DISCLAIMER: I do not own the TV show "Hawaii Five-O" or any of its characters.
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
Hello everyone! So, Chapter 36 is LONG! I really really had wanted to post it in just 1 update, but it's just too long to be one post. It's more than 200 pages and not quite done, but almost! So, I am going to post it in numerous parts and label it as "Chapter 36 Part 1", "Chapter 36 Part 2", and so on and so on. A lot happens in Chapter 36! It's what happens up until show time. Also, Maddie's stalker appears a lot in Ch. 36. There are some serious creepy moments! I think you guys will like! Chapter 37 will be the show. Chapter 38 will be when Steve takes Maddie home after the show and what happens when he finds out what's been going on. Once Tina, Ryan, Pete, and the rest of the security team leave Maddie in Hawaii with Steve, time will start to move faster. I won't write what happens every moment of every day. Time will skip forward a bit, which will be good and fitting for what will be happening!
Anyway, enough rambling! As always, thoughts are in italics. Text messages are in bold.
CHAPTER 36
"You know, there's a good chance she'll freak when she wakes up like that," Pete told Steve.
"How's it bleeding again? What'd you do, Mads?" Doc asked as he entered the dressing room before Steve had a chance to respond.
Doc smiled in relief. "Oh, thank God."
Seeing Doc reminded him of how high Maddie's fever had been. Curious as to whether it had gone down, he reached his left hand up and gently laid the back of his hand on the right side of her forehead.
"Any better?" Doc asked.
"Yeah," Steve answered. "Thank God." He'd been really worried about how high it'd been.
"How'd you get her to agree to sleep?" he asked, walking around the coffee table to the other side before sitting on the edge next to Maddie's feet.
"Judging by her behavior before she fell asleep, I'd say Rambo drugged her," Danny quipped.
"You make it sound devious," Steve said, unconsciously rubbing Maddie's back under the blanket as he glared at Danny. "She was in pain, so I gave her some pain pills."
"Some pain pills? As in plural?" Danny asked. He took Steve's silence as confirmation. "Have you seen her? She's little! You knocked her on her ass!"
"She was pretty loopy, brah," Chin laughed.
"I just gave her two! Plus, you're all happy she's asleep, so why should it matter how she got that way?" Steve retorted, annoyed at the insinuation that he would do anything that could possibly hurt or be harmful to Maddie. "Plus, you didn't see her. She was in a lot of pain."
"He was right to give her two," Doc chimed in before looking to Steve. "How long has she been asleep? I don't want to wake her."
"About five minutes." Seeing Doc's hesitation, he added, "She's out. Trust me. She's dead to the world."
"Okay." Doc gently picked up her right foot knowing that if there was the slightest chance his actions would wake Maddie, Steve wouldn't let him proceed. Before he set her foot down, he realized he needed to put something on his lap. He barely had a chance to register this fact when a white towel was handed to him. He looked up to see Tina waiting for him to take the object. "Thanks, T." She smiled as she leaned back in her spot on the oversized couch.
"Yeah, she definitely aggravated it," he mumbled, shaking his head as he inspected her foot. "Good call texting me, Tina."
While Doc tended to Maddie, Pete watched Tina. The second he'd entered the room he'd felt a sense of relief when he'd spotted her. Seeing her waver on her feet had freaked him out far more than he felt it should have. He refused to think about why, but instead decided to focus on figuring out what was going on.
With Steve and Five-O there, Pete didn't feel like he was skirting his duties if he focused on Tina a bit more than usual. Plus, Maddie was fine. She was asleep, safe in Steve's arms. And the rest of her security team as well as local police and venue security were stationed and had detailed instructions.
As everyone chatted, making small talk and laughing, Pete continued to eye Tina. He'd been trying to catch her eye since he'd walked in, but she either hadn't picked up on it or she was ignoring him, not wanting to acknowledge his presence. He really hoped it wasn't the latter.
Tina had felt his eyes boring into her for the last ten minutes, but she just couldn't bring herself to look at him. She was hurt, even though she knew she had no right to be. They were friends. Nothing more, nothing less. However, she couldn't help the way she felt. She just needed time to digest what she'd learned. And she knew that once she had, she'd be fine. It wasn't the first time he'd dated someone since they'd met. However, him staring at her nonstop was not helping. Why's he being like this? she wondered, feeling unnerved.
She also didn't acknowledge him because she was worried he'd pick up on the fact that she'd been crying. She'd made sure that she didn't look in his general direction so he wouldn't be able to get a good glimpse of her entire face. In all honesty, she'd tried to keep anyone from really noticing. She wouldn't look in any of their directions long enough for them to take her in. And it wasn't coming across as odd to anyone, well except Pete, and Steve of course since he'd already noticed she'd been crying. They were also the only ones that seemed to pick up on the fact she wasn't taking part in their conversations because she'd made sure to laugh at the appropriate times. For all they knew, she was listening and just didn't have anything to add.
Finally, Pete had had enough. Wanting, and needing, to engage with Tina to see how she'd react, Pete said, "Hey, T?"
Hearing him call her name, she froze. Damn, she thought. As much as she wished she could pretend she hadn't heard him, she knew she couldn't. Everyone had heard him and they'd know something was wrong if she refused to respond. Just do what Maddie said. Act normal. She paused, hoping to refocus her mind. Just breathe…
Following her own advice, Tina took a deep breath before glancing over to Pete. Reluctantly she met his eyes. Although he was trying to hide it, she could see the concern. "Hm?" she asked.
Finally able to get a good look at her face, Pete had to force himself to keep from squinting in disbelief. She had been crying, he realized. She never cries.
"Yeah, Pete?" Tina asked when he said nothing.
He wracked his brain trying to think of anything she could be upset about when he heard her say his name. He forced his thoughts and concerns from his mind and focused on the moment. "Has anything else been moved around in the schedule today?"
"No," Tina answered before instantly looking away. Although it was quick, she made sure it appeared natural. No one except Pete and Steve noticed, and they exchanged a fleeting look.
Did I say something? Pete wondered as it appeared that whatever she was upset about had to do with him. He was filled with guilt at the mere idea that he could have upset Tina enough to make her cry.
Before Pete could ask her anything more, a noise caused all their heads to whirl in the direction of Steve and Maddie.
"Was that?" Danny asked, laughing.
Steve couldn't keep the large smirk from his face. He nodded, afraid that if he spoke he'd start laughing. An action he knew would jiggle Maddie's head and possibly wake her.
They all laughed, including Tina. "Is she actually snoring?" Kono asked in between giggles.
Steve only nodded, still afraid to speak in case he'd crack up. He ignored the fact his shirt was beginning to feel slightly damp. He assumed she was starting to drool and knew if he looked to verify, he'd start laughing.
Tina wanted nothing more than to get up and remove herself from the situation, but she couldn't. Although, with the distraction of Maddie snoring, it would have been a perfect time to excuse herself. However, Doc was still sitting on the coffee table in front of her as he took care of Maddie's foot. She knew she'd feel a bit dizzy when she stood and she didn't want to risk Doc noticing. There'd be a big to-do if he did and she would be forced to rest. In fact, she'd most likely be sent back to Maddie's house with Kendall to watch her. And there was no way she was going to let that happen. She couldn't. Maddie needed her to help her get through the show. Plus, she refused to be alone with Kendall, let alone allow her "take care" of her.
"All done," Doc stated as he carefully set Maddie's clean foot on the coffee table. "Don't let her stand on this again barefoot. In fact... you know what?" Doc glanced at his watch. "Let it get a little more air and then I'll come back and wrap it up in about an hour or so."
"Okay," Steve said. "Thank you." He glanced at her as she sniffled and coughed. She was definitely having a difficult time breathing through her nose. He knew it was the reason she was sleeping with her mouth open, something she normally never did. He fought back a smile seeing the small bit where his cornflower blue crew neck t-shirt, the one he was wearing under his pale cornflower blue, long-sleeved button up shirt, was now a midnight blue from her drool.
"Not a problem." Doc smiled at Maddie sleeping peacefully against Steve. "I'm just glad you got her to get some sleep." Just then she let out a slightly loud snore, causing everyone to roar with laughter.
Steve couldn't help it. Not after that one. He laughed. Although it was a mild version of his laugh, it must have jiggled her head enough that she began to stir. He froze, his laughing ceased as he felt her begin to snuggle and move against him, trying to get comfortable again.
"Poor thing can barely breath she's so congested," Doc snickered.
As Maddie shifted against Steve, trying to get comfortable again, her right hand, the one that had been on his stomach, moved. In her sleep it slid down. Now, it laid flat against his lower abdomen, an inch away from the top of his khaki cargos. She rubbed her head against his chest once more, coughing a few times as she tucked herself closer against his body, sliding her legs next to his.
Once she seemed to have them in a comfortable spot, Doc took the towel from his lap and placed it on a puffy, full pillow. Carefully he lifted both Maddie's feet with his right hand while his left placed the towel-covered pillow on the coffee table. Satisfied at its placement, he gently lowered her feet onto the puffy object. This elevated her legs, which he hoped would help reduce the swelling in both her right foot and knee, or at least keep it from worsening. Finished, he straightened the blanket, making sure she was warm enough, but, at the same time, not allowing it to cover her injured foot.
Steve nodded and smiled at Doc, silently thanking him. The doctor returned the smile before packing up the items he'd pulled from his bag. As he did, he glanced at Tina. He wanted to ask her how she was feeling, but he knew that she didn't want it known she'd hurt herself. Unable to get her attention with just a look, he used his foot to gently tap against hers.
Feeling his foot lightly touch hers, Tina glanced at him, meeting his eyes with a forced smile. He didn't have to say anything to know what he wanted. She could see the question in his eyes. Knowing she couldn't tell the truth, that her headache was getting worse, she nodded subtly as she continued to smile.
Just because Tina wasn't looking at him didn't mean Pete wasn't still watching her. He was. And he picked up on the quick, but strange, silent interaction between her and Doc. What is going on? he wondered.
Satisfied that Tina was okay, Doc grinned as he stood. "I'll be back in an hour to wrap Maddie's foot," he announced as he grabbed his bag and headed towards the exit.
"Thanks," Steve said, trying to calm himself. While Doc had packed his bag, Maddie had begun rubbing his lower abdomen in her sleep which meant that it wasn't too far from a specific body part that seemed to be reacting over the littlest things Maddie did lately. And this time was no different.
As soon as she'd begun lightly rubbing his skin through his shirt, Steve had felt his body begin to react. God! It takes the slightest thing from her, he thought, frustrated, but also shocked. This was completely out of character for him. He felt like a damn teenager. He was trying to think of anything he could to divert his attention and hopefully keep him from hardening any more. Thankfully Doc leaving was just the distraction he needed, so he forced himself to focus on the man and ignore Maddie's hand. He silently said a prayer when he felt her delicate hand still. Of course her hand was still in the same place, but he could deal with that. It was the rubbing that was sending him over the edge.
"No problem," Doc replied. "If you need me for anything, just text or call," he added. However, instead of looking at Steve, he was looking at Tina, something Pete found odd.
Maybe she told Doc about feeling dizzy, he thought. The more he thought about it, the more he was convinced that was probably what had happened. He suddenly felt as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He knew that she wouldn't be there with them if Doc hadn't deemed her healthy.
Tina was doing her best to keep it together in front of everyone, especially Pete. She just needed some time alone to digest everything and deal with it. Pete constantly staring at her was only making things infinitely more difficult for her. Plus, she was exhausted, and when she was this tired, it always made her more emotional. She yawned and positioned her elbow on the arm of the couch. She then leaned her head slightly into her hand and yawned again. She glanced over at Maddie and then at her watch. "Since Maddie's asleep, I've got some time. I'm gonna take a quick power nap," she stated as she prepared to stand. Please don't get dizzy. Please don't get dizzy, she silently repeated over and over. Crap, she thought as she stood and felt the strange sensation in her head. Just ignore it. It's not that far of a walk to the bed. She paused briefly before turning to her right and walking the six or seven feet to the adjoining room.
Pete tensed as she stood, the memory of her dizzy spell still fresh in his mind. However, he was relieved when she seemed to have no problem this time. Maybe she really did just stand up too fast, he thought. However, he didn't feel too much relief since he knew she was still upset about something. Deciding it was as good an opportunity as he was going to get, he waited briefly before standing and walking to the closed bedroom door. "I just need to double check something with her," he lied before knocking quietly on the door. Hearing a soft "come in" he turned the knob and entered the room, disappearing behind the closed door.
As the door shut behind her, Tina's eyes drifted closed, relief washing over her. She sighed, her shoulders drooping forward as her eyes filled with the tears she'd been holding back.
She sighed loudly as she walked to the bed, tears spilling over and making their way down her pale cheeks. She rubbed at her aching head as she sat on the edge of the bed and toed off her shoes. "Damn it," she whispered. "Why am I getting so upset about this? It's not like there was any hope for us. What is wrong with me?" However, Tina knew the answer. She was exhausted and she didn't feel good. And then learning Pete was dating someone... it was too much all at once.
Feeling sleepy, Tina laid down on the surprisingly comfortable pull out sofa bed. She sunk into the soft mattress as she flipped over so she was lying on her left side. She closed her eyes as the tears began to fall faster and more freely, only frustrating her further. "Just take a breath and go to sleep, T," she told herself, hoping it would help her calm down. "You just need some sleep. This will all seem like no big deal when you wake up. It'll just be a distant memory."
Suddenly her thoughts were interrupted by a knocking on the door. "Come in." Preoccupied, she wasn't thinking about who it could be until it was too late. As the door began to open she inwardly cursed. She knew who it was. At least she had an inkling. She quickly, and as subtly as she could, wiped at her tear-streaked face as she silently willed her body not to create or release any more. While she waited for the person to say something, she bent her knees slightly and with her left hand, hugged her pillow tighter.
Her visitor said nothing as they entered. But when the door shut, she heard them sigh quietly. A very familiar sigh. Yep, Pete, she thought as she squeezed her eyes shut. Unfortunately she knew it was too late to feign sleep since she'd responded to the knock.
Pete studied her as he closed the door behind him, giving them privacy. Because she had her back to him he couldn't see her face. "T?" he quietly said, taking a step towards the bed.
A few tears escaped her closed eyes at the concern and uncertainty in his deep voice. "Yeah?" she answered softly as she tried to hide her emotions.
He squinted at the sound of her voice. Is she crying? he wondered, praying to God she wasn't. He took a few more steps towards the bed. He watched her back closely, hoping her breathing would clue him in as to whether she was crying.
"You okay?" Pete asked, noticing her back move with her irregular breathing as she tried to stifle her tears.
"Yeah, just tired," Tina managed, but not without sniffling once. Crap, she cursed herself.
His eyes fluttered closed at the escaped sound. Damn, she is crying, he thought. "You can talk to me you know," he said as he sat on the edge of the bed. "I mean, we're friends after all."
Knowing if she thought about what he'd just said, the reminder that they were friends, just friends, she'd lose it, she forced herself to ignore his comment. "I know, everything's fine. I'm just tired. But thanks."
Pete sighed. He knew she was lying. He just didn't know why. "You feel okay?" He debated getting up and walking around to the other side of the bed to force her to look at him, but he didn't think she'd react well to that.
Tina casually wiped the last remnants of tears from her damp face. She knew he wasn't going to leave until she looked at him. "Yeah."
He paused. "What happened earlier, T?"
She swallowed hard as she reminded herself what Maddie had told her to say. "I told you…"
"There a reason you won't look at me?" he interrupted, his tone gentle.
Tina sighed as she made sure her face was dry. She just prayed her eyes weren't red and her face wasn't splotchy. Slowly she turned so she was now lying on her right side and was immediately surprised at how close he was. "I just stood up too fast," she answered, refusing to meet his eyes.
"You tell Doc about what happened?" Pete asked, the silent interaction between her and the doctor still fresh in his mind.
Tina met his eyes for the first time. Even though he knew she'd been crying, seeing her slightly red eyes was like a punch to the gut. He could count on one hand how many times he'd seen her cry. It was the same with Maddie until that week. "I'm fine, P. Don't worry. I really just stood up too fast. And, I'm so tired. The two apparently don't mix well." She gave him what she hoped was a reassuring smile.
"So, is that a no, you didn't go see Doc?" Pete pushed.
Of course he didn't let it go, she thought, irritated. "It's a 'it's none of your business if I went to see Doc or not'," she replied. She tried to keep her voice as light as possible, but it was true. It was none of his business.
He was quiet as he let her words sink in. Ever since he'd run into her in the hall earlier, she seemed to be pushing him away. She'd never been like that with him before and he didn't understand why. They'd always been close. "Is that the same as 'I'm not yours to worry about?'" he asked, repeating her words from earlier.
Tina didn't want to talk to him about this. However, she knew he'd bring it up. Maddie had even warned her he would. She looked away under the guise of trying to get comfortable. She lifted her head and plumped her pillow before lying back down. She slipped her right hand underneath it while she tucked her left in the crook of her neck.
When it became apparent that she wasn't going to respond, Pete briefly looked down at the comforter. He'd have to use another approach. "Speaking of which, what was with your little freak out on me in the hall?" Pete asked, his tone calm as he fixed his gaze back on her.
She forced a slight laugh as she met his eyes. "I did not freak out on you."
"Uh, yeah. You did," he replied, a slight smile tugging at his lips before a more serious look took its place. "What was that about? You upset with me about something?" In the lighting of the room his hazel eyes appeared green. She loved it when they did that.
"No, not at all." Tina paused. "I don't know what got into me. I'm just exhausted," she lied, saying exactly what Maddie had advised her to. "I'm really sorry, Pete."
Pete paused, knowing she was lying. He wasn't sure what to do. Did he try and push her on the subject or just wait and see what happened after the show? Maybe it would all blow over. Hopefully, he thought. "Okay," he finally replied, not knowing what else to say to her.
"No worries, Pete. We're all good. Sorry I freaked out on you," Tina said.
"It's fine. Just please get some rest okay?" He paused, debating whether or not he should continue. "You scared me earlier." At her furrowed brow he elaborated. "You nearly fainted. Out of nowhere."
Although her heart was aching at his concern, she forced herself to roll her eyes and smile. "I'm fine. I promise. I'm just tired and stood up too quickly. Plus, I wasn't even close to fainting. It was just a mild dizzy spell." She met his questioning eyes. "I promise, Pete. I'm okay. We're okay... Really." Although she tried to stifle it, she yawned as her blinking slowed. She was suddenly finding it nearly impossible to keep her eyes open.
"Get some rest, Tina," Pete said. He wanted to reach out and touch her, but he didn't. For some reason he refused let himself go there. Instead, he stood and grabbed the blanket folded at the bottom of the bed, opened it, and placed it on her.
"Thanks, Pete," Tina mumbled as she yawned again, her eyes closing.
He smiled down at her sadly before heading to the door and opening it. Before leaving he turned around and glanced at her once more, wishing she'd tell him what she was upset about. Maddie… and now her, he thought. Both of them hiding things… Not what I need right now. He watched her snuggle into the blanket before turning and walking through the door, gently closing it behind him.
Steve glanced at his longtime friend. "Everything okay?"
Pete pursed his lips as he debated the question. Finally, he sighed. "I have no idea."
"She wouldn't tell you?"
"Nope," he answered.
"Something wrong with Tina?" Kono asked, concern in her voice as her eyes darted between the two SEALS.
Pete shook his head, frustrated. He looked at Kono as he walked to the chair he'd been sitting in before. "Don't drink the water here. There must be something in it that's making woman act weird."
Steve, Pete, Chin, and Danny snickered a bit. However, they stopped the second they saw the annoyed looks Kono and Lori shot them.
"Sorry," Pete mumbled sheepishly.
Tina had been asleep maybe twenty minutes when her phone rang. Without opening her eyes she reached her left hand in front of her and grabbed the ringing object, groaning in annoyance. "Hello," she mumbled, her voice laden with sleep.
"Tina, where are you?" asked a very annoyed and, not to mention, loud George.
It took her a second to understand what he was asking as she tried to shake the hazy remnants of sleep. "Huh?" She rubbed at her pounding head. It seemed to have gotten worse in the short time she'd been asleep. Plus, George's loud and abrasive voice wasn't helping.
"Where. Are. You?" he questioned condescendingly, his voice a bit louder as he enunciated each word.
Tina squinted at the spike of pain his voice caused. She tried to mentally shake the last bits of sleep that seemed to be lingering. "Uh... I'm..."
"Tina!" George cried, irritated. "It isn't a hard question. Where are you?"
Finally his words and their meaning penetrated her sleep haze. "I'm in... Maddie's dressing room. Why?" she answered. Although she was a bit more awake, at least enough to answer his question, her voice was still gruff from sleep.
"I need your help," George stated. Normally he would have gone to the dressing room to get her instead of calling, but he was hesitant to. Steve had made himself very clear. He was to go nowhere near Maddie. Although he was afraid of him, he was furious. The Navy SEAL had embarrassed and belittled him in front of his staff and, more importantly, Maddie.
"What for?" Tina asked.
"Does it matter?" George snapped. "If I tell you to jump, your response should be, 'how high?'"
She was too tired to deal with this, not to mention she felt like crap. However, for the time being, she knew it was better to just go along with it. She wanted to try and keep him away from Maddie. If that meant putting up with him, then she would. Her job was to help make Maddie's life easier and currently, this was a way to do that. Plus, after the show she wouldn't be seeing him for a few months. She clenched her jaw before responding. "Okay."
"Meet me in the main room," he ground out. "And hurry!" He didn't give her a chance to respond before he hung up.
"Awesome," Tina mumbled as she shook her head, placing the phone back on the mattress. Using the fingers from her right hand, she rubbed the lump on the back of her head. "How is it getting worse?" she whispered.
Sighing, she pushed the blanket Pete had so gently placed over her and scooted to the edge of the bed to slip her boots on. Before she stood she sat, her eyes drifting closed. She was even more tired than she had been when she'd laid down. Maybe a nap was a bad idea, she thought.
Tina tried to will herself to stand, but was finding it incredibly difficult. She was just so tired. Suddenly her phone dinged, signaling a new text message. She grabbed it off the mattress and quickly glanced at it. Where are you?
"Ugh, George," she groaned, reading his text. She quickly typed back that she was on her way before forcing herself to stand. "Woah," she whispered, slightly bending and placing a hand on the bed to steady herself. The dizzy feeling she was experiencing was a bit worse than it had been earlier. It still wasn't terrible; it had just taken her by surprise. She took a deep breath, exhaling loudly, as she waited for the feeling to pass, which, thankfully, didn't take long. She was grateful that the dizzy spells she was having seemed to be very short and quite mild, at least in comparison to the ones she'd seen Maddie experience after her head injury.
Tina slid her cell into her back pocket and walked to the door and opened it. As she stepped through, closing the door behind her, all faces turned and stared at her, including Pete's. She rubbed her face, hoping to wake up a bit more, as she began walking across the room, ignoring the looks. As she did so she bumped into the side of the couch. She did her best to play it off, pretend it hadn't happened as she continued walking.
Pete stared at her, concerned she'd just walked into furniture. "T?" he said, wanting to catch her before she walked out. "Where are you going?"
"Duty calls," she answered. Just as she finished, her phone dinged again. She stopped, rolled her eyes, and pulled it from her back pocket.
Since she was stopped right behind the couch Kono, Danny, and Lori were sitting on, Pete was able to get a good look at her. She looked even more tired than she had when he'd left her in the other room. And a bit paler too, he noticed. His concern immediately grew.
Tina began cursing and mumbling quietly under her breath as she read the new message from George. "Stupid... son of a bitch... I'm gonna kick his..."
Pete began standing. "T, whatever you have to do, let me take care of it." He held out his hand, his palm facing up. "Give me your phone and go back in the other room."
She looked up, confused, as she stared at him. Why is he being so weird with me? she wondered.
"T?" he asked, worried as she silently looked at him. "You okay?"
Tina shook her head slightly as she came back to reality. "I'm fine."
"Here, let me go take care of whatever it is," Pete said again, taking a step towards her, his hand still outstretched for her phone.
She shook her head. "No, I got it. This is my job. I'm back now, you don't need to do it."
"But you're tired. I don't mind." He paused. "What do you have to do anyway?"
Her phone dinged again. She didn't have to look at it to know it was another message from George wondering where the hell she was. And she was almost a hundred percent sure that his language was a lot more colorful than that. She shook her head at the thought of the weasel of a man. "I gotta go. I'll be back in a bit." She turned and rushed to the door, running into it.
"T! The door!" Pete called.
"Right," Tina forced a laugh, embarrassed. "I meant to do that." She turned and flashed them a cute smile, her cheeks slightly flushed. She pulled the door open and smiled at Josh standing on the other side. Before she let the door shut behind her she called back over her shoulder. "Let me know when Mads wakes up!" And with that she was gone.
Pete stood, completely and utterly confused. Not to mention worried. She was acting so weird. It wasn't her strange behavior towards him that had him the most concerned. It was the fact she was exhausted and had just walked into the couch and door. And of course, he hadn't forgotten how wobbly she'd been on her feet earlier.
Shaking his head, he pulled the walkie-talkie from his belt and brought it to his mouth. "Continue to keep an eye on Tina." He waited a beat before he heard his team come back with 'yes sir's'. Satisfied, he returned the device to his belt and sat back down in the big armchair.
Seeing the look on his face, Chin smiled. "Anxious for the day to be over?"
"You have no idea," Pete mumbled as he closed his eyes. It had been a long four days.
It had been almost a half hour since Tina had left in a sleep-hazed rush when there was a soft knock on the door before it opened.
Pete, Steve, and the rest of Five-O turned to see who was there. Both Josh and Mo smiled as they met all six pairs of eyes.
"We're switching now," Mo said, meeting Pete's eyes.
"Great," Pete nodded. "Thanks for the heads up."
"See you guys later," Josh said, waving to them.
There was a mixture of "byes" and "laters" before he disappeared down the hall.
When Mo continued to lean against the door, holding it open, Pete glanced at him, a questioning look in his eyes. "What's up?"
"Just wanted to give you a heads up on Tina," Mo responded.
"Okay," Pete said, his interest piqued.
"King George has Tina running around."
Although Pete shook his head angrily at the information, he couldn't help but smirk at Mo's nickname for the awful man. "So that's where she was headed off to in a hurry," he mumbled. "Thanks, Mo."
"No problem," he replied before disappearing behind the door as it closed.
Maddie moved her right hand in her sleep. Oh crap, Steve thought as her hand dropped further down his body. Don't think about it. Don't think about it... Think about anything else, he told himself as her hand grabbed the waistband of his cargos. All her fingers, except for her thumb, were now slightly tucked around the top of his pants, making it so her fingertips were in his pants. Barely, but they were. The base of her palm was lower than his waistband. It was sitting on the middle of his zipper. In other words, the bottom of her hand was resting on his nether regions.
No matter how many times he told himself not to think about it, it didn't work. He immediately began to get turned on. Come on, he inwardly yelled at his body. He was trained to be able to conquer anything with his mind. Mind over matter. He should have no problem ignoring where her hand was, but for some reason he couldn't.
Desperate for a distraction, he tried focusing on what Pete and Mo had been saying. George. George. Think about George, he told himself. "Who is George?" Steve asked, his disdain for the man evident. "I've never met him or heard of him." The distraction was helping a bit, not a lot, but at least it was some.
"He's her current tour manager," Pete answered, his dislike for the man obvious.
"What happened to Barry?" Steve asked as he listened to Maddie's quiet snore, hoping it would be another distraction. "And Johnny? Usually Johnny's on tour quite a bit."
It wasn't helping. He knew he needed to do something. He didn't know what she'd do if she woke up and felt him turned on. Things were so weird with her right now, he didn't want to make it worse.
Carefully he leaned to his right, hoping her hand would slide off that general area. If she wasn't holding onto my pants it would've worked, he thought, partly disappointed, but also partly happy. Even though they were awkward circumstances, he loved the feel of her hand grabbing the top of his pants. He couldn't help it, but it made his mind wander. Wander to images of her moving that hand further inside.
"Yeah, he is," Pete sighed, his face dropping. "But his wife has cancer and it's not looking good, so he hasn't been out this tour."
Steve's eyes closed as he heard the news. "Damn. That's awful." He unconsciously pulled Maddie closer as he rubbed her back. "How's Mads handling that? Karen's been like a mom to her."
Johnny had become Maddie's manager when she was fourteen after he'd seen her performing in Honolulu. It didn't take long to get her signed to a record label. She'd even lived with Johnny and his wife, Karen, for the first few years when she wasn't traveling. Even after she bought her first house she still stayed with them often.
"It's been hard," Pete answered honestly. "It's been a rollercoaster of a year for her."
Steve felt even guiltier for getting so caught up chasing Victor and Anton and going so long without reaching out to her. However, she'd always known she could call him. Even when he was out on missions, he always kept a secure and untraceable phone on him. He kept it off and would turn it on whenever he could to check messages. She had the number. It was a way she knew she could always get in contact with him no matter where he was. Over the last year and a half he'd checked it like he usually did, but she'd never called, so he figured everything was fine. Of course she didn't call. She doesn't like to worry me, he thought. I should've checked in.
When Steve said nothing more Pete continued. "Barry had a sudden conflict and wasn't able to do the first leg of the tour. George was a last minute, desperate hire. However, hopefully Barry will be back for the second leg."
Steve nodded, digesting all the new information, as he continued rubbing Maddie's back.
Maddie had begun waking a couple minutes ago when the pressure in her bladder became too much. She wasn't sure how long she'd been asleep, but she knew she could've slept forever. She was so tired and so comfortable tucked safely against Steve. The best part was there hadn't been any nightmares.
Because she wasn't ready to pull away from him, she pretended to still be asleep. She loved being in his arms and she knew this would be the last time she'd sleep curled into him. Although she loved it, she couldn't let it happen again.
So, as she laid against him, her head on his chest, Maddie tried to memorize everything about him. The way he smelled: a mixture of the fresh Hawaiian air mixed with his soap and his natural smell, which, unlike most men, smelled amazing. Sometimes he wore a splash of cologne, and she noticed today was one of those days. She loved it when he did. She noticed how his perfectly sculpted chest felt beneath her head, comfortable and safe. The way his arm was wrapped protectively around her body, as if protecting her from not only the entire world, but from all her worries and fears. And somehow it felt as if he managed to achieve it. She memorized the way his hand felt against her back as he gently rubbed it, something he'd started doing when Pete told him about Karen's cancer. She'd been listening. Well, sort of. In all honesty, she'd been checking in and out of their conversation, plus she was still sleepy and feeling the effects of the pain meds.
As she continued to take stock of her predicament, she noticed that her right hand was no longer resting on the middle of his stomach. Instead, it was much lower. She was horrified to find out it was gripping the waistband of his cargos. Great! If I wasn't already a joke to him, I definitely am now, she thought beginning to panic. Is he... Maddie wondered suddenly, shocked, as she felt something against the bottom of her hand. But that didn't make sense. He'd made his feelings for her clear on Sunday.
Just like in her theatre, she couldn't help the curiosity. She wanted, no needed, to know if he was turned on even though she knew it was a bad idea. Since he thought she was still asleep she'd use that to her advantage. Carefully she moved the bottom of her hand the tiniest bit while supplying the littlest bit of pressure. She froze as she felt him.
Oh no, Steve thought, feeling her hand move. The small amount he'd been able to relax during the conversation about Maddie's management staff was out the window. He unintentionally held his breath as he waited to see if her hand was going to move again. To his relief, it didn't.
As she experienced a trace of happiness and hope, she also felt panic. She absolutely could not let herself go there. Happiness was bad enough. But hope? That was dangerous. So, refusing to think about why he'd gotten turned on, Maddie knew she needed to move it, and fast. Quickly she held her breath and pretended to move in her sleep. She rubbed her head against his chest as if she was trying to get comfortable while slowly sliding her hand up his stomach. Maybe a little too slowly because Steve made a soft, breathy moan as he pulled her closer while his hand continued rubbing her back. However, it wasn't like before, but with more pressure, almost a need to touch her. The moan was nearly inaudible, but she heard it.
The way her hand had slid up his body had turned him on far more than he thought it could. Plus, it had taken him by surprise. Thank God she's asleep, he thought. His eyes flitted between his coworkers and friends as he tried to discern whether they had heard him. From the looks of it they hadn't, and he exhaled a breath of relief.
Knowing it was time to "wake up", Maddie moved her head again. Instead of the side of her head against Steve's chest, her face was. She made sure to make some of her "little noises", as Steve called them, as she hid in his chest. Her actions pulled everyone's attention, something Steve was grateful for. His right hand automatically moved up and down her back gently hoping she'd settle and continue to sleep.
"She waking up?" Lori asked, hoping to God she was. She'd had a difficult time watching the two friends cuddled together.
"Yep," Steve mumbled regretfully as he looked down, eyeing his best friend. He didn't want her waking up yet. Not only did he want her to get more sleep, but he wasn't ready to let her go. He knew when she woke she'd pull away.
Knowing she had to make it look real, Maddie snuggled even further into Steve. As she did so, he wrapped his arm tighter around her, which confused her. Don't think about it, she ordered herself. It means nothing. For her own sanity and emotional wellbeing, she knew she had to wake up and fast.
Slowly she opened her eyes, but as the light hit them they fluttered closed again. Just because she'd been pretending to be asleep for the last five minutes, didn't mean she was completely awake. Her head felt slightly cloudy and slow. If it hadn't been for having to use the restroom she would have continued sleeping. Probably for the better, she thought, as she forced her eyes open again.
"Hey, Mads," Kono greeted.
Maddie smiled at her before yawning loudly. Sighing she began to sit up, trying to be casual about pulling away from Steve.
"Sleep well?" Danny asked as she leaned back into the couch, pulling the blanket to her shoulders as she cuddled into it.
Maddie shrugged, yawning again. "How long was I asleep?"
"About an hour," Steve answered.
She briefly met his eyes and blushed, mortified she'd had her hand nearly in his pants.
He eyed her as he took in her flushing cheeks. Why's she blushing? he wondered. Wait... does she know what happened? Suddenly he started wondering if maybe she hadn't just woken up. Testing his theory, his eyes dropped to her mouth and he licked his lips before bringing his eyes back up to hers. He flashed her a quick, flirty smirk.
Maddie's cheeks immediately darkened. She coughed as she looked away, bringing her right hand up to cover her mouth.
"Uh, Maddie?" Danny said, laughter in his voice.
Hearing the suppressed amusement in his voice, not to mention a bit of mischief, she hesitantly looked at him. "Yeah?"
"You must've been having some amazing dreams." His lips twitched as he fought to keep from smiling. She furrowed her brows in confusion. "Were they some steamy ones about yours truly over there?" Danny asked, the smirk finally breaking through as he pointed to Steve. The laughter that they had all been trying to hold back erupted, making her nervous. She didn't know what was so funny and she hated being the only person who didn't get a joke.
Maddie tensed. As she hesitantly turned to look at the man she loved, a dark spot on his blue t-shirt caught her eyes. As everyone roared with laughter, she nervously squinted trying to figure out what it was. "Oh my God!" she whispered, her cheeks flushing as it suddenly dawned on her. "Oh my God!" she repeated. She placed her left hand over her eyes in embarrassment while everyone continued to laugh hysterically. Well, everyone except Steve. He only smiled sexily at her and chuckled. She peered through her fingers and nibbled her bottom lip, something Steve found incredibly cute. In fact, he felt the intense urge to pull her to him and kiss her.
She slid her hand to her head and threaded her fingers in her hair. "I am so gross!" Maddie exclaimed as she looked at the drool on his shirt. "I'm so sorry, Steve!"
"Mads, it's fine!" Steve laughed.
"Oh my God! How gross!" Her hand returned to her eyes, hiding her face. "I am such a spazz!"
"Hey," Steve began quietly as he leaned towards her. He reached his hand out and tugged at the hand covering her face. He pulled it down, lacing his fingers with hers. "I don't care about the drool. In fact-" He gave her his one sided smirk she loved. "I find it cute. "
Shocked, Maddie froze as her eyes widened. However, it only took a second before she gently pulled her hand from his. "Make fun of me! I actually drooled. I should most definitely be laughed at and made fun of for this. Who drools on someone else while they sleep?! What a spazzy thing to do."
Although the smile was still on his face, his eyes turned serious. "You're not a spazz." Seeing her about to open her mouth to argue, he said, "Don't say it again." His voice was quiet so only Maddie heard. However, it wouldn't have mattered because everyone was cracking jokes and laughing so hard and loud that they couldn't hear them anyway.
Maddie stared at him, eyes wide, surprised, and confused, by what he said. Not knowing how to respond she apologized again. "I'm so sorry, Steve! I really am!" She forced herself to laugh. "How gross!"
"Maddie... it's fine. It's no big deal!" He smiled at her as he watched her cheeks get redder.
She coughed and sniffled, trying to buy herself time to figure out what to say. She was completely out of her element at the moment. Something she partially blamed on Steve, but also on the fact she'd just woken up and was still under the influence of pain medication.
"Hey!" Doc greeted. When he saw Maddie awake, he said, "Hey, sleepyhead!"
Maddie leaned back into the couch and smiled, thankful for the save. However, the smile immediately fell from her face as Kendall appeared behind him. Great, she thought, anger bubbling up inside as she remembered what she'd done. She'd have to find the right time to tell Doc she no longer wanted her to be part of her medical team.
Doc took his place on the coffee table in front of Maddie. "Let's wrap this up," he smiled as he gently placed the towel-covered pillow, with her legs on top of it, onto his lap. Wanting to give him space to do his job, she placed her uninjured left leg down on the floor.
"How long have you been awake?" Doc asked as he began wrapping her infected foot.
Before Maddie could answer, Steve said, "A few minutes. Maybe five to seven." He wanted to see her reaction. It was his way of checking to see if she'd been pretending to be asleep.
Before she had time to process that he was testing her, Maddie's head jerked to her left and met his eyes. He smirked, having his answer, and her face grew beet red as she looked away. She couldn't look at him now that he knew she'd been awake. That she had felt him turned on. That he knew she had tested to be sure he really was. This isn't weird at all, she thought sarcastically.
Noticing that Maddie's face was now bright red, Danny glanced at his partner smirking. What am I missing? he wondered.
"Alright, there you go," Doc said, pulling everyone from their thoughts as he finished wrapping her foot. "Do you want your sock on?"
Maddie nodded. Her foot was freezing; her toes felt like ice.
"Okay, don't move. Let me do the work," he instructed. She nodded and he carefully began guiding her sock over the heavily wrapped foot. She thought it was going to be incredibly painful, but to her surprise it wasn't.
Once he was finished he set the pillow, with her foot still on it, back on the coffee table. "I put on a ton of antibiotic ointment under the first layer of gauze. Then I put a layer of gauze wrap, followed by two layers of thick bandage wrap. So, it's fairly protected, but if you bump it it's still going to be quite painful. It's at least protected from germs and keeps you from getting it dirty, which we don't want. I'll change the wrap before you go on stage tonight," he informed her as he took a seat next to her on the couch. "However, if for some reason you get it wet before then, let me know immediately and I'll change it."
"Thanks, Doc," Maddie whispered, the state of her voice not any better than it had been before she fell asleep. She let go of the blanket, letting it pool around her waist, and scooted forward. She really had to use the restroom.
"Where you goin', Mads?" Steve asked, leaning forward to help her.
"I need to use-," she answered, however she was interrupted by Tina bursting through the door, her cell phone pressed to her ear. Maddie stopped, immediately picking up on Tina's rushed movements.
"Yeah, she's awake. I'm with her now," Tina said into the phone as she met Maddie's eyes. There was a pause as she listened to whomever she was speaking to. "Okay, what channel? ... Okay. We'll watch it." She hung up and slipped her phone into her back pocket. Tina walked to the coffee table, picked up the remote, and turned on the TV.
As her friend flipped through the stations, Maddie straightened. "What's up?" She had a bad feeling.
Tina glanced quickly at Maddie, wordlessly telling her that it wasn't good.
Shit, she thought, wishing it was just Tina and her in the room.
"That was Stephenie," Tina began, still searching for the correct station.
"Do I even want to know?" Maddie asked, overcome with dread. It had already been a bad day in terms of press. What more could possibly go wrong?
"Who's Stephenie?" Lori asked curiously.
"Publicist," Pete answered also taking in Tina's rigid and rushed demeanor.
Finally Tina settled on a station. Not wanting to stand and block anyone's view, she walked around the couch, stopping right behind Maddie. If it was as bad as it sounded, she wanted to be able to give her some kind of moral support.
They all quieted as they watched a Hilton commercial finishing. Suddenly a woman appeared behind a news desk. "Footage of multiple Grammy Award winner and Queen of Pop Madeline Lily came in to our station just a little while ago. Footage that only adds to the evidence that all is not right in the superstar's world."
Maddie immediately stiffened as the footage came on the screen. Crap, she thought. It was of her little adventure to the beach the other morning. She felt Steve briefly glance at her out of the corner of his eye before returning his attention to the screen, his arms crossed.
The footage showed Maddie limping down to the beach. Once she found a spot, she plopped down and immediately removed her shoes and socks as she basked in the beautiful Hawaiian sunrise. Although the screen stayed on her, the newswoman began speaking as the cameraman zoomed in from his hidden location, getting a shot of her face as the tears began streaming down her face. "Although the Hawaiian native seemed to be enjoying the beautiful sunrise, being home couldn't keep her spirits up."
Maddie tried her best to act unfazed and unbothered by the footage, but as she watched herself cry onscreen, she closed her eyes. She'd already lived through it; she didn't need to do it again. Now not only was the entire world seeing it, but so was Steve. I can't have a fucking minute to myself, she thought, trying to keep her anger and frustration from showing. Not one single moment.
While he watched tears roll down her face on the beach, Steve's stomach sunk, the guilt suffocating. Did I do that? he wondered, his eyes glued to the screen even though it was painful to watch. Is she crying because of me?
As they watched her head fall against her knees as what started off as simple tears turned into sobs, Maddie looked down at her lap.
She didn't have to look up to know that every so often everyone was glancing in her direction, curious as to her reaction to the huge invasion of privacy.
Steve thought seeing tears rolling down her face upset him. However, when she began sobbing hysterically he felt gutted. It wasn't just the fact she'd been so upset that was getting to him. It was that she'd been alone. The two combined made his stomach churn. He'd never forget the way her tiny body nearly convulsed as sobs wracked her body. He'd never forget the image of her alone. Broken and alone, sitting on the beach.
Maddie wished they would cut back to the newswoman and stop showing her falling apart, but it just seemed to go on and on. Feeling uncomfortable, her hands began to fidget underneath the blanket.
More than anything he wanted to pull her into his arms, kiss her repeatedly, and tell her everything was going to be okay. That he was so sorry and that they'd figure things out. That he and his team would find her stalker. But he knew she wouldn't want anyone to see any other private moments. Not right now. However, he had to do something. Slowly Steve slid his right hand under the blanket and over to her left hand. As he took her hand in his, linking his fingers with hers, he felt her tense, making his chest ache. He hated himself for hurting her.
Steve squeezed her hand, gently rubbing his thumb against her soft skin, as the newswoman came back on screen, replacing the footage of Maddie sobbing on the beach. "Although Madeline Lily has claimed everything is fine and that she is ending the first leg of her North American World tour early to take an impromptu break so she can get some rest and get an old knee injury under control, this footage suggests that maybe the recent reports that something is not right are in fact true. To top it off, this morning a source close to the star, wishing to remain anonymous, came forward claiming she is suffering from an untreated eating disorder and that her team is hoping they can get her the help she needs during this time off. Although she has been busy over the last four days rehearsing in Honolulu for the last minute concert tonight, which will air live on HBO, reviews of her last few shows have been dismal. After more than fifteen years being in the public eye and touring the world, it looks like it's finally getting to her. Our thoughts and prayers are with her during what appears to be a challenging time."
An uncomfortable silence descended over the room as the broadcast ended. No one knew what to say. Some glanced around at each other nervously while others looked at their hands.
"That was at the beach down the road, right?" Lori asked, breaking the silence. "I recognized the lifeguard tower in the distance."
Maddie was doing her best to act unfazed by Lori's question. "Yeah," she answered, her voice even and light, despite the poor state it was in. Years of being in the spotlight had taught her when to hide her embarrassment or discomfort.
"D-" Lori began, but then shook her head. "Nevermind."
Maddie knew she shouldn't say anything, that it was probably a trap, but she couldn't seem to help herself. "What?"
"No, at first I was going to ask how you walked there with your knee the way it is, but then I realized you didn't walk. Pete drove you," she responded.
Crap, Maddie thought as she went rigid.
Steve's jaw clenched in anger as realization dawned on him. "Maddie…"
"I really need to use the restroom," she said, ignoring Steve as she pulled her hand from his and scooted forward on the couch.
"Freeze," he stated, his voice hard.
She pushed his buttons on purpose at times, not listening to him and doing things she knew would drive him crazy. However, this was not one of those times. Hearing his tone she did as he demanded.
"Look at me," he ordered.
Maddie's eyes fluttered closed as she tried to prepare herself for what was to come. She opened them and slowly, and hesitantly, turned her head to the left to look at him. She began nibbling her bottom lip as she met his angry, fiery stare.
"Where was Pete?" Steve asked, hoping she was going to tell him that he'd been there and that the camera just hadn't gotten him. That his instinct was wrong and she hadn't taken off alone.
She thought about giving him some sort of smartass response, but she knew him well enough to know that it would only make him significantly angrier. And he was already really mad. Desperate for some help she glanced over at Pete. However, it was clear by the look on his face that he wasn't going to come to her aid this time. She'd scared the hell out of him that morning. He'd really been worried that she hadn't left voluntarily. Before she'd shown up he'd been preparing himself for Steve's reaction when he called him. His reaction to the fact that he'd let someone get to her. The person he cared about most in the world. The person he'd trusted him to take care of and keep safe. The love of his life and soulmate, even if he hadn't figured it out yet. So, no, he wasn't going to help her. She should never have taken off by herself, especially when she knew she had a stalker out there.
"Tell me Pete was with you," Steve said, his voice eerily level.
Maddie said nothing as she glanced down at her clasped hands. He was mad. Really mad. Even though he wasn't yelling, she knew it. She knew him. The only thing was, she didn't understand why this pissed him off more than when she'd taken off a few hours ago.
"What were you thinking?" he questioned, his voice rising.
This wasn't fair. Sure, she shouldn't have taken off, but she needed some space. She needed some time to herself. She was never alone and with everything that had been going on, she just needed some alone time. Some time to grieve and be upset about what he'd said to her; what he'd led her to believe only to take it back. To grieve for the friendship she knew was gone the second she realized she was in love with him. To grieve for him since she knew as soon as the three weeks were up she'd have to stay away to keep him safe. And she needed to do it when people weren't watching her every move. However, if I'd just stayed and gotten it out of my system here, then only a few people would have seen it instead of the entire world, she thought. She still couldn't believe that she hadn't seen the paparazzi follow her. She was so good at recognizing when she was being followed, no matter how sneaky they were. It was almost as if she had a sixth sense about it. I knew there had been one at that entrance when I first left.
They stared at one another while Steve waited for an answer. Finally she cleared her voice. "I just needed some time to myself."
She looked lost and confused, something he'd never seen before. The sound of her voice and the look in her eyes broke his heart, effectively calming him. It wasn't just that he was mad she took off when someone was after her, but that he was most likely the reason she was sobbing on that beach. He was mad at her, but he was madder at himself.
From her spot in the kitchen chair she'd pulled up and placed between the armchair Chin was sitting in and the side of the couch Doc was seated at, Kendall smiled. "Of course, she couldn't just leave her shoes on."
Fucking Kendall, Maddie cursed. Just as he was starting to calm down. As soon as the opportunity presented itself, Maddie was going to speak to Doc.
"Damn it, Madeline!" Steve cursed, shaking his head as he closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead with the fingers from his left hand. That's where the glass came from... why her foot's so infected, he fumed. "You're going to be the death of me, you know that?"
The words were already out of his mouth by the time he realized his mistake. Maddie's eyes quickly widened, the threats and vivid nightmares coming to mind. She could feel the prickle of tears as her heart pounded. However, she refused to cry. She was done crying. Especially in front of him. Or anyone for that matter. Her whole life she'd never been a crybaby and she wasn't about to start now (excluding the last week).
All the emotion and fear Steve had seen there only a second before was now completely gone, hidden behind the fortress she'd built. Damn it, he cursed. He'd put his foot in his mouth yet again. He didn't understand why he kept doing this. He'd never been this way, especially when it came to her.
Maddie quickly detached her brace from the ice tank. "I need to use the restroom," she said, her voice emotionless, as she pushed herself into a standing position.
"Be careful, Mads," Steve said as he quickly stood and reached for her hand to help steady her.
Her instinct was to pull it away, but she reminded herself she was supposed to be acting like everything was fine between them. "Thanks," she said, accepting his help.
Once Steve helped her away from the couch Tina handed her her crutches. "Thanks, T," she mumbled, placing them under her arms and leaning on them.
"You good?" Steve asked, hesitant to let go of her.
"Definitely," she smiled. Although she did her best to make it look genuine, he could tell it was forced. He could barely see the fear and pain behind it. The fear and pain she was trying to hide from him, pretending that it didn't exist.
Steve walked beside Maddie as she began crutching towards the restroom, wanting to be sure she was steady and wasn't going to fall. She hadn't said anything, but given that she'd only slept an hour, she still had to be feeling some of the effects of the pain medicine. As she was behind the couch only a short distance from the restroom, she paused and turned to him. "I'm good, Steve. Thanks!" She smiled at him, but he could still see through it.
"Alright," he responded. However, before he stepped back he leaned forward bringing his face next to hers. She struggled and fought her instinct to lean away. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that. They're just nightmares. That's all. Nothing's going to happen to me, okay?" He took a step back and met her eyes, hoping to see her understanding and forgiveness in them. Unfortunately, he didn't; they hadn't changed.
Maddie said nothing, only smiled before looking straight ahead and crutching the rest of the way to the bathroom.
Since the two were right behind him, Doc overheard Steve. Nightmares, he thought. So that's why she hasn't been sleeping. I wonder how long that's been going on? If it's the reason she's had difficulty sleeping the last few months or if it's more of a recent development? Pieces to the puzzle were beginning to fall into place. Before he flew back to Los Angeles, Doc wanted to grab a drink with Steve and talk. He made a mental note to bring up what he'd just heard.
His mind ventured back to the news report they'd just watched. He hadn't been aware that an anonymous source had come forward about an eating disorder. It was true, she'd struggled with it in the past, but it wasn't a problem now. And it was something he kept a close eye on.
There were only two people that knew about it. Obviously, he was one of them, and Ryan was the other. Pete and Tina didn't even know. I know Ryan didn't come forward, he thought. He would never do that. And it sure as hell wasn't me. He was worried that someone might have gotten into her private chart. It was the only thing he could think of. However, he kept it safely with him at all times. He wouldn't even let Kendall see it.
Doc watched Maddie, wishing they were alone so he could talk to her about how she was handling the incident. She'd always been adamant Steve never find out about it, so he imagined she was worried.
"Nice job, boss," Kono said once Maddie disappeared into the restroom, her voice dripping with sarcasm and irritation. She was getting tired of him hurting Maddie. The two women were incredibly close, like sisters, and they were very protective of each other.
"Thanks, Kono," Steve replied, his tone short and just as sarcastic.
"You must have a big mouth to constantly be fitting your foot in it," Danny quipped, frustrated with his partner's knack for consistently saying the wrong thing to Maddie. If Steve continued like this for much longer, Danny knew he could kiss his dream of a chilled out, married partner goodbye.
"Very funny, Danno," Steve responded as he glared at his partner.
"How many times have I told you not to call me that?" Danny snapped.
Doc couldn't help but smirk at the co-workers before saying, "We need to head back to our room. Looks like a couple crew might be coming down with what Maddie has. I'll be back in a couple hours to check on her. Let me know if she needs anything before then."
"Thank you, John," Steve said, grateful for his excellent care of her.
"Any time," the doctor smiled as he and Kendall left.
As Steve walked around the back of the couch to sit, his phone rang. Please don't be a case, he prayed as he pulled it from his pocket. Seeing it was Joe, he said, "Excuse me, I gotta take this. I'll be right outside." Everyone nodded as he placed the phone to his ear and walked towards the door. "Hello?" he answered just as he pulled the heavy door open and exited.
Chin had noticed Pete had been eyeing Tina since she walked in. Wonder what's going on there, he thought. It was obvious he was concerned about her so he decided to help him out. "Tina, take a load off," he smiled as he pointed to the spot on the couch Doc had just vacated.
She glanced at her watch. She really needed to run out for Maddie, however, she was so tired and her headache had gotten worse. I can spare a few minutes, she told herself. Plopping down onto the comfortable couch, she leaned her head back and closed her eyes as she sighed happily, grateful to be off her feet.
"Happy?" Kono asked, smiling at Tina.
"Uh huh," she nearly purred, not moving from her position. "Been a loooooonnngggg four days."
"I can't even imagine," Danny answered.
"Going pee with this thing on is not exactly the easiest thing to do. Then throw in the crutches," Maddie announced as she crutched out of the bathroom. "It's a miracle I didn't fall in." She immediately noticed that Steve was gone. She wouldn't admit it, even to herself, but when she walked into a room he was always the first person she looked for.
"I gotta be honest, I do not envy you right now, Mads," Danny told her, flashing her a look of sympathy.
"I don't envy myself right now either," she laughed as she made her way back to the couch. She wondered where Steve went.
"I have to say, I'd forgotten how awful and awkward it was to be in that brace," Kono said.
"That is until you saw clumsy 'ole me?" Maddie joked.
"Yes," Kono laughed. "Brings back horrible memories!"
"I gotta tell you guys, this is not a club I wish I was or had been a part of," Lori said. "Nor do I hope to be a future member!"
"It's a club I wish no one was a member of," Maddie stated.
"Except for maybe Kendall," Ryan said having just walked in and heard their conversation. He plopped down on the sofa in the spot Steve had vacated.
"Ryan! That's so mean!" Maddie tried to chastise, although she wasn't able to pull it off and began laughing. Tina and Ryan joined in, Tina's head still leaned back against the couch, her eyes closed.
"I think we're missing something," Chin stated, meeting Danny's eyes.
"Kendall's a bitch," Ryan stated, causing Maddie and Tina to laugh harder, which triggered one of Maddie's coughing spasms. "Sorry, Mads," Ryan said, as he began patting her back.
"I have to say, I just barely met her and I am not a fan," Lori said. She was trying to become closer to not only her team, but also Maddie. Not only did she know that making an effort with Maddie would win her points with Steve, but she seemed cool and it never hurt to have more friends.
I bet you weren't, Ryan thought, remembering how Kendall had flirted shamelessly with Steve,
"I think we're gonna be great friends," Maddie stated, yawning.
"I don't get why you guys dislike her so much," Pete said, finally joining the conversation.
"If you only knew," Ryan mumbled, effectively earning him a sharp elbow from Maddie.
"That's because you're a guy," Tina stated, her tone unintentionally sharp. "Put a hot girl in front of a guy and it doesn't matter whether she's a nice person or not, they're alllllllllll about her." She held the word 'all' in a slightly sing-song manner, emphasizing it. She raised her head from the back of the couch when she felt Maddie inconspicuously nudge her. Crap, she thought realizing she let her emotions get to her again. Trying to cover her slip, she met Pete's confused look. "I mean, you've seen her with the crew. The way they are with her."
Pete eyed her curiously. Her comment about hot girls and guys seemed a little off.
Knowing she needed to save Tina from digging herself an even bigger hole, Maddie asked, "Did Stephenie want me to call her back?"
Thankful for the subject change, Tina turned to her. "At first, yes. But she changed her mind. She just wanted you to see the broadcast so you know what to expect from the press at the afterparty Friday."
"Okay. Thanks, T." Her hand went to her mouth as she coughed several times, wincing at the pain it in her throat and in her sore muscles.
"Stephenie has Heather and the rest of the PR team working on damage control. Before you do press, she'll brief you on how they think you should handle the questions."
"Sounds super fun," Maddie joked, sniffling in between sentences. She was having an incredibly difficult time breathing through her nose. "I can hardly wait."
"Happy to be getting a vacation?" Lori asked.
"That's a tough question," Maddie answered. "Yes and no. I'm excited, but also worried I won't know what to do with myself. I can't tell you the last time I had more than two weeks off."
"Have you ever had more than two weeks off?" Kono quipped.
Maddie thought back over the years. "You know, I don't think I have. Not since I was 14," she chuckled. "Is that sad?"
"Yes, it really is," Danny bluntly stated.
Maddie smiled at him. "You know, I like you. You're a good time." She paused. "And, I bet you drive Steve crazy at times!" She giggled at the thought, easily picturing it.
Chin, Kono, and Lori joined her laughter.
"At times?" Chin asked incredulously. "More like all the time."
"I drive him crazy?" Danny cried. "He drives me crazy! Plus, I'm the one that gets shot at almost daily because of him."
Maddie tried, and succeeded, to pretend that his last statement didn't worry or bother her. Well, that's not gonna help the nightmares, she thought sarcastically. "It can be kind of fun to push his buttons and fluster him though, right?"
"I like you more and more, Madeline!" Danny smiled widely. "You and I are going to be great friends!"
"Why thank you, Daniel!" she grinned back.
Danny sighed, glancing at his watch. "Well, I hate to break up our conversation just as I feel we could begin to plot against Super SEAL, but I'm picking Rachel up before we get Gracie from school. Our plotting and bonding over driving Steve crazy will just have to wait until later."
"Okay," Maddie smiled. She really did like Danny. She could tell they'd be good friends.
He stood. "I'll be back later with both. And let me just tell you, they could not be more excited. In fact, I think Rachel is more excited to see your show than she was to marry me," he joked.
"I highly doubt that!" Maddie said. She didn't know what was going on between Danny and his ex-wife or what had happened, but given the brief, strange looks that both Kono and Chin got, she had a feeling there was something she was missing. She'd have to ask Steve about it later.
As Danny walked towards the door, she called out to him, "Please tell them I'm looking forward to seeing them!"
"Will do," he said as he stopped at the exit. "Be sure to keep Rambo on his toes while I'm gone, will ya?"
Maddie giggled, a genuine, dimply smile gracing her pale and tired face. "Now that I can do!"
"Good girl," he responded as he walked out of the dressing room.
"Well, on that note... I need to make a round of the arena, make sure everything's okay. Plus, I gotta make sure everyone's doing their jobs," Pete said, smiling, as he rose. "That no one's crashed out of exhaustion." He looked to Tina. "T, when you leave the arena, take someone from the security team with you."
Tina met his eyes and nodded. That's weird, she thought. He's never insisted I do that before.
"Good," he smiled at her before turning to look at Maddie, a serious expression on his face. "Stay put in this room. No shenanigans." He paused, his eyebrows arched as he continued giving her a stern look. "I mean it."
"Yes, daddy," she mocked.
He tried to keep from smiling as he shook his head slightly. "Call me if you need me. Mo's outside and you have three members of Hawaii's elite law enforcement team."
"I know the routine, P," Maddie said, sniffling as she tried to breathe through her congested nose. "Relax, I'll be fine." She chose not to give him too much grief since she knew he was worried her stalker would try something again.
"Okay. I'll be back in a little bit."