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AvalonReeseFanFics

A/N: Alright, so guys here we are. A lot more drama in this chapter, you guys seem to really like the direction I'm taking Wo Fat and I'm glad. To be honest I was worried about it but it seems to be going well. And you're going to see some more of that typical cute stuff between Rowan and Wo Fat in this chapter too. Don't worry though, in three chapters Rowan and Steve will be reunited. Mostly. We're also on our way to crowning a winner for the One Shot Christmas Contest. For those who were having issues picking a story line I've left some possible stories for you to pick from at the end of this chapter. As a reminder, if you're a guest please use the same nickname for each submission. When you're giving me your one shot ideas, please use the same one, if you think of something you'd like better, simply tell me which story you're most interested in seeing. So I know which one you want the most. Also, we're dangerously close to your secondary surprise. I'll update you on that as soon as possible! See you guys on Tuesday!

Chapter 35

"We need to talk."

No. No they didn't. Wo Fat had gotten Rowan back to the compound. She had cried herself sore. She cried and screamed so hard she started coughing up blood. She fought him. She lashed out, she kicked him, scratched him, and bit him. He struggled with her. He struggled because he didn't want to hurt her but she wouldn't stop. He struggled because they were doing so well. She had almost been there she had wanted to be with him. To stay, almost. And just seeing Steve had derailed all his hard work so fast that he didn't know what to do.

He had to carry her through the hallway. He had to carry her while she screamed and coughed and his subordinated watched on with curious concern. He dropped her in her cell. Left two of her pills with her, a first aid kit for skin that had been scrapped off of her when she hit the asphalt and then slammed the door shut.

He walked away listening to her cries, her sobs and her wet hacking coughs slowly fade behind him. He couldn't bear to go back until she was calmer. He didn't know how to phrase this. Didn't know how to make this right or better again.

But coming in the following morning with her breakfast and being told that they needed to talk was not what he needed or wanted to hear that morning.

Wo Fat dropped the tray on her lap. "There's nothing to discuss."

"Yes there is!" she shouted putting the tray down on her bed and jumping up to her feet. "You can't keep me. I'm not a pet!"

Wo Fat turned to her. "And what are you returning to?" he shot back and she blinked her eyes. "Do you really think that your home is with Steve? Catherine lives with him now. Did you know that? It took all of three days for him to decide he'd rather have her. He does not want you. Not the way you want him. You have no home. You have nothing."

Rowan recoiled like he had slapped her and Wo Fat found that he was taking one step back and then another. He didn't how that look on her face made him feel. For the first time he truly felt like the low down disgusting criminal that he was.

Rowan's sorrow faded away, that tearful gaze became a pointed mask of rage. "I don't care how long it takes. I will fight you. Day and night until you either let me go or kill me. I will make your life hell. Do you understand? HELL!"

Wo Fat bent his head. Alright, he deserved that.

"Can't do much if you're locked in here," he told her and then stormed away and slammed the door. Until she calmed down. Until she wasn't angry with him. Once he was certain she had given up. Only then would he allow her out. Only then could she stop being his prisoner.

H5O-H5O-H5O-H5O

Steve sat in the hospital trying to focus on the pain in his shoulder and not the pain in his chest. The doctor stood beside him ready to put his shoulder back in place. Danny was waiting for him in the waiting room.

"Okay. On three, right?" Steve asked.

"That's right," the Doctor said holding his hand.

Steve tried not to grimace. He knew this was going to hurt. But it couldn't be worse than the guilt he was feeling.

"Okay. One… two… … … … Three."

On three the doctor swung his limb back and his shoulder popped back into place with a terrible cracking. Steve groaned with displeasure momentarily blinded by the pain.

"I got it, I got it, I got it," he said and the doctor patted his shoulder causing him to cry out in pain. It was like staff here were into hurting him more. Must have been Alex's doing.

He sat on the cot a little longer. He didn't want to move. Not because his shoulder hurt, because it did. It was just a low dull throbbing now. No, he didn't want to face Danny. He had crashed the Camaro and stopped Danny from going to the Pro Football game. He was the worst friend in the world.

"You are not going to believe this," Danny cried walking into his room. "Catherine and Kono are down on the sidelines of the fucking field. I can't believe we missed this."

Steve winced again. He'd have to find a way to make this up to Danny. "I'm sorry man," Steve said but Danny wasn't listening and, instead, was talking again.

"This is ridiculous. This is, without a doubt, the worst day of my life. You crashed the Camaro—," "—I said I was sorry, Danny." "And now I've missed the Pro Bowl because you couldn't walk around the escalator like a regular human being."

Steve hung his head. "I said I was sorry Danny," he repeated, hoping this time Danny would hear him. "I am. I'm sorry I crashed the Camaro, though to be fair half the damage was caused by Rowan. And I'm sorry you missed the Pro Bowl. I am. I'm sorry."

Danny looked him up and down. He watched as Steve rotated his shoulder as if trying to shift some of the pain out of it.

"Are you doing alright, man?" Danny asked.

Steve looked up, one of his eyebrows cocked in surprise. "I mean, it hurts. But I'll be okay," he answered.

"Yeah, I figured that. I mean… you know… about Rowan. Are you doing alright?" he asked.

Steve had to actually think about it a bit. It had been jarring to pull up to that car and find that it was Rowan at the wheel. Firstly, it surprised him that Rowan even knew how to drive. She had never asked him to help her get a licence. When it never came up he figured she didn't know how and he was fine with forever driving her around. Secondly, when she slammed the car into them he realized that she knew defensive moves. Thirdly, she out fucking maneuvered him. He swung in to run her off the road and she braked the car and he missed it. Which was how he crashed Danny's car.

He had gotten out of the car when he heard Rowan calling his name. He had gotten out in time to watch Wo Fat tackle his poor girl to the ground. He got up gun drawn but he couldn't shoot Wo Fat if he was holding Rowan in front of him. Wo Fat had no problems with shoot at him though leaving him no choice but to take cover behind the car door.

Lastly, nothing broke his heart more than sprinting down that highway and seeing her stricken face in the back window of that Audi disappear down the highway no matter how fast he ran.

"No, I'm not alright," Steve whispered. "It's stupid. I know. But I failed her and I failed you."

"Okay, stop it. Don't worry about me. The car is fixable and I'm sure I'll eventually forgive you for the Pro Bowl," Danny said, his hands moving back and forth like they did when he got passionate about something. "As for Rowan. You didn't fail her either. We did everything we could. You did everything you could. You don't think she saw you running after that car? Come on, Babe."

Steve glanced away but Danny kept on talking. "I'll tell you one thing though. When we get her back I'm going to have words with her. Just you wait. Fucking driving like she's a defensive lineman. Where the hell did she even learn to do that, huh?"

Steve couldn't help but laugh at that. It was true. He did want to know where Rowan learned to handle a car like that. Most people found it hard to control cars going at fast speeds but she seemed to be at relative ease behind the wheel. Just another thing to add to the list to eventually talk to her about.

"I'm gonna get set up and then we'll head out, okay?" Steve said and Danny nodded, leaving him alone in the room.

Steve glanced to his phone. He needed to do something for Danny. Something to make him smile. To show him how much Steve appreciated having a friend like him. So he picked up his phone and dialed one number.

"Hey Cath, I need to ask you for a favour."

H5O-H5O-H5O-H5O

The door opened and Rowan looked up. Juan Carlos stood there, he stared at her with such pity that it made her stomach turn. She looked away from him even though she heard him come closer. She slid away from him when he came to sit beside her on her bed.

"He's gone out for the night," Juan told her. "And he took my uncle with him."

Rowan glared at him. "Yeah? We gonna break out?"

The look on Juan's face was answer enough, she scoffed with disgust and turned away from him. "I know it's not the answer you want to hear, but you have to understand. He'd kill me, Ro, would you want that?"

No. She wouldn't. But she didn't want to give Juan the satisfaction of answering. "And while it's not as great as getting you home to your precious McGarrett, we still have karaoke night set up, so if you're down to party we're ready for you."

Rowan looked at him. Poor stupid Juan Carlos he didn't know what was going to hit him. Instead she smiled widely at him, trying not to show how excited she really was. "It's McGarrett and sure, let's go."

She let him lead her down the hallways to the courtyard. There was a stage done up with twinkling fairy lights. A guitar was awaiting her right by the karaoke machine and the mic.

"We've sung our songs and we were wondering if you'd be willing to sing one of your own songs," he said. "You know… the one you've been practicing."

She knew which song he was talking about. She had been working hard on it. She was surprised all the guys were interested in it. She smiled at the small crowd waiting for her. They were all carrying snow-cones and had bowls of popcorn and nachos on their tables. It was clear that most of this had been done for her benefit. They were trying to cheer her up.

"Okay," she said. "'I'll sing the song, but only if you guys help me."

This was met with a scattered round of applause and cheers. Rowan smiled at them all as she picked up the guitar. Juan Carlos was certainly right about one thing, this was going to cheer her up. She could feel it working already.

"Okay, every time I pointed at you I need you to sing a single world. Hallelujah," she told them, singing the last word. "Just like that. Can I hear it back?"

The crowd all sung it back and she tried not to laugh. She forgot how giddy it made her to sing in front of crowds. She took her place on the stage, picked up the guitar and began to strum the chords. "Just so you guys know, this was supposed to be a hard rock song, you're getting the acoustic version."

My life started the day I got caught. Under the covers. With second hand lovers. Oh, tied up in pretty young things. In a state of emergency. Who was I tryna be?

She sang the song, a song she had written before. For her brother. The black sheep of her family. She had written out the words when she missed him. Written out the words because for some reason being around Wo Fat made her think about him and how much she missed having her older brother around. She had to practicing playing to remember the chords and the lyrics she had written. A song she had only recorded once, straight to a CD given to her brother for his last birthday. The last birthday she had spent with him. This next one in only a few short months would be the first birthday since before she was born that he'd celebrate without her.

All you sinners stand up, sing Hallelujah!

She pointed at the crowd and got a resounding response of hallelujah sung right back at her.

Show praise with your body, stand up, sing hallelujah!

She pointed again and they sang the word back at her just as promised.

And if you can't stop shaking, lean back let it move right through ya.

This time when she pointed she noted that Wo Fat was in the back of the crowd. His eyes boring into her. She wasn't supposed to be out. He'd be mad that JC had ignored his explicit request. She expected him to storm up and snatch her up off of the stage. But he took in the scene and did nothing. Instead he leant back and listened.

Say your prayers, say your prayers, say your prayers.

She played out the entirety of the song. And when she was done she got a standing ovation. She handed JC the guitar when he came up and asked who wanted to sing next. She could see Wo Fat trying to push through the crowd, no doubt to get to her. Rowan was shrinking towards the shadows of the stage. If she could just disappear she could escape. She knew it.

She only got one foot into the shadows when someone grabbed her from behind and clapped a hand over her mouth. Rowan didn't even get to scream.

H5O-H5O-H5O-H5O

Wo Fat lost sight of her and lost his mind. He was angry when he realized what Juan Carlos had done. But shocked by how it had put a smile on her face. One day after telling him she hated him and she'd stop at nothing to escape and she was smiling again. He'd be stupid to think she wasn't going to try and escape, in fact that was probably why she agreed to come out here and sing for his men in the first place. But for a brief moment as she was singing that song it looked like she forgot all about being mad at him and was just happy.

And then she disappeared. He could see Juan Carlos, having now passed the karaoke mic off to someone else, looking for Rowan and not finding her. That meant she had already slipped away. Wo Fat picked up the pace, going around the make shift stage towards the shadows. She can't have made a break for the main exit he would have seen. She'd be smart about it. She'd stick to a back exit. She'd chance going back into the building to find another way out before trying to outrun him to get out the front door.

He looked for the closest door and found two. One that took her back into the building. Another that took her into a supply room. It didn't have another exit, unless she slipped through a window. He didn't know why, maybe it was because the door was open just a crack, but he decided to try the adjacent supply room. He got a vibe from it. One that told him that he needed to go into that room. That she was there.

And she was.

But she wasn't alone.

Wo Fat didn't know all of his cronies' by name. He barely knew who was working for him. He just bossed people around. So he didn't quite know who the man who had Rowan up against the wall was. He just knew that his hands were in the wrong place. One up her shirt, the other down her shorts, while she struggled with her own hands to get him away from her.

He could tell by her laboured breathing, the way it hitched and hung like she was about to cough that her singing had hurt her voice again, or this man had hit her in the throat to keep her from screaming.

It didn't matter what was happening. It didn't matter that she was trying to get away and this man worked for him. Wo Fat had the man by the shoulders immediately. He threw the man away from Rowan, and over a table, knocking guns, ammo and grenades everywhere. He vaulted over that same table, landing beside the man, stomping one foot into his stomach as he hit the ground. By the time he had pulled the man up to punch him properly Juan Carlos was in the room.

Wo Fat punched the man once, twice, six times all in the face. He split his knuckles on the man's teeth but he didn't stop hitting. Over and over, with the same hand as the other kept the man standing. He then threw him at Juan Carlos' feet.

"Take him to your uncle. Make him suffer," he ordered. Juan hauled the barely conscious man up and out of the building.

Wo Fat knelt in front of Rowan who was sobbing. She was curled up against the wall, she had wrapped her arms around her chest as if shielding herself from him. He could figure what was wrong with her, but he didn't know how to help her. He did the only thing he could. He peeled off his jacket and gave it to her. Watching her put her arms into it and wearing it front-ways instead of the right way round broke his heart. She shouldn't have felt the need to cover herself up, but after this he understood.

He opened his arms to her and she threw herself into them. He had gotten a great many hugs from her but this one was not the one he wanted that night. He wanted her to want to hug him, he didn't want a sobbing girl in need of consoling, she knew he had no idea how to do that.

"I'm going to take you back to your room. Can you handle that?" he asked. Rowan nodded and let him help her up and lead her out.

He walked her back to the room. An arm wrapped around her waist carefully. It was a soft arm. Meant to give her comfort and not to guide or anything else. He let her in to her room, let her sit on the bed and watched her wrap herself up into the blankets, leaving his jacket discarded on the floor. He wasn't even offended.

"Are you okay?" he asked her.

Rowan shuddered and pulled the blankets closer to herself. "Alright, not okay," he whispered. "Is there something I can do?"

"Can you just stay with me?" she asked. "We could watch a movie."

Wo Fat nodded. "I can most definitely do that," he said. He turned to the TV. "Which one do you want to watch?"

"Something happy," she whispered and he nodded. He looked over the DVDs and tried to remember which movie had made her happiest.

"The Little Mermaid, it is," he said picking up the DVD. He put it in, started the movie and then started up her snow-cone machine.

By the time the movie had started he had a cherry flavoured snow-cone ready for her which he put into her hands. She took it and he noted a soft tremor. She wasn't cold, that blanket would be keeping her warm, so that would be the shock.

He sat himself down beside her, being sure not to make contact with her. He wasn't sure if she could handle another male touching her right now. So he figured he'd stay beside her and offer her comfort when she needed it.

Wo Fat nodded. It was the least he could do. It was his fault she was here after all. He could have sent her home. He could have left her with McGarrett. He should have left her with McGarrett. When he had decided that he wanted to keep her, he had forgotten to factor in the lacking morals of the people he'd be working with. Tonight proved to him that if he wanted to keep someone like Rowan around a bunch of criminals he would always have to stay on guard. Or he could just cut his losses and let her go home.

He'd have to ransom her for something else though. As much as he sort of liked Doris he didn't really want her around him all that much.

"What are you going to do to that man?" Rowan asked in a low voice. "You told them to make him suffer."

"Nothing you need to worry about," Wo Fat replied. Because it was true. She didn't need to know about he had told Armando to do. "Are you feeling a bit better? You're still shaking."

"I can't help it."

"Did you want to take a shower?" he asked. "I heard that's a common desire."

"Well… I mean I need one. But I don't particularly want one right now," she replied. "He didn't really do much."

"He did enough," Wo Fat muttered trying to banish the image from his mind. Thinking about it only made him angrier and she didn't need that right now. "You don't need to trivialize it."

Rowan looked away from him. She didn't say anything for a long while before she turned her eyes back to him and whispered: "I know you're busy, but could you… could you maybe stay?"

"I already told you'd I'd stay Rowan," he reminded her.

"I mean all night," she explained.

Wo Fat thought about this. It made sense. She'd want to feel like she wasn't in danger. And no one was going to touch her if he was right beside her.

"Yes, Rowan, I'll stay all night," he replied and she smiled. A small shaky smile. But a smile none-the-less. He'd take that.

That night he fell asleep propped up against a wall. It did a number on his back, but with Rowan in his lap he couldn't have cared less.

H5O-H5O-H5O-H5O

The man was bleeding from everywhere. His face was so swollen he couldn't see. His jaw fractured so he couldn't talk. His fingers had been broken one by one. A hammer was taken to his knees. And when that was done something was shoved deep into him like he had wanted to do to that stupid bitch.

When Wo Fat entered the room the man couldn't see him. He just heard him. Heard the fancy shoes clicking against the cement floor.

"When I brought her here, everyone was given the same warning," Wo Fat said to him. "No one touches Rowan."

If he could talk, he would have told Wo Fat that the whore was begging for it. The way she sang, those Spanish lyrics she sung with Juan Carlos, the way she dressed. She flirted with everyone. Smiling and touching their arms, asking how their days went. She was asking them to fuck her. And when things went south between her and Wo Fat he figured he'd do what everyone else was thinking.

Wo Fat was clearly over reacting.

There was the click of something metallic and then something cool touched his forehead.

"You'll never touch her again."

He didn't have time to be afraid. He didn't even hear the bang. He was dead before he could even register that a gun was against his forehead. The man slumped to the floor and Wo Fat slowly lowered his gun.

He didn't look to Armando who was standing to the side. He didn't even look at the body long. He merely pocketed his gun and turned away.

"Get rid of the body," he muttered.

"Is she okay?" Armando asked softly causing Wo Fat to pause at the door.

"Physically, yes," he replied. "I don't know about mentally yet."

And then he walked away.

H5O-H5O-H5O-H5O

A week had gone by since Steve had last seen Rowan. A week since the rally race in the car. A week since he had run down that highway trying to catch a car. A week had gone by and he didn't so much think of her as he did dream of her. Every night was the same dream. She was falling through the void, a black expanse of white twinkle lights. Arms out stretched to him. A blank look on her face as the white hot of her eyes faded to a dull blue. Red strings cascading out of her chest tangling him up and pulling him down to her.

He always woke up when his arms wrapped around her.

But in that week. Without constantly thinking about her and worrying about her. With having Catherine all over him. He had sort of forgotten the intensity of their connection. The longing had been dulled into a soft throbbing that he could almost shrug aside. He stopped thinking about what kissing her would feel like. He stopped worrying about every tiny little thing. He barely fought with Catherine too. It was almost like they were falling back on track, worming her way back into the spot that Rowan's chaotic presence had taken up.

He was starting to forget why he thought he had thought he wanted Rowan in the first place.

"I came in second," Catherine announced walking into his office.

Steve turned confused. "What?" he asked.

She was wearing this cute little outfit. Fishnet stockings, black short shorts and white crop top. Her black hair was in these cute braided pigtails that sort of made him want to sweep her up and kiss her.

"I came in second," Catherine said. She sounded so proud but Steve didn't understand why.

"Second place doesn't put you on the team, Catherine, I need you to win. First place," he cried. True he was probably being insensitive but it was also true that he needed her on the team for his case. He thought he had made that clear.

Catherine scoffed at him. "Oh, come on. I mean, I don't even get an A for effort?" she cried. "I mean, I was really good today, especially considering that I laced up for the first time today. You know, and you were totally right about the ice-skating. I don't know if it's like muscle memory or whatever but I'm like a natural when it comes to derby skating. I am really good."

All while she was talking Steve had been playing with the smart table. He needed a new strategy. He needed Catherine on the damn team.

"What's the name of the girl who beat you out?" he asked in a dangerous tone.

"Why? What are you gonna do?" she asked. Steve didn't answer he was already on the move. But Steve knew what he was going to do. He was going to find dirt on this other girl. Get her removed from the team so Catherine could play.

Yes. What a plan. This was a good plan.

"You know I bet if I were Rowan I would have gotten a good job from you," Catherine called and Steve froze.

Just be evoking her name Catherine had called up all the emotions he had been burying inside himself. He suddenly remembered all the pain, all the agony and all the heat of desire. He turned back around and came to stand in front of her.

"Excuse me?" he snapped.

"You heard me. You were always so nice to your precious Rowan why can't you be just as nice to me?" she shot back.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Steve thundered. "How dare you?"

"How dare I?" Catherine echoed. She clearly didn't understand why Steve was so angry. And neither did he, for that matter.

"What the hell does Rowan have to do with any of this?" he cried.

"I've been really patient with you Steve, I have, but I just can't get behind your obsession with Rowan. I just can't," she told him. Steve blinked his eyes. He had been so much better, so much more attentive. How could she have found fault in the last week? Yes he had been distant and distracted before but he had thought he had gotten better.

"Yes. I get that Catherine. I get that. But why are you bringing this up now? She's not even here," he shouted his voice cracked when he got to the last word. He couldn't help it. Rowan being forcibly held away from him, hurt him more than she would ever understand, no matter how hard he tried to ignore the feeling.

"Because she might as well be. Rowan's like this ghost that follows you around. If she's not with you, she's in your house, or on your mind. You're either texting her, or tracing her phone, or chasing her into some dangerous situation. And yeah, she doesn't do it on purpose but it seems like every other week you have to save her from something and I get shoved to the side and forgotten," Catherine explained. "It was hard enough competing with her when she was here, it's worse now that's she not."

"I have told you, over and over and over and over. I am not interested in Rowan. LET IT GO!" Steve cried.

"No!"

"Why not?"

"Because I think you're lying to me. I think you're lying to yourself. You like her Steve. You have feelings for her. Just admit it!" Catherine shouted.

"FINE!" Steve shouted back. "I MIGHT HAVE FEELINGS FOR ROWAN!"

Catherine clearly wasn't expecting that and neither was Steve. He took a step away and blinked his eyes. He mentally went over the words that had just erupted out of his mouth. It wasn't until he said it out loud that he realized it was true. Except might was not how he'd describe it. He definitely had feeling for Rowan.

"You're right. I would have congratulated Rowan for getting second place. But I also wouldn't have put her anywhere near that derby. For starters, she's too fragile, she'd take one hit and get an instant concussion. Secondly I know nothing about her. I don't even know if she knows how to skate," he said, his voice shaking with the realization. He was falling for a girl he didn't know. A girl who kept as many secrets as his mother. "You're right. Everyone's right. I'm fixated on Rowan. I'm obsessed with her. I hate her boyfriend. I go out of my way to spend as much time with her. I go out of my way to make it hard for her to date her boyfriend. I go out of my way to do things that I should be doing for you."

Catherine was scowling. Her lips trembling. She was about to cry. Or yell at him. Steve deserved that. He deserved her anger.

"But Catherine. You've been taking it out on Rowan and it's not her fault. Rowan stays with me because she has nowhere else to go. Rowan puts up with me for the same reason. She sticks around me because I'm the only one who comes to her rescue. I'm the only one she has. I've given her no other options. I chase everyone else away," he told her. "So be mad at me. Okay? But can you be mad at me after we get her back from Wo Fat?"

"I want her out of your house," Catherine growled. "As soon as you get her back. You get one weekend to smooth things out and then move her into Danny's or Chin's if you don't want her at Alex's. But if we're staying together, she has to leave."

Steve nodded. It was fair demand. It was. But now he wasn't sure if he wanted to stay with Catherine. Because once he got Rowan back, he wasn't going to let her go ever again.

Alright guys, here are some plot points for those who need some help picking which story they'd like me to write.

1. Rowan and Marry the last time she was in Hawaii (the episode where she met her mom)

2. Steve telling Alex that he's okay to date Rowan (from the Halloween episode)

3. A Christmas fic, with Steve, Rowan, the rest of the Five-0's, Wo Fat and Doris!

4. Rowan's last day in her world before falling into the Five-0 world.

5. How Rowan got so good at driving.

If you need a recap of the submission rules, they're at the bottom of Chapter 34