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Hello, everyone, and welcome to my newest story. Hawaii Five-O has quickly become my new favorite show following a binge on Netflix, so I wanted to jump on this idea that I had. I hope that you guys enjoy it and, if you do, PLEASE favorite, follow, or leave a review! (Or do all three, if you're an overachiever. I'll even take a private message.)

Just so you all know, I am mostly just using the characters and the premise for my story. So, if you read something and you're thinking, no, that's not possible because of that thing that happened in season whatever, just know that it is possible in this little slice of the Hawaii Five-O universe that I've created.

I do hope that I stay mostly true to the characters, though. And I hope that you can enjoy this.

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Chapter One: New Beginnings

Allie

"What does one wear to their first day on a new task force?" I asked, hands on my hips as I stared at the contents of my closet.

From the floor by the bathroom door, Gideon huffed out a breath.

Affection filled me as I turned to look at my specially-trained German Shepherd. I'd had him for five years and he'd gotten me through more than I could ever thank him for, but evidently, he was no help when it came to getting ready in the morning.

"Oh, come on," I told him and knelt down to gently rub his favorite spot behind his ears. "I took you for our daily morning run and you got your breakfast. But, now, I have to go to work. And I can't go to work in a bra and panty set." I looked down at the blue, lacy material. "Sexy as it might be." With one more rub, I stood and moved for the closet once more.

After much deliberation, I finally decided on a pair of black skinny jeans and a black and white striped shirt. I needed to be able to run in my shoes, so heels were out, but I decided that I could wear my favorite pair of black booties. They only had a small heel, so pursuits shouldn't prove to be much of a problem.

"What do you think?" I asked, turning a full three-sixty in front of Gideon.

He didn't even react.

"You're killing me," I sighed, but smiled. A glance at the clock got me moving. "Okay, I can't be late for my meeting with the governor this morning, so I have to go. You're going to be just fine here; I promise. I installed the switch yesterday, so you can open the door to go outside. You're all tagged up, just in case you get lost. You with me?" I began to head down the stairs, but I needn't have worried, because Gideon was already following behind me.

"Awesome," I told him and felt him watching me as I picked up the keys to my new black Camaro. "I'll try to come back around lunchtime. If not, I'll at least be home by tonight and we'll go for a workout. Sound good?"

Gideon softly barked his approval and I smiled at him as I gave him one last pet. "Be good! I'll be back later!" I rushed out into the garage and slid into my Camaro.

I'd been in Honolulu for a week, and in that time, I had learned my way around pretty well. I didn't even have to use my GPS to make it to the governor's office. There was still a lot to learn about my temporary home, but I liked to think of myself as a quick study. In a matter of weeks, I knew I would be on par with the locals.

"I'm here to see the governor," I told the receptionist, an elderly lady with a kind smile. Without wanting to, I took in every detail about her. Her dress with flower print had barely noticeable cat hairs on it. There were three different colors of hair, so she had at least three different cats. She kept adjusting her glasses, so they were new. And she wore a gold band on a chain around her neck, so she was recently widowed.

"Your name, dear?" she asked me. Her voice was slightly raspy. Smoker.

Stop that, I silently reprimanded myself. "Allison Rhodes."

She smiled at me as she stood from her chair. "I'll go let the governor know that you're here. He wanted to see you as soon as you arrived. Can I get you some coffee or water?"

"No, thank you." Old habits died hard, and I didn't take drinks from strangers. Someday, I hoped, I would be less paranoid. "I'll just have a seat and wait."

The chair that I sat in was comfortable, but I didn't allow myself to get too comfortable because I wouldn't be there for long. And, sure enough, the receptionist was back in only a few moments to lead me back to the governor's office.

Standing just outside were two guards dressed in dark suits, and I forced myself not to look at them so that I wouldn't get caught up in analyzing everything about them. My paranoia was not healthy, according to the therapist that I'd been forced to see after my last mission. I'd promised to work on it and I thought that I'd been making some good strides, but more could be done, certainly.

"Agent," the governor greeted when I walked into the room. He stood from behind his large mahogany desk and smiled at me. "Or do you prefer Commander?"

"Allie," I corrected him and heard the door shut behind me as I stepped further into the room. "Good to see you again, Governor." The last time that I had seen him had been a week prior, when I'd been negotiating my contract with him.

"You as well." He waved me to one of the chairs in front of his desk and watched me sit. "Can I get you anything to drink? Did you have breakfast?"

"I did. I'm fine, thank you." I slowly crossed my legs and watched him sink into his large chair. With his great height and girth, he almost swallowed it whole. "Why is it that you wanted to see me this morning?"

"Today is supposed to be your first day with the Five-O task force. I wanted to introduce you to your new boss myself."

"That's very thoughtful." But I knew that wasn't all that he had wanted. "Where is he?"

"He should be here soon." The governor leaned back slightly and linked his fingers together on his desk. "I would also like to ask a favor from you. I think that I was very generous when you wanted to join my task force. Paid for your flight. Got you a house on the beach. A new car."

"When I wanted to join your task force?" I put a healthy dose of skepticism into my voice. "Governor, as I understand it, my former commanding officer called and asked if you needed anyone else on your task force. As he explained it to me, you were eager to have someone of my skill set on your task force. I do appreciate your generosity, but please don't try to use it as leverage."

His deep brown eyes bored into mine for a few moments and then he nodded, pursing his lips in what seemed to be approval. "I can appreciate that. Okay, then I'm just asking for a favor."

I nodded, grateful that he hadn't pushed his supposed leverage. "Okay. Let's hear it."

"The leader of my Five-O task force is Lieutenant Commander Steven McGarrett. Do you know much about him?"

"I did some research when Seth Durant told me about this job," I answered. "Former Navy SEAL. Former Naval Intelligence. Now, he's on the United States Navy Reserves while he heads up this task force, which he's been doing for a couple of years now." I hadn't dug any deeper than that, even though I had wanted to. Given enough time, I could have hacked deeper into his file and looked up his missions.

"He's a solid guy," the governor said with a nod. "I think most SEALs are. His father was also said to be a solid man. But his father played by his own rules, and that got him killed. I'm hoping that Steve McGarrett is not the same way."

"Governor, didn't you give the Five-O task force full immunity? How is that not allowing him to play by his own rules?"

He didn't answer my question. "What I'm asking you for is inside information."

It didn't take a genius to read between the lines. "You want me to keep tabs on Steve McGarrett and report back to you."

He nodded. "Not every single day," he said, explaining himself. "Just when you think there's something I need to know. I want to make sure that he doesn't cause any more international incidents or blow up any more boats. Maybe you could just keep me informed… once a week?"

"Once a week," I repeated. Not a question. Not an agreement. A statement.

He shrugged. "Type it up and mail it in, if you want. No one will know that it's you reporting to me. I won't even tell anyone that I'm receiving any such reports, nor that I asked anything of you. But I need to know that my task force is operating as it should."

"There's always a price to pay, it seems," I sighed softly and then nodded. "Okay. I'll send you a typed report once a week. And it better not ever get back to me."

He raised his right hand as if giving an oath before court. "You have my word."

I wasn't sure how much that was worth, but I didn't voice that. Before I could, the phone on the governor's desk began to ring and he picked it up with a quick greeting.

"Perfect," he said after listening for a moment. "I'm ready for him. Please send him in." After he hung up the phone, he opened one of the drawers of his desk and pulled out a gun in a holster and a badge, which he handed to me. "You're going to be needing these, Officer."

I took them and studied them only momentarily. "Thank you, Governor."

A few moments later, the door behind me opened and I stood from my chair, turning around to face the new person.

Steve McGarrett was just a tiny bit over six feet tall, with green eyes and brown hair that was neatly trimmed. There was some slight stubble on his face, but he obviously shaved and just kept it that way. It gave him a manly, rugged appearance that fit right in with the tough guy persona he had going on. He appeared to be extremely athletic, but that didn't surprise me for a former SEAL. He probably still kept up his fitness routine. He was even dressed in the type of clothes that you would expect from a military man – khaki cargo pants, boots, and a gray tee beneath an unbuttoned, dark blue shirt.

"Commander McGarrett," the governor said as he came around the large desk to greet Steve with a firm handshake. "Thank you for coming. I'd like for you to meet Allison Rhodes, the newest member of Five-O."

I stepped forward to shake his hand. "Allie, please. It's a pleasure to meet you, Commander McGarrett." He was only a Lieutenant Commander, according to his file, but sometimes that could be a mouthful. Perhaps everyone just said Commander because it didn't make much of a difference to them.

He nodded stiffly at me as he shook my hand. "And you… your title? I don't think that the governor ever mentioned it."

"I don't like titles." I took my hand back and forced a smile. "But I'm excited to be working with Five-O. I've heard a lot of great things." All from Seth Durant, who had all but begged me to take the job just to get away for a while.

McGarrett nodded and looked to the governor. "Did you just bring me here to introduce me to the new recruit?" I could tell from his tone that he wasn't thrilled about having me on board. I would be the first member of his task force that he hadn't hand-picked.

"She was going to be here anyway, so I thought I could personally introduce the two of you. I'm sure this is the beginning of a wonderful relationship."

Neither Steve nor I touched that.

"If that's all, Governor, then we should get to work." Steve looked to me. "Do you need a ride to headquarters?"

"No, thanks. I was issued my own car and I know where HQ is."

"Then I will see you there." Steve nodded at the governor on his way out and then he was gone.

I wasn't far behind.

Steve

I was probably driving a bit faster than I should have. Anger was coursing through my body and I was having some trouble keeping it at bay. When the former governor had set up the task force, she had assured me that I had full immunity and was allowed to choose its members.

When the new governor had taken over after the former governor had died, he had told me that he wanted to keep the task force going because it had done so much for Hawaii. He hadn't wanted us to keep our full immunity, but he had soon realized that it was necessary for us to be as efficient as possible. But now… now he was putting an unknown on my team.

I had tried to look Allie Rhodes up in every system I had access to, but I hadn't found much. Even my contacts with the military hadn't been able to find any more than I had. There was nothing to be found on her before the age of eighteen, leading me to believe that she had changed her name at that time. And, at the very young age of eighteen, she was working at the CIA. I hadn't been able to find a position, because her agency file was classified.

Then, at the age of twenty-six, she had gone on to work on a few different teams – bomb squad, translators for foreign embassies… she had many talents. But the fact that so much mystery surrounded her did not sit right with me. It could have just been protection from the agency because of whatever she'd done for them, but what kind of person went to work for the CIA at the age of eighteen? Something about her just didn't add up.

And now, she was a member of my task force.

The task force that was more like my family than my coworkers.

She arrived at headquarters only a few seconds behind me, and I waved for her to follow me. She did so quietly, her small heels tapping gently against the floor. At least she wasn't one of those women that felt the need to fill silences with awkward and senseless conversation.

Chin and Kono were teasing Danny about his new tie, but they all grew silent when we entered, their eyes going to Allie.

I made the introductions. "This is Allie Rhodes. She's the newest member of our task force, assigned by the governor himself. Allie, this is Chin Ho Kelly and his cousin, Kono Kalakaua. And this is Danny Williams."

She shook hands with each of them and they all exchanged pleasantries as I stood there, fuming silently. I didn't know how long it would take me to get over it.

Just as Kono began to ask Allie a question, I received a call on my cell. It was HPD, likely calling with a case. I answered. "McGarrett."

"Commander McGarrett," an officer said from the other end. "We have a pretty bad one out here. Art thieves hit a private collection in a home. We have two dead vics and the owner. He's the one that found them here."

"Got it," I said and nodded at the others to let them know that we had a case. "Send me the address. We're on our way."

"Do you even have a gun and badge?" Chin asked Allie as we headed down the stairs together at a jog.

"The governor gave them to me," she answered him and I assumed that she showed him her badge. I hadn't noticed that she'd been armed. Of course, she answered that concern next. "My gun is in my car. I didn't have a lot of time to situate the holster yet."

I received the address of the crime in the form of a text message and quickly began to forward it. "Alright, I just got the address. I'll send it to the rest of you."

"I'll just follow behind," Allie said, and I realized that I didn't have her number programmed into my phone yet. I wouldn't, as she had only started that morning. I made a mental note to get it from her later and make sure that the rest of the team had it as well.

"I'll ride with Allie," Kono announced to everyone as we jogged out the doors. "Make sure she knows the way around."

"Good," I called back as Danny and I headed for the silver Camaro. "See you all there."

Danny and I took off in the lead and only twenty seconds into the ride, Danny said, "Something tells me you're not too psyched about this new girl. Does that mean she's up for grabs?"

I had to admit that she was very beautiful. She had that thin yet muscular body that all men seemed to be obsessed with. The boots she'd been wearing had added only an extra inch to her five-seven(ish) height. Her dark hair had been up in a stylish ponytail, but it had looked to be about shoulder blade length. Oval face, fine bone structure, and bright blue eyes framed by thick lashes only added to the allure.

But her looks didn't matter to me.

"The governor picked her," I answered him. "He obviously thinks that she'll be a great addition to our team."

"You sound doubtful," he said. Of course he would have picked up on that; he was a detective and I wasn't exactly hiding it. "What do you know about her?"

"Not much," I admitted begrudgingly. "I looked her up in all of the systems I have access to, but there wasn't much on her. She worked for the CIA at some point, but I have no idea in what capacity. She's been on the bomb squad, a translator for foreign embassies… But I couldn't find anything else. It was the barest file I've ever seen."

He seemed as surprised by that as I had been when I'd first seen it for myself. "Did you reach out to anyone to see if they knew anything else?"

"They only found the things that I had found. Her file is pretty locked down."

"Wow." He sounded impressed. "Glad she's on our side, then. She was probably an assassin or something, don't you figure? Why else would her file be so locked up?"

I couldn't believe it. "This isn't funny."

"I didn't say it was funny," he informed me. "But you need to relax a little bit, Steve. The governor assigned her to the task force, so there's not much you can do about it. You might as well take advantage of the wealth of talent that you've obviously been handed. Don't be so uptight."

"Uptight," I said, still disbelieving that he could be so casual about it.

"If she doesn't pull her weight, then maybe we have a problem. But you haven't even seen her in action yet. Try to keep an open mind. That's all I'm saying."

I didn't reply. There was no point. Obviously, I was going to have to deal with my anger on my own. And… perhaps Danny had a point. I hadn't even seen her in action yet, so I needed to reserve any judgment until I had. But that didn't mean that I wasn't going to keep a very close eye on her in the meantime.

Until I knew that I could trust her one hundred percent, I was going to be keeping a very close eye on her.

"We're here," I announced when we pulled up to the veritable mansion. It definitely looked like the kind of place that housed a private art collector.

"I'm sick of looking at all of these ridiculous houses when I can barely afford a respectable place," Danny complained as he got out of the car.

"Your problem is that you're so picky," I informed him. "And to remind you, you had a really nice apartment and then you gave it up because you were convinced that it was haunted."

As he began to argue that it really had been haunted, I watched Allie's black Camaro pull into the driveway.

Showtime.