*For info about the contest please read Chapter 98 for rules and more info on the chapters*

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A/N: You guys enjoying this fluff? Cause I got more coming at ya! This one has more funny bits than fluffy stuff, but there is some fluff there for you guys to enjoy. I know this is gonna be a sad thing but we are coming to a close of the marathon, which is great for me cause I was running out of chapters to post! I've built my reserve up a bit since, but we're definitely going to have to survive on double posts for a while. Sorry about that. But as soon as I can I'll start up the three a week okay? For those who are confused, YES all 10 chapters I've listed are going to be written, I'm going to be doing 10 chapters of filler between season 4 ending and season 5 starting so it flows a bit better. What I need you to do is tell me which chapter you want your character to be in. I already have all of Season 5 mapped out, and partially written, so if you'd like spoilers on what's to come, leave a review saying so and I'll include that tomorrow. See yah then!

Chapter 99

Steve came to from his own nightmare to a pair of arms sliding down his chest, enveloping him in a warmth he didn't know he needed until he was surrounded by it. He was in nothing but a white wife-beater and a pair of his black boxers, he must have fallen asleep in his lazy boy after Rowan had left for the day.

He looked up to the woman who was draped across the back of the chair giving him a hug and let her smother his cheeks and forehead in kisses.

"I thought you had a meeting, some big diva pop star wanted to buy your song."

"Mhmm, I did," she said to him, pressing a kiss to the tip of his nose.

"Then what are you doing here?"

"I unno… it just sort of felt like you needed me," she whispered to him and he sighed. She came here because she thought he needed her? No, no, she had a big deal to broker, he shouldn't have come between her and that.

"But your deal…"

"Oh she bought the song. I told her I had a family emergency and she could either take the song or I'd leave with it. She bought it on the spot, didn't even listen to the demo," she said. "But that's not the important part right now. Are you okay? Did you have another nightmare?"

She had pivoted positions. Perched precariously on the arm of his chair, his arm around her waist lest she fall, a hand caressing the back of his head, her finger tips tracing patterns in the hair at the nape of his neck. Sending shivers down his spine. God, she gave him blue balls just by touching him now, this was ridiculous he needed to get a hold of himself.

"Uh… yeah… yeah I did…"

"Did you want to talk about it?" she asked. Steve never wanted to talk about his nightmares. He talked with Rowan about hers, assured her that at no point were insurgents going to cut off his head, that he and Danny weren't going to get stuck in a parking garage collapse, and other such nonsense. But this wasn't visions of a TV Show, this was something true and real that happened to him. That he couldn't let go of.

That he didn't want to taint her with.

But sitting there, breathless, panting, slick with sweat, his hands shakingly clinging to her, he saw something in her eyes that made him a little more than worried that she may already know.

"Uh… do you… do you know what they're about?" he asked.

"No?" Okay so that meant yes. Steve glared at her. "Okay, fine, Yes."

"How long have you known?"

"Uh… not long?" "Rowan…" "No really, not long, I promise…" "Rowan…" "Okay fine, I've known all along." Steve groaned and Rowan frowned. "I'm sorry. But… you didn't want to tell me and I didn't want to pry. It's not my fault I dreamed of it."

"Why didn't you tell me then?"

"Because you didn't want to tell me and I wanted you to want to tell me," she answered. "It wasn't my place to know until you wanted me to know. Stupid dreams had a different plan."

She had a scowl on her face, one that almost made him smile. "Okay, what do you know then?"

"I know you feel guilty about Freddy," she whispered. "I know that you think you could have done more to save him."

"You weren't there Ro, I could have," he whispered.

Rowan shook her head. "I've seen multiple angles of this dream you keep having, Steven McGarrett. No, you couldn't have."

She used his full name again and suddenly he wanted nothing more than to pull her down to his lap and ravish her. God damn it, why did that have such power over him?

"I know you're hurting Steve," she whispered, her hands framing his face so he'd look at her. Unbeknownst to him his fingers had started to dig into her skin, he could have been hurting her but she showed no trace of pain on her face and he wouldn't find the welts until later a few days later anyway. "I know you're hurting and I want to help, but I can't cause I don't understand and you won't let me help you."

"Rowan…"

"You don't have to talk to me about it, Steven, that's not the point I'm making. I just want you to know that I'm here. I'm here for when you are ready to share that part of you with me, and I'm not going to run, or hide or push you away, or make you tell me before you're ready. But you're really hurting Steve, like really badly, the dreams are getting more frequent, even when you're with me. So, talk to someone, okay? How about Grover. Grover would understand… right?"

Steve found himself looking up at her. It was almost like he was seeing her for the first time, this halo of red around her head, that softness in her eyes.

"I don't deserve you," he found himself whispering to her. It was the truth but he never meant to say it out loud. He wanted her. Desperately. He didn't need her to know how damaged he was, how much she deserved someone, anyone, better than him. He didn't need to give her even more of a reason to leave him.

"That's for me to decide," she said kissing him softly. "You call Grover, I'll make the coffee."

She had to pry herself out of his grasp before she could stand up to do that. He looked at his phone and pulled up Grover's contact. He glanced back to Rowan who was humming in his kitchen as she made the coffee. God, what would he do without her?

H5O-H5O-H5O-H5O

Grover accepted the coffee from Rowan and then looked out at the window where Steve was sitting in one of his chairs by the beach. He had his own mug in his hand but he hadn't lifted it to his lips to drink from it in all the time the two had stood there watching him from the window.

"How's your boy?"

"Looking all sorts of fine in blue today," she whispered and Grover felt his eyebrows shoot up his head. That was not what he meant. When he was quiet for too long Rowan looked to him and then she got it. "Oh… uh… he's not good. He's… he's hurting and he won't let me help him."

That was typical. Man like McGarrett who didn't trust people, didn't let anyone in. But it surprised him. The man was obsessed with this girl, he would have thought that out of anyone, she would have been the one he would end up talking to.

"I can do my best to help, but he's a stubborn sonofabitch," Grover said, taking a sip of the coffee. Together the two of them went out to the beach, Steve, who had been stiff, practically melted the second Rowan put her arms around his neck.

"I gotta go," she whispered to him.

A frown crossed Steve's face."Now?"

"Yeah, I got paperwork to fill out and rights to transfer over. You're good now though right?" she asked him and Steve nodded putting on a brave face.

She kissed his cheek, said bye to both of them and then Grover watched Steve as he watched Rowan leave. Each step she took away from him put a deeper crease into his already worried face.

"Man, if you're this strung for her, why are you two not a thing yet?" Grover asked.

Steve set a dark glare on him. "It's complicated."

"How so? You got feelings for her. She got feelings for you. Nothing else matters."

Steve wasn't having it though. He glanced to Grover said: "Well… thank you for coming…"

Okay if he was dismissing him he wasn't getting off that easy. "Well, I'm glad you called."

Steve picked up the cup off coffee again, fondling it but still not drinking from it. Grover had no problem drinking for his. Rowan made a mean cup of coffee.

"I've been thinking a lot about our last conversation…"

"Don't lie, she told me she made you call me," Grover said with a teasing grin that finally got Steve to smile.

"Okay, fine, so today she convinced me to call you, but I actually have been thinking a lot about our last conversation and how you wanted to know what brought me back to Hawaii," he said. He was avoiding Grover's eyes so he probably missed all the nodding he was doing. Grover stayed silent and put on an air of gentle understanding. He sensed that Steve was like a baby deer, and that he'd start easy. Staying quiet meant that he'd get through this quicker and easier.

"Well, a month ago, I would've told you it was to find the man that killed my father."

And that was it, he went quiet again. Grover nodded to him, Steve took in his face, he looked at the water, at the shoes, at the sand. Grover patiently waited.

"I realized it was about more than that." Well no shit. God, the master of suspense this boy was, he was spending way too much time with Rowan and Danny, he was getting to be just as dramatic as them. "I lost somebody. Somebody really close to me. He gave his life to save mine."

Well this was some heavy shit. Grover put the mug down. "What was his name?"

"His name was Freddie Hart. He was a team guy. We went through BUD/S together. We always had each other's back. He was my brother. More than anything else in this world, Freddie wanted to be a father. That was it. He would've been a great father too."

Steve paused again which left Grover waiting for the rest of it. It was clear as day that just talking about this was killing the poor man. "Anyway, after he died, uh, the Navy didn't feel the same. When the Governor offered me Five-0 I jumped at it."

Grover sighed as he took that in. "You ran away."

Steve thought about finally took a sip of his coffee, a million emotions passed over his face before he finally breathed out a shaky: "Yeah."

"We think the distance is gonna make thing better, and for a while, it kinda does. But sooner or later it catches up to you. But the real problem you're having is all up here," Grover told him pointing to his head. Steve nodded like he understood but said nothing else.

"You sleeping?" Grover asked. Steve couldn't answer the question. "When was the last time you had a good night's sleep?"

Pain hit his face, clear as day. The man wasn't sleeping, it was probably why he was such a live wire. But then he surprised him. "Basically, any night I have Rowan," he whispered.

"Well it's a good thing you have her huh?"

"Yeah, I guess.I unno… it's… sometimes not even she helps, but usually, if she's there… if I know she's there…"

"I can tell you, having someone like her on your side will be a god send, my wife is like that. She'll stand by me through anything, even when I don't deserve it. Rowan's like that, isn't she?"

Steve nodded again. Yes, anyone could see that Rowan was like that. She stood by everyone she cared about. He was convinced Steve could commit murder and she'd still stand by him. It made no sense why Steve hadn't locked her down yet.

"She'd be even more helpful if you let her in. Rene was so good once I walked her through what I was going through…"

"Yeah… I guess I don't… I don't really talk about stuff like that."

"You're talking to me."

"Yeah but you're different. You… you understand."

"And you think she won't?" Grover asked. "Boy, who hurt you?"

Steve half laughed at him and the two chuckled together. "It's one day at a time man. Just don't alienate yourself. Your greatest support system sleeps over at your place almost every other night, and you work with the other half of it. Use it."

Steve nodded he had reached his threshold for emotional conversations for the day.

"You better get going. You got a big day a head of you," Steve said. Ah there, now he was truly and properly dismissed.

"Yeah, true, but you know, as I said earlier, I'm glad you called," he said. Steve just smiled at him. It would be like pulling teeth, but at least the man was finally asking for help, even if he wasn't ready to accept it yet.

H5O-H5O-H5O-H5O

His mom had made tuna salad. This did not bode well for him. His mother only did that when she felt guilty about something, which begged the question: What the hell had she done to feel guilty about. But when he asked her, she denied everything and spouted some crap about invading his space and wanting to do something nice for him like he'd buy it. And then he was distracted by something else entirely.

Rowan popped up beside her. "Her tuna sandwiches rock," she said around a mouthful of sandwich. Wow really, he thought she hated fish. Also, what was she doing here? When did she get here, and why did she too also look very guilty?

"Okay, so you're going somewhere with Rowan?"

"Yeah, we're going to do a thing together."

"A thing?"

The doorbell rang, and Danny began to panic. "Yes, you know that thing that I asked you to do with me but you said that you couldn't do?" his mother asked.

Oh that thing. Rowan opened the door and hugged Grover and then turned back to his mother. "Clara this is Captain Grover, he's going to tell you to call him Lou."

"The little lady is right," Grover said shaking his mother's hand who smiled warmly up at him. He was in his full and proper uniform and everything like he was showing off.

"What are you doing here, Lou?" Danny asked trying very hard not to start shouting.

Lou donned a surprised look that Danny didn't buy at all. "McGarrett didn't tell you?"

"No, tell me what?"

He had a feeling he knew what but he wanted them all to squirm first.

"Well, remember when I asked you if I could see what you do and you said that I couldn't?" his mother asked again. Goddamn it. It really was that thing.

"Oh, that's the thing?"

"Yeah."

"To go on a stakeout, which I said was a terrible idea. And you're taking Rowan, who's a walking disaster. All of Five-0 and a criminal master mind can't keep her in check, but you're going to?" he asked Grover.

Rowan frowned at him and crossed her hands over her chest. "I'm going to behave!" she cried.

"No, you're incapable," Danny snapped and then turned his attention back to his mother. "How did you… how did you set this up?"

"Well, I called your friend Steve…" "… Does he know you're taking Rowan? Cause I find it hard to believe he wanted Rowan anywhere near this little operation you got here." "…and he said he thought it was perfectly fine so he arranged for me to go on a ride along with this very nice gentleman."

And then his mother was looking Grover up and down like he was the last piece of pizza at the pizzeria. His mother kissed him good-bye before he could say anything which left him with Grover and Rowan.

Grover gestured to his face. "See, all this here, you're doing, that's between you and McGarrett," he said.

Rowan leant forward to give him a hug. "Look, if it makes you feel better, Steve has no idea I'm going with them. You can lord that over him, if you'd like."

Grover paused. "Whoa, I was under the impression he knew you were coming."

Rowan looked him up and down and said very clearly: "I lied."

Oh… wow. Yes, actually, that did make him feel better.

H5O-H5O-H5O-H5O

They got to the crime scene and Steve had never been so happy to get a murder. Anything to get Danny to stop nagging him, stop arguing with him to just shut up in general cause the man wasn't listening to reason.

"Just stop for one second okay?" Danny snapped slamming his door shut. He had almost been so mad that Steve had lost his driving privileges. He almost hadn't given up the keys when he picked Steve up. Steve braced himself against the hood of the car to accept, yet another lecture from Danny. "All I'm saying is that a heads-up would've been nice, okay? That's all."

Yes, but then Steve would have had to listen to Danny bitch for days until he agreed to cancel the ride along. At this rate he was still going to have to listen to Danny bitch for days but at least Clara got to do something fun while she was here.

"You're so worked up about this."

"Oh, okay, listen, I know this may seem like a foreign concept to you, but the idea of my mother being in harm's way, it does not sit well with me."

"You gotta give her more credit, Danny. I mean she survived you," Steve said.

Danny frowned at this. "Uh-huh. You're not a good friend," he told him. Oh what? What now? That was rude… and a lie. "In fact, you're not longer my friend. I'm done. Good run. It's been fun."

"You're just mad she went behind your back. This has nothing to do with me," Steve called to Danny who was walking away from him. He knew Danny didn't mean it, they were still friends, he was just sulking cause he didn't get his way.

"I am mad because she has all these secret agendas. She's always been impulsive, but this just goofy. It's crazy," Danny complained as they walked towards the boat that was their crime scene.

"Thank goodness you're being level headed," Steve snapped sarcastically which Danny, the King of Snark picked up on immediately. Time to take him down a peg. Time to lord that little nugget of a secret Danny had been carefully holding onto for just a moment like this moment.

"Okay, well then it's a good thing you think it's such a good idea. I'd be more worried if you hadn't sent Rowan along with them."

Steve paused on the gang plank and turned around. "Excuse me?"

"Well I mean, that must mean you think it's gonna be safe. Because otherwise you wouldn't have sent Rowan with them."

"I didn't send Rowan with them. You think I'd let Rowan go on a ride-along, are you out of your mind?"

Danny was grinning wildly at the panic that was playing havoc on Steve's face.

"I heard someone's mom is going on a ride-along today," Chin said as they got closer to them. Steve already had his phone out. "I can't believe you let Rowan go too."

Steve made a noise akin to a growl that one would hear from a guard dog while he shook his head and listened to the phone ring. Rowan didn't pick up. "Oh he didn't know she was going," Danny said as Steve continued to got her voice mail, ended the call and then dialed Grover.

Kono and Chin exchanged glances that Steve ignored. He needed to get a hold of someone.

"Aw, come on babe, she'll be alright. I mean… she survived you, right" he said to him and Steve glared at him. Danny was laughing but it wasn't funny. Rowan was a completely different kind of trouble, she was nothing like the impetuous Mrs. Williams. Rowan on a ride-along could be very dangerous for everyone, not just herself.

He got Grover's voicemail and he dialed Rowan's phone again. "She can't avoid me forever," he snapped as the others made their way down to the boat where they had their three vics with multiple bullet wounds.

Rowan still hadn't picked up.

Steve leant over the side of the boat where something burnt black and metal was sticking out of the side. "What is that?" he asked.

No one was sure. Steve dialed Rowan no answer. The others were talking but Steve wasn't listening. He needed Rowan to answer the goddamn phone. He needed her off of that ride-along. "That looks like carbon graphite," Steve said to no one in particular. Danny asked if that was what a comet was made of but Steve just grunted. He was listening to dialling again. Fuck. Pick up the phone. He heard something about M43s and 7.62 slugs.

Steve turned. "Chinese and Russian military use that type of ammo," he said. "We could be looking at a foreign shooter.

His phone rang and Steve answered before a contact could even appear on his phone screen. "Rowan? Where are you. Put Grover on the phone. Right now. You're getting off that Ride…."

"Don't make any sudden moves, Commander."

Okay Male voice. Not Rowan. Panic subsided and anger returned. "Who is this?"

"Just be cool and turn slowly to your left."

Steve turned and there was Jerry just behind the barricade. Alright… things just got interesting.