Rewrite

AvalonReeseFanFics

A/N: Happy Wednesday my wonderful readers. So we have another sad one, we have two more really sad chapters left and then we go straight to the chapters about what exactly it was that happened to Rowan, and what exactly she did and why this happened. Not gonna lie, we're gonna get a good 20 chapters of straight shenanigans that seem pointless but will have a point, mainly for bonding and distraction purposes. Once we get halfway through the season we start getting to the real plot points, those power lessons I told you about. I'm actually really excited for the in-Canada portion of the story. Basically once we hit Canada, shit it gonna fly and I love it! Did I tell you guys I've already written to episode 10? I'm moving fast through this one, Season six might be my shortest season yet. Don't forget to leave a review, tell me if you're excited for the upcoming events too, and I'll see you guys on Friday!

Chapter 211

Steve slung his bag over the shoulder as he headed into the Geneva Airport. He had placed a call to Danny to see what was going on and was told about their scuba diver and the fake money that had shown up was tied to Gabriel. Gabriel who had barely survived that fucking beat down and was properly secured in the hospital this time. He also mentioned that Nahele and Grace got… a little too close for Danny's comfort and he had shipped him off to Grover's who had more room and a boy around Nahele's age that he could get comfortable with instead. Steve's next call was to Nahele who had been asleep at the time, and therefore not all that up to a call. He did, however confirm quite sleepily if that he was fine, that he liked being at the Grover's and that really he could only put up with Danny's sarcastic sass for so long. Steve had totally gotten that, but when Nahele asked if he had found Rowan yet, he couldn't bring himself to tell him that he hadn't found her and she wasn't going to be coming home. So his return was going to be a surprise, but hopefully a good one. Even if he didn't have Rowan on at his side.

He didn't know how he was going to tell Nahele that Rowan had decided to stay with Wo Fat. He didn't know how to tell him that Rowan wasn't going to come back and it was Steve's fault.

Once the calls were done and Steve was getting ready to head to the gate, Joe, who had been awfully quiet since Steve got Rowan's call, finally spoke up.

"I don't like this Steve…"

Steve turned onto Joe. "Listen, you were against this from the start, right? You never liked me with Rowan, you never liked her connection to Wo Fat. So you got what you wanted, she's gone."

He didn't want to argue about this. He couldn't take anymore sledgehammers to the heart. He couldn't be told one more time that he wasn't wanted… that he wasn't good enough. But when he looked up to Joe he saw actual pity on his face and that was worse.

"Steve… you're right. I never liked Wo Fat's hold on the girl you liked so much but I never wanted this," he said. And Steve found himself shaking his head at his mentor. "Steve, you were happy with her. Granted I didn't like her methods, but that girl was crazy about you and you were always happy and that was more important to me."

Steve grit his teeth, he knew what Joe was going to say next. "I'd have been crazy to try to talk you out of that girl. Which is why I'm imploring you to not give up on this. We were almost there, Wo Fat wouldn't have sent someone to ward you off it we weren't closing in…"

But Steve shook his head. He barely survived Rowan telling him that they were done over the phone, he wouldn't be able to take it if she said it to his face. He'd do something unmanly, like sob for her to take him back. He couldn't do that when Wo Fat would most likely be in the room.

"No, Joe, she was pretty clear…"

"Yeah you said but it doesn't add up," Joe snapped. "That girl love you about you as much as you loved her. She'd've done anything for you. It doesn't make sense that she'd just tell you to go home…"

"I told her if she didn't drop Wo Fat I'd marry Catherine," Steve admitted, and Joe just stopped talking. "It was the one thing I thought would scare her straight, cause she has bad blood with Cath and she fought for me and… she left, Joe, she left and what did I do? I went and got back with Catherine. I even bought her a ring."

Joe took that in with surprise on his face.

"You didn't know she was kidnapped, Steve…"

"No? I didn't, did I? But I knew that something was up. Yeah Rowan ran when she was upset but she never left the island and I knew she'd never leave Nahele. You know, before she left, she told me Wo Fat was in Colombia, so why would she go to Japan huh?"

"Well I'd assume he had a safe house there…"

"He had safe houses on Hawaii!" Steve cried. "You're not getting it, Joe. He called me. A day before I got her call, he called me probably to me to tell me she was in trouble. He got half of the word emergency out of his mouth, I heard it. And do you know what I did? I told him to fuck off and then hung up the phone."

Joe just stood there, suddenly understanding what Steve was saying, understanding that Steve blamed himself for this. "I'd be dumb not to think that he wouldn't have told Rowan about Catherine and the ring. How do you think that looks huh? She's in a basement getting tortured and I've literally replaced her with Catherine twenty-four hours after she left. Come on now, she's not going to forgive me."

"You don't know that without asking her," Joe said.

"She just called and told me that, Joe, and we both know if I get anywhere near her or Wo Fat I'm going to ignore everything and arrest them both and take her home," Steve said. "She wants me gone Joe. I fucked up. I fucked up and I can't fix it this time. So I'm just… I gotta go home, okay?"

Joe sighed but nodded. "Alright, but for the record… Wo Fat has lied to you about everything so far, this could be a lie too."

But Steve shook his head. "It didn't come from Wo Fat, it was Rowan on the phone. I know her voice."

For a while they stood there in complete silence. Steve trying not to cry, Joe just standing there as if he didn't know what to do now. Joe just sighed again and then pulled him in for a hug. "You'll get through this, yeah?" he asked more than said, it was clear that Joe was worried about this.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Steve lied. "I'll be fine. I gotta be. I got a kid back home that's uh… just lost the parent he's closest too because of me and I have to find a way to tell him that. But you're right, I'll get through this."

Joe pulled away from the hug and clapped a hand to his shoulder. A motion of support and comfort that Steve didn't want. He didn't need to cry in front of his mentor, and he wasn't going to now.

"Thanks for coming with me Joe," he said. "Thanks for being here."

"Any time, son," he said. "Sorry it wasn't a happy ending."

Yeah. Steve was sorry too.

H5O-H5O-H5O-H5O

It took a whole day and some change to get home. He was exhausted, having barely slept on the flight and instead, spent all his time planning out what he was going to say to Nahele when he got to him. Which was why, the second he touched down in Hawaii he went straight to the Grover's because all he wanted was his kid.

Steve hopped out of the cab, threw the money he had at him, and then practically ran up the walk way to the front door. He knocked on the door and waited for someone to answer it. He didn't even acknowledge Lou when he opened the door, instead he pushed past him and into the house. He tried to smile at Nahele who looked at home at their kitchen table, suddenly too afraid to see him and admit what had happened, that he had come home alone. The second he spotted him he was up on his feet crying out Steve's name. He rushed him for a hug which Steve welcomed it whole heartedly. But as quickly as that kid had run to him, he quickly let go and rushed to the door.

"Where's mom… sorry, Ro… where's Ro?"

Steve waited for him to come away from the door, hating that he was going to have to dash that happy look on Nahele's face.

"Uh… she's… she's uh… she's not with me buddy."

Nahele's smile faded. He blinked his eyes clearly confused. "What do you mean? Was she really badly hurt? If she has to stay there until she's better can we go to her? I don't care if I miss my exams or all my summer vacation, she shouldn't be alone!"

Steve sighed. "You know… I uh… I didn't get to see her, so uhm… I've heard its bad but I'm not sure how bad it really was," he answered and Nahele scowled. "She's uhm… she's not coming back."

"What do you mean you didn't see her? Didn't you find her?"

"No… kid I didn't. Wo Fat has her very well hidden."

"Then how do you know she's not coming back then! Did you just give up?"

"No, of course not. She called me and told me to go home," he said. "She's done with me and she's not coming back."

"Well… did she… did you tell her you'd marry her?"

"No…" "WHY NOT?" "Well because…" "So you were willing to propose to Catherine but not Rowan?"

Oh god this was not going well. Nahele scowled at him, but he had unshed tears in his eyes.

"Is that why she left? Cause she found out you bought Catherine a ring?" "…Nahele…" "God I knew it! I told you! I told you that she'd get mad!"

"Nahele… she didn't give me a lot of detail okay?' Steve cried. God this was hard, this was so hard, and it was worse having to do it in front of the Grover's. Especially since he knew that Lou was going to tell Danny. "All she said was that she wasn't coming back. And I know that hurts, okay? You think I'm not hurt? You think I'm not riddled with guilt over this, I am! Okay? I really am, but I'm all you have right now, 'Hele and I'm not leaving you. We'll get through this… okay? Together we'll get through this."

He went to hug him, went to wrap his arms around the kid but Nahele threw his arms off of him and huffed away leaving Steve standing in the foyer of his friend and coworkers home disastrously on the verge of tears for the millionth time that month.

When were things going to turn around for him?

H5O-H5O-H5O-H5O

Nahele hadn't fought him on going home, thank god. He had packed up his things and got into Lou's SUV without a single complaint. But he also didn't talk at all. When they got back to his place, Nahele left him in the SUV without so much as a good-bye or a thank you. Steve had apologized to Lou for Nahele's missing manners, brushed off all of Lou's questions and concerns and followed after his upset kid. But Nahele hadn't stayed downstairs, he had gone straight to his room.

Fair, Steve wanted to go to his room too. Sighing he took his bag up to the room he used to share with Rowan. On the one hand he wanted to throw himself down on the bed, but on the other hand he didn't because he didn't know if it would still smell of Catherine with a little hint of Rowan underneath. Instead he threw the bag on the bed to unpack later and went to the washroom.

Something felt off. He couldn't quite place what but Steve could tell that something that was off. He felt like something was missing, but he shrugged it off as just Rowan's presence but he had a feeling that wasn't it either.

Out of nowhere, Nahele's door flew open and the kid was bearing down on him. "Where are they?" Nahele cried and Steve turned him surprised.

"What are you talking about?" Steve snapped.

"Our pictures!" Nahele cried suddenly close to tears. "All the pictures are gone and so is half her stuff. I don't know if you think you're helping me get over her or if you're trying to keep yourself from seeing her or some shit, but I want them back!"

Steve raised his hands in surrender and actually backed away. He had never seen his kid look so angry before. "Kid, I just flew in, like literally, I just flew in. This is the first time I've been home," he snapped. "Now what's missing?"

He followed Nahele into his room where he saw nothing really all that different except for the fact that his picture frames were all empty. "I had her guitar and her song books and all her favourite things in the closet in a suitcase and the whole bag is gone…"

"And why did you pack a bag for you and Rowan?" Steve asked.

Nahele winced. "I thought when she came back we'd have to make a quick get-away so… I packed a bag."

Steve tried not to look hurt by that, but how could he not. The kid was planning a run away. He looked back at the now empty closet. "So the bag is gone?" he asked looking around. "Is anything else gone?"

Nahele shrugged. "Well none of my stuff is gone."

Steve stormed back to his room, a hunch in his mind. He checked the jewellery box. Her favourite jewellery was gone. Her promise ring, her necklaces, the bracelet and watch from Wo Fat. The clothes she liked most, her shorts, her shirts, her shoes. All of her make-up was gone, her tooth brush, the only thing he had left was the grey sweater that she used to wear probably because it was with his stuff at the time, his dog tags and the locket he had gotten her which had been under one of his watches.

"They took her stuff," he whispered. "He sent someone to get her things."

"Who, who did?"

Steve couldn't even answer the question. Pieces of the puzzle all came back at him at once. Her stuff was missing, taken from his house while he was off searching for her. Rowan telling him to leave, knowing that Wo Fat had sent someone to ward him off. The app giving out one last order before going dark.

It all added up to one thing and he knew who he had to harass next.

H5O-H5O-H5O-H5O

Steve stormed through the little warehouse that held Kong's hackers and servers ignoring the cries of his guards as they half-heartedly attempted to stop him but not really.

"KONG LIANG!" he shouted on the top of his lungs as he neared the door to the man's office. He didn't even pause to knock on the door or to wait for a response. When got close enough he just kicked the door in. To his surprise he watched as Kong threw himself back to avoid the door that came down.

"What the hell!" he shouted at Steve who's anger had all but drained out of him now that the door was down and he was facing getting his answers. "Is that what you do? You go around breaking down doors?" he asked as Steve approached the desk. "Why didn't you just wait for me to answer?"

"Cause I didn't think you'd…"

Kong looked back at the door, put his hands on his hips and asked: "What do you want Commander?" before Steve could even try to explain what his thought process had been.

"I know you told me that the app's down," he said and Kong nodded. "What was the last order that went through before it got shut down?"

"What are you talking about?"

"My people looked into it. A single order went through before it went dark. What was it, what did they activate?"

Kong lowered his eyes. "Are you sure you wanna know that?" he asked.

"I do."

"Are you sure. You're not gonna blame me for it, are you?" he shot back a narrowed look of distrust around his eyes.

"Just tell me what it was."

"She… uh… she activated the Captain America Contingency," he admitted. Steve cringed he couldn't help it, because Kong didn't say they or he or Wo Fat, he had said she. This order had come from her. Rowan activated the Captain America Contingency plan.

"How? I had her phone."

"She wouldn't need her phone, you need her callsign. Only need a phone with the app on it and her voice or thumb print to switch it over to her profile. If it confirms it's her, Sandy would load up her level of access," Kong explained.

Steve nodded. Okay so there were ways for her to get access to the app without her phone, guess that was good to know. "But the app's down, why take it down if she's alive?"

"Uh… well there are levels to the Contingency plan. And uh… at the level she activated it… it shut down the app immediately and destroyed all evidence of what it had done. You know once everything was set to go, so you couldn't force us to give you access to find her. It's called the Self Destruct Sequence."

Steve felt his heart constrict in his chest. She had really done it. She meant it then. She really wanted him gone and out of her life.

"Thank you for your honesty… and uh… I'll pay you for the door," he said before heading towards the exit.

He just wanted to curl up and die.