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A/N: Hello my lovely readers! So here we are with one of my favourite chapters I've ever written. We get to see some really, REALLY cute thing, and honestly I think Steve and Rowan are in a really good place right now and it's going to show! Please tell me if you enjoyed this as much as I enjoyed writing it! As always, I look forward to all your reviews and I will see you tomorrow!

Chapter 185

Rowan rushed around the McGarrett household trying to get everything ready to go. She had the ice cream cake in the fridge, the presents on the counter, and the pizza on the kitchen island beside all their sides and the pop options.

All she was waiting on were the boys.

Nahele had requested a camping/sleep over/paintballing party for his birthday, and who was Rowan to deny that request? Steven had taken the boys paintballing and she had gotten everything else ready for the food and sleep over part of the party. Before the boys had left Rowan had made Steve help them set up the tents the boys would be sleeping in, and they were going to trust the boys to light the fire and roast their own marshmallows.

The door opened and a gaggle of extremely excited boys came in, each toting their own paintball guns, Nahele's was a gift from Steve while Rowan had gotten him a specialty helmet. Top of the line for her boy. He got to open his birthday gifts from them that morning before his friends came. Obliviously they had more to give him but those were the two big ones.

Now two of the boys Rowan knew and had already met. Kai and Makani were in his English class and had similar interests and likes. They had been over to the house multiple times, and were of Hawaii Decent so they looked a lot like Nahele but with a different haircuts. Kai had the Mohawk and the shaved sides while Makani was rocking the shaggy surf doo that was so long she was worried he couldn't see half the time. The other two boys, were new and apparently self-invited. From what Rowan knew, Aaron was the most popular boy in the grade, who took a shine to Nahele when he found out that his foster parents were the Rowan Pierce who wrote Heartbeats and the Steven McGarrett of Five-0. He was a typical, popular, mean, white boy whose only saving grave was that his parents were moderately rich and his friend Kevin whom he had brought a long for the party was a complete and utter follower.

"Hey boys, how was paintballing?" she asked noting that Steve seemed to have paint flecked along his jawline and was moving a bit too stiffly. Had he gotten injured? She made him promise no trick stunts but maybe he had jumped off one of the structures despite her asking him not to.

"Hey! Yeah, it was great!" Nahele cried, with Kai and Makani agreeing with him.

"Yeah, with Steve's tactical plans we whooped EVERYONE!" Makani cried.

Kai nodded animatedly. "And then we did a round of him against us even though we outnumbered him!"

"Yeah and then he lost. We smoked him! For a SEAL he's not very good," Aaron said. Beside him Nahele winced, his two closest friends winced too. But Aaron and Kevin the two outliers were just laughing and smiling smugly up at Steve. "Maybe Five-0 needs to make you take one of those aptitude tests for your shooting."

As soon as they had told her that Steve had agreed to a versus match between them, Rowan knew what Steve had done, he had let the boys win. He could have slaughtered them all and didn't. But Rowan didn't want to cause a scene by pointing that out her baby had gone easy on them as they were children. She could tell Steve was annoyed, but he plastered a fake smile to his face, for Nahele, so she could do the same too.

"I'll be sure to mention that to the Governor next time I see him," Steve said. Rowan winced for him and decided to change the topic.

"Okay, well we have pizza, pop and snacks if you boys hungry?" she asked. And three of the five boys rushed forward to get to the island with food. But Aaron and Kevin were not as eager.

"Do you have any healthy options?" Aaron asked.

Who the hell asks for the healthy options at a birthday party? Rowan pinned him with a dry glare. "I've got carrot sticks, feel free to munch out bugs bunny."

The three boys already tucking into their pizza snorted and Steve had to turn away to hide his amused smirk from them. Rowan, however, held his darkened stare with her very best daring Ice Queen stare.

"Are there any artists coming to the party?" he asked instead as he reached out for a slice of pizza.

"Oh yeah, I've invited Bono, and Shawn Mendez and Fifth Harmony…"

"Wow Really?" Kevin cried.

"Hell no!" Rowan snapped. "This is a birthday party, not a meet and greet, thank you very much. Just eat your food, play your videogames and try to have fun."

Rowan ruffled Nahele's hair as she headed towards Steve. "Call me when you want cake," she called. She crossed to Steve and he pulled her towards the steps. She shook her head at him. "I'mma slap that kid," she hissed.

"Calm yourself it's fine," he whispered as they went up the stairs.

"You know you have paint on your neck?" she said pointing to it. A hand went up to it, but his fingers probed the reddening skin instead of trying to rub it off.

"Yeah, I can't prove it but I think that little shit, Aaron, shot me," he said. "And… I mean purposely where the armour wasn't protecting me."

Rowan stood up on tippy toes to see that dark bruise forming where Steve's neck and shoulders met. She pressed a soft kiss to the bruise forming and he leaned into it. "That kid is a little shit. As soon as he's gone I'm talking to Nahele about the dangers of toxic friends."

"He's the cool kid, I can tell that Nahele's not happy with his behaviour though…"

"Whatever, we're talking about it. Aaron's gotta go."

Steve laughed at her, wrapping an arm around her shoulder and pressing kisses against her cheek. They promised Nahele space for the party so she was fine hiding out in her room with Steve but he wasn't going to get some until tomorrow… which was his birthday. Gosh this was going to be a busy weekend.

H5O-H5O-H5O-H5O

Aaron and Kevin were ruining everything. Aaron had taken the ice cream cake out of the fridge and tucked in before they could sing happy birthday to him, he didn't even get candles. Rowan was livid, he could tell. She had come down to see two kids with slices of cake and her eyes did that ice blue bugged out thing she did before she snapped. She asked short, tense questions about how the cake had managed to end up out of the fridge between clenched teeth and Aaron had sassed her. Nahele was surprised Rowan didn't flip out right then and there. But she was trying so hard to not snap at Aaron and make a scene, but he knew if he made a big deal Rowan would stop being nice. So he had pretended it was okay even though he had really looked forward to hearing Rowan singing happy birthday to him.

But after playing rounds of Halo, where they realized they had to let Aaron win or he got sulky and violent, and frequently had to cheat, they had gone outside for s'mores and sleeping in the tent. Aaron had not been impressed with the tents, so after Steve had reminded them to put out the fire before they went to bed, and Rowan wished them all a good night, Aaron brought out a bottle of straight cherry rum. Leftovers from one of his older brother's parties.

He had said it was the only way to save Nahele's boring ass party. Aaron and Kevin were really the only ones drinking. He, Kai and Makani took careful sips as Aaron in particular kept drinking was getting worse and worse as he got more and more drunk.

He had passively let him shit talk Steve, and about how bad ass he was not. He had passively let him shit talk Rowan, for apparently not being cool enough, and not getting some head-lining star to come to the party. He did it because if they got into an actual argument Nahele might have punched his lights out and he figured if he just let Aaron get it out, sooner or later he'd shut up, or if they were luck he'd pass out. But it wasn't until Aaron looked at him and said that clearly his foster parents did love him enough to house him in the actual house that Nahele went inside, claiming the need to go to the washroom, to find Rowan.

Rowan was sitting on the couch a book in her hands and a blanket on her lap. He knew then that she had been spying cause the blanket was still perfectly folded still and the book was upside down. But he was going to ignore that because he needed her at that moment.

"Kay… so uh… mom… Ro… sorry…" he said, he had to stop calling her mom, she wasn't his mom and calling her that still felt like a betrayal to his real mom. Though he was clearly getting attached and he was certain Rowan was attached to him too, he was still certain she might change her mind about him and send him away. Still Rowan said nothing about the slip up and looked up to him like she had no idea he had come in the house. "I need your help…"

"Yeah? What's up?"

"It's Aaron…"

"You need me to cut a bitch?" she asked a little too eagerly. Nahele blinked his eyes and calmly said: No which caused her to sink back into the couch cushion with a sigh of dejection.

"Look… he… he brought alcohol and I unno… I don't want to snitch per say but I also just… he's getting really mean…"

He thought she'd be more upset about the alcohol, or at the very least she'd act shocked. Instead she just blinked her eyes. "He's a mean drunk huh?" she asked and he nodded.

"I just… I unno… I don't want to ruin the whole party's vibe… I don't want him to get that mad…"

"Say no more. You go back outside, I got this," she said. Nahele nodded and went back outside while Rowan crept upstairs to where she had exiled Steve once she realized the kids were drinking and he'd spoil their fun.

When she came into the room he was shirtless, having just showered, she saw purple welts painting him which she knew were from the paintballing that afternoon. She crossed to him and wrapped her arms around him, resting her cheek against his back.

"You don't get to come up here and snuggle when you literally just kicked me out of the living room… my own living room might I add."

Rowan pressed a kiss to his spine and he inhaled sharply.

"Don't do that when I'm mad at you."

She kissed him again and he turned quickly, snatching her up and kissing her properly and thoroughly. His mouth hot and heady against hers.

"You're uh… you're gonna be even more mad in a minute…" she whispered to him and he sighed and pressed his forehead to hers.

"God… what… what have you done now?"

"Kay… so like… this good cause I need you to be mean McGarrett right now…"

"Rowan what are you talking about?" Steve growled.

"You know… buzz kill McGarrett?" she asked and he frowned at her. "The kids are drinking, the other boys are uncomfortable and Aaron and Kevin are getting worse. Can you… could you... maybe… break it up?"

"Rowan they're fucking fourteen! You're telling me now that they're drinking?" he thundered and then he paused. "Oh my god, you knew! That's why you sent me upstairs. Rowan! You can't… why would you do that? Do you have any idea how irresponsible that is?"

"Aw come on! Weren't you ever fourteen once? Sneaking alcohol, trying your older brother's weed or cigarettes and setting off illegal fire crackers with your friends in the woods?"

Steve stared at her. "Your childhood causes me daily concern," he snapped regrettably putting his shirt back on and being sure to turn his shield out on his belt, in clear sight for anyone before storming past her to deal with what she didn't want to deal with. She smiled as he stormed away, loving the way his ass moved in his jeans. She was really lucky to have him. Maybe he'd get laid before tomorrow.

H5O-H5O-H5O-H5O

Steve had broken up the boozefest immediately.

He had confiscated the alcohol and called the kid's parents. Kevin's mom had picked him up immediately and given him an earful as she dragged him away. Aaron's dad on the other hand hadn't wanted to come get him, it wasn't until Steve suggested he put Aaron in the drunk tank that the man had agreed to come and get his son.

Still he had to wait another 20 minutes before Aaron's father even showed up. And the whole time he waited, every two minutes or so Aaron would mutter: he said you were cool.

Steve hated that. He was cool. He was the guy with the cool job, and the gun, who chased bad guys and brought them to justice. But now, this little shit had him worring that he wasn't as cool as he thought he was. But what was worse was that he was actually worried that maybe he had ruined Nahele's party.

When Aaron's dad showed up, all puffed him in a penguin suit and a fancy silver car, Steve's anger at the situation was about ready to explode.

"I don't see what the problem is, you agreed to keep him for the night… I know being a parent is new to you, Commander…"

"Okay, for starters, cut the shit. Your kid smuggled alcohol into my house. Cheapy shitty alcohol, might I add," Steve snapped. "Secondly, he's been making the kid's unconformable, he's a bad influence, and honestly he's been rude all fucking night."

He took Aaron by the neck and shoved him at his father. "I was willing to look over the blatantly obvious insults and the physical violence and the temper tantrums when he doesn't get his way, but the alcohol is unforgiveable," Steve finished.

Aaron's father just laughed at him. "Look at you, so judgemental. What, you think being a foster parent for what, two months, makes you father of the year? You're not a real parent, you're just play acting. You're a man pretending to be the dad of a kid no one else wanted. Your kid is pathetic! Aaron did him a favour showing up here tonight. You don't think the parents heard? We know all about your kid and what he's like. I better make sure all of Aaron's things are in his bags, I hear your kid likes to steal."

"Okay, that is it," Steve said getting right into that stupid man's face. "Yeah, you wanna talk about pathetic? Let's start with the alcohol I smell on your breath. Guess that's where your kid gets his drinking habits huh? I have a two year old niece who has better manners than him. AND he sucks so bad at videogames he has to cheat and throw temper tantrums to win! My girlfriend is better at Halo then him and she doesn't know the name of the game or any of the weapons!" he shouted towering over the man who had started cower under the wake of Steve's anger. "But let's not forget that I'm the head of Five-0 and if I put in a call about a drunk driver in my neighbourhood you're going to be prosecuted to the full extent of the law, you want that on your record? No? Then get the fuck off my porch and keep your sorry excuse for a human being away from my son!"

As Aaron and his father rushed away from him Steve called out: "And for the record! I chose my kid! You're stuck with yours!"

He waited until the car was out of the drive way before returning inside and slamming the door. As soon as the door shut Rowan was in his arms, jumping at him the way she usually did when he came home. Despite himself he groaned at the contact because he was covered in paintball bruises, but he welcomed her kisses either way and held her tightly. Pain or not he would always want her.

"You are so brave," she whispered to him. Really? She thought that outburst made him brave? "I'm sorry I made you the bad parent… it's just… you know… I'm the cool one… with like no rules… or like barely any rules… and I unno… I know that's stupid."

Steve stared up at her. "It's probably a good thing I went, with the way Aaron was rubbing you, you might have tried to kill him."

"Ohh true, I was thinking of sticking him on a skewer and roasting him like a marshmallow. But I figured that would be the worst tasting s'more ever."

He chuckled with her, with her legs around his waist he had started walking, he wanted a beer and usually when he started moving around Rowan would clamour off of him, but she didn't do it that time.

"And I also think that it was really sweet… and oh so sexy, that you just called Nahele your son."

"I did? When?"

"When you were yelling at his dad! You said: get the fuck off my porch and keep your shitty kid away from my son!" she echoed and he blinked his eyes.

"Oh… huh," he murmured. "I hadn't realized that."

"I bet he'd like it even better if you told him that," she offered but Steve just had to make a face for her to shake her head. "Yeah, what was I thinking huh? You tell him that, it took you ten months to tell me that you refer to me as your girlfriend to other people."

Steve scowled at her but she smiled in that way that always turned him on and climbed down from him. "And uh… if you promise to be really quiet… we can uh… have some fun of our own."

She sauntered away from him and Steve slammed his beer down on the counter, he didn't need to be offered twice.

H5O-H5O-H5O-H5O

In the morning, Rowan made pancakes with sprinkles. She gathered the boys up, stuck a lit candle into the stack of pancakes and together they sung happy birthday to Nahele. She had been so upset when Aaron had eaten the cake and she could tell he was upset too, but she had figured this compromise would make up for that mishap. With the party officially over they all had breakfast, cleaned up the back yard and waited for their parents to pick their kids up.

And it was during this waiting period that Steve finally came down, his badge on one hip and his gun on the other. Wearing one of his dark polos and his beige cargo pants.

"Oh… no… where are you going?" Rowan cried. "I made you a pancake… with sprinkles… and we were going to sing you happy birthday…"

Steve paused at the door, he wasn't even stopping for breakfast? Oh no. Nahele stopped playing his game with his friends and came towards him.

"You're leaving?" he asked, his best puppy dog pout on his face.

"Uh… yeah… I gotta case, nasty murder up at a bait and tackle shop," he said looking back between both of their faces.

"But it's your birthday, Steven," Rowan whined. "You can't work on your birthday!"

"I worked on my birthday last year," he reminded her.

"No you didn't I made you take it off!" she snapped at him. "And last year's birthday was an unmitigated disaster. It ended with you throwing down ultimatums and cheating on me with Catherine!"

Nahele's eyes turned between them surprised and Steve scowled. Great he was now the un-cool one, the one that ruined Nahele's birthday and the bad guy in front of the kids cause who in their right mind who get Rowan and then cheat on her?

"Oh my god, I wasn't cheating! Neither of us were official. Not me and Catherine and not me and you…"

"Doesn't matter this year was supposed to be better now call them back and say you're not coming."

"Rowan, the Governor called me himself…"

"Then give me your phone, I'll call him," Rowan said sticking her hand out for it.

When it became clear he wasn't going to fall for that, Nahele stepped forward. "You said we'd do birthday stuff together, remember?'

Steve turned to him. "And we still will, we'll open presents together when I get home, okay?"

He swooped in to kiss Rowan on the cheek and then ruffled Nahele's hair, knowing better than to try and kiss his forehead good-bye with his friends around and then he was rushing out of the house, just as Danny pulled into the drive.

Both Rowan and Nahele watched him go, waving at him from the front door as he and Danny peeled out of the drive way.

Nahele and Rowan sighed in unison. "What are we going to do now?" he asked

"You go play your game I'll worry about the birthday plans," she said absently, ruffling his hair in the same way Steve did.

He half turned away before coming back. "Hey, uh… Rowan… why does Steve always drive Uncle Danny's car?"

"That question leads to a long, complicated list of reasons," Rowan said. "And we will get to that later okay buddy?"

He nodded rushing off to play his game with his friends and Rowan stood there the wheels of her head turning, a plan already turning in his mind.

H5O-H5O-H5O-H5O

The murder he had responded to had been the murder of a girl who reminded him too closely of
Rowan. Thrown under the bus by her family, working three jobs to please a mother who only loved the younger daughter, trying to work off illegal debts that the youngest daughter had incurred and getting murdered by her own youngest sister when she didn't have the patience, the money or the time to do anymore for her.

That could have been his Rowan. If she was back home with her own family, who would have stopped them from doing the same thing? She didn't have a version of him in her world, the one she did have only played him on TV, and according to her he had been through one marriage and was on his second, and had two kids of his own, and a step-kid with his second wife. He had been flabbergasted. How had this version of him not found Rowan by now? But he was filming in Hawaii, Rowan was skating in BC, and running around in WITSEC so it made sense to her. But it didn't to him. How was any version of him married to someone who wasn't Rowan Pierce?

When the team, weary from having to chase the younger daughter and make her confess, from fighting off the mother who swore that the elder daughter deserved it, they were all ready to go home. He had waited to go into the Palace, letting his friend go in before him as he opted to call Rowan to see what her and Nahele were doing and if they were willing to meet him for a late dinner. But Rowan hadn't picked up her phone and neither had Nahele.

Now, Rowan was prone to putting her phone down and then not looking at it for a while, but Nahele was glued to his, so why hadn't he picked his up? He figured the two of them mad at him for running out on the birthday plans they had been secretive about and sighed. Yeah, he could see why they'd be mad, but it was still his birthday and it was pretty shitty that they would be that petty on his birthday.

He made his way up to the office but when he got there the lights were dim and he could make out a shadowy figure. He pulled out his gun and moved forward letting out his nervous breath when he realized it was just Rowan, standing in the middle of the room where the smart table was, guitar in hand, in his favourite black polka dotted dress and high heel shoes.

"Seriously McGarrett? You're going to shoot me?" she asked him and he sighed and put his gun away. "I purposely didn't pop out to surprise you this time… don't punch me and definitely don't shoot me."

He shook his head at her. Punch her once by accident and she never lets it go.

He looked around the room, at the cammo printed balloons and streamers and he smiled. She had moved his birthday stuff to the Palace so he could work and they could still celebrate his birthday together. And he thought she was being petty, he was literally about to cry.

He looked around, where was everyone else? Why did she have her guitar? And was that his guitar propped up beside her?

"Okay, so everyone is waiting for my signal to come in, but first I wanted to give you my birthday gift to you, which is a song," she said to him. She then picked up his guitar. "I want you and I to perform it together, just me and you, that's why they're waiting outside, okay?"

"No, that's not fair, I don't know what song it is…."

"It's Freedom."

Steve paused, his throat clogging up and his mouth running dry. How did she know? How did she know that was the song?

"I called Mary and asked her about what song you were playing a lot before you stopped," she whispered. "Which confirmed that the song you've been practicing recently was in fact, Freedom. So this year, my gift to you, is finally being able to perform that song. It may not be for a big audience, it may just be for me, but all you have to do is play, I'll do the singing, you can join in when you're ready to, okay?"

Steve just stared at her, taking the guitar from her with shaking hands. Could he do this? Could he go back to that moment in time and try again? Cause he was already panicking about it. But when he glanced up to Rowan, took in her encouraging smile and those beautiful blue eyes and he figured if he could try with anyone, it would be with her by his side, or in this case in front of him.

"Okay whenever you're ready," she said settling her own guitar in her hands.

He nodded took a deep breath and counted them in. Together they played the intro, Rowan's playing masking any mistakes he could have and probably did make and then it was her voice singing that song to him.

She was marvellous as usual, but it got better when he was finally willing to join her. He joined her on the first chorus, and they sung a few lines together and then she stopped to let him sing by himself. He got half the line out before faltering and he came to a stop but Rowan kept playing.

"Aw come on now, don't give up," she whispered to him. He looked away from her, unable to open his mouth, he couldn't do this… he just couldn't. It was too much.

I won't let you down, I will not give you up. You gotta have some faith in your girl, I'm one of the best damn things that you've got.

How did she do that? How could she just change lyrics to fit her needs? But it gave him the strength to pick back up his guitar and start playing again, and then he had a different problem because other voices had joined him.

Carefully a harmony could suddenly be heard, and all of his friends filed out of the different offices, snapping along with the beat and singing with them. His heart was in his mouth watching them all as they all flanked Rowan like a choir.

All we have to do now, it take these lies and make them true somehow. And all you have to see, is that you've got to trust, your family, hey yeah!

He must have looked frightened because suddenly Rowan was edging towards him.

"No, don't panic, just look at me," she said and he peeled his eyes away from the crowd and down to her. "That's right, look at me, you can do this, just sing with me. Listen to the song and trust me."

It took all his will power but he did it. He focused on her and just sung to her which was how he noticed that she wasn't singing with him. She mouthed to him: keep going, and despite being afraid he did which just got her to smile even wider.

When they got closer to the end she stopped playing a put a hand out to him. "Alright," she said to him softly, "We're going into the solo portion and what I need you to do is just solo it out, I'll be doing it with you, I promise."

He nodded, trusting her, listening and following her as they hit that solo section suddenly all voices had cut out instead of his.

He fell quiet staring at their faces as they all smiled at him and Rowan who was all smiles and practically crying finished the solo section for him. He couldn't believe that they did that, but he had managed to hit a solo on his own he could do this.

So as the song finished, as they came into the last chorus, he and Rowan were playing together and it was his turn to sing just to her.

I won't let you down, I'll never give you up. I've got to have some faith in my friends, you're the only family I've got. I will not let you down, I will not give you up, you're the only good that I've… got.

When he finished they all clapped though he still only had eyes for Rowan who smiled at him and pulled him in for a hug. He had done it. He had finally conquered his fear. Okay maybe not fully cause the thought of having to do it again was making his stomach knot up, but she was right, it was easier to do if he just focused on one person. And it definitely helped if that one person was an encouraging and supportive as his Ro.

After that he was passed around the group, saying thanks to everyone as he accepted his happy birthdays and presents. Rowan had made him a cake, black forest, his favourite. Kamekona had donated food for the party, and Rowan had ordered in pizza for everyone who didn't want seafood. Nahele hugged him and held him tightly, while wishing him a happy birthday and thanking him for making his own birthday the day before so amazing, which was probably the best present Steve had gotten at that point.

Then while everyone was milling around, and he thought them suitably distracted, he carefully pulled Rowan aside and into his office. Where, with the lights dimmed, the blinds drawn and his door locked the two of them began to make out.

"This was, absolutely, the best birthday ever," he whispered to her. "Thank you for doing this, for being at this one."

Rowan merely smiled at him. "Nothing could have dragged me away. Did you like your song, baby? I know that's not a lot for a present but I really didn't know what else to give you… I tried getting a custom gun, but Danny was right, you really put up a warning in every gun shop saying not to sell to me."

Steve laughed at her, of course he did. His baby shouldn't be handling weapons. Still he trailed a set of kisses along her jawline.

"I loved the song, Rowan," he said to her. "Thank you for giving that to me."

"My pleasure my darling and Happy hundredth…" "Rowan I swear to god…" "—Fine, fine, happy 30th birthday baby."

"You do know I'm 38 now, right?" he asked as he kissed her over and over again

"Yo I was willing to pretend that you were 30, why did you have to bring that up?" she asked him and he smiled again goddamn his girl was good to him. They kissed for a little longer before she whispered: "And by the way, you have a secondary present from me… except you don't get to unwrap it until tonight…"

"Why can't I…" "—Cause it's me, Steven, I picked out a lacy new outfit for you… it's me you're unwrapping."

"Oh god yes," he growled into her, loving the giggles that escaped her lips as he did so. This was by far, the best birthday ever. He couldn't have asked for anything more.

H5O-H5O-H5O-H5O

Jian had cried a lot over Wo Fat. And not the cute movie kind of tears, fully on ugly, cry yourself to sleep tears. She kept hoping he'd come back but they were going on almost a month and he still wasn't back. She had told him to leave, and the ever obedient man was actually going to stay away.

Could she have called him? Of course. Was she going to? Hell no.

She was too prideful and too angry with him to do that. He should have come back to her by now, and if he cared about her he would have. Even if it had been her who had told him to leave. She had realized by now that she had been over reacting, that it was actually very sweet that he had been trying to protect her, that he was willing to go underground simply to protect her reputation, but she couldn't tell him that now.

Jian had never ached over a man the way she had ached over Wo Fat. Her body missed the feel of him, and not just the sex, it had missed the soft touches as he brushed her hair behind her ear, the way he'd hold her hand, the way he'd hold her after they made love. She missed coming home to him, she missed meeting him at the door, ready to hug him and hold him close. She… she just missed him.

Jian had stopped caring about life. All she did was work, and then return home where she'd curl up on the couch in a blanket she bought him, and she'd drink wine with the stuffed tiger he had bought her what seemed like eons ago.

That was the plan for this evening too, but that was derailed because when she came home she found someone was waiting for her. Standing in her living room, a guarded look on his face, in her favourite outfit. A plush soft grey sweater and dark blue jeans. He looked tanned, like he had been out in the sun, but she could see scabs along the scarred side of his face which meant he had been injured or in some sort of danger. Her first instinct was to worry that he was there for medical assistance, but she saw nothing about him that would lead her to believe he was badly injured.

"Hi…" Wo Fat said softly, he cleared his throat, lowered his eyes and asked: "Got uh… any medical advice on how to cure a broken heart?"

The line was so corny, so cheesy, she was still so shocked that he had just appeared, that she couldn't help it she snorted, both in humour and derision. He smiled up at her. "Yeah… she uh… she said that would work…"

She?!

Jian frowned and Wo carefully took in that look before quickly adding: "I mean, Ro. Ro suggested that I… she gave me the line…"

Jian blinked her eyes. Fuck he was so handsome, she had forgotten how handsome he was, had forgotten what his eyes did to her. She was fighting the urge to run to him. He kept taking steps closer to her, but if he got any closer she'd just jump him and she didn't want to do that… yet. There were so many things that she should have been asking him, like where he had been, why he was back, would he be willing to compromise and maybe… stay with her? Instead she asked: "You're talking to your sister again?"

Wo nodded. "Mhmm, we've made up," he said. "I was right, just needed to uh… to rescue her from something big. Also uh… it helped that Steven wasn't around at the time. Would have been a different conversation with that man hovering around her."

"Wait… you had to rescue her?"

"Uh-huh, she got extradited to Colombia over something I did… and uh… I went and got her out," he said. Jian just stood there blinking at him. Ro always seemed to get into the weirdest situations and Wo was forever moving to rescue her from something. "But we can talk about that later, I uh… I talked everything out with Ro… and she was uh… very helpful and insightful… you know?"

No she did not know. She folded her arms over her chest and glared at him and he swallowed hard. He took another step towards her and he was altogether too close. She took a step back simply because if she didn't she knew she'd move forward and he paused, stared at her hard and did the same. Fuck she hadn't wanted him that far.

"And what wisdom did your sister impart on you?" she asked in a sarcastic tone to hide the worry and longing she was certain would be visible on her face and in her voice if she let it.

"Well… that while I pulled a Steven and ran when things got too real for me, you were completely and utterly unreasonable."

Jian's mouth fell open. It was true. She had been unreasonable but… fuck his sister, she didn't need to tell him that! "I was unreasonable?"

"Yes. You. I wasn't trying to leave you, I was trying to protect you. It's the nature of my job, that sometimes, when things are getting hot and heavy, I'll have to hide and it wouldn't look good on you, who very much wants to live a civilian life with a civilian job, if you went missing with me, you know?"

That was true. She had acknowledged that too. Not to him, but it was true.

"If you want to be with me, Jian, you have to understand that sometimes… sometimes I'll have to go underground, just until things die down."

Fair. She had said she wanted him, despite his job, and all its downfalls and inherently illegal acts. She glanced down to her shoes. "You're right. I was being unreasonable," she whispered.

"Good, thank you for admitting that," he said taking another step closer. "That means I can admit that you were right, I didn't want to move in with you because I was afraid and I used your arrest to put distance between us because well… you got too close to me in a short amount of time… and uh… that scared me."

His hands were on her shoulders, warm and reassuring. Wo Fat had never talked about his feelings for her with her before, and she found herself breathless under the implication that she had shaken his confidence enough to try and run. He must have really cared about her.

"Ro helped me see that… and well she helped me come up with a compromise," he whispered. "If you're willing to play this down-low simply to keep you out of the cop's purview, I'm willing to unofficially move in with you. Where you and I… we have our own place together but it's all in your name and legally I live somewhere else…"

He had more to say, more rules and stipulations and she knew that. But she didn't care. She launched herself at him, kissing him solidly, letting him wrap her up in his arms and holding her tightly to him.

"Yes. Yes. All forms of yes," she whispered between kisses and he smiled into her kisses, deepening it immediately.

God, she would have to get a hold of Ro's number to thank her because hot damn did she owe that girl. She hoped Ro stuck around this time, because if all she had to do was talk to Wo to get him to see sense, Ro was going to be their saving grace.