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AvalonReeseFanFics
A/N: Well hello there my wonderful readers! I know the chapter's late. Sorry. At least it's only one day and not a whole week! We still don't have a Beta, so I'm sorry for any mistakes. If anyone interested in helping me out let me know. For this chapter we've got some interesting developments and a lot of cute moments. Hopefully you guys enjoy it! Let me know and I'll see you guys next week.
Chapter 384
His dad got called in for a case before Nahele could work up the nerve to ask him his question.
He had been thinking a lot about his birthday and the party on his dad's birthday. Specifically, about the conversation he had with Grace.
Grace had talked to her Auntie Ro, but the conversation had been simple. Yes she knew about the powers, yes Nahele told her, no Grace wouldn't tell anyone. She did ask for a bit of a back story, or at the very least a time line for how the powers grew, or if she had them all the time and his mom had given her the cliff notes and Grace had been fine with that.
And she promised again, this time to his mom, that she wouldn't ever tell anyone her Auntie Ro's secret.
Though she had said that it sort of explained like… a lot about Rowan.
Steve said that almost everyone who found out about mom's powers said that.
Her taking the secret about his mom so easily hadn't surprised him but it did cement that rationale in his head that his feelings for Grace were founded. In the sense that they were meant to be.
Who else would be able to handle the truth about his mom so effortlessly? And she had been having problems with Will.
Nahele never had to try when he was with Grace, everything was easy. He opened up to her, trusted her with all his secrets, and she trusted him with hers. They had similar dads, yes his Uncle Danno was a little more neurotic than his dad, but they had the similar taste in worries about their fathers.
Grace was worried that her Danno would never let her make her own decisions. Nahele was worried that he'd never been able to live up to Steve and Ro's expectations, even though they never put any expectations on him other than to do well in school.
And both of them worried that their jobs would get their parents seriously hurt one day. Steve had already been shot and nearly died. Nahele was lucky that Danno had given his dad some of his liver so he could survive.
Danno had rebar blown through his body. Grace had been lucky that Steve had been in that explosion as well, not only did he get Danny out from under the rubble, but he got the rebar out of his side and eventually out from under the cave in they had been stuck in.
But there was a reason he hadn't said anything, hadn't made a move. Well, three reasons actually.
For starters Grace was a year younger than him. This put her in the grade below him and that was weird. Not horribly weird, but it was looked down on, and after his mom's cat fight with Stinkle's mom Nahele was already a sort of social pariah, though that was starting to wear off. Dating a girl a year younger could make him a pariah again.
Secondly, she was dating Will.
And thirdly, probably most importantly, if he started dating Grace, Danny was going to try and kill him, because he was horribly over protective of her, as a father should be.
But if Danny got mad at Nahele, Steve was going to get mad at Danny and the two of them would get into more arguments and what not and it just wouldn't be good.
It would be a lot of pressure on whatever kind of relationship Grace and Nahele decided to have, and it would make things harder for his dad at work both if it worked out and didn't and he wasn't sure it was worth going through.
Actually that was a lie. Sometimes he knew for certain that it was worth the hassle, but sometimes he doubted himself. When this first started the doubts were more common than his certainty, but now that was changing. He was becoming more and more certain as time went on.
He was sure she liked him too, he was sure if he asked her out she'd say yes but he still wasn't sure he wanted to do that.
He had meant to ask Steve's opinion about the situation, without mentioning names, that morning, when they were supposed to have Father and Son bonding time, but Steve had been called in for a case. Nahele had woken up and Steve was already getting ready to go, Nahele didn't have enough time to build up the nerve to ask him before he was out the door.
His dad did apologize for the case showing up, promised to be home close to a decent hour to do some sort of activity with him, whatever it was Nahele chose, and then mentioned that Ro wasn't really feeling well and to not bother her if possible.
Right, Nahele could do that. But then Steve was gone and Nahele didn't get to ask his question. This meant asking his mom for advice. And yes, he his mom was good at giving advice but Ro's morals and conscience were kind of skewed, which made for weird slightly morally grey advice.
But Rowan wasn't downstairs with Steve. Not entirely uncommon because Steve was an early riser. He figured he wait for her to wake up, so he went for the run Steve and him were supposed to go on by himself.
When he got back she still wasn't down stairs. That was odd. She was usually up when he was, or before to make breakfast.
It wasn't that Nahele couldn't make breakfast himself, Ro just liked playing housewife when she could. Also she hated washing dishes so she usually cooked so she wouldn't have to wash them.
So he went about making pancakes with eggs and bacon as a treat for his mom but even after the food was made she still hadn't come down the stairs. Now it was getting weird.
He plated the food, called for his mom but got no response. Unless she was on the phone she always answered him.
Something was wrong. He went up the stairs waiting to hear if he heard her on the phone, but he didn't hear anything except the toilet flushing. He called her name again and got nothing.
Seriously what was going on?
He knocked on his parents' door before letting himself in, thinking his mom was just sleeping, but found that his mom wasn't in bed. "Hey mom," he called. "I made breakfast… do you want me to bring you up a plate?"
He waited for an answer and heard vomiting. Right away he moved to his parents' en suite bathroom and found her hunched over the toilet.
Steve had mentioned she wasn't well but he figured his mom was tired, not actually physically sick.
"Oh mom!" he cried as she sat back, only to hunch over the toilet again to throw up. "Are you okay? Do You want me to get you a ginger ale?"
She nodded frantically trying to wave him away and he rushed off to get it for her. While he was at it he also got her a glass of cool water cause that would help too.
He brought both back to her and she seemed better. At least she wasn't throwing up anymore.
"You okay?"
"Yeah baby," she said softly. "I'm fine, I think I gave myself some food poisoning that's all."
Nahele nodded, though secretly he felt like if Steve knew she was this sick he should have stayed home. He understood that his dad's job was important, that Hawaii needed him to keep everyone safe, but sometimes his family needed him too.
Ro guzzled down her ginger ale and then smiled at him "Did I hear something about breakfast?"
"Yeah, I made you pancakes and eggs and bacon and…" Ro's face went a little more ashen and she grimaced.
"Aww, thanks baby but I unno if I can hold it down right now. Think you could box it up? Maybe I'll have it for dinner, okay?"
"That's fine," he said. She nodded and slowly leant back against the wall. He should have left her alone, she wasn't feeling well, but, well, he needed to talk to someone.
"Mom, could I ask you a question?"
She didn't even pause to think about it. "Course you can."
"Can you promise to not bombard me with questions?"
"Maybe? I mean… you know how I like to ask questions."
Yes he did, she was like Steve in that regard.
"So… uhm… I like a girl…" "—OOHH!" "…No I'm not telling you who she is." "—Awwww. Why?" "…Because mom. Can we focus please?"
Now that one earned him a sigh. "Sure."
"Okay, so I like this girl, she's younger than me though. Not like the age gap between you and dad just a year and a bit."
"Okay?"
"And she kind of has a boyfriend she's on the rocks with. But… we're friends you know, and I'm afraid that if I ask her out, that it'll ruin things… you know? I don't want to lose that friendship and it might make things weird with some of dad's work friends…"
"Mmmm, I think I know who it is, am I allowed to guess?"
"Mom, come on."
"Fine, I'll let you have this secret," she said and then she sighed. "Right so you're worried about how me and dad will take you dating this girl who is younger than you? Especially if it messed with dad's friends if things don't work out."
"Yeah, and you know, loosing the friendship."
"That's true, but that's always a chance you take when you fall for a friend," she said. "I think what you have to decide is if it's worth it."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, do you think your feelings for her are worth the potential damage? Some people meet the loves of their lives when they're in high school, you know?"
"But if we break up?"
"Well, that's part of life too," she said. "Just because the relationship ends doesn't mean that relationship was a bad thing. That it didn't had some value. A relationship ending doesn't even mean that those feelings weren't real, they're just not there anymore."
"Did you date in high school?"
"Kind of, no one serious, I uhm… I had a bit of a reputation so no one really stuck. Besides my best friend dated enough for us both," she said. "But that doesn't mean when I did have serious relationships that didn't work out that they weren't valuable in some way. Dating Alex got me into the music world, and look at how that turned out."
Nahele nodded.
"But if we break up it'll make things hard for dad at work."
"Oh sweetie, you don't have to worry about that. Your dad's a big boy and he can handle a little friction at work. He wouldn't want you to pass up on something that makes you happy simply because you're worried about him. Unless it's illegal, then pass that shit up."
Nahele laughed. "Okay, no illegal stuff."
"You gotta do what makes you happy, okay? Though if it's dangerous we'd like some heads up in case we have to rush you to the hospital or something."
"Okay mom," he said. "So you think I should ask her out?"
"Well, you said she has a boyfriend, right?" he nodded and she frowned. "Well probably not a good idea to ask her out while she's with someone. You wouldn't want someone who'd just break up with you for someone else at the drop of a hat, right? Cause then she might to it to you."
"No, she's not like that."
"Okay, well, what I could recommend would be telling her how you feel, but being sure to tell her that you don't want to strain her relationship, you just needed to get the feelings off of your chest."
"Well… I know her and her boyfriend have been fighting, that's why I wanted to talk to her about it now…"
"Ah, I mean, I guess. Knowing that she might have a chance at a boyfriend that isn't causing issues enough for her to want to break up might sway her towards you. Just be sure to let her know that you're not asking her to choose, you just want her to know how you feel, okay?"
"I can do that," he said but he didn't move. "Uhm… would you be okay if I went out today? To see her I mean? I can stay home if you need me."
Ro reached out a hand that he took right away. She squeezed him tightly. "Aww, thanks baby, but I'll be okay. You go profess your love for that girl."
"It's not love, I just really like her," he said as a blush creeping across his cheeks as his mom smiled knowingly at him.
"Of course, my bad, good luck," she said. "Do you want me to drive you?"
"Naw, I'll take the bus," he said. "You just rest."
"Okay baby, keep me posted on where you are and when you'll be home for dinner. If you need extra cash take forty from my wallet. Or just take the whole wad if you're thinking of treating the girl to lunch or something."
He got up, helping her to her feet and seeing her to the bed. He put the glass of water and the can of ginger ale on the coasters she had on her bed side table, and made sure she was comfortable before leaving.
He did take money from his mom's wallet, but not the whole wad cause there was more than 200 dollars in cash in her wallet. He took enough so he'd be able to take Grace out for lunch.
He called her to see if she was free and wanted to go for lunch, which she did, and then he made a second call.
To his dad.
H5O-H5O-H5O-H5O
Steve had had another one of those dizzy attacks in the night. They were getting more frequent, not just at work but when he got home too.
At least when it happened at home he had Rowan, because she could wrap him up in her arms and he'd feel better.
He was really starting to think that something was wrong with him, like seriously and that was worrying. He didn't want something to be wrong with him, he didn't want to have to go back to the doctor. He wanted to be fine and when Rowan was holding him he was.
He was starting to think that it had to be some kind of flu, because Rowan was getting sick too now. God he hoped he wasn't actually making her sick, he'd feel really bad if she caught whatever bug he had.
He also felt bed that he had left Nahele high and dry. They had so many fun things planned for the day. Like a run, heading down to the gun range, going surfing, then heading home to surprise Rowan with dinner and playing videogames together through the night.
Now he wasn't going to get to do any of those things with his son and he felt bad. He was going to have to ask Danny how he dealt with it, cause right now it was breaking his heart.
He was holding onto one hope, and that was that they would wrap this case up early and Steve got to do at least one thing with Nahele. He was hoping to make dinner with him and then play videogames, which was two things, but that was what he was hoping for. He'd take one or the other if he had to.
Steve had been getting briefed on their case when Nahele called him. Ro hadn't been well that morning, in fact she hadn't been well a lot of mornings this week. But when he left she was just lying in bed, apparently once he left she started throwing up.
Nahele was going out with friends, he had asked his mom if she had wanted him to stay but she had told him to leave. Nahele wasn't comfortable leaving her alone and had wondered if Steve would go home.
Steve had left immediately, telling his team to call him if they really needed him.
When he got home he found Rowan in bed. He got in behind her and pulled her to his chest, holding her close to him and that eventually woke her up.
She half turned in his grasp staring at him sleepily and then she bolted up. "What time is it?" she asked.
"Some time after twelve," he whispered, pulling her down to bed. "Nahele's still out."
She sighed and then turned to snuggle into him, he kissed her forehead and his wife shivered into his grasp. "Do you feel like you're going to be sick?" he asked and she shook her head.
"I thought you caught a case," she whispered into his chest. Already her hands were wandering, sneaking under his shirt so she could feel his skin beneath her fingertips.
"I did, but Nahele called and said you were sicker than I thought, so I came home." He kissed her forehead again, trying to ignore the hot flush of desire that fanned through him at her touch.
She was sick, he couldn't be trying to sleep with her when she was sick.
"Why didn't you tell me before I left? I wouldn't have gone in."
"Nonsense, the team needs you," she whispered. "But as long as you're here I'm okay with it."
She snuggled in a little closer to him and her breathing began to even out, which meant she was going back to sleep. Good, she needed the rest. He was going to make sure she didn't over exert herself when Nahele came home. She'd want to make dinner and he was not going to let that happen.
Either he made dinner or he'd order food in. Nahele was going out for lunch with friends now that Steve had bailed, so he probably wouldn't want to help him make dinner or eat it either. But Ro wasn't feeling well which meant she shouldn't be eating out, the food probably wouldn't sit with her, he have to make something, he just wouldn't wait for Nahele to come home.
He'd make her soup, that would make her feel better.
But he wasn't about to move right then, not when she was comfortable with him and trying to sleep. No, he'd move later, once she had gotten a good rest.
He had been dozing off himself for who knows how long when his phone rang. Immediately he was angry as his wife shifted against him and groaned.
Seriously? Who was calling him right now?
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he murmured as he half rolled over to reach for his phone. Rowan merely groaned in response and rolled over putting her back to him.
He glanced at the screen and saw that it was the Governor calling him. Goddamn it. This wouldn't be good.
He answered quickly with his trademark: McGarrett, and didn't even get a hello.
"Why have I just been told that you are not working this case but at home?" she asked. Straight to business.
"Ro's not well…"
"You are officially out of vacation time and ill-dependent days," she snapped. "I expect you to report to work in the next hour."
"Wait… but…"
"In the next hour, Commander," she ordered. "Or I'll be suspending you indefinitely."
Steve bit back the curse words he wanted to hurl at her. "Yes. Ma'am," he snarled and then hung up the phone.
He threw the phone to the foot of the bed and so he could press the heels of his hands into his eyes as he groaned. God, he didn't want to leave his wife. She was sick. She needed him.
"It's okay, Steven, it is, really," she whispered without even rolling over.
"No it isn't. You're sick and you need me." He rolled off his back and tugged her to him. Her back to his chest. Holding her close to him, burying his nose into her hair, he just held her as tightly as he could without hurting her.
"It's okay," she repeated but he shook his head cause it wasn't. It really wasn't.
"It's not, but thank you for trying to make me feel like it is," he whispered. He rolled her over so he could see her face and pressed the softest kisses to her lips. Immediately one of her hands entangled in his hair and then they were making out in earnest. He had to remind himself that his wife was sick and he didn't want her to exert herself.
He pulled away and smiled down to her. "I don't want you here alone," he whispered.
"I figure," she said as she stretched herself out. "I'll call one of my brothers what do you think?"
Steve nodded. "Alright. Could you call Wo? I'd prefer it if you called Wo."
"Why?" she asked finally opening her eyes to look at him.
God she was beautiful, why was she so beautiful?
Steve smoothed back her hair and tried to smile. "Because I don't trust Con with you. He's too cuddly and I don't like it. Please call Wo?"
Rowan sighed. "Alright, I'll call Wo.
"Thank you," he whispered pressing one last kiss to her lips. "I hope you feel better baby, and I'm sorry I couldn't stay."
"It really is okay, Steven."
And while he knew she meant it, it didn't make him feel better as he left her alone in that house. Not for the first time since he got shot a year ago was he second guessing his job. Because right now, he was pretty pissed off with it.