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AvalonReeseFanFics
A/N: Happy Friday my lovely readers. It is with great pleasure, I mean immensely great pleasure that I get to announce to you, that after 110 chapters Rowan and Steve are finally together (And by chapter 120 it's a proper thing.) No more Catherine messing things up. This chapter is 16 pages long, which is MASSIVE, and I know that but a lot happens in this chapter. So I promise if you stick through this giant chapter it ends on a good note :D.
Chapter 110
Grace sat on the curb sandwiched between her Aunt Ro and Danno's new girlfriend Amber. Grace knew both women were nervous. Amber obviously cared for Danno very deeply which made Grace happy. And she knew Aunt Ro practically loved Uncle Steve. She could easily imagine how scared they were but they were both putting on brave faces for her so she was trying really, really hard not to cry.
When they first got there, Aunt Ro went around talking to people, while Grace waiting with Amber away from the disaster site. Uncle Chin was asking if she was okay. She said something about Chin using her name and someone named Wo with a prisoner, to force him to tell them the truth. Uncle Lou made her talk to officials, her and Aunt Catherine went out into the rubble looking for something. She got to talk to her dad and Uncle Steve on a video chat. But the video chat had been over what seemed hours ago, the had eaten hotdogs, Amber and Grace had gone to the washroom twice, Auntie Ro had drank her weight in tea to calm her nerves, then asked for another update, got nothing and then she was sitting back down beside Amber and Grace.
"Aunt Ro?" she whispered which caused Rowan to turn to her. She was resting her elbow on her knee and her chin on her hand, she simply pivoted to look her. "Aunt Ro can we sing another song?"
She and Aunt Ro had sung all the songs that Amber knew already and she didn't want to leave Amber out, but she needed to do something to keep her mind off of what was happening.
"Uhm… you know… maybe in a few minutes okay? Aunt Ro's voice is a little hoarse right now." That answer came after Rowan and Amber shared a charged look. She knew that Rowan was saying that so Amber wouldn't be left out.
Grace reached over to Rowan's bag and pulled out another snack. Rowan had filled her purse up with so many of Grace's favourite things and lots of Amber's too. Amber had asked how Rowan had known but Rowan had just shrugged and said she guessed, but that probably wasn't true. Rowan just knew a lot of things, before they happened, before people told her, this was probably another one of those times.
Suddenly there was a loud creaking followed by this terrible shaking. At the collapse site a bunch of the debris began to shift. There was one big deafening bang before it all fell silent and a cloud of dust settled around them.
Grace was already scared but it wasn't until she saw the look on Rowan's face that she started to cry.
"Rowan?" she sniffed out. "What happened?"
"Just… uh… just give me a minute, Amber do you… uh… do you think…"
"Yeah, I got her," she said slinging an arm around Grace's shoulder. Grace would have preferred Rowan but she had no qualms with pressing herself into Amber's side for comfort while Rowan rushed forward to ask the others what was happening. She got a hold of Chin first, literally pouncing on him, a death grip on his arm before he could get away from her.
He talked her through what happened, and Grace noted that he too seemed very afraid. Catherine and Kono were both on their phones, the rescue guys seemed to be running around with no direction. Chin finally managed to get Rowan to let him go and then she was returning to them.
"So… uh… they're uh… remember I said that they needed to move from where they were in order for the rescue team to get to them?" Rowan asked as she sat down again beside Grace. Both Grace and Amber nodded. "Well… uhm… the debris was kind of unstable, which… you know… we knew was a risk factor and it seems to have…"
"It caved in?" Grace asked, her voice small with her fear.
Rowan blinked her eyes and Grace knew she was contemplating lying to her, but she also knew that Rowan usually told her the truth, even if it was scary. "Yeah Grace it did. And… okay… and nobody panic here… they can't reach them on their cells anymore."
Both Grace and Amber gasped and Rowan was quick to talk again. "But that could just mean that they don't have service anymore. That the cellular thing they put down there got knocked out. Cause like… it's not ringing at all, just going straight to voicemail. So you know… it's not that bad. There's still hope here we just gotta… we just gotta be positive."
Amber nodded, pulling Grace a little closer to her side and for a while they all just sat there thinking about what Rowan had told them. When silence got a little bit too unbearable, Grace just had to break it.
"They… they're going to get out right? Like… you know things… and they're gonna…" Grace asked. She needed the silence filled because in the silence the fear grew. But Rowan didn't have an answer for her, Rowan who just knew things didn't know the answer to that. Grace started to worry. "What if… what if Danno doesn't…"
Amber pulled her into a tight hug as Rowan rubbed her hand up and down Grace's back. "Your dad would never give up on you, so you can't give up on him…."
"Wait… that's it. Pierce's don't give up. It's our family motto. Pierce's don't let go. Pierce's don't give up. You know what else Pierce's believe in? Making your own damn way. Today we're all going to Pierce's. We're not gonna give up. Come on guys, I've got an idea," Rowan said quickly and then got up.
Grace wasn't sure what it was that Rowan was going to but she trusted her to get her Danno out of this. So she put her hand into Rowan's and let her drag her away.
H5O-H5O-H5O-H5O
The secondary collapse had taken out their cell service and blocked their way out. Steve had tried to move the debris that was in their way and well… he hadn't been able to. Now he just knelt there facing something he really really didn't want to face and was trying to avoid the inevitable. Behind him Danny was lounging cradling his injured side, he too was panting but that was because they were running low on oxygen and neither of them had had water.
"You know… she's pretty…" "What?" "Amber. Can tell she really cares about you too."
Danny sighed. "Yeah, well I'll probably screw it up like I do everything else. Right? Not in my DNA to be happy."
Oh god, why did he say that to him? Of course Danny didn't take it the right way. "I didn't mean that. That's not what I meant."
"No, I'm officially agreeing with you. There is something wrong with the way that I am built. I can't… I can't just enjoy happiness like regular people, you know?"
"You don't think you're being a little hard on yourself?"
"No. No I don't. When I was a kid, my parents would go out to eat dinner. If they were late coming home, I used to imagine that they died in a car wreck because they were 15 minutes late. I used to talk to God and beg him. I'd say: Please, just take my dad, not my mom, because I couldn't live without my mom. I mean, every time something good happens in my life I… I just I think of when it's gonna end. That's all I can think about."
Steve took all of that in with growing concern. "For real?"
Danny, who was breathless and slightly panting nodded: "Yeah."
"That's not normal."
"I know it's not normal!" Danny cried. "You think it's bad now, listen to this. On my wedding day. I'm looking at Rachel, just about to say I do and all I can see is the day she's gonna serve me with divorce papers. No joke. And I… I don't know, man. The only sustained happiness I ever felt in my life so far is Grace. And, you know, it's just a matter of time before she turns 18, and then she's out the door and she marries some schmuck. I don't know."
"You gotta change, man. You can't live like that. You know what… maybe you should talk to Rowan's therapist…" "You know what, maybe we should talk about you and Rowan."
Steve froze. "What about me and her?"
"You're doing the same thing with her as I did with Rachel. You don't see a happy end, you see her betraying you, you see her leaving you…" "She has left me Danny…" "Yeah to make you happy because your psycho ex told her that everyone would be happier without her in their lives. Look the two of you are fucked up. Okay? She's got criminal tendencies you have control issues but that girl is still there, she still wants to be with you and you… god I don't even know what you're doing."
Well that made two of them. But down here, in the dark with Danny baring his soul, Steve felt like he could tell Danny his fears and maybe… if he let them out they might stay trapped down there instead of following him outside. "You're right, I'm afraid she's going to change her mind."
Danny blinked his eyes at him. "What?"
"You know… I just… I don't think I'm good enough. I don't think I deserve her. Wo Fat keeps saying so, and you know… I mean… she hasn't flat out said, but sometimes I swear I can see it in her eyes. And I keep doing these things, these terrible horrible things to her because I think I'm keeping her safe but really… the only person I'm saving is myself," Steve whispered. He wasn't certain if Danny understood but he seemed to get it.
"What are you saving yourself from?"
"The feelings," Steve answered honestly. "I… usually I've got a tight grip on my emotions but with her… I have no control over anything. And that scares me. It scares me to think she has that level of power over me you know? Especially because I don't think… I don't think she's going to stay with me, man."
"Well… why not? Rowan… she's definitely a ride or die kinda girl. She throws herself into all of these situations she's not equipped to handle, for you… for us… what about that says she's not going to stay?"
"Because she doesn't belong here," Steve whispered and Danny's mouth fell into a silent oh of understanding. "What if the void opens up and she can finally go home? What if her family comes back to the island? What if Wo Fat decides he's done with my bullshit and takes her? What if…"
"Those are a lot of what ifs. You just told me I can't keep living my life on what ifs. Neither can you." Steve nodded. It was true. He really couldn't. "Now uh… let's talk about the current situation, what's going on, why you stalling?"
"Cause that slab is too heavy to lift," Steve said hooking a thumb over his shoulder at the concrete blocking their path. "She was right, I'm gonna have to blow us out."
"Ah. The part she said you always died at," Danny said. "I get it now."
Steve looked up and Danny followed his gaze to the bent pipe above him. "Oh god. Please don't," Danny whined but Steve as already ready.
"Break it off and seal off one end for me," he ordered.
Steve had his flashlight in his mouth as he went for one of the grenades he had in his pocket. "How does this not end in both of us dying? I mean, are really going to take Rowan's word on this one? That if me and you are together you don't get shrapnel to the head? Because… she admitted that she didn't know how this one ends."
Steve nodded. "That's why I'm doing this. She doesn't know the end, she hasn't sent a definitive end for us out into the universe yet," he replied. Danny was already banging away to seal one of the ends of the pipe. "Look, I'm going to make a direction charge. It sends the explosive energy in one direction. Anything that's behind it, theoretically, is reasonably safe."
"Okay, it's… what… what is reasonable in your language?" Danny asked and Steve tried not to chuckle. He could do this. He could get them out of there. In a few short minutes he'd have Rowan in his arms and his whole world would be right again.
H5O-H5O-H5O-H5O
Above them Rowan was dealing with a different kind of situation.
Alex had drove a hard bargain. He wanted more for a favour of this magnitude. Rowan had called the rest of the band, who all confirmed outright without need for her to give them anything, and decided she didn't need Alex Lockman headlining this event. But when he found out the others were going, and this was like a benefit concert for Five-0, he decided that the publicity would be enough and came anyway.
Rowan had helped the band set up, had roped Chin, Max and Kamekona into corralling the crowd to help her with some of the motions and movements.
She needed to be loud enough for them to hear her, so she had pulled in a favour with Pete as well, promising him that she would let him sell Lips of an Angel despite her previous aversion to selling a song so personal to her and Steve. He had brought all the sound equipment and speakers she needed to be heard and the screens for the crowd to read the instructions and lyrics.
She had hastily written out the sheet music, let the band listen to how it was supposed to sound, let them run over their notes briefly before she turned to the crowd to address them. She was on a rickety stage, below her was Amber and Grace, the two women not understanding why she needed to do this but they stood ready to help direct the crowd since Grace had taught Amber all the motions, movements and words she would need to know. Rowan had made Grace the coordinator and she was really excited for the role.
She struck a chord with the guitar she had and silence came over the crowd. "Alright guys! I won't go into detail but we've got some people trapped in the rubble and we're trying to be as loud as we can so they know we're here. So we'll be putting up words for you guys to sing and we have people here at the front who will teach you what to do and when we want it done. I'm going to let them do that now."
Rowan turned away as they demonstrated what they wanted their sections to do. She confirmed that they knew what they we redoing and then turned to Alex.
"You're backup vocals, you got me? That's all I need you for. Actually I don't even need that. If you try to claim this song as yours, I'm going to let Wo deal with you, confirm you understand," she growled. Alex nodded his confirmation and with that she turned away.
When she turned back to the crowd she put on a big smile and they all started playing.
They've saved the lives of kings and queens, Our politicians praise their names. They let go of their dreams to become then men they became. For all these years, they've chased your fears, at the crazy speed of always needing more. But now that they're stuck, and we're all here, to remember what we need them for.
From now on, our eyes will not be blinded by the lights. From now on, what's waited till to tomorrow starts tonight. It starts tonight. And let this promise in me start, like an anthem in my heart. From now on… From now on.
They will come back home.
Below their feet, Steve paused rigging up his explosive and angled his head upward. "What is that?" he asked Danny who was oddly quiet.
He too listened for a moment. Something in Steve's pulse quickened and he had a feeling he knew exactly what was going on, he knew even before Danny said it, that it was one of Rowan's songs. And if his quickening heartbeat was to be believed then it was Rowan singing.
"It's From Now on."
"I thought she couldn't remember how it ended," Steve whispered.
"She can't."
It wasn't their main concern but Steve couldn't help but wonder why Rowan was performing a song she didn't know the end to. But he had a feeling he knew why she chose that one. She couldn't tell them what she saw, but she could sing it. She was telling them she saw that they got free.
On the surface they got to the call and answer. The instruments put away, the beat punctuated by either clapping or the stomping of their feet depending on where in the crowd they were standing.
Rowan was banging her hands against the guitar she had looking out at all the faces amazed but what she was creating. Grace and Amber were singing along with the crowd and Rowan felt her heart soaring. It was working, she could feel it, could almost feel the strings aligning to pull forward the one outcome she wanted.
She could do this. She could change their fates.
So she launched into her solos.
Below their feet Steve was ready. The music was gone but the pounding was shaking the roof above them. He was afraid but he wasn't. He was ready. Ready to go home. Home to Rowan.
"Whatever happens, I want you to know, from the bottom of my heart, I really, hate you so much," he said and Steve chuckled when he did.
"I love you too pal," Steve said before turning back to his makeshift bomb. This was it. He was about to either kill them or get them out of there.
"I guess there's a lot worse people to die under a big pile of concrete with," Danny said with a sigh and thins time Steve couldn't bring himself to correct him.
Steve lit his lighter and then turned to Danny as above them the music kicked up again. "You wanna do the honors?"
But Danny was distracted, his eyes staring heavenwards an absent smile on his face. "You hear that Steve? She remembers, she's gonna remember the end of the song."
Danny closed his eyes, mouthing the words to Rowan's solo, the song loud enough for them to hear it. The long note strong enough to give him the strength he needed to.
They listened. They listened to the apex of her song. The note she said she couldn't remember, dragging it out for as long as she could.
From Now On.
And meters below, stuck under mountains of rubble, seconds away from blowing themselves free, two men echoed that refrain straining through the rubble to get to them. He knew the words now, knew the music. So as Danny pulled him down to embrace him, his arms coming up to act as a shield for Steve's head both of them were singing along with the end of the song.
And we will go back home, and we will go back home.
And then the explosion went off.
H5O-H5O-H5O-H5O
The blast ended the song abruptly. They didn't finish playing but instead turned to where the dust was rising up and beams were starting to shift. Rowan held her breath watching as the response team moved forward.
She heard the shouts of "We got movement!" and her heart leapt into her chest. She abandoned the guaitar, she abandond the stage and moved forward with Amber and Grace beside her. Danny came up first, helped up to the surface and handed off Chin and Kono. His arm look lacerated, bits of metal and concrete sticking out of his skin, Rowan knew immediately that he had taken the shrapnel to the arm to save Steve's head. Beside her Amber and Grace cried out and then they were pushing forward to get to him, Rowan stayed where she was staring at the hole. Watching another arm reach out, Steve's hand.
And then all of him was topside and Catherine was all over him.
Rowan wanted to rush forward too but she held back. This wasn't her family and Steve wasn't really supposed to be hers. She wasn't sure she was needed and with Catherine hanging onto Steve she wasn't sure she was wanted.
Danny rushed to where Amber and Grace were waiting enveloping them both in tight hugs. Steve lagged behind because Catherine had swooped in on him immediately to hug him and ask if he was okay, but that was just because she was closer. His eyes were still on Rowan who had hung back, he couldn't understand why she hadn't come over to him. He got three steps away to where Danny was with Amber and Grace and then Catherine was on him again, holding his arm like she thought he was going to collapse. Was that why Rowan hadn't run to him? His eyes were practically boring into her, why didn't she realize that it was her he wanted.
"Hey, Amber, you remember Steven McGarrett," Danny said introducing him. "The girl on his arm is Catherine, his ex, or as we call her the other woman."
"I'm not the other woman, I was here first, Rowan's the other woman," she snapped but Danny just rolled his eyes at her.
Steve said hi to Amber, and she said hi to him, neither of them liking the conversation that was happening at that moment as Grace hugged her Uncle Steve, Danny smiled to them. "Can you guys give me a second with Uncle Steve?" he asked. "And uh… can someone get Rowan over here?"
They both nodded and left him alone except for Catherine who still hadn't let go of Steve, even though he was trying to subtly pull his arm out of her grasp.
"Well, if this is the… uh… power of positive thinking, I like it. It's good."
"That's the same as you admitting that I was right, but I don't wanna put words in your mouth right now."
Danny rolled his eyes and then sighed. "When we were in there, you said… You know before you did the thing with the bomb, you said what you said. I want you to know I feel the same way."
"How is that exactly?"
"You're gonna make me say it?" Danny asked in an exasperated tone and Steve just smiled at him. "Come here," he ordered and then pulled Steve into a hug. "I love you buddy."
"Yeah, I love you too."
And thank god that hug got Catherine off of him.
"Yeah, you know I gotta go get this thing properly stitched up, but… uh… I'm not coming in to work tomorrow. Or for the rest of the week for that matter."
"Good!"
"Alright, I'm taking Amber to Maui. Heal up over there, relax. If that's okay."
"Nice beaches there."
"I'm not going to see a single one of them," he said with a smile and then he turned, pointed a single finger in Rowan's direction and shouted: "Get over here, you putz!"
Rowan ran to him immediately. Throwing herself into his arms calling him an idiot and all sorts of other names. Steve wanted to let her have that moment with Danny, he could wait… barely, but Catherine had a hold of him again.
Steve pulled his arm out of her grasp and absently whispered: "I'm fine Catherine."
He got disentangled from her and when Steve looked up again, Rowan was still hugging Danny, tears in her blue eyes, clinging to him like she was afraid he'd disappear. But over Danny's shoulder her eyes met his and Steve knew that he'd need whatever came next almost as much as she needed it. Danny let go and Rowan turned to Steve who had approached them silently and without realizing it. She didn't have to say anything, she didn't leap into his arms like she did for Danny she hesitantly edged forward her eyes on Catherine, but Steve didn't give a fuck about that.
He reached out for her, he got a hand to her arm, and then she did leap at him. Her arms wrapped around his neck, her sobs coming out in shaking breaths, or maybe that was him shaking. It didn't matter, all that mattered was his arms around her, holding her again.
He didn't care if Catherine was looking. He didn't care if Catherine would be upset, she didn't own him anymore. He pulled away to kiss her, to kiss Rowan with every ounce of emotion taking him over. He realized then and there that whatever he had with Catherine was dead and gone, because all he could feel was that overwhelming emotion for Rowan. As soon as things died down, as soon as he could, he was going to ask Rowan to be… well… his. He'd work on the Wo Fat thing later.
Rowan, with tears in her eyes separated from him. She tried to brush the dusk off of his face and he found himself laughing which caused her to laugh too. "You're… you're all dusty…" she whispered.
Steve tried to wipe her tears away but he just left grey smudges everywhere. "I'm sorry I'm so weepy I was trying to be brave for Grace but I was just… I was just really scared."
Steve pulled her close. "Yeah… me too."
"Please don't do that to me again," she whispered. "Please… it was… it was just really bad, please don't."
Like he enjoyed getting trapped in collapsed buildings, still he told her wouldn't never and then kissed her again.
"Kay good… uh… I know you need to be checked out and all that but would you maybe… take me somewhere when this is all done?"
Steve nodded. Though to be fair, he'd've said yes to anything she asked him at that point, he was just so happy that he had her there. That she was the person waiting for him when he got out of this. Danny was right. He wasn't going to be afraid anymore. He wasn't going to put this off because he was scared of what her answer might be. He wasn't going to wait anymore.
H5O-H5O-H5O-H5O
Rowan had asked him to take her to Halawa. In particular she wanted to see JC Dekker though god knows why she wanted to do that.
She sat quietly in the interrogation room waiting for them to bring her in while Steve stood behind her. Rowan kept looking back at him and every time she did he'd smile again. His hand hadn't let her body since he had gotten topside. At the current moment it was on her shoulder.
"You should sit, you've got to be tired."
He should sit but he knew as soon as he did he'd fall asleep. He couldn't afford to sit down there was so much left to do. He didn't want to tell her that so he said instead: "I'm fine babe."
"Are you sure they couldn't do anything for your head?" she asked. "I mean… they didn't even clean up the blood."
Steve hadn't even gone to the ambulance to get checked out like he told her he would. He had gotten news from Kono about who was really behind the explosion and that had overridden the pain and the exhaustion. He didn't want to let on in case Rowan called Wo Fat to get to them before Steve could get his questions answered. The plan was to drop her off at his place, deal with the situation and then come back, to Rowan waiting for him and a conversation that he hoped would end in him managing to convince Rowan to go official with him… even if it meant her having Wo Fat in her life cause after today he wasn't going to play these games with her anymore.
The door opened and Dekker came in, a smile on his cut lip, Chin must have done that to him. "I see you got out from under the…" he paused, coming to a complete stand still, refusing to let the guard move him, the second Rowan turned to face him.
"No. Naw man! You can't be… I didn't do it. They proved I didn't do it!"
"I know," Rowan said she then tapped the table. "Would you mind sitting?"
Dekker let the guards bring him to the table and once he was sitting, eyeing Rowan suspiciously, Rowan leant forward with a smile.
"Firstly, I'd like to express my condolences for your brother," she said sounding as sincere as could be. Dekker's eyes narrowed at her before he responded.
"Thank you."
"And secondly, I'd like you to know that what Chin Ho said this morning was not something that came from either Wo Fat or me, I was not made aware that Five-0 thought you to be involved in the bombing and as such I never contacted Wo Fat about you or anyone involved with you. However, since this has been a trying day for you, and both I and my brother are partly to blame, we will be taking care of the funeral costs. An anonymous donation has already been made to your mother's church for the matter."
Dekker just stared at her, even Steve was staring at her. She had done that for this man she barely knew because Chin had said something? What the hell had he said?
"I don't know what to say…"
"A thank you would be sufficient," Rowan said with a shrug. Steve just couldn't help but smile, he loved it when Rowan acted all prim and proper. It really got his blood boiling. "I really am sorry for your loss… and that Chin threatened you with me. I'm not really as bad as my brother."
Dekker turned his incredulous eyes to Steve and said: "Not that I'm not grateful for all this, but damn girl, you say you're not as bad but you gotta know that we've heard about what you do. You think we don't know that you could send out a text and have us all wiped out. And looking at you right now I can see some kinda poison reflected in those baby-blue eyes of yours. You can act all innocent with me but I know you and your type."
Steve didn't have to see her face to know that Rowan was wearing her glittering icy smile. "I think we're done here. Did you want to talk to him about anything?" she asked.
Steve shook his head and as they were leaving Dekker behind he called out: "Girls with smiles like that eat guys like you for breakfast, McGarrett!"
The door slammed behind them and Rowan's smile went back to normal. "Don't listen to him, I have no intention of eating you for breakfast. I might let you eat me though…"
Ah yes… he did love doing that. But he had other things to worry about at that moment, not including Dekker's strange warning about Rowan.
"I uh… I have some things to take care of, but I also really wanted to talk to you, I'm gong to drop you off at home…"
"I actually have plans tonight, Steven," Rowan said.
"Plans? Rowan could you… please this is kind of important. Who are you… is it Alex?"
"Yeah, of course," she said though it sounded off. "Sorry, unbreakable date, we have paperwork to sign and all that. Besides he promised me a romantic night and I deserve one after the hell I went through today because somebody wouldn't listen to me."
Steve blood boiled at the thought of Rowan spending the night with Alex, maybe he could pick her up afterwards. Anything to have this conversation sooner than later.
"Fine, once I'm done with my… thing… and you're done with your date we can meet up…"
"You'll be in china town a lot longer then my dinner will be, and I plan to spend the night at Alex's, I'm sure you can see me tomorrow."
Steve froze. She knew about China Town? How the hell did she know about China Town? She saw the panic on his face and she suddenly backed away.
"Uhm… I know I probably shouldn't have… I know you didn't tell me that already…" she stuttered out.
"Did you tell him Ro… did you? Does he already know?" he asked. Luckily he didn't have to explain who he meant because Rowan clearly understand what he meant.
Rowan shook her head. "No. I promise. I haven't sent anyone after your guy and you and Wo have the exact same knowledge. But he's not going to wait for an answer forever, you know, I will have to tell him eventually."
Rowan had his hands on his chest, he never thought well when she had her hands on him, but she was absently brushing dust and rubble off of him still even though he had changed his shirt.
"He'll have a gun under his desk," she whispered. When she turned to look up at him he swore he saw the poison in her eyes that Dekker could see. "When you shoot him. Try not to kill him. You're not the only one who wants to know where he is."
Steve was too afraid to ask her who the he was.
H5O-H5O-H5O-H5O
The blast was never about Five-0 it was about Cambodia.
Once he had dropped Rowan off back at where she had parked her car, he made his way to the China Town office of a consulting firm owned by an Edward Cobb.
Edward Cobb who was an ex-CIA operative who ran black ops missions down in South East Asia around the time his mother was there.
He waited right outside the door as the phone rang waiting to see if someone would pick up. And then did.
"Seems like you've had a bad day commander."
Steve could hear the voice inside so he moved away so he wouldn't be heard. "Not as bad as you would've liked. I know you sent me up to keep me quiet about Cambodia but I'm still here."
"Question is have you gotten the message?"
No. No Steve had not gotten the message and it was time they stopped playing these games. He quickly opened the door to the office, and shut it just as quickly behind him. He knew he looked ridiculous, his face covered in dry cuts, he was still covered in rubble. He should have gotten changed, he should have gotten patched up but he was rocking the crazy-guy-out-for-vengeance look. And he was in blue. Rowan loved him in blue.
Cobbs appraised him, through his wide rimed aviator glasses, it was like the guy was oozing the 70s. Like he never let them go. He hung up the cellphone in his hand and just stared at Steven, so he answered his question.
"No."
Cobb just shrugged. Steve's eyes turned to the TV going across from Cobb, reporting on the accident, Steve gestured to the TV with the gun he was carrying, he wasn't pointing it at Cobb yet, he just wanted him to know it was there.
"That's pretty clever. They would've pulled three bodies out of that rubble if it hadn't been for someone warning me in advance about that bomb. They would have assumed that Dekker's brother was killed for payback and Five-0 got caught in the middle. No one would have ever suspected that this was all about keeping me from asking questions you didn't want answered."
"And who warned you about the bomb?'
"I've got my secrets and you've got yours."
"Rowan Pierce isn't a secret."
Steve's gun came up immediately but Cobb just smiled at him like Steve had shown him his jugular… and in a way, he kind of had. "She mentioned the girl was a soft spot." Goddamn his mother. "She also mentioned who's backing her. It's an interesting parallel that the two most important women in your life are tied to him. But you should've listened to Sam and left his alone."
Steve snarled at him. The man also knew Wo Fat was backing her, maybe that meant she was safe. He needed the topic as far away from Rowan as he could manage. "An innocent man died today, for no reason. And dozens, dozens of innocent lives were put in danger all to clean up a mess that you made 40 years ago! Now, what happened in Cambodia? Who was buried in that grave?"
Cobb said nothing. He stared at Steve with cold eyes, Steve knew he wouldn't talk. It was time to turn up the heat. To prove his reflexes were still up to par despite being nearly being blown up and trapped under the remains of a building today, he shot Cobb's laptop and then leveled the gun back with his head in only a matter of seconds. Cobbs raised his hands in surrender, good he was listening now.
"I still got DNA from that grave and I'm going to run it. That's if Rowan keeps her mouth shut for that long. There's only so much that girl can take and she knows… as I'm sure you know… she knows a lot of things. And if my mother could have told you anything it's that Rowan's always right. So you might as well tell me who it belongs to."
That must have been it. That must have been what did it, because Cobbs took in the gun, the utter insanity in Steve's eyes and he finally gave in.
"Lei Kuan Fat. Wo Fat's mother."
Shut. Up. No. Not that couldn't be the answer. Rowan would have… Rowan would have... okay she couldn't have told him that because he wouldn't let her, but for god sake she should have tried harder.
"Why would you cover that up?"
Suddenly Cobb was looking angry. Whatever happened to lead to all of this must have been bad for Cobbs. "Because it wasn't supposed to be her in that grave. Our target was Wo Fat's father, but the op went bad. My agent on the ground disappeared, leaving me to clean up her mess."
"That agent was my mother." Steve said instead of asked. Cobb nodded. "But she went on to work for the agency while you were forced out. She didn't botch the job. You ordered an unsanctioned hit that went bad. Wo Fat's father is still alive, isn't he?"
That was the he Rowan was talking about. Rowan knew that Wo Fat's father was alive and that Wo Fat would want to know where he is.
"Do you have any idea the fallout if that ever came to light?" Cobb asked.
"Well, I can tell you that Rowan already knows and I can't keep her from talking to him so you might as well tell me where his Father is before he comes looking himself," Steve growled to him. Cobb's eyes narrowed at him and Steve suddenly remember what Rowan had said to him.
There's a gun under his desk.
God, if he'd shoot Steve, they'd go for Rowan next. A slimy smile slid onto Cobb's face as he said: "Sit down. I'll tell you"
His hand disappeared under the desk and Steve knew immediately he was going for the gun. So Steve shot him, point blank in the chest. She had said not to kill him but that hadn't been an option, Steve was so used to going for the kill shot. He stood there staring at the dead body of Edward Cobb knowing he wouldn't get his answers any time soon.
H5O-H5O-H5O-H5O
Steve, had had a lot of time to think this through. He was mad, mad at himself, mad at Rowan, and at his mother. But mostly he was scared. Scared that his actions would get Rowan in trouble. That the CIA would move in on her to get to him. He was dangerously close to calling Wo Fat himself and telling him what happened, to beg him to protect her. But the closer he got to Alex's place the angrier he got that she was there in the first place. Why didn't he just tell her what he wanted when he got out of the ground? Why did he have to try and be romantic about it? Why didn't she want to be with him after what had happened today? Why hadn't she cancelled her plans when he asked? He had almost been killed, didn't she want to be with him, to never let him go, to be reminded that he was still alive? Yeah he should have listened to her, but to punish him by not staying with him after surviving the incident was a low blow. So by the time he got up the stairs he was way past livid. Steve didn't bother knocking, instead he kicked down the door to Alex's apartment and bared down on the young man who was on the couch with…
With…
Someone who wasn't Rowan.
Steve forgot he was mad at Rowan at all. He forgot that he was here to scream at her for not fucking telling him about the body in Cambodia. A body he was well aware she knew about because he told her not to tell him about it. He forgot to be mad that she had chosen to be at Alex's instead of at his home waiting for him because… well… she wasn't there.
Steve was stuck. Frozen. Staring at Alex who, who was well… was dating Rowan… and seemed to be perfectly fine fucking some random girl on his couch.
"What the fuck, Steve," he shouted at him as the girl cried out and ran her butt naked ass back into the bedroom he supposedly shared with Rowan and Alex tried to fix himself and his pants.
"You're supposed to be with Rowan and you're…" Steve answered hollowly. Yeah, she said they had an open thing, but he never really believed it. She still lived with the man after all.
Alex, pulled up his pants and just stared at him. "Supposed to be with Rowan… what the hell are you talking about?"
Steve suddenly flew into a rage. "She was supposed to be here… she said she was seeing you today that you and her had a date and you… you… How dare you?! Do you know what I'd give to lock that girl down, and you're fucking other women?" he shouted.
"Okay, you know what, the songs aren't worth it," Alex whispered and Steve backed away suddenly very confused.
"Uh… what do you mean? Are you… are you just dating her for songs?"
Cause if he was Steve was going to hit that boy so hard the punk rock would come flying out of him.
"Look, Rowan and I… we never got back together. She caught me cheating and we broke up… almost half a year ago. She hasn't lived here since we broke up, from what I've heard I think she's living with Chin. And as for us getting back together… she showed up a few weeks ago and traded new songs for a new album and all I had to do was cover for her, alright?" Alex snapped and just like that Steve wasn't angry anymore, and Alex suddenly had his full and undivided attention.
"Okay. Tell me everything, but start from the beginning."
H5O-H5O-H5O-H5O
The doorbell rang and Rowan rushed to answer it. It was movie night with the Kelly's which meant Kono and Adam would be there soon. This movie night had been months in planning, she had really wanted to stay with Steve but after the day she had she was dangerously close to caving on all of her principles to have him away from Catherine. Her pride wouldn't survive a blow like that. Since Kono usually just let herself in, Rowan assumed that it was the food they had ordered but it was neither the food nor Kono and Adam.
She smiled when she saw Steve on the stoop even though he looked absolutely livid with her and he was still covered in blood and dust. Why hadn't he changed? Why hadn't he gotten patched up? How had he known where she was? "Oh hey! Uh… how did you find me?"
"You live with Chin," he snapped and Rowan's smile faded. "You live with Chin and not only did you break up with Alex months before you told me you did, you never got back together with him either!"
"Oh goddamn it, Danny! Danny told you, right? How long were you underground before it came out?" she snapped and then shook her head. "I knew that man wouldn't be able to keep his mouth shut."
"No Alex told me, I saw a bunch of things I didn't need to see and I owe him for a new door."
He pushed past her and into the house and Rowan sighed but shut the door behind him. Fucking Alex and his fucking mouth. He could forget about that five song deal then. "Wait… why do you owe him a new door?"
"Cause I kicked his down," Steve snapped, but that just raised my questions. He turned back to her, he looked so devastatingly disappointed. "Just… tell me why…" he ran a hand through his hair before turning his eyes to her again. "Why didn't you tell me? Why did you lie?"
"What and admit that you were right?" she scoffed. "Steve I was embarrassed. I didn't want you to know that I caught him cheating, that… that I had nowhere to go… that he stole my songs… that he… he was everything you said he was. And of course I was going to say I got back together with him. You were throwing ultimatums every which way and you got back together with Catherine!" "—No, we were casual, just like me and you, I didn't agree to a relationship." "—you literally started up with Catherine again the very second you didn't get your way. There was no way I was just going to stand there and be okay with it. So I threw down a lie and hoped you got jealous and never found out. Okay?"
"You've been crashing at Chin's place since the breakup," Steve whispered. "And you were worried about your god damn pride?"
"Oh shut it, Mr. McGarrett, you've done stupider things in the name of your pride. Today, your pride nearly got you and Danny killed."
"That was not my pride, that was a bad tip," he growled. "But that's not why I'm mad."
"Oh, it's not?"
"No. How could you not tell me that it was Wo Fat's mother buried in Cambodia. That she was the reason he and my mother have beef. That my mother killed his by mistake. How could you not tell me?" he asked.
"Because you asked me not to," she whispered back. "I tried and you told me not to."
"Alright. Fine. But… that's never stopped you before…"
"You didn't want to know, Steve, and how was I going to prove it? I didn't know the coordinates, I didn't know where they were. I only knew that Jerry was the key to unlocking them," she answered. "And you keep telling me not to meddle."
"Okay, well I'm asking you to meddle now. What else do you know?"
"Do you mean that? Do you really want to know?" she asked, searching his face to see if he was really serious or just saying all of this cause he was mad.
"Yes, tell me everything you know."
"Uh… his father is still alive. He's being held by the government somewhere. I know Wo Fat knows all that because I told him today and he is now looking for him. I was hoping you could maybe… help?" she took in Steve's dark glare and Rowan lowered her eyes and cleared her throat. "Okay, just thought I'd asked. Uh… and well… she's his mother."
"Yes," Steve scoffed. "We've established the grave belonged to Wo Fat's mother."
"No. Yours. Your mother is Wo Fat's. Or at least, the only mother he knew. That's the bad blood. Not that he thought she killed his father, though up I told him he didn't know that his father was actually alive. But really their bad blood stems from her leaving to have a family with John McGarrett which left Wo Fat abandoned and alone."
Steve stared at her with wide eyes of surprise. Oh dear, he did not take that well.
"No, you're wrong," Steve said. "That's not true."
"But… but it is…"
"No. That is not true. Okay? It's not. It's NOT!" he shouted and Rowan took a step back. Steve forced himself to breathe, he wouldn't get anywhere yelling at her like that. He didn't want her to be scared of him.
"I just… I can't accept that, Ro," he whispered. "I just… I just can't. Okay?"
Rowan nodded and lowered her eyes from him, almost hanging her head. "I'm sorry… but you did ask."
"Okay… well I unask. Stop telling me things, I clearly can't handle them," Steve replied. "Remind me of this moment if I ever change my mind again."
Rowan nodded but she was clearly subdued. She felt betrayed. Like he'd never be able to like her for all of herself. Steve looked down again.
"I wish you had told me sooner," he whispered.
Rowan groaned. "You told me not to Steve."
"About Alex. I wish you told me sooner about Alex," he continued. He put a hand to her arm and she looked up to him almost confused. "I wish you had told me sooner."
She almost asked him why but he had pulled her to him and held her tight. "I would have made a move on you sooner if I thought… I unno I… I just…"
He was blabbering. Rowan kissed him to get him to stop. This would restart his thought process. He'd be able to remember where he was going before he lost himself in whatever emotion overwhelmed him and blocked up the words in his throat. As soon as he was reset the purpose of his ramble came out.
"Move in with me."
Oh my god.
"Move in with me again. I know you want to stand on you own, I know you want your own place, but… I mean… you still don't have one… and I can… I can charge you rent if you want. I just… I miss… I miss having you there, I miss having you near me. God I've missed it so much. Please, please say yes, please move back in."
"What about Wo Fat?" she asked. She had to. If moving back in meant no more Wo Fat, the only one she trusted not to lie to her or control her, she wouldn't be able to do it.
"I don't give a shit about him. I don't want to date him. I want to date you," he said. "So… we can table that talk for a while and… I unno… come back to it later. But right now. All I want Ro, all I need, is you. So will you please, please just say yes?"
"And Catherine?"
"Gone for good. I promise," he whispered against her lips. "I swear Rowan, after today… it doesn't matter I don't even want to be casual with her just to have something to do. I want to work this out. I want to work things out with you. Just… please… you need a place to stay and I'm offering. Move in with me. God, please, don't make me beg… please?"
Rowan smiled. She kissed him again, melting into his moan of desire, echoing with one of her own. When she could finally pry herself away from him she whispered her answer to his pleading request.
Hell yes.