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A/N: Happy Friday my wonderful readers. Did anyone else realize what Steven forgot? Well Gajeel-rocks got it, but did everyone else figure it out? Well don't be too worried if you forgot, I mean, Steven forgot too right? Either way in this chapter he's made aware of a few things, which includes something he forgot to do… and a promise he made to a certain someone. Might I also add that we're almost to what I think is probably one of the cutest chapters I had ever written. I believe we are two chapters away but I'll tell you guys when we hit it, as per usual. So don't forget to leave me a review, I'd love to hear what you thought about this chapter, and I'll see you guys on Monday!
Chapter 175
They found out that their injured thief was Radomir Ivanovich who was ex-Serbian Military and Emma's ex-boyfriend, or at least they were assuming he was an ex since she had tried to kill him that morning. Not good for little Emma Mills who thought he was dead. After the Bosnian war he had repurposed his skills to become a high-end jewel thief. He surfaced a few years back in Hawaii under the name Jacob Anders, hooked up with Emma Mills, who helped him with his heists until she got pinched. But she didn't roll on him so she did 10 months jail time and then, for some reason, once she got out, they did one more heist and she shot him.
It was confusing and they weren't quite certain they understood what had happened to cause this turn of events. But they couldn't get answers without blowing their cover and asking her. So they'd have to wait to figure out what was going on with their heart-less blonde.
In the meantime, Steve had gotten hungry so he had made himself a bagel while watching the feeds. Emma did nothing interesting, all day. All she did was sit, scantily clad, and watch TV. Even Danny, who had appreciated the view, had finally gotten bored. Frankly, Steve's view at home was much better than this one so he had been bored from the start. When he finished the bagel, he tossed the empty plate to the couch beside Danny and it was only there for ten seconds before Danny snapped.
He didn't even say anything he just glared at him with this look that Steve knew was going to be paired with a lecture so he hoped to defuse the situation before the arguing started.
"What? I'm doing her a favor. The food's gonna go bad."
"What the hell is the matter with you? What are you, an animal?" he asked. "Okay, I know you're lazy. You don't wanna get up but I don't need your disgusting bagel plate in my work space!"
Steve glared at him, not sure how this could be a thing. God forbid he'd ever have to actually live with Danny, he might kill the man if he had to live with him. "It must be exhausting, projecting that much contempt on a piece of porcelain."
"It's ceramic, putz," Danny snapped as Steve picked up the plate. "And you wouldn't do that at home, you wouldn't do that to Rowan."
"Sure, I would, I do. I do it all the time," Steve said as he walked towards the kitchen.
"Really, you just throw dirty dishes around your girlfriend?"
"Yes I do, and she doesn't say anything, she picks them up and puts them in the sink for me," he explained. "And she's not my girlfriend."
"Apparently not, apparently she's your maid."
Steve shook his head determined to ignore Danny and he luckily got his distraction in the form of a little white kitten. Mr. Pickles chirruped to him in his cute little meows and Steve smiled down at him.
"Hey, Mr. Pickles. Want something to eat, buddy?" he asked stooping down to pick up the cat. He draped the cat over his shoulder before going through the cabinets to find his food. But it wasn't cat food he found.
Picking up the package he chuckled at it, not believing what he was seeing. "Whoa, Hey Danny. Look at this," he said showing him the giant bag of drugs he had just found. "That's a lot of weed."
Danny just stared at him, not sure what to do with that information, because he even he was surprised. Why would Agnes need so much weed? But then someone knocked on the door and the two of them were in move fast mode, needed to get rid of this visitor as soon as possible. Steve stashed the weed, and then, with cat still draped over his shoulder he answered the door.
It was just a little old lady in a fuchsia and flower patterned muu-muu and a platter of cookies. Steve offered a soft hello, not sure what she wanted but she was already talking and trying to slide her way into the room
"Aloha neighbours! You must be Agnes's nephew. I heard you were hose-sitting," the woman said letting herself in.
"No that's me," Danny said. "News travels fast around here."
"I'm Ruth Tennenbaum from 2D I made you a batch of my signature macadamia nut cookies," she told them showing them off but not relinquishing the grip on the plate.
"That's nice," Danny said letting her go to their small kitchen table.
As she walked slowly over, she looked around, taking in their surveillance equipment. She smiled nicely at them "Oh I see you boys like to snoop too," she said. Damn they should have hidden that stuff.
"Ruth, hi," Steve said but she ignored him. "Uh, Ms. Tennenbaum. I'm Steve McGarrett. This is my partner, Danny Williams."
She nodded. "Mm, I see," she said softly before sitting down.
"We're trying to keep a low profile, so if you could keep this to yourself, it'd be nice."
Steve nodded. "We don't want anybody else in the building to find out." As he stroked Mr. Pickles.
"Oh, I understand. Some of the Alta cockers in our building are so small-minded. Just so you know, I full support…" she trailed off and then whispered: "Gay Marriage."
Steve came to a standstill, completely shocked. What the fuck was she… he and Danny? Oh, come on not this again. Steve turned to Danny who was chuckling and then turned back to Ruth. "No, no, we're not gay… I have a girlfriend… I can show you her picture," he said taking out his phone and showing her the lock screen. Which was a picture Nahele took of Rowan on his lap, his lips to her shoulder her face turned towards him. "See that's her, that's my Ro."
"Oh, she's very pretty."
"Yeah! Thanks, she's a singer and a song writer and she's written uh… a few…" he started, he had been flipping through the pictures showing Ruth more, ones of Rowan on the beach, of her sitting on his lanai in her beach chair hunched over her guitar, of them in their fancy dress dancing out on a restaurant patio when he caught the look that Danny was giving him and he came to a faltering stop. He cleared his throat and changed the topic. "Uh… we're Five-0 ma'am," he explained. "We're actually working undercover here. That's why we can't let anybody else find out about it, you see? It's very important. Ms. Tennenbaum, you can keep a secret, right?"
"Of course. To tell you the truth, I feel much safer knowing you boys are here."
"Good, that's good."
"There's been a lot of crime in this building. Just the other day, a plant was stolen from right outside my front door," she told them. Both Danny and Steve were horrified to watch that little old lady start to cry. Goddamn it now they were never going to get her out of the apartment. "While you're here, maybe you can catch the hoodlum who did it."
Both Steve and Danny exchanged glances before Steve turned back to her. "Yeah, we'd love to help, but we're, you know we're kind of tied up."
She deflated in her disappointment and then sighed as if she carried a heavy burden. "Oh I understand. You're busy with important police work. I'm just an old lady with a stolen fern." It was amazing that she had gone from crying, to perfectly fine to crying again, in such a short amount of time. "Oh, did I mention that it's a fern? Six years I had it!"
Steve and Danny exchanged their exasperated looks again and she added: "I don't mean to bother." While she put the cookie to her mouth and stared him down.
Sighing Steve grit his teeth and decided to be proactive about this since Danny was content to just stand there with his hands in his pocket, smiling at Steve like he was enjoying himself. "You know what, um, I'm gonna send somebody over to look into that," he told her as he helped her up and out of her chair. "Is that okay?"
Ruth smiled warmly at him. "Such a sweet boy, that girl of yours is lucky."
"Yeah she's really hit the jackpot," Danny agreed, a shit eating grin on his face. That was sarcasm and Steve knew it.
But Steve ignore the sharp jab to his already crumbling belief in he and Rowan's durability and smiled at Ruth as he led her back to the door. "Okay? So you go home and you'll expect to see somebody soon. Alright?"
"Be sure to return the plate when you're finished with it," she said letting Steve usher her out the door and into the hallway.
"Okay, thank you very much for the cookies," Danny said waving to her as Steve struggled to say his goodbyes to the elderly lady and shut the door. Once it was firmly shut and locked, once Steve turned he could tell that whatever was going to come out of Danny's face was going to upset him.
"So Ro's your girlfriend now?" Danny asked. Yep. He was right.
"Shut up, Danny, just… shut up," Steve snapped. Danny just shrugged.
"Okay, well, I personally would've gone with the gay thing to keep our cover."
God why wouldn't he just shut up?
H5O-H5O-H5O-H5O
Later that evening Steven and Danny had gotten another call from Kono who had been told to do the background checks on the two jewelry shop employees. Mia Price, the store owner and Rowan Pierce the employee who had been in the store at the time.
Kono had started with the easy stuff, the stuff they had already knew. Like Mia Price was in debt to her eyeballs and her store was about to go under. So you know, lots of motive. And then there was Rowan. Rowan had access to the safe. Rowan had access and keys to the store. Rowan knew all about the delivery date because Mia had told her and Rowan had come in early to help out even though Mia hadn't scheduled her. She was just helpful like that.
To anyone else that would be very suspicious, and while they didn't trust Mia, they all knew Rowan. They all knew that if she were going to rob a store, a gun would not have been involved, she would have found a way to just walk out with them. But knowing Rowan wasn't an alibi. No, the determining factor to ruling Rowan out as a suspect was her financials. He figured her financials weren't very good, as she was back to taking odd jobs again, but money was never tight between the two of them, so he had told them to look up his financials as well as proof that she wouldn't need anything even if her financials were bad. He was prepared to take himself off the case if he had to vouch for her, he just needed to hear what Kono had to say about her financials first.
"So we did get her financials back from the bank and I can safely say that uh… yeah… she doesn't need to hold up a jewelry store for their diamond stash," Kono said.
"Okay, so her financials were okay?"
"Okay? They were ridiculous!" Kono cried and Steve just shook his head.
"What are you talking about?" Steve asked and then Kono paused.
"It's not important, they were okay, she doesn't need to knock off a jewelry store, let's leave it at that," Kono said almost too illusively. Steve narrowed her eyes at him.
"What's going on with her financials? You're hiding something, I know you are…"
"Now wait a second…"
"Send over the report."
"I don't think that's a good…" "Send over the report Kono!"
Kono did as requested but when the file came up he found himself staring at it in surprise. "No… no this can't be right," he said quickly. "Are you sure this is the right Rowan Pierce."
"Yep… that's it. That's her back account," Kono confirmed.
Steve looked back at the totals and found himself completely frozen. "Okay… but it can't be, because, if this is right… it means that she has 22.9 million dollars in the bank."
Kono nodded. "Her last royalty cheque went in last week and it was 2.4 million. She's been getting upwards 1.5 million in royalties since December. She sold her last song for 150 thousand a month ago, but I'm guessing something spiked in sales because her royalty cheques almost doubled this month."
Everything in Steve's body froze as he just stared at Kono on the screen of their laptop. Danny leant against the back of the couch.
"I'm sorry. I think I misheard… how much did she have in the bank?"
"22.9 million."
"And how much did she get in royalties?"
"This week? 2.4 million."
"Your fucking girlfriend's a millionaire?" Danny asked Steve.
Steve turned his eyes up to Danny because he had no idea Rowan was making that kind of money. "I… uh… I guess?"
"Wait… boss… I mean I guess I figured it cause she asked us not to tell you but did you really not know how much she makes?" Kono asked. "I mean, I get not knowing exact numbers, but you had to think she was making some kind of money?"
Steve's mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water. No, he didn't. It never even occurred to him that she could make that much.
"No… did you?" Steve shot back.
Kono shook her head. "Well, I mean I knew she was making money… but… you know I'm not the one dating her…"
Wow what a low blow. Steve shook his head and looked back at the bank statements.
"What is uh… what is VD Charities?"
Kono shrugged. "I don't know, but half of her deposits go to it," she told him.
Steve nodded. "Okay, could you uh… could you look into it for me?" he asked to which he got a sharp nod from her. Steve was silent a moment longer as he stared at the bank statements still not believing what he was reading. "Thanks… uh… thanks for that Kono. I've got to go." And then he ended the call.
For a while Steve just sat in a stupor. How could Rowan not have told him how much money she was making… why was that something that never came up? Granted… with everything going on recently he got it, but they had been dating almost ten months and he had no idea that she was a millionaire. Wasn't that… strange?
"So, you two never had that talk about money?" Danny asked coming to sit beside him. Steve just scowled at him.
"No, we've been busy with… other things…"
"You mean too busy not fucking?" Danny asked and Steve's scowl darkened. "Or arguing about how you're not fucking?"
"Do you enjoy tormenting me?" Steve asked and Danny just raised his hands in defense.
"I mean, you could just give her the label," he offered and Steve turned away.
Why the hell would he give her the label now? If she was willing to hide something as important as this, from him, what else was she willing to hide?
H5O-H5O-H5O-H5O
They were luckily quite quiet until dinner. No arguments, nothing, probably because, since finding out about the state of Rowan's finances Steve had been lost in his head.
That was until, Steve got hungry and then he was all talk.
"You hungry? Let's get some dinner," Steve offered. "You choose any place you want. What do you want?"
Danny thought about it a moment before saying: "Chinese sounds good."
"I get a headache from the MSG," Steve said with a scowl.
Okay, fair, hmm, what else was Danny feeling like having today? What could he go for? "Okay. How about, uh, that pizza place that doesn't suck?" he offered but Steve was already sitting up a big grin on his face.
"Oh, I got it. I got it, I got it," Steve said excitedly. "You ever had Indian food?"
Danny sighed but he let Steve order the food and vowed to say absolutely nothing. But he seethed while Steve ordered, and stewed while they waited for delivery. He was down right livid when Steve had him pay for the meal and just about ready to slap him as the two of them tucked into their meals.
Which was why, when Steve said: "You're doing it wrong." Danny nearly snapped then and there.
How the hell does one eat wrong? Seriously, someone explains because Daniel Williams was lost. "I'm doing it wrong?" he asked sarcastically, not expecting an answer. He got one anyone.
"Watch me. Get a piece of naan. You dip it in the masala, okay?" Steve said showing him, to humour him Danny followed along, because if he didn't Steve would bitch and Danny would bitch back and this op would get blown cause they were trying to kill one another. "We got a little chicken there. Get your chicken. Put it inside, make a little meat pocket, however you wanna do it. Then you go mango chutney. Put it on top." He waited for Danny to follow through and then said: "Go."
Danny put the concoction into his mouth and chewed. Goddamn it, it was delicious. Like wow, holy, that combo… it was like nirvana for his taste buds. And what was worse, was Steve knew it too. He could see it on Danny's face. Great. Now he'd have to fucking admit that Steve was right, he had been doing it wrong.
"That's how you do it," he said through his mouthful, Danny could see the food rolling around as he talked. God the animal how to Rowan eat with this savage? What the hell did she see in him? Danny scowled at him and Steve's smugly confident smile faded from his lips.
"What's the matter you don't like it?" Steve asked.
Danny swallowed his mouthful before saying: "No I like it very much. It's probably one of the best things I've ever tasted in my entire life. In fact I don't know how it is that I've gone this long in my life without experiencing such exotic flavors."
"Alright so what's the problem?"
"The problem?" Danny echoed.
"What with your face?" Steve asked.
"Well the problem might be because you said I could choose where we eat."
"What?"
"You said: you choose. You said: you pick. I picked a bunch of places, you knocked them all down and then you picked a place that you want…" he noted Steve laughing and quickly trailed off. He pinned Steve with a dark glare that did absolutely nothing to get him to stop laughing and said: "I'm glad you think it's funny."
"Are you kidding me?"
"No."
"It's dinner Danny what are you talking about?"
"Well, no, that's the thing. It's not just dinner, okay? This is what's called relationship dominance. It like you always got to drive my car, you gotta be in control, Steve…"
"You get that from your workbook?" Steve asked.
"I did get it from my workbook, okay? It's a very enlightening chapter, okay? It's all about personality types. And if I read the personality types, it explains why you and I argue, it explains why you're having problems with Rowan. Cause she's a conflicting type from you and you're smothering her."
"What?" Steve snapped and then looked at the book in Danny's hands. "What are you gonna read it to me?"
"Tell me this doesn't sound like you, okay?" Danny said: "ESTJ, or Guardian types, are confident, dependable, loyal. Natural leaders. Tend to put forth much effort in fulfilling their duties and obligations."
"Okay, can I stop you for a second? Am I supposed to be offended? Cause you just made me sound awesome."
"Well those are some of the strengths. Now I'll get to the weaknesses," Danny said. "Not naturally in tune with what others are feeling. Difficulty expressing emotions. Difficulty accepting criticism."
"Hey can I eat my meal?!" Steve thundered, proving Danny and the workbook right. "Can I eat my food in peace please?"
Danny put the book down and stared placidly at Steve who was tucking back into his meal with gusto to avoid the conversation. "In simple layman terms. You are a whacked-out control freak, okay? But I love you, and I really think Rowan could love you too if you would just stop driving her away."
Steve sighed again. He glanced to the book before asking: "Does it say anything in there about why my girlfriend didn't tell me she's a fucking millionaire?"
Danny stared at him. He knew that it was bothering Steve, the knowledge that Rowan made so much more money that him and that she hadn't told him. While he had been doing his homework he had come across a personality type that sounded like Rowan. He just needed to see if Steve agreed.
"Uh… INFJs, or Counsellor Types, are visionaries and idealists who ooze creative imagination and brilliant ideas. They like to help people who are in need because they are compassionate and empathetic. They're good at reading people and can sense other's emotions. Sound like Rowan?" he asked. Steve nodded, yeah that was her to a tee. Danny continued. "Counsellor types, are sensitive towards other people's feelings, more so then their own. They are stubborn. They don't back down when their beliefs and principles have been questions. They also tend to be secretive and it takes time for them to learn to trust people, even going as far as to test them before spilling their secrets."
Danny watched Steve take all of that in, and though Danny saw Steve come to a realization or some sort of understanding, but even though Danny had witness Steve go through all of that, Steve still said: "So that's a no."
Danny scowled at him. He was being stubborn on purpose and it wasn't cute anymore. "It means with the amount you two argue she probably felt it not best to tell you that she makes heaps more money than you do."
"I wouldn't say heaps."
"Her last royalty cheque ended in six zeros. She's making mountains more money than you."
"Eat your Saag panneer, please. Just…" Steve said turning back to the food, wanting this just to be over. Danny let it go, but when he finally checked his phone later that night he had a missed call from Rowan. If she had called him three times, how many times had the poor girl called Steve?
H5O-H5O-H5O-H5O
The following day had been slow for Steve. They met the owner of the weed they found in the cupboard, a very chilled-out stoner boy, Ricky from 2F downstairs. He had collected his weed, offered more than just weed to Steve and Danny, apparently having a hook up for everything up to ferrets and snakes which were illegal in Hawaii as they're an invasive species and then he left. Steve had microwaved an omelet and got yelled at.
Granted he knew that he should fry an omelet up, but he was used to Rowan making breakfast, and he wanted to be quick about it so Danny didn't bitch about being left on monitoring duties for too long, nor did he want Danny to get too excited and try to make one of his frittatas. But Danny had freaked on him anyway over the smell the microwaved omelet had caused. At least he didn't burn the place down or set any smoke alarms off like Danny did when he was making his famous frittata.
Then Grover came by, he too commented on the smell, while Barry, Emma's fence, went over to talk to her. They had caught Barry yesterday, he was how they learned all about Radomir. They needed him to stall so they had him go over there and lie to Emma, and it was because of that lie that they found their missing link. The one they had no idea they were even looking for.
Mia Price, Rowan's old boss, the owner of the jewelry store. She was in on it. she was more than in on it. When she showed up later that evening, the two girls talked for all of two minutes before they started making out and five seconds later those curtains were closed, so they couldn't see, but the mics were picking up the moans no problem. They were having sex.
The novelty had worn off for the boys almost immediately. Probably quicker for Steven than Danny. Steve was still stuck on what he had found out yesterday.
His Rowan was rich.
Like rich, rich.
Like… didn't need him funding her at all, rich.
Like she could buy a house, a new car, a horse, and a new man to replace him, rich.
And she had never told him.
He should have known when she was illusive about the amount she made as a song writer that something was up. He should have pressed for more info, he should have asked Pete any of the time they bumped into him. He should have done… something. What he shouldn't have done was ignore all the times she called him yesterday.
She was probably just wondering where he was, he hadn't told her that going on a stakeout, he just hadn't come home. He should have called her, he should have answered any of her calls, at least to tell her where he was, but he knew if he picked up that call he'd get mad at her. He'd get mad at her for hiding this from him, and if Danny's workbook was right, he'd make everything worse.
Because it was totally like Rowan Pierce to test him to see if he could handle it and it was just like her to run if she thought he was too upset with her over it.
When the doorbell rang, thirty minutes into the girls' ongoing sexcapade Steve was surprised. Neither of them had order food and they weren't expecting anyone. Danny got up and threw the blanket over their surveillance equipment while Steve opened the door.
And he was not expecting to see her at the door. Especially since he never told her where he was.
Steve stared at Rowan, as she passively stared up at him. She didn't look upset, she didn't look mad, but she also didn't seem excited to see him either. "Uh… what are you doing here?" he asked trying to gauge her emotional state at that moment.
"I brought pizza from that place Danny doesn't think sucks," she said showing him the box. "Since we both know you steamrolled him with the Indian food last night."
Beside him, Danny crowed, Steve jumped not realizing that Danny had been beside him but stepped aside as Danny moved forward. "Yes. Love this girl. Love your visions," he said reaching for the pizza snatching the box out of her hands and turning away with it.
"That doesn't explain why you're here though," he said as she moved past him and into the small apartment, he shut the door behind her, and Rowan turned back to him, her eyes nothing but narrowed glittering slits of ice blue. Ice Queen eyes. Shit.
"Well if you remember… yesterday… I was in the back of an ambulance crying…" she said and Steve frowned. Oh. Oh no, he had a feeling he knew what was happening right now. "And you promised me you'd be home… to keep me company… and then you never showed up."
Fuck. Fuck. That's what he forgot. "Oh… oh… oh god… I'm sorry…"
"And then you didn't call. And then neither you nor Danny picked up your phones when I called and I had to call Chin to find out where you were and what was going on," she said. "So you know, thank you for the night of nightmares, McGarrett."
Oh god she was last naming him, she was pissed.
"I'm sorry… I forgot to call you, okay?" he lied, but judging by her scoff it most certainly was not okay. "Alright… well uh… you're here now and I'm here, I can…"
"Oh I'm not here for you," she said turning away from him and walking over to where Danny was sitting with the pizza. "I'm going to stay with Danny."
She plopped herself down on the couch beside Danny and both men turned to stare at her with incredulous eyes.
"Stay with… we're on a case Rowan," he growled.
"Really? Sitting here listening and watching as two girls fuck is you on a case? You can do that at home, Steven," she snapped. "Besides, I need someone to cuddle, and I picked Danny."
"Uh… I have a girlfriend," Danny said and Steve pointed at him. "Yes, he has a girlfriend."
"Already dealt with," Rowan said proudly. "I already talked to Melissa she okayed it. If you check your phone you should have a text saying so."
Wow how thorough of her. Danny did in fact checked his phone and with the absent: huh Steve knew that Melissa had texted him. Steve glared at Rowan as she slid up and into Danny's side like she belonged there. No, she didn't belong there, she belonged with him. For fucksake. Danny looked at him then back to Rowan and then back to him and Steve swore he saw the gears turning in that man's head.
"Uh, I think I know why Steven didn't call you yesterday," he said breaking the silence. "And it all can be answered with a question he wants to ask you."
Rowan turned her skeptical eyes to him before turning to Steve. "A question?"
"Yes, a question," Danny said as Steve said: "No." and then the two scowled at one another.
"Just ask the question Steven," Rowan ordered and he sighed might as well get it over with now.
"I uh… I guess I was wondering when you were going to tell me that you're a millionaire."
Rowan blinked her eyes and straightened. "They told you about my financials. God damn it Kono," she muttered to herself. She sighed and said: "Is that really why you didn't call me yesterday? Or pick up any of my calls? Or call me back? Or answer my texts? You left me alone, not hours after surviving an robbery and watching as a man I knew and called a friend died in my arms, because you were mad about the money I make?"
"No! I didn't call you cause I was upset you didn't tell me and I didn't want to argue with you. Is that why you didn't tell me, because you thought I'd get mad?"
"No, I just honestly I didn't think it was that important."
"Not that important? Rowan, you're making millions, like literally! Your last paycheck was 2.4 million dollars!"
"Well that's because Heartbeats just went double platinum, and with the sold out tour and the merch… you know I got a big bonus, that's all, I usually get a lot less then that…"
"Rowan…" Steve growled in warning.
"Okay what? What do you want me to say Steven? I make money, a lot of it, what do you want to know? That my regular royalty cheques range anywhere between six hundred thousand dollars to 1.8 million depending on the sales that month. That the number is climbing cause I'm Atlantic's golden goose who only writes hits? That I'm the only writer who gets away with demanding more than 5% in royalties for the same reason? Is that what you wanted to hear? Are you happy now?"
No. He wasn't.
"But why didn't you tell me?" he cried. "Why, at no point while I've been paying for everything, did you not think to say: oh by the way I make quite a bit a money maybe let me cover?"
"That's why!" Rowan cried. "Because I knew you were so cheap if you found out you'd never open your goddamn wallet again!"
"Oh my god, wow, I just… I just can't with you right now."
"Okay, I'd like to ask some questions," Danny asked getting her attention. "I'd like to know why you're still doing the odd menial jobs. You don't need the money, so you don't need to supplement your income, so… like… why?"
"Uh… well I have two reasons for that Danny," she said primly. "When I broke my leg and was told I couldn't skate anymore it became perfectly clear that I wasn't suited for regular jobs and I had no schooling or experience for an office job. All I could do was skate and sing and bake. Not the hallmarks of a big paycheque you know? So I take the small jobs to create a bit of a resume so that if the song writing doesn't pan out, I at least have something on my CV other than, song writer. And secondly… if I didn't have odd jobs, I'd be home alone, cause someone is never home. And we all know how I feel about being alone. Now eat your pizza and both of you stop asking me questions."
Both Steve and Danny took that in. Danny seemed good with those answers, and Steve had to admit that they both made sense. Rowan didn't like being home alone, she didn't like being idle. So the jobs were something to keep her from being bored. But collecting odd jobs, where she worked for two to three week or more, for her CV wasn't going to help her. Especially if all of those jobs were small and menial.
And Steve had another question. One Kono had yet to get back to him about.
"Why does half your paycheque go to something called VD Charities?"
"I said no more questions."
"Fine, but… what is VD charities?" Steve asked. "No one can tell me."
"What about no more questions did you not understand?" Rowan sighed reaching for a slice of pizza. "You weren't interested in me when I need you to be, you don't need to be interested in me now."
Danny turned to Steve to see nothing short of anguish on his face. It was clear that the man had no idea what to do and it was killing him. Danny almost felt bad, but he felt the tremors that were plaguing Rowan when she tucked into him and he realized that the poor girl really had just needed someone, she had needed Steve. She was taking this one a lot worse that he had realized. Steve should have realized that, he should have thought of something other than himself.
