What Name is Family

Bard15

a/n: they gave it a good, beginning try on the show, but there really needs to be some more scenes between Doris and Chin...who else was around at that time (before she faked her death), who else could perhaps fill in some of the details of what she missed out on, and how her children did & also, I don't think, with everything Chin has been through of late that he is gonna stand by and watch someone else he cares about get hurt...

...HAWAII 5-0...

Doris was on the patio, turning the steaks on the grill when Chin came back out to the lanai after escorting his cousin to the door.

Kono had stopped by the cook out only an hour earlier, but begged off staying longer with the excuse that she had a previous engagement with some girlfriends from the surf team. While the others were sorry to see her leave and wished her a fun evening, Chin had just fixed his cousin with a knowing stare and then insisted on accompanying her to the front door.

"Kono get off alright," Doris asked lightly, not looking up from the grill.

Chin gave a small sigh and nodded, his eyes going out to rest on Steve, Danny and Cat playing with Gracie in the surf.

Noting his distant look and seeing a frown form on his face, Doris looked out to where her son and his friends were now helping Gracie build a sandcastle, finally asking, "something on your mind?"

Chin shook his head and gave a small laugh, "too many things..." before trailing off and going to pull a beer from the cooler.

"How are you, really, Chin Ho Kelley...how are things going..." Doris asked pointedly

Turning towards the older woman, Chin was momentarily taken back all those years ago when he was just a rookie and John would often bring him by the beach house on their lunch break; when he knew Doris McGarrett as just a housewife and mother...and had welcomed him into their home and family.

Knowing exactly to what Doris was referring and really not in the mood to pretend otherwise, he sighed heavily, "some days are better than others...and I know I can either lay down and die or I can honor her memory and keep fighting against the type of people that took her from me...it's just, some days are harder that others to hold on to that fire: the fight, the adrenalin—it's over...the man who killed Malia is dead."

She reached over and lay a hand on his shoulder, "You've got your friends to remind you every day what's worth fighting for...that are right there when you need them."

Chin nodded, his eyes momentarily meeting hers, before going back out to rest on his friends: Gracie was now back in the water with her "uncle" Steve, while Cat and Danny were sitting on the shore laughing at Steve's playful splashing with his "niece".

"And what about Steve's fight...was it in vain," Chin asked quietly; his eyes never leaving his friends on the beach.

"Excuse me," Doris countered.

"His fight against Wo Fat...was it all in vain..." Chin asked pointedly, as he turned towards Doris, "were all the secrets...all the sacrifice—was it really worth it?"

"What do you mean...?" Doris asked.

Not wavering from his deliberate gaze, Chin asked in his quiet way, "Why do you keep doing it..."

Shaking her head in exaggerated confusion, "...doing what, Chin?"

Not wavering from purposeful gaze, he intoned knowingly, "...you know exactly what I'm talking about: first you let him live with the lie that you were dead—murdered...then you come back into his life only to disappear and reappear on a whim! How much of that do you think he can really take?"

Meeting the younger man's intense gaze with a hard look of her own; Doris replied evenly, "I do what I have to, to keep my family safe..."

Chin shook his head, "that line is growing thin and tedious in its retelling: why not just come clean with him, don't you think he deserves that truth after all this time?"

Crossing her arms, and fixing Chin with a slight frown, Doris shot back, "there are some things that a mother just doesn't share with her son..."

"It's not that...somehow, I don't think a few skeletons rattling around the McGarrett closet is what you're afraid of; I think you don't trust him," Chin countered."

Becoming angry at Chin's continued interrogative tone, she snapped back, "He's my son, of course I trust him..."

Chin raised his eyebrow and shook his head gently, refuting quietly, "your son, yes...but he's not that 16 year old boy you left; he's a full grown man...a man that happens to be ex-naval intelligence officer and navy seal...one that has as many secrets and connections as his mother..."

Moving into Chin's space, Doris ground out in barely contained anger, "What right do you have..."

Taking a step back and holding up a staying hand, Chin countered without heat, "You said it yourself...we're more than a team...more than friends: Danny, Steve...we're here for each other, even when we don't realize we need it-we're ohana...and I won't stand by and see him hurt: see you keep pulling him in so many different directions..."

"I am not hurting my son," Doris retorted in a harsh whisper.

So intent on their contentious conversation, neither noticed Steve come up to the lanai: stopping to eye his mom and friend guardedly, before asking slowly, "Uh...mom...Chin...there a problem...?"

Breaking eye contact, Chin stepped back while Doris plastered a smile on her face and reached to give Steve's arm a squeeze, "No...of course there's no problem...Chin and I were just discussing the steaks..."

"The steaks," Steve questioned in surprise, looking back and forth between the two, "you were going toe to toe over the steaks?"

"Chin thought he'd slip some pineapple on Danny's...I thought I'd spare us all the rant we all know we'd get," Doris lied easily, "you boys still act like teenagers..."

His gaze fixed on his mother, weighing what he saw against what his mother was saying; Steve missed the gentle shake of Chin's head.

Before he had a chance to call either of them out on what he witnesses, Danny, Gracie and Cat come up onto the lanai...

"Lunch ready yet...being buffeted by those evil, shark infested waves works up an appetite..." Danny ranted lightly.

With a snort of amusement, Steve rested a hand on his friends shoulder and said, "Yeah, Danny, steaks ready..."

Looking at his friend suspiciously, Danny said, "No pineapple...?"

Laughing, Steve looked towards his mother, "no pineapple..."

Doris stepped forward, draping an arm around both men's shoulders, as they turned back to the grill, saying, "no pineapple, hoalie..." as she shot a pointed look towards Chin: who returned the gaze steadily.

...Hawaii 5-0...

a/n: I don't know where this came from & it's a little rough around the edges, I just think we need more doris/chin scenes