in a quick prayer. "Thank you guys so much for all your hard work the last few days, not to mention the last several months," Maddie added when they were finished. They all cheered and wished each other a good show.

As Steve watched he tried to remember a time he'd seen her look so nervous. He couldn't come up with anything. He wished there was something he could do to comfort her, then he suddenly remembered. The flowers. He grabbed them off the table before quickly making his way to her.

"Here, Mads." He held the blue, sparkly roses out to her. "Break a leg. But not literally please."

"How?" Maddie's whole demeanor began to change as she took the flowers. "You remembered?" Her bottom lip quivered a little bit as emotions she didn't realize were there until just now were stirred. God, I miss John, she thought. She'd never done a show in a Hawaii that he hadn't attended. She couldn't remember a time that she felt so touched. Without thinking she launched herself against Steve. He immediately wrapped his arms around her, chuckling. He reveled in the feel of her in his arms. Sure, he'd held her a couple times that day, but this was because she truly wanted it and was happy to be there. His eyes met Tina's misty ones and he mouthed "thank you" to her. "Of course I remembered. Are you ever going to tell me the story behind them?"

"I don't know," she mumbled against him. She knew with them only ever being able to just be friends she would never tell him the story.

"Come on! They're hard to find, you know?" he whispered to her.

Before she could answer, Pete interrupted. "I'm so sorry to break this up, but we gotta keep this moving," Pete reluctantly said. He felt so guilty for interrupting them, but she needed to get to the stage. Johnny was radioing over asking where they were.

Hesitantly, Maddie pulled away from Steve. She looked into his crystal blue eyes and genuinely smiled. For the first time that day she flashed her dimpled smile at him. Butterflies flitted around his stomach at the beautiful sight. "I'll take these, Mads," Tina said, interrupting their moment as she took the roses.

The moment was broken and with that Maddie's fears and nerves came rushing back. Oh God, what if he saw me hug Steve like that? she worried.

"Let's go," Pete said, interrupting her thought. She nodded as everyone headed out of the main room and down the first hallway. It wasn't just her and her dancers, but Steve and Five-0 and the rest of her VIP guests. Steve walked next to her keeping a constant eye on her. She was back to looking incredibly nervous. I can't wait for this show to be done, he thought, wanting to get her back to the safety of her house where there wouldn't be a ton of people constantly around her and she could just be.

Just as they were all passing the room security had been using as their headquarters, Maddie burst through the door of the bathroom to her right. She rushed to the toilet and began gagging. Steve was right behind her, making sure the door closed behind him to give her privacy. He grabbed her hair and rubbed her back. "Everything's gonna be okay, baby."

Maddie knew she needed to keep her dinner down. She gagged again trying to keep herself from completely throwing up by sheer mental will.

"It's just us," Steve whispered letting her know they were alone.

Shakily, she straightened before turning in his arms and laying her head against his chest again.

"I got ya," he whispered, holding her tightly. "The show is going to go great! Then we will go home and snuggle in bed. You're almost through this."

There was a light knock on the door letting them know Maddie had to get to the stage.

Sighing heavily, she lifted her head from his chest and leaned back, tipping her head back to look at his face.

He smiled down at her, their gazes locked. He leaned down and kissed her forehead before placing a tender kiss on her nose. Knowing they were alone, he didn't give it a second thought when he bent his head and kissed her mouth. She leaned into the blissful kiss that seemed to make time stand still. They lingered there, only breaking the kiss when another knock sounded.

"Let's get you to the stage," Steve whispered, wanting nothing more than to kiss her again.

"Okay," she mumbled. She had needed that kiss and she'd needed him to hold her, even if just for a few seconds. She refused to think more about it. Refused to think about everything he'd said and done to break her heart over the last week and refused to think about her stalker. Inside the bathroom, they were safe. It was another world.

Slowly they broke contact. Steve opened and held the door for her.

"You okay, Shorty?" Pete asked, concerned. She nodded in response as she returned to her spot next to him. They reached the door leading to the backstage area. "Alright, you guys will be escorted to the VIP section in front of the stage. See you all later!"

Her friends, new and old, called out words of encouragement before she disappeared behind the door to backstage while they were taken inside the crowded arena and walked to the VIP area.

Backstage, Maddie shrugged out of her robe and handed it to Tina. Pete checked her harness one last time as he hooked a cable to each side of it. She nodded nervously to him as she stood on the flying disc backstage. She slipped her in-ear monitors in her ears and situated her head mic. The lights in the arena had gone out and the crowd went wild, screaming uncontrollably. "You're safe, so is Steve", he mouthed to her as Joey, Hunter, and Cooper began raising the flying disc up to the rafters and forward to where they were waiting with Billy.


Thanks again for reading! I hope you guys enjoyed it! Please, please leave a review!

xoxo