Rewrite

AvalonReeseFanFics

A/N: Happy Friday my wonderful readers. This is the end of the Nahele vs Tommy chapters and it's going to end sweetly I promise. Next chapter is the start of the Halloween chapters and they are going to be fun I promise. They also have Con in them, so for those of you who like Con, he'll be coming back in the next chapters. I was wondering, did you guys want to know what the OCs are supposed to look like? Like Conejo and Rowan and her family and what not? Cause I do base people off of celebrities. If you're interested in what they'd look like let me know when you review and as always I'll see you guys on Monday!

Chapter 322

Rowan checked her watch for the millionth time. It was almost two in the afternoon and Pete still wasn't there.

Pete was late. Pete was usually late but out of all the days she really didn't want him to be late, today was the day he was late.

Tommy and Rowan had spent most of the day at the studio. First she put the finishing touches on a song that she would be giving to Nahele, and would most likely not be for sale pending what Nahele thought. And then she started the ground work on a different song, one that she would be selling if she ever managed to get the words to it right.

And when she was done laying down all of her own music and lyrics, she put Tommy into the sound booth so he could get used to it and look like a natural in the booth when Pete showed up. If he ever showed up.

She took out her phone and sent Steve a text telling him to go to Nahele's tryouts as she wasn't certain when she'd get out of this office. She was already an hour behind schedule and knowing Pete, convincing him to take on Tommy was going to take a while. It would also take every single one of her tricks and cards and she may even have to threaten him with her brothers. She was hoping it wouldn't come to that.

"Alright, I'm here, I'm here," Pete said coming into the office. Rowan turned to him and Tommy bolted out of his seat but Pete was focusing mainly on Rowan. "Alright, what did you want to show me?"

Rowan turned and grabbed Tommy, pulling him to stand beside her. "This is Tommy Fa'aloa," she said. "He sings and plays guitar."

"You brought me here to show me talent?" Pete asked, because it wasn't like Rowan to do that. She found him Alex and the Doctors, but she had done that mainly to show case her own song writing abilities. And upon signing on she had agreed not to bring him anymore talent. That was his job and he wasn't about to sign on all of her friends just because she said so.

"Nope," she said. "But remember how I needed male vocals for certain songs. A particularly high male voice? And we never have anyone that suits my needs?"

"Yes, I know how picky you can be when it comes to vocals."

"Well, not only can he hit all the ranges I need, but he's not using this as a leg up into the realm of the rich and famous."

"It's true," Tommy added. "I don't want to be rich and famous. But I do very much need a job and this one would be amazing."

Pete looked him up and down. "And why does he not want to be rich and famous? If his vocals are that good, there's no way he doesn't want to be discovered."

Rowan knew that this was the part where Pete would be dissuaded. "Tommy why don't you go in. I've got the song cued up, you know what to do, okay?"

The fact that she changed the topic worried Pete, she could tell. He eyed her suspiciously as Tommy nodded to her.

"Okay, so you gave him a song…"

But Rowan ignored Pete and instead pushed Tommy into the sound booth. As soon as he was in there, she cued him up to go and then pressed play on the newest song she had written for Alex.

The intro played in and then he was singing.

I'm a moon-walker, I'm like MJ up in the clouds. I know it sounds awkward. I'm filthy as charged, filthy as charged.

"Alright, I'm gonna level with you here Pete," she said. "Kid just got out of jail." Pete turned wide eyes of surprise to her. "I know, alright, I know. But he's wicked on the guitar and he can cover Alex's solos, he's that good."

You're a sweet talker, but darlin' whatcha gonna say now? The midnight marauders. The higher never come down, never come down.

"What was he in for?" Pete asked. She already knew he liked the song because he was swaying to the beat. She could tell he was digging the vocals too, there was an appreciative smile on his face as Tommy continued sing.

"Honestly?" she asked and Pete turned a dry glare to her. "Murder."

Pete straightened and that dry glare became a dark glare. "Really, Rowan? Murder?"

"Okay, come on, I wouldn't have brought him here if it was really big threat…"

"Are you sure because your brother is a pretty heavy-duty criminal and McGarrett was clear that the man you sent with those singles back in December was a hitman."

"Okay yeah, they're pretty dangerous but he's not like them. He got manipulated. His girlfriend told him her father was beating her when he wasn't. He's actually a sweet kid, and he was only protecting the girl he loved, or he thought he was. He was actually super remorseful and because of all of that he was given special consideration for sentencing. Both Steve and I wrote him letters and he got off for good behaviour."

Pete sighed and then turned back to where Tommy was still singing.

You can't take me anywhere, anywhere. You can't take me anywhere, anywhere. I'm still uninvited, I'm still gonna light it. I'm going insane and I don't care.

"This is ridiculous, Rowan, you know I can't hire a kid like this," Pete said to her. "No matter how good he sings."

Dancin', dancin', dancing is not a crime, 'less you do it without me. 'Less you do it without me. Oh dancin', dancin', dancing is not a crime, unless you do it, do it, do it, do it, do it…

But Rowan had a feeling that Pete was literally about to change his mind. So she simply leant back and smiled smugly at him. "Just wait for it."

And then he hit it. That high note, the one that she was famous for, the one that Alex could only do for limited times. Tommy hit that next line, that without me, flawlessly.

Rowan turned to him just in time to see that smile, the way his eyes lit up.

"He's perfect for this, Pete," she said. "He's got skeletons in his closet that keep him from getting discovered, and he wants a job. A good job that he'll love. And we both know that I'm always writing songs fit for Alex Lockman's voice. Like this one. He'll be able to show case it, so if I'm busy, you've at least got him."

Pete turned back to her before heading to the main controls. He cut the music and then pressed the intercom. "Come on out here kid, I think it's time we discussed terms."

A smile spread onto Tommy's face before he turned to find Rowan on the other side of the glass. She had got him in, now they had to just get him a fair contract.

H5O-H5O-H5O-H5O

By the time Rowan came out of the Atlantic building with Tommy, the tryouts were about halfway done and she still wasn't ready to head down. She finished things with Tommy, checking him in to a hotel for the evening so she could have a night with just her family.

By the time she had him comfortable in his hotel suite and set up for dinner and anything else he might want for the day, like spa packages, there was no point to head out to the tryouts because the tryouts were practically done.

She did send Steve a text asking how it was going, but he didn't respond as per usual. God, she hoped he wasn't on a case. One of Nahele's parents better have shown up to that tryout, and seeing as she had been busy it better have been Steven.

So, she headed back home to start making dinner. She was going to make his favourite meal. That way, if he made the team or didn't, he'd have his favourite pasta to either celebrate or make up for it.

She paused, only because she heard a car pull up and she dropped everything she was doing. Steve came in through the door and Rowan nervously ran up to him.

"Where's Nahele?"

Steve glanced up to her, turned back to the door he had just come through and then back to her. "Nahele? Didn't you pick him up from school?"

"No, his try outs were today and I just got home. I sent you a text… didn't you go? I asked you to go."

Steve went for his phone. "I had a case Rowan, I just got off it now…"

Dread welled up in Rowan's chest. "You mean you didn't go to his tryouts?"

"And you didn't either?" Steve asked and Rowan's face fell.

"Oh no, oh dear."

A second car came up and she knew that had to be Nahele. He must have gotten a ride from one of his friends. Both Rowan and Steve exchanged panicked glances at one another, but they didn't have time to think of a game plan as Nahele was basically already upon them.

He threw open the door, he looked like he hadn't been injured at least. He was a little muddy, and he had a big bag of what she assumed was football equipment hanging off his shoulder but he was staring at them like they were villains and that did not bode well.

Nahele slammed the door and threw down his football kit and then resumed glaring at the two of them. Rowan blinked her eyes and then said: "I don't know if you're mad because you didn't make it onto the team, or mad because I missed the tryouts?"

Nahele just narrowed his eyes at her and Rowan took a step forward. "Did you make the team, though? Do you have the kit because you stole it? Cause if so, right on and I'll get right on to making a condolences sundae."

"No! Rowan, I made the team!" Nahele cried. "And you're not supposed to condone me stealing! You're suppose to be a good role model!"

"Right," Rowan said softly as Steve moved towards him to give him a hug.

"Well congratulations, what position did you get?"

"Quarterback!" he shouted, not happily but angrily.

For a second Steve faltered as Nahele side stepped the hug he was trying to give him. He wasn't sure if it was a good thing or not.

"Oh, just like me! Good job, I'm proud of you, do you have your jersey and number yet?"

"No, but I asked for 50," Nahele said. That was Steve's number, Rowan could see the pride shining in his eyes. But he played it cool, or as cool as he could.

"Wow, good choice," he said trying to give a Nahele a hug once again.

But Nahele shrugged Steve away and stormed towards Rowan who opened her arms to hug him, and for the first time ever he slapped her hands away. "Where were you?!"

"I got held up at work," Rowan said. "I was helping Tommy get signed on as our new male vocals for demos…"

"You said you'd be there! You promised!"

"Okay, I don't know if I promised, but I did tell you I might get stuck and I'd try…"

"You know I missed it too," Steve said coming to stand beside her.

"Yeah but you always miss things," Nahele said with a scoff and Steve staggered back as if Nahele had dealt him a physical blow. "But you don't miss things," he cried turning to Rowan. "But I guess now that you have Tommy you don't need me anymore, do you?"

Rowan narrowed her eyes at him. "What are you talking about?"

"Just forget it," he cried heading for the stairs.

"Wait, don't you want to celebrate? I was going to make your favourite pasta!" she called as he pounded up the stairs but he didn't heed her. He stormed up those steps and slammed the door to his room leaving the two adults alone in the kitchen.

Rowan turned to Steven a worried frown creased over her face. "Ohh, this is bad," she whispered. "How could you forget to go, Steven, I texted you and everything!"

Steven just shook his head. "He clearly didn't miss me, Rowan," Steve shot back and she sighed. "It's you he's upset about."

"Yeah and I think it has something to do with Tommy…"

"Where is Tommy tonight?"

"Oh, well, I had a little bit of a feeling that Nahele was feeling uncomfortable with him in the house, and since I didn't know if he was going to make the team or not, I got him a hotel room for the night. I thought it'd be best to have him out of the house if Nahele was in a bad mood. You know give him all the attention he needs," she said and then looked up to the ceiling where Nahele's room was. "Kind of afraid to go up there now."

She then turned a giant grin up to him and he sighed. "You want me to go, don't you?"

"I mean, he's not mad at you, right?"

Steve shook his head. "Fine, fine, I'll go," he said and Rowan jumped up on her tippy toes to throw her arms around his neck and cover him in kisses.

He pulled himself out of her grip and then pounded up the stairs. As soon as he was gone she went for the pasta pot. She figured that, even if Steve couldn't talk Nahele down, she'd still be able to give him his favourite pasta as a sort of peace offering.

H5O-H5O-H5O-H5O

Steve went up the stairs at Rowan's request but he gave the kid a few minutes before he knocked on the door.

Nahele shouted: "Go away!" at him through the door but that wasn't going to happen.

So, Steve opened the door. "Sorry kid, but if I go downstairs without talking to you, she's going to come up here," he told him when Nahele turned a watery glare up to Steve from where he was sitting on his bed. "So, here's what I'm going to do. I'm going to sit down, and you can talk to me when you feel like it. You don't have to talk right away but you will have to talk to me eventually, okay?"

Nahele sniffed a bit shot him one last glance and then turned his back on him. Steve just pulled up his desk chair and sat down at it. He crossed his arms over his chest and leant back. He could wait all night if he had to. He had waited longer for some of his suspects to crack.

"She's never broken a promise to me before."

Well that was fucking quick.

Steve blinked his eyes at Nahele. That wasn't strictly true. "Okay… but what about last year…"

"That was different. She was being lied to. I wasn't allowed to tell her that you were looking for her or that you weren't with Catherine. And her plan was always to get me from you guys… once she was settled."

"You didn't think to wonder why it was taking her that long to settle?"

Nahele shook his head. "Course I wondered, but I wasn't allowed to ask her. She's explained it now. It wouldn't have been good for me to see her like that all in pain and hopped up on pain meds. And she took your break up bad and did bad things. She wanted to take me to her when things weren't so… criminal…" he said. "But… when she came back… she promised me… she'd never let anything come between us again…"

Steve had a feeling that this wasn't just about her missing the tryouts.

"You know she would have been there, right?"

"She's never cared that much about work before."

"Yeah, except this wasn't just her selling one of her songs," Steve reminded him. "This was about setting up Tommy's future."

"Yeah? And so what? Now he's more important than me?" Nahele suddenly cried whirling around on Steve. Steve blinked his eyes surprised by the sudden anger. "So what? Because she couldn't adopt him she got me instead? And now she wants switch?"

Steve's eyes narrowed in confusion. "Nahele, what are you talking about?"

"You don't think I see it? We look alike, you know?" he cried but that wasn't true, they just had a lot of local in them, that's all. "Same tragic back story. She just couldn't save him, so he went to jail and I became the consolation prize. She couldn't have Tommy who was just like her, so she got me who's too much like you and now she's gonna…"

Tears were falling down the kid's face. Steve moved immediately, sitting down beside him and slinging an arm around his shoulders.

"Calm down," he whispered. "Take a deep breath."

"She's going to send me back and keep Tommy!"

"Hey, hey, she's not going to do that," Steve snapped. "I wouldn't let her."

"You're not my dad!" Nahele cried. "You didn't adopt me. You don't get a say."

That stung. Those words were like a knife to his heart. But worst of all they were true. "You're right, I didn't. Rowan did. And I'm pretty sure she can't unadopt you, Nahele."

Nahele turned away from him, swiping at his eyes. "Look. It's okay to feel like that, Ro was spending a lot of time with Tommy, but he's not here now, is he?"

Nahele sniffed and glanced up to him as if realizing for the first time that Tommy wasn't in the house. "If he's not here where is he?"

"Maybe you should ask your mom," Steve offered and Nahele looked away.

"I yelled at her, she's probably mad at me."

"No, she's concerned," he said. "She did text me you know, to tell me to go to your tryouts. Said she was stuck at work. She even texted me like an hour later to ask how it was going. But I was down in the interrogation cells and I didn't get the message."

He waited to see if Nahele would show the same anger at Steve for missing his tryouts but it never came. Apparently Nahele was really only upset that Rowan never showed.

"She texted me too. Wishing me luck."

"See, she cares. She really cares. And you know it's not like her to miss things, so when you feel up to it, maybe you should go down and ask her why this was so important to her."

Nahele nodded, giving Steve a sort of weepy sigh. "Would you like me to go? Give you some space."

"No," Nahele said quickly. "I… could you… stay please?"

Steve smiled down to his kid and settled in on the bed. He put a hand to Nahele's shoulder and kept it there as the kid calmed himself down and the tears started to dry up.

It may not have been official or on paper yet, but he still felt like Nahele was his kid. And for the first time in a really long time he really felt like a true and proper dad.

H5O-H5O-H5O-H5O

Nahele came down the stairs later, with Steve's prompting. When he did, Steve went to sit in the living room with the TV on, while Nahele went into the kitchen to talk to Rowan.

She had set the table for them, and his favourite pasta was waiting on the table for him to help himself to. The second she saw him she jumped out of her seat and hugged him, something he took

"There's my handsome Quarterback!" she cried.

"It's only second string," he said almost bashfully.

Rowan blinked her eyes then leaned past him to look into the living room. "Steve what does second string mean?"

"He'll play as quarterback if the regular quarterback can't that day," he answered immediately and Rowan nodded.

"Well that makes sense, you're only 16. But seriously, congrats on making the team. And I'm sure Steve didn't mention it, but he's super proud that you took on the ol'Five-0 for your jersey number."

Nahele smiled, he couldn't help it. He had practically shouted that he wanted the fifty jersey, the second they asked for jersey numbers. He wanted to have Steve's number, to make him proud. To make himself feel like a proper McGarrett, even if Steve hadn't adopted him yet.

He also knew what his mom was doing. She was acting like everything was okay even though it wasn't.

"Thanks, mom," he said which caused her to grin at him. "But uh… I wanted to talk to you… about why I got so upset if that's okay."

Rowan nodded. "I really am sorry," she said softly. "I tried to make it, but Pete was over an hour late and then he wanted to low ball Tommy…"

"I don't like Tommy," Nahele blurted out and Rowan went quiet. "I feel… I feel like he's trying to replace me."

"Replace you? Honestly, Nahele!"

"But it's true. You spent all this time with him…" "—Well you were busy working with Steve on your football I didn't think you'd mind." "… and you let him stay here." "—Well where else was he going to go?"

Nahele frowned at his mom and she frowned right back. "I feel like… you always wanted him. That you couldn't save him and I was your second option. And now that he's back… you're going to want him instead of me."

"Really?" she asked as if she didn't believe it, but Nahele did.

"Yes! And then you missed my tryouts when you promised you wouldn't all because of Tommy and… and…"

"Nahele!" she said softly putting a hand to his shoulder so he'd look at her. "You're right… partially."

Nahele felt the air leave his body. He was?

"I felt like I couldn't save him so I took him in and helped him get a job," she explained and then hit him with a coy smile. "But I never wanted to adopt him."

Relief coursed through Nahele. "No?"

"Course not. Yes, I wished I could have helped him, but by the time me and Steve got to him he had already chosen his path. But even if we could have, I didn't want to foster him, and I certainly wasn't thinking about adoption, do you know… what was going on when we first met Tommy?" Nahele shook his head. "Well, that morning, I had just found out that Steve was seeing Catherine again. I came to the house ready to compromise on the whole not seeing my brother thing, and Catherine came sauntering out, draped herself across the man I loved and told me they had slept together the previous night. And then I cried and called your Uncle Oz, and Oz sent an army of bad guys to beat on Steve."

Nahele wasn't sure if he was supposed to laugh or not. What even was Rowan's life? It sounded like a soap opera. He had always thought it to be hectic, but apparently before he came around she was just plain wild.

"I was still living on Chin's guest room, and I was immature and selfish, I could have never taken on a kid. It never even occurred to me to try. Well… until I met you."

Nahele smiled again.

"When I met you, I had my life on track and I was in a place where I could open my heart and home up to a child."

"Uh, it was my home!" Steve called from the living room proving that he had been listening in the whole time. It must have taken all his willpower not to say anything during the Catherine part of that story.

"Please remember, before you interrupt again, that not only could I afford my own place back then but I can more than afford my own place now," she called back and Steve went quiet after a few muttered snarky comments that they all chose to ignore.

"But I didn't want a kid until I met you. I met you and there was this instant cosmic connection and that was it. And well… you know the rest."

Nahele nodded because he did. Cosmic connection on both ends.

"Now, if I could have done all of that for you, don't you think, if I really was all that invested in Tommy, I could have done something similar?"

Probably. She could have gotten him off the murder charges and everything if she was really invested in him.

"But you've never made work more important than me before."

"That's true, but this wasn't my work, today, now was it? This was Tommy's future."

"But you said you weren't invested."

"No, maybe not in making him my son and keeping him here," she said. "But I do want to help him achieve a better future than the path he's on right now. And I would very much like him off of our couch."

So that's what this was. This was her attempt to get him set up so he wouldn't need to lean on her.

"So now I have him set up with a job. I've helped him secure a contract that will give him enough money to live on. And this week we're going to find him an apartment to live in, and I'll probably have to give him a loan, but I know he'll pay me back, and it won't be like he can get away from me cause I'll know where he lives and he'll mostly be working with me…"

Nahele couldn't help but laugh at that. "I'm sorry mom," he said after and moment and then going in to hug her again. "I'm sorry I got mad. I just…"

"I know," she said kissing his forehead. "But before you get that jealous, maybe you can talk to me first?"

He nodded he can definitely do that from now on.

"And I too will promise to not miss a single football thing. I'mma wear your colours and cheer really loud and tell everyone that you're my baby! It's going to be embarrassing, I mean seriously, you're going to wish I stopped coming," she warned him and while he might be embarrassed he knew he'd rather have her there.

For a moment he just smiled at her and she smiled back.

"Would you like to eat now?" Rowan asked and he nodded. And just like that Steve was in the kitchen.

"Good I'm starving," he said setting himself down. He went for the bowl of pasta but Rowan slapped his hands away.

"Nahele first," she snapped before handing Nahele the bowl. He served himself all the pasta he wanted before handing Steve the bowl so he could do the same. By the time Rowan had her pasta in front of her, Nahele had eaten half his plate and Steve was well on his way to eating half of his.

They were silent for a minute before Rowan said: "Remember how you asked me for a song, to impress that new girl you're interested in?"

"Yeah?"

"Well with Tommy's help I managed to not only write one, but I managed to finish it. I could start teaching it to you tonight if you'd like."

"Really?"

"Sure, once you're done washing the dishes, of course."

Nahele smiled at his mom and then turned to Steve who was also smiling before he tucked into the spaghetti that she had made. Sitting there, eating dinner like a proper family, Nahele wondered why he was even worried in the first place.

H5O-H5O-H5O-H5O

Nahele waited for lunch before making his move on Nicole.

He had been practicing the song all week, and today, Friday, was going to be his last chance to hit her with it if he wanted to ask her out for this weekend.

Today was a good day on every level. Rowan and Steve seemed to have found their way back to being normal, and were no longer distant and awkward with one another. Rowan had sold another one of her songs for more than a mint and had taken them out to dinner last night and Steve managed to be finished with his trafficking case in time to join them. And today, Tommy would be officially moving off of their couch and into his own apartment.

Which meant he'd get his mom to himself for the rest of time hopefully.

The official team list went up today so everyone knew who was on the roster, and everyone knew he had made second string quarterback over all the Seniors that had tried out for the team. It wasn't full quarterback but it was still pretty impressive considering he hadn't been there the year before and hadn't tried out last year either.

He had Rowan drop off his guitar that afternoon and been distressed to find that she had pulled Steve off of a case to come with her. Like he actually left a case to come here to be supportive. Nahele almost wondered if she had threatened him with leaving again. Cause that was the only way he could figure that Steve would have agreed to leave a case.

He had begged them both to leave, because he wasn't about to go out there and serenade a girl with his parents watching him. And though they said they'd leave he was certain that they were hanging around. There was no way that Rowan would want to miss this, and if Rowan stayed, so would Steve.

Still he wasn't about to pass this opportunity up, even if his parents were lurking.

He found Nicole sitting outside with her friends, which was not the best place because there were a lot of people and a lot of places for his parents to hide. But despite the nerves he walked over, his guitar on his back and approached her and her group of friends.

"Hey Nicole," he said and immediately the girl turned to him. She wasn't the prettiest girl in the grade, but that wasn't why Nahele liked her. Not that she wasn't pretty. She was like a Taylor Swift knock-off with the curly blonde hair, pale complexion and blue eyes. She liked short skirts and floury blouses, and pastel colours.

No, Nahele liked her because she was nice, and she stood up for her friends when they were getting bullied. In a nice, non-violent way. And that was the kind of girl he wanted.

"Hey Nahele," she said. "Is that your guitar?"

Nahele nodded and sat down beside her. "I actually wrote a new song and I was hoping that you might give me some feedback?"

"You wrote a song?"

Not true, his mom had written a song and then given it to him and Nahele had been practicing it for days. She didn't need to know that though.

As soon as he nodded, she smiled. "I'd love to hear it."

Nahele's smile widened. He then got his guitar ready to sing this song.

I'm feeling so cool. Top to the bottom, just cool. Every little thing that I do. Dammit, I'm feelin' so co-oo-oo-ol, yeah.

Woke up feelin' like a new James Dean. I comb my hair like an old-school Sheen. I'm feelin' high like a late night summer of last year, yeah. Standin' there with the red dress on you. A Killer Queen like a young Jane Fonda. Is it me, or am I just havin' a good year?

Lately, I've been feelin' so cool. Top to the bottom, just cool. Every little thing that I do. Dammit, I feel so co-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-ol.

It's like, ooh. Maybe I should bottle my moves, sell 'em for a dollar or two. Dammit, I'm feelin' so co-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-ol.

By the time he was finished the song he had a little group around him. Nicole was practically starstruck by him.

"So, what do you think?" he asked.

"It's pretty braggy," she said and then laughed because well it was. "But it's good, really good."

"Thanks," he said quickly. "Uhm, follow up question, would you maybe… like to go out this weekend?"

"Really?" Nicole asked her eyes lighting up. "Yeah, of course."

"Cool!" Nahele said feeling a little bit like he had just used that word too much. He'd have to avoid it for the rest of the weekend. "Can we… I get your number I mean? So we can figure out details?"

She nodded as he pulled out his phone so he could text her and as he did he glanced over to bushes by the parking lot and spotted not just Rowan's head peaking up over a bush but Steve's too.

He knew they hadn't left, he just knew it. From the bushes they waved and gave him a thumbs up and it took all his willpower not to shake his head and shout at them to leave.

He almost sort of wished Tommy was staying maybe then something other than him would take up their attention. Or that Steve would get a case that was really important and he'd vanish like he usually did. But even as he thought it he took it back, because he liked being at the center of their universe and he was going to hold onto that for as long as he could.