Here is one more reminder I have moved everything to the nineties because I could. The original idea behind Five-O and all the characters that inhabit the Five-O Universe are the property of CBS. I just like playing with them. The original characters are all figments of my very active imagination.

Read and enjoy.

Reviews welcome.

LMS

I forgot to add that the Queen's Quilt is real and on display at Iolani Palace. The Quilt was donated to the Friends of Iolani Palace in 1978 by an anonymous doner. If you ever get to Honalulu, it's a must see.

Chapter One

O-O-O-O-O

McGarrett sat on the lanai, staring out over the waters of the Pacific, a cup of black Kona coffee growing cold next to his holstered service revolver on the table beside him. Something was brewing; he could feel it in his bones. Everything was too quiet, almost like the calm before the storm.

Since Jimmy Rego's arrest, the Kumu had gone silent. Nothing. Not a word from any snitch on the street, no informers coming forward, not even a shred of gossip from the Coconut Wireless. McGarrett knew, deep in his tarnished cop's soul, that Kapi Pahoa was responsible for the unnatural quiet from Hawaii's home-grown mafia.

And that was annoying the hell out of him. If the Kumu was being nice, it was because they were saving up to be not nice later. Pahoa may have given up Jimmy Rego for Chin's murder, but McGarrett knew he hadn't done it out of civic duty. Rego had pulled the trigger without orders, endangering the entire criminal empire. Pahoa had wanted the heat off the Kumu with the bonus of breaking up an unsuitable romance between Rego and his only daughter. The last word anyone got from the street was Pahoa had called all his people in and had suspended all operations until further notice. Exactly what I would have done, Steve thought, get the heat off and get rid of the creep my daughter was seeing.

He shuddered involuntarily at the thought of either of his children becoming involved with a low life scum like Jimmy Rego. His son Cooper was a grown man, a Naval Academy graduate and recently promoted to Lieutenant Junior Grade. Cooper was engaged to Sophie Yablanski, a Vassar graduate now attending law school at Georgetown. McGarrett was thankful Cooper had found 'the one' at an early age, unlike his old man, he thought, took me half a century to find the right woman.

His thoughts turned to Maggie and Tilda. My ohana, he thought, never thought I'd have one. He had been a long-distance father with Cooper; doing what little Margo allowed. This time he wasn't going to make the same mistakes. Tilda was a joy to have around. She was extremely intelligent and a good student who made friends easily. At least she's still a few years from dating and boyfriends, like after she graduates from Annapolis, or after I'm dead. Yeah, that's the ticket. Then she can have all the boyfriends she wants.

He leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes, listening to the crickets and the soft whisper of waves against the beach. A cool wind was blowing from off the Pacific, bringing with it the scent of salt water and the promise of afternoon rain. He had awakened at just past three from some half-remembered dream and a sharp pain in his hand that felt like someone was driving a spike through his palm. Arthritis, doc had said, aggravated by injuries accumulated over the years. Collateral damage from physical exertion, long hours at the target range, and too many altercations with suspects who didn't have sense enough to know when to quit fighting. He'd choked down a couple of aspirin along with his blood pressure medicine and gone onto the lanai to watch the waves.

Wave watching was turning into thinking.

There was a dirty cop in HPD. Had to be. There was no other way Rego could have known Chin was undercover. He knew the leak hadn't come from Five-O. He knew his people and trusted them implicitly. He also knew the information didn't come from the sheriff's office, as that branch of Oahu law enforcement didn't concern itself with organized crime and Kono had no tolerance for dirty cops. That left only HPD.

Chin had been HPD before transferring to Five-O, as were Duke Lukela and Sandy Welles. People he knew were solid and reliable. Three years earlier Five-O had exposed a group of police officers and politicians eager to do certain 'favors' in exchange for 'campaign contributions'. When the smoke had finally cleared, some two dozen law enforcement officers, elected officials, and government employees found themselves on the wrong side of a sentencing hearing. Even as they were being carted off to various federal prisons, McGarrett had the horrible suspicion they'd only got the stupid ones. The smart ones were still out there and still causing trouble.

McGarrett swore he was going to find them.

He hated lies and half-truths, hidden secrets and cover-ups. He hated politics and the endless time-wasting meetings he was forced to attend. More than once his team had spent months putting together airtight cases against some of the worse criminals imaginable, only to have victory taken from them as one of the many alphabet agencies from the federal government swooped in and 'disappeared' their suspect into the witness relocation program.

Not this time. This time it was personal.

He owed Chin that much.

O-O-O-O-O

Maggie's internal clock, still set for 0 Dark 30, went off at its usual hour. She yawned and stretched, reaching for the husband who wasn't there. Sighing, she got out of bed, slipped into her robe, brushed her teeth, washed her face, ran a comb through her long silver hair, and went in search for the man she loved.

She found him on the lanai, looking out over the ocean, watching the first hint of dawn coloring the sea spray.

"Usually it's the other way around," she said, trying to smile. "You wake up and find me out here. Guess it's my turn now." She stood behind him, gently massaging his neck and shoulders.

"I didn't mean to wake you," he said, relaxing under the touch of her warm and surprisingly strong hands.

"You didn't. It's almost five. One of these days my internal clock is going to reset, and I'll be able to sleep in. Only not this morning. You okay?"

In answer he pulled her into his lap and held her close. "I'm doing better if that's what you mean. Rego's being held without bond for murder one and his two henchmen are charged as accessories. The public defender is trying to get them to agree to life without parole in exchange for guilty pleas and dropping the RICO charges. They're stupid enough to want to go to trial. Neither of those criminal geniuses seems to be aware that capital murder under the RICO statute means federal charges that carry the death penalty."

She held him tighter, inhaling the scent of good soap, sandalwood cologne, with a faint hint of salt spray and gun oil. "I just want this to be over. For you and the rest of the crew, and for our daughter and the rest of Chin's family." She still wasn't used to referring to Tilda as their daughter. "The sooner she sees the men who killed her father put away for good, the sooner she can put this all behind her."

"I know, sweetie. I was thirteen when my father was killed. My life was never the same afterward. I think it's the reason I became a cop, to keep innocent people from getting hurt. Only this time I failed and somewhere on this Island, god help us, the Kumu has its hooks into a cop so deep he sold Chin out. I will not rest until I find them."

Maggie reached up and gently caressed his unshaven cheek. "You didn't fail, no matter what you think. You can only be so many places at once, and I know you won't stop until you find the person responsible for Chin's death. Except you won't be able to do that if you're exhausted. Steve, honey, it's Saturday morning. Let the rest of the crew keep the world safe for democracy for a change. You've been running on reserve energy for weeks. You need to get some real rest. I've missed you, and so has Tilda."

He took her face in his hands and tilted it upward, kissing her softly. "I've missed you, too. I know I'm not spending nearly as much time with you and our little girl as I should be. How about a compromise? Today I'll go in late and get home early and tomorrow will be family day. Church and then whatever you two can think up."

"Is that what you call an offer I can't refuse? It sounds wonderful, only there's one thing it needs to make it perfect," she said, giving him a naughty little smile.

"What would that be?

"Come back to bed with me and I'll show you."

"Woman, you are going to be the death of me!" he said as he slid his hand beneath her pajama top to carress the warm skin beneath.

"Yes, but you'll die happy," she said, giggling as he picked her up and carried her back into the house.

O-O-O-O-O

He had fallen asleep almost immediately afterward. Maggie had tucked the quilts around him, kissed him softly, and headed for the shower. Tilda would be up and ready for breakfast soon.

Maggie finally had the child she had always longed for, a tiny and precocious little girl at that. She did wish the circumstances could have been different. Maggie had loved both Chin and Lin and was devastated when they died. She would have happily continued in her role as Auntie to all the Kelly children, only fate had other ideas.

Chin's will named Maggie and Steve as Tilda's foster parents and the rest of the Five-O and the Honolulu country sheriff as secondary caregivers. Maggie hadn't known about one of Hawaii's most ancient and time-honored traditions of caring for orphaned children or the ones their parents could no longer take care of, regardless of the reason why. These children would be welcomed at the home of anyone who wanted them, staying with friends or relatives until they found a permanent home. Chin had followed the tradition and had given Tilda three sets of parents, one as primary caregivers and two as backups, along with a spare Uncle and Auntie, and in doing so, ensured that his youngest child would always be cared for by people who loved her.

Maggie was getting the ingredients for breakfast out of the pantry when she heard the sound of tiny footsteps on the stairs. Tilda, still in her pajamas and robe and with sleep-tousled hair, ran into the kitchen and threw her arms around Maggie, burying her face in the soft fabric of Maggie's sweatshirt.

"What's wrong, Little One?" Maggie asked, concerned. In the few short weeks that Tilda had been living with them, Maggie had gotten very good at judging the little girl's emotions. She knew Tilda still missed both her parents and now her brothers and sister, as they were living in Taiwan with their widowed auntie. Her entire world had been turned upside down, first with her mother's sudden death, followed all too soon by her father's murder. Maggie was giving serious consideration to having the child see a grief counselor.

"When I woke up I didn't know where I was. I thought I was back home, only there's no one there now." Tilda's eyes were bright with unshed tears.

Maggie held the little girl, stroking her inky black hair as she did. "Tilda, sweetie, after everything that's happened to you in the last two years, waking up and not knowing where you are is understandable and it's not that unusual. It used to happen to me a lot, and I know it's confusing and scary. But it will get better and one day you will realize that awful feeling has gone away. I know mine did."

"What made it stop?" Tilda asked, looking up at Maggie with those black almond shaped eyes. "Did it take a long time to go away?"

Maggie didn't want to tell Tilda that particular nightmare had stuck around from when she had awakened at Walter Reed Hospital after being injured during the Gulf War until after she had been reassigned to Hawaii. Looking back, she couldn't pinpoint exactly when it ended; as far as she could recall, it must have been after her wedding to Steve. "One day it just stopped because I knew I was safe. I knew Steve would never let anything bad happen to me. And the same goes for you, too, Little One. For as long as you live in this house, you will always be safe and secure and loved and when you know that, then the bad feeling of being lost will go away. You're our little girl, and this is your home now, and we love you."

"I love you, Auntie Maggie," Tilda said, trying to smile.

"Can I get in on this?" Steve asked from the doorway. He crossed the room to embrace his wife and daughter.

"How long have you been listening at the doorway?" Maggie asked.

"Long enough to know our little girl had a bad morning." He bent down and picked Tilda up. "You're going to be too big to pick up soon. Are you all better now?"

"Yes, Uncle Steve. I didn't know where I was when I woke up, but Auntie Maggie said that happens a lot, but it will go away because you won't ever let anything bad happen to me."

"That's my girl," he said, putting her down and pouring a cup of coffee. "I don't know about you, but I'm starved. What's for breakfast?"

"Any requests?" Maggie asked.

"Waffles!" Tilda exclaimed. "With strawberries!"

"Belgium waffles coming right up," Maggie said. Tilda loved Belgium waffles and they had become a Saturday morning tradition. "And you, Little One, get washed up and dressed. Breakfast will be ready when you're done and don't forget to brush your teeth!"

After more hugs and kisses, Tilda danced out of the room and up the stairs.

"How's she doing? First, it was nightmares and now this? If I didn't know better, I'd swear our little one was developing a bad case of PTSD." Steve said, frowning a little.

The kettle began whistling. Maggie turned off the burner and poured hot water into a cup. The smell of chamomile tea wafted through the air. "You know, there are more causes of PTSD than being in combat. She woke up and couldn't remember where she was. I told her I use to have the same nightmare, but it went away. Steve, I know she's still grieving for her parents and misses her family. I'm thinking about taking her to see a grief counselor. Do you know any good ones?"

"I'll do better than that. I'll have Dr. Bishop drop by and talk with her. Tilda already knows her and may find it easier to talk to her here, where she's comfortable than in a doctor's office."

"That's a better idea than the one I had if you can get Dr. Bishop to go along with it."

"Martha Bishop has been our go-to shrink for ages. I'll give her a call later today."

"Steve, it's Saturday," Maggie said, handing him a bowl of strawberries. "Some people take Saturday's off. Slice those berries while I mix up the waffle batter, please."

Tilda came back in, wearing leggings and an oversized jumper.

"Breakfast in a few," Maggie said. "Tilda, could you please set the table?"

Tilda got the dishes and juice glasses from the cabinet. Steve smiled, watching her as she put out the plates. She took the flatware from a drawer and laid out each place setting.

"Good job, Little One," Steve said. "You'll be making breakfast for your mom and me before you know it."

Maggie gave Tilda an intense look at Steve's words. She and Steve had agreed to let Tilda determine when the time was right to call them mom and dad instead of auntie and uncle. Tilda was so intent on table setting she didn't seem to notice. Maggie let out a small sigh of relief and went back to waffle making.

Tilda got butter and orange juice from the fridge and put them on the table. "Can I have hot chocolate?" she asked.

"Of course, honey," Maggie said as she started putting waffles on plates. "There's still hot water in the kettle. One hot chocolate, coming up."

Maggie watched as Steve and Tilda dug into their waffles. I never had the time for this when I was married to Michael, the unbidden thought creeping into her mind. Dinner, yes, and the occasional brunch, but never like this. She shook her head sadly. "What was that, hon?" she asked Steve.

He frowned a little. He had a feeling his Little Menehune had a mild hearing loss, a not unexpected problem with retired soldiers, or from her habit of playing heavy metal loud enough to wake the dead. "I was asking what you girls had planned for the day?"

"We're going to make another baby quilt for Uncle Danny and Auntie Beverly. This one is going to be in girl colors." Tilda informed him.

"Good idea," he said, trying hard to suppress a grin. Beverly was pregnant with twins. Danny had gone into shock when he found out and had walked around in a daze for the rest of the day. Beverly's last ultrasound had revealed what everyone had been hoping. She was carrying boy/girl twins. "I think Beverly and Danno will like that. Does this mean a trip to the fabric store?" He had gone fabric shopping with Maggie once. That had been enough.

"No," Maggie said. "Not this time. There's tons of stuff in my stash."

"I'm starting my own stash," Tilda said. "It's only fabric and embroidery floss for now, but I just started collecting."

Steve reached over to tousle Tilda's hair. "Someone's going to be needing their own sewing machine soon. Do you think Santa Claus could fit one into his sleigh?"

Before Tilda could answer his phone started ringing. Danno's name popped up on the caller ID.

"McGarrett," he answered.

"Steve, are Maggie and Tilda in the area?"

"Yeah, why? What's going on?"

"Something we need to keep quiet for the moment," Danny said.

Danny heard Steve apologize for interrupting breakfast. He heard the sliding door to the lanai open and the faint sound of the surf.

"Okay, Danno, what's with all the secrecy?"

Danny told him.

"On my way," he said, and ended the call.

He went back into the kitchen, stopping momentarily at the door, watching Maggie and Tilda. Both looked happy.

"Somethings come up," he said, trying to keep his tone light. "I've got to go in. I'll try to be home for dinner." He kissed Tilda goodbye.

Maggie walked with him to the door. "Steve, what's going on? And don't tell me it's nothing, because I know better."

He knew he had to tell her because he wanted her to keep Tilda away from the television and internet. Nor did he want a bunch of reporters camping on their doorstep.

"That was Danno. Rego's dead. They found him hanging in his cell about an hour ago."

"What? Are you sure?"

"Danno knows a corpse when he sees one. Yes, I'm sure and I don't want Tilda finding out from the TV. This evening, when I know more, we can tell her. Until then, no TV and stay at home. I'll have HPD send out a couple of officers to keep the reporters at bay." He reached down and tilted her head back, kissing her softly as he did. "You take care of our little girl. And I will be home for dinner."

She watched him leave, waiting for the sound of the security gate closing before going back into the house.