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AvalonReeseFanFics

A/N: So for everyone who was worried about Rowan losing her music. SHE DID NOT. And she solved the dilemma on her own. What a little trooper. Are you ready for a set of really cute fluffy moments? Cause this chapter is nothing but fluff. Okay, there's some angst. But come on. I'm trying real hard to amp up the fluff. Also, we have our next contest announced at the end of this chapter. Please read it to know what to do to participate! See you guys tomorrow!

Chapter 96

Steve had gotten used to a certain feeling when he woke up. A glowing wonderful contented feeling he got when he woke up with a mildly warm body pressed to his. It was a feeling he already knew, it was a feeling he had deluded himself into believing he didn't miss. But from the very first morning he woke up with Rowan in his arms again he knew he wasn't going to go back to waking up without her.

Except he did because, while Rowan slept over frequently, she wasn't there every night. So there was a quite a few mornings where Steve woke up without her but those mornings that he did get to wake up to her were the best mornings of his life.

They hadn't passed the whole sex hurdle yet. To say he was impatient was an understatement. But he hadn't pushed her, hadn't even talked to her about it. They made out, they fooled around, and that was enough. Besides, he was more than enjoying the time he was having with her.

That morning when he woke up, sleepy and content, he didn't panic when she was cuddled up to his side like she usually was. That glowy content feeling hadn't left him so she had to be near-by. So he stretched out his arm and found her just an arm's length away. Well… not for long.

Steve got a hold of her and tugged her back to where she belonged eliciting a few sleepy giggles from the girl in his bed. He pressed a kiss to her shoulder, the one that had taken the bullet and she sighed happily at him.

"Any more nightmares?" he asked her. It was one of the main reasons that she stayed at his place. She'd call him, frantic, in the middle of the night, all scared and nervous, having just awoke from a terrible nightmare. The first few times she would talk to him about it and then she'd hesitantly ask him if she could come over. Steve had gotten into the habit of just asking her to come over the second he'd pick up her call.

"No," Rowan replied. She rarely had repeat nightmares when she was with him. "Did… did you get enough sleep?"

She always worried that she was ruining his sleep habits, but he didn't care. He slept better with Rowan beside him, just like she slept better with him.

"Of course I did," he whispered and then kissed her shoulder once more. The tip of his nose tracing lines against her skin as he pressed his kisses lower, higher, every where he could find until she was moaning and shifting in the bed.

"You gonna be okay if I go for my morning swim?" he asked when the moaning got to be too much for him.

Rowan nodded sleepily and whispered: "Course I will, Steven."

Steve couldn't help but smile. He loved when Rowan called him Steven. Something about her saying his full name like that made him feel all warm and fuzzy. Reluctantly Steve left the little nest of blankets they had made for themselves. And though he left Rowan peacefully dozing in his bed, she stayed in his mind. All through that 3k swim. With each and every stroke, with every kick, with every breath he took she was there with him, splashing around in his mind. Nothing but Rowan in a bikini giggling vivaciously and moaning in that way that always set him off.

Which was why, when he got back to shore, he was happy to see her curled up in that chair he always associated with her, wearing one of his sweaters like a dress, a mug in her hand. A mug he knew was filled with coffee just for him.

She started by throwing him his towel and he dried himself off, without never once taking his eyes off of Rowan who merely stared at him, her stare unidentifiable. He'd give anything to know what she was thinking but she was thoroughly annoyed with all his questions so he made sure not to ask her even though the question was on the tip of his tongue.

Instead she offered up the mug when he was suitably dry. He mumbled his thanks to her and took a big swig.

"I went into my old room."

And just like that he was choking on boiling hot coffee. He couldn't say anything he just stared at her. Why the hell had she gone in there?

"It's real… dusty…"

It had been a shrine. He didn't let anyone in there. She must have seen that. God this was embarrassing. Steve looked down to his coffee not sure what to say to make this better.

"You just kinda… left it? I thought… I thought you'd…"

"I kept it the way you liked it," Steve muttered.

"Yes… I see that… but… why?"

He had been thinking a lot about why Rowan always lied to him. She said it was because there were things he didn't want to know, things he couldn't handle, things that hurt for her to talk about, things that well… she just didn't trust him to know yet. And then she said that he was the exact same way with her… still learning how to trust her with things. He figured that… if he was more open with her maybe… maybe it would be easier for her to be open with him. So here goes nothing.

"For… for… when you came back."

When he looked up Rowan was staring at him up. She didn't look upset or mad. She just looked… surprised.

"I guess I sort of always hoped that you'd… that you'd come back."

Rowan lowered her eyes from him and he swallowed hard. Was this the wrong thing to say? Did he just fuck everything up? Because he sure as hell hadn't meant to.

"Wow… I guess… I guess I always thought that you were glad to see me gone."

"Why would you think that?" Steve asked a frown crossed his features, he had a feeling he knew where she would get something like that. "Did Catherine say something?"

"No, nothing like that. I just thought… that with me always meddling… that you might be happier if I was out of your hair."

Steve knelt down beside her, putting the coffee back in her hands so he could hold onto hers around the coffee mug. "I know I haven't acted like it but I appreciate it. I appreciate that you meddle, I appreciate everything you've done for me and my team. And I am so sorry that I made you think that you or your meddling wasn't wanted," he said to her as sincerely as possible. Smiling when he caught her own sheepish smile. "What you have to understand was that I was worried for your safety. I take the role of your protector very seriously and well… I haven't been doing a good job of it. You've had more head injuries then a football player, you're in and out of the hospital… and hostage situations. Rowan I'm just scared you'll get yourself into something and I won't be able to save you. And let's be honest, you have on more than one occasion. I guess… I guess I got a little mean about trying to keep you safe."

Rowan's eyes narrowed at him. "When have I ever gotten into any kind of trouble that you couldn't get me out of?"

"Well for starters, I never saved you from Wo Fat," Steve whispered. "I didn't find you. I couldn't stop him from shooting you… in fact the only reason we got you back at all is because you slowed him down."

Rowan lowered her eyes and he did the same. They were probably thinking the same thing, that if his mother had taken her when she found her, none of that would have happened. And that if she had be a bit faster she'd be in Japan right now and Steve would have ever seen her again. Either way, they might have been on completely different paths.

"I guess that's fair. But that wasn't your fault, you know, you couldn't have stopped me and you definitely couldn't have stopped him. Sometimes things have to happen, and you know, despite the terrible things we originally had to put up with, I got a strong ally and a new friend out of it," Rowan told him with a sigh. "But back to the room… I guess I just thought, with you being so mad at me, with me hurting your feelings over moving out, with you arresting me and Catherine hating me… that… well you'd turn the room into anything else."

"Catherine wanted to. But she also knew she wasn't allowed in there. As I said… I was keeping it for when you came back."

"Okay, so would you rather I stay in there when I sleep over?"

Steve grabbed her, his hands on her waist tugging her onto the edge of her seat and into his chest. Rowan's hands hit his shoulders, her mouth within kissing distance. But he didn't kiss her yet.

"Fuck no."

Rowan smiled at him, casually draping her arms around his neck as she smiled down at him. "Just checking," she said sliding her lips onto his. Steve couldn't hold back the growl that escaped his lips. He couldn't help it. That low groan of pleasure, the way his body rose to meet her, how it burned to have he pressed against him.

How the hell had he ever thought that he could forget this feeling, how had he thought that he could live without it?

Back in the house the phone rang and Steve sighed. Goddamn it. Rowan pulled away from her and rested her forehead against his. "Go save the world."

"Hawaii… I'd really only be saving Hawaii," Steve answered standing. "You going to stay here?"

He was already heading back to the house with his mug of coffee in hand and his towel over his shoulder. He didn't have to look back to know that Rowan was following behind him.

"No, I have errands to run today," she said and Steve nodded. That meant she'd have to change, that meant she'd have to leave… Steve never wanted her to leave, he wanted to come back to this house and have her in it, waiting for him.

Steve went for his phone, answering the call, knowing it was Danny. He watched Rowan climb the stairs back to his room and he absently followed listening to Danny. It wasn't a case, it was a personal favour. Steve smiled. Yes he would go with Danny to pick up his mother from the airport, but first, first he was going to watch Rowan get undressed and if he was lucky, he'd get to make out with her again before they had to leave each other's company for the day.

H5O-H5O-H5O-H5O

This open house was dead. Granted out of all the things she could be doing, spending her day looking at houses she wouldn't be able to buy at that moment, not until he career took off, not unless she used Wo Fat's emergency money to do it, wasn't the worst. And really, what would she do with all that space?

The real estate agent, who wasn't the one who invited her here, was speaking to someone else and she was milling around the living room space admiring a ridiculously sized piece of modern art strapped to the wall. Rowan was mesmerized by it. Simply because it was just broad strokes of primary colors on a white canvas.

She didn't get it. This wasn't art to her.

But that wasn't why she was staring at it. Her head was buzzing. She couldn't figure out why. But she felt cloudy and fuzzy like she was floating. The world began to swim around her, bile rose up into her throat, her arms felt heavy and suddenly she wasn't standing any more but had slammed shoulder first into the art work and both her and it tumbled to the floor.

People were around her immediately, Sherri, the real estate agent helped her up, a glass of water was shoved into her hands, someone was upset about the painting, Sherri was even more upset about the plaster that seemingly had come out when the painting fell.

Rowan was feeling heaving and buzzy again. She found herself turning to the wall where a hole was staring back at here. A hole and a strange grey texture she didn't quite recognize. She didn't realize she had pulled more plaster away until Sherri was screaming at her, and then she was screaming for a completely different reason.

Because Rowan was looking at a very dead, very mummified face.

And then Sherri was screaming because Rowan had thrown up but all the screaming went away again the second Rowan passed out for the second time.

H5O-H5O-H5O-H5O

Steve pulled his truck to a halt and jumped out. He could already see the ambulance parked by the front of the house, behind a barricade of police cars. Rowan was in that ambulance, Chin had said one had been called for her when he called only a few moments before. He wanted to rush to it. Mainly cause he didn't know what had happened. All Chin could tell him was that they had a probable murder and Rowan was involved somehow.

But on his approach to the ambulance he got stopped by some man he barely recognized but seemed to know him. This was not a time for him to be getting recognized, not when he wanted to check up on Rowan.

"Shawn Hutten. Honolulu Register," he said to him. Great. Steve hated reporters. Especially the ambulance chasing ones. "We met at the Governor's Christmas party last year."

Ah. That's why he was familiar. Well now he had to play nice. "Oh yeah, sure, I remember," he lied. "How are you doing?" he waited for Shawn to tell him he was good before plowing on forward. They were walking towards the crime scene, too slowly for Steve's liking, but he couldn't just take off like he wanted to with this guy following him. He wanted to keep Rowan as far out of the press as he could. "I can't give you a statement. I haven't seen the crime scene."

"No, I'm not here to talk about that. I want to talk about Lou Grover."

Really? Why? "What about him?"

"Well, I'm doing a story on our new SWAT captain. I wanted to see if you'd go on record about him."

Steve nodded like he understood, except he didn't. He and Grover rarely saw eye to eye, and that was no secret. If this guy was doing a puff piece he came to the wrong person for praise. "Ah, okay. Well, listen, we just started working together so there's not much I can tell you, okay?"

And that did not seem to please Shawn, but Steve didn't care if that man stopped walking with him, his eyes were on that ambulance. Chin hadn't said Rowan was desperately injured, he didn't sound upset or worried for her, but the fact remained that someone had felt the need to call an ambulance for Rowan and that meant she was hurt in some capacity, which meant Steve was on protector mode again and this guy was stopping him from getting to where he wanted to be.

"Did you know he left Chicago under a cloud?" Shawn called out to Steve's retreating back. Well fuck. Now Steve had to stop.

Which he promptly did and then turned around to face Shawn. Judging by the way took a precautionary step away from Steve he was not wearing an encouraging smile on his face.

"What kind of story are you writing?" he asked, his voice low and dangerous. Shawn actually gulped down whatever his first response was going to be and seemed to contemplate before answering Steve's question.

"There was an incident, a hostage situation. And from what I hear, Grover screwed up and the Chicago P.D. buried it."

Oh. Shit. That's not good. Steve hadn't heard that story, but he had heard a similar story.

"Well, I don't know anything about that."

It was a lie, but Steve wasn't about to feed that bottom feeder anything about that situation. It wasn't Steve's business until Grover told him about it and it sure as hell wasn't Shawn Hutten's nor was it any of his reader's business. That statement meant the conversation was over. Steve should have been able to leave, but Shawn had gotten closer to him and grabbed his arm.

"I'm sure you don't. Because if you did, you would've told the chief of police and then Grover never would've been hired."

Steve just glared at the man. He pried his hand off of him and then half turned away. "Yeah, maybe. But if you're gonna go down that road Mr. Hutten, better make sure your facts are straight or you could ruin a good man's career."

The face Shawn pulled was enough to make Steve want to punch him.

"With all due respect, Commander, I don't need you to tell me how to write a story. Okay? And I'm gonna write this story whether you cooperate or not."

Steve actually laughed. It was like this man was begging him to punch him. Just right there. Right in his stupid fucking mouth. But he didn't have time for this.

"Then we got nothing more to talk about."

This time Hutten actually let Steve walk away which meant he could make a bee line straight to the ambulance like he wanted to in the first place.

As soon as he rounded the corner and found Rowan just sitting there on the tailgate enveloped in a blanket looking perfectly fine, he let out his worried breath. He actually found himself braced on his knees as he desperately took in a deep breath. He hadn't realized that he was that worried about her until he saw her. He noted that Chin was standing above her, seemingly taking her statement. For fucksake, they had only been separated for an hour at best. What the actual hell could have happened in that hour he was putting up with Danny's awkward family life? Errands. She said she just had errands.

"Who was that guy?" Rowan asked him. Like that was what was important right now. He gestured to the crime scene, to the ambulance and then to her.

"What the hell, Ro?!" he cried.

Rowan scowled at him. "I didn't fucking put his body in there now did I, Steven?" she snapped. Okay how did she even know it was a he? Huh? But he was distracted now by the warm spreading from his chest to the rest of him. Goddamnit she knew not to do that when he was working.

"Don't do that, okay? Don't do that to me when I'm mad at you."

Chin turned to him, a look on his face, a sort of curious grin. "And… uh… what is she doing?"

But Rowan had rolled her eyes and said: "Fine. I didn't fucking put his body in the way now did I… Steve?... Better?"

"Yes, yes, it is."

"Good. Now who were you talking to? It looked like you wanted to hit him."

"That's because I did want to hit him," Steve said which won him a confused look from both Chin and Rowan. "He's a reporter. He wants to write a piece on Grover."

"And that made you want to hit him?" Rowan asked. "Really Steven, isn't it a bit petty to be mad that he's writing a piece on Lou instead of you."

Steve put his hands on his hips and glared down at her. "That is not why I'm mad, Rowan. And what did I just say? What did I say?"

"Sorry, I'm just so used to using it," she said blinking her big blue eyes. "I'll try to stop… Steven."

God she wasn't even trying. And of course, like the sucker he was, he was grinning ear to ear. She smiled sheepishly at him. "Aren't you going to ask if I'm okay?"

"No. I know you're okay. I want to know what happened. Why are you at this…" "Open house," Chin supplied for him. "Okay, open house… wait… open hou… why are you at an open house?"

When Rowan didn't answer he looked at the house again and that back to her. "Are you… are you trying to buy a house?"

"Well… I unno… maybe?" she cried. "I was just looking. Getting an idea for the market… what I should be looking for… what I'd like..."

"Got a lot of room for just you," he said turning to the spacious house and sizing it up.

"Who said it was just for me?" she asked and Steve felt his blood run cold. Oh god, she was looking to buy a house with Alex? But they… they weren't together anymore and the man was trying to steal her music.

Why the hell wasn't here if they were buying a house together? Come on, that's the best part. Watching your partner's face light up when they see it, knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt that this would the house they lived in together, simply by that smile. Steve wanted nothing more than to see that smile, to be with Rowan when she found the house of her dreams. To have that be a house they'd be getting together.

"Do… do you need a new place to stay?" Steve asked. "I mean… things must be bad between you and Alex after the fight for your music. If you need to move out fast you can just stay with me."

"No," Rowan said a little too quickly. Enough for it to sting Steve's pride. "I want to stand on my own two feet. You know. I want my own place, not someone else's."

Yes he had heard that before. Right before she moved out to be with Alex. Steve hung his head unable to look at her anymore and beside him Chin scoffed. Rowan shot him a warning look, Steve was just confused. Chin took in both their stares and then cleared his throat. "Uh… you were explaining to me how you found the body…"

She found a body?!

At this Steve did look back up to see that Rowan was wincing, a grey tinge to her cheeks again. She was going to vomit just thinking about it.

"Uh… I was looking at this painting, an ugly thing really, trying to determine whether or not it was art. I'd say it wasn't, but you know those modern and contemporary painting…" "—Rowan!" "—Sorry, right, got off topic. Uh… I was looking at the painting and I got a bit woozy and sort of fell over. When I fell I took the painting down with me and some plaster came loose and that's when… uh… that's when we noticed him there."

"Would this be before or after you took more plaster out of the wall?"

"After."

"And you took more plaster out of the wall because…?"

"I unno… it just… it just looked weird, I didn't know it was a body, I just thought it was… something… and then bam I was looking at a mummified face."

Despite her throwing the offer to have her stay at his place back in his face, Steve was beside her in an instant, an arm around her tugging her to his side so he could envelope her in a tight hug. Rowan pressed herself into it and in turn he pressed a kiss to her hair.

"Why was an ambulance called?" Steve asked. "She's fine. Our Vic is clearly dead…" "—And still in the wall actually." "—either way an ambulance isn't needed."

"That would be because I threw up and then promptly passed out again," Rowan said to him.

"Did you hit your head?" he asked, his hands coming up to feel for bumps.

Rowan shook her head at him, but there was a narrowed look about her, one Steve didn't like. "What kind of story is that reporter writing?"

"One about Grover."

"Yes, I got that part. But is it a good piece or a bad piece?"

Steve didn't want to have her worry about it so he shrugged. But then Rowan said: "You said his name was Shawn Hutten right?" and his blood ran cold.

"Did I?" he asked, because he was certain he hadn't.

"Well you must have, how else would I have known?" Yes how else indeed? She wasn't supposed to be having visions anymore and he sure as hell didn't want her pulling in Wo Fat and his network over this. Especially after everything he had to do to make sure no one found out that she was the reason Lynch died on that hill top.

"Okay… well we have to go inside, are you… are you gonna be okay?" he asked. When she nodded he nodded too. "Just… that reporter… don't do anything okay? It'll be fine, I'll handle it. Just… please?"

"Really, Steven, what do you expect me to do?"

He didn't tell her what he thought she might do. He didn't tell her that he was afraid of the power she pulled and the damage she could cause when she decided someone she cared about was going to get hurt. And Shawn Hutten was definitely out to hurt someone. Instead he let Rowan blow him a kiss and he tried not to think of what was going to happen if and when Rowan found out what was going on with Shawn Hutton and Grover.

Contest announcement:

Alright guys, so I've decided, that the 600th review will get two rewards.

1. They will get to become a character in one of the chapters that gets to interact with characters of their choice, AND 2. You get to pick which filler chapter your character appears in.

I am currently in the process of writing 10 filler chapters between Season 4 and Season 5, hence why I'm doing the contest now. As a result, the chapters in question will be coming in later but I will be put up a reminder when I post them.

Chapter Options

Chapter on what Matt and Wo Fat are doing

Cook out on Steve's beach where he learns a dance

Grace's Take your kids to work day

Steve and Rowan on a Date

Rowan and Steve arguing – Five-0 betting on how it's going to end

Viral video – for can't stop the feeling

Rowan and Steve Hiking/camping

Double date with Amber and Danny

Game Night that ends in disaster

Doris checking in on Steve and visiting Wo Fat

Just some Contest rules

Contest Submissions = A review that tells me which chapter you want to be in.

If you're a guest reviewer, please put a name on your review so I can announce you as the winner, if I get a review without a name, I'll move to the next person. Okay?

When we reach 600 reviews, I will contact the winner to get their character description and name. If you're a guest reviewer I will announce you as the winner and then ask for you to put your character description and name in your next review. If I don't hear from you within two chapters I will move onto the next person.

Sound fair? I think so!