Rewrite
AvalonReeseFanFics
A/N: Alright guys, we're only 7 reviews away from that special chapter. As always, I've posted the options for the special chapter. PLEASE tell me which option you'd like to write, we're only a few reviews away from this one so any one of you could get it. If you're a Guest reviewer please give me a nickname so I can announce you as the winner too. So In this chapter, we've got some cute things happening, some interesting interactions between Steve and Rowan and Wo Fat and next chapter we have a MAJOR REVEAL. As for our future chapters, I finished rewriting episode 9, which took me to chapter 80 and that involved some large relationship changes, with a second one coming somewhere between Chapter 82-84 which means I'm essentially only five or six chapters away from getting Rowan and Steve on the road to redemption essentially opening up a world of fluff… all before Chapter 90 hopefully. ANYWAY, I'll see you guys on Friday and with any luck (if you guys review a lot) I'll announce the winner of the 350th review special story!
One. Brunch with Mary, Doris, Rowan and Steve (after Mary and Doris are reunited that one time)
Two. Steve's real time reaction to last chapter's heist scene
Three. One of the bake days with Kono
Four. How Rowan accidentally shot at Juan Carolos
Chapter 56
Steve walked shoulder to shoulder with Rowan. She stopped at every guard they came across and handed them a cupcake from the box she had refused to leave behind. She knew most of their names but they all knew her. This made the walk down to Wo Fat's cell longer than he expected, because with each cupcake came small talk and pleasantries and Steve barking: "Come on" or some variation of it to get Rowan moving. They got to Wo Fat's door, where software used scanning recognition to ensure he was who he said he was and he wasn't carrying a concealed weapon. It did the same to Rowan before opening up.
"I didn't think we'd be seeing you today," the guard by the door said to her. "You still going to come tomorrow?"
"Of course," Rowan said to him. "I've just got a bit of a situation, that's all. Oh and I won't have cupcakes… I brought them today instead."
His eyes went to Steve who just glared at him. The guard eyed him carefully as if assessing if Steve was a threat. When the door fully opened Steve looked back to Rowan who was carefully handing the guard at the door one of her cupcakes.
"I want you to stay here," he said and then Rowan turned to him.
"What? Why?" she said. "I thought the whole point was to have Wo Fat talk to you."
The insinuation there was that Wo Fat wouldn't talk to him without her being present and Steve didn't want that to be true.
"I want to give him the chance to talk to me himself, without you doing… what you do," he whispered.
Rowan sighed but nodded and Steve walked into the room. It was nothing more than a steel and stone box, with a glass window instead of a wall so Wo Fat could be seen at all times. How did Rowan spend so much time in this stupid glass and metal box with him? He couldn't imagine someone as vibrant and wonderful as her hidden away in this drab depressing place.
Steve took two steps in and Wo Fat appeared, like a spectre in orange. Half his face was a mismatch of pink, the eye on that side was half shut, probably unable to open fully. He looked to be in a lot of pain. He looked like a monster. How was Rowan, who was terrified of horror movies, stomaching looking at him?
"You look tired, Steve." Wo Fat said. "Something keeping you up at night?"
Steve stayed quiet. Yeah, like this guy had the right to be making comments on Steve's appearance. He looked a hell of a lot better than Wo Fat did.
"A loss of nerve, perhaps? A sort of emptiness that sits in your belly knowing the one you really want chose to be anywhere you're not," he continued when Steve wouldn't talk.
"I sleep fine," he said between grit teeth a lie that he wasn't ever going to admit to Wo Fat. Steve put his phone up to the glass, the picture of their missing terrorist on his screen. He was going to do this without Rowan. He didn't need Rowan to make Wo Fat talk. "You know this man?"
Wo Fat took a few steps closer to the glass to look at the picture on his phone.
"Should I?" he asked.
"He's an NLM Terrorist. His name is Rafael Salgado," Steve clarified
"I'm familiar with the NLM," Wo Fat admitted. "They claim to be ideologically driven, but I think they're a bunch of thugs and peasants."
"Well this morning, Salgado killed five men and kidnapped his son," Steve told him. He purposely didn't go with Rowan's version of events because he didn't believe them at the moment, no evidence and all, and he didn't think that Wo Fat would care either way.
"I can't imagine what he has planned for the afternoon," Wo Fat taunted.
"A High-value target like this won't last long on his own," Steve said. "He needs friends, the kind of relationships you used to cultivate. So, if you were him, who would you go to for help?"
"You've come here to ask about a case?" he asked. He seemed very confused by this development. He narrowed his good eye until it matched the bad one and looked Steve up and down before asking very carefully: "Did Rowan send you?"
"Sort of," Steve answered hesitantly. Because it was true, it had been her idea. "The NLM took her too. She got herself involved, had one of her visions and got caught in the cross-hairs…"
"No. They wouldn't. They know better," Wo Fat said. "I pay the cell they have on the island a lot of money to look out for her best interests. Try again."
Steve opened his mouth to argue but Rowan was already walking in the room "Oh for Pete-sake," she sighed as she walked up to the glass. "If I knew you were gonna try and exploit me that way I would have never let you come in here by yourself."
She handed him the box of cupcakes. "I have one left, take it," she said and then turned onto Wo Fat, put her hands on her hips and glared at him. "You have a group of terrorists following me?"
"No. Not following, looking out for you," he said primly.
"Yeah, but you just called them thugs and peasants. You think you can trust them with me?" she asked.
"We can discuss this later, Rowan?" Wo Fat said. He turned to Steve who was peeling a wrapper off the bottom of his cupcake. He gave him a look one would give a cockroach, a look of completely and utter disgust. "Why have you brought him here?"
"More like he brought me here," Rowan told him. "He's here to ask you for help. You probably can't tell because he didn't use the words: help, favour or please."
Steve scowled at her, did she have to throw him under the bus like that? And did she really think that this was going to work? That Wo Fat would just do as she asked? That he'd just volunteer information for nothing? That was nuts.
"And why did he bring you?" he asked looking far from pleased with either of them.
"Because I thought you might be a bit more receptive if I was here," she answered, she avoided his eyes as if she were ashamed of the answer.
"You told him I'd listen to you?" Wo Fat hissed.
"Look, he shook me like a magic eight ball to get a vision out of me. I don't want to be a magic eight ball so can you just help him out, please? Please? Please."
Steve had turned to glare at her. That was not necessarily what he did, even though that was sort of what happened. He didn't hurt her… he just made her sick… but Wo Fat didn't need to know that. And judging by the angry look on Wo Fat's face it upset him to hear that Steve had done that to her.
"I'll get you time in the exercise yard. Fifteen minutes a day. You'll get to see the sun again," Steve added hoping to appease him.
Wo Fat merely glared at him. "I burn easily."
"Oh, stop being sassy," Rowan snapped. "Yard time could be fun, we'd have more space for dance routines."
Steve turned to Rowan surprised. Wo Fat turned a pleading stare to him. "For the love of god don't you dare give me yard time," he begged. He then sighed, looked back to Rowan his hands on his hips and then he sighed again and turned his eyes to Steve pinning him with a very unimpressed stare. "There's a gentleman named Arturo Casey in Waikiki. He controls an international investment company called Outrigger Securities. Makes most of his money off the books."
Oh my god… it worked.
"Doing what?" Steve asked.
"He traffics in arms, explosives, chemical weapons, identity papers. Very resourceful, I'm told," he said. Steve was smirking. Wo Fat glanced to Rowan again. "You'll have to take Rowan. She'll be able to get you in."
"How?" Steve cried. If Wo Fat told him that Rowan was besties with this Casey person he was going to fucking lose it.
"She's the password," he said carefully.
Steve felt a chill run up his spine. "For what?"
"Everything," Rowan answered for him. She smiled at Wo Fat and added: "Tomorrow I'll let you pick the movie, okay?"
"Not tomorrow, Rowan," Wo Fat said suddenly, looking quite frantic for the first time throughout this entire exchange. "Don't come tomorrow."
"Nonsense, I always come on Friday," she said.
Wo Fat's mouth opened and then he quickly closed it and turned to Steve. "I'd like to talk to you privately, if you don't mind."
Rowan sighed. "Alright, I'll see you tomorrow," she said blowing him a kiss.
Wo Fat watched her leave a look of desperation on his face as he called out: "No, Ro, not tomorrow, not…"
But Rowan was listening and she left him standing there looking less than pleased. He turned his angry eyes onto Steve and sad: "You have to keep her from the prison tomorrow."
"Why?" he asked. Wo Fat merely held his stare with a dark glare of his own. "Fine, how do you expect me to do it? She doesn't listen to anyone, let alone me."
"I don't know, why don't you arrest her again? You seem to enjoy doing that." He cried. He then leant in closer to the glass and added in a low growl: "But if you shake her like that again I'll take away something very dear to you. Keep that in mind the next time you use her as a pawn for one of your cases."
Steve stared at him. Wo Fat was mad about the forced vision. Even Steve was a little upset that he had done it. But that threat. That threat was more than sinister. He didn't even know what to say to it. Because looking into Wo Fat's eyes, seeing briefly the way he interacted with Rowan, confirmed Steve's worst fears.
Wo Fat really was in love with Rowan.
Steve ignored him. He left him in his solitary cell. Left him there to rot. He joined Rowan out in the hallway and really looked at her. She seemed different. She wasn't the same Rowan he knew. Oh, she smiled the same, she looked the same, but she wasn't. He wanted to know what she was the password for. He wanted to know what Wo Fat had done in the name of protecting her. He wanted to know if she felt the same way for Wo Fat. But he knew he couldn't ask her, she wouldn't know, Wo Fat wouldn't have given her specifics. If he was smart that is. Also, if she looked Steve dead in the eye and told him she had feelings for Wo Fat too, he had no idea what he'd do but it wouldn't be good.
On the way out, after signing out, and collecting everything he and Rowan had to leave behind, the guard said to him: "That's funny you're the second McGarrett we've had here in 24 hours."
Both Rowan and Steve's heads whipped up. Rowan made a strange strangled sound in the back of her throat, while Steve just narrowed his eyes in concern
"What do you mean?"
"Doris McGarrett. You two related? She came in yesterday morning," the guard told him.
Steve looked at the logs. Horrified. His mother had done what? Behind him Rowan groaned. Like this had been inevitable. Steve struggled to swallow back his own groan of frustration. At this rate Steve was going to end up killing them both.
H5O-H5O-H5O-H5O
Luckily for Rowan, Steve knew exactly where Arturo Casey's offices were. He took her there and they walked calmly to where the secretary was. He wouldn't look at her anymore. Not since the prison. Like watching her interact with Wo Fat had made him look at her differently. And maybe it did. Maybe being around Wo Fat made her different. Turned her back into the person who could con an entire drag racing gang into releasing her brother from his debt. She hadn't been the Professional in a very long time, but that didn't mean those tendencies weren't there lying under the surface waiting for her to tap into them again.
But then again, she was starting to realize she liked it better when he didn't listen to her visions. When he thought they weren't real. Anything was better than being treated like a vision generator. Oh not cooperating? Shake it up a bit that should get it going.
Rowan was waiting for Steve to tell the Secretary that he was here to speak to Mr. Casey. He certainly started out his usually way. Flashing that debonair grin and smiling warmly at her as he showed her his badge and said: "Commander McGarrett with Five-0, where's Arturo Casey?"
There was nothing after that. The woman pointed to an office door and Steve walked past her and to it, leaving Rowan to trail behind confused. He didn't knock, he didn't introduce himself, he kicked the door in instead.
Rowan yelped, the secretary shrieked and on the other side of the door Arturo Casey jumped to his feet. Steve barrelled forward, gun in one hand handcuffs in the other. "Arturo Casey, you're under arrest for…"
"Stop, stop, stop!" Rowan was crying rushing forward to put herself in between him and the startled man behind the desk.
Too bad he didn't stay startled. "I don't know who the hell you think you are but you just can't walk into my office and arrest me for no reason. I'll have your badge, you hear me," he snapped to Steve.
Rowan bit back the urge to groan. Oh, for fuck sake. Couldn't this man just shut up?
"Okay, Mr. Casey, here's the thing…" Steve started but Rowan punched him in the gut to shut him up. Steve grunted, mostly with surprise, he didn't even double over, like her hit had literally dealt him no damage what-so-ever, but it did cause him to glare at Rowan.
Rowan turned to Casey. "We're not here to arrest you, I'm here to ask for help," she said.
"I'm not helping you," Casey spat out. "Get out of my office.
"Oh, that's where I disagree," Rowan said narrowing her eyes at him. "You're going to help for two reasons."
"And what are those?" Casey shot off scoffing at her.
"Well, for starters, if you don't, you'll have to deal with him," she told him hooking her thumb over her shoulder in Steve's direction. She could feel the heat of his glare on the back of her neck. She was gonna be in a lot of trouble after this. "And lastly… and probably most importantly… I'm Rowan Pierce."
Arturo Casey jolted as if surprised. He looked her up and down and scoffed again. "No way… you?" he asked pointing at her. Rowan nodded and smiled brightly because it was halfway working. Casey blew out his air between his teeth in a low hiss. "Damn, he did not tell me you came with a Five-0 escort."
"I don't usually," Rowan told him sitting down in a chair across from his desk. "I'm here because Steve wants to ask you a question and Wo Fat said you'd cooperate if I was here. I hope that's true because otherwise Steve's going to arrest you and I don't want that."
Casey looked back to Steve who was still scowling, not at anyone in particular but about the situation. Casey carefully sat down, his eyes never leaving Steve's face. "I'll answer your questions, but if Commander over here starts getting lippy both of you are out of here. I don't care how much he paid me."
Rowan immediately wanted to know what that number was, but she didn't think she could ask that in front of Steve without him freaking out.
"Rafael Salgado, where is he?" Steve asked his tone clipped and muted.
"Who?" Casey snapped back. Rowan tsked at him and he frowned and sighed. "I don't know where he is. Honest. He was here, I helped him out, but I don't know where he's going or what he's going to do."
"Alright, what did you give him?" Steve asked. "I need something to track him."
"I gave him cash and a couple of unregistered guns," Casey admitted with a shrug. Damn, none of that would help Steve. She was gonna get shook again. "I also gave him a car. A sweet ride. A black 2010 Escalade. The licence plate is: AZ2531."
"Alright, thank you," Steve said getting up and leaving the room before Rowan could even register to stand.
"Hey! Wait for me!" she called after his retreating back, and she ignored the flash of memory from her childhood. Screaming those exact same words at her older brother's back. She had been working so hard on not thinking about her family but recently, she couldn't seem to get them out of her mind.
"Miss. Pierce," Casey called out halting her at his broken door. Steve was on his phone waiting at the elevator, she had some time to talk. So she turned back to him. "There's a lot of us in this network Wo Fat has arranged. This safety net he has spread out for you. But none of us are going to help you if you bring that man to all your meetings."
Rowan turned back to where Steve was impatiently pressing the button over and over again. She turned to him and smiled the brightest smile she could muster. "Thank you for the warning. Sorry we ruined your door."
She rushed over to Steve just as the elevator doors started to open. "Kay, you need to drop me off at Adam's, I was supposed to meet them at the beach but I don't think they've stayed there for me. This took a lot longer than I thought it would," she said. She pretended not to see Steve's scowl, the clear anger on his face. All that mattered was saving Kono and making sure that Adam didn't shoot his brother.
She brushed his arm as he went to press the button and another wave of episode flashes came over her.
You have literally never given me the whole truth. Ever in my life. And you want me to trust you?
Rowan looked up to Steve who was staring at her expectantly. She must have shocked him again. She blinked her eyes and looked away.
"You're going to argue with your mother over the visits in the prison," she whispered. "You're going to say hurtful things to each other. After that she decides to leave."
Steve stared at her. He seemed to take it all in. He didn't argue. He didn't even look mad. He just turned his eyes away from her and said: "Not everything you see happens, Ro."
Rowan almost told him that it was because she was always intervening for him. But she kept her mouth shut. That particular path had already been set, she guessed. She didn't know how to fix it now.
H5O-H5O-H5O-H5O
The doorbell rang. Adam shoved Kono away, told her to hide and he went to answer it. But there was no one there. Worry crept up his spine and set all the little hairs on her arm and neck standing. This wasn't right. This was a trap. He rushed back to the living room where Kono had snuck away to hide and found her there, a gun to her chin. Michael holding her in place, holding the gun to the woman he loved's face and glaring at him, his own little brother.
He threw her against the wall, where she hit it painfully and then slid down. Adam struggled not to run to her. He didn't have the upper hand. Not when Michael had a gun.
He smiled tauntingly at his little brother and help up a pair of gloves. "Thank you for finding these," he said.
Adam nearly swore. That was the only evidence that could save Kono. "Where did you get those?" she asked from where she was on the floor.
She shot a glance to Adam who had also glanced at her. "She asked you a question, Michael," he said.
"Your girlfriend tried to burn me," Michael snapped. As if it was perfectly fine for him to frame her for his crimes. "And you let her."
Adam shook his head. "You started this, Michael," he reminded him. "When you stole her gun to kill the man that put you in jail."
"He had to go," Michael snapped. "And so does she. I was only trying to save your life."
Adam glanced at Kono again, no he wasn't going to let his brother hurt her. "How does putting her away for murder save my life?" he asked, because he really didn't follow.
"Brother, you've had a target on your back ever since you crawled in bed with her," Michael growled. "And all I've done is try to protect you… well… not anymore."
Michael adjusted his stance but the gun in his hand didn't waver. "It stops now. Tonight, she dies. I take over the business and you're on your own."
He turned the gun on Kono and Adam screamed the only word on his mind, which was No and charged. But before he got there, he heard a hollow thud and Michael dropped to the ground.
Rowan stood behind him, frying pan in hand staring down at the lump of a man at her feet. She looked back to Adam, who looked shocked to see her and scowled.
"I thought you guys were going to wait for me at the beach," she said. "If you did I could have stopped this."
"You did stop it," Adam said as he turned to where Kono was trying to stand. He went to Kono as Rowan carefully stepped over Michael. Kono was just starting to come around, but Adam never should have taken his eyes off of Rowan.
There was a yelp and a crash and when Adam turned Micheal was half on Rowan, having taking her down. He stood quickly, the gun aimed for the back of Rowan's head. Adam tackled him before he could shoot. They struggled for the gun, wrestling each other.
He heard Rowan cry out: "No! Don't!" but it was too late.
The gun went off in their hands and Adam and Michael came to a standstill. Both in completely shock. Behind him he heard Kono's worried whisper of his name but it wasn't him who was shot.
It was Michael.
Michael collapsed to the ground while Adam and Kono stared on in horror and Rowan behind them began to gag. As the blood pooled out of his chest and Adam and Kono stood there, the only sound that they heard, now that Michael had stopped gasping for air was Rowan as she rushed to the kitchen and promptly threw up in the sink.
He wanted to feel bad for her. But he only felt bad for himself. Guilty, distraught and sobbing, he suddenly understood why everyone on the Five-0 team listened to Rowan and her visions.
Rowan was always right.