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A/N: Hello my wonderful readers! Are we ready for another fluffy cute chapter that ALSO ends with a nice little announcement? It's seems that these chapters are all happy fluffy ones… which means the chaos has to come soon, so get ready for it! Don't' forget to leave a review, or drop a fav or a follow and I'll see you guys next week!
Chapter 436
"In the case of Hui Jian against Hui Cheng and Hui Jing we find the defendants guilty…"
A roar of outrage erupted in the court room. Jian's mother started to wail, her father hung his head.
Not many people had been following this trial, it wasn't popular or being televised. The people there were friends of the couple, were people who thought Jian to be the problem due to all the lies the parents had been telling. And even with the lies being exposed, they were of the old school mind of the child does as the parent says.
For the judge and the jury to have sided with Jian was unheard of to them. But the jury had agreed, Jian was in the right and her parents were in the wrong.
The judge banged the gavel against the hard wood of the podium he was sat at to get quiet in the room.
"You are being charged with aiding in an assault, and aiding in an attempting kidnapping, and as such you will get ten years for the first count and five for the second."
Wo Fat's eyes stayed on Jian who was sitting by herself with the lawyer he had retained for her, that he had Rowan paying for.
He wanted only the best of the best for his girl.
Her parent's trial had been longer. This was the third day of deliberations. Hatachi's, which had been at the beginning of the week, was much quicker. They basically decided right away that he was guilty and he had gotten a 20 year stay in jail for kidnapping and assault.
"Punish us if you must," her mother had said earlier that morning, when their trial had reconvened from the other day. "But don't blame my baby."
So she had no idea the outcome of his trial. Wo wanted nothing more than to let her know. To look her in the eye and tell her that her son had been sentenced earlier that week, and he'd be going away a lot longer than her or her husband.
He wanted to watch that information break her. He wanted to watch her wail, collapse, or faint, or all of the above. He wanted them all to suffer and had he gotten his way they might have, properly. But he was unconscious when this plan of action had been decided on.
Had he been conscious none of them would have been alive for this trial. Hatachi in particularly.
Wo had flown in the weekend before Hatachi's trial was to start. He had told Jian that he would be there and his bosses had told him that he could go if they dealt with the new branch in Boulder City for good that time.
He was now on administrative leave again as he had dealt with it in a way that they didn't approve of. He argued that he had done as they asked, he had shut the Boulder City branch down, and because there were no survivors, it wouldn't be resurrected any time soon. They hadn't told him how they wanted it done, they had just asked it done.
If they hadn't wanted him to kill everyone involved, they should have specified.
Either way he got the time off he wanted, only because he wasn't cleared to work again yet.
He had been sticking to the back of the court room though. He knew it wouldn't look good, the scarred ex-criminal sitting there behind her. He didn't want to colour this trial, he didn't want anyone to question the legitimacy of their crimes.
They were going to jail for what they did to Jian, not because he was mildly annoyed and he rigged it so they would be gone.
Though, if it had looked like they were going to get away with it he definitely would have intervened.
The judge dismissed all concerns and complaints, and then called the trial adjourned. Her parents were officially guilty, and then were taken to the back to be escorted back to jail.
Wo Fat waited at the back for his girlfriend to be ready. He watched her thank the lawyer he had retained for her then he watched her eyes turn to him. He could see the sadness there and immediately he was steeling himself, readying himself to comfort her.
He would need to be on his A-game for this.
Just because he had a lot of practice consoling his sister didn't mean that he would console Jian right. He had learned quickly that consoling Rowan was completely different from consoling a girlfriend. For starters, most of the time if he bought Rowan something she wanted it fixed whatever she was sad about. If that didn't work, he could watch a movie with her, spend some time cuddling, and she'd be better.
Not Jian.
No Jian wanted to talk about emotions, she liked to wallow in self-depreciating pity and it would be up to him to dig her out of that hole and lift her up out of it.
Yes Ro liked to talk about her emotions too but that was mostly: "I'm upset with Steven." All he had to do is agree that Steven was a complete asshole and tell her what he'd if she'd let him, and she'd tell him no he couldn't do that, and then they'd cuddle, or watch a movie and she'd feel better.
Though he couldn't say, just shoot him anymore. He had to come up with ways to actually confront McGarrett that didn't involve pointing a weapon at him or beating him to a pulp.
Jian had walked quickly up that aisle towards him and into his arms. He held her close letting her burry her face in his chest, already she was shaking, but she wasn't crying yet. No that would come later, in the privacy of their car or their apartment.
The good news was, he knew exactly how to comfort her at this point.
"It's alright," he whispered. "It's over now…"
And it was. Or would be… until one of them got out of jail.
But until then, things were okay. They had won.
Now he just had to make sure that Jian new that too.
H5O-H5O-H5O-H5O
With the trial done, Wo Fat had taken Jain back to the apartment they owned together. As he thought, she broke down the second he shut door behind them.
He had gotten her onto the couch, wrapped her up in one of the plush blankets that Rowan recommended and then went about his cheer up routine. He had made her tea, and then heated up the wonton soup they had made together that had been cheering her up during the week. He had sat beside her, letting her curl into his side when she wanted and letting her push away when she needed to do that too.
So far it had been working, he had managed to sooth the tears, managed to almost convince her that whatever she thought about herself was wrong, but he could tell that she didn't believe him.
She still felt like she was bad daughter for going through with this criminal trial. For making her parents and her brother suffer the consequences of their actions.
She had said as much to him yet, though, so he wasn't going to bring it up. He kept to what he knew was working, at that moment she was sitting next to him, a couch cushion space between them. She had been sitting there, seemingly thinking to herself, while he was reading a book Kono had recommended him on strange cold cases throughout the world.
Kono had told him he should see if some of the cold cases in that book had been committed by him or his associates. Now he knew that had been a said as a joke, but he had already come across at least three that he knew were committed by associates of his and one that he had orchestrated.
He was actually pretty surprised that that one was still unsolved, but he wasn't going to come clean about it, just simply tell Kono in secret. He knew she wouldn't tell anyone.
Jian suddenly moved beside him, taking his attention off of the book and the passage he had just dog eared. He turned to watch her put the tea on the coffee table in front of her and then turn to him.
She had his full attention before she even turned to him.
"Wo… I've been thinking…"
"Me too."
It was true. He had been doing a lot of thinking since this had happened. The same worries had popped up and he had been thinking about what to do about it. He had come up with a plan but he wasn't sure how to approach her about it, especially with the trials coming up because he had a feeling she'd put up a fight about it.
"Yeah?"
"Yeah," he said with a nod. "I know you won't like this, but would you consider maybe… moving?"
At that Jian brightened. "That was what I was thinking actually!"
"Yeah?" he said with a smile. "Wait for me to tell you where. I was thinking… maybe we move to Hawaii."
"Okay, you've lost me," she said with a frown.
"Thought I might…"
"Wo… I was thinking that… that I'd just go to where you are? You know. You travel, can't I travel with you?"
"As much as I love that you know you can't," he said. "Jian, I'm not stable and I don't think they'll let me take you with me."
"They let Kono bring her husband."
"Yes but they like her," he said. "They're often mad at me." She hit him with a dry glare and Wo lowered his eyes. "Kono and Adam fight about it. The travelling, the her never being there even though he's going with us. That she never takes any time off, but I do… I've heard them through the walls a few times… I don't want that to be us."
He had disappointed her, he could tell, because she was now refusing to look at him. He hated that he had to do that to her, but he needed to her to see how much of a bad idea it was for her to be following him around the states.
"Not to mention I really do just move around a lot. I go where they need me, at a literal drop of a hat. And I don't mean to a house or a hotel, I'm usually in some shitty motel and… you don't deserve that… or like flying." Jian huffed a little and he reached out to her, a warm reassuring hand to her elbow. "If we move to Hawaii, you'll be with Rowan and Con, and I know, if I ask Steve he and the other Five-0s will keep an eye out for you…"
"This is because of the attack. Hitachi attacked you and now you think I need to be safe and Hawaii will be safe…"
"Well, it would be," he said. "Between Ro and Con and Steve's task force, I'd feel better about you being alone without me. Especially seeing the enemies I'm making. You… you could move your practice out there, I could buy you a beach house…"
"There's one for sale on Rowan's street… isn't there?"
She knew that he wouldn't have brought this up without having already looking into the options. Wo Fat was the only planner in a family full of impulsive decision makers.
"There uh… there is," he admitted. "I already put in an offer. I know it's not ideal, it's not what you want, but at least… if I'm not there, you won't be alone."
Jian sighed. "Not sure I want to be neighbours with your sister, but I'm guessing you do."
"I kind of like idea, yes," he said and when she pinned him with a dray glare he frowned. "Alright, I really like the idea. But I also like it because Con also lives on that street."
"Alright… and say I agree… you'd be able to come visit me more often?"
"It would definitely be easier. And if Rowan holds me hostage again you just have to walk five minutes to come rescue me."
"Oh, we're that close?"
"It's five houses down from Ro, and Con is across the street and one down."
"Yeah. That's close."
"Yes, but I made sure you were closer to Con then Ro cause I know you don't really like her all that much…"
"I never said that."
"I know she annoys you and you're still suspect of her relationship with me," he said and she huffed because he was right and they both knew it. "And you'll be on the island for the next Pacific Art Forum. I may not have the inside deal anymore, but I'm sure Rowan does. She's the famous one in the family."
"Oh, yes, that is a perk," she said. "There's just one last thing."
"Okay?"
"This house… do you think it'll have enough room for a nursery?"
"There's three bedrooms and two baths, spacious kitchen and living room. Kinda like the McGarrett set up but I think it's classier. It's uh… it's all black with silver trim on the inisde, so it's very me… us… you can decorate all the rooms, anyway you want, I won't care. So, yeah, you can have an office, a guest room, a gym, anything you want really…"
Jian waited for him to get it but he didn't. He just stared at her like that answered her question. But she wasn't asking a question really.
"Wo… I'm trying to tell you…" she paused, his eyes found hers but she could see that she was going to have to spell this out. "Wo… the nursery… I… I'm pregnant."
Wo Fat stared at her for a moment and then quickly stood up. "You're uh…" "—Pregnant, yes." "You are? Okay. Uh… with… my…" "—obviously it's yours. And don't you even dare ask me if I'm being unfaithful I will slap you silly."
Wo Fat blinked his eyes. "I'm not sure that's fair…"
"Well, have you been unfaithful?"
"No," he said right away, because it was true.
"And I trust you. I say I haven't been either. You have to trust me too."
Though the expression on his face didn't change, she could tell that he didn't quite believe her. "Okay, I can do that."
Jian pinned him with a dry glare. "You're going to ask your sister to look with her void sense thing aren't you?"
"Not sure that matters..."
"Wo. I just told you that you're going to be a father and you haven't said anything positive. In fact you've chosen to insult me instead. You don't even look happy."
"That's because I'm panicking."
"Why?"
That one question was what set him off. He stepped away from her, around their coffee table and then began to pace. Jian found herself at the edge of her seat because she knew that bolting would be the next move he made if she couldn't calm him down.
"Jian I'm a sociopath… I never wanted… I'm not going to be a good dad, I am literally not wired to be a good father."
"That's not true."
"I don't have regular people emotions… or morals or…"
"You're a good dad to Ro and Con."
Wo shot her a bit of a glare at that. "No, they're my siblings I did absolutely no raising. They were fucked up before I got them so I couldn't really make it worse… and I'm pretty sure anything I feel for Rowan's a fluke. And I frequently fluctuate between liking and hating Con…"
"And what about me? Us? Our relationship?"
"I fuck this up on a regular basis. Honestly I'm surprised you've stayed, you have the patience of a saint and…"
"Are you hyper ventilating?" she asked because she had never seen him that panicked before. She stood when she realized that she wasn't going to be able to calm him down, but that just made him back up more.
"Oh my god! I can't do this. I'm going to fuck this kid up! You're going to leave …"
"Wo! Calm down!"
She reached out for him but he shied away from her hands. A strange croak came out of his mouth that sounded an awful lot like a call for his sister.
He wouldn't call his sister, he wouldn't do that right now. Not when they were talking about their future.
She wanted the chance to talk this out with him, she wanted to fix this, just them together, but there was a static hiss and the door opened. Jian didn't have to turn but there she was. Rowan. Baby bump more than prominent than ever. A confused glare on her face.
She wasn't supposed to be using the void, ever since she got pregnant she had said she would stop using it, promised even. And yet that had not stopped her.
"Why?" Jian groaned to her.
"He called for me," she said pointing at Wo would was staring at her. "What's wrong? Why does it look like he's panicking?"
Jian hated that Rowan could look at Wo and just know what the man was feeling. She doubted that she even looked at the void for this.
"He's fine," Jian said, she tried to reach out for him but he had seen the exit and was rushing for it.
"Nope. No. Not alright."
Jian lurched to stop him and got him by the jacket. "No. No running."
"What is happening?" Rowan asked. "Why is he running? What's he freaking out about?"
"Do you have a portal open?" she heard Steve ask somewhere in the house behind her. "Rowan!"
"He's panicking!" Rowan cried back and then Steve was behind her, gun drawn.
"Who? Danny? Nahele?" he asked and then paused when he saw Wo. "Oh… uh… why?"
Wo, who had been trying to twist out of Jian's grip, shrugged off his jacket and stormed for the portal. Steve watched him come towards him. "Hey you okay?"
"No!"
He barged through the doorway, shouldered past them both leaving Rowan and Steve confused.
Rowan's head whipped back and forth between Wo's retreating back and Jian and then, before Jian could stop her she slammed the door shut.
Jian was left all alone. And absolutely furious.
H5O-H5O-H5O-H5O
Wo sat with his head in his hands, a cup of tea he had ignored sitting beside the glass of whiskey Rowan had refilled twice now. He was still shaking, still worried, still absolutely terrified.
After Rowan had shut the portal she had found Wo Fat pacing her living room and then shooed Steve out, assuming that Wo Fat wouldn't want to share if Steve were there.
She was right, but that didn't mean that Steve wasn't pissed off about getting kicked out of his own house. She could feel his strings vibrating angrily and she knew she'd have to make it up to him somehow.
But first she had to managed to calm Wo Fat down.
"Okay. So. She's pregnant," Rowan said again. Like reminding him was going to make him more calm. "And you're worried you're going to mess the kid up."
"Obviously, Ro."
"Okay, but why?"
Wo turned a dry glare to her. "Because I'm a sociopath. You know this. I have no comprehension of right and wrong, I don't understand people's emotions, I don't even have emotions and despite trying to be more human, I still fuck it up. Which means I'm going to fuck up with the kid. It's basically guaranteed."
"You did fine with me."
That earned her a strange look from him.
"Ro, you're not my kid. You know that right? That I'm not your dad?" he asked. Rowan hit him with a dry glare of her own but he simply held her gaze.
"Yes, I know that," she said with a sniff. "I was just saying… you're fine with me. And I'm pretty childish as you like to remind me…"
"You are, but it's not the same thing. You were fucked up before I got to you, couldn't really make it worse, you know?"
"You kidnapped me. Held me prisoner and eventually shot me. Yes, you really could have."
"I've made that up to you. I've been better... I really don't like that you keep throwing that in my face."
"That is not throwing it in your face, it is a gentle reminder that yes, yes you could have messed me up furthr. And let's be honest, you're lucky I'm fucked up as is, cause the Year of Deceit would have really fucked with me if I wasn't already dealing with more pressing shit."
"I explained why that happened…"
"You did," she conceded. "Doesn't change that that sort of stuff royally fucks up normal people and could have royally fucked me up too."
"Great, so I'm not even doing that great with you," he muttered and she put out a hand to his knee.
"You did a good job with me, don't worry," she assured him. "Wo, this is normal. This whole… worrying about what's going to happen with the kid? Every parent worries about that."
"Are you worried?"
"Of course I am," she said without a second of hesitation. "Wo, there's a chance this kid could end up a mini version of me. Or a combination of my craziness and Steve's… well… everything… could you imagine a version of me that had Steve's determination and willingness to jump into danger head long?"
"Yeah that sounds terrifying!"
"You're right, my mom messed me up trying to manage my sociopathic tendencies. I don't want that to happen to my kid. But then what if I over compensate? Will my other kids feel left out?"
"You want to have more kids?"
"Well yeah, Wo. I want at least one more." Wo Fat sat back again, sighing as he went. "Didn't you ever talk about this stuff with Jian?"
"No."
"Course you didn't," she whispered. "Well… how about you. You never wanted to try for a male heir?"
"No," he said. "I'm a horrible person. I didn't want to hand my own issues down to a child. Also the thought of being of father didn't really appeal to me."
"What about now? You love Jian, I know you do. Does loving her change things?"
Wo Fat seemed to think it over. "I don't know… I guess it should…"
"You don't know?"
"I don't know Ro… she told me she was pregnant and I went into a blind panic. Didn't have time to feel anything else," he said. Then he turned to her. "Do your strings say if it's mine?"
Rowan reached out right away and just wacked him. "What a horrible thing to ask me!" she cried. "I don't need strings to know if it's yours…"
"Is that because you checked already because you knew she was pregnant."
Rowan's righteous indignation deflated. "Yeah."
"You're a piece of shit, why didn't you warn me?" he cried.
"Because. A lot of what I know, I'm not supposed to know. They're not my secrets to tell…"
"You saw a version where you telling me meant Jian would be mad at you and you didn't want to deal with it," Wo said dryly and Rowan winced.
"That and Steve's been really on me to not use the void and I didn't want to have to explain how I knew."
Yeah that was pretty typical for her.
Wo Fat sighed again. Long and heavy. Now that the panic was starting to wear off, there was something underneath it all. He was assuming it was worry, but maybe…
"I guess I might be a little excited," Wo said after a moment of contemplation. "It's mostly worry, but… I mean… maybe I'll be lucky and whatever kid we have will be exactly like his mother. And… well… I'm not around much, as is. Maybe it won't matter?"
"My dad wasn't around…"
"Okay, yeah, but Jian's not going to be like your mom. She'll be good at it."
Rowan smiled patiently at him. "Yes, she probably will be… and because parenting is supposed to be a team effort…"
"You think that'll even out my shitty parenting?" he asked.
"Wo, whether you want to admit it or not, you are somewhat good at being good. I know you falter sometimes, but I know you mostly think you're helping."
"Yes, and I don't. I usually make things worse. Or it gets done but with extreme violence, which I've been told is not helpful."
"Not true. You've helped me so many times, very nicely, and not violently."
"Name one time."
Rowan sat for a bit. Yeah, that's what he thought, there wasn't anything she could think of. But after a moment she perked up.
"Okay, the Year of Deceit. You took me all over the world. You did touristing things with me. You cuddled me every time I was sad or had a nightmare. You are always there if I need someone to listen to, and you barely even threaten Steve with violence when I'm ranting anymore."
"No, I tell you to divorce him," Wo said. "Because I know that'll hurt him more than me physically hurting him."
"Still. You are supportive, of both me and Con," she said. "You even try to be supportive for Steven, you don't like it but you do it for me. This is all amazing growth… you know?"
"So you think I could do this?" he asked. "You think I could be a dad and not irrevocable fuck my child up?"
"Yes."
"And… If I asked… would you help?"
Rowan's eyes narrowed at him. "Yeah, don't know why you have to ask that…"
"What about Steve?" Wo said cutting her off, because he knew she'd help him, but Steve… now that was a toss-up.
"I'm sure if you ask him he would. But… what do you need his help with?"
Wo Fat looked up at his sister, steeling himself for what would be a flurry of excitement and squealing and hugs, all of which he managed to avoid when he announced he pregnancy to her because he was clearly too panicked to be excited yet. But this announcement… he was going to get all the emotional excitement he was due.
And he needed to be mentally prepared for it.
"I may or may not have put in an offer for the house down the street. I'll be moving her into and I want Steve to agree to check in on her, so she's not always dealing with you."
He waited, in the heavy silence between him and Rowan and then watched that smile spread across her face.
She had him in a hug a second later, her squeal supersonic in his ear and Wo Fat sighed. Well at least she was excited.
He had a feeling Steve wouldn't be.
H5O-H5O-H5O-H5O
Was Steve mad?
Yes.
His pregnant wife had kicked him out of his own house because his brother-in-law was having some kind of meltdown.
He had first sat on the lanai, but it had been depressing sitting there staring into the house through the window like some orphan on Christmas. So he had gone to sit in his beach chairs, hoping the lull of the ocean might calm him down.
Steve wasn't stupid. Wo Fat was clearly freaked out about something. He figured whatever it was, it was big. Like a danger to Rowan's health, kind of big. And if that were the case… well… he was fine with Wo taking his wife and putting her in a safe house.
And that was big, cause he never thought he'd get to that point, but his wife was pregnant. She couldn't run, or get in a fight, and he sure as hell didn't want her to have to use her powers. So if a safe house kept her safe from whatever bullshit Wo had gotten himself into now, he'd be fine with it.
He'd be going with her though, so Wo better be prepared for that.
Someone behind him cleared their throat, Steve already knew it was going to be Wo Fat, he wasn't sure how he snuck up on him, but he blamed the roar of the surf. Calm day or not, it was still loud. He pinned the man with a dry glare, as if to say: "Well… what the fuck buddy?"
Wo Fat just stared at him, so Steve gestured to the chair beside him and then waited for Wo Fat to sit down.
"Everything good?" he asked once Wo was sitting down. He noted that Rowan was hovering at the back door. It looked like the meltdown was over, and it was now up to Wo Fat to explain to Steve what was going to happen.
Neither looked too panicked though, so he doubted this was urgent. This better not have been some sort of trivial relationship drama. Steve didn't want his pregnant wife having to have been worried and stressed out because Wo Fat was incapable of having a normal human relationship with anyone other than his sister.
Wo Fat took in that suspicious glare and glanced back to Rowan, almost pleadingly. But Rowan just shook her head and waved him forward.
Rolling his eyes he turned back and cleared his throat once more. His eyes focused on something just over Steve's shoulders. "I need to ask for a favour."
Oh was that all? It was rare that Wo Fat asked for favours. In fact his last one had been to about his deal with the CIA, and asking Steve to give him a good reference or, at least, let him work on Five-0.
"Sure?"
"Kay… so… Jian's pregnant," he stated but Steve just smiled and tried to clap a hand to his shoulder. Wo Fat hadn't been expecting it and flinched. He even slapped the hand away.
"I was just trying to congratulate you," Steve said with a frown.
"Sorry reflex," Wo Fat said.
Steve's eyebrows furrowed at him. "So this freak out? It's about Jian being pregnant?"
"Uh… yes…"
"Why? What are you worried about? That it's not yours?"
It was stupid, but it sounded like something that Wo Fat would be worried about.
"No, I know she's been faithful," she said with a frown. "I guess… I mean… you know me, do you really think I'd make a good father?"
Steve seemed to think about it before saying: "Maybe before Rowan, I'd say no. But you did a pretty good job with her so…"
Wo Fat threw his hands up in frustration. "Okay, why does everyone keep pointing that out? She is my sister not my daughter!"
"I know that, but considering who you were before you met her and how you are with her now… I'd say you have the capability of being a good father. Because well… you did a good job taking care of her…"
"Yes, because she's a mini version of me. This will be an infant that will no doubt learn to be exactly like me from me."
"Well, there's studies that say that sociopathy is genetically inherited so there's a good chance your kid's going to be predisposition to it… and uh… mine too so…"
"Great just great," Wo Fat snapped and then really looked at Steve. "Are you worried?"
"About my kid ending up like Rowan?" Steve asked and when Wo nodded, he did too. "Yeah, but a lot of Rowan's problem stem from her childhood, I just gotta not mess that up but like… I still worry about you know… even if I try hard not to, what if I fuck up anyway?"
"You're worried about messing up your kid too?"
"I mean, look at my parents. All my mom does is lie, my dad hid everything from me to protect me, sent me away… for the longest time I thought he just didn't… I guess love me or want me around… what if I make my kid feel the same way?"
"Ro's worried too, you know. About the sociopath thing," he whispered.
"I know, her and I have talked about it," Steve admitted. "Danny say it's normal to worry about your kid. About whether or not you're going to mess them up."
"Normal," he echoed, his voice low, reverent even. Wo Fat had heard it from 3 different people at this point, that worrying about how you raise your kid was normal, it couldn't be a fluke then.
"Are you feeling better now?" he asked.
"A little actually, thanks, but uh… I did come out here for a reason."
"You did? Okay, what's up?"
"Uhm… I was hoping… since she's pregnant and I'm not… home or even in the country…"
"You want me to babysit her?" Steve asked, cutting him off.
"Kay, I don't mean sit on her, I just mean watch out for her? You know?"
"From Hawaii?"
"He's moving her here," Rowan called from the house and Steve blinked his eyes.
"Like to our house? Or on our street?"
"Our house until the house across from Con's is ready for them to move into," she called and Wo Fat nodded.
Steve nodded. "Wow, the neighbourhood is getting real… familiar… you know? It's a little weird."
Wo Fat took in a deep breath as if Steve had said no. "Look… after everything I've done…"
"Calm yourself," Steven said before Wo Fat could say anymore. "Of course, if you bring her down, we'll all look out for her. But uh… I'm guessing we're asking me because Jian gets annoyed with Ro quickly?" Wo Fat just had to nod at him. "Yeah, makes sense, she Ro means well, but she might drive her nuts if she spends a lot of time with her."
"Jian's also not too pleased about the move, but it would make me feel better if I knew she was somewhere I considered safe, you know?"
Steve almost puffed up in pride. Before there was no way that Wo Fat would consider him being a safe space, not for Rowan and definitely not his girlfriend. But times had changed for both of them, they had started trusting each other a bit more.
"I get that, I do," Steve said. "Seriously, out of everyone, I'd be the one who gets that Wo. And I promise, it won't just be me, I'll get all of Five-0 on the whole checking up your Jian, so you know… she's not always with Rowan."
A relieved smile spread across Wo Fat's face. "Oh thank god, that would be great. Cause I really think she might kill my sister if she's left alone with her for too long…"
Yeah Steve wouldn't let that happen, but he smiled at Wo Fat. "Don't worry. I've got this."
"That should make me feel better, but you've said that a lot about Rowan and you never did…"
"Yeah but she's not Rowan…"
Wo Fat nodded. "Yeah that's true."
"Yeah, don't look at Rowan as the baseline, she's unpredictable and doesn't listen to anyone," Steve said, causing Wo Fat to sort of snort. After a moment Steve clapped a hand to the man's shoulder and this time he didn't flinch or slap him away. "Seriously though, congratulations."
Wo Fat hit him with a bit of a smile and a soft thank you.
Was Steve happy that his previous nemesis and now brother-in-law would be moving in down the street? No, but he wasn't pissed off about it.
Maybe having Wo Fat closer would help him manage Rowan too.
He doubted it, but it was nice to think it might be true.
H5O-H5O-H5O-H5O
Jian was sitting in their apartment seething, and crying. Mostly seething, but crying was also happening. She was just so damn angry he did this to her. That he left, that he wasn't happy about their baby. What kind of man didn't care that he was going to become a father?
The kind that had no emotions.
She knew that might be an issue, him being the way he was, not being able to emotionally connect, but she was willing to make up for that. He just needed to try. To stand beside her and try to be a good father.
He could for his siblings, why couldn't he do it for her?
Static skated through the apartment, and she immediately turned to figure out which door he'd be coming through.
The door to their room opened up and he stepped through. Jian was already off the couch to move towards him.
Sometimes, when she was angry and coming towards him, he'd get confused. He'd mistake that anger for excitement, and open his arms up for a hug. This time he did not do that.
He stared at her, guilt written all over his features waiting for the berating he was going to get.
And she was ready to give it to him.
"You left me!" she shouted at him. Wo Fat simply nodded at her and that made her all the more angry. "You actually left me here. I have just hard the hardest day of my life and I wanted one happy thing to have, to make it better. Telling you I'm pregnant was supposed to be that thing and you left me!"
"I know…"
"For your fucking sister!"
"Okay, not for my sister, but I did call her for help," he said.
"And she just showed up!" she cried. "She just… you didn't even scream her name, you like whispered it and she knew to come!"
"Yes, Ro's good like that. She uhm… she can sense our strings, everyone she cares about, she can feel their strings. Steve, Nahele, me and Con," he said. "It's usually how she knows to show up before we get in trouble, she can tell when it's about to happen. Like a tremor. It's a full jolt if we call for her though."
Jian had not known that. That was new information. And it momentarily distracted her.
"That's… do you think she does that for me?"
"I mean, probably," he said with a shrug. "Do you want to try?"
She did, but she needed to remember that she was mad at him.
"No," she snapped. "I'm still mad at you for leaving me!"
Wo Fat nodded again. "And I'm sorry, I am, I just… I never thought I'd be here…"
"You had to realize that I'd want kids at some point," she said to him and he sighed.
"You know I hadn't really thought about it…"
"So that's it, you don't want to have kids? We're going to what? End our relationship here? I assume you'll have your sister pay your child support?"
Wo Fat scowled at her. "The dig at my finances was not appreciated," he said sharply and she found herself almost apologizing. As if he deserved it. "Can you listen to me please? I know I don't deserve it but can you just… listen?"
"Fine," she snapped. She whirled away from him, heading back to the couch. She threw herself down, hating that he chose to sit beside her, and yet, also loving that he sat beside her because she really wanted a hug.
Pride was keeping her from asking for that hug, mainly because she was blaming the stress of the situation and baby hormones kicking in early for being so emotional at that moment.
He got settled on that couch beside her and then really looked at her.
"I love you," he said and her heart lurched into her mouth. "I love you and I don't want to lose you but the fact of the matter is I'm a sociopath. I have never been able to feel the correct emotions. Never. You seem to think that because I'm good with my sister that'll make me a good dad, but Jian, the only reason I'm good with Ro is cause she's a sociopath just like me."
Yes, yes she knew that.
"That doesn't mean I don't want to have a kid with you, it doesn't mean that I'm not happy, it just means I'm terrified. Terrified I'll ruin a child the same way I was ruined, I don't want to do that, but I don't know if I'll be able to stop myself…"
"Wo," she said softly but he shook his head.
"I talked it over with my sister…" as she as she groaned he winced. "Stop it, she helps and you know it. I talked it over with Rowan and with Steven and found out that both of them have the same fears. And, well, Steve had an unconventional childhood, yes, but he had parents who loved him, so that surprised me. But. Apparently the feelings of utter terror are normal, and that every parent worries that they're going mess up their kid. Apparently if you don't worry about that, then you have problems. So that was very soothing for me…"
"Wo…" she tried again but he too just shook his head again.
"So, yes, I'm sorry I ran, I'm sorry I panicked, but this is a big deal, it's very important and I was very worried I wouldn't be able to do it right. But… if you stay… uhm… if you stay, if you're here to help me, I can't mess it up that much right?"
She was literally starting to cry, she couldn't help it. Because she was really seeing it now. The scared little boy that hadn't gotten a shred of love growing up, that was desperate to have a family, to be loved, was showing.
"Yes, I'll be here with you," she said softly and a smile broke out on his face
He slowly came off the couch, and then slowly came to kneel in front of her. "Can you forgive me then? For running? I know it was cowardly of me, but honestly…"
"You panicked, yes I noticed," she said. "Yes, I forgive you."
"Good, then you can have this now," he said and he pulled a little ring box out of his pocket. "I really hate that none of these moments have been romantic, but I want you to have it."
Inside was a little ruby ring, with little diamonds imbedded in the ovals that made up the band. It even had a crown of diamonds crowning the top and the bottom of the stone.
When had he gotten that? Had he been carrying around the whole time? Or had he gone to Hawaii and bought a ring? He had bought the ring right?
And while she wanted the answer to all of those questions, that wasn't the one she asked him.
"You couldn't propose properly?"
"Do you want me to?" he asked. "I don't want you to think that it's because of the baby."
"Is it?"
"No," he said. "I picked this ring a couple of months ago, shortly after Ro told you I was planning on doing it. It's custom you know."
Well at least she knew it wasn't stolen, or something he bought right that afternoon.
"It's very pretty."
"I would like to marry you before the baby arrives, though," he admitted. "But I'm also willing to wait, entirely up to you."
"I want a proper romantic proposal…" "—Alright, give it back." "… No," she cried tucking the ring box to her chest.
"Alright," he said with a nod of his head. "Will I get it back when I want to propose?"
"Yes."
"Good," he said softly. She took the ring out of the box and handed it to him, before then offering her own hand.
He caught the implication and slipped the ring onto her finger for her. He let her sit there and admire how it sat on her finger before scooting a little closer to her.
"Are we still good on moving you? Cause if you have my baby I'm going to want it extra protected."
"Yes I will move to Hawaii," she said with a sigh and a relieved grin spread across Wo Fat's face.
"Oh good. Cause I made Steve promise, he and the Five-0s will help."
"Not your sister? Just Steven and his coworkers?"
"I don't have to ask Ro, that's just a given."
She smiled a little bit at him. "I guess I'm just not used to having a family, or people to look out for me."
"Yeah, it takes some time to get used to, but uh… it's actually not that bad," he said. "Steve said the Five-0's will look in from time to time so you don't have to spend all your time with Ro. I know she kind of annoys you…"
"She is a bit much, but that's not why I'm annoyed with her and you know it."
"Yes, because I make you feel like you come second to her," he said and she nodded. "You uh… you and Steve can bitch about that. I'm sure he feels the same way about me."
Her lips twitched back and forth as she really looked down at him. "I'm worried that your favouritism will be… more apparent, if I live there, Wo."
"Yeah, but you also might get to see why I'm like that," he said. "Because trust me, you haven't actually see how chaotic and disastrous my sister can really get."
"Oh no?"
"No, you think that first time you jumped with her was the worst situation she's been through? No it was the torturing, but that first you jumped with her, that's like the typical kind of chaos she gets into, sometimes she gets into worse stuff trying to help Steve with his cases."
"She's really that bad?"
"She's mellowed out a bit since she got married, but honestly… yeah."
That earned him a "Huh," from her. She sat there beside him for a moment before she eventually said: "Do you really think she'd come for me if I called?"
He nodded and a sort of strange smile spread across her face. An excited sort of smile, and he only had to wait a few seconds before she tried it out.
A short bark of: "Rowan!" came out of her and then she turned towards the door that excited smile on her face that only widened when the static erupted in their apartment and the door swung open.
Jian clapped happily as Rowan glared them down. "What's the problem now?" she asked but Jian was clearly ecstatic that she actually came for her.
Wo Fat just smiled. This could work, he'd have his family in one place, he'd have them all safe, and he wouldn't have to worry nearly as much.
He could do this. He had all the back-up he needed, all the support a man could have.
He definitely could do this. He just had to keep telling himself that, and eventually that would be true.