Rewrite

AvalonReeseFanFics

A/N: Happy Wednesday my wonderful readers! My marathons always end on the worst endings. I mean, it's the best ending for me, cause I feel like it builds suspense, but then I feel bad cause y'all gotta wait a day and a bit before I put you out of your misery. High Guardian… you're gonna LOVE this chapter :D cause GUESS WHO'S GONNA SHOW UP! This is actually a longer chapter with a lot of singing and funny moments. I really want you guys to see them starting to mesh together… all of them. Like a little dysfunctional family. So I hope it comes off like that. As always don't forget to review and I'll see you guys on Friday!

Chapter 334

Steve was in a right panic.

This made sense, because they had just watched Rowan get shot.

Except Wo Fat wasn't so sure, because that gunshot sounded weird. For starters it sounded like it came from far away and not close by. There wasn't any blood splatter, and probably the biggest clue it sounded staticy around the edges.

It sort of sounded like one of Dr. Pierce's void rays. He just didn't know which one. He was actually looking around trying to pinpoint where it had come from, none of the rays were long range and Con had them all so he had to be near-by if it was one of those rays. But Wo Fat couldn't see anyone.

Steve, however, didn't see past the fact that there was a gunshot and then Rowan hit the ground. He clearly assumed that his girlfriend had been hit by a bullet even though there was no blood that Wo Fat could see and the gun shot was clearly from a long range weapon of some sort. Steve started forward but Alexander's gun swung in his direction and Steve went still.

"Don't move. Don't you fucking move!" he ordered. Even from where Wo Fat was standing he could see Steve's chest heaving. He was freaking out, clearly. But he had a feeling that something was up, and he'd want to get him far away from Rowan in case she went void to get them out of this. He'd throw McGarrett at her once she dealt with everything first.

"Start moving towards the pier," he hissed, trying to dislodge Jian's grip on him. But she wouldn't let go.

"If you can get rid of that man I can see if she's alright," Jian hissed to him and his heart swelled with pride. He would have thought she would want to leave Rowan to die, but even if she didn't like his sister she was worried for her wellbeing and ready to use her skills to help her.

Wo Fat tried to inch towards Steve, reaching out almost hesitantly to him.

Alexander stooped down and gripped Rowan by the back of her head. Rowan cried out as he dragged her to her feet by her hair.

"Stop it!" Steve snapped and Wo Fat shook his head, could the boy be any more obvious that the girl was his weakness? For godsake, falling to pieces every time something, happened to her. Really.

Wo Fat watched her carefully. He confirmed that there was no injury on her, or at the very least she wasn't bleeding. But it was her eyes, that dying hot white before fading to blue that made him nervous. Because hot white eyes meant the void, and she had a very dark glare on her face. Neither of those things were good.

"Do you know what she can do?" Alexander asked. "Do you know what people will do to study her, to use her to create super soldiers? What they'll pay me for her?"

And that was exactly what he had been worried about when this started. Someone learning of her potential and wanting to exploit it.

But something in Rowan's face changed, that void darkness came over her. The boat suddenly pitched as if the waves were knocking it about, but the waves weren't actually throwing themselves against the boat. Instead it was as if something were underwater knocking into it.

The gangplank groaned, beginning to lose purchase. Steve reached out for Rowan again, but Wo Fat was quicker. As he pushed Jian back, he finally got a hold of Steve and dragged him right off that gang plank.

"What are you doing?"

"Trust me," he said.

The boat pitched again and though shipping containers and crates fell, Rowan did not. She didn't even look like she was unbalanced, but Alexander was clutching onto her as if she were an anchor.

The boat pitched in the opposite direction and he nearly went flying. The gangplank finally came loose and then clattered and splashed into the water. As the boat drifted away from the wall it pitched in back and forth two more times, on one of the pitches Alexander lost his hold on her and began to tumble around the boat deck. The boat finally went still and a dangerous sort of smile dawned on Rowan's face.

And then she started singing.

Nothing normal ever happened when she used the void and sung. Also, why did all of her void fights have to have a soundtrack? And why were they all from the Aladdin soundtrack recently?

Sin Nombre! Mighty is he! Straight from Colombia. Strong as ten regular men, definitely! There's no one safe from his sword, from thieves to police to war lords, and he'll do it all for no reward. My Sin Nombre.

Alexander rushed her, trying to tackle her but she popped a shield throwing Alexander away from her and then dropped out of view as he opened fire. The bullets ricocheted off of the shield that stayed up even though Rowan was gone.

The men he had brought with him didn't look so happy either. They all looked around waiting for her to appear again, not noticing that the swells had pushed the boat away from the pier and they wouldn't be able to get them out. In fact the boat was still moving… odd. She was moving them. Why was she moving them?

"Where is she going?" Steve whispered taking a step closer again. Wo Fat grabbed him and pulled him back.

"Let her work, for Christ sake, don't throw her off. Don't mess with her powers and don't cause that shockwave thing again," he ordered and Steve shot him a glance. There was anguish on his face, he clearly wanted to run to Rowan's rescue but he couldn't, not without messing up her powers.

Then Rowan was back. Appearing again, this time just behind the line of men.

He's killed seventy-five government agents. Politians, he's killed fifty-three. When it comes to exotic-type marks, now. Oh he's killed a few. I'm telling you, he has a world class armoury.

Alexander aimed for her again but the shield was back up and she dropped out of sight. The next time she appeared she was right behind Alexander.

He's trained in extensive hand to hand combat, and to kill you he'll charge me no fee. Though Wo Fat has many men working for him, I love using him for every whim. And he's totally loyal to ME! Just to me!

Alexander grabbed her then, realizing that he'd need to keep a hold of her to keep her from disappearing. But Rowan didn't look the littlest bit concerned at the fact that he had a hold of her, in fact, she was smiling again.

"Sin…"

Alexander gripped her tightly. "No. Stop it."

But Rowan's smile was growing, like she held a secret all her own and Wo Fat had a feeling he knew exactly what it was that had her smiling that like.

"Nom…"

Alexander raised the gun, pointing it into her face. "I swear to god I'll shoot you!"

"…bre…"

And behind Alexander a portal opened. A single figure walked out. There was a long range sci-fi looking rifle on his back and a white rabbit mask on his face. Now they did not have a long range gun from her dad so that had to be the energizing ray attached to a snipe scope. So he must have been far away when he shot her. Also, it must have been a second one, because Rowan had hers back in Hawaii. He approached quickly, knife in hand slitting the throats of the men who had cowered behind Alexander not wanting to on take the witch themselves.

Despite the gun in her face, Rowan was grinning and singing again.

"Handsome is he, straight from Colombia…"

Alexander gripped her even tighter, pushing that gun even closer to Rowan's face. "I don't need to give you to them alive, I'm sure they can do the same tests on you dead!"

Con was close enough now, and he clearly wanted this man's attention off of Rowan because he sung the last line of her song.

"Heard your hostage was hot, where is she?"

Alexander turned, leveled that gun with Con's chest and Con practically tackled him. As the two grappled, Con shouted: "Go Ro!"

And she dropped once more into a portal while Con dealt with Alexander. And he made quick work of it too. He disarmed the man, knocked him flat onto his back and then pulled a gun from under his jacket to shoot his multiple times.

In fact he just kept shooting, he emptied an entire clip into the man. Clearly, he wasn't taking any chances.

"Where is she?" Jian asked. "Where did she go?"

Wo noted that Steve was looking up, though he couldn't figure why. But a portal opened and Steve set himself, effortlessly catching Rowan in a bridal style hold as she dropped from the portal.

"Hey there sailor, did'ya miss me?"

Steve half laughed, almost a weepy kind of laugh. "Yeah, actually I did."

Rowan hugged him tightly and he shifted his grip so her feet could touch the ground and he could wrap her up in a proper hug, feel every inch of her against him. Rowan wouldn't put her feet down though, she wrapped them around his waist like she was some sort of koala and he was her favourite tree.

Wo Fat glanced to Jian who was watching, a strange new emotion on her face that he didn't recognize. "See," he said softly. "She's nothing to worry about. She's too obsessed with her own man to be after me."

Jian turned back to him. Her eyes lowered from his, almost bashfully, as she whispered: "That wasn't what I was afraid of."

"Hey!" came a cry from the boat. "You wanna pull me to you or you gonna let me fucking drift out to sea?"

"Are they all dead?" Rowan called back, turning in Steve's grasp to face Con.

Con glanced behind him and then turned back to her. "Pretty sure."

"You wanna double check cause he was talking about selling me as a lab fodder!"

Conejo threw up his arms in frustration but disappeared from view no doubt to check as requested.

There was about ten minutes of silence before ere three more gunshots, then it went quiet again and more gunshots. That continued for about fifteen minutes before he showed up again.

"They're all dead. Pull me now."

"He doesn't like boats. Or water. Or the ocean," Rowan said, and then stretched out an arm and tugged.

In a pop Con appeared in front of them. He really did bounce back from pulls and throws faster then he or Steve did, because he came right off being tugged without a single flinch or hiccup. He went to Rowan immediately opening his arms and to Steve's dismay she let him go to fall into Conejo's chest.

But Steve didn't let her go, Con had to actually push him away.

"You got your hug, now it's my turn," he snarled, pushing his mask aside to look down at Rowan as he hugged her tightly to his chest. "You know I love you, right mami? But is there any way you could just fucking chill for once? I mean… every other week you're in some kind of mortal peril we gotta rescue you from. I swear you're giving me ulcers, you gave Wo Fat grey hair and god knows what you're doing to poor McGarrett. He's looking haggard mami, I mean… really!"

Rowan just laughed at him. "This time wasn't my fault. I was just trying to go home."

There must have been a time limit on that hug with Rowan for Steve, because he shoved Conejo away and took Rowan up again.

He actually had the nerve to look that world-renowned assassin in the eye and growl: "She's my girlfriend, and I'll hug her for as long as I want, thank you very much."

Once he had Rowan safely snuggled into his arms he looked down to Rowan with a stern look. "He's got a point though. I swear I have new wrinkles and my blood pressure has to be through the damn roof at this point…"

"Ah, why is everyone ganging up on me?" she cried and then turned to him with a pleading look. "Woooooo."

She practically sobbed his name and that was it. Right away he was away from Jian's side, prying her out of Steve's grip and then hugging her back.

"You can't tell cause I had to dye it but you actually are giving me grey hair," he said softly to her which just caused her to groan. The second she started groaning Steve reached out for her again and Wo shied away. "No. You upset her she's staying with me."

But that was the wrong thing to say because they had literally just rescued her and no doubt the worry and panic had not fully left Steve yet. And he still wasn't over Wo Fat stealing her away that one time.

"Let her fucking go, right now," Steve growled reaching for her one more time but Wo Fat slapped his hands away.

"No! You lost your chance, both of you did. My sister, mine. Go away."

"No!" Conejo and Steve almost shouted together and then the two of them moved forward to grab her from him. Rowan pushed herself out of Wo Fat's grip and rushed to Jian's side as the three men devolved into an actual argument over who got to hug Rowan.

"They're going to argue now," she said as the three men actually did devolve into a three way argument. "Sorry, it's usually like this when they rescue me. Well, normally Wo and Con argue with me about what ever stupid decision led to that particular rescue. This is the first time Steve's here and the three of them don't get along normally so..."

"Okay, but she's my girlfriend and I love her, so don't you think, after everything the two of you put me through last year with the keeping her away and the lies and the scavenger hunt to get her back, that maybe, just maybe, this would affect me more than you two!"

The second Steve shouted that Con and Wo paused and then just like that the two girls were watching as Con shifted so he was now shoulder to shoulder with Wo Fat. The two of them clearly ready to tell Steve just how wrong he was.

"Oh we can't have that," she said. "Boys!"

The three of them stopped and turned to her immediately. "I think we should go somewhere to unwind. Somewhere that gets us far away from the floating crime scene we just created. And I think I know where I want to go."

And even though she could tell that none of them wanted to go where she wanted to go, none of them argued with her.

H5O-H5O-H5O-H5O

Steve had sent a message out to the CIA agents that had been helping them telling them where to find the body of Sam Alexander with the promise of getting them the pages they needed for their case against him. Not that it mattered now that he was dead, but he figured they'd still want the evidence anyway.

Wo Fat had sent out a generalized message of death in regards to Michelle Shioma who had officially made an enemy of him. Even if Rowan did tell him that it sounded like she hadn't expected Sam Alexander to drop Rowan's unconscious body in that specialized cell that had been done up in Shimoa's basement.

Sin Nombre had demanded that Ro open him a door up to someone named Lucia, which she promptly did. She then got a text message from him saying to open the door back up and she did and he appeared again.

Both Steve and Jian were amazed for two different reasons.

Jian had just learned about portalling and Rowan's powers so she was amazed by every little thing she did. And was a little annoyed that Rowan dropped them when she could just open a door to anywhere in the world.

Steve was fucking amazed that Sin Nombre's phone survived the void.

"How did you… why isn't it…?"

"Dr. Pierce made us phone cases," Sin Nombre said. "It's made out special materials so it saves our phones when we jump."

And then he looked at Wo Fat and Sin Nombre's phones. They all had the same clear plastic, almost safety glass protective phone cases. Well… now he wanted one but like… there was no way he could ask her father for one. Not after deporting him and Trevor.

Then Rowan demanded Karaoke and it was up to Jian and Wo to pick a place. Apparently the joint they picked was a place they went for one of their dates. A date where she had managed to make Wo Fat sing. A confession that he obviously hadn't wanted her to admit to them because it made his cheeks go pink and he promptly changed the topic.

"I still can't believe it, him? Singing Karaoke?" Steve said as they took their seats in a large plush booth across from the stage where they would be singing. There were three microphones waiting to be picked up, attached to three screens in the floor where the words would be coming out.

"Oh he was very good," Jian said. "It took some begging and a few drinks but I eventually got him up on the stage."

Beside her, Wo Fat's nose crinkled and then he turned to Rowan. "Why don't you cue up some of your songs, I think I still have some of your instrumentals on your drop box."

Rowna didn't need to be told twice, she jumped right away to her brother's rescue.

"Okay," Rowan said and then as soon as she was gone both Wo Fat and Sin Nombre turned onto him.

Sin Nombre offered up a little black box. Steve took it, opened it up, took in the beautiful ring sitting inside and then quickly closed it.

They were right, that ring, studded in fire opals and made of rose gold twisted Ivy, was the perfect ring. Her ring. But it was coming to him from a pair of criminals and he had a feeling that they didn't come across this the legal way.

"Who paid for this?"

Both men exchanged glances and that was all he needed in way of answer.

"Right so this is stolen then."

"Well we didn't say that," Wo Fat said.

"Then where is the receipt?"

Wo Fat glared at him. "Do you want it or not?" he snapped. Steve wasn't sure he wanted to propose to Rowan with a stolen ring, even if it was the perfect ring for her. But when Wo Fat reached for it, he shied away and put it in his pocket.

"I want it."

Wo Fat dropped his hand and sat back with a shrug. But Sin Nombre seemed excited that Steve had accepted the ring.

"And we know all about her ideal wedding and we're set up for a honeymoon too."

At that Steve turned to Wo Fat. "What the hell is he talking about?"

"I have a standing reservation at the Atlantis resort in Paradise Island Bahamas. It was where you were supposed to meet us originally."

"What?"

"Okay, look. I know Con already told you this, but the plan was, the three of us were going to spend a week in Paradise island, as like a good-bye thing. Then Con was going to fly to Hawaii, grab the kid and Williams and make you follow us there. Once we got you there I was going to grab you, sit you down, explain all the fucking lies, and then we were going to give Rowan back, so long as you married her. We had a whole contract and everything. Then you two would get a honeymoon on the Island and me and Con would have left."

Steve sat there in the wake of that admission, slack jawed in shock. "You were going to force me and your precious sister into a shotgun marriage? Are you insane?"

"Are you saying you would have said no?"

"No, but she would have!"

Sin Nombre was all smiles though. "See, I told you he would've agreed."

"Course I would have, I would have agreed to anything to get her back from you," Steve muttered and beside them Jian shook her head.

"The three of you are disasters," she said. "No wonder you need Rowan in your lives. None of you can cope."

"Hey!" Came from all of them at the same time in different degrees of distress but Rowan had returned and she was leaning against the back of their booth.

"Apparently someone is paying for this place to be our private Karaoke bar tonight, and since I know that someone is broke I'm assuming I'm footing the bill."

"I'm not broke, it's just that my money's tied up in…"

"For the love of god, stop lying to me or I'll leave you to the bill."

Wo Fat scowled at her, went that pink again but snapped: "Fine you bankrupted me, happy?"

She leant in right away to kiss his cheek as if in reward for the admission that just made him growl. "Yes. I gave you a loan. Except you don't have to pay me back. You're welcome."

"So she can threaten you and it's fine?" Jian asked and Wo turned to her as he wiped off the spot on his cheek where she had kissed him.

"She's annoying," Wo said and Rowan nodded.

"It's true. I'm annoying," she said and then smiled. "You know if you ever want to get him to cave all you gotta do is…" "—don't you fucking dare…" "…Sing country." "She dared. I swear to god."

"Country?" Jian echoed ignoring Wo Fat.

Rowan nodded emphatically. "Oh yeah, he hates country music… even if I write it."

Wo Fat groaned at them. "Not true, I liked Whiskey Glasses."

Steve wanted to ask which song that was, but Rowan interrupted him with a gasp and a soft tap to Wo Fat's shoulder. "What a coincidence that's our first song."

"Our," Wo Fat echoed. "I'm not singing in front of Steven."

"Yes, you will be. It's our song. You have to sing with us."

"No… that's a song you and Con tortured me with until I liked it…"

At this Rowan pouted. "But there's a line for you and Jian, I put it in purposely."

Immediately Jian, who had been looking at both the song menu and the food menu simultaneously, perked up. "She put me in a song?" Jian asked and Wo Fat grimaced.

Wo Fat grimaced again, sensing where this was going to go. "It's only one line."

"Yeah but it's repeated in the chorus. So, I need you."

"You don't…" he started but then Jian had lurched over Steve to grab a hold of Wo's arm.

"It'd like to hear it, please."

Wo Fat scowled, clearly not liking that the two women in his life were already ganging up on him.

"I'm not drunk enough for this," he snarled and then turned to Rowan. "Sing a song while I order drinks please."

Rowan rolled her eyes but decided to go with it. "Any requests?"

"The first song you ever wrote," Sin Nombre said and Steve smiled. But Rowan looked thoughtful.

"The first song I wrote, ever? Or the first song I wrote here?"

"Which one haven't I heard?"

"Well I was singing the first song ever when I met you properly the first time. In the nightclub."

"Ziarat?"

"Yep."

Steve nodded. "Bad Liar, right? You sold that one for how much again?"

"That one started a bidding war. We got a 300 thou for it, I also get 7.5% royalties."

Both Jian and Sin Nombre's mouth dropped in shock, except for Wo Fat who was already throwing back yet another shot of sake, having almost finished the bottle the server had brought over.

"I'm sorry… you made how much on the one song?"

"Hundreds of thousands. But she's been getting closer to a mil for them more recently," Wo Fat told them. "Hence why she could support our trip when I ran out of money."

"Wait a second, she paid for the trip?"

"Yeah, after Christmas it was basically my income paying for everything," Rowan said with a shrug. "It makes sense, we were doing my bucket list, and I make more…"

"She just loves to rub that in," Steve muttered and Wo Fat shot him a knowing but supportive grin.

Sin Nombre just sighed. "Fine, the first song you wrote here then."

"You sure? It's a Steve-song."

"All of your songs are Steve-songs."

"Not true, she wrote one for Trevor. Bad Liar isn't about me either. And she has at least six songs she wrote for her other guys on that trip."

"I keep telling you there should only be five."

Steve shot him a glare and then turned to Rowan. "There were six guys, right? Paris, Venice, Berlin, Colombia, Canada, London, and Cali. You never wrote one for the cruise though."

"That's seven."

"One of them's a repeat."

"It's not possible," Wo Fat snarled. "I would know. And there was no one in Venice, or Berlin. It was just the three of us."

Steve took that in and then turned to Rowan. That meant, if she was telling him the truth, she had slept with either Wo Fat or Sin Nombre. The question was which one? Rowan however, avoided his eyes and shot a bit of a glance at Sin Nombre who was staring her down but she didn't confirm. Steve had a feeling he knew which one it was now. Wo Fat however, didn't seem to get it.

"I should… I should go set up…" And then she had run off. He had a feeling he knew exactly which song she was going to sing first.

Wo waved over the server for alcohol, and Sin Nombre went about ordering what had to be a feast before offering them the menu and saying: "You guys want anything?"

So apparently Sin Nombre ate the same amount as a football team. Poor Ro, this bill was going to be astronomical.

Rowan practically jumped up onto the stage, mic in hand, ready to put on a show. Rowan was always ready to put on a show.

As soon as the music started playing, he knew he had been right.

I've been living in the darkness, shadows in my apartment, heartless. Taking love just to spill it on parchment. Next page and I'm out again. I've been living in the night life. Lips hit you like a drive by, frost bite. Ice cold, I mean they cut you like a sharp knife. Next page and I'm out again

Skin on my skin, what a wonderful sin. Take your breath but you're asking for more. The tip of my finger is tracing his figure. I say good night and walk out the door

Call me a thief. There's been a robbery. I left with his heart. Tore it apart, made no apologies. Just call me a thief, he was on top of me. Then I left with his heart, broken and scarred, made no apologies.

He had long since assumed that Thief, the first song she ever gave Alex, had been about him. Now he had proof of it.

When the song finished, Wo Fat had coincidentally finished a bottle of Sake to himself. Sin Nombre had finished two of the dishes that had been brought to the table, and was on his second glass of something strong, Steve wasn't certain what.

Rowan jumped off the stage and bounced up to their table, to steal some of Sin Nombre's food and drink.

"Anyone else wanna go up, or are we going straight to Whiskey Glasses?"

"Is Whiskey Glasses the one about me?" Jian asked excited, already following in Rowan's suit and reaching for some of Sin Nombre's food.

He went to slap her hands away, but was blocked by Wo Fat who simply said: "Share."

"Whiskey Glasses has a line about you, but it's mostly about breaks up," she said.

Jian, through a mouthful of tempura said: "That one," and then nudged Wo Fat. "Go on."

Wo Fat groaned, but they all started clapping and cheering for him and Wo Fat essentially gave up. He slammed down his last shot and got up.

"No one's allowed to laugh," he said and then pointed a finger at Steve. "I'm serious, I will shoot you."

Steve raised his hands in surrender, already trying to real in the excitement. Wo Fat singing Karaoke was not something that made sense in his head. But he had a feeling it was going to be hilarious.

They got up on the stage, each of them had an actually glass of whiskey. Wo Fat and Sin Nombre were on either side of Rowan, Rowan was practically holding Wo Fat up. They had three mics and luckily Rowan was the one doing most of the singing.

And it all started when she cried: "Hit it!"

Poor me, pour me another drink, 'cause I don't wanna feel a thing. No more, hell nah, I just wanna sip 'til the pain wears off. Poor me, pour me another round, line 'em up and knock 'em down. Two more, let's go, 'cause I ain't ever hurt like this before.

And that is when the other's started to sing.

Sin Nombre had: Don't wanna think about her.

Rowan had: Or wear a ring without him. Which was clearly about him.

And Wo Fat had: Don't wanna hit the karaoke bar, can't sing without her. Which made, Jian beside him gasp a little.

Steve leant in a little closer to her. He knew that Rowan had messed them up, that she was doing what he did. Maybe, maybe he could give her some advice while Rowan and the boys sang. Which they had started to do together, which was making Rowan's song sound weird, cause she never sang off key, but these two guys sure as hell did.

So make them drinks strong, 'cause, brother, they're gone, and if I'm ever gonna move on…

I'ma need some whiskey glasses, 'cause I don't wanna see the truth. They're probably making out on the couch right now, with someone new. Yeah, I'ma need some whiskey glasses, if I'm gonna make it through. If I'ma be single, I'ma need a double shot of that heartbreak proof, and see the world through whiskey glasses… and see the world through whiskey glasses.

"I did what you did," Steve said, nudging her with his shoulder. "The whole, me or him… or in your case, her."

Jian turned to him. "And how did that work out?"

"It was the argument that started the Year of Deceit."

"Year of Deceit?"

"Last year. I had an argument that sent Rowan to an airstrip where someone kidnapped her and eventually Wo Fat ran off with her and… yeah…"

Line 'em up. Line 'em up. Line 'em up. Line 'em up.

Knock 'em back. Knock 'em back. Knock 'em back. Knock 'em back.

Fill 'em up. Fill 'em up. Fill 'em up. Fill 'em up.

'Cause if she ain't ever coming back.

She glanced back to Wo Fat and then to him. "So… not a good idea."

"I mean… I doubt anyone would kidnap him. Nor do I think that Rowan would go on a year long retreat with him afterwards. She'd probably just bringing him to my house, which I guess I'll have to deal with. So… maybe don't do that."

Jian glanced down to the table and then back up to Wo Fat who was now singing the chorus with Rowan again where all three of them were holding up a pair of whiskey glasses to their eyes to mime actual whiskey glasses.

"It's not a good idea. Asking them to separate. They need each other, you see. She uh… she didn't have a good childhood and she's looking for support and I'm trying but she does things and… and him… I mean… there's no way in hell you could have got him on that stage before Rowan came into his life."

"She had a bad childhood too?"

"Yeah. She's got a mom that never liked her, a brother who used her and a dad who I'm guessing was loving but absent. She's got sociopathic tendencies she can't really control so she does terrible things without thinking and her mom trained her to think that she was a monster for doing them and I unno… he makes her feel like she isn't a monster, you know"

"I do know," Jian said carefully. "I do know because that's how he feels about her."

Steve glanced back to where they were dancing. "They're good for each other," he whispered. "Even if we don't like it. They're good for each other."

The song finished and Wo Fat was hoping off the stage and ordering more alcohol while he was at it. Sin Nombre came off the stage heading straight to the bar to get the alcohol he wanted right away.

Rowan stayed on the stage.

"Any requests?" she asked, sipping on a glass of water he wasn't sure he knew how she got.

"Our song!" Wo Fat cried as he collapsed in beside Jian. "It's the only other country song I like."

"You and Rowan have a song?"

"She writes almost all her songs for Steve," Wo Fat said. "Con and I have three songs. This is one of those." He then turned back to Rowan and said: "Our song!" one more time but louder.

"Alright, alright, but I need my guitar for that one," she said. She rushed into the washroom and came back with her black guitar. No doubt having pulled it from the house. She then rushed to the bar to pull up her next song.

She paused only to press a kiss to Steve's cheek before hopping back up onto that stage. It was clear she was going to be using a backing track, probably one that didn't have the guitar pieces as she would be playing them. She made sure he guitar was in tune and then signaled for the start of the song.

Man, this shit's unflatterin', all up in my head again. I don't feel myself right now, maybe I should just lay down. If vanity's my vitamin, well, I don't feel the difference. I don't like myself right now, gotta find a way out.

"Con, Con! She's singing our song. Hurry up!"

Sin Nombre made a squawk of annoyance and then was rushing back to their booth with their alcohol.

What you feel is natural, but I don't wanna feel this anymore. Pick yourself up off the bathroom floor. What you waitin' for?

Wo Fat took the alcohol from Sin Nombre and the man jumped over the back of the booth's seat to slid in in between Wo Fat and Jian.

"It's our sooonnnggg," he cried. "Lighters!"

Girl, won't you stop your cryin'? I know that you're tryin'. Everything's gonna be okay. Baby girl, don't you hang your head low. Don't you lose your halo. Everyone's gonna be okay. Baby girl.

The two downed their shots, and then actually pulled lighters from their pockets to wave in the air as Rowan sang.

Girl, don't hang your head low, don't lose your halo, don't lose your halo. Girl, don't hang your head low, don't lose your halo, oh.

The two of them were singing along with her. Each taking turns with a line. Wo Fat sang: Don't hang your head low, and Sin Nombre sang: Don't lose your halo.

Rowan always wrote what she heard, what she felt, so this, this must have been things that Wo Fat and Sin Nombre had said to her over the year she was gone.

Girl, won't you stop your cryin'? I know that you're tryin'. Everything's gonna be okay. Baby girl, don't you hang your head low. Don't you lose your halo. Everyone's gonna be okay. Baby girl.

When she sang it again, that nickname she supposedly hated. Baby girl. He realized why she didn't like it.

"You call her baby girl," he whispered and Wo Fat turned to him. "That why she doesn't like it when I call her baby girl. Cause you call her baby girl. Don't you?"

"Sometimes. Most of the time," he said. "Only to calm her down!"

"Not me, I call her mami," Sin Nombre said which was weird.

Right so Baby girl was a nickname her brothers gave her and that would explain why she didn't like it coming from Steve. Well that was fine, he'd just think of something else to call her.

"You uh… you realize that's a very romantic thing to call your sister."

Wo Fat's eyebrows furrowed in his direction. "What? Is it?" when Steve just stared at him he turned to Jian. "Is it?"

"It is," she confirmed. "But I figured you probably didn't realize it sounded that way. Mami on the other hand, is completely sexual where he's from and he should know better."

Wo Fat then turned a glare to Sin Nombre who was only smiling at them while shoveling his face full with the food he had ordered. Wo Fat might have said something about that if Rowan hadn't hopped down from the stage.

"Okay, someone else, has to sing now," Rowan said. "I need a break."

"Oh! Oh! I'mma sing Spanish!" Sin Nombre said jumping to his feet. "No one touch my food!"

Steve shook his head but took a hold of Rowan's hand a tugged her down to him. She smiled up to him and he moved in to kiss her almost immediately.

"I have an important question to ask you," he said and she nodded. "I just found out that Wo Fat has a reservation on Paradise Island that's been on hold since… well… since I had you arrested by TSA."

"Really? I mean I know that we missed that res, but I figured we lost the res not that it was on hold."

"Yeah I unno, the point is, do you want to go? I think… I think after this we need like a proper vacation."

"Wow… I mean… really? How long do we have the reservation for?"

"Two weeks."

"You can take that much time off of work?"

"For you, of course," he said.

Rowan smiled at him and he knew the answer then and there. Looked like they were going to Paradise island.