Disclaimer: I don't own Hawaii Five-0 or any of the characters.
Thank you so much for the reviews. I wasn't sure that I liked Chapter 5 but I think it will work with what I have in mind. I know I can't leave Chin and Kono in the dark for long but I have an interesting idea for how they find out, if you can just bare with me for a few chapters. Thanks again for reading!
While Steve driving Maddie back to his house he was constantly checking the rearview mirror all the way home and even doubled back a couple of times to make sure they weren't being followed.
"So you didn't see the car at all while we were at your house?" Steve asked her.
"No, I didn't see it but I also don't see it every day or I don't notice it everyday. Maybe it moves or they change cars. I don't know. I'm sorry. I guess I'm not as observant as I thought I was," Madeline said chastising her self.
"Don't beat yourself up. You've been through a lot and it's not surprising that the details have become a little fuzzy," Steve said. Maddie nodded but didn't reply. She actually didn't speak the rest of the drive to the house. Steve allowed the silence but made sure to keep half an eye on her until he pulled the truck into the driveway. He turned the engine off and shifted in his seat to look at her.
"Are you alright?" he asked. She sighed before turning to look at him. He reached up and brushed a tear from her cheek and she leaned into his hand. He cupped her face and brushed his thumb across her cheek.
"I'm just a little homesick, you know? I miss my family and my friends. This whole situation has been so overwhelming and I just feel like I'm all alone," she confessed to him in a quite voice that he could barely hear.
"You're not alone anymore," was all he said. He got out of the car and walked around to open the door for her. He put his hand out to her and she took it, allowing him to help her out of the truck. He insisted that he carry her things into the house and then showed her up to her room.
He led her up the stairs to the first door on the right. He opened it for her and allowed her to enter before he followed with her suitcase and garment bag in hand. He placed her suitcase on the floor and hung her garment bag in the closet while she slowly examined the room.
"Uh, this used to be my sister's room. Mary lives in Los Angeles now but I'm sure she won't mind you using it. Um, the bathroom is across the hall and my room is right next to yours. If you need anything just come and get me any time day or night," he explained. She nodded and smiled absently. He nodded in return and was about to go when she turned to look at him.
"Steve, I can't tell you how grateful I am for all you've done for me. I don't know where I would be or what I would do if I didn't have you and Danny," she said nearly desperate. He closed the distance between them and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her to his chest. His arms were around her before he even realized what he'd done.
"Everything is going to be fine. You're going to be alright, I'll make sure of it," he said. His heart flip-flopped in his chest when she snuggled in and allowed him to hold her for several minutes. "Can I make a suggestion?" he asked with his chin resting on the top of her head.
"Of course," she said and looked up at him. He lost his train of thought when her soft blue eyes trained on him. After several moments her brow furrowed. "What did you want to tell me?" He couldn't regain his footing. They were so close together and he could feel her body pressed up against his. Her hair smelled incredible, like flowers, and with the shoes she was wearing, her height was perfect so that if he just leaned down he could…but no he couldn't. He promised Danny that he would protect her and he was becoming dangerously close to not being able to do that. He gave her a quick squeeze and then stepped back.
"I was thinking it might be a good idea if you called Malia. I know we have to keep this low key but I really think she could help…you know her being a woman and everything," he said and smiled.
"I'll think about it. Look Steve, um, I'm really sorry if I made you uncomfortable just now. I didn't mean to get so…" Maddie started but he held up his hand for her to stop.
"You didn't make me uncomfortable, actually it's more the opposite. You made me too comfortable. I can't figure out what it is but there is something about you. Something that is familiar and comfortable, for lack of a better word" he confessed. She nodded.
"I know. I didn't notice it until just now but I feel like…I know you," she said looking confused. "How can that be? We just met today."
"I don't know. There have been at least two times today when you looked at me and I thought you could see right into me. It's like you knew what I was thinking and feeling," he said.
"I did know. I don't know how I knew but I did," she replied. He nodded and stared at her for a long time. She stared back, searching his eyes, his face for something. Suddenly he crossed the room to her, brushed her bangs out of her eyes and kissed her forehead.
"I have to get back to work." Madeline nodded.
"I'll have dinner ready at seven," she replied, reading his mind. He smiled, looked over her face one more time and then left.
Steve spent the entire drive back to HQ thinking about Madeline, what had been happening between them since they met and the conversation they just had. He couldn't make any sense of it. It had been less than a day, actually only a couple of hours and she felt so right. Was it her energy or her demeanor? She understood him, that much he knew for sure.
Steve's mind was reeling. He was totally distracted which is why when he walked into headquarters, he passed right by Danny, Kono and Chin standing around the computer having a briefing and walked to his office. Danny looked at Kono and then Chin, held up a finger for them to wait for him and he went to Steve's office.
"Hey, what's going on?" Danny asked Steve when he sauntered into the office.
"Hey, nothing why?" Steve asked looking confused from behind his desk.
"Oh, I don't know. Maybe because you just walked right by all of us when we were having a briefing as if you didn't see us. What happened with Maddie? Did you get her situated?" Danny asked. He knew something was up. Nothing ever pulled Steve away from his focus.
"Yeah, yeah I did. She's all settled at my house with a plain clothes detail outside," he replied, nodding his head through the whole statement. Danny studied him for a moment.
"What's wrong with you?" Danny asked.
"I don't know," Steve said quickly.
"What do you mean you don't know?" Danny asked getting irritated. "What happened between you two after I left?"
"Nothing."
"Nothing! It can't be nothing, you're completely knocked off your game!" Danny yelled. Steve looked up at him with a no-nonsense look in his eyes.
"Don't use that tone with me. I'm still trying to figure out what is happening."
"Oh no. No, no, no. You didn't. You had sex with her didn't you? I told you not to pursue her. I told you! What the hell did you do? You've completely compromised our investigation by getting personally involved with the victim. What's the matter with you?" Danny asked in a mini-rant.
"I did not have sex with Maddie," Steve said and looked up at Danny who obviously didn't believe him. "I didn't sleep with her. Nothing physical happened between us. It was something else. Something more…" he paused and moving his arms around him almost flailing them around. At one point he moved one of his hands toward his heart and the other toward his head.
"Oh, I get it. She did it to you didn't she? She got into your head," Danny said matter-of-factly.
"It's more than that. It's like she feels the same as I do. She moves with me instead of near me or beside me. She looks at me and she understands me. How is that possible?" Steve asked. He finally sat down and leaned back in his chair letting his head fall back against it. Danny nodded and moved to sit on the edge of Steve's desk.
"That's Maddie. She sees people. I can't figure out how she does it but it's like she's cued in. You're freaking out aren't you?" Danny asked and smiled. Steve ran a hand down his face and nodded. "You'll be alright. Let's get back to work." Steve nodded and they walked out to the bullpen together but Maddie wasn't far from Steve's mind for the rest of the day.