Cujo IV – The Fence Rabbit Rises
Chapter 1 – The Visitors
Here we go again. Thanks to the miracles of fan fiction, this takes place when all SO's, wives and etcetera are still present and among the living. References to events and characters in previous outings but I don't think it's necessary to read them first. I hope you enjoy it and that you'll let me know what you think.
Imaginary Beta has done her usual none too accurate job. If you spot anything that needs correcting please let me know.
Disclaimer: Once more putting out words for absolutely no monetary return though in my dreams they've earned me a trip to a magical place where two incredibly attractive men await and . . . oh yeah . . . I look like Angelina Jolie.
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Armed and ready for combat, he moved stealthily from behind the box to creep forward. This was going to be an easy take-down. His target stood with his back to him peering at something on the other side of the room and had no idea what was coming. It had been a long wait but patience was one of his many talents . . . that and being able to twist his body into impossible positions.
"Hey! Knock it off dammit! No warfare in the office! I thought we had a deal!"
Rats!
Barely managing not to launch himself upward in startled surprise, the little cat squawked in annoyance then sat as if he'd planned on doing so all along. If cats could roll their eyes, he would have done it. As the man who'd interrupted his attack approached, Cujo twitched his tail, chirped, and then walked off in a feline huff.
David Matsui whirled to face his rescuer, one Detective Danny Williams, and chuckled, "Was I almost part of your puma's lunch menu?" he asked as the small grey cat trotted off down the hallway that branched off the main office where they stood.
"Hey, don't imply that rabid wolverine is mine; he's McGarrett's alter ego. Other than maintaining a fragile truce, I have nothing to do with the little shithead's campaign to obliterate humankind."
Dave laughed at the indignant avowal of non-ownership. "Well, thanks for the rescue. I just got these new socks and don't want holes in them yet, not to mention holes in my ankles."
The Governor's aide pulled up his pant leg to display his pricey argyles for the detective to admire. He knew that Williams was one of the few people on the island other than Governor Denning who appreciated high-end men's fashion.
"Nice." said Danny admiringly as he gazed at the knitted marvels. He'd always liked Dave's sense of style. The man knew how to coordinate a decent wardrobe, (unlike someone he knows who buys his eight in a pack at Walmart). The tie-wearing detective considered it downright depressing to live on an island whose population thought the donning of shoes and socks was to be saved for formal occasions.
"Yeah, Warren gave 'em to me for our anniversary . . . among other things." he said with what the blonde thought could be a suggestive smile.
"Don't even go there! What is it with you people?" he exclaimed gesturing toward Steve's office where, through the glass, they could see Five-0's leader standing face to face with his not-my-girlfriend Lt. Catherine Rollins. She'd stopped by on her way to Pearl to see her not-my-boyfriend even though they'd no doubt been in each other's company only hours earlier. The two appeared to be engaged in staring soulfully into each other's eyes which was within their self-imposed limits of PDA in the workplace.
"You guys seem to think I'm interested in hearing about your love lives. Believe me, I'm not."
"Danny!" admonished Dave with twinkling eyes, "I was just going to say that he also gave me a very handsome Hugo Boss shirt and a very nice coordinating tie. Get your mind out of the gutter."
As a suspicious flush crept over the blonde's face he snorted and said, "Well, at least your husband has an excellent sense of style."
Steve's door had opened a moment earlier and a camo clad Catherine made her departure with a quick wave and smile toward the two men standing in the outer office. Steve stood watching her jog toward the exit before turning toward them.
"Who's Hugo Boss?" he asked as he came to stand before them arms crossed over chest in typical pose. "And why is Danny's mind in the gutter . . . again?"
"Don't answer him Dave." said Danny rolling his eyes, "Unless Hugo Boss has a line of designer holsters and ammo belts, the information will be lost on the Neanderthal anyway."
"Hey, Steve." greeted the Governor's aide. "I was just dropping off that information on Denning's pet case."
"Thanks for bringing it over." said Steve as he took the file from Matsui's hand and opened the manila folder. With a frown he paged briefly through the information therein then snorted almost dismissively before he closed it and tucked it under his arm. "Haven't had much of a chance to talk to you or your partner . . . err husband," he corrected, "in the last few months. How's married life agreeing with you guys? I've only seen the lieutenant once or twice since the wedding and we didn't really have time to talk."
"Actually, Warren's been on deployment for the last three months. He just got back last week and we're just settling back into domesticity. As I was telling Danny, we just celebrated our six-month anniversary."
"Congratulations." smiled Steve, "When this case is over and done with we'll invite the whole gang for a case-closed barbeque. I'm looking forward to seeing him again he's a great guy."
"He always had the best to say about you too Steve. Again, I can't thank you enough for introducing us to each other." replied Matsui
Just then Cujo who'd been off somewhere unseen, thundered past at a velocity that would seem to indicate his tail was on fire.
"DORIS." knowingly announced both Steve and Danny as the three men watched the little cat streak away across the granite floor; losing traction while rounding a corner and caroming off a door frame before disappearing from view.
"So, you want me to relay any encouraging message to the boss?" asked Dave as he spied the woman he knew to be McGarrett's mother pulling open the heavy glass door and approaching across the tile; the tall woman's heels clicking loudly on its surface.
"Pretty much just the standard patter I'm afraid. Just tell him we've made the case our priority and when anything new comes up he'll be the first one notified." said Steve as he turned toward the woman approaching them.
"Will do." said Matsui as he smiled toward Doris while nodding in greeting, "Mrs. McGarrett."
She smiled in return then stopped in front of her son to give him a quick peck on the cheek. This display of motherly affection was a bit startling to Matsui. Rather than having been born from the middle of a fiery volcano or, at the very least, birthed by a grizzly, to see the fierce SEAL with his real life flesh-and-blood mommy was just so . . . normal.
"Nice to see you again Doris." said Danny just a bit tightly before gesturing toward his office, "Gotta go write up that report before your son cracks the whip. I'll leave you kids alone." He had no intention of engaging in conversation with the woman who at best annoyed the crap out of him and at worst, mother or not, was absolute poison to his partner. "See ya later Dave." he called over his shoulder as he walked away.
Matsui a bit surprised at the blonde's sudden departure, caught the tense expression as he walked by him on the way toward his office. Apparently, the detective wasn't all that pleased to have his friend's mother present. Hmm.
The Governor's aide excused himself to get back to work as well. Nodding and smiling to each in turn he said "Steve, Ma'am, I also have to get back to work before the Governor sends someone to look for me. It seems he doesn't understand the need to actually get out of the office to see the sun every once in a while and, you know, speak face to face with other human beings." (Especially such attractive ones), mentally added Matsui. He'd long admired the Commander from afar – but that was before he'd been introduced to Warren. It was all history now.
"Do you need a note from your teacher?" teased Doris
"Maybe that and a laminated hall-pass." laughed the handsome aide as he backed a couple steps toward the exit before giving a sloppy salute and turning to walk toward it.
Turning with a frown to address the woman standing next to him, "What's going on?" asked Steve puzzled as to why his mother would be making an appearance in the middle of the day or you know, at all.
"Can't I just come by to visit my son?"
…..
As the afternoon wore on and paperwork had been completed it was still a couple hours before the official end of their workday. Nothing new had been discovered on the case referred to them by the Governor. Chin and Kono had checked-in an hour ago to say they were still pursuing that lead on the North Shore but had so far discovered nothing of any relevance.
During their last phone conversation Kono had asked, "Boss, if there's no reason for us to return to H.Q. before quitting time, you mind if we just go home from here?" Steve acquiesced. Everything was quiet and no new cases were in the pipeline so there was no reason to even bother to return to the office. He told her they were free to go home for the day if there was nothing more to discover at their current location.
He smiled at her response. She'd enthusiastically replied there was time to catch a few waves before dinner and maybe she could talk Chin into it as well.
Soon as he'd ended the call, Five-0's leader texted his second-in-command to tell him whenever he finishes that last small bit of paperwork on his desk, he was free to go home as well. Even though Danny's office was only a few feet from his own, he didn't feel like talking right now. Steve was certain the sometimes annoyingly observant man had noticed he'd been sitting in his office since Doris had left and other than to let the cat in or out hadn't even opened the door for hours. Danny would have too many questions. He wanted to head them off by not actually speaking to him in person but the vain hope was soon dashed.
"Well, it was worth a try." he said tiredly to the cat who drowsily blinked yellow eyes in response before answering with a sleepy chirp and a yawn. He turned his head toward the man he could now see was approaching the door.
His human had said something and it wasn't 'Are you hungry?' or 'Do you want to go outside?' He didn't know what it meant but felt the need to answer back. Humans were confusing sometimes and the tall man did not sound happy. Maybe a game of chase would make him happy? The little cat considered getting up from his comfy bed in the wire box. Maybe later. There was a nap to get back to.
…..
Danny had heard the tone that signaled an incoming text and picked his cell up from where it sat next to the laptop. He frowned when he noted its originator. He could see Steve's office from his own and saw his partner hunched over his own laptop and ignoring him. Their leader had been quiet all day . . . quiet for even him . . . and hadn't set foot out of his office for several hours. He knew there must be something weighing on the SEAL's mind. If the stubborn man wouldn't come to him, he was prepared to make a visit to the glass-walled space that had been zipped-up like Granny Galluzzi's girdle since Doris had left. The detective was very much aware the texted message meant his friend wasn't in the mood for conversation but that had never stopped him before.
Five minutes later, Danny affixed his signature to the last form and stapled the sheet to the others to toss into the out-basket. Yawning, he picked up his coffee cup before his OCD boss could say something about leaving a dirty mug on his desk, (and he would bitch), the detective went toward the break-room to wash it out before packing up for the day.
Having to pass Steve's office on the way, he knocked and then without waiting for a response, pushed open the door. His partner now sat staring vacantly out the window; a pile of forms still sitting in the middle of his blotter and rather than completed paperwork there was a small lump of fur lying in the wire out-basket on the corner of his desk.
"Hey Rambo" he greeted as he leaned against the doorframe. The cat woke and blinked up at him before yawning mightily; displaying needle sharp fangs – the ones that in the past had too often been put to use on his own flesh.
"Hey Danny. You headin' out? Not much reason to stick around. Chin and Kono are just going to go home from where they've been for most of the day on the North Shore."
"Yup, I'm taking you up on your generous texted offer to get out of here a little earlier than usual. My butt fell asleep hours ago and if I never see another friggin' form, I'll be a happy man, or certainly a man without writer's cramp."
Steve smiled, "I thought you were the one who was on my case about filling out the forms electronically instead of doing them by hand?"
"Yeah, I had this wild and completely irrational thought that maybe, since you were having such a hard time sitting there with pen and paper long enough to actually complete your paperwork, it would be faster if you just did it on the computer and you wouldn't have to be cooped-up for quite so long which means you'd have no excuse to wander off or, you know, go up in a puff of smoke or something."
"You know, I still have no idea how you can get out so many words without taking a breath." Steve held up his hand to prevent Danny's protest, "But, as far as doing this stuff on the computer, it only makes me want to throw the laptop out the window instead of a pen."
Danny abandoned his retort to the implication of long-windedness to say, "Yeah, well, I still have hope for you Steven. Despite your industrial strength ADD, you somehow managed to get an education and then made it all the way to SEAL school so I know you can do it."
Steve only gave him a mildly annoyed look as though his heart wasn't really in it before he shifted a little uncomfortably in his chair. Either his posterior had fallen asleep as well or the SEAL was preparing to say something about which he was maybe having second thoughts. Danny could easily read the signs.
"Danny?"
"Yeah?"
"Do think you're much like your parents?"
Slightly taken aback by the strange and out-of-context question, the detective answered it anyway, "Yeah, I guess. You've met them. I've got my dad's coloring and my mom's temperament; unfortunately her height too but no cracks okay."
"Yeah, I guess you do look like your dad." muttered Steve almost to himself; not even acknowledging Danny's warning about height jokes.
"Yes, I guess I do . . . where's this question going if I may ask or, you know, where did it come from?" inquired Danny as he set down his cup and then parked his now recovered posterior on the corner of Steve's desk.
"It's just a question. It's not going anywhere." was the subdued response.
"Really Steven? I know that you, of all people, don't just ask random questions without there being a reason behind it."
"Like I said, just a question. No particular reason for asking it. I'm just bored I guess. It really is time to get outta here."
"Uh huh." said the detective knowing his partner was just blowing smoke. He'd let it slide for now but wasn't going to forget the strange inquiry. McGarrett almost never talked just to talk but when the man didn't elaborate, he decided not to push it. Eventually it would come out. Though not many would even suspect, the Jersey detective could be extremely patient when called for.
Cujo rose from where he'd taken up residence in his human's out-basket to lazily stretch then wander across the top of the large desk to where Danny sat. The two had finally come to a peaceful accord and the little cat now almost regularly sought out his former adversary for strokes and ear scratches.
The loud man's scratches are almost as good as my human's but not quite, thought the cat, he needs more training.
"You know," smiled Steve at the display before him, "If you keep petting Cujo and he keeps purring while you do it, some people are going to think you guys actually like each other."
"They can think what they want, Cat Lady, but your buzzsaw is just biding his time until the cease fire is over and I know it." said the detective as he nevertheless ran his hand across the glossy coat and then provided the requested ear scratch as a rumbling purr emanated from the contented animal.
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Tried mightily to complete this before beginning to post but have come to the alarming and depressing conclusion that I need the stress of a deadline to get off my lazy butt. Your input as to what you'd like to include in this story would be most welcome. What do you think of Cujo finding his own not-my-girlfriend in this one?