My thanks go to Honu for beta reading this for me.
Summary: Steve McGarrett cannot upset his secretary Jenny, so has to forfeit his Valentine's plan; however someone steps in to save the day.
A Valentine Mystery
It was Friday, the 14th of February. For once, Five-0 had no major open cases requiring overtime work. McGarrett had let the team go home early as they had all finished their reports. They rarely had a social life, so they were all happy to get out fast before something else came up.
Chin was taking his wife out to dinner; she managed to get her sister to baby sit for once.
Kono was going to be playing his ukulele in the band. He would try and fit in a romantic moment with his girlfriend Leah.
Danny was waiting for Steve to finish up. He knew Steve would be there half the night if he wasn't dragged out.
"Hey Steve, there's a guy here who just delivered a bunch of roses," Danny called as he opened the door to McGarrett's office. "Says that they were ordered by you."
"Oh yeah, Danno, just leave them on the desk, I'll see to them later," McGarrett said casually.
"Mm…something you haven't told me, Steve?" Danny asked with a wink. "A date maybe?"
"Never you mind," Steve answered, tapping his finger on the side of his nose. "Are you taking Kalena out?" Steve questioned, trying to get Danny's attention away from the subject.
"Oh no, it's a romantic evening in. Kalena is cooking one of her special Hawaiian dishes. I only bought her a single rose. Every spare dollar goes towards the wedding."
"Yeah, Danno, you only have…what, about two months to go?" Steve smiled affectionately at Danny, his closest friend. Steve was to be best man at the wedding.
"You never know, Steve; you might just catch the bug once you see me as an old married man." Danny laughed.
"Danno, get outa here and stop trying to get me a love life." Steve balled up a wad of paper and threw it at Danny.
"I'm gone, Steve. Don't stay late or the roses will wilt." He closed the door laughing.
McGarrett went back to his desk and spent fifteen minutes on the last items, closed his last file and stood up from his chair, flexing his long fingers. He hated desk work, but it had to be done. He closed and locked the lanai door then put on his jacket. As he left the office, he almost collided with Jenny, Five-0's secretary, who was about to enter his office.
"Jenny," he exclaimed with surprise. She was holding the roses Danny had put on her desk.
"Oh Steve, these are beautiful, you got them delivered while I was in the rest room getting changed. Did Danny tell you that Charlie is picking me up outside to take me to dinner?" Jenny took the card and read it out loud. "With appreciation for all you do."
"How sweet, thank you! Are they from all of you or was it your idea?" Jenny asked.
"This will make Charlie think. He never buys flowers, says it's criminal to cut them and we should leave them where they belong."
McGarrett felt his face flush under his tan and a sharp pang of guilt. What could he say? He couldn't tell her they were not for her, it would be too hurtful, and after all she was a good secretary. "Err, well yes, sort of, they don't actually know. I will ask them to contribute on Monday."
"Well thanks again, Steve." She gave him a peck on the cheek. "See you Monday." She turned and left with the roses cradled in her arms.
Steve stood there wondering what he could do now. It was too late to get more flowers since the stores would be closing soon. And as it was Valentine's Day, all the best flowers would be gone anyway. That was why he had ordered them on the phone the day before.
XOXOX
He left the office feeling quite despondent. Chocolates! He could get chocolates. No, he knew she didn't like chocolates.
Come on, McGarrett, you can think of something, he pondered as he walked down the Palace steps towards his Mercury. A light drizzle had started and the Palace grounds were deserted, not even a tourist to be seen.
As he opened the car door, a movement caught his eye to his left. He looked up and saw a hunched figure ten or fifteen yards away. The figure was stooped and appeared to be wearing a hooded rain coat. It was also carrying something quite large. As the drizzle suddenly became heavier, Steve couldn't see what the figure was carrying. The figure did not seem to know which way he wanted to go, first starting to cross the road, then turning back, then forward again. Steve thought he had better see if the person needed help.
As Steve approached the figure, he could see it was a very old man, quite a quaint looking one at that. He was carrying the most beautiful bouquet of flowers.
"Do you need any help?" Steve asked the old gentleman. "You look lost. Looks like you have a very lucky lady to surprise this evening.
"You better believe it," he replied in a small squeaky voice. "But I am perfectly alright, thank you for asking. I only have to walk past the Banyan tree, just the other side."
"Well, if you're sure," Steve said, wanting to get out of the rain.
"Yes, go back to your car." The old man started shuffling away toward the Banyan tree.
As Steve walked back to his car, a sudden flurry of wind swirled some leaves and debris up from the ground. A sharp piece of gravel caught his hand on the sensitive piece of skin between his thumb and forefinger, drawing a tiny drop of blood. Steve rubbed it away, but it stung a little. As he did so, he could have sworn he heard a squeaky laugh and what sounded a bit like 'gotcha'.
He shook his head and turned to see if the old man had gone. Yes, he had gone, but what appeared to be the bouquet was left on the road. Steve hurried over thinking the man had collapsed. However he could find no sign of him.
Steve walked around the Banyan tree and across to the wall. The old man was nowhere to be seen. Steve walked back and picked up the flowers. Should he just leave them there in case the man came back, or should he consider it good fortune that he had an answer to his dilemma? Being the man that he was, he did not like the idea of taking them. He bent to pick them up and saw there were two cards attached to the bouquet. One was blank, the other had written on it: "One kindness deserves another; your lady will have her flowers after all."
Steve was perplexed. How could the old man possibly know about the roses?
McGarrett had one more look around, then made his decision; he would take the flowers. If he ever saw the man again, he would explain and pay for them.
XOXOX
As he rang Gina's door bell, Steve's mouth became dry and his pulse rate increased. He was not used to this sort of thing. Get a grip, McGarrett, he said to himself. It's only a bunch of flowers. He had written the same words on the card that he had written on the other card. Gina looked after Kela, McGarrett's dog most of the time, and it was just a thank you, or so he tried to convince himself.
The door of the apartment opened. Gina's green eyes sparkled with pleasure when she saw the flowers. Kela squeezed past, wagging her tail, and then sat obediently looking at her master. Gina could hardly see Steve; he seemed to be hiding behind the flowers.
"Oh Steve, you didn't have to get such a huge bouquet, just because I invited you to dinner."
"Dinner?" he questioned. "Oh no, I got them because you look after Kela. I didn't know about dinner."
"I left a message on your answering machine," she told him. "I'm cooking a sweet and sour stir fry. There's always too much, so I thought you might like to share it with me." She smiled coyly. "I can't guarantee it to be as good as Ling Ho's takeaway, but is seems to be coming along nicely."
As Steve handed her the flowers, he noticed that Gina had a scratch on her hand, exactly in the same place where the gravel had scratched his. "What did you do to your hand?" he inquired.
"I don't know really," she replied. I was in the market, choosing a pineapple for the sweet and sour, when I felt a jab. I must have caught it on the sharp point of the leaves."
Steve had a strange feeling and thought he heard a faint giggle again.
Gina saw the strange look on his face. "Well, is that a yes or no to dinner?" she questioned.
"What? Sorry, oh yes. I haven't been home yet, but of course I would hate for food to go to waste, so yes is the answer. I'm sure it will be delicious. Just give me twenty minutes to, as they say in the movies, change into something more comfortable." McGarrett almost sprinted to his apartment with Kela at his heels. His apartment was only three doors down the hall.
XOXOX
True to his word, he was back in twenty minutes, dressed casually in white slacks and a blue and white Hawaiian shirt. He had found a bottle of wine in his fridge, although he hardly ever drank. Someone had bought him a bottle for his birthday. He presented the bottle to Gina.
"Mm, wine, lovely! I hope you're not going to get me tipsy, Mr. McGarrett," she laughed.
"Certainly not," he said, giving her a wounded look. "I never take advantage of tipsy women."
He smiled his lopsided smile, making her heart flutter.
Gina's cooking turned out to be very good and Steve told her he hadn't eaten so well in a long time. They chatted comfortably about all sorts of things and although they finished the wine, Gina did not feel tipsy. She didn't have to - she was intoxicated just in Steve's presence. She suggested they have their coffee on the lanai.
"Let me make the coffee," he suggested. "That is something I'm good at."
Steve brought two cups of freshly ground Kona coffee out to the lanai. They stood looking at the twinkling lights of the city that Steve loved so much. The night sky seemed velvety black above Diamond Head. It was difficult to see the stars; the light from the city was too bright.
Steve handed Gina the coffee, his fingers touching hers as he did so. They both felt as if a bolt of electricity had hit them.
"I…I think I had better take the flowers out of the cellophane wrapper," Gina stuttered, going back into the lounge. She looked again at the card Steve had placed just inside the bouquet. The words were still the same, but there was another added line that she hadn't noticed before. She took the card out to get a closer view. Written beneath 'In appreciation for all you do' were the words 'I LOVE YOU… S.'
The writing was unmistakably Steve's. Gina turned suddenly with a gasp. Steve was standing right behind her. He too had noticed the words.
"I don't remember writing that, but I must have subconsciously wanted to," he said softly. "Because it's true, I do love you. I always have. And I also know that you love me; you've never been able to hide it."
Gina was so stunned that she couldn't speak, but her eyes said it all. Green eyes looked into deep blue pools, as he took her face in his hands and bent to kiss her. Neither felt the small rush of air or heard the giggle as Cupid flew off to his next assignment.