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.

I do not own the songs Maddie sings in this chapter. They belong to Lady Gaga, Britney Spears, Katy Perry, Maroon 5, Rihanna, Gwen Stefani.


AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Hi everyone! I give you Chapter 37 - Maddie's show. I didn't obviously write out her whole show. I did part of it in order to show more sides of her. I based several of the performances off Britney Spears "Dream Within A Dream" tour because she is a great performer. I'm not saying Maddie sounds like any of the artists that I borrowed songs from for this chapter. I'm putting links to the videos in my bio. You should really check them out. It's fun to watch them especially during this crazy quarantine time we are living in. Which reminds me... I hope you are all safe and healthy.

I spend a lot of time writing these chapters, probably too much time, lol. So, when you guys leave reviews it really means a lot and honestly it makes me write the story faster. :o)

I'm really looking forward to the next chapters since Maddie's show is done and you will experience more Steve and Maddie as well as flashbacks to how things used to be. How she used to be.

As always, thoughts are in italics. Anytime she's singing it's in bold.

Oh, also, maybe 45 degrees Fahrenheit was too cold, but it's a story. I just wanted to depict that the water's freezing. And the degrees are in Fahrenheit.

Here is a list of the songs I've used in this chapter. I didn't put the whole songs, but they're good ones and I recommend checking them out!

1. Bad Romance - Lady Gaga

2. I Love Rock and Roll - Britney Spears

3. What It's Like to Be Me - Britney Spears

4. Lonely - Britney Spears

5. S&M - Rihanna

6. Love The Way You Lie (Part 2) - Rihanna

7. Part of Me - Katy Perry

8. If I Never See Your Face Again - Maroon 5 ft. Rihanna

9. My Heart Is Open - Maroon 5 ft Gwen Stefani

10. Peacock - Katy Perry

11. Slumber Party - Britney Spears ft. Tinashe

12. Inside Out - Britney Spears

13. Wide Awake - Katy Perry

14. The Edge of Glory - Lady Gaga

15. ...Baby, One More Time - Britney Spears

Also, please remember that I'm not a dancer, so I don't know the proper terminology for things. I did my best. I hope I painted a picture of what I see in my head when she's performing.

I'll let you get to it. Please leave a review. The feedback helps me be a better writer.

Thanks so much guys,
Laura


Steve, the rest of Five-O, Joe, Max, Rachael, Gracie, Johnny, Karen, and a few others were seated in the VIP area which was directly in front of Stage 2. The smaller, tall stage (Stage 3) was directly behind them. To their right and left was a small walkway that branched off Stage 2 and hooked to Stage 3. This made it so they were seated within a larger square being surrounded by stage on all sides. Steve unconsciously took in his environment, locating the exits and the best places to bunker down in case of an assault. And the best ways to get to Maddie on her stage. It was his Navy Seal training. It was so ingrained in him that he didn't really realize when he was using it.

Once he felt comfortable with his emergency plans, he took in the stage and the crowd. It still awed him every time he saw Maddie perform or went to any kind of public event with her. The world loved her. For more than a decade she had maintained her position as the "Queen of Pop". With every album she'd released since she was 16 she'd won awards after awards. Grammy's, Moon Men from the MTV Music Awards, American Music Awards, Billboard Music Awards, the list went on and on. She'd even won an Oscar for Best Song in a movie. It blew his mind whenever he thought about it. She was just Maddie to him. His childhood best friend. And now… something more? He hoped so even though it scared the shit out of him.

Suddenly the crowd stopped screaming and started chanting Maddie's name. He glanced at his watch. It was several minutes after 9pm. She was starting a bit late. He still wasn't 100% sure what had delayed her and caused Ryan and Pete to go running to her dressing room, but seeing how nervous she'd been he had a feeling it was a bad case of the nerves. It was just strange, and concerning, because he'd never seen her like that. The last time he'd seen her have full-fledged stage fright she was seven years old and her mom had just died.

"It's so crazy and surreal to hear them chanting her name!" Kono yelled to them over the roaring crowd.

"It really is," Chin added. Steve nodded in agreement.

As Maddie stood on the flying disc on its way to the rafters to Billy, Joey, Hunter, and Cooper she did all she could to erase everything from her mind besides her show. That included her stalker. Something so much easier said than done. Don't think about it… just perform. You love this…do what you love, she thought to herself. For the past several hours not only had her stalker's most recent threat been going through her mind, but every threat he'd issued her over the last few months. And there had been many. The one that scared her though was something happening to Steve. It's what she saw in her nightmares. She knew she had to force herself to not think about it, to not think about Steve, or she would be too distracted and worried during the show. "You can do this, Maddie," she whispered to herself. "This should be a walk in the park for you." She knew in her current state it was nowhere close to a "walk in the park". The choreography had been made more difficult in a lot of the show and brand new choreography in other parts. That didn't include the ten new songs. Luckily, she'd thought ahead and put some in that required no or little choreography, giving her a much needed break. That, and she'd arranged for a few friends to help her out. Sure, that made the show longer, but it gave her time to breathe, literally and figuratively, throughout the show.

She knew she had to nail this show. But it wasn't just that. She wanted to nail it. Not just because it was being filmed for HBO, but because Steve was there. He hadn't seen her perform in two years and she wanted him to be proud of her.

Maddie focused on her breathing as the disc reached the top of the rafters. Joey, Hunter, and Cooper moved the flying disc into place while Billy reached forward checking and rechecking her harness. "You got this, Shorty," he mouthed to her, knowing she wouldn't be able to hear with her in-ear monitors in. She took a deep breath, nodded, and then closed her eyes. She forced everything from her mind except the show and giving it 110%. When she reopened them she was focused, a confident small smirk on her face. Billy smiled, realizing he hadn't seen that look from her in months. It was the look that told him she was 100% Madeline Lily, the legend entertainer, and no longer "Maddie", the clumsy girl-next-door.

Maddie's security was positioned between the concert barricades and the stages. They were spread out along Stage 1, 2, and 3 making sure no one could jump the barricades and get to her onstage, something that had happened a few times over the years. They all were wearing in-ear monitors and had a mic at their wrists making sure they were in constant contact with each other and the crew. Steve watched Pete come from backstage and make his way to the front of Stage 2, directly in front of them. He caught Pete's eyes and raised his eyebrows in question, wordlessly asking if Maddie was okay. He smiled and nodded. Pete looked away as he heard Billy come through letting everyone know she was ready. Within seconds an intro video of Maddie came up on all the stage's video screens. This tour was called "Dream Within A Dream" and the video acted as an intro to the concept. At the end of the video she said, "Last night I dreamed of this very moment when I was right here with all of you… And now my dream's come true." As the video ended the band began playing their intro and all three stages and the catwalks were suddenly covered in flames. Pyro flew up from the edges of the stage in a wave. They could feel the heat from both. I'll never get used to this, Steve thought, excited to see her perform. Sure, he wished she wasn't in the state she was in, but she was and she had to perform, so he might as well try to enjoy it.

"Wow," Lori mumbled to herself as she looked on in awe. Steve glanced at her, a small smile on his lips. Then his eyes went to Gracie. She was in a trance as she watched the stage waiting for Maddie to come out. His smile grew. Maddie always knew how to put on a good show.

The crowd screamed louder as all 16 dancers appeared on the stages. Eight on Stage 1 and eight on the catwalk and Stage 2 combined.

Steve looked around, not knowing where she was making her entrance. He knew it involved her harness since he'd seen a bit of it poking out of her robe, but just how high up she was he didn't know. Her dancers were appearing as they began the choreography. Maddie's vocals began, however she was nowhere to be seen.

Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh!
Caught in a bad romance
Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh!
Caught in a bad romance

Rah-rah-ah-ah-ah-ah!
Roma-roma-mamaa!
Ga-ga-ooh-la-la!
Want your bad romance

"She never disappoints!" Kono shouted to them over the screaming crowd as her friend appeared high above Stage 1.

"No, she doesn't," Steve yelled back. He was partly filled with pride, but partly filled with irritation and worry seeing her so high above. Well, it wouldn't be a show of hers if I wasn't worried about her and her antics, he thought to himself resignedly. He didn't want to think about how he was more worried than he usually was. It was a different kind of worry. Not just worry for a friend.

Rah-rah-ah-ah-ah-ah!
Roma-roma-mamaa!
Ga-ga-ooh-la-la!
Want your bad romance

I want your ugly
I want your disease
I want your everything
As long as it's free
I want your love
(Love-love-love I want your love)

I want your drama
The touch of your hand
I want your leather-studded kiss in the sand
I want your love
Love-love-love
I want your love
(Love-love-love I want your love)

Steve, the rest of Five-O, Gracie, Rachael, Joe, Johnny, Karen, and their friends watched Maddie perform as the circular flying stage stopped high in the air over Stage 1 and began moving forward to Stage 2. Steve was in awe of her, they all were, as she gave it everything she had and more. He had no idea how she was performing given how injured, sick, and exhausted she was.

Pete watched nervously from his spot between the front of the stage and the concert barricades. Images of her rehearsal where her cable broke were running on repeat in his head. His whole body tensed as she finished singing the first chorus. Unconsciously he held his breath as she jumped off the small circular stage right after the first chorus. Although she jumped, her wires were quickly being lowered to the stage. He watched as she effortlessly descended. However, when she was still about eight feet in the air they stopped. He knew she was stuck. He was just grateful she'd come to a slower stop than what had happened in rehearsal. There was no visible jerk, however he was sure she felt something. Just as he was radioing up to find out what the problem was he watched Maddie reach her hands to her sides where the wires hooked to her harness. To his horror he saw her unhook them from her harness. It was like watching something in slow motion. The moment a car loses control, right before it crashes. There was no time to get to the stage.

Maddie felt herself lock. She knew she was still high above the stage, but she knew she was going to miss her entrance. She refused to let herself wonder why she was stuck in the air. She focused only on the show. With a silent prayer and not a second thought, she unhooked herself from the cables and forced herself not to flail as she careened towards the stage. Instinctively she knew that Ryan and Tyler were in place ready to unhook her when she made it to the stage (which is what normally happened), so she knew they were close enough to catch her. And she knew they were paying attention and would know to catch her. Thank God she wasn't disappointed. She could tell how scared they had been by the tight grip they had on her. She squeezed them back in a thankful and reassuring gesture as they put her down into a standing position.

I want your horror, I want your design

As she began the second verse she felt the shake in their hands as they unclipped her harness and pulled it off her. A shake that was imperceptible to the audience. Although there'd been a mishap by some miracle she was barely behind in her choreography, something they all easily remedied by the next beat. It was in moments like these that she and her dancers showed the professional level at which they performed. They were seasoned.

Pete felt his heart start beating again, rapidly. He was relieved, but at the same time wanted to throttle Maddie for pulling such a stunt. By the effortless and second nature way she had just done that, he had an idea of the headspace she was in. Nothing mattered except the show. He was glad she was focused, but knew he had to stay on his toes. She could very well pull a number of stunts. Great, he thought, filled with dread. "What the hell was that?" he yelled into the mic at his wrist as he looked upward to where he knew Billy was. Sure, he was mad at them, but he was mad at himself too. And filled with guilt. He had checked everything over and hadn't seen anything. Damn it. Did that mean he had missed something else? He dared a glance in Steve's direction wondering if he'd noticed anything. Steve was glaring at him.

What the hell was that? Steve wondered angrily. It wasn't that he knew something had happened, because he hadn't. He was upset and wondering why the hell Pete was okay with her plummeting to the stage hoping Ryan and Tyler caught her. And the fact he let her do it. Upset wasn't the right word. He was furious.

Pete looked away, his focus returning to Maddie. He's going to kill us all when he learns about everything, he thought to himself. Man, he wasn't looking forward to that.


After Maddie's second song she stood on Stage 1 and for the first time addressed the audience. "What's up Honolulu… and world!" She looked into one of the cameras filming the show. "It's been too long since I've been here performing for my hometown. It feels so good! I am beyond happy to be here with you guys tonight!" She was out of breath, but wasn't letting it show. "In fact, I have some surprises for you all tonight." Her smile was filled with mischief.

Great, Pete and Steve both thought hearing Maddie say this, while Kono, Joe, Karen, Danny, Rachel, Malia, and Chin laughed. She was going to torture Steve unintentionally, and they were all looking forward to it.

Maddie could feel the tickle in her throat getting stronger and knew she had to get a sip of water before she had a coughing attack on stage. "Welcome to the 'Dream Within A Dream' tour where reality and dreams are blurred." The lights on stage went out as a new video played. In this time she was lowered underneath Stage 1 and into a dressing area down there. Her team started pulling her clothes off and getting her settled in her new outfit as she took several sips of water.

"Nice job, how ya doin?" Tina asked as she got her mic pack into its custom spot in the costume. "What happened up there?"

"I don't know," Maddie huffed. "It locked."

"So you thought you'd just unhook yourself and fall?" Tina asked, annoyance in her voice. She wasn't really upset with Maddie. She had just been scared when it happened.

"The show must go on," Maddie whispered before blowing her nose and taking some more water. She had 10 seconds to get into place for the next number.


Maddie was a little over 20 minutes into her show when it came time to go back into a harness. Her pants were green with tiny pinstripes and extremely low-cut with a black studded belt. She had a magenta tight crop top on with teal and some sparkles. Her team was clipping her into her green harness that blended into her outfit while two other members were putting black fingerless motorcycle gloves on her. Mo then double checked her harness and nodded that she was good to go. She was quickly helped into a denim jacket sporadically covered in sparkling Swarovski crystals in various sizes. It was zipped up making her top no longer visible. She met her female dancers on stage and climbed onto "the barge". It was a flying rectangular stage with metal bars along the edges for safety. There was an opening at the front and back. The lights were out on the stage, so no one could see them get into their places. A video interlude played on the stage screens. Mo gave her some last minute sips of water before disappearing backstage. The stage lights flew on as the music began to play. Maddie started singing.

Hey, is this thing on?

I saw him dancing there by the record machine

I knew he must have been about seventeen

The beat was goin' strong

Play my favorite song

I could tell it wouldn't be long

Till he was with me, yeah, with me

"The barge" began lifting slowly off the stage and into the air.

I could tell it wouldn't be long

Till he was with me, yeah, with me

Maddie and her dancers started dancing and jumping making "the barge" move around more. Lyle was right it was bouncier with the adjustments the crew had made to it. As it got higher off the ground pyro came out of the bottom of it.

Singin' I love rock and roll

So put another dime in the jukebox, baby

I love rock and roll

So come and take the time and dance with me, ow

Tense, Steve watched her be lifted into the air on a moving stage. He could see she was in a harness, but he could also see she was not hooked to anything at the moment. He could appreciate the fact she was killing her show, but it didn't keep him from worrying when she was up in the air. He had never loved that she did that, but it was worse now that he had feelings for her as more than a friend. He glanced at Pete at his spot still in front of Stage 2. Steve could tell he didn't love when she wasn't firmly on the ground either. Pete watched her up above while still watching around him for any sort of threat to her.

As Maddie began the second chorus "the barge" was no longer over Stage 1, but on its way through the air to Stage 2. It moved more and more with every move she and her female dancers made. The choreography had a lot of movement and small hops, so it made it sway and bounce more.

Steve's jaw clenched as he watched Maddie get down on her knees at the front opening. She was holding on to the metal poles on each side of her as she leaned slightly forward. "Why the fuck is she not strapped in?" Steve yelled over the crowd to no one in particular.

Kono laughed. "You're going to break your jaw if you keep clenching it that hard, boss."

Kono laughed harder as he sent her a quick glare before returning his attention to Maddie in the air. He's got it bad, she thought to herself, happy he was starting to finally realize his feelings for Maddie weren't that of just a friend. "Starting to" being the key words.

As Maddie now stood at the opening singing and dancing he watched Harper reach over and quickly hook a wire to her harness. The other end was attached to the side of "the barge". "Fucking finally," Steve grumbled. Kono laughed harder.

Before relief could come over Steve "the barge" tilted forward as Maddie and her dancers continued performing.

"She shares your sense of danger and adventure," Kono teased while Steve shook his head and scowled. He knew it was true. Maddie loved hiking and surfing and things like that, which was fine. But, if she could just stick to that and stop testing limits like she was currently doing he would greatly appreciate it. She was going to take years off of him.

He watched as "the barge" began to straighten itself and neared a spot where two black bungy-like cables were being lowered from the rafters. He already knew where this was going. I mean, she had to get back down to the stage in some way. It came to a stop in the air and Harper unhooked the wire on her harness while grabbing one of the black bungies. Claire was on Maddie's other side grabbing the other one. Each dancer attached the bungies to Maddie's harness.

I love rock and roll

So put another dime in the jukebox, baby

I love rock and roll

So come and take the time and dance with me

Immediately after singing the last word Maddie jumped off "the barge" and began bouncing in the air. She was slowly being lowered to the stage where her male dancers were waiting for her. A video of her running in a dream was playing on the stage screens.

The stage was black while the short video interlude played. Justin unzipped her jacket and quickly pulled it off. Ryan and Tyler then unhooked her harness. Her jacket and harness were dropped under the stage through a small opening that immediately closed. Maddie took a deep breath, coughing a few times. She needed her inhaler, but knew she needed to wait two more songs. These three songs were back to back and tiring in a healthy state, which she was not in.

The lights flew on.

Baby, tell me

Do I look like the kinda girl that you wanna take home?

Wanna make me your own?

Do you even know what I like?

Just what I'm living for, what I adore?

Maddie felt horrible, but she pushed it from her mind and continued to power through. Her focus was impenetrable. Most of this song was performed on Stage 2 with her male dancers, so she was basically dancing directly in front of Steve. She knew she shouldn't, but she stole a glance at him just to make sure he was okay. Thank God, Maddie thought as she continued singing the chorus. Their eyes met and she felt the whole world fall away, like it was just the two of them. He smiled at her, which both warmed her insides, but also made her heart ache. Don't go down that road, she admonished herself. Stay focused.

As she began singing the second verse her female dancers joined her and the male dancers.

Don't you get it twisted, boy, I want you too

But you got my heart to win before I let you in

And this deceives you, baby

I'm not the average lady

I need someone to love

Pete watched in awe as she nailed every step of choreography. On a good night these three songs back to back were more challenging. At least to his knowledge, she hadn't messed up anything so far in the show and she wasn't coming across as tired or sick or injured. It had been months since he'd seen this side of Maddie. He was proud of her, but also worried of the shape she'd be in by the end. At least she'll be done for awhile after this. Steve can take her home and get to rest, he thought to himself.

She finished the song on Stage 1. Out of breath she walked up to a massive video screen. On it was her in a different, but similar outfit, wearing a hat. "Who is this chick? I think she wants to battle me," Maddie said, slightly out of breath. At least it sounded like it was mild, but in reality she was struggling. Being sick and performing was not the ideal combo.

Immediately the band started playing and she began dancing with video screen Maddie. It was just the two of them. No dancers.

To think I'm so naïve

How dare you play with me

I gave you heart and soul, yeah

Tell me baby, please

Why you screwing with my head?

I don't think you understand

I won't take your, huh, no more

Don't knock on my door

Maddie continued dancing with her video self. When she reached the bridge of the song she began pushing her video version away and by the end of it four of her male dancers dressed in sweats and large hoodies joined her.

Think of times you made me cry

You had me so confused

I'm tired of trying, I'll leave behind this

What's a girl to do?

As Maddie danced her ass off she interacted with her dancers. At the end of the song pyro was coming out of each dancer in perfect unison with drum hits. Her sound engineers turned her mic off at the end as she breathed heavily and covered up some coughs. She disappeared under the stage, immediately grabbing for her inhaler. Her wardrobe team and Tina were there pulling her clothes off and quickly getting her into her next costume.

"You're killing it, Maddie," Tina encouraged. "You're about halfway through now."

Maddie looked at her blankly. "Not quite."

"You got this. How do you feel?" Tina was almost afraid to ask. Maddie only groaned. "That good, huh?" she joked. "You're almost to your short break. Do you want me to get Doc?"

"No, I'm okay. I can make it." Maddie hoped that was true. Her knee was killing her. And her foot. Plus her body ached so badly. "Do you have more Advil?"

"Is it time yet?"

"I don't care, just give me two." In that brief moment of desperation Tina saw a glimpse of how bad Maddie felt.

"Here," she quickly handed her the pills and water. Maddie threw them in her mouth and swallowed.

"Thanks," she whispered to Tina as she continued to try and catch her breath, losing the battle against her cough.

"No problem," Tina began. Finally she asked what she'd been wanting to ask. "What the hell are you wearing? What kind of song is this?"

Maddie chuckled. "A new one." She smiled at her friend and assistant.

Maddie was wearing boots up past her knees and what looked like a black one piece bathing suit. It had Swarovski crystals sporadically over it as well as leather straps and buckles. She had a big jeweled cuff on each wrist with a chain attaching them.

"I don't know if I even want to know," Tina giggled. Maddie wiggled her eyebrows at her suggestively. "Alright, you're good to go." With that Maddie left and went to her starting position, her dancers all in their entrance spots on other parts of the stage. It was dark so she couldn't see them, however she knew they were there.

The video interlude ended and the lights turned back on. Immediately Maddie started singing and then the band began playing.

Na-na-na, c'mon

Na-na-na, c'mon

Na-na-na-na, c'mon

Na-na-na, c'mon, c'mon, c'mon

Na-na-na-na, c'mon

Na-na-na, c'mon

Na-na-na-na, c'mon

Na-na-na, c'mon, c'mon, c'mon

Na-na-na-na

Feels so good being bad (Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh)

There's no way I'm turning back (Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh)

Now the pain is my pleasure, 'cause nothing could measure

(Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh)

Love is great, love is fine (Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh)

Out the box, outta line (Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh)

The affliction of the feeling leaves me wantin' more

(Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh)

Maddie had been in front of her dancers as she sang the first verse. She hadn't seen them yet. As she began singing the chorus she went to interact with them. She fought the laughter as she took them all in. They weren't wearing similar outfits to hers like they should have been. No, they had pranked her by all wearing bikinis and hula skirts, even the guys. She struggled to not laugh as she sang and continued with the choreography. She put her arms around Ryan's neck first, her hands still attached by a chain.

'Cause I may be bad, but I'm perfectly good at it

Sex in the air

I don't care, I love the smell of it

Sticks and stones may break my bones

But chains and whips excite me

'Cause I may be bad, but I'm perfectly good at it

Sex in the air

I don't care, I love the smell of it

Sticks and stones may break my bones

But chains and whips excite me

She was smiling and chuckling in between the lines. They continued with the choreography making them all look ridiculous. Maddie couldn't remember having this much fun on stage in a long time. Boy, did she love these wonderful humans.

At the end of the song Maddie hugged them and laughed out loud. "It's tradition at the last show of a tour to play pranks on one another. Obviously these guys decided to continue that tradition," she said to the audience, explaining their ridiculous, but awesome, costumes.

"Man, it's good to see her smile," Chin said.

"Yeah, it is," Malia added while threading her left arm through his right.

Steve couldn't agree more. She was genuinely smiling. She's beautiful, he thought.

"So does this mean Maddie is going to be playing pranks?" Danny asked.

"Yep," Kono smiled. She couldn't wait to see what Maddie did. She always appreciated her friends sense of humor.

"She better not," Steve glared at Kono.

"Oh come on, boss. Stop worrying. You see she's fine. Just enjoy the show," Kono told him, smiling innocently at him.

"I'm enjoying the show. So what if I don't like when she's flying in the air or pulling dangerous stunts?" Steve said, slightly defensive.

Kono only chuckled and rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, just enjoy the show, Steve. It's great so far!" Lori added, touching his arm.

I am going to have to deal with this Lori situation, Steve thought. He didn't know what to say to her to not upset the team. Now wasn't the time, but he knew the time was coming. Just focus on Maddie.

Suddenly Tina appeared next to them.

"Hey! Where'd you come from?" Steve asked

"I wanted to see this last song. It's a new one, so we hadn't heard it yet. And this next one. From what I've heard from a few crew members that have heard it, it's pretty vulnerable."

His interest was piqued. "What's it about?"

"I don't know. I haven't heard it. But, I think it's about her."

"I'm so excited! The show is so good!" Kono nearly squealed earning her laughter from her friends.

"I wanna know how she is still going?" Joe piped up.

"Oh, she's hurtin'. She's not saying anything about it. She is so focused. Nothing else is really getting to her. We haven't seen this side of her in months. I honestly don't know how she's still going, " Tina answered.

Steve loved the show, but he was also worried about her.

Suddenly a new video came up on the screens. They all watched as behind the scenes footage began playing. Maddie was onscreen. Exhausted.

"Shit, this footage is all from the last few months," Tina announced. "A lot of it I think Ryan shot on his phone."

She looked sad. So sad. Every clip showed the side of her that was scared and exhausted. Clip by clip she began looking more and more haunted. "Turn it off," Maddie said to the camera on the last clip.

Maddie's voice played as she was lifted up into the middle of Stage 1. The band began playing.

On the first page of our story

The future seemed so bright

Then this thing turned out so evil

I don't know why I'm still surprised

She was wearing chunky heeled black boots, medium wash jeans, and a black t-shirt. She wore a harness with a wire connected to each side (just a precaution for her safety). However, it was different than some of her other harnesses. Her legs were in it and then it went around her waist. It didn't go up to her shoulders and or strap along her chest. What they didn't know was that her shoes and clothes were made of fire retardant material. Instead of the head mic she wore for the faster songs, she was using a hand mic covered in black Swarovski crystals.

Steve was making sure to listen to every word in case it gave him any clues as to what she was hiding. He knew even though she wrote the song in a way that it sounded like she was singing to a significant other that she really was singing about herself. Tina was right. This was a deep, vulnerable song.

Maddie began walking down the catwalk towards Stage 2.

Even angels have their wicked schemes

And you take that to new extremes

But you'll always be my hero

Even though you've lost your mind

Here goes nothing, Maddie thought, coming to a stop in the middle of Stage 2. Suddenly the entire stage around her lit on fire. Instead of it burning out immediately, it stayed. She looked like she was in the middle of a fire.

Fuck! This was what they were rehearsing for the first time earlier today, he thought angrily. It was all clicking into place. All the "hush hush" conversations she wouldn't let him overhear. He should have never let her get away with that. "Derek! Lyle! How could you agree to this?!" Pete screamed through the mic at his wrist. He got only, "she insisted," back. He was furious. This is not the time to be doing things like this. Her stalker had gotten to the stage and tampered with things during rehearsals, who's to say he hadn't messed with this. If he had it could kill Maddie.

"Holy shit!" Kono cried. "She's so badass!"

Steve's heart was pounding as he watched flames surround Maddie. Focus on the song. Listen to the words, he reminded himself, something that was increasingly difficult the longer she looked like she was going to be engulfed by flames.

Just gonna stand there and watch me burn

But that's all right because I like the way it hurts

Just gonna stand there and hear me cry

But that's all right because I love the way you lie

I love the way you lie

Oh, I love the way you lie

Maddie was sweating. She wasn't really on fire, but it was still very close to her, so she was really feeling the heat. It must look so cool to the audience, she thought. Derek and his team had done an amazing job.

The flames died down, no longer as high as before, as she started singing the second verse.

Now there's gravel in our voices

Glass is shattered from the fight

In this tug of war you'll always win

Even when I'm right

'Cause you feed me fables from your hand

With violent words and empty threats

And it's sick that all these battles

Are what keeps me satisfied

Steve knew she was singing about the different sides of herself. Risky pyro aside, it was an amazing song that also scared the hell out of him. She was in a dark place.

The flames got taller as she sang the chorus again.

Just gonna stand there and watch me burn

But that's all right because I like the way it hurts

Just gonna stand there and hear me cry

But that's all right because I love the way you lie

I love the way you lie

Oh, I love the way you lie

Ohhhh

So maybe I'm a masochist

I try to run, but I don't wanna ever leave

'Til the walls are goin' up

In smoke with all our memories

"Is Aunt Maddie burning?" Gracie asked worriedly from her spot between Danny and Rachael.

"No, monkey. It's all just a trick. She's okay," Danny answered, taking his hand and running it through her long hair in a soothing, fatherly gesture.

Just gonna stand there and watch me burn

But that's all right because I like the way it hurts

Just gonna stand there and hear me cry

But that's all right because I love the way you lie

I love the way you lie

I love the way you lie

I love the way you lie

I love the way you lie

When she finished she looked a bit unsure and embarrassed. Like she was afraid she'd shown too much of herself. She looked in Steve's direction and met his eyes. She could tell he understood. Even though she couldn't verbalize it outside of a song, she was drowning. He gave her a small smile and mouthed "I got you". Even though she knew she should listen to her stalkers threats and shouldn't be around him, she needed him. She hated to admit it to herself especially given all the mixed messages he'd been giving her and all the hurt and sadness he'd caused. But she loved him and he'd been the only constant in her life since she was 4 years old.

The crowd was screaming and going crazy. Maddie broke eye contact with Steve and did a small bow as she smiled shyly. Her dancers appeared around her, all dressed casually like her. Ryan unhooked her harness while she put her head mic back on and handed him her hand mic.

The band began playing and Maddie started singing.

Days like this I want to drive away

Pack my bags and watch your shadow fade

You chewed me up and spit me out

Like I was poison in your mouth

You took my light, you drained me down

But that was then and this is now

Now look at me

Maddie and her dancers were having a blast as they performed. It was good to see her happy, especially after hearing the last song.

This is the part of me

That you're never gonna ever take away from me, no

This is the part of me

That you're never gonna ever take away from me, no

Throw your sticks and your stones

Throw your bombs and your blows

But you're not gonna break my soul

This is the part of me

That you're never gonna ever take away from me, no

Kono had watched Maddie to see who she kept looking at in the audience. She turned her head and noticed Larry Kent, new head of her label, was on the other side of the VIP area. She wondered if he'd been there the whole time. She should probably be ashamed for not taking in her surroundings more, but she was off the clock and enjoying seeing her friend perform.

Kono laughed. She knew exactly who Maddie was singing about. Jesse. The fucking asshole, she thought. She felt eyes on her and turned to see Steve looking at her.

"What's so funny?" he asked, a slight hint of suspicion in his voice and eyes.

Kono knew Steve was going to have to find out about Jesse and what he'd done since Maddie had signed the contract forcing her to see her ex. She knew it was too dangerous and something Steve needed to be made aware of. However, this wasn't the time or place. And to be honest, she was hoping Maddie would tell him so she didn't have to. "Nothing, boss," she replied, flashing him a smile.

He said nothing, only eyed her as he sighed. He was so done with secrets. However, if he was being honest, he was keeping many of his own. Maddie knew nothing about how or why his dad was murdered. Nothing about Wo Fat or the fact he'd been arrested for the governor's murder. Luckily she hadn't noticed the scar on his abdomen from Hess stabbing him. So, it was more he was tired of Maddie keeping secrets. And Kono knew something. Given Ryan and her reaction when Maddie signed the contract earlier, there was something he really needed to know. I'll get it out of them, he told himself confidently.

Maddie started singing the bridge. She met Kono's eyes and couldn't fight the smile. She knew her friend would like this new song.

Now look at me I'm sparkling
A firework, a dancing flame

You won't ever put me out again

I'm glowing, oh whoa

So you can keep the diamond ring

It don't mean nothing anyway

In fact, you can keep everything

Yeah, yeah, except for me

Steve's head shot to Kono. "What diamond ring? Did someone give Maddie a ring?"

Kono only smiled at her boss. "You'll have to ask her all your burning questions." Then she smirked, "Next time maybe don't go nearly two years without talking to your best friend." Although she said it with a smirk, she meant it. It wasn't a joke. He shouldn't have lost complete contact with her for that long.

He looked at her. He didn't know exactly what he was feeling. He knew she was right, but he was also annoyed she was calling him out on it. And he refused to acknowledge the jealousy he felt at the possibility that someone had proposed to Maddie. But wouldn't she have told me, he wondered, then reminded himself he'd gone almost two years without talking to her. He turned his attention back to Maddie.

This is the part of me

That you're never gonna ever take away from me, no

This is the part of me

That you're never gonna ever take away from me, no

Throw your sticks and your stones

Throw your bombs and your blows

But you're not gonna break my soul

This is the part of me

That you're never gonna ever take away from me, no

Having been dancing the entire time, Maddie was out of breath. With the song done she could finally stop fighting the awful tickle in her throat and cough. She covered the mic with her hand and coughed several times. The crowd was cheering and yelling to her. "Thank you so much! Wow, what a fun night! Hawaii shows are always my favorite… but, shhhh, don't tell." Her fans screamed louder. She laughed. "Hawaii is always so fun so a few of my friends are here tonight."

"What is she talking about?" Danny asked.

"I have no idea," Kono answered.

"I wonder who she's talking about," Lori wondered. She'd been quiet because she'd been enamored with the show, so excited to see Maddie perform. Sure, she might hate the way Steve was with Maddie, but she liked Madeline Lily, the performer.

It was now just Maddie on stage. Her dancers had gone backstage. She no longer had the head mic, but her hand mic. A band started playing a familiar song. "Everyone, give it up for my friends Maroon 5!" she yelled, a mischievous smile appearing on her face.

The lights went up to show that Maroon 5 was now at the instruments her band had vacated. Adam Levine walked down the catwalk towards her on Stage 2 while singing.

Now as the summer fades I let you slip away

You say I'm not your type, but I can make you sway

It makes you burn to learn, you're not the only one

I'd let you be if you put down your blazing gun

She smiled at Adam as he stood next to her. She began singing her part. It wasn't the first time they'd performed this song together. This duet had blown up on the charts and become a hit a few years ago.

Now you've gone somewhere else, far away

I don't know if I will find you (find you, find you)

But you feel my breath, on your neck

Can't believe I'm right behind you (right behind you)

Adam took her free hand with his free hand and spun her around.

'Cause you keep me comin' back for more (comin' back for more)

And I feel a little better than I did before

If I never see your face again, I don't mind

'Cause we've gone much further than I thought we'd get tonight

As they continued the song, Danny said, "That's Maroon 5!", disbelief in his voice

Chin laughed. "Yeah, bra, it is. She's good friends with them."

Everyone had a blast as they watched and danced along to Maddie and Maroon 5. When the song was over the crowd cheered.

"Well, since you guys seem to be such a big hit, why don't I hand the stage over to you for a bit," Maddie said to Adam.

"What? You're not afraid they'll like us better than you?" Adam retorted.

She gave him a look of near pity. "Oh, bra, you don't stand a chance. This is my hometown." Her fans cheered louder. "See!" She shrugged innocently.

"Fine, fine. I concede. Get outta here already!" Adam laughed.

With that a spot in Stage 2 open up and she disappeared below the stage. She was immediately strapped in to the stretcher like device and shot over to the area under Stage 1. She was unstrapped and immediately went into her dressing area nearby. She collapsed in the chair coughing heavily. Doc was waiting for her.

"Smart move," he told. "You called for reinforcements."

She nodded. "I knew I'd need a small break in the middle of the show if I was going to make it." She coughed some more as she tried to catch her breath. "Everyone should really have a little more faith in me." Her wardrobe team helped her out of her clothes and helped her into her robe.

"How's the knee," he asked taking in the swelling that was starting to come back. The shot he'd given her earlier had seriously reduced it.

"A knee transplant would be great," she retorted.

"Okay, I'll give you another small shot to get you through the rest of the show." He took in her body language and face. "Want some pain medicine?"

Maddie sighed. "No. After the show." She closed her eyes as she coughed. She winced at the pain.

Doc grabbed the nebulizer and handed it to her. "You have time to do a breathing treatment right now."

She didn't fight him on it.

While Maroon 5 was performing Pete went to check on Maddie. Steve watched him disappear under the stage knowing exactly where he was going. He was glad Maddie had Maroon 5 come and do a short set in the middle of her show, so she could rest for a few minutes. As great as Maroon 5 was Steve wanted nothing more than to go with Pete.

"How ya doin', Shorty?" Pete asked as he walked into her little dressing room under Stage 1. Doc was just finishing giving her a shot in her knee while she used the nebulizer. He took in the scene in front of him. "That good, huh?" She just looked at him in response. She was pale and her back and shoulders were hunched. He could tell she felt terrible. "I don't know how you're doing what you're doing, but you are nailing it. I'm in awe of you." She nodded at him. "Your almost done. A little less than halfway left." He looked to Tina. "How long is Maroon 5 on stage?"

"Let me double check," Tina answered. She looked at the master set list. "It sounds like they're finishing up 'Animal'. According to this they are going to perform 'She Will Be Loved', 'Maps', 'Sugar', and 'Payphone' before Maddie goes back out and performs a new song with them. So she has a little less than 20 minutes of rest time."

"That was smart, Maddie," Pete told her crouching in front of her. "What can I do? Anything?" Still using the nebulizer she shook her head. She grabbed his hand with hers and squeezed lightly, her way of thanking him. "Alright, I'm gonna go back out there. Mo is here. And if you need me for anything they'll let me know." She nodded in understanding.

Minutes after he'd left Pete returned to his spot at the front of Stage 2. Steve walked to the concert barricade and leaned over towards Pete who took a step forward. "How is she?" he yelled into Pete's ear, the ear he'd taken the in-ear monitor out of.

"She's hangin' in there," Pete yelled back. "Doc is with her. She's resting for the next fifteen minutes or so."

"That's good!" Steve replied. "But she's okay? She's going hard out there. I don't know how she's doin' it."

"She's actually still going pretty strong. Adrenaline, it's a powerful drug." Pete didn't want to give him any specifics. He hadn't lied to him exactly. He just left out the fact she was feeling horrible and in a lot of pain. But he assumed Steve already knew that.


Maroon 5 finished "Payphone". The last 15 minutes the crowd had been having a blast singing along to numerous hits, but they were ready for Maddie to come back. "You guys have been so amazing! We are so happy to be here tonight with all of you. We always enjoy performing with Maddie!" Adam took a sip of water. "Speaking of which… to make a long story short… Maddie and I wrote this amazing new song recently. We plan on recording it, however we haven't had an opportunity to do so… but, we still wanted to share it with all of you. This is "My Heart Is Open!"

The piano started and Adam began singing while standing in the middle of Stage 1.

I know you're scared, ooh, I can feel it

It's in the air, I know you feel that too

But take a chance on me, you won't regret it, no

One more 'no' and I'll believe you

I'll walk away and I will leave you be

And that's the last time you'll say no, say no to me

Her fans screamed as Maddie appeared right behind Adam. She had been lifted from underneath the stage. An entrance and exit that was utilized a lot during the show. She had frayed denim shorts and a white t-shirt on. She was happy because she was able to wear black van sneakers for a minute. Her foot was killing her. Doc had just replaced the bandage on it and her makeup and hair had been touched up. Steve looked her over with his eyes. She looks okay, he told himself. However, he knew she must be feeling terrible and in a lot of pain. She had been dancing and performing her ass off for nearly an hour and half straight.

Adam looked to his left as Maddie joined him, singing the next line.

It won't take me long to find another find another lover, but I want you

Adam sang the next one to her.

I can't spend another minute getting over loving you

He grabbed her right hand with his left and laced their fingers together as they sang the chorus. They began slowly making their way down the catwalk to Stage 2.

You don't ever say yeah

Let me hear you say yeah

Wanna hear you say yeah

Cause my heart is open

Now you gotta say yeah

Let me hear you say yeah

Wanna hear you say yeah

Wanna hear you say

Wanna hear you say

Wanna hear you say

Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes

Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes

They stopped in the middle of Stage 2 their hands still linked. Steve knew it was just a performance and knew they were good friends. Only friends. But he couldn't keep his eyes from their linked hands. It's not that he was jealous. He just wished it was him. He missed an easier time. When he could freely hug and touch Maddie as friends. When every move he made wasn't questioned by himself, others, and Maddie. He couldn't wait to get back to that. Or a new version of it since their relationship was hopefully changing.

Maddie looked at Adam and smiled as she sang the next part.

It's just a moment, go and seize it

Don't be afraid to give your heart to me

And if you do, I know that I won't let you down, no

He returned her smile as he took over.

Yeah, so hand it over, trust me with your love

I'll do anything you want me to

'Cause I can't breathe until I see your face

Maddie's smile grew. She always loved performing with Maroon 5. It was always so natural and fun. She sang the next line to Adam as he squeezed her hand.

Ooh, and I don't need time to find another lover, but I want you

He unlinked their hands and put his arm around her shoulders, pulling her into his side as he sang.

I can't spend another minute getting over loving you

"I love this song!" Lori yelled.

"Me too!" Kono replied back. "Can't wait for them to record it!"

They finished the song and hugged. "Well, I think it's time you take over again," Adam told her. "I think they're getting tired of us." The fans cheered. "Hey! Not cool!" he joked.

Maddie laughed. "Yeah, they definitely like me better!"

"Yeah, yeah… you'll have to come perform with us and we'll see how receptive Maroon 5 fans are."

She thought about it for a second. "They'll still like me better!" Maddie boasted.

Adam laughed. "Yeah, that's true. Traitors, I tell you."

He pulled her into his side as they laughed.

"Alright, thank you for coming. Now get off my stage." She stuck her tongue out at him.

"Okay, okay… we're leaving!" With that he walked back to Stage 1 waving at the fans as he did. The entire band disappeared backstage. Maddie's band took their place at their instruments.

"What's up Honolulu! How did you like Maroon 5?" She yelled to the crowd. They screamed. "They're awesome! Great and talented people!" She smiled. "Alright, let's get back to it!"

She was thankful that the next song she was able to stay in her casual outfit and sneakers before having to once again get into elaborate costumes and heels.


The next song was a new one. And also a prank they were playing. Maddie had placed it in the show a few songs before the one Gracie would be with her for, so that Tina could go get her from the audience. This song had a very adult theme and Maddie didn't want Gracie watching it.

Maddie stood on Stage 1 in a shiny purple-blue one piece swimming suit style costume that had Swarovski crystals throughout it and wore black ankle strap heels. Her female dancers were with her and were in similar versions of the outfit. For the second leg of her tour, whenever that was going to be, the costumes for this song would be more elaborate. However, because it was new and they were pranking for it, they didn't need the final costumes.

Maddie started singing a second before the band joined.

I want to see your peacock-cock-cock

Your peacock-cock

Your peacock-cock-cock

Your peacock

I want to see your peacock-cock-cock

Your peacock-cock

Your peacock-cock-cock

Your peacock

Maddie and her female dancers were doing everything they could to not start laughing as they knew what was coming. As she began the first verse her 10 male dancers appeared in slightly loose and baggy boxer shorts meets shorts.

Word on the street you got somethin' to show me, me

Magical, colorful, Mr. Mystery

I'm intrigued for a peek, heard it's fascinating

The females were all dancing and touching the guys as the guys acted sort of shy.

C'mon, baby, let me see what you hiding underneath

Maddie started following Ryan and Tyler to Stage 2 while her other dancers followed behind.

What's up your sleeve?

Such a tease

Wanna see the show in 3D, a movie

Heard it's beautiful

Be the judge and my girls gonna take a vote

C'mon, baby, let me see what you hiding underneath

The guys all started dancing sexily for the girls.

I want the jaw dropping, eye popping, head turning, body shocking (oh oh, oh oh oh)

I want my heart throbbing, ground shaking, show stopping, amazing (oh oh, oh oh oh)

They all did their absolute best to keep from bursting into laughter at what was next. They hadn't had a chance to rehearse it with the guys costumes since they weren't ready. Part of their costumes were in the box Tina had picked up earlier that day. It was then taken to the wardrobe department and they had gotten busy sewing the delivered pieces to the pieces that had been made the day before. Maddie really hoped this went off without a hitch. Performing a number that hasn't been fully rehearsed in costumes was risky, especially since it was being filmed for HBO.

As Maddie started singing the chorus all the guys ripped a piece of their black baggy shorts off the front of their costumes revealing a peacock head right where their crotches were. It was funnier than she ever could have imagined and she burst into laughter, not singing a few words. The entire crowd cracked up and cheered.

Steve shook his head while fighting laughter.

"Sistah is back!" Kono screamed, so happy to see her friend's crazy and silly, and sometimes inappropriate, sense of humor.

"Yes, she is!" Chin agreed. His cheeks were turning slightly pink as they listened to the words.

Are you brave enough to let me see your peacock?

Don't be a chicken, boy, stop acting like a Bi-otch

I'm a peace out if you don't give me the pay off

C'mon, baby, let me see what you hiding underneath

The guys were thrusting with their "peacocks" and Maddie was doing everything she could to not laugh. Her dancers were giggling, unable to contain themselves. Although they were cracking up they didn't miss a step of the choreography.

Are you brave enough to let me see your peacock?

Whatcha waiting for, it's time for you to show it off

Don't be a shy kind of guy

I bet it's beautiful

C'mon, baby, let me see what you hiding underneath

I want to see your peacock-cock-cock

Your peacock-cock

Your peacock-cock-cock

Your peacock

I want to see your peacock-cock-cock

Your peacock-cock

Your peacock-cock-cock

Your peacock

I wanna see your…

Pete chuckled from his position at the front of Stage 2. So that's the reason for the whispering, he thought, recalling the times he'd seen Maddie and Ryan whispering as well as with the crew. It was so good to see her genuinely laugh.

They continued through the song. Even Steve's face was turning red at what she was singing and how the guys were dancing.

"I see why Gracie is backstage with Tina," Danny yelled to him. "Remind me to thank her later. I can't imagine how I'd explain this to her."

Steve chuckled, imagining Danny trying to explain this to Gracie. He would have loved to have been a fly on the wall for that conversation.

When Maddie got to the bridge she feigned shock and awe at Ryan and Tyler's "peacocks". Her female dancers reacted similarly to the other male dancers.

Oh my God, no exaggeration

Boy, all this time was worth the waiting

I just shed a tear

I am so unprepared

You got the finest architecture

End of the rainbow-looking treasure

Such a sight to see

And it's all for me

Ryan got pretty into the character and started shaking his "peacock" against Maddie's side. She pushed him away laughing hysterically causing her to stop singing for a second.

At the end of the song they all ran backstage behind Stage 1.

"That was hysterical," Lori yelled.

"What was sistah girl doing when she wrote that?" Kono laughed.

Steve wasn't going to lie, he wanted to know the same thing. He'd have to remember to ask her at some point. Little did he know she'd written it quickly the night of the BBQ when she'd gone to her studio to grab charts for the band before bed. She was drunk and horny and really wanting Steve. It had started from there and "Peacock" had been written.


Maddie had five songs left. Four songs and then an encore. Then she could shower and crawl into her bed and take some medicine. She was particularly looking forward to taking some pain medicine. "You're almost there," she whispered to herself as her makeup artist, Nicole, touched up her makeup. They all could see she was getting paler with each moment. In fact, they weren't sure she was going to make it to the end. However, if anyone could do it, it was Maddie. She had been performing for two hours, not including the break she'd had while Maroon 5 had been onstage. Nicole gave her a little more blush and bronzer trying to make up for her increasing paleness. Tina gave her her inhaler and she took a puff. She was coughing and sniffling more and more as the show went on.

"You're right, Mads, you're almost there. You can do this!" Tina championed.

Maddie took a deep breath. "I can do this," she repeated.

She was grateful she was in bunny slippers for this next number and didn't have to wear heels. White bunny slippers, bright pink, short silk pajama shorts with lace trim and a loose gray cotton cropped t-shirt. Her female dancers were wearing similar versions. Her costume for the following number was underneath.

"Let's do this," Maddie said as she exited her dressing area under Stage 1. She was strapped on the device that transported her to the area under Stage 2.

The lights were out in the arena. The only light was coming from the end of the video interlude playing. Maddie and her female dancers got into place on Stage 2. She knew her head mic wasn't on yet, but just to be safe she covered it with her hand as she coughed several times. It was getting harder and harder to fight back the coughs while she was on stage. Five songs left, she reminded herself. You're almost there.

The video finished and the band began playing. The stage lit as Maddie started singing.

I think I see confetti from this potion

Pillow fights and feathers, overdosin'

Smells like a cologne and candy lotion

Like a slumber party

Lyle had choreographed this number perfectly. The women's moves weren't overly sexual, which would have been the route a lot of choreographers would have gone. It was still sexy, and they looked beautiful, but it was classy at the same time.

Sheets all on the floor just like an ocean

Building up your fortress like mountain

Neighbors say we're causing a commotion

Like a slumber party

No one but, no one but you and I, I, I

We ain't gonna sleep tonigh-igh-ight

Oh baby, no one but, no one but you and I, I, I

We ain't gonna sleep tonight

As Maddie started in on the chorus the dance got sexier, but still elegant and classy.

'Cause we got them candles hangin'

Hangin' from the ceiling low

We use our bodies to make our own videos

Put on our music that makes us go fuckin' crazy, go

Go crazy, go

Like a slumber party

Like a slumber party

Like a slumber party

Suddenly Tinashe, who Maddie recorded this song with, appeared from below Stage 2. She reached Maddie as she started singing the second verse. The crowd screamed and Maddie smiled. On tour she would sing the entire song since Tinashe wasn't there. She had reached out to her the day she'd found out she'd being doing this show, the day before the BBQ, and Tinashe was able to work it into her schedule.

Let's fill up this clawfoot bath with bubbles

Loving me so hard it's causing trouble

If there's seven minutes in heaven make it double, triple

Like a slumber party

The two friends performed the rest of the song together. Since the tour's concept was "Dream Within A Dream" every number was designed to fit that. This was no different. The women suddenly had feather pillows and got into a pillow fight. It was always designed to be light hits, but since it was the last show of the first leg of the tour, that wasn't how it went. Harper whacked Maddie upside the back of her head causing her to laugh while she was singing. Maddie retaliated. Hardcore. By the end of the number Maddie, Tinashe, and the female dancers hair was sticking up in every which way as feathers flitted through the air. They were all covered in feathers. At the end of the song Maddie pulled one from her lip gloss, which distracted her briefly. Suddenly she was hit hard by everyone's pillows at the same time. She hadn't been paying attention, so they surprised her. She jumped and then burst into laughter.

Once again, it was good to see her having fun and laughing. Maybe them pulling pranks was actually what she needed, Steve thought. As long as the pranks stay the way they are… not risky or dangerous.

"Hey guys," Tina greeted as she moved a piece of the concert barricade in front of Stage 2 where Pete was so she could get to them. "Gracie, Maddie wants to know if you want to come see her dressing room under the stage."

"Yeah!" Gracie exclaimed. She looked to her dad. "Can I Danno?"

"Of course, monkey! Have fun!" Danny told his daughter.

Gracie walked to Tina and took her hand. They went back through the opening at the barricade, which Pete closed behind them.

"If Maddie just had Tina come get Gracie I don't know if I want to see what the next song is," Kono smirked. "Actually, that's a lie. I can't wait."

"Well given what she did the last time she had Tina come get Gracie, I'm a bit afraid," Chin yelled so they could hear him over the screaming fans.

"As you can see, we have NO fun at all!" Maddie laughed as she spoke to her fans. "Let's give it up for Tinashe who made a special trip to Hawaii to be here with us tonight!" She hugged her friend tightly. It was always good to see her.

"Anytime! Thanks for having me!" Tinashe replied. "Thank you, Honolulu!" The crowd cheered.

The stage lights went out and they all walked backstage. She hugged Tinashe once more. "Thanks again! I'll see you Friday at the after party?"

"Wouldn't miss it!" Tinashe replied. "Now go kill the rest of the show."

Maddie hurriedly made her way to her dressing area. She slipped off the bunny slippers then her shorts and top. Lorali and Nicole, her glam team, were busy picking feathers out of her hair while she drank some water.

"Four left," Tina told her with Gracie at her side.

Maddie nodded. "Hey Gracie! Are you having fun?"

"It's so good, Aunt Maddie!" Gracie exclaimed.

Maddie was standing barefoot, her injured foot wrapped inconspicuously, just as Doc had promised. She wore lingerie. Black lingerie. The bra showed off just the right amount of cleavage and the underwear wasn't a thong, but it wasn't boy cut underwear either. It showed just enough of her toned little bubble butt. She wore a black garter belt with a bit of lace although she wore no stockings. She needed to be barefoot for the kind of choreography this song had. The bra and panties had tiny sporadically placed Swarovski crystals on them making them glitter just enough when the stage lights hit them.

"Your pillow fight was really funny," Gracie told her.

Maddie chuckled. "Yeah, it was pretty funny!"

"They need you, Maddie," Mo said, peeking his head around one of the curtains that acted as walls to the dressing area.

Quickly her team double checked her mic pack was secure at the back of her bra as she slipped her head mic on. "See you in a few minutes, Gracie," Maddie said as she and Mo walked away. He strapped her to the stretcher and she was transported to Stage 2. She came up from underneath while the stage lights were off. A video interlude played on the screens as she got into position. Laying on the chair in front of a vanity was her short, black silk robe. She quickly slipped it on and tied it closed before sitting at the vanity. The music began playing and only enough light came on on the side of Stage 2 she was on. The rest was still shrouded in darkness.

Said you're gonna be here in a minute

Sittin' in the mirror gettin' pretty

Gotta look my best if we're gonna break up

Gotta look my best if we're gonna break up

Maddie stood from the vanity and walked to the edge of the lighted area near the catwalk.

I can hear you knockin' at the front door

And I know exactly what you came for

She took a couple steps back and Ryan came into view. He was in tight, black boxer-briefs. He pulled her to him as he ran a hand possessively from her upper back to her butt.

Kono glanced at her boss from the corner of her eyes. He was looking a little tense, which she probably shouldn't have taken such delight in, but she did.

Try to say goodbye, but it's hot and heavy

Try to say goodbye, but it's hot and heavy

Maddie ran her hands down Ryan's chest, her face nearly touching his They could have easily started kissing that's how close they were.

You touch me, and it's breakin' me down

And me down, and me down, and me down

I'm tellin' you, let's just give it up and get down

And get down, and get down

In one quick movement Ryan had undone the front of Maddie's robe and pulled it off her. He discarded it to the left as he grabbed her. As she started singing the chorus she jumped and wrapped her legs around his waist. His right hand found her lower back and it supported her as she leaned completely back and arched her back, her legs still around his waist.

Steve's jaw clenched harder. She was in sexy lingerie in front of everyone. He didn't not like what she looked like because he really did. His tightening pants were proof of that. It was that she was in lingerie in front of thousands of people, but more than that it was Ryan touching her so intimately. He knew they were just friends, but he wanted to be the one touching her. A fact he didn't want to think too much about. He wanted their relationship to change, but it was terrifying. They'd been one thing to each other for more than two decades.

So, c'mon

Won't you give me somethin' to remember?

Baby, shut your mouth, and turn me inside out

Even though we couldn't last forever, baby

You know what I want right now

In one fluid movement he flipped her up in the air and grabbed her hips with both hands. She arched her back again as he held her in the air. She positioned her legs in a beautiful, graceful, sexy position. Lyle had changed this number for tonight. It had much more acrobatics than it did before. It's why Maddie was barefoot. Ryan too.

Hit me one more time, it's so amazin'

How you shook my world and flipped it upside down

You're the only one who ever drove me crazy

'Cause you know me inside out, inside out

"They look beautiful," Lori said watching the two dance together.

"Yeah, they do," Kono added. She looked at Steve. "Don't you agree, Steve."

He would have glared at Kono if he'd been able to take his eyes off Maddie. "Yep," he replied in a clipped tone.

Kono stifled her giggles. Maddie was torturing Steve. She knew that hadn't been her plan, but regardless, it was very obvious he was not happy.

"Well, I get why Gracie is backstage. I appreciate Maddie saving me from yet another uncomfortable conversation with my daughter," Danny stated as he watched the performer.

As Maddie began singing the second verse she sauntered to the other side of Stage 2, the part that had stayed shrouded in darkness. As Ryan trailed after her, watching her hips sway, the lights were turned on. What was being hidden was a bed, the headboard was made of metal. It was shaped in romantic loops with flowers. Maddie stepped on to the mattress, standing in the middle of the bed seductively. Ryan followed her, grabbing and pulling her to him. They did acrobatics while Ryan stayed standing on the bed.

I know that we probably shouldn't do this

Wake up in the morning feeling stupid

Said that we were done, but you're all up on me

Said that we were done, but you're all up on me

Tell me how we got in this position

Guess I gotta get you out my system

Try to let you go, but it's not that easy

Try to let you go, but it's not that easy

Maddie's left leg shot straight up against Ryan, her foot extending up past his shoulder. Her lower body was at her right ankle rooted on the bed as she was in full splits completely against the front of his body. Her right hand was holding Ryan's left ankle. He could tell the amount of pain she was in by the grip she had on his ankle. All her weight was on her injured right foot and knee. Plus, he knew with the kinds of movements they were doing her bruised tailbone had to be really hurting.

You touch me, and it's breakin' me down

And me down, and me down, and me down

I'm tellin' you, let's just give it up and get down

And get down, and get down

He effortlessly grabbed her left hand and pulled. Now both legs were on his shoulders with her crotch basically in his face.

Joe glanced at Steve, a smug smile appearing on his face when he saw steam coming from his ears.

Seriously?! Steve fumed. How long is this fucking song? It felt like it had lasted 10 minutes instead of a minute and a half.

So, c'mon

Won't you give me somethin' to remember?

Baby, shut your mouth, and turn me inside out

Even though we couldn't last forever, baby

You know what I want right now

Ryan grabbed her other hand with his and holding onto both he helped lift her into the air. Their hands were linked as she balanced upside down above his head. Her legs were in the splits. They held that as she continued the chorus.

Hit me one more time, it's so amazin'

How you shook my world and flipped it upside down

"She is so strong," Malia stated. Although they were making each move look effortless, she knew the amount of strength it took from each of them.

"Seriously," Lori stated. She herself was in good shape, but nothing like Maddie. Her core was rock solid for her to be doing the moves she was doing.

You're the only one who ever drove me crazy

'Cause you know me inside out, inside out

Ryan lowered her slowly, her body sliding down the front of his. She stepped off the bed, walking towards the other side of Stage 2. He followed. He grabbed her before she reached the vanity and spun her around towards him.

Out, out, out, out, out

Inside out, out, out, out, out, out

Inside out

Right before Maddie sang the next line Ryan picked her up and as she sang he used his strength to throw her through the air back to the other side of Stage 2.

So, c'mon

She landed on her back on the bed right before Ryan flipped through the air towards her. He landed on top of her, but with none of his weight on her. His arms and legs had taken the landing in such a way that he wasn't actually on top of her, it just looked like it.

Won't you give me somethin' to remember?

Baby, shut your mouth, and turn me inside out

Even though we couldn't last forever, baby

You know what I want right now

Ryan rolled them over so Maddie was on top of him. He lifted her again, her back arching in the air above him, her toned and strong body holding her in a beautiful, but difficult position. The audience couldn't see it, but she was shaking while holding the pose. The pain in her body was that excruciating.

Hit me one more time, it's so amazin'

How you shook my world and flipped it upside down

You're the only one who ever drove me crazy

'Cause you know me inside out, inside out

He rolled them so they were flipped around on the bed, Maddie back beneath him, her head slightly hanging off the foot of the bed. Ryan buried his face below her neck and partially in her chest, which was how they ended the song.

Out, out, out, out, out, out

The lights went out.

The crowd cheered. Steve did not. He had been cheering along the entire show, but even though she and Ryan had nailed the choreography he couldn't get behind it. He knew she hadn't done it to piss him off or upset him since he was pretty sure she thought he was disgusted by her. At least, her comment earlier that day was leading him to believe that. Which couldn't have been further from the truth. The idea of Maddie touching any man that wasn't him in any sort of intimate way upset him, let alone watching her do it. He knew Ryan and Maddie were just friends, but it still bothered him. He refused to think about why, not wanting to go down that rabbit hole. He just knew he didn't like it and he was going to leave it at that.

"Steve has aneurism face," Danny whispered to Kono.

"I do not," Steve said forcefully, irritation evident in his voice.

"And apparently has supersonic hearing," Danny added. Steve glared at him.

"What don't you have?" Lori asked having not heard Danny's comment to Kono.

"Nothing," Steve replied, shaking his head slightly. Sometimes he wanted to kill his partner. He was pretty sure that now Danny knew Maddie, he was going to drive him crazier than he used to. I'll just have to keep reminding myself he has a daughter who would like to keep her father, he told himself.

Joe chuckled, having heard everything. That boy has it bad, he thought to himself. He wished his old friend John could finally see their relationship changing, but he figured that John was there watching in spirit.

Malia giggled quietly as she leaned against Chin's right side. He wrapped his arm around her. "And he's this bad when he hasn't realized he loves her. Imagine him once they're together," he whispered to his once fiancé.


Maddie reached the dressing area under Stage 1 with Mo by her side.

"Aunt Maddie! Look!" Gracie exclaimed. She smiled at her. Lorali and Nicole had been playing glam with her. They'd given her some curls in her hair and some blush and lip gloss.

"You look gorgeous!" Maddie replied, beaming at the little girl. She started coughing and Tina handed her the inhaler.

"Come on, Gracie. Let's go back to the VIP area so you can see the last few songs.

Maddie pulled her into a hug on her way out. "I'll see you soon!"

"Bye Aunt Maddie!"

Once Gracie was gone, Maddie dropped into the chair. She closed her eyes and sighed heavily, her head dropping forward and her back and shoulders hunched. "Inside Out" had taken a lot out of her. It had been excruciatingly painful for her to perform. However, no one besides Ryan would have known. They had nailed it, which made her really happy. They had struggled with it in her rehearsals. Well, she had struggled with it.

Maddie unhooked the garter belt and handed it to a member of her team. She was able to stay in the underwear and bra for her next two songs. She stood as they helped her into her tight, black, Skinny jeans. However, they were custom and made out of a material that had a lot of stretch, making it easier for her to dance in them. This was her last costume before the encore. Almost there, she told herself as she slipped the white, crop top t-shirt over her head. She took several sips of water as she sat back down in the chair. They put socks on her feet and then slipped them into custom Christian Louboutin black boots. They had short silver spikes on the toes and with their chunky heel they weren't too tall, no more than two inches.

"Ready?" Mo came and asked. She needed to get backstage.

"Yeah," she said standing up.

"Almost done, Shorty. I don't know how you're pulling this off. I'm in awe."

"Thanks, Mo." Maddie sighed. "See you in a few." With that she walked out on stage, her mic in her hand, ready to sing a new song.

I'm wide awake

I'm wide awake

I'm wide awake

Maddie's back-up singers joined her on Stage 1, two on each side of her.

Yeah, I was in the dark

I was falling hard

With an open heart (I'm wide awake)

How did I read the stars so wrong? (I'm wide awake)

And now it's clear to me

That everything you see

Ain't always what it seems (I'm wide awake)

Yeah, I was dreaming for so long

The women walked forward, stopping at the start of the catwalk. Maddie walked slowly as she looked to each side, smiling and waving to her fans. She did one of the things Pete hated, she reached down touching their outstretched hands.

"Damn it," Pete cursed to himself. When she did things like this it riled her fans and made them want to get to her even more. They'd start rushing each other so they could all touch Maddie's hands. It led to fans getting injured, and a few times it had led to fans jumping, or trying to, on stage with her. "Stand in front of her," he said into the mic at his wrist to the other members of her security sporadically spaced out next to the stage.

Maddie saw security move forward and smirked at them. Pete is such a buzzkill, she thought to herself as she waved to more fans.

I wish I knew then, what I know now

When to dive in, when to bow down

Gravity hurts, you made it so sweet

'Til I woke up on, on the concrete

She continued walking along the catwalk slowly, smiling and waving to her fans.

Falling from cloud nine

Crashing from the high

I'm letting go tonight

Yeah, I'm falling from cloud nine

Her friends were listening closely to the words. This song made Kono sad. She knew Maddie was singing about a lot of different things that had happened in her life, excluding the current stalker. Maddie had been through a lot starting at a young age, but had kept going and fighting for what she wanted. It made her realize even more how scared she was of this stalker since that wasn't how she was responding to the situation.

I'm wide awake

Not losing any sleep

I picked up every piece

And landed on my feet (I'm wide awake)

Need nothing to complete myself, no (I'm wide awake)

Yeah, I am born again

Out of the lion's den

I don't have to pretend (And it's too late)

The story's over now, the end

"You okay, Kono?" Lori asked. She didn't know Maddie very well, so she didn't understand what Kono did.

"Yeah," she whispered.

To her right Chin wrapped his arm around his cousin's shoulders. "We're going to find him," he whispered to her.

"We have to," Kono mumbled. "She doesn't deserve to live in fear." Kono loved Maddie like a sister. Chin had introduced them years ago. She truly believed that Maddie had saved her life after she'd blown out her knee. She had been in a very dark place. Maddie had been with her every step of the way, taking time off work and staying in Hawaii. There were times she knew Kono needed to escape the island, so they'd fly somewhere new and have adventures.

"You will," Karen said from her spot behind them. She'd been pretty quiet during the show. It had felt like forever since she'd seen Maddie perform and she was enjoying every second of it. Plus, she'd been watching Steve intently, who was just to the left and in front of her. So, she had a good view. She didn't know how his reactions to Maddie on stage didn't open his eyes to the fact he didn't just have feelings for her, but was actually in love with her. She was anxious for all the stalker business to settle down so they could just be together. She felt it was time Maddie took a year or so off, something she planned to talk to her about. It was perfect timing since Steve was back in Hawaii. Karen wanted to see the two marry and start a family. Johnny always told her she was too much of a romantic, especially when it came to Maddie and Steve. He also told her not to interfere, but that was something she didn't plan on listening to. She was in remission now, but who knew how long that was going to last. Cancer had taught her to take advantage of every moment. She thought of Maddie as a daughter, and like any mother, she wanted her child to be happy. She wanted her to have everything she'd ever dreamed of, not just her successful career. They had talked about it over the years, so she knew Maddie wanted a family of her own. Her childhood had been rough and she wanted to finally have a stable family to love and to be loved by. Karen was going to make sure Maddie got everything she'd ever wanted. She forced her thoughts back to her "daughter" on stage. She'd work on the two best friends later.

Maddie had made her way to Stage 2 by the start of the second chorus. She didn't stop there though. Instead, her back-up singers stayed there while she walked along the short catwalk next to Steve and up the stairs to Stage 3. She stayed there as she finished the song.


"Are you ready to rock, Honolulu?" Maddie yelled into her mic on top of Stage 3. She only had this song and the encore left. She couldn't wait to be done. A crew member jogged up the stairs to Stage 3, squatted down and took the hand mic from her and gave her her head mic. A familiar song began to play and the fans screamed in recognition. It was one of her top songs.

All 16 of Maddie's dancers appeared spread out over Stage 1, the catwalk, and Stage 2 and started dancing.

Maddie stayed up on Stage 3 for the start of the song.

There ain't no reason you and me should be alone

Tonight, yeah, baby

Tonight, yeah, baby

But I got a reason that you-hoo should take me home tonight

I need a man that thinks it's right when it's so wrong

Tonight, yeah, baby

Tonight, yeah, baby

Right on the limit's where we know we both belong, tonight

As Maddie started singing the pre-chorus she headed back down the stairs of Stage 3 and along the small catwalk next to Steve. She was close enough that he could've touched her if he'd wanted. It's not that he didn't, it's just she was performing. He closely watched the way she was moving. He didn't know how, but she wasn't limping. Adrenaline is a powerful drug, he thought. He'd experienced that more times than he could count. In all honesty, he was an adrenaline junkie, however he'd never admit it. He was scared to see the shape she'd be in once the adrenaline rush was over. At least you'll be able to take her home very soon. He'd really enjoyed her show, but at the same time he couldn't shake the fact that she was incredibly injured, sick, and exhausted from his mind. He kept reminding himself that after this she was going to get the next two months off. While Maddie had been in lockdown earlier, he'd spoken to Johnny, so he knew she most likely going to have longer than two months off. Johnny didn't want her working for probably six months. However, he knew that Maddie didn't know that or else she would freak out. He'd always really liked Johnny and Karen. They genuinely cared for her and had her best interest at heart.

It's hot to feel the rush

To brush the dangerous

I'm gonna run right to, to the edge with you

Where we can both fall far in love

Maddie reached the front and middle of Stage 2 and started dancing. This song was a high energy number with a ton of choreography, which was difficult since she'd just been performing for two and half hours. But it was also a lot of fun. She reminded herself she was almost done. She'd almost made it. She would make it.

I'm on the edge of glory

And I'm hangin' on a moment of truth

Out on the edge of glory

And I'm hangin' on a moment with you

I'm on the edge

The edge, the edge, the edge

The edge, the edge, the edge

And I'm hangin' on a moment with you

I'm on the edge

"She is pushing through the pain like nothing I've ever seen," Malia said. She was proud of her, but also worried. She knew what kind of beating her body was taking. She was particularly worried about the damage she was doing to her knee. She'd seen the MRI scans of her knee and spoken with the radiologist directly. It was in bad shape and that was a couple days ago. Doc and Malia knew Maddie was going to have to have surgery this time. And have a lot of physical therapy afterwards.

While Maddie sang the second verse she danced on the catwalk, interacting with the dancers she passed on her way.

Another shot, before we kiss the other side

Tonight, yeah, baby

Tonight, yeah, baby

I'm on the edge of something final we call life, tonight

(Alright! Alright!)

Put on your shades, 'cause I'll be dancing in the flames

Tonight, yeah, baby

Tonight, yeah, baby

It isn't hell if everybody knows my name, tonight

(Alright! Alright!)

Because this was the last song besides the encore there was a ton of pyro going off on all three stages.

She danced in unison with her dancers that were on Stage 1 during the pre-chorus.

It's hot to feel the rush

To brush the dangerous

I'm gonna run right to, to the edge with you

Where we can both fall far in love

Maddie skipped down the catwalk during the first part of the chorus heading back to Stage 2.

I'm on the edge of glory

And I'm hangin' on a moment of truth

Out on the edge of glory

And I'm hangin' on a moment with you

I'm on the edge

As Maddie arrived to Stage 2 Ryan met her eyes too quickly for anyone to notice, particularly Pete. He knew what she planned to do and could understand why. But oh, security was going to freak out. She knew she'd not only get an earful from Pete later, but Steve, too. Steve was going to lose it. But, it was the last show of the first leg of the tour. They'd been pranking the entire show, but she'd always known she'd go out in a big way. It was tradition after all.

The edge, the edge, the edge

The edge, the edge, the edge

I'm on the edge of glory

And I'm hangin' on a moment with you

I'm on the edge

Just as Chester started the saxophone solo Maddie ran towards the left of Stage 2, the side not closest to Steve. In order for her to get the jump just right, she did a handspring and landed just on the edge of the stage. She used her momentum and jumped off the stage and turned on her back right before her fans caught her.

"Fuck!" Pete cursed as he jumped the barricade to go chase her down. Three other members of her security team did the same while the others spread out and covered the spaces that were now open for fans to try and jump on stage.

Pete had seen it coming too late. She was already in the handspring when he realized what she was going to do. He had figured since she was injured and feeling so poorly that she wouldn't try it, but he'd underestimated her. He had done that a lot today. He'd also figured she would never dare to do this in front of Steve, who was going to lose it on her later. That thought made him smile. Maddie deserved it.

"What the fuck is she thinking?" Steve yelled. Pete was right. Seeing her be carried away by thousands of fans was the scariest thing he'd seen.

"Woah! Look at Aunt Maddie!" Gracie yelled. She thought it was the coolest thing she'd ever seen. "That looks so fun!"

"No, it is not fun. You are never to try it when you get older and go to a concert," Danny told her. Rachel laughed.

Kono couldn't believe she'd done it. But then again, she really shouldn't be surprised. However, it was scary watching her get carried further and further away.

Joe was laughing from his spot. Not so much at what she'd just done, but at the fact she'd gotten away from multiple trained Navy Seals and now had four of them chasing her down. She was going to keep Steve on his toes when they eventually got together. He wouldn't be surprised if he didn't try locking her at home at times.

"I told her she wasn't supposed to do any acrobatics in this show," Doc exclaimed, shaking his head. She was by far the most difficult patient he'd ever had. Well, usually.

Pete, Frank, Carl, and Billy finally reached Maddie. She was now sitting on Pete and Frank's shoulders with Carl and Billy keeping the fans from getting to her. They rushed to the stage, getting her back just in time to start the chorus again.

"Pete's head might explode," Chin said at the furious expression on her head of security's face.

"Steve's head is definitely going to explode!" Danny laughed.

"Shut up!" Steve barked, his heart pounding form the fear he'd just experienced. He had every right to be angry. She'd just put herself in so much danger, even more so with a stalker on the loose.

Maddie and her dancers finished the song. As the band continued playing the performers lined up shoulder to shoulder with Maddie in the center.

"Thank you so much, Honolulu! You've been amazing! We love you!" They held hands and bowed before waving to the fans as they ran to Stage 1 and disappeared backstage.

"Is that the end?" Gracie asked sadly. She never wanted the night to end.

"No, kiddo. She'll come back for an extra song. They call it an encore," Chin told her.

Maddie jogged down to her dressing area with Mo at her side. "That was really fucking stupid, Maddie," he told her. He was just as mad as the others, which she could tell by the fact he hadn't called her "Shorty".

"It's the last show, Mo," she smiled at him as if that was a good enough reason. "Look, I'm fine!" Her left hand waved at her body showing him she was unharmed.

"You're lucky!" He told her, shaking his head. "Steve's gonna kill you. You shouldn't have done that when you already have to tell him all the fucked up things that happened the last few days. Don't forget, you promised to do that tonight." Mo was mad. She wasn't sure she'd ever seen him this upset.

"I know, and I will," Maddie told him. To say she wasn't looking forward to telling Steve everything that had happened while she'd been rehearsing was an understatement. But, she wasn't going to worry about it now. Crowd surfing had been fun, and worth security being mad at her. They'll get over it, she told herself, coughing. Running around and dancing for "Edge of Glory" had tired her out even more and had exacerbated her cough.

The fans screamed and cheered hoping to get her to come back to the stage. Finally they started chanting her name. The lights were still off in the arena, which let them know the show wasn't quite over.

"Do you know what she's planning for her encore?" Lori asked Kono.

"No, I have no idea!" Kono answered. "I bet it's good though. She never disappoints!" She glanced over at Steve. He was still visibly fuming over her crowd surfing. "You okay, boss?" His only response was a quick glare in her direction, making her laugh.

"Maddie is so good at giving you aneurism face," Danny chuckled.

"I don't get aneurism face. I mean, what exactly does that even mean?" Steve growled. When Danny opened his mouth to answer Steve held up his hand. "You know what? Don't even. I don't even want to know."

They all laughed. Except Steve. They left him alone when water started raining down on Stages 1 and 2. Even though water wasn't hitting the catwalk from directly above, the spray from Stages 1 and 2 got the catwalk wet.

"Holy shit!" Kono yelled. "She is 'go big or go home'." She was so excited.

"Holy cow!" Gracie exclaimed.

The crowd screamed louder knowing Maddie was on her way out.


"I can't believe you just did that!" Tina exclaimed as Maddie's wardrobe team pulled her out of her clothes. They helped her into her low rise denim jeans. At the base of each leg, where it flared, were a ton of crystals. Some were even hanging. Next, they helped her into her jeweled bra top. It was covered in crystals and had nude material underneath. In the center of each bra cup was a star made from jewels. Once she was no longer naked, Mo came in and helped her into the harness that strapped around her thighs and then at her waist. The part at her waist had jewels on it to blend into her outfit. They fastened the crystaled band around her left bicep. She sat down as Nicole started quickly touching up her makeup, her hair didn't matter, not for this song. Wardrobe zipped her black boots onto her. They had a special bottom to help keep her from slipping on the wet stage.

"Last song," Tina smiled. "How does it feel?"

"Fucking great!" Maddie grinned back, coughing afterwards.

"I bet!" Tina handed her the clear plastic cowboy hat.

They could hear the fans scream louder signaling the water was turned on on stage. "Alright, now go get wet!" Tina laughed. "I'm sure it's just what the doctor ordered."

"The water's warm. Usually around 75 degrees, so it'll be fine," Maddie told her as she and Mo walked to the spot that would lift her directly into the middle of the water on Stage 1.

Tina suddenly appeared in the VIP section. "I love this part," she told them. "I always come out and watch. It never gets old!"

"I'm really excited," Lori told her.

Suddenly, lasers made the shape of an incredibly tall Maddie wearing a hat in the water on Stage 1. It went all the way to the rafters. The drums were beating almost like a heartbeat. The tempo slowly started picking up as the lasered Maddie started getting shorter. As the top of her head got close to the bottom of the stage Maddie was lifted up onto Stage 1 replacing the lasered outline of herself.

The fans screamed and went wild.

Holy fuck, Maddie thought. The water was colder than any water she'd experienced and that included the ocean. Something was wrong. She was going to freeze to death. It was too late to do anything. It wasn't like a shower. It took a while for the water to heat, just like a swimming pool. You can do this. It's only a little more than five minutes. She fought to keep from shivering. She was pretty sure it was as cold as laying in the snow.

Maddie tipped her head back in a circle, her hat no longer shielding her face from the water.

Under the stage some of the water came down when Maddie was being lifted to the stage. It sprayed on Mo. He felt the temperature and knew something was wrong. He ran back to where he could see the temperature setting on the tank's equipment. "45 degrees?!" He cried. "Shit!" He put the mic at his wrist up to his mouth. "Pete, there's a problem with the water! The tank's been messed with. The temperature was reset. The water is freezing."

Pete listened intently. He knew they'd been lucky to not have anything go wrong except Maddie's wires locking at the beginning of the show. "What's the temperature?" he said into his mic. He was almost afraid to ask.

"45 degrees!" Mo answered.

"Fuck!" Pete looked up at Maddie standing in the cold water. She showed no signs that it was cold. There wasn't anything they could do to fix it anyway. "Let the dancers know before they come out, so they aren't shocked." Pete looked into the VIP area and caught Doc's eyes. He motioned him forward. Steve watched the whole thing. Something seemed off. Pete looked upset, and not just from Maddie crowd surfing during the last song. He was whispering something to Doc who didn't seem happy with what he was hearing. Pete open a piece of the barricade for Doc to walk through and then he headed backstage. Pete stayed in his spot, watching Maddie closely.

She was singing the first part of "…Baby, One More Time", her first single she'd released at the age of 16, but it was slowed down. She started walking forward on the catwalk heading to Stage 2.

Oh baby, baby

How was I supposed to know

That something wasn't right here

Oh baby, baby

I shouldn't have let you go

But now you're out of sight

Show me how you want it to be

She reached Stage 2 and continued on as she sang directly under the water.

Tell me baby, 'cause I need to know

Because

Tyler had appeared from below Stage 2. He took her hand mic and passed it to someone below the stage as she slipped her head mic on. Suddenly pyro came shooting out of the edges of Stage 1, traveled along the catwalk, and then to the edges of Stage 2. It was similar to the start of the show, being set off in a wave-like pattern.

The song sped up and she danced and ran around Stage 2 while her dancers danced on Stage 1. They had clear plastic raincoats on over their costumes. They'd been warned about the water's temperature, but it was another thing feeling it. It was freezing. They powered through not reacting to it.

My loneliness is killing me (And I )

I must confess I still believe (Still believe)

When I'm not with you I lose my mind

Give me a sign

Hit me baby one more time

Some of the dancers now joined her on Stage 2 as she went into the second verse.

Maddie was freezing. It wasn't just that the water was cold. Her muscles were no longer warm from all the exertion during the show. The cold water was exacerbating all the pain in her body and her joints felt like they were locking up. However, she didn't let it stop her, she kept going, pushing through.

Oh baby, baby, the reason I breathe is you

Boy, you got me blinded

Oh pretty baby, there's nothing that I wouldn't do

It's not the way I planned it

Show me how you want it to be

Tell me, baby, 'cause I need to know

Maddie and her dancers started skipping down the catwalk and back to Stage 1.

My loneliness is killing me (And I )

I must confess I still believe (Still believe)

When I'm not with you I lose my mind

Give me a sign

Hit me baby one more time

"The barge" was lit up and ready for them. Maddie and eight of her dancers stepped onto it while the other eight stayed dancing on Stage 1. Maddie was kneeling at the front opening, no longer singing, as the music slowed. "The barge" started rising as they danced seductively in the rain. Maddie took her hat off and threw it. Her head felt the shock as the ice water hit it.

The music sped up again as she started singing the chorus. They danced in the freezing water, never missing a beat.

Steve watched her. He didn't love that her harness wasn't attached to anything, especially since she was dancing in the rain and could easily slip. However, when she performed she wasn't clumsy like she usually was. In a way it was like she turned into a different person.

My loneliness is killing me (And I )

I must confess I still believe (Still believe)

When I'm not with you I lose my mind

Give me a sign

Hit me baby one more time

Now they were all jumping around on "the barge". He could see the thing shaking a bit as it rose higher in the air, making him more nervous. He really didn't like when she was in the air, which she loved doing. Her dancers threw their raincoats over the side feeling the cold water hit their skin.

My loneliness is killing me (And I )

I must confess I still believe (Still believe)

When I'm not with you I lose my mind

Give me a sign

Hit me baby one more time

Two wires hanging down from the rafters appeared. As "the barge" got closer to them, Ryan and Tyler each grabbed one and attached it to Maddie's harness.

My loneliness is killing me (And I )

I must confess I still believe (Still believe)

When I'm not with you I lose my mind

Give me a sign

Hit me baby one more time

Carefully, Ryan and Tyler eased Maddie out off "the barge" by each holding one of her cables. The music slowed. She leaned back all the way, her back arched as she was pelted with freezing cold water. She didn't think she could make it much longer without shivering. Just a bit longer, she told herself.

Pete grabbed Steve's attention and motioned him forward to the barricade. "Go get your truck and pull it right up to the entrance outside the main room. Make sure you have the heat on."

"What's wrong?" Steve asked. He could tell something wasn't right even though Pete was trying to keep his voice as calm as possible.

"Something happened…long story short that water was supposed to be 75 degrees. It's 45."

"What the fuck?" Steve exclaimed.

"She's freezing. I'm gonna grab her quickly and run her to your truck. You take her home and start getting her warmed up," he instructed.

Steve was mad. How the hell did that happen? That's not a slight temperature difference, he thought. He glanced at Maddie on stage. She was still in the air in the falling water.

Pete open a piece of the barricade and the two walked quickly alongside the stage. Pete told him where to go while he went to meet Maddie underneath Stage 1.

Maddie had reached the stage and stood with her back to the audience. She turned her head to the right and looked behind her, her hand in her soaked hair. She gave them one last smile before the spot she was standing on lowered her and she disappeared from view. Her dancers were still on stage and on "the barge" dancing.

Now that she was out of sight from her fans and the cameras filming the show, she tensed up and her teeth started chattering. Pete was right there waiting for her. He quickly pulled her in-ear monitors out and took her head mic off while Mo was unhooking her mic pack from its designated spot at the back of her jeweled bra.

"Co-o-o-lllld," Maddie finally chattered out. Her whole body was tensing.

"I know, Shorty," Pete mumbled. Free from all the wires, he took each of her arms and got them into her robe since she seemed to be frozen in place. Her skin was like ice, her face pale. He pulled the robe closed and tied it tight. Then he quickly picked her up and started jogging out from under the stage, back behind the stage, and through the doors leading into the venues hallway. Her body shivered as he took off in the direction of the main room. They got there quickly and he rushed outside to the parking lot. Steve was waiting for him, the heat blasting in the car. He was able to pull the passenger door open with his right hand while still holding her. He quickly set Maddie on the seat and buckled her in. "Doc said to start warming her up slowly. Don't just put her in a hot shower, start the temperature off cool and then to lukewarm and so on…. Also, I just left her in her stage clothes. I wanted to get her to you as soon as possible."

"No problem," Steve replied. He was listening, but couldn't take his eyes off Maddie. She was freezing.

"We'll see you soon… oh and keep her awake Doc said," Pete said before shutting the door.

"Hey, Mads," Steve greeted. With his right hand he caressed the side of her face. "Holy shit." The coldness of her skin was actually terrifying. He flipped the siren on and took off in the direction of her house.


Thanks for reading! The next chapter is coming in the next day or two. Please let me know what you thought by leaving a review!

xx