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Welcome back to another chapter! I hope that you will continue to enjoy reading this as much as I enjoy writing it. I never want Steve and Allie's story to end! But someday, it will have to, and I hope that I don't botch that ending.

As a reminder: you all get to vote and tell me if you want Steve and Allie's baby to be a boy or a girl. The last chapter that you will be able to make that vote by will be chapter five, because I like to write ahead and I'll need it for later chapters of the story. So, get your votes in! You can review or private message me, if you'd like.

Thank you to all of you that have read, reviewed, favorited, and followed this story. I've been amazed at the support that I've gotten so far, and I will never be able to thank you all enough. You've boosted my confidence more than you'll ever know. Thank you!

Happy Reading!

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Chapter Two: Wherever You Are, My Love Will Find You

Steve

When I woke up, I finally felt refreshed, which felt wrong when I considered the situation.

Allie and your baby need you to be rested, the logical side of my brain argued. You need to be at the top of your game.

After a minute, I rolled out of bed and went to take a shower and shave. But being in that shower brought back memories of all of the showers that I had shared with Allie, and I spent more time than I should have just standing under the spray, remembering. Once I'd gotten out and toweled off, I dressed and finished getting ready for the day. There was noise coming from downstairs, and it was about time that I joined everyone there.

It was very early in the morning when I came down the stairs and found a couple of women in the kitchen, working on breakfast. They were speaking a language that I didn't understand, and I didn't feel like trying to work it out. Instead, I joined Kol at the table, where he was nursing a glass of milk.

"Morning," he said when he saw me. "There's coffee over there."

I gestured to his glass of milk. "Not very good?"

"It's good," he assured me. "I've already had three cups in the last hour. Uncle Edward banned me from having any more."

I hadn't had a conversation with Allie's uncle yet, but he seemed just as powerful as her father. People listened when he talked, and it was clear that they respected him. If he'd told Kol to stop drinking coffee, I had no doubt that Kol hadn't even tried to argue. "I'll grab some."

Once I'd poured myself a mug and put a little bit of butter in it, I sat back down at the table. "Anything yet?"

Kol shook his head and I studied the dark bags under his eyes. "Nothing yet."

"How long has it been since you've slept?"

"Too long," he admitted. "That's why Uncle Edward wanted me to lay off the coffee. Once the caffeine is out of my system, I'll go try to get some sleep."

"I guess that's what everyone else is doing?" Other than the two women in the kitchen, there was only one guy on his laptop in the living room.

"Mostly," he nodded. "Someone went and got a bunch of air mattresses and Five-O went home and said they'd be back this morning. Uncle Edward and my father are on the back porch, still making calls."

"Still?"

"They have a lot of connections." He sighed. "I just hope it's enough."

So did I.

We sat and enjoyed our drinks together, but it was clear that the conversation was over. At one point, Michael came in with Gideon at his heels, and he told us that he'd taken Gideon for a run. I was glad that he was being looked after, as that's what Allie would have wanted. I fed him while Michael went to go and take a shower.

"We've had a hard time getting him to eat," Kol said as we both watched Gideon whine and lie down beside his bowl of food, leaving it untouched. "He always eats eventually, but he misses her."

"I know how he feels," I said and knelt down to pet him.

The women in the kitchen finished cooking and told Kol and me that breakfast was ready. Then, they went to start waking the others, as it was five-thirty and time to start the day. Kol and I served ourselves first, and I was pleasantly surprised to see the feast that had been prepared. There were a couple of different kinds of breakfast casserole, cinnamon rolls, blueberry muffins, fresh fruit, and coffee. It reminded me of a hotel's complementary breakfast.

The food was delicious, but I found that I was having a hard time forcing myself to eat. The thought of Allie and my baby being so far away and possibly in danger… it did bad things to my appetite. But Kol and I kept reminding each other to eat, so we each got through our plates.

Five-O showed up as everyone was eating, all of them carrying a few bags of groceries. Danny explained that Kol had texted him and gave him a list of the things that people needed. Kol gratefully took the bags and began to distribute the things inside to the people that had requested them.

"Any updates?" Kono asked once we were in the living room, away from everyone else.

I sat down on the recliner with a sigh. "No. Nothing yet. They have people looking through cameras that are anywhere near Medici's residences and other people running her face through national databases. Everyone else is making calls to contacts, telling them to be on the lookout for her."

"Anything we can do?" Chin asked.

I shook my head. "Not that I can think of." Before I could say anything else, Allie's uncle called out from the kitchen. "I've got her!"

We stood and rushed to the doorway and observed him standing just inside the back door, phone in his hand. Allie's father came rushing in from the hallway, excited. "Where? Where is she? Italy?"

"No." Edward addressed the hackers, mainly. "Paris." He gave them the address and they suddenly had laptops in the place of their plates, typing furiously. "We need to figure out what she was doing near there. My contact said that she looked like a woman on a mission."

"So, maybe whatever she's been assigned to steal is near there," Allie's dad concluded. "So, we need a list of everything valuable in that area. Private collections, jewelry stores-"

"That won't be necessary," said a hacker by the name of Jax. "She was spotted two blocks away from the Kingsley Museum."

A collective groan went up from around the room.

"What?" I asked, not understanding. "What's the Kingsley Museum?"

Kol was the one to explain. "When most people think of museums in Paris, they think of The Louvre. But the Kingsley… it's even bigger and has even better security. It's like the country club of museums; the entry fees are pretty steep and art admirers from around the world visit to see some of the finest works of art ever known to man."

"Not good for a smash and grab job," Michael said. "And they don't tolerate thieves. He needed Allie because you have to be insanely good to steal something from the Kingsley. The last time that it was accomplished was in…"

"1972," Allie's dad said. "Right, Edward?"

Edward's mouth twitched into a small smile. "Yes."

"It was you?" Danny asked in surprise.

Edward seemed faintly offended. "I was a younger man."

"I have her on a couple of cameras," Jax said, interrupting the conversation. "But I can't tell anything. I'll print out the pictures so that we can take a look."

"Either way," Allie's dad said, "we know where she is. Paris."

Kol stood. "We have to go, then." He looked to his uncle. "We can use your house as a home base."

"Of course," Edward agreed. "But no doubt, Medici will have people watching all airports in and around Paris. He'll likely be watching my estate as well."

"So, we go in through Italy," Kol said. "Take the train in small groups and sneak in the back way."

"It's the only way," his father agreed. "I don't expect all of you to give up who knows how much of your time-"

But everyone in the room said that he shouldn't be ridiculous and of course they would come. Allie was family to them, much like she was to Five-O. These people had known her all of her life, and they cared very deeply about her.

"We'll need fake IDs," Max said.

"I know a guy," Kol said with a smile as he walked away, cell phone already in his hand. "I'll put in a call."

Everyone was suddenly in motion and I took my team back into the living room. There obviously wasn't anything that we could do in there, as we knew where Allie was and now it was just about the travel arrangements.

"Nothing else to do here," I told them. "Why don't you guys go into the office and work whatever cases come in? I'm going to take some personal time. I'll let you know when anything else develops."

They argued a little bit, but finally agreed that they had a responsibility to continue working cases until something else developed. Chin and Kono gave me a hug and reminded me that they would always be there for me and Allie was their family, too.

Danny's hug lasted a little longer and when he pulled back, his expression was serious. "You know that I'm here for you and Allie. And that baby. Anything you need – anything at all – just call me, okay? Day or night."

I nodded. "Thank you, Danny. It means a lot."

"You're welcome." He let himself out and I stood there for several moments, feeling useless as everyone else was running around, getting stuff done.

Finally, I decided to go back to my own house and pack a bag. Because they weren't going to Paris without me, even if they had a million reasons that I should remain behind.

Because when it came to my family, there was nothing I wouldn't do.

I got back to the house and found Allie's dad sitting on the front porch, looking like he'd just seen a ghost.

"Hey," I told him as I approached. "What happened? Is Allie okay?"

He seemed surprised to see me, but nodded his head. "Yeah, yeah. She's still fine, as far as I know."

There was obviously something else going on, so I sat down in the chair beside him. "Something is on your mind."

He nodded. "You must be very good at your job, Commander."

"Steve," I corrected him.

"Alex," he told me, and I realized that he'd never told me his name before right then. With a sigh, he stared down at his hands, which were clasped between his knees. "I didn't realize it at first, but… The Kingsley Museum… I know what Medici wants her to steal."

I felt surprise ripple through my body. "How? There have to be over two hundred pieces of art in that museum. How do you know which one Medici wants?"

"There are over five hundred pieces of art in that museum," he corrected me gently. "But not even half of those are displayed. The rest of them are in the archives, behind the most sophisticated safe door ever invented. Medici wants Allie to get in there."

"For what?"

There was a sad look in his eyes as he looked out over Allie's front yard. "My wife left us when Allie and Kol were thirteen… did she ever tell you about that?"

"Yes." I didn't tell him about Allie tracking her mother down years later, because I wasn't sure that he knew about that and I didn't want to betray Allie's trust.

"She never told me that she was leaving," he said. "But a week after she did, Medici showed up at my home. He asked me where she was and I told him that she'd left. Even showed him the note. I hoped that maybe he had heard from her. But he said that he'd noticed that a music box was missing from his private collection and that she had stolen it. I didn't believe him until he showed me the security footage."

"A music box?" I asked, surprised. "How much could that possibly be worth? Why would it be worth all of this?"

"He claimed that his grandfather had stashed some valuable information inside. I believe that was true, but I don't believe it was just the land deeds and account codes that he told me. There was something else… but I never found out. I tried to put it out of my mind."

"How do you know it's at the Kingsley Museum?" I asked him.

"Because a year later, on the anniversary of her leaving, I was sent a pamphlet for the Kingsley Museum. After some research, I found that at the time my wife stole the box, the museum had been undergoing some major reconstruction. It wouldn't have been too difficult for her to stash it there."

"And you never told anyone?"

"No," he sighed. "So, I'm not sure how Medici found out, but clearly, he did. And now he wants Allie to break in."

"Can she do it? I never knew her when she was Isabelle Rinaldi. I only know her as Allie Rhodes. And the Allie Rhodes that I know can disable bombs and handle herself well in a fight, but… can she do this?" I knew nothing about that world, but he did.

He thought for a moment and finally said, "If anyone can do it, it's Allie. People always said that she was just like her mother, but I disagree. As talented as Amy was, Allie is a million times better."

"She's been out of the game for a long time," I reminded him.

He nodded. "I know. But there are some things that you just don't forget. The way that my children were trained… that kind of thing should be instinct to them."

I remembered the first case that Allie had worked with Five-O. She had said that a security camera wasn't working, even though there had been no outward indication. And she had been right. "Yeah," I agreed with him. "I don't think she forgot."

"You packed a bag," he said with a nod to the duffel bag at my feet.

"I'm not letting you guys leave me behind."

"I didn't think you would." He stood. "I need to go and update everyone on the target. You coming?"

I stood as well. "Absolutely."

Allie

I was practicing my sleight of hand when there was a knock on the door of my suite. Part of me didn't want to answer it, but the other part of me reminded me that Medici had a key – as he was the one paying for the suite in the first place – and he would just come in if I didn't answer.

With a sigh, I climbed off of the large king bed and padded to the door. Medici stood on the other side, his bodyguard right behind him. When he saw me, he smiled. "Allie. May I come in?"

"It's your suite," I reminded him and left the door open as I headed towards the living area, my eyes flicking immediately towards the camera that hung in the corner of the room with a view of the entire space. There was a similar camera in the kitchen area and the bedroom, but thankfully not one in the bathroom. I would have drawn the line there.

Medici followed me into the room and waited until I'd taken a seat on the couch before he sat down on the chair. "Do the accommodations not suit you? It's the largest suite that they have."

"The accommodations are fine." I received a full meal three times a day like clockwork and the kitchen was also fully stocked. The sheets were heavenly and changed daily, the towels were the softest I'd ever felt, and the view from my balcony was nothing short of incredible. I hadn't indulged in too many of the finer things of life since I had left the con life, but I knew that even among the rich, this suite was a luxury.

"Excellent," he said. "As always, if you have need of anything – day or night – feel free to notify me or one of my men." He'd programmed all of the numbers I would need into the cell phone that he had provided for me. The cell phone that he had someone monitoring very closely.

I nodded to indicate that I had heard and understood him.

"On to business." He gestured for his bodyguard to come into the room and hand him a large, rolled up piece of thick paper. When he unrolled it on top of the coffee table, I saw that it was a blueprint of the Kingsley Museum.

In my surprise, I stood to look it over, my mind already in overdrive. "How in the world did you get this?"

"Money can open a lot of doors."

"Right. Sometimes I forget you're a billionaire. Is there any possibility that you could bribe the guards of the museum to steal this box for you?" It was the last bit of hope that I had, but I didn't think I would be that lucky.

And I wasn't. "I am certain. Guards are vetted extremely well. They're also compensated very generously and take weekly polygraphs. It would take far too much time to find someone talented enough to infiltrate them. And even then, only the top guards are allowed access to the vault."

"No wonder people don't break into the Kingsley," I groaned in frustration as my eyes strayed to the blueprint. "It's impossible."

"Not impossible. Your mother did it," he reminded me.

I felt the irritation burning inside, sharp and hot. I glanced up at him and knew that he could see it. "I'm not my mother, and that was many, many years ago. Things change. Security systems become more sophisticated all of the time. Con artists are constantly having to adjust their strategies."

"Well, I suggest that you find one," he told me as he stood and buttoned the jacket of his suit. "A strategy, that is. You have unlimited resources at your disposal, so feel free to use them. With my resources and your knowledge and talents, I have no doubt we will be successful."

We? I wanted to yell at him. I wanted to ask him what he was really doing besides financing the job. He certainly wasn't going to risk his life to get the box back. He was just going to make me risk my life. Getting killed for it wasn't likely, but I could certainly be thrown into prison for the rest of my life for breaking in to such a respected museum. The French government took their art very seriously and weren't likely to go easy on me; especially because I was an American.

"I'll work on it. Did you have time to get me that credit card?"

"Ah, yes." He withdrew his wallet and then took out a shiny gold credit card. "You can use this for all of your needs. But remember… I'll be watching." He glanced up at the camera in the corner of the room and smiled. I knew that he had a couple of men a few floors below me constantly watching those cameras, just to make sure that I "followed all of the rules to the letter".

"I remember," I practically growled and pocketed the card. "Anything else?"

"No. Please, enjoy your evening." He headed for the door and then left, leaving me all alone with a blueprint that I could be arrested just for having. I would have to be careful to keep it hidden in case housekeeping got curious and decided to take a quick peek. I didn't need to get arrested before the job even began.

With a deep breath, I wandered to the glass door leading out to the balcony and stared at the setting sun, casting light off of many different buildings.

I wondered what Steve was doing… hoped that he was functioning okay. Hoped that he was on his way to come and find me.

But no matter where he was in the world, I knew that he loved me. I could feel it as surely as I could feel the breath in my lungs.

And his love was the only thing getting me through all of this.