**ANNOUNCEMENT**

For those of you who don't know here's the contest info.

When we reach that 600th review, the person 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.

Chapter Options (I have included a more detailed description at the end of this chapter so check it out.)

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. (You're allowed to change your mind, but I'll pick your most recent choice if you do)

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?

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AvalonReeseFanFics

A/N: Hey guys! We're almost done this marathon. Only two more chapters to post. This chapter also ends very fluffily so I hope you enjoy it. You guys really seem to like the whole fluff aspect so I'm glad you're enjoying it. I've noticed a lack of contest submissions! Please tell me which chapter you'd LIKE to be in if you were to win! I'll see you guys tomorrow!

Chapter 98

"Of course, I'm sad!"

Okay, maybe this was not the way he wanted this conversation to go. When his mother came back with Grace in tow, Grace's face looking clownish with that make up all over it, he had hoped he could talk some sense into his mother. That he could keep her from pulling Grace out of school and giving his daughter make overs every time she was a little bored. The goal was to guilt her into feeling a little bad about the situation she had created, leaving his father and all.

But having his mother come out and tell him that she was, in fact, sad despite the dancing and the singing and the make overs, broke his heart.

"You think because I have a song stuck in my head that I'm not sad?"

Danny shrugged and paired it was a nonchalant: "I unno."

It was like he was a teen again.

"I wanna cry all the time, honey," she said and then with a deep sigh she flopped down to the couch. "I'm sorry I took Grace out of school. It's just… when you left for work, I found myself extremely lonely here and wandering around with nothing to do…"

Danny sat down on the small foot stool in front of his mother and repeated: "Okay, I already said that it's fine. Ma, can we talk now? Please?"

Clara sat up a little straighter and though it looked like she'd rather chew nails she agreed to talk to her son.

"Ever since your father retired, he has a million different hobbies and interests. And not one of them involves being with me. You're here with Gracie. Matt's on the run somewhere, the girls are busy with their own families and I went from being the busiest woman in the world, raising you guys, cooking, cleaning, couponing, PTA-ing, to having absolutely nothing but time on my hands."

"Alright, so maybe you need a hobby too…"

"No, I don't need a hobby. Sweetheart, I need a life. Like a real life. A life with love and romance and companionship," she said and then she let that sink in. "Please don't think that I did not try to make this marriage work. I never worked harder at anything in my life. And I know this is hurting you, but…" "—No mom… it's… uh… it's…" "Yeah. No, I know it is. And I know that it doesn't really matter how old you are or how much your dad and I love you, it's still a tough thing for you to handle. The thought of us being apart. And I am sorry for that"

Danny nodded, now he sure as hell felt like the prized jerk. "Okay, well, I appreciate that, Mom, I do. And I apologize myself. I obviously have not been very supportive, okay? But just so you know, uh, the hardest day of my life was not when Rachel told me that she was leaving me, okay? It was when we had to sit down and tell Grace. That was, that was tough. And she… she… she, you know, she tired not to cry. And she was, you know, trying to be big about it, but I know that we were her anchor. Just like you and Pops are to me. That's tough, thinking about losing that."

His mother put a hand to his arm. "I know… I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry," he said. "and uh… here, I'm gonna give you a number. A number. To a very good girl. Great at distractions. She uh… she owes me one, and uh… she'll be at your beck and call, so if you ever get bored you can call her and not pull my daughter out of school. Sound good."

He handed his mother a paper and she looked it over. "Rowan huh? I thought you were dating a girl named Amber."

"I am. Amber I mean. Rowan… uh… Ro. Auntie Ro, if you're talking Grace, she's uh… she's Steve's…. uh… you know what none of us know what's going on between her and Steve, maybe you can figure it out huh? You can be the Rowan-Relationship-Status detective."

"You could just ask her you know."

"True, I could, but she lies and she's really good at avoiding questions, trust me, you'll… uh… you'll love her."

And for the first time Danny thought he saw the barest hint of a real smile on his mother's face.

H5O-H5O-H5O-H5O

Rowan skipped back into the Palace and made a bee line straight to Steve's office where he was waiting for her. She didn't miss the stern and seriously look on his face but that didn't matter, she had a foolproof plan to skip over whatever lecture he had planned for her and go straight to either making out or him taking her out for dinner.

As soon as she got in there, as soon as those hands went to his hips in preparation for the lecture, she launched herself at him. Arms around his neck, lips on his. There wasn't a single pause between that motion and Steve's arms around her. He made a single noise, a groan of relief and then he was thoroughly going about kissing her.

He straightened to his full height, Rowan's sandal clad feet coming off the floor, but before she could wrap her legs around his waist he had dropped her onto his desk, sweeping whatever he could aside, ignoring whatever clattered to the floor. Rowan clung to Steve's shoulders, kissing him, tasting him, nibbling on his lower lip in that way that drove him wild. Steve was between her legs, his hands wandering her body. She wasn't sure they were at that point yet, despite Steve's silent desperation to go that far, and she wasn't sure she was willing to go that far simply to avoid a lecture.

Luckily Steve came apart from her, taking a few steps away from her, his chest heaving and his eyes burning. She couldn't help but smile at the man, he looked just about half undone. His hair was dishevelled, his lips plumped up and red from all her nibbling, his shirt was askew and he was desperately trying to rearrange himself so he could be conformable in his pants without her noticing.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes. No. Fuck. Rowan. Why did you… did you do that so I wouldn't… FUCK!"

Okay, maybe this wasn't such a good game to play.

"I was just happy to see you," she whispered to him. Which was also true. "I just wanted to kiss you… I'm… I'm sorry."

"No. Don't… be… just… give me… give me a minute," he whispered bracing himself on his knees so he could suck in as much air as he could. When he was ready he straightened, ran a hand through his hair and avoided her eyes. "I uh… I need to call off whoever you sent after Shawn Hutten."

Rowan blinked her eyes. How in the hell did he know about that… already? "Uh… who?"

"Don't play with me Rowan. He's had an uncanny string of bad luck. You were on the app today, I saw you. Call them off. Now."

"I honestly have no idea what you're talking about…"

"Rowan!"

"No! Okay! No! I'm not… he needs to… he's got it all wrong. Grover thought he could help and he's been torturing himself over that decision and Hutten's not gonna get it cause he's all high and mighty. Well his high and mighty ass is on its way to having to move back in with momma cause I did not shell out over 30 grand to ruin him and not have him ruined!"

"Ruined?!"

"Well… yeah… you said not to use the app to kill people anymore so I initiated Black Cat Protocols which essentially just means you're ruining someone's life and…"

"I told you to stop using the app all together. No more app, that's what I said. No differentiating between the different modes… no more app, Rowan!"

"Okay fine… I'm sorry, I was just trying to help. I can call them off…" she said. Steve lounged back and shook his head at her. "Are… uh… are you mad at me?"

Steve stared at her, his hands on his hips, looking fine in that dark brown shirt. Fuck why did he have to look so good, he was like walking sex. It wasn't fair. So much more unfair then her saying his full name when they argued.

"No," he answered. "I should be, but I'm not. I know you were trying to help but I mean it Rowan you have to stop using that app. I can't keep covering for you, okay?"

Rowan nodded and he sighed, pulling out his phone to look at it. Oh she knew what that meant. "Let me guess… you gotta go right?"

"Yeah, I do have a case, that I really need to stop getting pulled off of. Chin and Kono are downstairs working on a suspect I was gonna go see how they're doing," he replied and Rowan found herself nodding again. "But if you want, you can stay… we can do something once this is cleared up…"

"Alright fine. Go. I'll wait here. Call me when you wanna know about the second body."

Steve thanked her, pressed a soft kiss to her cheek and actually walked out of his office before he realized what she had said to him. Steve turned right back around and opened the door again getting her to look up at him. "Hey… uh… real quick… did you just say second body?"

H5O-H5O-H5O-H5O

Gerrard Burns had given them the location of their wife's body coincidentally just before Steve came down to tell them that he knew where Burns' Wife's body was hidden. It had confused the hell out of Burns, and even Chin and Kono were confused for a minute, but they had all shrugged it off and headed to the original scene of the crime.

The last of the plaster came off and there it was the mummified remains of the missing Mrs. Burns.

Even Steve was having a hard time looking at it but the second he heard a muted: oh god followed by gagging he knew someone else was having an even harder time with it. Steve whirled around immediately, to confirm that she was actually in the room and then inwardly swore at himself because, really, who else could it have been.

"Geezus, Rowan, what did I say?" he said, crossing to her. "I said stay in the truck." He shot a "For the love of god, someone book him" over his shoulder as he ushered Rowan out of the house before she could vomit.

One hand at the small of her back, the other in her death grip. "Oh god that was awful."

"Well… I told you to stay in the truck."

"I'm not a dog Steven," she snapped and he rolled his eyes, she knew, she knew he didn't like when she did that. Not when they were arguing.

Steve lead her back to the truck he had originally left her in and then sat her in the passenger seat, he pulled open the glove compartment and handed her what was a very warm bottle of ginger ale.

"You have a ginger ale in your glove compartment?" she asked him.

"Yeah… uh… I had us all stocked with them," he said, watching as she took her first sip. Her cheeks were still pale but she was smiling at him, that was good at least.

"Why?"

"Well uh… cause you're always around. And I figure, instead of trying to keep you away… because none of my methods seem to work, that we'd plan for the inevitable. The first being that you don't do well with blood or bodies so, something to soothe an upset stomach is necessary. And you don't like pepto… so…."

"Aww… that's so sweet of you."

Steve smiled. Yeah it was sweet of him. He was trying really hard to be better. To be worthy of her admiration, to be someone she trusted. So far she had done nothing but alienate him with her constant contact with Wo Fat and his stupid network.

"McGarrett!"

Steve turned and Grover was coming for him. He only had to shoot a glance at Rowan to have her say: "I'm fine, go see if he's okay," to him. He didn't want to leave her side, but he did, being sure to shoot her a glance whenever he could.

"Hey, you okay?" he asked Grover when he got close. The older man took a hold of Steve's shoulders and forced them to switch places which meant that Steve could still keep eyes on Rowan. "Thank you," he breathed out and the man held up his hand so Steve would say no more.

"I just wanted to come by and say thank you," Grover said.

"What are you talking about?"

"Aw come on, stop playing. Just talked to the guy. He says he's gonna pull the story."

"Well there you go, congratulations."

"Hmm… so what'd it cost you?" he asked.

Steve sighed, god, he was going to have to tell him what Rowan did. Well… he was going to try the lie first. "I just appeared to his better angels."

"Yeah, and when that didn't work, then what'd you do."

Damn it. Steve glanced back to where Rowan was sitting with her bottle of ginger ale.

"I promised to get a certain network off of his ass."

Grover followed Steve's gaze and when he did Rowan lifted a hand to wave at them. Both of them waved back and then Grover turned to Steve whistling lowly at him. "Girl put her network to work over me?"

"Yeah on over drive too. Something called Black Cat protocols. You should have seen the damage she caused. Got his home computer, his work computer, his cloud, his car. She was about ready to ruin that man for you."

Grover whistled again. "Damn that girl's scary. Good thing she's an ally, right?"

Steve nodded. "Look… uh… I'd appreciate it… if you could uh…"

"I ain't gonna tell a soul," Grover said. "I ain't stupid."

Steve needed off of this topic. "Uh… listen man, I really appreciate you telling me about Chicago."

Grover nodded. "Well, perhaps someday you'll tell me why you came back home. Or better yet, I could get a better story about your girlfriend other then she's psychic. Girl's more than that, I can tell."

Steve glanced back to Rowan who seemed to be leaning into his truck. Was she lying down? What the hell was she doing. Steve's panic must have crossed his face because Grover was just pushing him off. "Go on then, God knows you can barely concentrate when she's around, I'm surprised I got you away from the truck at all."

Steve smiled, because it was true after all, and then waved him off, rushing over to where Rowan was still in his truck. When he got there, he found that she had a small black box in her hand and his mouth went dry. She wasn't supposed to find that yet.

"What's this Steve?"

"Uh….."

"Was it… is it… for uh… Catherine?"

Steve balked at the idea, balked at the fear apparent in Rowan's eyes shining like a beacon, like she might cry right then and there. She thought this was an engagement ring. And now she was jealous. Aww… how cute.

"No, silly, it's for you."

Now she was afraid for a whole different reason. Her eyes whipped back to the box in her hand and then back to him. "Uh… why did you buy me… uh… not that this isn't…"

"Will you just open it?"

Rowan winced. "Are you sure you want to give me this now? I mean… don't get me wrong, Steven, I'm having fun…"

"Open the damn box, Ro."

And she did. There nestled against he soft fabric was a key. Her key. The key to his front door.

"A key?" "Mhmmm." "It's a key." "Yes, yes, it is." "What does it open?"

Wow… was she doing this on purpose or like…?

"My house, you idiot," Steve said with a warm smile.

"Your house," she echoed. "I thought you gave this to Catherine."

"Nope, I kept your key. Cath… uh… I never gave Cath a key."

"What? Really but she was living with you…"

Steve just shrugged, he looked down to the key in her hand and took a deep breath. "I want you to have that key back. I'm obviously not asking you to move in. I just thought you'd like to have a key, so you can stop by whenever you want, even if I'm not home."

"Aww… thanks Steve, that's so sweet," she said leaning forward to kiss him on the cheek. "Thank you."

"Now you don't have to wake me up to let you in. You can just let yourself in. And seriously. Any time you want to come over. Any time of the day or night."

"I get it… I get it Steve," she said with a big Cheshire cat grin. "I'll be sure to use it whenever I can."

"I had it all planned, I was gonna take you to dinner…"

"Were you gonna have the waiter drop it in my champagne?"

"You don't drink champagne..." "—Touche." "So no. I was going to take you to dinner, tonight, and then I was going slide it across the table…." "Whoa, tonight?"

Steve stopped staring at her hands that were twisting the key around and he looked back up at her. "Yeah? Why?"

"I'm busy tonight. I have plans with Alex."

Steve's eyebrows shot up his forehead. "You have plans with Alex," he echoed hollowly.

"Yeah. Last minute recording before he the album drops next week. He wants to make sure that everything sounds just right."

"I thought the album was in production already," Steve growled and Rowan shrugged.

"Me too, but what are you gonna do right?"

Steve wanted to hit him that's what he wanted to do. But instead he forced himself to smile, let Rowan plant a kiss on his lips and then he got into the driver's side of the truck and dropped her off at Alex's. He couldn't wait for the day would come when he could stop doing that. When he could start dropping her off at his place instead. Hell he'd rather drop her off at Danny or Chin's. But for today he'd have to take solace in knowing that Rowan had not just the key to his house but to his heart.

H5O-H5O-H5O-H5O

The bed shifted and Steve was suddenly wide awake. A sense of calm was coming over him like a blanket. It was only Rowan. His Rowan.

He shifted, rolling over to grab her, tugging her down to him. She landed square on his chest, her fingernails digging into the skin of his chest and he couldn't have cared less. He arranged the blanket around her, her body shaking and shivering against him. He figured she was cold until she realized that she was crying.

Propping himself up above her, his arms encircled her as he searched her tear stained face. Had she called him and he hadn't heard the phone ring? No, he was certain she hadn't. He always woke up when she called. But how had he not woken up when she got into the house? That wasn't like him at all.

"What is? What happened?" he asked.

Rowan threw herself into him, burying her face in his neck. "It was awful." Ah a nightmare. "It was so real, I was so scared."

Steve ran his hands up and down her back. "It's okay. It's not real. It didn't happen. You're safe Rowan. You're safe, I'm here, and you're okay."

"Please don't go… please. Promise me you won't."

"Go? Go where?"

"To Afghanistan."

Steve froze, what the hell was she talking about. "Rowan… what are you…?"

"They're gonna capture you. They're gonna… they're gonna cut your head off, so please, please don't…"

Steve hushed her again, kissing her lips to keep the nonsense from flowing out of her, she whimpered against him, he felt her tremors shake through him. She was completely and utterly terrified and his heart yearned to soothe her in any way that he could.

"Don't worry. Rowan… I'm not going to go Afghanistan. I'm not on active duty I'm not gonna get deployed…"

"But you're still on reserves. Aren't you?" Well damn she had him there. "And besides I don't think that's why you go."

"Okay, then why do I go to Afghanistan?"

Rowan paused at that point and Steve realized that she didn't know. He smiled softly to her. "Okay, see, you don't know do you?" when she shook her head, he kissed the tip of her nose. "Okay, so, you see, it's gonna be okay. I can promise you, that I won't take a single mission that lands me in Afghanistan, okay? Cause I can do that. That's what being on reserves means, I get to pick and choose."

Rowan seemed to relax in his arms and he smiled at her. It wasn't really the way that worked, but if it made her feel better, he'd tell her the necessary white lies.

"Okay… yeah… okay," she whispered to him settling back into his pillows. "And you… you promise you won't go?"

"Afghanistan is a hell hole. You're asking me to choose Hawaii where I can have you in bed with me and that place, you and Hawaii are gonna win hands down every time," he told her. Rowan's grin put an even larger smile on his face.

He kissed her again, happy when she melded into him. He held her tightly to him until that nervous energy left her, until her body went slack in his arms, until she was too tired to stay awake and she fell asleep half draped over him.

He held her tightly because when he did, his own night terrors went away. Because when he held her, his world was a little brighter, a little better, and if holding her meant she wouldn't have nightmares, meant that she would feel better in the morning, then he'd sure as hell to never let go of her ever again.

Chapter Descriptions

Chapter on what Matt and Wo Fat are doing – this chapter will include where Matt has been hidden this entire time and a day with Wo Fat and Rowan, as he's broken out of prison at this point

Cook out on Steve's beach where he learns a dance – this is going to be a relatively shorter chapter about a weekend party that Rowan and Steve host where he is taught the Can't Stop the Feeling dance (It hasn't been mentioned in the story yet, you'll learn about that in chapter 107)

Grace's Take your kids to work day – this story involved Danny being very upset because Grace wants to go to work with someone and it isn't him.

Steve and Rowan on a Date – This story is going to involve Steve getting Danny to help him plan a romantic night out for Rowan. All fluff, probably gonna end in smut.

Rowan and Steve arguing and the other Five-0's and Grover are going to argue over who's going to win.

Viral video – for Can't stop the feeling – a short chapter about Rowan planning a flash mob for a song she wrote

Rowan and Steve Hiking/camping – Rowan, who doesn't like camping or hiking, will agree to do both things with Steve and it will NOT go well.

Double date with Amber and Danny – This will be a look at Rowan and Steve's sickening cuteness from the point of view of Amber and Danny.

Game Night that ends in disaster – a night in which all the Five-0's go to Steve's for a game night which gets super freaking competitive.

Doris checking in on Steve and visiting Wo Fat – Doris back on Hawaii, visiting Wo Fat to see how he's doing, checking up on Steve who nearly died twice in two episodes. And someone is going to find out and force a kind of reconciliation