DISCLAIMER: I do not own "Hawaii Five-0" or any of it's characters!

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I know you guys want to see more Steve and the cast. You will, I PROMISE! I'm just trying to set up the story.

As I mentioned before, thoughts are in italics.

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Thanks!

CHAPTER 2

Michael Jackson's "Bad" filled the room causing Maddie to freeze. It was Steve. She knew that without even looking. It was his ringtone. They had loved that song when it came out. They used to rock out to it late at night on the beach. Her heart began to pound as she reached for her phone. Picking it up she stared at the smiling photo of him on the screen. She had taken it the last time she'd seen him, two years before. There was a black-tie event in his honor for being awarded the Navy Cross and he'd asked her to be his date (as friends of course). Seeing as it was such a big deal and she hadn't seen him in a while she rearranged her schedule, much to the dismay of her manager and label, and met him there. She was dressed in a red, strapless, vintage Chanel gown, the skirt a bit poofy. It was gorgeous. It was something she had been saving for a special occasion and she couldn't think of anything more special than this night with Steve. He had been speechless when he saw her, and she of him. He stood there in his dress whites, big smile on his face. They had the best time that night. They'd left the party a bit early and found themselves at the beach. He chased her with the intention of picking her up and throwing her into the water, just like he used to do when they were younger. They laughed and eventually collapsed on the sand out of breath. Noticing her shiver slightly, Steve pulled her to him, wrapping his arms around her. They laid like that for hours staring at the stars and talking including playing their childhood game of who could identify more constellations. What made it fun was that at some point they would just start making them up sending them into hysterics. Sure, it was childish, but then again, they'd made it up when they were 8. Apparently, Steve was out of constellations and said, "A man sitting on a toilet." What was so funny was she saw the same thing. As the two laughed she snapped a picture of them on her phone. It was that photo that came up every time he called or texted her.

So here she sat, phone in hand staring at the photo from that night. Maddie wanted nothing more than to answer the phone. The constant internal battle raging within her was affecting her more and more every day. She found herself distracted all the time because she couldn't stop thinking and worrying about him. She missed him so much. More than she thought humanly possible. Just as she was going to lose the battle and pick up, it stopped ringing. She sighed in relief, reminding herself she needed to stay strong. For his sake.

The new voicemail message popped up on her screen. She loved his messages, and had saved every single one he'd left her over the last few months. But it always made it that much harder to continue to push him away. Deciding she couldn't handle hearing the message before her show she tucked her phone away in her pocket.

Maddie sat there in her dressing room staring off into space. Although she was surrounded by people every moment of the day, she felt so alone. Especially lately. The secrets were growing heavier and heavier every day, threatening to suffocate her. A ringing phone pulled her out of her thoughts and she looked over to see her head of security, Pete, reaching for his cell. She knew who it was. It was Steve. He was getting worried. In fact, she was surprised it took him this long to reach out to his buddy. They'd been part of the same Navy Seal team and when Pete chose not to re-enlist Maddie had just had a breakdown in her security team. Always overprotective of her, Steve had been worrying over how to best handle her safety moving forward. He'd contacted Pete and hired him as the head of her security. Between the two of them, they filled the rest of the seven members of her team with their buddies. People Steve could trust. The other eight had been hired three months ago at her request.

Pete looked at his caller ID. Upon seeing Steve's name, he glanced up at Maddie to see her staring at him. He knew she knew who it was. Pete quickly answered and excused himself from the room, leaving another bodyguard, Mo, in charge. Maddie sat there for what felt like an hour waiting for Pete to return. Finally, he appeared and immediately started clearing people from her dressing room.

When the last person was gone, Maddie turned to him, "Why'd you do that? Everything okay?"

"Of course! I just… It's been a long couple days. I know you haven't been sleeping well... I thought you could try and get some rest before the show tonight."

Smiling she replied, "You worry too much. I'm fine!"

"Come on Maddie. Are you forgetting about that little incident this morning? You almost passed out on me. You're exhausted. You know, you don't have to pretend to be invincible around me. You trust me with your life, but not with what's bothering you, I don't get it."

He looked so concerned. Genuinely concerned. I wonder if he told Steve what happened this morning, Maddie worried. Steve couldn't find out. He just couldn't. "I'm fine Petey! I promise! I was just hungry." She turned towards the mirror, playing with her hair. "Did you say anything to Steve about-"

"The near fainting?" Pete interrupted. "No, I didn't. I should've! But…" Pete wanted to tell her what was going on with Steve, but he'd promised his "brother" that he wouldn't.

She picked up on his hesitation and immediately felt a bubble of panic rise in her chest. "Is everything alright with Steve? Has he been hurt?"

"You could find out for yourself, ya know? If you'd call him back."

"Just tell me Pete. Is he alright?" Maddie snapped at him as she got up and sat on the couch.

"Yes, he's fine." Pete watched her close her eyes and sigh in relief. "Maddie?"

"Yes," she answered, slowly opening her eyes to look at him.

"Why won't you talk to him? Did something happen?"

"Nothing happened. Everything's fine. I've just been busy," she quickly retorted. She knew it was a lame excuse, but she was too tired to come up with anything better so quickly.

"Come on, Maddie! You can talk to me."

She had to come up with something with anything but the truth. After what felt like forever Maddie answered him, "I just… I realized that what I want from him he won't ever want to give me. It just hurts too much to be near him," Maddie replied her voice taking on a distant tone.

"Look at me," Pete demanded as he walked towards her.

She glared up at him as he towered over her in a caring, non-threatening, but assertive way. "You're lying, and I don't know why. What's going on?"

Pete watched her, surprised, as her eyes began to fill with tears. Squatting down in front of her his voice gentled, "What is it? Why are you so upset?"

She looked away and shook her head.

"Is it why you haven't been acting like yourself the last few months? Does it all have to do with Steve?"

Furious over the fact her emotions and body were betraying her, she tried to regain control. He couldn't find out, there was too much at stake. She shook her head as tears spilled down her cheeks one after another. She was falling apart in front of his eyes.

He wished Steve was there. He was the only person on earth that could get her smiling again when she was sad. Not that she was emotional or sad very often. Maddie had always been happy, but sometime over the last few months her smiles and laughter had begun to disappear. He'd never seen her like this and he wondered if maybe he should call Steve back and tell him the truth. He could fly out and hopefully get her to open up about whatever was eating away at her.

Pete placed his hands on the couch, one on each side of her. "Maddie? Let's call him. You can talk it out with him. Better yet, let's have him come out. I know everything will be okay if you just talk to him."

"No! You don't know what you're talking about!" Maddie exclaimed.

"Then explain it to me! No one understands, Maddie!" Pete was becoming exasperated.

"I can't! Everything's fine! I just can't talk to him! Let it go!" Maddie was now practically hyperventilating she was crying so hard.

"No, everything is not fine! Look at yourself! Why won't you talk to him?" his voice rose, not from anger, but from confusion and frustration. "You don't even know why, do you? You don't have a clue! No good reason to throw your best friend in the entire world away. The guy who stood by you through everything," Pete exclaimed, trying to bait her. He hoped she'd get mad and reveal something by accident. He'd try anything at this point.

"I do too!"

"No, you don't!" By now they were practically yelling at one another. "If you do then what is it?"

"I'm protecting him!" Pete was shocked. He was not expecting that answer. A million questions swam through his head.

"From what, Maddie? What are you protecting him from? Do you mean emotionally?"

"No." Dammit, Maddie! Look what you did! You're only making things worse, she chastised herself.

Pete was beyond confused. "Physically? What would you need to protect him from? I don't understand, Maddie," Pete calmly said.

Hiccupping and sniffling, she turned away and quietly said, "I'd like for you to leave now. I need to get ready for the show."

"Maddie… don't do this. Don't shut me out," Pete begged as he reached for her hand.

Pulling out of his grasp she stood and walked to the door leading to the adjoining bathroom. "Please, put me in lockdown until showtime."

"Am I included in that lockdown?"

"Yes," she answered before walking into the bathroom, closing and locking the door behind her.

Pete walked to the closed door and laid his hand on it. "You know, Maddie, I've been with Steve through some really scary shit. There is nothing he can't handle. He can protect himself. But you shutting him out is distracting him. I don't know what he needs protecting from, but he won't be able to protect himself as well if he can't focus. So, you're not really helping him. Think about it." Hoping that might help get through to her, Pete turned and walked out of her dressing room, taking his place outside her door.

Steve had tasked him with protecting the person most dear to him and he took his job very seriously. He wouldn't even be alive if it weren't for Steve, not to mention he thought of Maddie as a sister. He would protect her physical safety no matter what, he just wished he could protect her emotionally as well.

He stood there, pondering her last statement. He couldn't explain it, but he had a bad feeling that whatever was going on, it wasn't good. He decided he had to get her to Hawaii as soon as possible. He had to get her to Steve. With his mind made up he yelled to Mo down the hall. "I need you to take over for a minute." The tall, buff African American man walked towards him, "No problem, Pete!" The two switched places as Pete ran off to make some calls.

Inside her dressing room bathroom Maddie slid down the back of the door sobs wracking her body. Not thinking in her current mental state, she reached for her phone and pressed the first name on her favorites list.

Her rational self screamed at her to hang up, but before she could listen, he picked up. "Maddie?"