...

Welcome back to another chapter of what I hope has been an enjoyable story for you so far. We are on chapter five now, which means… this is the last chapter to get your votes in! Should Steve and Allie's baby be a boy or a girl? Remember: even if you have already voted once, you can vote again. In fact, you can vote until chapter 6 is posted. So, review or private message me to get your votes in.

Another reminder: I take a lot of artistic license with the characters and the premise of the show. So, if something seems kind of off to you, that would be why.

Thank you all so much for reading, reviewing, favoriting, and following. I appreciate all of the support that I've been given as I've embarked on the journey of writing this fic. I never thought that it would receive the response that it has, and I wanted to thank you all again.

Happy Reading!

…..

Chapter Five: Ancient History

Allie

"Thank you for meeting me," Medici said once we were both seated at his requested table at the most exclusive café in Paris. The flowers in the crystal vase on the table were fresh, and I almost smiled a little when I realized that the smell didn't get to me at all. The medication was working wonders.

"Of course," I said, when what I really wanted to say was, 'as if I had any other option'. "But I take it this isn't just a casual breakfast."

He ordered waters and espressos for the both of us and waited until our server had walked away. "Mostly casual. I also wanted to check in. Is the medicine helping with your morning sickness?"

There was a flash of anger at the fact that he thought my pregnancy was any of his business, but I trampled it down for the sake of my brother. For him, I would be on my best behavior with the man that I wanted to throw into the middle of the ocean. Or something much, much worse. "It is."

"Excellent. You are back to planning the heist, then?"

Unfortunately. "I am. I've been committing the blueprints to memory."

"Is that all?" He sounded like he had expected me to be nearly done with such a large job. But of course, a man like him wouldn't have the slightest clue about how intricate such a job was. When he wanted something, he could either pay for it, or pay someone to steal it for him. He didn't have to do the dirty work himself. The rest of us didn't have that luxury.

"That's all." I was doing my best to keep my temper in check. "This is the Kingsley Museum that we're talking about. As far as security goes, theirs is top of the line. It's not just a smash and grab. This has to be elegant and precise. That takes time. Planning. Research."

Our drinks arrived just then and I busied myself taking a few small sips of espresso. Once the server was gone, Medici nodded with some reluctance and picked up his own espresso. "Fine. As long as it gets done. Is there anything that I can do to… speed things along?"

"Not at this stage, no." Not unless you want to just let my brother go and pay someone else to do this for you. But he had gotten me because I was the most likely to successfully complete the job, so the odds of him just letting me leave were slim to none.

He sighed. "Very well. Do you know what you would like to have for breakfast?"

Once we had both ordered, he tried some small talk. The weather, Paris… but it soon became evident that I wasn't all that interested in talking to him and he began to eat his breakfast in silence. That was fine with me, as I had plenty to occupy my mind. Not just the heist, but the baby as well. I couldn't help but wonder if it would be a boy or a girl, what it would be like, who it would look like…

Once breakfast had concluded, Medici's car pulled up in front and we both climbed in. I wasn't ready to head back to my prison of a hotel suite, but at least it would keep me away from my captor. Medici was really a pleasant man… when he wasn't kidnapping your brother and forcing you to commit a crime to get him back. I hated that it had ever come to this.

Back at the hotel, Medici escorted me up to my room, both to be a gentleman and to make sure that I didn't try to run away. As if I could run away knowing that he would hurt my brother if I did. But, I supposed that it always paid to be cautious.

Inside of the suite, I tossed my jacket onto the table, noting that the place looked like it had been cleaned. I had asked if I needed to put all materials away when I left – for the sake of the maids that were coming to clean – but Medici said that he had already paid them off. Of course. Not that I would complain, since that meant less work for me.

I got myself a bottle of water and then walked over to the blueprint, rolled up on the coffee table. Once unrolled, it showed me every inch of the Kingsley Museum, including where the security cameras were. I had been looking over it for days, trying to figure out how I could get around without being seen. Unfortunately, a way had yet to present itself. Their security system was the most advanced that I had ever worked with and even with a crew, it seemed impossible. I wished that I had a tech guy to consult with, but Medici had cut me off from all family and friends. I was on my own.

Don't give up, I warned myself. You can't afford to give up. With a hand over the spot in my abdomen where the baby was growing, I took a deep breath. If nothing else, I had to do it for my baby. Medici would never hurt me or my baby, but I knew that he would hurt Trent – or even Steve – if he felt like that would motivate me. And my baby deserved all of the family that I'd had growing up.

"I won't give up," I whispered to myself, and then went back to studying the blueprint.

My father's voice entered my head just then, a true blast from the past. "Just formulate a few plans," he said, just as if he was sitting beside me, coaching me. "They don't have to be good ones. Just get the ball rolling."

My uncle's voice chimed in. "Form a plan, and then rip it apart. Fix the issues. One step at a time."

If only they really were coaching me through this. I couldn't think of any two people better suited to such a heist. Except, perhaps, for the woman that had put me in this position in the first place by stealing the box so long ago…

I grew angry then. Angry that she had stolen the box in the first place, for no conceivable reason. Angry that I was the one saving her son when she should have been here, just as concerned as I was. Angry that she had ever left us. Angry that she probably wouldn't care even if she knew what was going on. Angry that she had preferred being a con artist to being any kind of mother.

"I'll never leave," I whispered to my baby. "Not by choice, anyway." I would have to be put into a grave before I would leave my child the way that my mother had left me.

A plan, Allie. Form a plan.

Right.

I sighed, grabbed the nearby notepad, and began to scribble out a plan. What I would do if I had to try to steal the music box today. It was a horrible plan, but at least it was something.

Now, find the flaws and fix them.

Right.

By the time that I was done, nearly the whole page was scribbled out and I had two pages of notes.

But that was progress.

I got myself another bottle of water and a bag of chips, and then dove back in.

Steve

"Is there really a point to this?" I whispered to Kol, who didn't even blink at the sound of my voice.

"We were always taught to know our mark," he responded, not looking away from his laptop screen. "Therefore, research about the box would be important."

I turned my attention back to my own laptop, telling myself that there had to be a point. Unfortunately, my mind was whirling at a million miles an hour and I couldn't concentrate. Besides, they were all more experienced at research than I was, so I was sure that they could learn everything that they needed to without an extra set of eyes. Especially a set of eyes that thought that this was all useless.

We should be out there doing something, the fierce, protective part of my brain was yelling at me. Sitting around doing research on the music box isn't going to get her back. We need to figure out where they're keeping her brother, raid it and get him back safely, and then get Allie back.

I knew that I needed to take a break before I went off. "I'm going to go for a walk," I said to Kol.

He looked at me and I could tell that he knew how pointless I found this exercise. "Sure. Don't go too far."

"Just on the grounds," I assured him and closed my laptop screen, relieved that I could get away from it for a while.

I slipped out the back door and began to walk through the gardens that were so immaculately kept, even though Edward had said that he only lived here about half of the year. There was one flower in particular – a bright orange beauty – that reminded me of Hawaii and made me homesick.

It reminded me of when I'd been sent away from the island by my father after my mother had died in that terrible accident. The military academy had been my home for a while, and it was located within walking distance of the beach. For the first few months after my arrival, I had gone to the beach every single day and stared at the waves, hoping that it would make me feel at home. But all that it had served to do was make me more and more homesick. In the end, I had avoided the beach as much as possible. It was easier that way.

If only there was a way to get away from everything that reminded me of Allie. But her pictures were all over the house (Kol had told me that Edward had never had children of his own, so his niece and nephews were his pride and joy). Her twin brother reminded me so much of her in his looks and in the way that he carried himself. Her name was spoken almost every five minutes.

And every night, she visited me in my dreams. Usually, it was just a memory from our time together on the island. But sometimes, she was holding our newborn baby in her arms, glowing like the sun as she told me that she'd never been happier. Those dreams were the worst because, while they made me extremely happy in the moment, my heart ached terribly when I woke up and realized that she wasn't beside me.

If we didn't get her back soon, I knew that I would become mad.

My phone began to buzz in my back pocket and I pulled it out, mostly distracted. When I saw Danny's name and photo on the display, I felt just a tad lighter. "Hey, Danno."

"I already regret calling," he said on the other end. "Is this a bad time?"

"No. I'm just taking a break from researching the box. I actually welcome the distraction. How is everybody?"

"Good; we're good. Worried about you and Allie, of course. Any progress?"

"Not enough." I felt myself run my hand through my hair, a nervous habit that I'd yet to break. "I know that I promised to do things their way, but… it's really hard, Danny. I mean… it's so… slow. Like right now, we're doing research on the box that Medici wants her to steal. Or that they think he wants her to steal. What if they're wrong? What if he wants her to steal something else entirely? They should just let me try to figure out where he's holding Trent and-"

Danny stopped me. "That's your control issues talking, buddy." He and Kol would have gotten along great. "This is their world, you know? Maybe just trust that they want her back just as much as you do and they think that this is the best way to do it. They've already assured you that Medici would never hurt a woman and an unborn child, right?"

"So they say." I still wasn't one hundred percent convinced. Men like him… well… you could never know for sure. "What's your point?"

"That there's no rush. Do the research and have a plan. Because that normal Steve McGarrett style stuff is going to get you and a lot of other people shot at. I should know, okay? Because I'd been your partner for less than two hours the first time that you got me shot."

"You're never going to let that go." Though, he wasn't lying.

"Never," he assured me. "Is there anything that we can do to help?" He asked me that every time that he called and I knew that he genuinely wanted to help. Knew that he cared about Allie and about me. I also knew that Kono and Chin were constantly dogging him for answers or ways that they could help.

"Maybe…" I'd been doing some thinking. "Do you think that you guys could box my stuff up and move it over to Allie's? We were planning on living there after we got married and… well… we'll obviously want to be moved in before the baby gets here. And since we have no idea how long this is going to take…"

"I almost feel like all of this was an elaborate scheme to get me to move all of your stuff for you."

I desperately wished so. "You really don't have to. It was just an idea that I was kicking around."

"I'm only kidding, buddy. We'd love to. We'll get Kamekona in on it too. He's a big man… he can probably pick the couch up all by himself."

"We're keeping all of Allie's furniture." It was newer and much nicer than my stuff. "I think I'll probably end up putting all of that furniture in a storage shed. At least until I figure out what to do with it. But I can take care of that when I get back."

"No, no," he told me. "We're happy to do it. I'll get right on it."

I smiled as I imagined Danny bossing everyone around while they boxed up all of my things. "I appreciate it."

"Hey, no problem. You just work on getting Allie and that baby back safe and sound. I can't wait to watch you change a diaper."

Yeah… I couldn't wait, either. Being a father… sometimes, the idea was still so strange to me. "Is it hard?" The question was out before I could really stop it.

"What, changing a diaper?" he asked me. "I mean… you take the old one off, wipe down the bottom, put a new diaper on… It's not rocket science, Steven. You'll figure it out."

I rolled my eyes even though I knew he couldn't see me. "Not changing diapers. Being a dad." I was almost sorry that I had asked him.

But when he spoke again, all of the humor was gone from his voice. "Honestly? Yes. Being a dad is the hardest thing that I have ever done. First, you're up with a crying baby at all hours of the night and you feel like a freaking idiot all of the time because there's always something new to learn. And then you're chasing a toddler around the house, praying that they don't break their head while you take a minute to go to the bathroom. And then they're off to school and some kid is being mean to them and you wonder if it would be worth the jail time to hit a kid. And then they're in middle school and not wanting to be seen with you. And… well… I haven't gotten past that stage yet. Yes, it's really hard."

My head was spinning. "Sorry I asked."

"I wasn't done," he said. "Yes, it's extremely hard. But it's also the most rewarding thing in the world. I promise you, Steve, you're going to hold that baby for the first time and it'll be like everything you've ever done in your whole life was just leading you up to that moment. Nothing will ever be the same, and it'll all be worth it. I wouldn't trade being a father for anything."

"Sometimes I just wish that I had my dad here to talk about it with." I often found myself wondering what he would have said to me. What advice he would have given me about how to be a good dad. I wished that he could meet his grandchild, and I knew that he would have been so great with him/her.

"You're going to do great," he told me. "And you have a wonderful woman to parent with. That kid is lucky."

"Thanks, Danny."

"You're welcome. Oh, and… there's something I should probably mention…"

I steeled myself at his cautious tone, praying that nothing bad had happened on the island while I'd been gone. There hadn't been anything in the news, last I checked, but you could never be totally sure. "What's that?"

"Catherine's back."

Feeling like I'd been punched in the gut – that's what I'd been expecting. Or maybe a flutter in my stomach at the mention of her name, just like it had always happened before when I heard her name. But what I felt was… mild curiosity. Nothing romantic. "Okay?"

Danny seemed relieved that I sounded fine with it. "She's on leave. Came in yesterday because she waited around at your house for a day and night and then realized that you probably weren't coming home. She came to ask if you were at training or visiting Mary."

"What did you tell her?"

"Most of the truth," he said. "I told her about Allie and how you two had fallen in love and gotten engaged. I told her that Allie had been taken and you were away with Allie's family, trying to get her back. I didn't go into a lot of detail."

"How did she take it?" I wasn't in love with her anymore, but I still cared about her feelings. I hoped that she hadn't been crushed by the news – hoped that she hadn't come back to try to work things out between us.

"She was… surprised. I got the impression that she was a little hurt by the news, but she said that she was happy that you'd found someone. She asked if there was anything that she could do to help, and said to let you know that she can be there if you need her help."

"I'll keep that in my back pocket for now." I was thankful that it hadn't been worse for her. "Anything else you need to tell me?"

"Not that I can think of. Let us know if you need anything. We can jump on a plane and be there in a day."

I so badly wanted to take him up on that offer, but Hawaii needed Five-O. They were already down one member, and I didn't want to take away more. "Will do. Keep the island safe."

"Doing my best." He said goodbye and then hung up.

I had just slipped the phone back into my pocket when Kol called me from the back door. Cursing at the thought of having to do more research, I made my way over to him and he waved for me to follow him inside.

"I think we're all done with research on the music box. Max is going to present it to everybody so that we're all on the same page," he said.

"Sounds great." Great that I wouldn't have to do any more research, at least.

And great if we were another step closer to rescuing Allie and my child.