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AvalonReeseFanFics
A/N: Happy Thursday my wonderful readers (And welcome Back AJ). We're getting a double update today to make up for me missing yesterday, which I think is great cause I'm a bit worried that the last chapter ended on a bit of a cliffhanger but, here we have how it ends. Isn't it great to not have to wait for the next bit? So this is the part of the story were things get really cute! It's down there at the end. We're coming up to some really interesting things too, and a revelation that I'm sure you guys will love! Don't forget to leave a review and I will see you tomorrow!
Chapter 169
This case had been terrible. It had led him down past roads that made him… just… angry. Having a kid now, thinking of child soldiers enraged him, because if that had happened to Nahele he'd… uh… he'd…. god he didn't even know. The man who had caused such suffering, Roko Makoni, was supposed to be dead. He wasn't, he was alive, he was on Hawaii, and their first murdered victim had figured that out and was going to report it. Their second murdered victim had been a previous child soldier who had come to Hawaii with his younger brother for a better life and had recognized him. He had been a part of that story their victim was going to tell, now he was dead.
This had all culminated to Steve attacking Roko Makoni with all he had and painting the guy into a corner. He was so out of options he had gotten into a cab he had wired with C4, taken hostages, a man and a woman, shot the man and was now demanding an exit strategy. A fully gassed up helicopter that he was going to take to escape.
The cab was parked at Kapuni and Cleghorn, a wide berth had been given to it. Steve had been called in, by Makoni himself, called to negotiate, to get all that Makoni asked for. Steve just wanted to get the injured guy out of the car.
"How are we going to play this?" Danny asked.
Steve was antsy. He could tell. Steve couldn't figure out why though. But something had a hold of his heart and was playing with his heartstrings.
"Have you got a hold of Rowan yet?" he asked instead.
He hadn't heard from her since she had texted saying that Nahele had a Valentine's Day date. He had asked for more details and got nothing. Then the antsiness started and Steve immediately tried calling Rowan. She didn't answer, which… which was totally like her. Never answering when she was needed, making him more and more uneasy.
"No, you know that, and neither have you or anyone else. Is that what we're going to worry about right now? We got a man bleeding out and a Warlord in a cab filled with C4," Danny snapped.
But Steve's heart wanted Rowan. Until he knew that she was okay he wasn't going to stop being this antsy. He was going to be of no use to them like this. Suddenly there came a static hissing as the radio in the cop car they were standing beside flared to life.
Look. This isn't going to end well for you, you know that right?
That was Rowan's voice. Danny too looked at it. "Is that Rowan? Is she the… we never did confirm who the second person was, did we? Does he have Rowan in the car?" he asked.
Obviously he did. Obviously it was her. This was why his heart had been racing and his body had been shaking. This was why he was antsy, he had sensed that she was in trouble, but he hadn't been able to see her clearly, he hadn't know that she was there, not consciously then.
"I said shut up." Makoni ordered.
"Yeah, that's not going to happen."
God, why…. Why was she sassing him? Why? God, she didn't have the advantage, why couldn't she see that?
"I'll shoot you… I'll shoot…"
"You go ahead, you fucking asshole, but best believe, if I get hurt they're going to rain down pain and suffering until you beg them to swallow a bullet."
Fuck, fuck, fuck. Stop talking Rowan. Stop talking.
Steve called him up immediately. Anything to distract him from Rowan and her inability to fucking stay quiet. "Makoni, it's Commander McGarrett again. I need to know who you have in the car with you."
"That doesn't matter. They don't matter. Understand me Commander McGarrett. If these people die, it's on you. You know what I want."
That wasn't true. It did matter. It mattered at a whole bunch, but he knew that if Makoni figured out that he had Steve's girlfriend in the back of his cab things would get worse for the both of them.
"The helicopter is being fueled as we speak," he said to him, hearing his voice coming from two different places was killing him. "And everything you've asked for is in motion."
"Did you say Commander McGarrett? Did you call Five-0?" came a voice both from the squad car and the phone.
"I said shut up," Makoni barked but there was a sudden scuffle and an order of: "Give me that!"
Steve glanced to the car in time to see Rowan struggling with the Congolese Warlord, she slammed his face into the steering wheel so hard the car horn beeped and then she breathlessly sat back.
"You hit me I hit you back now sit down and shut up, I'm just going to talk to him," she said and then the phone was to her ear.
"Hey, so I'd like it on the record that I didn't go looking for this one it just sort of found me," she said to him and Steve half laughed. "But since it found me I've been getting some… uh… intel. Do you need to be caught up or do you know everything?"
"I know everything," Steve said. "You okay?"
"I'm fine, Pete's not. I left Nahele at the mall, kinda anxious to get back to him," Rowan told him. "And Pete needs a doctor."
"Give me the phone!" Makoni ordered and just like that Rowan's voice was gone.
"So, you know her then, Commander," he said to him and Steve sighed. "If I were you, I'd be less worried about her a more worried about the C4 in my trunk.
C4 is on a remote detonator. Unhackable. Awaiting confirmation for Sniper.
That had also come from the cop car, great so Sandy was behind the linking up of the radios, Sandy was involved. Sandy had called in a sniper. Steve turned to Danny who immediately turned away to address their com-link. "Be advised we may have a rogue sniper near-by."
"Yes. I know them. And I am worried, okay? I am worried. But I also want to send a doctor out there to check on that man's wounds, and I want to get you out of the open before her guys start shooting."
There was a long pause before he said: "Her guys?"
"You don't know who you have in your backseat do you?" Steve taunted. "Well, the way you're going you'll find out. Now, Pete has nothing to do with this, he doesn't need to die."
"Alright, you care so much, you come."
"No, I'm not a doctor."
"Well, today, you'll have to be," he snapped and then hung up the phone leaving Steve with options. He knew what he wanted to do. He knew what would be smart to do, it wasn't what he wanted to do though.
"Sandy care to weigh in here?" Danny asked the cop car sensing that Steve was about to do something stupid to get Rowan out of that cab.
Roko Makoni is a Congolese Warlord that has done business with the Master in the past. File notes claim him to be ruthless, and merciless. Makoni does not respond well to threats or psychological warfare and I have been operating silently as to not upset him and put Professional in danger even though she has ignored every alert and recommendation to stop antagonizing him. He is cornered and afraid, he will not hesitate in killing either Professional or Captain America if he feels he will get away with doing so.
"Don't worry about me, Sandy," he told the police car as he began to strip himself of his protective gear.
I am not programmed to worry, Captain.
"Okay, but I am. Steve? Hey, you sure this is a good idea?" Danny asked moving forward ready to grab him if he had to.
"He has Rowan," was all Steve had to say.
And Danny sighed and nodded. "Yeah that was a stupid question."
Steve threw his Kevlar to the hood of the squad car. "Please be careful," Grover called but Steve ignored him as he approached slowly and carefully. He did a full three sixty in front of the car, with his hands up to show Makoni that he wasn't armed.
"Your girl told me about her brother," he said when Steve leant in. "But I know he is her brother no more. She chose you, they say, and he took his name and stopped backing her."
That wasn't good. Liang had mentioned that sooner or later everyone would know that she wasn't quite protected by Wo Fat. Yes, she had her app but it needed approvals from Wo, and who knew what he'd approve and wouldn't.
"I need to open the back door, please. Okay, can I open the back door?" he asked deciding to ignore that jab.
The door unlocked and then Steve was back there where Rowan was putting pressure on Pete's wounds. He was alive but barely.
"Are you okay?" he asked her. Rowan just nodded. He looked at the damage, at Pete's pale face, his eyes barely open, barely breathing. "Okay, it's okay. I'm going to fix this."
"You better Steve… cause I don't know how long she'll wait."
She meant Sandy. Did she not know that Sandy didn't have approval for a sniper?
"I need to get this man out of here right now," Steve he said turning his attention back to Makoni. But he shook his head. "You'll still have her, and trust me, that's a good hostage to have."
"Close the door," he ordered and when Steve paused, so he repeated his order but louder. "I said close the door."
Steve did as he was told and moved to the passenger window by Makoni where he was ordered onto his knees. Steve didn't move but when Makoni pointed that gun at Rowan and Steve did as he was asked.
"You think I'm a monster, don't you?" he asked. "That makes it simple for you."
"Monsters aren't real. You are."
"You see, I wasn't born into the privilege of your country. I was born in a place where there is no living. You survive or die. I gave those children a purpose. A cause. Something to believe in."
"A cause?" Steve echoed. "That's what you call kidnapping and rape? Murder? A cause?"
"Our enemies are swayed more by fear than reverence."
"You put guns and machetes in the hands of children and turn them into killers."
"I turned them into soldiers!" he shouted. "Do you know why you're here? Because I wanted you here. I wanted to look into your eyes and hear you say you agree to my demands."
"Okay, well, I've done everything you asked," Steve reminded him.
"I have seen many men cower under the shadow of a blade or the barrel of a gun. Your actions may be that of a brave man, commander," he said taking his gun off of Rowan and pointing it at Steve. "But your eyes tell me that you are a liar."
But before he could pull the trigger, before anything could happen, a computerized voice was talking from Makoni's radio.
Income Voice note from… Master.
Makoni turned to his radio, surprised. "What is…"
Steve didn't know what to expect, but he shouldn't have been surprised when it was Wo Fat's voice coming out at them this time.
I told you, Makoni, when I sold you your hardware. That there were things I could forgive. But hurting my sister, even accidentally, was not one of those things.
At that Rowan smiled, like there was a code embedded in there that only she understood. Makoni turned, his gun raised in her direction but she didn't even flinch. "It's time to end this."
The gunshot echoed around them, but didn't come from the car. Rowan ducked, not to avoid a bullet but to avoid the spray as the bullet hit Roko Makoni right in the temple and a red mist coated the car.
Steve wasn't stupid. He knew that wasn't Kono's shot. Because Kono wouldn't have killed him. Kono would have kept him alive to suffer. No, that had been one of Wo Fat's snipers. Clearly he had given the approval to shoot. But Steve didn't have time to care about that. He quickly rushed back to the back of the car to help Rowan get Pete out and onto the gurney so he could be taken care of, but once they had him, Steve had Rowan in his arms.
Right where she belonged.
While it's wonderful that you two have been reunited, the trunk is still wired with several blocks of C4 primed for detonation.
Steve thanked Sandy for her reminder and then slung Rowan over his shoulder so he could bring her safely back to the rest of his team and out of the blast zone.
Once they were done and Rowan had managed to wash all the blood off her hands she turned to Steve who had not left her side once and asked: "Did anyone call Nahele?"
"No, we didn't know he had you until five minutes ago," he said and Rowan nodded.
One of the bomb squad men brought over her bag and she thanked him kindly for it. "I'm sorry, I know you had a rough day and I scared you but Nahele's all alone and he's probably freaking out, so I'm going to go get him and when you're done here, you and I can hug it out at home, okay?"
Steve nodded grateful that she understood, happy that the only reason she was leaving was to get the child he was quickly starting to care for as if he were his own. But that happiness feeling faded almost immediately because as soon as Rowan left Danny's phone was going off again and now that he didn't have a hostage situation to worry about he could give it his full and undivided attention.
"Oh god, I mean… really," Danny muttered to himself and Steve turned to his best friend. He wanted to be comforting but honestly the man was insane.
"What, what's he saying now? Is he offering to carry her books, what?"
"No… he's uh… he's taking her for an ice cream…" Danny said. "And… wait a second…" Danny's eyebrows furrowed and he suddenly looked up and looked around. "Where is she? That fucking bitch? Where is she?"
"Who? Danny who?"
"Rowan! Where did Rowan go?"
"She went back to the mall to get Nahele," Steve said. "What? Why?"
"Cause she's in on it. Son of a bitch she's in on it," Danny said. "She picked Grace up from school today, she's giving Grace a makeover for her date. SON OF A BITCH!"
"Okay, now wait a second… she was right here... she didn't mention that to either of us," Steve reminded him even though it was just like Rowan to casually forget to mention something like that. They both knew what Danny was like. "Why don't we just calm down a bit, I'll call Rowan…"
"No! Rowan never picks up her phone and Grace is lying to me now. I bet your girlfriend got her in on it," Danny snapped. "Grace told me she was going over to a friend's house to study, who do you think fed her that one huh?"
"Okay, Danny let's just… let's just calm down… Rowan… Rowan loves Grace and she wouldn't put her in danger… you know that…"
"No, she is rubbing off on my daughter! My daughter will not be a monster like her, do you understand me?"
"Hey! Hey!" Steve said grabbing Danny by the arm and forcing him back. "Don't you ever say that about her again, do you hear me? She is not a monster. She has never been a monster, and you're the one who keeps reminded me of that, so don't you fucking dare."
But Danny ripped his arm out of Steve's grasp and stormed off. Steve rolled his eyes and followed, he had to he had to make sure that Danny didn't blow this out of proportion… or tell Rowan that he thought her a monster.
H5O-H5O-H5O-H5O
Danny couldn't get Steve out of the car. But he said nothing as they drove to Via's Gelato ice cream shop not a five-minute walk from where Rowan had said she had left Nahele at the mall. The stormed up to the shop together but Danny didn't go inside and Steve stood beside him.
It wasn't hard for Danny to spot Grace. Sitting at the back laughing and playing a hand game, like patty-cake with 'Apane, trying to teach him the moves. In between them was a sundae that both were ignoring. She wasn't doing anything crazy, she was just smiling and having fun, same as 'Apane.
Grace didn't deserve this. She didn't deserve to have her first date ever ruined by him and his inability to be rational.
"Is that…" he heard Steve whisper and sure enough three tables away, hidden out of sight but clearly staring down Grace and 'Apane, were Rowan and Nahele. Both Nahele and Rowan, who had blood splatters running up and down her shirt, were sitting with their backs to the window, each with their own ice cream cone, watching Grace intently.
Danny's heart swelled up with pride. Rowan was chaperoning Grace's date. She knew Danny would have been pissed to find out that she was on a date and to make up for not telling him she had gone in his stead to make sure that all was okay. Considering how Grace was at the age where she didn't want her dad hovering around… yeah… that was a good compromise. Grace wouldn't be angry, and her date was still supervised. She… had found a way for both he and Grace to get what they wanted… and he had called her a monster.
"You're right," Danny whispered. "I was overreacting." Steve merely inclined his head. He had known that all along, of course, so he wasn't surprised in the least by this revelation. "And you were right about Rowan. She wouldn't have ever done anything to put Grace in danger. I should have known that she'd… I mean… you can't even tell she put make up on her. I can see shimmer, that's it."
He turned back to Steve who was smiling at him. "She's a really good girl, Steven," he said. "I never should have doubted her."
"Well… I'm down to never tell her it happened…"
"Thank you and uh… lock that girl down before she leaves you," Danny ordered as they walked away and back to the car. "Seriously. Give her that label. You already tell everyone she's your girlfriend, why can't you just tell her that. It would make her so happy, best Valentine's Day gift ever. You know?"
"Okay, calm yourself, Romeo," Steve said sliding into the driver's seat of the car. Danny sighed, well Steve had been nice enough to let him drive there it was only fair to let him drive back. He felt better, he felt like everything was right in the world because had the best friends a man could have.
H5O-H5O-H5O-H5O
Steve had never been prouder to drop off a child at the movies. He had never been that proud for another human being in his life and his sister was raising a child herself quite effectively. He had not been a big part of the whole getting Nahele ready, Rowan had picked his outfit and then effectively gave up on life when Steve came down the stairs in jeans and flipflops. She had just shook her head and said: "And that is why you don't take fashion advice from Steve."
But Steve did get to help him with hair styling, not that much could be done with Nahele's curly mop of hair, and leant him some sophisticated cologne that Rowan had bought him for Christmas cause she had liked how it smelt.
But once it actually came to the drop off, it wasn't Rowan Nahele wanted out of the car walking him to the door, it was Steve.
"Okay, so… I know Ro said not to listen to me when it came to this stuff, but I'm the king of playing it cool," Steve told him, an arm around his shoulder.
Nahele nodded, a patronizing smile on his face. "Yeah, Steve I can tell."
Steve messed up Nahele's hair in a teasing fashion. "Shut up," he snapped though he grinned at him. "Just, you know, don't appear too eager, but if you think you have a window, go for it, you know?"
"You mean like… if I think I can get away with like…"
"A kiss, kid, I'm telling you to go in for a kiss. Like a peck. Like, seriously nothing more. You're fourteen. You should be going for kisses and that's it. No tongue."
"You and Rowan…"
"Okay, stop it. Me and Rowan are grown adults and we clearly need to stop making out in front of you," he said. "You'll get there one day though, just not today, Rowan and I will discuss proper age for those moves, but until I have an answer, you do nothing, got me?"
"Sure. But how do I tell if she wants to?"
"Uh… you know each girl is different. But uh… look for, lip chewing, lip licking, or a lot of eye contact and blinking eyes," he explained. "Once you know your girl better you'll be able to tell better."
"So most girls don't just throw themselves at you as soon as you walk through the door?" Nahele asked a teasing grin on his face but Steve was in serious-business-dad-mode so he only gave Nahele a small smile for his joke.
"No, Rowan's special. And that's her being needy, just don't tell her I said that," Steve warned. "Her usual tells are this little half turned up smile, blinking or hooded eyes, and lip biting, usually the lower lip, if the tongue's sticking out I know if I wait it out she'll jump me." Nahele just stared at him and Steve smiled. "See, and I know that cause I've known Rowan for…"
"Three years," Nahele said as if Steve didn't know. He must have gotten that from Rowan.
"Okay, the most important thing, is be yourself," he said. "Just be you, try to breathe through the nervousness, and uh… be confident. And text me if you need advice or something."
Nahele half hugged him and walked off towards a tight jeaned, strawberry glossed blonde girl. Steve stared a bit, watching as Nahele hugged her, and then they moved towards the ticket counter. He finally remembered he wasn't supposed to stick around, so he stepped back and away, quickly moving off towards the car he left his girlfriend in.
He slid back into the GTO noting that Rowan was craning her neck past him to try and catch a glimpse of the girl Nahele had asked out.
"She looks sweet," Steve assured her. "But uh… he'll notice if we hover…"
"Did you see what movie they were going to? Maybe we could sneak in…"
"Ro, the boy is fourteen and will never forgive you if you're caught spying on him."
"It wouldn't just be me, I'd be dragging you with me. We'd be going down on that ship together," she growled but she started the car and drove away. They got to Grover's where the Five-0 Valentine's Day Picnic was taking place and the two of them separated. Steve on drinks Rowan on food. Easily because Steve knew what she wanted to drink, no matter what it was she was craving, he always just knew, and Rowan got food, because she was picky and Steve ate anything, but she always knew what he was in the mood for that day.
"You see Danny, raising kids is a lot like grilling burgers," Grover said while Danny just stared at him with an unimpressed glare. "You can't poke them and prod them too much. All you can do is watch them closely and be there when the flames jump up."
Danny just laughed at him. "Wow, that's it huh? That's fantastic. Steve?"
Steve turned away from Rowan, trading his plate of food for her drink and then walked towards his friend. "Yeah?"
"You gotta hear this. Grover is comparing… uh… raising children to making hamburgers," he said.
"And what's wrong with that?" Grover asked.
"Yeah, I like it," Steve said as Rowan came to stand beside him. She just had to bump her shoulder with his arm lightly and just like that his arm went around her. It amazed him how easy it was to slip into those habits, sometimes he wondered how he had lived without her for so long when life just seemed to be so much easier and happier since she had become his girlfriend… or the girl he was dating on an official level.
"I like it too," she said. "But I'd say they're more like ivy, give them all the essential nutrients, a little bit of love, a little bit of space to grow and they'll shoot up like weeds."
Danny glared at the two of them. "Oh, and what would you know the two of you have been parents for like a month, suddenly you're experts? You got lucky with a good kid, you did absolutely no raising!"
Steve shook his head, it was typical Danny to be jealous. Rowan's phone went off and Rowan quickly tugged it out of her pocket. "That's weird, it's Nahele," she said and then answered it.
"Hey Swe…. Hey, hey, are you okay?..." Steve stopped drinking his beer and turned to her. She looked up to him with big blue eyes filled with fear and his papa bear instincts kicked in immediately. "Okay, okay, just stay there, I'll come back to get you just wait outside the theater please."
She hung up the phone already turning away with Steve following her. "What's going on?' he asked.
"I don't know he wouldn't tell me but he's obviously upset and he's asking me to pick him up," she told him. "You can stay if you want."
"No, no, if he's upset we'll go together," Steve assured her. They called out that they'd be back to their friends and then Steve let her drive all the way back to the theater to get their kid. Noting that she was above speed limit by at least 20 mph at all times and driving as aggressive as he or Danny. Danny and Chin had said that Rowan was an aggressive driver but he hadn't ever witnessed it before today.
When they got back to the theater, Nahele was just out front like Rowan had asked him to be. Steve got out, went to ask him what was wrong but Nahele just said nothing and then climbed into the back seat. Rowan asked him what happened but he wouldn't answer. After a silently charged moment where the two of them held each other's eyes, they both decided to stop asking him. Instead, Steve asked if he was okay to go to the BBQ with them, to which they got a very apathetic whatever.
So, they drove back to the BBQ, everyone got out of the car and Nahele stormed off. Rowan and Steve joined their friends again, got their heart shaped burgers, Rowan made sure Nahele got one of his own and then he just sat in the corner alone.
Rowan, who was sitting at the table with the rest of the adults, not paying attention to any of them in favour of just staring at Nahele, sighed for the millionth time and Steve turned to her. "I'm sure it's fine. He'll talk to us when he's ready."
Rowan turned her eyes to him. "But he just looks so… devastated. Maybe… maybe you should go talk to him?"
"Me talk to him? I thought you said only go to you or Danny for relationship advice?"
Rowan pinned him dry glare. "Steven! Will you please… he's upset… can you just…?"
Sighing Steve put his beer down. "Fine," he said. He straightened his shoulders up, cracked his neck out like he was preparing for a battle and then walked over to the kid sitting at a chair in the corner just staring at the heart shaped burger on the plate sitting on his lap.
Steve tapped his shoulder and Nahele looked up to him. He didn't look all that surprised and it was with a heavy sigh that he asked: "Ro send you over?"
"Yep," Steve said quickly sitting down beside him. "Look, you don't have to tell me what happened. But we can tell you're upset, and that's making Ro anxious and if she gets any more anxious, she's going to annoy it out of you. So we're going to sit here for a bit, you're going to pretend to talk to me and then I'mma tell her everything's good but you swore me to secrecy… which she'll probably try to annoy out of me so I guess I'll think of a clever lie and then brief…"
"It was a joke."
Steve paused. "A joke? This was a joke? Are you pranking us right now?"
"No, she pranked me," Nahele said. "It was a joke. She said yes as a joke, she showed up with her real date and all of his friend and her friends to laugh at me cause there was no way a girl like her would want me. Then they all went in to the movie, her date took my ticket and the food I bought for us and I was left there looking stupid."
Steve blinked his eyes. Fuck. They were starting that early, he thought that was an older kid thing. Really they were doing that at fourteen now?
"Okay… okay… so… uh… kids are…"
"They hate me."
"That's a strong word and I'm sure it's just…"
"No, you don't get it. Steve, I'm the poor kid!" he cried. "That's all they see when they look at me. The poor kid. None of them like me… I don't fit in there. I thought… I mean… Victoria was the only girl who'd talk to me… or be semi nice but it was all just some… joke to her… I don't have any friends, they all make fun of me and I just… I just…"
A single tear rolled down his cheek and he hastily wiped it away. But Steve saw it and his heart crumpled in his chest. "Why didn't you tell us? We could have…"
"I didn't want to say anything," he said. "She spent so much money getting me in last minute and she was so excited… I didn't… I didn't want to disappoint her."
Steve glanced over to Rowan who, instead of interacting with the rest of their table had her lazer focused eyes on them. She was sitting there, poised to move, those blue eyes unblinking and unwavering. He had a feeling that he was looking at a face similar to the ones his suspects saw when he was chasing them down or trying to make them crack. Damn if that was what he looked like all the time no wonder the bad guys were afraid of him.
"Has she been staring like that the… uh… the whole time?" Steve asked.
"Yeah… it's a little unnerving," Nahele whispered and Steve almost laughed before turning back to him.
"Okay. Look. She's worried about you. Okay, that's what that's about. Just uh… don't make eye contact or she'll come over," Steve warned him and Nahele turned away. He put a hand on Nahele's knee before continuing. "You know… if you tell her what's happening. If you tell her you want to move schools… she won't be disappointed. She wants you to be happy. That's all."
Nahele shook his head so Steve moved his hand up to his Shoulder. "Here's what we're going to do, we're going to go over there, and you're going to tell her what's going on."
Nahele shook his head a little harder. "No, no she'll be mad."
Steve scoffed. "She will not be mad," he said. "Come on, we'll do it together. I'll go with you, I'll have your back, alright?"
Nahele looked up at him with that worried look on his face and Steve smiled encouragingly. "Look, worse comes to worse I'll start an argument with her and she'll forget all about it, okay?"
He finally sighed but got up and the two of them walked over to Rowan who had stood up the second they did. "Hey he wants to talk to you about some stuff," he said and then both he and Nahele pulled Rowan aside.
"Okay, what's up?"
"I'm getting bullied at school."
The Ice Queen mask slid onto Rowan's face immediately, a frosty: "What?" came out of her as her eyes shot back and forth between he and Nahele.
"The girl I asked out… she only said yes to make fun of me… it was a giant prank… and the kids they do stuff like that to me all the time. I… I'm the poor kid… the foster kid…"
Rowan struggled to pull her phone out of her back pocket. "Good Christian school my ass," she growled. "Oh, they are going to hear about this, let me fucking tell you. I'm going to hit that school so hard…"
"No!" Nahele shouted startling everyone near-by and getting Rowan to look up at him. "No," he repeated more softly. "I just… I just don't want to go to school there anymore."
Rowan blinked her eyes. "Okay… I mean… it's the semester just started though and like past the mid-year mark… switching makes no sense right now…"
But then she looked at Steve who was hitting her up with what he hoped was a stern but knowing look but she just stared at him with her own look of misunderstanding so he sighed and said: "Ro, he's obviously very unhappy… I'm sure… I'm sure we could find him a better school that might be closer to home… where he might be happier."
And just like that Rowan's head tilted to the side. "Where did you go to school?" she whispered.
"Me?" Steve echoed. "Kukui High School why?"
"You went with Chin right?" she asked.
"Well yeah, Chin went there… but he was a few years older…"
"Yeah but he graduated… you didn't, you got shipped off to military school… he could get him in right? If he makes a call?"
Steve frowned. "Well I mean… so could I…"
"I don't care who calls Steven so long as he's in by Monday," she snapped and Nahele suddenly hugged her.
"Thank you, thank you," he cried and she put a hand to his head to pet him.
"Don't thank me yet, I've got to get you in first," she said to him but he didn't let her go so she just sighed and hugged him back.
Steve looked on smiling, happy that things had worked out. With hands on his hips he asked: "Are we good to celebrate Valentine's Day now?"
Nahele smiled. "Hey, Uncle Lou, can I have my burger reheated? Mine got cold," he called and Lou jumped up to get back on the grill before Kamekona could get a hold of the flipper.
Then they all sat down the party going back to normal and when he thought no one was looking he handed Grace the light up fake rose he had bought his own date and clearly hadn't given her. But Steve saw, and so did Danny. Luckily for them all, Danny had calmed down a bit about Grace and boys, but Steve knew, he knew sooner or later Danny was gonna come at him over that smooth move of Nahele's.
But even with the hiccup, even with Steven kind of forgetting to get Rowan a gift and giving her a box of chocolates from the convenience store down the street and a promise for a better gift later, Steve couldn't help but think that this was the best Valentine's Day he had ever had.