The Long Road (T-Rated Version)

by DivaLola

Steve thought his life was crazy before. Now that his childhood best friend Maddie is back in his life, will all the pieces of the puzzle fall into place? Will he solve the toughest & most personal case he & Five-O have ever had? Will he succeed before he loses her? Set in Season 2 & continues throughout the series. WARNING: stalking, mention of eating disorder.

35. Chapter 35 - Thank God

DISCLAIMER: I do not own "Hawaii Five-O" or any of its characters.

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AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hello everyone! Thank you all so much for the support. I'll let you get to it and not ramble on.

As always, thoughts are in italics. In this chapter there is a flashback. You can't miss it. Also, in this chapter, text messages are in bold.

ENJOY!

xo

DivaLola

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Chapter 35

"Go ahead and sit there," Doc instructed as Tina followed him inside the room that acted as his office. It was where he was throughout the day when he wasn't with Maddie, where anyone on her team could go if they were hurt or feeling unwell.

As Tina walked inside, she took in her surroundings. It wasn't a gigantic room, but not small either. On the right side was a large L-shaped couch, coffee table, and a flat screen TV. A small kitchen containing just the basics was located on the back wall behind the couch. The left side of the room, the side he was directing her towards, was set up as his office. Hesitantly, she sat at the table.

"Relax, T," Doc smiled, taking in her rigid demeanor.

"Sorry, I don't like going to the doctor's," she quietly replied. Her eyes darted around nervously, and she could feel her heart rate increase and her breathing quicken. She knew it was the start of a panic attack. Don't panic. Just take a deep breath, she told herself, hoping it would help her calm down. You're fine. It's Doc. You know and trust him.

"Does anyone?" Doc joked, hoping to ease her discomfort. She forced a smile and did her best to try to relax; however, it was pointless. It just wasn't going to happen. Especially with her earlier encounter with Pete heavily on her mind.

"So, how do you feel? Your head okay?" Doc asked after taking a seat and scooting towards her.

"I'm okay," Tina answered.

"You sure? You were a little dazed at first," he stated.

"I really didn't hit it that hard," she lied. "I was more surprised than anything." In reality, she had a pretty decent sized headache.

"Let me be the judge of that," Doc said as he studied her. She was definitely a bit pale. Something he knew could be attributed to her lack of sleep, but could also be from a head injury. "I'm just gonna run a few quick tests, okay?"

Tina paused, hesitant. She really wasn't a fan of doctors. She couldn't help it after her childhood. However, she knew there was no way out of this, so she nodded. Knowing she needed to distract herself she thought back to her encounter with Pete.

FLASHBACK...

Tina turned right after exiting Maddie's dressing room and headed towards the main room, smiling when she heard Pete's voice in the near distance. She picked up the pace, anxious to see him. Just as she turned right down the next hallway she spotted his tall, muscular frame. His back was to her as he spoke on the phone. She wasn't able to hear him very well, but she assumed that whomever he was talking to had something to do with Maddie. However, as she neared, she was able to make out more. She immediately noticed that instead of the professional tone she was so used to hearing him use on the phone, it was lighter. More playful. Flirty even. Tina swallowed hard as she slowed. The smile that had been growing with every step, began to fade as she heard him say, "It was good to see you, too. Sorry it wasn't for very long."

See who? Tina wondered, and her brows furrowed as she listened further. Although she knew she shouldn't be eavesdropping, she couldn't help herself. "Tomorrow night?" He paused briefly before continuing. "Sure, tomorrow night would be great. It's a date." Tina abruptly stopped, freezing in the middle of the hallway.

Her headache suddenly grew as the word 'date' echoed in her head. She thought it couldn't get much worse, that is until he spoke again. "I miss you, too." A pang shot through her chest as she felt her eyes moisten. She didn't know why she was getting so upset. They weren't dating. However, she thought they'd had a few moments lately that had her wondering if maybe Pete felt something more for her than just friendship. Apparently she couldn't have been further off base.

Feeling the prick of tears, Tina quickly turned around. She couldn't risk Pete seeing her cry. He didn't know how she felt about him and she had no intention of ever letting him. Desperate to get away she took hurried steps back in the direction she'd come. Of course, it was in the opposite direction of Craft Services, but she didn't care. She'd just take the long way around. Maddie and Steve are probably still fighting anyway, she thought.

Just as she began to walk away Pete turned around, immediately spotting her. "Hey, I gotta go. I'll talk to you later," he said into the phone. He didn't wait for a response before hanging up and walking down the hall, hoping to catch up to Tina. His brow furrowed slightly as he took in her hurried pace. "Hey, T! Wait up!"

Tina froze, knowing she couldn't continue walking as if she hadn't heard him. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and forced away the tears that were threatening to fall.

Pete smiled as he approached. He was always happy to see her. Having her gone for two months had triggered something within him. Something he wasn't sure he was ready to acknowledge. Maybe that was why he was making such an effort with Melika, the woman he'd met the last time he was in Hawaii with Maddie. He wondered if he was using her so he wouldn't even entertain the idea of Tina. Steve was counting on him to take care of Maddie, to keep her safe. He had always worried that getting involved with Tina would distract him, which, with everything going on with Maddie at the moment, he couldn't afford.

"Hey," she greeted, trying her best to hide how upset she was.

He studied her as he reached her, wanting to see if she still seemed as tired as she had earlier. "Everything okay?" he asked, noticing she seemed a bit pale and tense.

Tina forced a smile. "Of course! Just going to get Maddie and Steve some lunch." She paused as she briefly looked away. "So, uh, if you'll excuse me." She took a step in the original direction she'd been going before she'd seen Pete and turned around. She needed to get away from him as soon as possible. She needed time to accept the fact he was dating someone.

What was that? Pete wondered. She'd basically just dismissed him. He cocked his head slightly in question as he smirked at her. "Then why were you headed in the opposite direction?" He immediately saw her tense at his question.

"I had a question about Steve's order, but I, uh, ... I figured it out," she lied, unable to look at him as she began walking towards Craft Services.

Why's she trying to get away so fast? he wondered, bewildered at her odd behavior. "You know, I was headed in the same direction," Pete claimed, taking a few large strides and catching up to her. "I'll walk with you." He was concerned. Something was off with her.

"Okay," Tina smiled and nodded, acting as if she was happy to have the company, his company, although she was anything but okay with it. Normally she was ecstatic whenever it was just the two of them, but right now she just wanted to get away from him.

As they made their way to Craft Services he continuously glanced at her. She was much quieter than she normally was. She was usually chatty and joking around. And he noticed she seemed distracted, like something was on her mind. Maybe she's just tired, he thought. It had been a long four days.

Wanting to break the silence, Pete asked, "What's going on in there?" He nodded his head backwards towards Maddie's dressing room. "Have they killed one another yet? Or better yet, have they kissed and made up?" He smirked, chuckling softly. Those two are so damn stubborn, he thought. "Has Steve said anything to her about what happened Sunday?"

Tina was so deep in thought that it took her a moment to realize what he'd asked. She glanced over and found him looking at her, a small crease beginning to form between his eyebrows. Her face flushed slightly, realizing she'd been so absorbed in her own thoughts that she hadn't responded. She looked away quickly. "Still alive, surprisingly. And, no kissing," Tina answered, her voice sounding strange to him.

"And Sunday? Did he say anything to her about it?" Pete asked again, once he realized she wasn't going to say anything else.

"Oh, um," Tina paused, trying to force her mind to stay in the moment instead of wandering off and obsessing over the fact he had someone in his life. "Yeah, he's mentioned it, but more in a 'should we talk about this now or wait till we're back home' kind of way."

He waited for her to elaborate. When she didn't he asked, "What'd she say to that?" God, it's like pulling teeth, he thought, confused at how distant she was.

"What do you think?" she countered, her voice laced with a bit of attitude, something uncharacteristic for her. She caught herself before saying anything further. Hoping to cover up the tone she'd just used, she looked over at him and forced a smile. "She pretended she had no idea what he was talking about."

Tina's slight tone took him by surprise. Up until then his gut had told him something was off, but now he knew for sure. Something was definitely wrong. Wanting to keep her talking in hopes of figuring out what was going on, he asked, "But he's not forcing the subject?"

She shook her head before answering softly. "Nope."

Pete let out a sigh of relief, happy that at least Steve recognized that doing that before the show was a bad idea. "Finally he does something smart." Just as he was about to say something more they entered the main room and she bee-lined it over to Craft Services. He followed her, not ready or wanting to be done talking to her. Standing on her right, he studied her as she ordered Steve and Maddie's lunches. He noticed how tense she still was. He didn't understand; she was usually so relaxed, especially around him.

As Tina finished ordering, she unconsciously rubbed at the sore spot at the back of her head. She winced slightly at the pain.

Pete's forehead wrinkled in both confusion and worry, noticing the almost imperceptible pain that flashed across her face. He leaned his head a bit closer to hers. "You okay?" he asked, concern evident in his voice.

She tensed as he got closer. Not realizing why he'd asked that, she looked at him, confusion evident in her eyes.

"You have a headache or something?" Pete asked as he glanced towards her head.

Damn, Tina inwardly cursed, realizing what she'd done. "No, I'm okay," she lied, hoping it was believable. He was just as hard to lie to as Steve.

He eyed her carefully, not buying it. Just as he was about to press the issue, Gladys from Craft Services interrupted.

"It'll just be a few minutes, dear."

Thank God, Tina thought, grateful for the interruption. "Thank you!" Glancing at an empty table close by, she turned back to Gladys. "I'll just be right there."

"Sure thing, honey," the woman smiled.

Tina grinned once more before turning and walking the short distance to the table. With her headache and how tired she was she was anxious to get off her feet.

She sat backwards on the bench, her back leaning slightly against the table so she could see the moment Gladys was finished with the food. Partly because she wanted to get it back to Maddie and Steve, but mainly because she wanted to get away from Pete. It was hurting her to be near him right now. She'd be fine eventually. She always was. But, she needed time to process and accept what she'd learned. It wasn't like she ever thought they'd end up together, but finding out the man you love was with someone else, whether you thought you'd be together or not, still stung.

Pete watched her stare off into space as he walked the short distance to the table and took a seat on her left. She could feel his eyes on her as she stared straight ahead, making her nervous and uncomfortable. Try and act normal. He's picking up on the fact something's wrong, she told herself. She was doing her best to act like nothing was bothering her, but she wasn't as good at it as Maddie.

The silence between them was uncomfortable, and finally, Pete couldn't take it anymore. He had to say something. "So, your sister... How is she?" Wanting to get her talking, he chose a topic he knew would make her happy.

Thinking about her older sister, Tina smiled. "She's good."

"Yeah? That's great!" He paused. He'd been hoping for more than a short answer, although he didn't know why he was surprised. She'd been giving him nothing but quick, straight to the point responses since running into her. "The baby?"

Pete couldn't help grinning as her smile brightened. "She's gorgeous! So cute!"

"Yeah? Got any pictures?" he asked, wanting to see them, but mostly wanting to keep their conversation going. Plus, he wanted the smile to stay on her face and he knew thinking about her baby niece would do just that. He'd always loved her smile.

She looked at him as if he'd asked the most absurd question. "Of course! What kind of aunt and Godmother would I be?" She pulled her phone from her back pocket and immediately went to the picture folder she'd created just for pictures of her adorable baby niece. She handed the phone to Pete.

He smirked at the chubby baby girl on the screen. "You're right, she's really beautiful," he told her, briefly meeting her eyes before returning to the pictures. He flipped through more. "She's gonna be a heartbreaker when she's older." Once he was finished looking through the folder, Pete handed Tina her phone. "I feel sorry for Tom."

The two chuckled at the thought.

"Oh yeah, her Daddy's gonna have a hard time when boys enter the picture," she smirked as she pocketed her phone.

"Hey, that reminds me," Pete suddenly said.

She glanced over at him, an eyebrow raised in question.

"Are you planning on leaving the arena today?"

"Yeah, I need to grab a couple things for Maddie. Why?"

"If you have time, can you stop by a Verizon store and change Maddie's cell number?" Pete asked.

Tina turned her head to look at him, confused. "Yeah, why? Everything okay?" Her gaze dropped to his hands as they balled into fists.

He shook his head. "Jesse's been calling her."

"Ah, I see," Tina said, suddenly uncomfortable.

"What?" he asked noticing she didn't seem surprised.

"What do you mean?" Tina questioned as she inwardly prayed Gladys would finish the food and interrupt their conversation.

"T, look at me," Pete said, his voice suddenly serious.

Crap, she thought, hesitantly turning her head to look at him.

He narrowed his hazel eyes slightly as he studied her. "Does he call her a lot?" he asked.

Knowing it was pointless to even try to lie, she sighed. "He's called a couple times since the... that night..." He suddenly seemed taller as his anger flared. "Seriously, Pete. A couple times. That's it. She's never answered and from what I know, he hasn't called lately."

"He has," Pete growled. "He called her several times when I was sitting with her Monday night. And that was just what I witnessed. Who knows how many other times he's called."

"Really?" Tina asked, surprised. "News to me." I'll have to ask her about it, she thought. Knowing they needed to change the subject, she said, "But yeah, I'll get her a new number when I'm out."

"Thanks," he mumbled, still angry.

Tina turned to look straight ahead at Craft Services. "Mm hm."

An uncomfortable silence descended over them once again and just like before she could feel his eyes on her. After several minutes Gladys smiled and caught Tina's eye, nodding at her. Thank God, she thought as she jumped up quickly. The sudden dizziness took her by surprise. Woah, she thought, standing in place as she waited for the feeling to subside. However, she knew she couldn't remain standing in one place for too long or Pete would notice. Feeling she'd waited as long as she could, she took a step forward even though she was still fairly dizzy. She immediately realized it was a mistake as the feeling worsened.

Pete had thought it was odd that after rushing to stand she stayed rooted in place. His eyes widened as he saw her begin to sway. He wasted no time and urgently reached for her as he rose to his feet. "T, you okay?" he asked, immediately placing his hand on her waist.

Tina took a deep breath and plastered on a smile. "Yeah, I'm fine. I just stood up too fast. Maddie's dizzy spells are apparently contagious," she joked, forcing a laugh as she walked towards Gladys.

As she casually pulled away from Pete, he took a step towards her. Although his hand was no longer on her waist, it still hovered nearby.

Tina's smile broadened as she approached Gladys. "Thanks so much!"

Gladys' eyes darted behind her, seeing Pete hot on her heels, noticing he seemed concerned. "No problem, honey!"

Tina took the boxed food and turned to her right as she headed towards the exit, trying to hurry so she could lose Pete.

She's really trying to get away from me, Pete thought as he quickened his pace. Just as she entered the empty hallway, he reached her, grabbing her arm gently to stop her. He turned her towards him. "Tina, are you sure you're okay?" he asked, his eyes filled with worry as he searched her face.

Tina stared at him, unsure of what to say or do. He was so concerned and they were just friends. How would he be with someone he has feelings for, she wondered longingly. When she didn't respond he took a step towards her, closing the distance between them. "Tina?"

Seeing the worry on his face intensify, she responded, "I'm fine. Really, I am." She forced a small smile and shook his hand from her arm.

Pete continued to search her face as his hand dropped to his side. He was surprised to see her eyes glassy, like she might cry. Something she rarely did. His eyebrows furrowed as his worry grew. "Tina, talk to me. What's going on? What's wrong?"

Tina couldn't handle it anymore. She had to get away from him. Feeling cornered, she snapped, "I'm not yours to worry about Peter, so stop."

She watched his eyebrows arch and his eyes widen in shock. Hoping to counteract her words and tone, while trying to play it off as a joke of some kind, she forced a small laugh. However, it didn't work and instead of happy, it sounded sad. Mortified she let her emotions get the best of her, she spun around and quickly started walking away.

Pete came to as the shock of her little outburst wore off. "Wait! Stop!" he called to her retreating figure. However, he stayed rooted in place, not running after her.

Tina didn't ignore him, but she might as well have. She quickly glanced back and shook the food containers in her hand. "I gotta get this back to them. Mads needs to eat before she can take her medicine," she told him before turning back and hustling down the hallway. Reaching the end of it, she turned left, leaving Pete behind. As soon as she did, a few tears slid down her face.

"What the hell just happened?" Pete asked aloud, as he scratched the back of his head, completely baffled. He thought over their entire encounter. Tina didn't look good. He knew she was exhausted; she had to be. She hadn't gotten much more sleep than Maddie and she couldn't go nearly as long as Maddie could without it. The fact she'd swayed on her feet freaked him out. He shut his eyes and rubbed his temples as he sighed deeply. Opening his hazel eyes, he brought the walkie-talkie to his mouth and said, "Something's off with Tina. Keep an eye on her and report back to me regularly." A chorus of "Yes sir's" and "sure thing's" filled his ear.

Sighing, Pete turned and headed back into the main room. He wanted to check the outside perimeter, see how many paparazzi, reporters, and fans were already camped outside. He knew more and more would be arriving as show time grew closer. As he exited the main room and entered the hot, spring, Hawaiian day, he heard Josh in his ear.

"Tina just walked back into the dressing room. She seemed upset. And, uh," Josh paused.

Pete's pace slowed, hearing the hesitation in his voice. "What is it?"

Josh quickly pulled his cell phone from his belt and began typing, deciding not everyone needed to hear what he saw.

Pete's phone dinged, and as he pulled it from his belt he saw the screen. 1 Text Message Joshua Cudney. Pete furrowed his brows in confusion and opened the message. She'd been crying.

His concern grew as he quickly typed back. A lot?

He only had to wait a few seconds for Josh's response. I didn't see her actually cry. I saw her wipe some tears away. But she looked upset.

Thanks. Keep an eye out, Pete replied. Once he placed his phone back into its holder on his belt, he sighed heavily. What the hell is going on? he asked himself.

END FLASHBACK...

"Were you bleeding?" Doc asked Tina, pulling her from her thoughts.

Busted, Tina thought. "A little bit," she quietly answered.

"You should've said something, T." He looked closely at the back of her head, his hands holding back her chocolate brown hair. "And it looks like it was more than a little bit." He sighed, releasing her hair. "How long did it bleed?"

"Not long. I just wiped a paper towel over it and it seemed to stop," Tina answered truthfully.

"Okay... Have you, or are you, experiencing any dizziness?"

"No," she answered. It was only for that split second, she told herself, hoping to feel less guilty for lying.

"Okay! Come see me if you start to experience any dizziness, nausea, or a headache." As the two stood from the table he continued, "You hit it hard enough to break the skin, so it wouldn't surprise me if you start to have some mild concussion symptoms. Plus, it was the corner of the table so it was more of an impact. Just keep me posted."

Tina nodded. "Of course!" For a brief second, she debated telling Doc she'd lied and was already experiencing some of the symptoms. However, Maddie needed her too much and she knew Doc would make her rest. And then what would Maddie do? She'd be screwed.

Doc opened the door and held it for her. "Still going to grab a bite? Wanna eat together?"

"Sounds great!" Tina said, forcing a small smile. In all honesty, she wasn't hungry. She'd only said she was going to get food to give Steve and Maddie some privacy.

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Steve and Maddie stared at one another, not really knowing what to do or say. Things have definitely changed between us, he thought, as he tried to ignore the little ball of fear that popped up every time there was any kind of thought or feeling of her in a romantic way.

Maddie was beginning to panic, and desperately wanted to run. She felt the familiar, as of late, spike of emotions build behind her eyes as she looked at him. She hated that she wanted to run from him. From. Him. Him. Steve. The one constant in her life. How did it get to this? she wondered. He was always the one she ran to, not from.

"Mads?"

Her eyes began to clear as she pushed her thoughts away. She realized he was looking at her, concern in his eyes. "Hm?" she quietly asked.

"You okay?" Steve licked his bottom lip out of habit.

She forced a smile. "Of course."

He studied her, wondering where she'd gone off to. He'd been trying to get her attention but she'd just stared at him, a distant look in her eyes. "Let's eat lunch so you can take your meds." He took one last look before bending over and grabbing the large knee brace he'd set on the floor. "Let's get this on first." He took the few steps forward, closing the distance between them and knelt next to her elevated right leg in the space between the couch and the glass coffee table.

"Do I really ha-ve to put that on?" Maddie asked, her voice sounding rough.

Steve glanced up. "Yes, you do. Gotta keep ice on that knee."

Act like nothing's changed, Maddie reminded herself. She pushed her bottom lip out and raised her eyebrows to make her blue eyes look larger.

"Maddie," Steve warned. "Put the face away. It's not gonna work." He was doing his best to fight the smile that wanted to sneak through. She has no idea how cute she looks when she does that, he thought. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't keep from smirking.

"But it makes me cold," Maddie told him, her 'sad face' still in place.

His smirk became a smile as he responded, "Good thing you have a blanket then." His eyes shot to the blanket beside her. He didn't think she could get any cuter, but then she pouted. God I wanna kiss her, he thought, and looked away, focusing on the huge brace in his hands.

Steve repositioned himself so that he was kneeling on his right knee and placed his left knee under her leg, using it to hold the brace in place. Carefully he began fastening the straps, glancing at her every few seconds to make sure he wasn't hurting her.

For a tough and often times abrasive SEAL, he was always so gentle with her. This time being no different. It was just one of the many reasons she loved him.

Maddie swallowed hard, trying to rid herself of the strong emotions. However, she forgot how raw and sore her throat was, and she winced.

"Did I hurt you?" he asked, seeing the flash of pain.

Maddie shook her head. "Thro-at," she mumbled.

He flashed her a sympathetic smile as he hit the power switch. The device immediately came to life as it began circulating the ice-cold water through the brace. He stood and quickly retrieved their food, setting it on the coffee table. "Let's eat."

Steve sat next to her, his chest tightening when he noticed the way she positioned herself the littlest bit away from him. Catching her shiver, he immediately grabbed the blanket and laid it over her. "Here, baby," he mumbled. He didn't realize what he'd called her until it was out of his mouth, and he dared a quick glance to see her reaction. His stomach sunk at how tense she was. He scooted forward and reached towards the coffee table. "Here," he said, handing her her plate.

She sniffled and coughed. "Thanks," she croaked out.

Leaving his plate on the coffee table, Steve positioned his body so that he sat towards the edge of the couch, but turned a bit to his right so he could watch her.

As he dug into his lunch, Maddie stared down at her grilled chicken, steamed vegetables, and piece of bread. God, I'm not hungry, she thought, the food not looking even the least bit appetizing.

Steve watched her stare at her food while he ate, a worried, sinking feeling building in his gut, the words "eating disorder" playing on repeat in his head.

Knowing she just needed to suck it up and force herself to eat or else Steve was going to drive her crazy worrying, she sighed and slowly cut up the chicken. He immediately felt himself relax slightly as the food entered her mouth.

In the past, when there was silence between them it was always comfortable. However, it was different now. It was deafening, filled with unresolved issues, secrets, and hurt feelings just hanging in the air, waiting to be dealt with.

Finally, Steve had to say something. He couldn't deal with it anymore. "Is everything okay with Tina?" he asked. It was the first thing he could think of that had nothing to do with the two of them. "She seemed a bit off before she left."

Maddie thought back to the way her best friend had been acting. She shrugged. "I dunno."

"She didn't say anything?" Steve asked, watching her take a couple more bites.

"No. She didn't want to talk with you and Doc here," Maddie responded, meeting his eyes.

Steve nodded slightly, more to himself than to her. "So, she was upset."

"Yeah," Maddie answered, sniffling. She set her fork down, unable to eat anymore.

"Mads, you gotta eat more than a quarter of that chicken," he told her. "Plus, what about the vegetables? And the bread?"

"I'm not hungry," she answered. She met his eyes and immediately saw the concern and fear.

"I don't care. You gotta get more in you." He paused. "Did you have any breakfast?" When she nodded he asked, "What?"

She sniffled. "Bagel."

"How much of the bagel?" Steve asked. He wasn't an idiot; he knew she'd probably had half of it or something since she was on Prednisone and it killed her appetite.

She wrinkled her nose at him, annoyed that he saw through her lack of information. "A quarter."

"Yeah, you need to eat more," he told her, his voice taking on a more serious tone as he used his fork to point towards her plate.

"But," Maddie began, but stopped, not wanting to continue. She reluctantly picked her fork up.

"But what, Mads?" he asked, taking another bite of his lunch as he eyed her.

She sighed. She might as well tell him. "It hurts too much when I swallow this."

Steve sighed. "Well..." His eyes scanned the table. Spotting the closed Styrofoam container he'd carried over with their food, he pulled the top off and peaked inside. "Tina also got you some chicken noodle soup. Try this. It'll feel better on your throat, plus it'll hydrate you. Electrolytes."

Maddie tried not to smile. It was dorky but cute that he was talking electrolytes and hydration.

"What?" he asked as she stared at him.

"You're a dork," she answered, a smile finally breaking through. A genuine smile. One that warmed his heart, especially knowing it was for him.

"What?" Steve looked at her questioningly. "No, I'm not." He feigned hurt. However, inside he couldn't have been happier. She was being herself at the moment. They were having a genuine, real moment, reminding him of how it used to be between them. The only difference is I want to see her naked, he thought. Touch her, kiss her, have… He interrupted his train of thought, already feeling his pants tighten at the mere thought. Yeah, that's definitely different, he thought.

"Whatever you say, Steve," Maddie smirked.

He grinned at her before finally saying, "Mads, take this," as he slightly moved the open, Styrofoam soup container in his hand.

Sighing, she did as he instructed, and he inwardly sighed in relief as she brought the first spoonful of the warm liquid to her mouth.

They ate in near silence for the next ten minutes, only saying things here and there. It wasn't as uncomfortable as it had been before, but it still wasn't like it used to be. He continued to watch her. She was eating. Slowly, but at least she was eating. The soup seemed to have been a bit more tolerable on her sore throat, although she still winced nearly every time she had to swallow. Finally she leaned forward and set the soup on the coffee table. She leaned back, groaning at the intense achiness in her body.

Hearing her groan, Steve's eyes darted to her and then into the bowl. She hadn't even eaten half of it. "Mads, you gotta eat more than that." He sighed, looking back at her. Somehow, she'd gotten even paler. "You have a ton of pills you gotta take. I don't want them to upset your stomach. That's the last thing you need right now."

She turned to look at him, her eyes half open. She looked miserable. "I can't eat anymore."

"Maddie, you have to," he argued gently.

"Stevie," she said, her voice thick with suppressed emotion. He immediately set his fork down and turned fully towards her. "I don't feel good."

Steve knew she had to feel absolutely awful for her to finally admit that. Plus, he could see the unshed tears in her eyes. "Okay, baby." He rubbed his hand lovingly up and down her upper left arm. "Okay." He slid his hand up and rested it on her left, burning hot cheek. "Let's get this Advil in you first. Get this fever down." He leaned forward and grabbed the bottle from the table, before reading the back to figure out the dosage.

"Three," Maddie whispered.

Steve glanced back at her. "Three? You sure?" When she nodded he quickly shook three pills into his hand, and passed them to her with a glass of water.

She sat up and took them while Steve looked at the remaining three bottles of pills and one bottle of liquid cough syrup on the coffee table.

Suddenly the door opened and Pete walked in. "How are things going in here?" he asked.

"Okay," Steve sighed as he glanced at Maddie's barely touched lunch. He was hesitant to have her take all the medicine when she didn't have much in her stomach. They all said they needed to be taken with food.

"I see she didn't eat much," Pete said as he approached.

"Not hungry," Maddie mumbled and coughed a couple times.

"Can you force yourself to eat a little more, Mads?" Steve asked.

Maddie met his concerned, blue eyes and shook her head. She wasn't trying to be difficult. She was worried she might puke if she ate any more.

"What's been working really well when she hasn't been eating with the medicine is a glass of this," Pete said as he pulled a carton of skim milk from the refrigerator. He grabbed a tall glass and poured the white liquid into it, nearly to the top. "Doc says it coats her stomach and protects it from the meds," he explained as he walked back to the sitting area. He handed the glass to Steve. "I'll be right back, I'm just gonna go check on something." In all honesty, Pete had been worried about Tina and was hoping she'd be in Maddie's dressing room. He wanted to find her and make sure she was okay.

Steve barely had a chance to nod before Pete left. He set the glass of milk on the coffee table while grabbing the bottle of antibiotics for her foot. Subconsciously licking his bottom lip, he handed Maddie the pills and then the milk, which she immediately took.

As she took small sips he poured the liquid cough syrup into the little cup Doc had left beside it. "Here," he said, handing it to her. She quickly took it, making a face at the nasty taste, an expression reminding him of a little kid's reaction to taking medication. Steve couldn't help but grin, and he suddenly had the urge to touch her. Knowing it would take more than just words to get through to her, he didn't fight the instinct. He placed his right hand on her left, uninjured knee and began lightly rubbing it. He did his best to ignore the twinge when she tensed as he moved his hand up her leg. Her eyes met his as he lightly rubbed her thigh in a loving gesture. However, he didn't push it. He stopped just past her mid-thigh before bringing his hand back to her knee. He repeated the motion, returning to her mid-thigh. Hoping to ease some of the hurt in her eyes, he flashed her a small, sexy smile before turning his gaze back to the coffee table.

Using his left hand, Steve grabbed the open bottle of antibiotics and put the cap back on all while his right hand continued rubbing the same path.

As Maddie sipped from the glass, she watched him, curious to know what was going on in his head. He was acting as if what he was doing was completely natural. As if it was something he'd always done with her. But it wasn't. This was new. Sure, they'd sometimes snuggle, like if they were watching a move and she got cold, or if she was sick and he was comforting her. But even then, it was more of a friendly snuggle.

There were times Steve would come up from behind and squeeze her shoulder in a sort of 'Hey, how ya doing?' manner. She'd do similar things to him as well. And of course, there was the way he'd kiss her head, forehead, and nose. He usually did it when she was upset or stressed out about something. Even though she would keep everything bottled up, he always somehow knew. He'd trick her into talking about it, a secret power of his, and help her figure out a solution to whatever was going on. Or the times she refused to talk about whatever was bothering her, he'd give her a little pep talk, reminding her that she was one of the strongest people he knew and that everything would work itself out. Then he'd lean forward and kiss her forehead and/or nose.

Things were a little different when it came to him. Not only was he Steve, not someone who easily expressed his feelings, but he was a SEAL. Most of the time if something was bothering him that had to do with his job, he couldn't talk about it because it was classified. Maddie understood this. She understood him. At those times, she'd give him a big smile while usually rubbing his upper arm in comfort before leaning forward and either kissing his forehead, nose, or cheek. She'd then snuggle into him and let him wrap his arms around her. Depending on what he needed, she'd distract him with a movie or a recent story from her life, while other times they'd just lay there quietly, enjoying one another's company.

In all the moments they'd shared, there were never any romantic undertones or intentions, on either end. It was always just about the two best friends being there for one another. Supporting one another. Just like it'd always been. Or had there been undertones, she wondered. Everyone had always asked about it, commented on it. Maybe they'd never been just friends.

But with what Steve was doing now? No, it wasn't a normal "just friends" gesture. Now, the way he dished her medicine out to her and made sure she ate something? That was normal. He'd do this on the rare occasion he was with her when she was sick and she'd do the same thing when he was. But the way he was rubbing her leg? It was different.

Maddie continued to watch him. Maybe everyone is right… Maybe he does have some sort of feelings for me, she thought. But then she remembered the way he flirted with Lori in front of her. How he'd left after making out with her, so he could go on a date with Lori, which resulted in them hooking up. She knew he'd told her they didn't, and hadn't, had sex, but she wasn't sure she believed him. She had when he'd told her that night, especially when he proceeded to kiss her. But, with what he'd said the next morning? How he'd laughed at the idea of them ever being more than friends… she didn't believe him. And she wasn't even factoring in all the other things he'd said and tried to take back after the fact. Like how he told her he cared about her like a sister and then tried to take it back when it upset her.

As Maddie thought about it all, she unknowingly tensed, something Steve noticed. He turned his head to look at her, wanting to know what had suddenly changed. She was staring at him, but she was somewhere else. God, I wish I knew what she was thinking, he thought as it was obviously upsetting her.

Steve said nothing as he continued to observe Maddie. About a minute later her eyes suddenly cleared, no longer lost in her thoughts. She tensed even more as she realized they were staring at one another, and even more when she noticed he was no longer rubbing her leg. When did he stop, she wondered.

"You okay?" Steve asked as he started rubbing her leg again. The same way he'd been doing before. The same way that sparked the train of thought she'd just gone down.

She only nodded, not trusting her voice to hide the sadness she was feeling. It was difficult, but she forced herself to keep from looking at his hand on her thigh, trying to pretend it was completely normal for them.

"Where'd you go?" he questioned.

Maddie cleared her voice, hoping it would clear the raw emotion that seemed to be lodged in her throat. She was supposed to be acting normal, like her old self, and being broken hearted because her best friend didn't love her back was not normal. She forced a smile. "Somewhere truly awesome," she lied.

Praying he wasn't about to make a mistake, he asked, "Really? Because it didn't look like you went to a very fun place."

Maddie froze, not expecting his response. Her body went rigid as her jaw clenched. What do I say to that? she wondered. There was no way she was having this conversation with him. Ever.

"Mads," Steve said.

She knew what was coming. He was gonna bring it up. He was gonna try and talk to her about it. No, this can't happen, she thought as panic bubbled in her chest and she began to squirm under his gaze. "Ow! God damn!" she cursed, accidentally hitting the bottom of her injured foot. Her eyes squeezed shut as her face contorted in pain. "Damn," she whispered.

When she started coughing Steve began rubbing her leg again, hoping it would help her relax. "Take a deep breath, Mads," he calmly instructed, abandoning the conversation he was going to try and have with her. "The pain will die down in a second."

As much as she wished it wasn't, his hand rubbing her thigh was helping her relax. Slowly her coughing began to lessen, followed by her breathing evening out. She sniffled as her muscles relaxed, causing her to sink further into the couch.

Reluctantly, he pulled his hand from her leg and brought his gaze back to the remaining two bottles of medication. He wanted to get the rest of it in her as soon as possible. Their conversation would have to wait until they were back at her house.

Maddie watched his entire body tense as he picked up one of the bottles. His jaw clenched, and she immediately knew which one it was. "Steve, give it to me." His hand tightened around the bottle. "Steve," she whispered, pushing away everything she'd been thinking about a minute before. She sat forward and reached her left hand out, placing it on the right side of his upper back. She rubbed it slightly, however he could tell her touch was hesitant. But hey, he thought, at least it's something. He turned his head to look at her, the bottle still clenched in his right hand. Her eyes widened a bit in surprise, and nervousness, as she realized how close their faces now were. He turned his body towards her, causing her hand to slide from his upper back to his arm.

"Mads," Steve began, his voice uncharacteristically quiet. Before he could continue, Pete returned, entering the room. He walked across to the sitting area and plopped in the big, overstuffed armchair on Steve's left. He said nothing, his thoughts on Tina. He hadn't been able to find her. However, he knew she was around because members of Maddie's security team had seen her. He figured she'd be heading back to the dressing room soon, so he decided to wait for her.

"Steve," Maddie gave him a small smile. "I'm okay this time, I promise." At his doubtful and hesitant expression, she looked behind him to Pete. "P, tell him it's fine."

Hearing his name, Pete looked to Maddie. "I don't know what we're talking about," he responded truthfully.

"Prednisone," Maddie whispered before covering her mouth as she coughed.

"Ah, yes. Prednisone," Pete stated, now noticing the bottle clutched in Steve's hand. "I knew this was gonna be an issue." He sighed. To be honest, he was on Steve's side when it came to this. He'd been her head of security for maybe six months when she'd gotten sick from it four years before, so he was there for it. He'd witnessed her reaction to the medication and it was scary. However, what was really frightening was that it wasn't a gradual thing. One minute she'd been fine and the next she wasn't and he'd rushed her to the hospital where she'd been admitted.

Pete sighed. "Mads, I agree that you shouldn't take that medication. But, unfortunately, you're already on it. However, Doc's kept an insanely close eye on her Steve. She's okay right now."

Maddie reached her right hand forward to take the bottle from Steve, however he wouldn't release it. "Steve," she whispered. He said nothing, only continued to stare at her as he clenched the small bottle in his hand. "You know how this medication works. You have to wean down off it. I'm on a high dose. You can't just not give it to me. That will make me sick."

Steve sighed, knowing she was right. He shook his head, pulling the bottle in his hand away from hers. Just as she was about to protest he said, "I'll give it to you. Grab the milk."

Maddie could hear the fear in his voice, something uncommon for him, and she fought the urge to try and soothe him. Instead, she leaned forward and grabbed her glass of milk. She watched as he shook two pills from the bottle. Hesitantly she said, "Four," and prepared herself for his reaction.

Steve's head shot up before quickly turning towards her, his eyes wide. "Four?!" She nodded. "Are you kidding me?!" His voice had risen. "That's more than you've ever been on!" He paused. "No, I'm not giving you four," he said adamantly.

"Steve," Maddie began. She tried to stay as calm as possible, reminding herself that he was just scared. That that's why he was being so overprotective and controlling. "You need to give me four pills. Before I go to bed it will be three, as well as in the morning. Tomorrow afternoon and night it will be two pills each. And then Friday I will take one pill twice a day. Saturday and Sunday, it will go down to one pill once a day." She gave him a minute to process the information. When he still hadn't moved to give her the medication, she said, "Steve…," her tone now slightly warning.

Steve clenched his jaw so much so that it looked painful. He was fighting an internal battle as he tried to decide if he'd give her the medication or not. However, in the end, he knew it really wasn't his decision. And he knew she'd been kind up to this point and not reminded him of that fact. However, he knew her well enough to know that if he withheld it any longer she would remind him. He sighed loudly and shook two more pills into his hand and then slowly, and reluctantly, handed them to Maddie.

Suddenly she realized that her left hand had remained on his arm the entire time, and she visibly tensed. Damn it, she inwardly cursed, annoyed that she'd once again gotten so caught up that she'd dropped her walls. She pulled her hand away quickly as if Steve's arm had burnt her.

Maddie took the pills from him, avoiding looking at him. She quickly swallowed them before he had a chance to change his mind and further fight her on the issue.

Steve tensed significantly as she took the Prednisone. He was terrified she was not only taking the medication, but was on such high dosages of it. And, he knew he'd be worried until she was completely off it.

Maddie pulled the glass of milk from her mouth and he immediately smiled. "What?" she asked hesitantly.

Pete started laughing and she suddenly felt self-conscious. Her eyes darted between the two. "What?" she asked again.

"You look hot with a mustache, Mads," Steve grinned.

It took her a second to realize what he was referring to. Once she did, she grabbed the napkin next to her abandoned plate and wiped her "milk moustache" from her face. She shook her head slightly at the two, trying to keep from smiling. Steve was so handsome when he smiled. Even when his face was stitched and bruised. But then again, Pete's face was no better, except he hadn't needed stitches after their fight.

Maddie bent forward, even though it caused a ton of pain in her injured tailbone, and placed the napkin back on the table. As she did she accidentally bumped her plate, which barely grazed her elevated foot. "Ow," she mumbled, her face squinting in pain. "Not again!"

"You okay?" Steve asked as he began rubbing her left thigh again. As the pain began to dissipate, she straightened her back, taking the pressure off her injured tailbone. "That foot is really painful, isn't it?"

She met his eyes, pausing before answering. Her instinct was to lie to him, tell him it wasn't that bad. That it was nothing she couldn't handle, but she was trying to act like the old Maddie. Plus, she didn't see the point in lying to him on this. It was obvious the infected laceration was excruciatingly painful.

Slightly nibbling the right side of her bottom lip, she nodded. "Yeah."

Steve sighed. He had no idea how she was going to be able to walk, let alone dance and perform, on her foot. He looked back to the coffee table and grabbed the last remaining prescription bottle, quickly reading the directions. He popped the top off and shook two pills into his hand. "Here, baby," Steve said softly. "This'll help a lot with the pain."

Maddie held out her left hand and he dropped the pills in her palm, doing her best to ignore the way the pet name made her insides tingle while also making her heart ache. She looked up at him questioningly, her brows furrowed. "Two?" she asked. "I can't take two."

"Yes you can, Mads. It says so on the bottle," Steve replied.

"No, I mean, I can't take two because they go straight to my head. I have to perform later. I can't be all loopy and out of it during my show."

"Mads, take them both. You're in a ton of pain. You'll be fine by the time you have to perform. They'll wear off way before show time. I promise," he said.

Maddie looked between the pills in her palm and Steve's face while she debated it. However, he was right. She was in agony. Just barely wiggling her toes caused incredible pain. And it wasn't just her foot that was hurting. It was her tailbone and her knee, not to mention her pounding head and aching body. Making up her mind she threw both in her mouth and washed them down with the rest of the milk.

Steve smiled, happy he hadn't needed to do much convincing or arguing. Unfortunately, that only confirmed the amount of pain she was in.

Maddie leaned back, sinking into the oversized couch. Once she got comfortable, her eyes fluttered closed as she tried to fight exhaustion. He'd noticed that every so often her eyes would close for a few seconds before she'd force them back open. However, now the intervals were getting closer together and longer, which he hoped meant she'd fall asleep soon.

Feeling the empty glass leave her hand, Maddie slowly opened her eyes. She watched as Steve set the glass on the table before turning back and tugging at the bottom ends of the fuzzy blanket, making sure her legs and feet were covered. Knowing the ice water circulating through her knee brace made her cold, he pulled the blanket up to her neck so it covered her arms and chest.

Although she knew she shouldn't be thinking about it, Maddie thought it was sweet how he'd carefully taken the empty glass from her hand, thinking she'd fallen asleep, and then covered her. She knew he'd done it before, but something was different this time. It was the way he did it. She saw how careful and gentle he was. Maybe he was telling the truth? she wondered. Maybe he didn't mean what he said on Sunday? But she wouldn't allow herself to go down that rabbit hole. She'd drive herself crazy. Just try and act normal and stop overanalyzing.

As she watched him with half lidded eyes, Steve gave her a small smile before leaning forward and kissing her burning hot forehead. When she leaned her head into his lips he felt hopeful she was coming around. As he pulled away their eyes met. He couldn't help himself as his eyes flitted to her mouth and then returned to her eyes as he licked his lips in yearning. Maddie's heart began to race. She wanted him to kiss her so badly, but at the same time she didn't. She was afraid she'd get hurt again. However, her fear and hesitancy didn't keep her eyes from falling to his lips as he licked them.

Suddenly a man's sigh broke the moment. Steve turned to see Pete staring off into space, a deep indentation between his brows. It was obvious he was somewhere else, completely lost in thought.

Steve turned back to Maddie and watched her yawn. He could tell she was exhausted, but knowing her, she was going to keep fighting it. He thought back to when they were at her house. Every time she was snuggled into him, she had fallen asleep quickly, and he wondered if he could get her to do the same. He knew how badly she needed to sleep and how much better she'd feel.

Knowing he needed to try, Steve stood, grabbing the dishes from the coffee table. He knew he'd need to put his feet up to get comfortable with her and right now, there was no room for that. Plus, he didn't like leaving a mess. It was all those years in the Navy.

He quickly walked to the kitchen and set the dishes on the counter before returning for the rest of them. Once they were all in the kitchen he began loading the dishwasher.

"Is my foot still bleeding?" Maddie suddenly asked Pete, effectively pulling him away from thinking about Tina.

He leaned forward in his chair to get a better look at her foot. He tried to keep from making a face at how gross and painful it looked. "No, it looks like it stopped."

"K," Maddie mumbled, sinking further into the comfy couch.

"No problemo, Shorty," he said, leaning back into the chair. He eyed her, taking her in. She was so pale. She looked exactly how he was pretty sure she felt: terrible. "You ready to get some sleep?" Her eyebrows furrowed as she shook her head twice. "No?" he asked, chuckling. "You look like you're gonna pass out any second."

"I'm not tired," she whispered as her eyes fluttered closed before she forced them open. At that point Steve was back and taking a seat to her left.

"Yeah, Shorty. I can really see you're not tired," Pete laughed.

"P?" Maddie asked.

"Yeah."

"Where is everyone?"

"Who's everyone? Five-O?" he questioned.

She nodded, coughing a few times.

"They're with Ryan."

"Will you go get them?" she asked.

"Mads," Steve immediately said. He wanted her to get some sleep, not hang out with everyone.

"Why don't you get some sleep first and then I'll go get them," Pete proposed.

"No, we left them an hour ago. They must think I'm so rude."

"Maddie, they don't think that at all. They understand," Steve told her. "Pete's right. Sleep first and then have them come in."

Maddie shook her head. "No, now." Her tone was forceful; she wasn't going to back down.

Steve sighed, frustrated. However, he suddenly had an idea. He reached forward, grabbing the piece of bread off the coffee table. The one she hadn't eaten from lunch. When clearing the table, he'd left it behind in hopes he could get her to eat it. "They can come if you eat some of this." He held it up to her.

"Steve, I'm just not hungry," Maddie told him.

"I know, but humor me. Come on." He gave her a cute smile, hoping to weaken her resolve. "Just a few bites." He wiggled his eyebrows a bit, hoping to make her smile.

Maddie couldn't help but grin at the cute look he was giving her. He just doesn't give up, does he? she thought. "Fine." She reached her hand out and took the bread, narrowing her eyes as she tried to give him an angry, annoyed look. However, she couldn't keep from smiling at the same time.

As Maddie took a bite of bread, Steve met Pete's eyes, and the two had a silent conversation. Pete stood and headed towards the door. "I'll be right back with them, Shorty."

"Thanks, Petey," she yawned as she took another small bite of bread.

Sitting on the edge of the couch, Steve noticed the way her small body seemed to be disappearing into the oversized couch as she nibbled the bread. Not only was she pale, but she had dark bags under her eyes, which were only about three quarters of the way open. Anyone who saw her, whether they knew her or not, would immediately know she was exhausted.

He glanced at his watch. He and Pete both hoped she was going to pass out shortly. Not only was she exhausted, but she'd taken two Percocet. One of the reasons Steve had wanted her to take two was because he knew it would make her really sleepy. And that once they kicked in, she wouldn't be able to fight and keep herself awake anymore.

"Hey! How goes it in here?" Tina asked as she walked in and took a seat beside Maddie.

"Good," Maddie whispered before taking another teeny bite of bread.

"Mads, mice take bigger bites than you're taking right now," Steve joked.

She glanced at him and he raised his eyebrows at her, a cute smirk on his bruised handsome face.

"Well, I guess I'm done then," she said, her voice laced with a light, playful attitude. He shook his head at her, the smirk still in place. He knew she was giving him a hard time. "Well then, I guess I'll have to tell Ryan to keep everyone with him." She glared at him playfully before taking a very exaggerated tiny little bite of bread. As she chewed she raised her eyebrows, silently asking 'happy?'

Steve grinned in victory as he chuckled quietly. Although he knew she was putting on an act, hoping that everyone, including him, would think she was back to her old self, there were moments, such as this one, that were more authentic, reminding him of how things used to be between them.

"I take it you didn't eat much," Tina surmised.

"Nope," Steve answered. Tina could see the worry that briefly flashed across his face. It was quick, but she saw it.

Remembering that she'd seemed off earlier, he asked, "T, how's your head? You okay?"

She smiled at his concern. "I'm fine! It's like it never happened," she lied. "Thanks for asking though."

Steve studied her. Although she looked happy, he could tell there was something wrong. It seemed like there was something on her mind. He made a mental note to ask Doc if he'd checked her out.

Apparently Maddie noticed too because she turned to him and asked, "Can I get a glass of water?"

Steve smiled in understanding. "Of course, Mads." He stood and walked to the kitchen, giving them a couple minutes to talk.

As soon as he was out of earshot, Maddie straightened and leaned towards her longtime friend. "What's going on? You okay? Is it your head?"

Tina smiled sadly. "My head's fine." She felt awful lying to Maddie, and if the circumstances had been different, if there wasn't a huge show and she wasn't needed so badly, she would've told her the truth.

"T, what is it?" Maddie whispered. "I know something's wrong."

Tina sighed loudly, a sadness descending over her features, as she glanced to the kitchen, wanting to make sure Steve couldn't hear them. She smiled when she saw him leaning against the kitchen counter. Maddie's glass of water sat next to the sink. His legs were outstretched and crossed in front of him, his phone in his hand. She guessed he was checking his emails or something, giving them time to talk.

"T?" Maddie whispered, pulling her focus back to her question. They didn't have a lot of time. She knew Pete would be back any minute with the Five-O team. "What's up?"

Tina tried to force a smile. However, the more she tried, the more she felt the emotions she'd been suppressing bubbling to the surface.

Maddie's face furrowed in concern as she watched her friend's green eyes begin to well with tears. "Hey, Steve?" Maddie said, turning her head to the right to look behind her.

"Yeah?" He looked up from his phone and met her eyes. She wordlessly communicated that he needed to leave and give them a few minutes. His eyes flitted to Tina and could tell by her rigid demeanor that something was definitely wrong.

"Can you go check on your team? Make sure everything's okay?" Maddie smiled reassuringly at his questioning and concerned look as they had another silent conversation. She didn't just need privacy. She didn't want Pete and Five-O to come in yet.

"Yeah, sure," he smiled as he walked towards the back of the couch. "But, don't leave this room. Okay?"

"Okay," she smiled appreciatively. She knew he didn't want to leave her, but he was doing it because Tina needed him to.

"I have my phone," Steve said.

She nodded, reading between the lines. All she had to do was text him when he could come back in. "K," she nodded, inwardly smiling. They might've been in a weird place, but they were still incredibly close if their silent 'read between the lines' conversation had anything to say.

He leaned forward and kissed the top of her head. "I'll be back in a few." When he pulled away, he was smirking. "Keep eating that bread. Don't think I won't check to see how much you ate." He grinned when she wrinkled her nose and shot him a look. Shaking his head and smiling, he left.

Maddie quickly glanced at the door to make sure it was closed and no one could hear before turning back to Tina. "What's going on, T? What's wrong?"

As hard as she tried, Tina couldn't hold back the tears anymore. As a few spilled down her tan cheeks, Maddie took hold of her friend's hand, lacing their fingers together. She could count on one hand the amount of times she'd seen Tina cry. They were a lot alike in that way. They weren't big criers. Well, that is until I turned into a big crybaby this last week, Maddie thought.

"I'm so stupid," Tina mumbled, sniffling as she tried to hold the tears in. However, her attempts were futile as more spilled from her green eyes.

"What? Why?" Maddie asked. Using her left hand, she reached forward to grab a tissue from the box on the coffee table.

Tina took the tissue and dabbed at her damp eyes, never once releasing Maddie's hand. "Pete…" she mumbled.

"What happened?" Maddie gently asked, confused. "I thought things were good between you guys! I saw you two have a few moments over the last few days."

"Okay, so you picked up on that, too?" Tina asked, her voice rising slightly at the question. Maddie nodded. "Me too!"

"So what happened?" Maddie repeated.

"It was when I went to get you lunch," Tina began. Maddie nodded for her to continue. "Well, as I walked down one of the hallways I saw Pete. His back was to me and he was on the phone." Tina paused, taking a second to wipe some fresh tears. She cleared her voice and sniffled before continuing. "I just figured he was talking to someone about something business oriented, but-" Tina's voice caught in her throat as she remembered what she'd overheard.

"T? Who was he talking to? Could you tell?"

Tina shook her head, her lips pursed as a couple more tears fell. She sniffled, taking a deep breath. "No, I don't know who he was talking to, but I heard him say, 'It was good to see you, too. Sorry it wasn't for very long.'"

Crap, Maddie thought. She knew who Pete was talking to. It was the woman he'd met the last time they were in Hawaii. The one he met up with when Steve called him back so he could go out with Lori. She had debated telling Tina about her. However, she didn't think it was anything serious. But, she had decided that if it did seem like it was heading that way, then she would. Looks like I have to tell her now, she thought, not looking forward to the conversation. Before she could say anything on the subject, Tina continued.

"Then I heard him say that tomorrow night was good and that it was a date." Tina bit her bottom lip, trying to keep herself from crying harder. Maddie squeezed her hand, encouraging her to continue. "Then he said he missed her too."

"What? Really?" Maddie asked, genuinely shocked. Maybe it is getting serious? she wondered. But how could it? They'd only seen one another two or three times, and from what she knew they weren't talking often. I mean, Pete is always with me, and I don't hear him talking to her often. And what she did hear, it didn't sound serious. But, she'd never heard him say he missed she felt guilty, like a terrible friend. I should have told her before she found out like this. "What happened after that?" Maddie asked, handing another tissue to her best friend.

"I turned around to try and get out of there before he saw me. I was upset. I couldn't let him see me like that." Tina wiped at her face, tears still falling.

"So he didn't see you?"

"No, he did!" Tina's shoulders slumped in defeat.

"Uh oh. What happened?" Maddie asked.

"He saw me once I started walking away. He hung up quickly and called out to me. I couldn't ignore him or else he would've known something was wrong, so I had to stop and turn around." Tina said, shrugging as she raised her right hand, her palm facing up in a gesture saying, 'what could I do?'. "He asked me what I was up to and I told him I was getting food for you guys, but of course, I was so flustered I wasn't thinking and he immediately called me out on the fact that I was walking in the wrong direction."

Maddie smirked. "Stupid Navy SEALS."

Tina chuckled. "Seriously." She took a deep breath before continuing. "Even though I was trying to act like nothing was wrong, he knew something was up." She shook her head in annoyance. "I'm just not as good at that as you."

"It's hard, T. I've just had a lot of practice from when I was a kid," Maddie said honestly. This time it was Tina who squeezed Maddie's hand in comfort. "So, what happened?"

"He walked with me to Craft Services. He was watching me though. I could feel him studying me. I gotta tell you, I don't know how you've been able to handle it as well as you have. It's unnerving." Tina paused, shooting Maddie a look who just smiled and shrugged. "Anyway, he made small talk with me while I waited for your food... And then-" Tina stopped, suddenly realizing she couldn't tell Maddie the entire story, that she'd gotten dizzy and Pete had grabbed her.

"Then what, T?" Maddie asked, her brows furrowed, confused at why she'd suddenly stopped.

"Just that, he followed me out once I had the food. He asked me if everything was okay and I told him it was." She sighed. "Of course, he didn't believe me, and when he asked again I was stupid. I let my emotions get the best of me." Tina shook her head in annoyance.

"Oh no, I've been there. What did you say?" Maddie asked, biting her bottom lip in preparation.

"I told him that I wasn't his to worry about... and," Tina paused, placing her right hand over her eyes as she recalled their encounter.

"What?" Maddie questioned, squeezing her hand in support.

"I called him Peter," Tina admitted, spreading the fingers that were over her eyes so she could peek out at Maddie.

"What is it about us? When we're upset with them, we use their whole name, completely giving it away when we don't want them to know?!" The two giggled for a second. Maddie hadn't wanted to say anything, but she'd begun to feel the effects of the Percocet. It wasn't too bad, but it was definitely kicking in. She knew it was only a matter of time before she got really loopy.

"Seriously?! God, I can't believe I said that to him!" Tina groaned, throwing her head back and closing her eyes.

"You know, this is totally fixable, T," Maddie said confidently.

"Yeah?" she asked, her voice a mixture of hope and doubt.

"Definitely," she smiled reassuringly. "I mean, you're exhausted. We all are."

"Hold up! Did you just admit that you're exhausted?!" Tina interrupted, grinning widely.

Maddie laughed, causing her to cough. Once she stopped, she said, "Ha ha. Yes. Does that make you happy?!"

"Yes! It does!" Tina laughed.

"Good! But, just, keep it to yourself! I'll deny, deny, deny if you tell anyone!"

"Sure thing, boss. Your secret's safe with me!" Tina saluted. "Safe along with all the others." They both couldn't help but grinning. "Anyway, so, I'm exhausted... continue."

"Right. Okay, so when Pete asks. Because he's going to ask. There's no if about it." Tina threw her head back and closed her eyes, groaning at the idea of having to talk to Pete about her little outburst. "So, when he asks, just say, 'Sorry Pete. I don't know what got into me. I'm just exhausted. My bad!' Leave it at that. He might doubt you, but if you make sure you're acting like your usual self, then he'll eventually let it go. Trust me."

"But, Mads," Tina said seriously. "I don't know if I can act normal with him. At least right now."

"T, you've been in love with him for years and he hasn't figured it out. You're better at hiding your feelings than you think," Maddie pointed out.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. I never thought about it like that." Tina was quiet for a minute as she thought it all through. "I don't know. I just… I need some time to digest this information and then I'll be fine. Then I'll be able to act like my old self. But until I do, I just don't think I can."

"I get that, T. I really do," Maddie said, her voice sad as she thought about her own situation with Steve. "Well, just avoid him for now. I'll help you. After today you don't need to see him much anyway. I think he leaves Saturday and you leave Monday... so, that's really not that much time."

"True. Good point." Tina sighed. She was definitely feeling better after talking it through with Maddie. "I just can't believe he has someone in his life. I dunno. I'm being so stupid. I don't know why I'm so upset about this. It's not like I really ever thought we'd get together, but it still hurts when the man you love is interested in someone else."

Maddie's jaw clenched as Tina's comments hit close to home. "I get it, T. It sucks."

Tina glanced at Maddie. "I'm sorry, Mads." She squeezed her hand.

"It is what it is, T." She shrugged her shoulders. Needing to change the subject, she said, "You never know. Pete could have feelings for you. He was in here for a few minutes before you came back and he was acting weird. His mind was somewhere else big time. He was probably thinking about you and what you said to him."

"Nah, there's no way. I'm sure he hasn't thought twice about it," Tina replied. "He was probably thinking about the mystery woman." She nibbled on her bottom lip. "I wonder what she looks like? Or what she's like? I wonder when he met her."

When Maddie didn't respond, she glanced at her. Seeing the guilty look on her face, Tina asked, "What? What is it? Do you know something?"

"T," Maddie began.

"Are you kidding me? You knew there was someone and you didn't give me the heads up? What the hell?!" Tina pulled her hand from Maddie's and quickly stood ignoring the weird feeling in her head.

"T, hold up. Give me a second to explain," Maddie said, reaching for her arm, but she shook her off.

Even though the feeling hadn't passed, she walked to the other room, looking for her purse. She needed to get out for a while, clear her head. Luckily she had some errands to run for Maddie.

Desperate, Maddie leaned forward and unhooked her knee brace from the water tank. Pain immediately shot through her legs from her tailbone. However, she couldn't focus on it. She needed to catch Tina before she walked out. Using her hands she quickly lowered her elevated leg onto the floor. She squeezed her eyes shut, preparing for the intense pain. With her hands she pushed against the couch, trying to take as much weight off her right leg as possible. "Oh fuck," Maddie mumbled as she made it to her feet. The pain was worse than she'd been expecting, but that wasn't her biggest problem. The problem was that thanks to the pain pills Steve had made her take, her head felt fuzzy causing the room to move slightly.

"What the hell are you doing? Are you crazy?!" Tina asked as she stopped dead in her tracks inside the doorway to the adjoining room.

"Huh?" Maddie asked as she tried to turn and face her, nearly causing her to fall on the coffee table. "Woah." She began walking towards her, something that would have been incredibly difficult if she hadn't been loopy because her massive knee brace made it so she couldn't bend her leg. She wobbled back and forth as she tried getting to Tina.

"Shit, Maddie. Stop walking. Don't move. You're gonna hurt yourself!" Tina exclaimed.

"Wait, T! Listen... let me explain," Maddie said, taking another couple steps towards her.

Tina began walking past her, crossing the living room area and heading towards the door. "Maddie, stay there!" she cried. "I'll let you explain as soon as I get someone. Don't move!"

"I'm fine. I've got this," Maddie slurred turning around and passing the coffee table, trying to get to Tina. "Oh fuck!" she cursed. She hopped on her left, uninjured foot for a second as she waited for the pain in her right to dissipate. "Fuckity doodle."

Tina felt bad, but she laughed as she reached out for Maddie, wrapping her arms around her waist. "You can't hop on one foot when you're in a huge knee brace and doped up on meds! You're gonna fall. Lean on me," Tina instructed. She just hoped that if Maddie did fall that she'd fall on top of her. She was tiny; she could break her fall.

Maddie wrapped her arms around her. "By the way... what the hell is a fuckity doodle?" Tina laughed.

"I have no idea," Maddie answered, giggling. Feeling like she could put a little weight on her right foot, she pulled away. "T, I'm sorry. I really didn't think it was anything serious. From," Maddie paused as her head moved around, the moving room was tripping her out. "...what I know, he'd seen her like, two times. I was gonna mention it to you if he saw her again. If I'd known it had gotten to-" Maddie paused, swallowing hard before continuing. "-'miss you' " she said in a girly voice. ", and, 'miss you, too'" she said in a low voice Tina assumed was supposed to be Pete. "Then I would have told you right away."

Tina was still laughing at Maddie's imitations of Pete and his mystery woman. "I know, I'm sorry. I'm not upset at you. I just took it out on you. Everything's okay." She smiled at her completely loopy friend. Maddie returned it, giving her a big toothy grin.

"I love you, Tina." Maddie reached forward and hugged her, unintentionally putting most of her weight on her.

"Love you too, Maddie," Tina responded, hugging her back as she tried to keep them both upright. Once they pulled out of the hug and she felt Maddie was as steady as possible, she began walking away. "Stay there. Don't move. Let me get someone to help you back to the couch."

Just as Tina was almost to the door, Maddie replied, "It's okay. I don't need help. I'll go back to the couch."

"No! Madeline, don't you dare move!" Tina said, but it was too late. Maddie was already trying to walk back. Because of the combination of the brace, her injured foot, and the fact she was completely loopy, she fell.

"Oof", she mumbled, landing on her left side. She rolled to her back.

"Shit! You okay?" Tina asked, rushing to her.

Maddie's only answer was laughter as she started cracking up.

"I'm gonna take that as a yes. Just stay there," she said, shaking her head as she tried hard to keep from laughing herself. She stood and hurried to the door, quickly opening it. To her relief, Steve was across the hall leaning against the wall as he spoke to Josh who was standing guard at Maddie's dressing room. The two immediately quieted as they took in her rosy cheeks, the slightly guilty look on her face, and the fact she was a bit out of breath.

Steve pushed off the wall and took a step forward. "Wha-" He stopped mid word, smirking as he heard Maddie's laughter. "I take it the pain meds hit her," he said, walking towards the door.

"Yeah, but uh..." Tina wasn't sure what to say, however she didn't need to say a word.

As he walked through the door he looked to the couch expecting to see Maddie where he'd left her. He followed her laughter and found her to the right of the couch lying on her back on the floor. He walked calmly towards her, not worried she'd been hurt since she was laughing hysterically. He stopped, standing to her right, and looked down at her laughing, smiling face. As hard as he was trying to appear mad, he couldn't pull it off. Not when she was laying on the floor laughing so hard tears were rolling down into her ears. He hadn't heard her laugh like that in forever and almost hated interrupting her.

"What's going on?" Danny asked.

Steve glanced over to see Danny and Chin enter. Better get her off the floor, he thought, trying hard not to laugh with her.

"Whatcha doin' Mads?" Steve asked.

At the sound of his voice, Maddie opened her eyes and he immediately came into view. She quickly wiped at her face. "Stevie, I've fallen and I can't get up," she answered. The second the sentence was out of her mouth she broke out into hysterics again. Steve couldn't help but chuckle with her.

"What did you do to her Steve?" Danny asked, laughing as he came to stand beside him.

"I resent that question. I've taken amazing care of her over the last hour," Steve replied.

"I can see that, babe," Danny quipped, staring down at Maddie on the floor.

"Sorry, I went in the other room for just a second and I came back and she was on her feet," Tina explained.

"I didn't want you to go," Maddie said, her laughter disappearing as she looked up at her friend.

Steve glanced at Tina, studying her quickly. Her eyes were a bit red, obviously from crying. He immediately knew there was more to what happened than what Tina said. As much as he wanted to know what was going on, he reminded himself that it wasn't any of his business, and as long as Maddie didn't get hurt, he would let it go.

He squatted down. "You hurt yourself?" he asked.

Maddie smiled at him, shaking her head.

"Okay," Steve grinned. "Let's get you back on the couch." He reached for her hands, which she immediately gave him. No hesitation, he thought assumed the pain medicine had relaxed her, forcing her to lower a few walls she'd erected to keep him out.

He looked at his partner. "Danno, will you help? I don't want her to do any of the work and aggravate her tailbone." Steve had had a minor tailbone injury back when he had first joined the Navy. He hadn't jumped out of a plane before and he and the guys in his unit were learning the proper way to land. They were jumping off a mini tower that was about five to six feet high and they were supposed to sort of tuck and roll as they landed. Their commanding officer had them practice repeatedly, wanting to make sure that the landing became automatic before they jumped out of a plane for the first time.

The two guys behind him started arguing. Eventually it escalated and just as it was Steve's turn to jump the two started fighting. They accidentally pushed Steve, causing him to fall off the tower partially on his tailbone. He soon realized how much you use the muscles surrounding your tailbone and found that the most mundane tasks were nearly impossible because of the pain.

"Sure, what do you want me to do?" Danny asked.

"Get behind her and place your hands under her back. When I pull her hands, you help push her up. I don't want her to do any work."

"Got it," Danny said, squatting by her head.

"Helllllloooo," Maddie said, laughing as she looked up at Danny so close to her head. She would have been loud if she could've, but because she barely had a voice, it came out as no more than a whisper.

"Hey there, Mads," Danny smiled down at her. "Ready?"

"Why yes, I am."

The two partners shared a quick smirk.

Still holding her hands, Steve said, "Okay, Danno. Go." Gently, he tugged on her hands as Danny pushed her up until she was sitting.

"Fuckity doodle," she groaned in pain.

"Sorry baby, we did the best we could," Steve apologized.

Maddie smiled at him. I shouldn't love when he calls me baby so much, she thought, hating that it literally made her insides melt every time. "S'okay," she whispered, yawning. She repositioned their hands so their fingers were laced together. It was more intimate and a gesture that gave him some hope.

When her eyes fluttered, Steve said, "I'm gonna pick you up now."

"It's okay, I can walk back to the couch," she mumbled. Now that the adrenaline from her laughing attack had worn off, she was suddenly really sleepy.

Reluctantly letting go of her hands, he disregarded her declaration. Before she even realized what he was doing he was standing and holding her.

As soon as she was in his arms, Maddie laid her head against his shoulder, her hair tickling his chin and neck. Steve couldn't help himself and dropped a quick kiss to the top of her head as he walked the short distance to the couch before gently setting her down. "Thanks for the ride, Stevie," Maddie mumbled, smirking at him as she realized that it sounded dirty.

I know she's loopy from the pain meds, but go with it, he told himself. "Anytime, Mads. Anytime," he answered, giving her a slightly mischievous grin.

"Oh yeah?" she whispered, her eyebrows arched in a questioning, flirty manner. She wasn't completely sure what made her flirt back, but she guessed it was the Percocet that had helped loosen her up.

Steve nodded, as they stared into one another's eyes. Knowing he needed to break their moment or he couldn't be held responsible for what he might do, he grabbed the small hose that connected the tank to her brace. Luckily, the device was made to automatically shut down if the hose ever got detached so ice water wouldn't spill out. Resetting it, he turned the device off and then back on, and it immediately started up again.

"No, do I have to?" Maddie asked, leaning back into the comfy couch as she yawned.

"Yeah, sorry, Mads," he replied, sitting next to her.

As the ice water entered the brace, she shivered. She reached to her right for the blanket and began covering herself.

Now all cozy again, Maddie looked around, spotting Danny and Chin. "Hi guys!" she smiled.

"Hey, kiddo," Chin greeted. "Feeling any better?"

"I felt fine," she responded, covering her mouth and coughing.

"Good to hear," Chin smirked, knowing she was lying.

"Take a seat, make yourselves comfy comfy!" She wrinkled her nose giggling.

Danny and Chin took a seat. Chin in the armchair to Maddie's right and Danny on the other couch opposite her and Steve.

"Where's Kono?" Maddie asked, realizing she wasn't with them.

"Restroom," Chin responded.

Maddie nodded in understanding.

"Lori with her?" Steve asked.

Maddie tensed slightly at his question.

Stupid, Danny thought, knowing Maddie was going to read something into Steve's question even though there was nothing behind it.

"Your foot okay, Mads?" Chin suddenly asked.

"Yeah, why?"

"I think it's bleeding," he stated.

"What?" Steve asked, scooting to the edge of the couch and leaning forward to get a look at it. "Damn," he muttered, seeing that Chin was right. "Mads, you have to stay off it until the show. That means no more walking without crutches."

"Did you know there's a little blood on the floor?" Kono asked as she entered, plopping down on the couch beside Danny.

"Is that from her foot?" Pete asked, taking a seat in the armchair on Steve's left.

"Yeah, she got up and walked around a few minutes ago. Something she was not supposed to do," Steve replied. He glanced at Maddie out of the corner of his eyes as she stared off into space.

Lori stopped just beside Pete, looking around for a place to sit. There was really only one choice and that was on the couch with Kono and Danny. Unfortunately, that wasn't anywhere near Steve. Damn, she thought as she sat next to Kono.

"I love your dressing room, Mads," Kono said, hoping to pull her friend from her thoughts.

"Thanks, it's nice to have a comfy and calm place to hang out before a show," she responded.

Before the pain medicine had made her feel silly, but now it was making it hard to keep her eyes open. They just felt so heavy. Unknowingly, she began leaning in Steve's direction.

Knowing Maddie was going to pass out at any moment, Steve began to reposition himself knowing what would happen. Carefully he placed his right arm behind her on top of the couch. He toed off his boots and set his feet on the coffee table as he leaned back into the couch. Once he was comfortable, he glanced at her out of the corner of his eyes. She was still fighting to try and stay awake, but he knew it was a battle she was going to lose.

"What'd you guys do?" Steve asked, wanting to keep the conversation going. He knew if there was suddenly a lull and it got quiet, Maddie would notice and worry that no one was having a good time. He knew that she'd then try and stay awake to play the part of good host.

"Ryan took us and showed us a couple of the different rooms," Lori answered. "Their dressing room is awesome."

"He also took us to this cool room where they have games set up. They have Wii, Xbox, Playstation. They have an air hockey table as well as a ping pong table," Danny relayed. "It's pretty sick!"

Relief filled Steve as Maddie's body fell against his as she passed out. He brought his right arm down from the back of the couch and wrapped it around her back, pulling her tight against him.

Tina rose slightly, taking the large blanket and covering her best friend better, so it now partially covered Steve.

"Thank God," Pete said as his eyes closed in relief.

In her sleep Maddie wiggled against Steve trying to get comfortable, rubbing her head against his chest until she found the perfect spot. Once she did, she sighed contently and made a couple clicking noises in her throat as her right hand, which was laying on his stomach, unconsciously rubbed a few times before stopping. Knowing how his body was going to react to her touch, he forced himself to think about what the press was saying. Luckily, it did the trick.

While everyone continued talking, Steve laid a quick kiss on the top of her head before whispering, "Sleep tight, baby." Even though no one else heard, Maddie must have because she snuggled closer in her sleep, sighing happily.