DISCLAIMER: I do not own "Hawaii Five-O" or any of its characters. I do, however, own Maddie, Pete, Tina, Carl, Mo, the stalker, etc.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hello everyone! Thank you sooo sooo much for all your reviews! I really appreciate it! I knew you'd like the way it ended.

In regards to this update... I am not making Five-O or Steve look like idiots... I am simply giving them an adversary that is just as good as them. It'll make for a very interesting story and case. So, please, keep that in mind. Throughout the entire story, I've slowly been adding in hints to why the stalker is as good as he is. And I will continue to do so. There are quite a few hints about it in this update.

THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND FOR THIS UPDATE...

1. Refresh your memory about the roller-skates incident. When Maddie's skates were tampered with in Ch.26 (the end) and the beginning of Ch.27.

2. Like always, thoughts are in italics.

5. In this update, hand-written notes are in bold.

Thanks again for all the feedback and for simply reading my story! You guys are the best!

Enjoy!

xoxo

DivaLola

Chapter 36

Part 7

Steve sat at the small, round table in Maddie's dressing room smiling. She'd let him in. She'd admitted that she was scared, which upset him because he knew she was saying she wasn't scared that their relationship would change but scared of him hurting her again. She was expecting him to, which bothered him. And made him feel guilty. He shouldn't be the one hurting her, and she shouldn't be expecting him to. But he knew that was on him. He'd hurt her more than once since she'd been home.

He sighed, the box of fan mail untouched in front of him. He recalled the many things he'd done. Sure, they were small, or most of them, a comment here, a comment there. However, he knew that the fact he met Lori after he'd been on top of Maddie making out had upset her more than she'd admitted. While she'd told him to go, he should have made her listen to him when he tried to explain the nature of their relationship.

He'd had a lot of time over the last three days to think. Figure out why he'd done the things he'd done, why he'd said the things he'd said. It had all started that night in the movie theatre. When he realized he was having very un-friend-like feelings for his best friend. So, he'd kissed her. And it was that moment that changed everything. It was then that things got crazy and weird.

He hadn't been prepared for the intensity of the desire he had felt at the first taste of her. He'd felt the same, actually more, when he'd simply kissed her moments before. What had been desire and want had rapidly turned to need. As he'd kissed her, he felt like he wouldn't survive if he stopped, if he couldn't have more. It was terrifying. He'd never felt anything remotely close to that.

When he'd realized he was going to lose her because of that fear, it became easier to ignore. The fear of losing her was worse, stronger, more debilitating, than the fear of change. However, it didn't mean he still wasn't freaked out that he'd just kissed his best friend, and liked it. No, LOVED it!

He knew Maddie had every right to be upset. He'd messed up. And, she had every right to be afraid he'd hurt her again. He couldn't, and wouldn't, blame her for expecting it. Instead, he'd just have to prove her wrong. And I will, he thought.

"What's going on? What happened with Tina?" Kono asked, surprising her boss.

Steve forced his thoughts of Maddie to the backburner and focused on Kono and Lori. "Pete received a text from the psycho after Maddie," he said, his voice softer than usual on the off chance Maddie was awake and could hear them.

"What?" Kono cried in shock as she and Lori sat at the table.

"Shh," Steve immediately admonished. "She's asleep." With his head, he motioned backwards to the closed door.

"Right. Sorry, boss," Kono apologized.

"So, Pete got a text?" Lori asked. The profiler in her wanted as much knowledge as possible to try and understand the man after Maddie.

"Yeah."

"What'd it say?" she questioned.

"It was a picture of Tina getting out of the car," he answered. "Attached was, 'She's beautiful, isn't she?'"

"A picture?" Kono stated, trying to wrap her mind around what Steve was telling them. "A recent picture?"

"Taken today, while running errands," Steve soberly divulged, his expression matching his tone.

"That doesn't make any sense! Why Tina? Maddie wasn't even with her. Why was he following her?" Kono asked. The questions weren't really directed at anyone in particular. She was more just trying to wrap her head around this new information.

"I know," Steve replied. He was surprised by the stalker's move just as much as she was. He hadn't been expecting it.

Lori sighed as she remained silent, her mind whirling as she took the new information and readjusted the psychological profile she'd begun making on the stalker.

"What?" Steve asked, sensing her thoughts. She was quiet, hesitant to give her opinion on the stalker's new move. "Spit it out, Lori," he said, his tone harsher than intended. "Sorry," he immediately apologized. "I'm just tense."

"I understand," she replied. She took a deep breath, gathering her thoughts. "This new move suggests that, yes, while Maddie is his primary target, there's a lot more to this than just wanting her. She's most likely his endgame. I wasn't expecting this from him. We knew he was smart and precise, but this changes things." She paused, watching and gauging Steve's reaction. "This is a lot worse than I originally thought. And I was already really concerned."

Silence descended on the room as they digested Lori's professional opinion. Finally, she asked, "What did Tina say? Did she notice anyone following her?"

Steve unconsciously wet his bottom lip before speaking. "We haven't asked her anything. She was in bad shape when they brought her back." He relayed how Chin and Pete found her and what Doc had said. "Plus, we didn't want to scare her... More importantly, I don't want it getting back to Maddie. She'd be upset if she knew. In fact, she'd probably push us all away, convinced she's putting everyone she cares about in danger." He paused, rubbing his right index finger along the skin above his mouth. He sighed, dropping his hand. "It's imperative she never finds out. If that means Tina can't know either, so be it."

"But what if Tina saw something? What if it'll help us get a step closer to this asshole?" Kono questioned, her anger and anxiety apparent.

"I know, but we're just gonna have to risk it," Steve answered.

"But Boss, she could have the lead we've been looking for. The lead that could end this," Kono argued passionately.

"No," he nearly bellowed. His voice was hard, his face stony, and his eyes angry. The tone he used to speak the one word let them know his decision had been made and there wasn't anything they could say to change it.

A tense silence hung in the air. They understood why Steve had made the decision he had, but they both knew if it had been anyone except Maddie, he would have made the opposite call. However, neither voiced that observation.

He knew his coworkers were just trying to help, and although they were right, Tina should be interviewed, he just couldn't risk Maddie finding out about the threat to Tina. He was afraid she'd run.

Feeling slightly guilty for the way he'd just handled things, Steve came up with an idea. "How about this?" He paused, taking a deep breath before releasing it as a sigh. "You two chat with Tina when you have a chance. Find a way to bring up her errands. See if you can't find anything out without her realizing your interviewing her. Be inconspicuous about it. Don't let her realize you're fishing. Do what women do best,-" He smirked. "Girl talk."

"I wish that hadn't just been wasted on us," Kono laughed, her eyes twinkling. "Lieutenant Commander Steven McGarrett telling us to have girl talk."

"Are you guys going to just sit there and laugh at me, or are you going to help?" He motioned towards the untouched box.

"Fan mail?" Lori asked, knowing they'd barely made a dent in it the day before.

"Yes," he answered as he tossed them each a pair of gloves. "I'm gonna do a little background on the eight new security members Mads hired four months ago. Pete said they check out, but couldn't hurt to double check. However, I'm sure they're all clean."

Once their hands were gloved, Kono and Lori each took a stack of letters and began reading them while Steve opened his laptop and got to work.

He'd been silently lying in the vent directly above the table listening to Steve and his coworkers discuss trying to find him. He smiled menacingly, knowing every "lead" they had he'd purposely left behind to stall and confuse them. Who's better now, McGarrett? he thought arrogantly.

Knowing he needed to continue on if he wanted time with Maddie, he slithered soundlessly through the ventilation system until he came to the vent in the room she was sleeping in. Pulling a tool from his back pocket, he quietly unscrewed the vent and hopped down without making a single sound. He smiled cockily knowing Steve was in the next room and had no idea she was no longer alone only made his visit that much more gratifying. McGarrett's not the only one with tricks, he thought.

He took off the small bag strapped to his back and silently set it on the carpeted floor. His eyes glowed with happiness as he walked towards the bed, his eyes glued to the love of his life.

He eyed the amount of space between the side of the bed and Maddie, debating whether it would disturb her if he sat. Deciding there was enough space that it wouldn't jostle her, he slowly sat, his eyes never leaving her.

His forehead wrinkled as he studied her closely. She's so pale, he thought, concerned. He hated to see her like this. Sure, she hadn't been herself for months, ever since he'd begun contacting her and scaring her, but this was the worst she'd looked. He hated that he was partly to blame for her current state, but knew that it had to be this way. He had to break her down, make her realize she couldn't count on McGarrett, that she truly was alone. He knew once she did, then it'd be easier to get her to come to him on her own. He already knew she had feelings for him. It had been obvious from the first moment they'd met. However, Steve had always been there, in the way. He had to take care of that first.

Sure, it would be easier just to kill him, get it over with. But that wasn't as much fun. Plus, that wasn't the plan. He wanted to show everyone that McGarrett wasn't all that special. If anyone was special, it was him. He was better than Steve; people were just blind, and stupid. More importantly, he wanted to show McGarrett that he was better than him. Always had been. Always would be.

It wasn't just Steve he wanted to prove he was better than. It was all of them. They'd always thought they were so much better than him, so much more talented.

He froze, unconsciously holding his breath as Maddie moved slightly in her sleep. Her hand rose to her mouth as she coughed several times and he winced at how painful it sounded.

He hated that she was sick and in so much pain. And he hated to see her suffering. Of course, part of that was his fault, but she hadn't listened. He needed to teach her to obey. He'd messed with her roller-skates because she'd needed to be punished. He hadn't felt good about it, but he had to do what he had to do. She'll understand someday that I did it for her, he told himself. I only want what's best for her.

She moaned in her sleep, obviously in some kind of discomfort. He itched to touch her, to feel her soft skin beneath his roughened fingers. He reached a gloved hand out towards her face. However, at the last moment he froze. From all the times he'd watched her sleep, he knew when she was in a deep sleep, and she was in one now. However, he knew he couldn't risk it. Eventually, he thought, I'll be able to touch her all I want. He took a deep breath. Patience, he reminded himself. He'd been planning this too long to let his love for her cloud his judgement and risk the plan.

He sat there, frozen as a statue, simply watching Maddie sleep for fifteen minutes. He knew he should leave, that he was pushing his luck, especially with Steve and two members of Five-O in the next room, but he wasn't ready to leave her. Plus, it was a thrill to know he was sitting a foot away from her while Steve stood guard not fifty feet away.

He watched Maddie begin to move slightly in her sleep. Small movements at first. Her brow wrinkled as a frown formed on her beautiful face. He smirked, knowing exactly what was happening. He was happy she was taking his threats seriously enough that she was having nightmares, and had been for months.

He quickly, and soundlessly, stood as her thrashing became more violent. He couldn't risk her accidentally bumping him. He knew she'd definitely wake if that happened.

Time to go, he thought unhappily. He knew the nightmare would be waking her soon, and he needed to be gone by then.

He walked around the side of the bed, knowing exactly how to distribute his weight to make absolutely no sound. Steve's not the only one, he thought arrogantly.

He squatted down, opening the small bag he'd brought with him. With a gloved hand, he pulled a small box out. Standing, he watched Maddie softly whimper. Definitely time to go, he mused as he placed the small box at the foot of the bed.

Without taking his eyes from her, he lifted the bag and attached it securely to his back. He licked his lips in yearning as he took a good long last look of her. He already knew every feature, every freckle, every scar, but he still took her in as if he was memorizing everything about her. "See you soon beautiful," he whispered before jumping and grabbing hold of the open vent. Most would have made some kind of noise, but he'd been trained, and trained by the best.

Inside the ceiling, he screwed the vent back into place and returned the small screwdriver to his back pocket. He laid there for several seconds, feeling the depression already setting in. He hated being away from her. That was the hardest part about his plan. He was miserable without her. Soon enough, he thought.

Reminding himself of his plan and why he wasn't just taking Maddie eased the gloomy feeling and reinvigorated him with a sense of revenge. Although he wanted to know what McGarrett and his team were saying, he knew he didn't have the time. Steve would hear Maddie any minute. Slowly, and soundlessly, he began slithering through the ventilation system in the opposite direction of Maddie's dressing room.

It took only two minutes before he lowered himself out of a vent in a small supply closet. He secured the vent before stripping himself of the special, black jumpsuit he wore. It was made from a material that made it easier for him to do what he'd just done and not make a sound. He rolled it up and placed it in the bottom of his bag.

Underneath the suit were the clothes he wore to enter the arena. Boot cut jeans and a black t-shirt with the word "Crew" in white lettering on the back. Leaving his gloves on, he pulled the special shoes off and placed them in the bag with the jumpsuit before pushing his socked feet in the work boots.

He took the last item from the bag, a small case. Opening it, he took the shaggy haired red wig and matching mustache out and put them on. Not surveying it as a risk, he'd left the nearly violet colored contacts in when visiting Maddie.

Quietly, and quickly, he snapped open the large Road Runner touring case he'd left next to the side wall. "Madeline Lily" was stenciled in white on the front. He placed his small bag inside before latching the case closed. Although the case was identical to the hundreds Maddie toured with, right down to the stencil font she used, it was his. For months he'd been using it as a prop as well as a way to carry items a crew member shouldn't have. For example, the contents in the small bag he had. Whenever he could, he'd been on tour with Maddie, disguising himself as a crew member. He'd made sure that the identity he'd created had been thorough, knowing it would have to hold up to Pete's extensive background search. Luckily, he knew not only exactly what he was doing, but also what Pete would look into when doing a background check. He smiled, nearly laughing out loud, at the memory of being hired, knowing he'd fooled Pete.

He'd socialized, only as much as needed, with other crew members, knowing if he avoided everyone and kept to himself, that it would garner unwanted attention. However, he'd made sure to avoid security as much as possible. Mainly a handful of the original eight members. Although he was confident in his disguise, he didn't want to risk them recognizing him. Of course, he didn't avoid them completely as that would have also brought unwanted attention and questions. Instead, he interacted with them only when necessary and always chose those times when everyone was so busy with a task that their full attention wouldn't be on him.

He gave himself a quick once over with a small mirror in his pocket, making sure the wig and mustache were perfectly in place, before slipping the official Madeline Lily All Access Crew Pass over his head. Grabbing two unopened packs of napkins from a shelf with one hand, he grabbed the Road Runner case with the other and exited the closet.

"Sup, Gunner," Dax, another crew member, greeted as he exited.

"Hey," he replied, walking with him down the hallway.

"What were you doing in there?"

"Gladys needed more napkins and since I was going this way I told her I'd take care of it," he explained.

"Oh Gladys! Her cooking's the best!" Dax exclaimed. "Just another great thing about working for Maddie!"

"What? The cooking?" he asked as they continued down another hallway.

"Well, yeah, but that she doesn't spare expenses with things other artists do. She doesn't feed us crappy food." He paused, smiling. "Just one of those things that says a lot about the kind of person she is."

"That's for sure," he agreed. Just one of the reasons I love her, he thought.

"Well, this is me," Dax said, as they reached a section with several hallways jutting off in different directions.

"See ya later," he smiled, motioning with his head.

"For sure!" Dax responded. "Tell Gladys I'm looking forward to dinner!" He laughed as he disappeared down a hallway.

With the case in one hand and the large packs of napkins in the other, he continued to make his way to the main room. Once inside, he approached Gladys. "For the pretty lady," he joked, grinning charmingly.

"Thanks so much, Gunner," Gladys smiled. "Saved me a trip!"

"Not a problem!" he replied. "Like I said, I was heading that way anyway." There was a slight pause before he continued, "Well, I gotta get back to work, but I'll see you later!'

"Of course! Don't want to hold you up. It's a busy day. Big show tonight!" she responded.

"That's for sure!" He smiled and began towards the exit. "Oh, I almost forgot." He turned around as he continued walking. "Dax wanted me to tell you that he's looking forward to dinner."

"When isn't he thinking about food?" Gladys laughed.

"Very true," he chuckled and turned back around.

As he reached the exit, he nodded to Adam in greeting, once again stationed at the door. The security member returned the gesture while quickly eyeing the badge around his neck. He knew Gunner, but it was still his job to check.

Although the crowd was screaming and roaring in approval, Maddie couldn't see them from the stage. Unlike all the other times, the thrilled and enthusiastic audience wasn't exciting her. In fact, she didn't even notice them. All she was aware of was her pounding heart, and not because she'd been running around and dancing. She wasn't experiencing the adrenaline rush she normally did either. Instead, she felt unadulterated fear.

She could feel him. Feel his eyes on her. Although she couldn't see him, she knew he was there, looming in the shadows. She knew he wasn't there to watch the show, but to punish her. He'd warned her to stay away from Steve, and she hadn't listened.

With her mouth dry, she spun forward onto the catwalk as she sang and danced. As she hit the conveyor belt in the center, she immediately realized it was going too fast. Oh no, not again, she thought, just as it came to a screeching halt. The sudden change threw her off balance and she went flying forward, falling to the stage.

She knew it hadn't been an accident, just like the flying disc at the beginning had suddenly plummeted several feet, scaring the hell out of her. Or just like the stand she leaned against as she was raised high above the stage had been loose. There were countless other things that had gone wrong, all of which she knew had been warnings. He could've done more in each scenario, making them more dangerous and life threatening, but he hadn't.

Maddie could feel herself begin to panic. Her breathing quickened as she let the fear begin to consume her. More than anything she wanted to stop the show and run off stage. She wanted to beg to whomever it was she could feel watching her. Beg for him to stop. That if he'd only stop, if he'd only promise to leave Steve alone than she'd do whatever he wanted. Just as she dropped to her knees to do just that, she looked out and saw Steve in the VIP section. She met his gorgeous eyes as he sent her an encouraging smile. "You're safe. I've got you," he mouthed. She immediately felt her courage come back as the fear began to subside.

Suddenly she found herself at the part of the show where she was harnessed and raised above the audience. The words Steve had mouthed echoed in her head, keeping her calm. He's not going to let him hurt me, or him. He's not going to let him destroy us. I'm safe. He's safe… she thought.

Dangling high in the air, she looked down to find Steve again, just wanting to see his face. Her stomach dropped and her heart stopped as she saw him lying in a pool of his own blood. She met his eyes again, however this time they sent her no message. They were glassy and lifeless as they bored into her. It was as if they were silently telling her, "You killed me. This is your fault. I'm dead because of you."

She couldn't breathe. There was no air. She gasped for breath as tears rolled down her face. She wanted to scream, to cry out for him, but nothing would come out as she continued to fly over the crowd. However, she saw no one but Steve, dead below her.

"You should have listened to me," a creepy male voice suddenly said to her. She glanced around, looking for the source of the voice, but there was no one. "He's dead because of you. You killed him." Suddenly, both wires snapped and she plummeted.

"No," Maddie whispered, as she shot up in bed, her eyes wide in fear. She glanced around the room, tears streaming down her face as she struggled for air. "Steve?" she whispered. She didn't see his body anymore. And where was the stage? Where'd the screaming crowd go? She couldn't hear them anymore.

Her eyes frantically darted around the room. Where the hell am I? she wondered, gasping for air. She saw a small table to the left and a bag she recognized, sitting on top of it. The fog began to slowly clear as she began recognizing her surroundings.

"It was just a dream," she whispered, her immense relief obvious. She squeezed her eyes shut, pursing her lips as she tried to force the nightmare away. It had felt so real. Her chin and bottom lip quivered and her stomach churned at the memory. With her breathing still rapid and abnormal, she began coughing. Deep, painful coughs that sliced at her sore throat and aching muscles.

You gotta calm down, Mads, she told herself, knowing if she continued to cough the way she was, Steve would hear and come in to check on her. She couldn't let him see her like this. She didn't want him knowing about the nightmare.

Closing her eyes, she focused on every muscle in her body. By concentrating, she was able to slowly relax each individual muscle one by one. In turn, her breathing began to normalize. Silent tears still slid down her face.

She coughed and sniffled a few times before slowly opening her eyes. Although outwardly she appeared much calmer, her stomach was still in knots, causing a familiar nauseous aching feeling in it.

Maddie yawned, still exhausted. She wasn't exactly sure how long she'd slept, all she knew was that she wouldn't be getting any more. There was no way she'd be able to fall back asleep now. She shook her head, frustrated with herself and the fact she was letting the fear affect her so immensely.

"What the...?" she murmured as she caught sight of the small object on the other side of the foot of the bed. Seeing it was a small gift, she furrowed her brow wondering where it'd come from. Knowing Steve was in the next room and that he wouldn't have let anyone near her while she slept, her only logical guess was that it was from him. She nibbled her bottom lip as a small smile tugged at her mouth.

Anxious to discover what was inside, Maddie quickly pulled the tube from her knee brace, immediately turning the machine off. With her right leg still in the brace, she maneuvered herself awkwardly across the bed so she could reach it.

She picked the small box up carefully, as if it were a priceless object that would disintegrate if she let go or dropped it. Her smile grew, her dimples appearing, at the thought Steve had come in and left her a gift just to make her smile.

She tugged at the end of the white satin ribbon and then lifted the top off. Her brow furrowed at the small piece of paper folded inside. With her heart racing from excitement, she opened the paper. A tiny little plastic bag fell to her lap. Before looking at its contents, she wanted to read the note. Her heart dropped as she read the two sentences. I thought you'd learned your lesson already. Have a good show… Quickly she glanced at the tiny bag in her lap. With her heart pounding, she set the paper down and picked up the bag. She dumped the contents into her hand. "Screws?" she muttered, confused. However, it took only a split second for it to dawn on her. Her mouth went dry. They were the missing screws from her roller skates.

The terror she'd felt in her nightmare returned full force as she stuffed everything back into the tiny box. Where did this come from? How did it get in here? she wondered.

As silent tears rolled down her face, Maddie's eyes darted around the room nervously, looking for any sign someone had been there. However, deep down she knew there would be none. The only sign was in her hands.

She knew where the box had come from. She knew somehow, he'd been in the room with her while she slept. While Steve was in the next room. A shiver shot through her body.

It became harder to breathe as the realization that she wasn't safe, that Steve couldn't keep her safe, hit her like a ton of bricks. However, that wasn't what had her scrambling to her feet and stuffing the box in a secret pouch inside the small bag she kept in her duffel. It was the fact that if he could get to her with all her security and with Steve and Five-O there, then he could get to anyone at any time. Which meant Steve wasn't safe. Not if she was anyone near him. Her stomach flip-flopped as the nausea increased.

Still in her knee brace, she hurriedly hobbled to the adjoining bathroom. She teetered and tottered as she rushed inside, closing the door behind her and flicking the lock on both that door and the other one connecting the bathroom to her dressing room's main room. She flipped the sink on full blast before dropping to the floor in an awkward and very uncomfortable heap directly in front of the toilet. She made it just in time to lean over and lose what little food was in her stomach as her mind whirled and the terror mounted.