Welcome back to my world of Five-O in the '90's. I moved things a few years in the future to see how the crew would react with changing technology.
The Original Five-O and it's characters all belong to CBS. I think of them as old friends I invite over for tea.
As you can tell, this story is part of another I am still working on. I thought I needed a Five-O New Year's story.
Read and enjoy...
LMS
Photographs and Weddings in the Sand
McGarrett was standing on the lanai outside his office watching the commotion below and feeling the satisfaction of a job well done. So far, everything was going smoothly. Operation Ohana was in full swing and ready to launch.
The idea for the pictures was born after Chin's death. Jenny had been going through the scrapbooks searching for pictures of Chin with the intention of having a memorial book made for the Kelly children. There were hundreds of pictures, most of them from shots gleaned from the newspapers and crime scene photographers. What there wasn't, Jenny pointed out, was a picture of all the detectives together in one shot.
"We need a family picture," Jenny said as she handed McGarrett the invoice for the printers. "Before you retire or, God forbid, anyone else gets hurt." She still couldn't bring herself to use the word 'killed'.
Steve thought it over as he signed the invoice. Jenny was right. It was past time for pictures.
"Let me think about this for a while," he'd said as he returned the invoice. "Getting this bunch in one place is like herding cats. Get me a list of photographers you think are up to the job."
Jenny raised one eyebrow and gave him the type of smile she usually reserved for one of her kids when they failed to see the obvious.
"Steve, all you have to do is call Susan Lukela. She's one of the best and since she's married to Duke, she's family. Want me to call her?"
"Not right now," Steve said, wondering how Five-O had ever managed without Jenny. "Give me a while to get the logistics organized, then we'll talk about dates."
Jenny nodded in agreement and went back to her desk, knowing family pictures would be happening soon.
He watched as more cars pulled into the parking lot. Soon everyone would be ready. The break room had been converted into a room for last minute touchups. McGarrett had dropped in earlier, only to be greeted by the scent of Aqua-net hairspray. Maggie swore by the stuff, claiming it was the only hairspray on earth that could survive the humidity of a Louisiana summer. Hawaiian humidity, she'd said, didn't even come close.
Maggie had been putting the finishing touches on Tilda's hair and Sophie was giving Beverly a last-minute touchup. The twins were sleeping peacefully in their carriers, giving Beverly a needed break.
"Anything I can do for you ladies?" he'd asked from the doorway, trying hard not to inhale a product he considered a chemical weapon.
"We're fine," Maggie said. "How's our little girl looking?"
"As beautiful as her mother," he said.
Maggie and Tilda both looked up at Steve. Tilda had only been living with them for a few short months and Maggie still wasn't used to being referred to as Tilda's mother. She smiled at her tall husband, feeling once again the rush of emotions she always did when Steve called her Tilda's mother.
"Thank you," she said. "Now go round up the guys and see if you can find my sister."
"Do I have to?" he asked. Vinnie was a handful by anyone's standards.
"Yes, and while you're at it, see what's keeping Mary Ann."
"On it," he said. He met Vinnie and Little Honi on the stairs and told her Maggie was looking for her. His sister was on the Palace steps, giving her husband and their four teenage children a last-minute inspection. She was straightening the tie of her youngest as he complained loudly about being forced to wear a suit and tie while on vacation.
"Get over it," Mary Ann said. "Consider yourself lucky I'm not one of those spit-on-the- hanky-and-wash-your-face moms. Now try to stay out of trouble for next hour or so, if that's possible." Her youngest had been a little hellion since birth. She blamed Tom for insisting the boy be named for a shipmate, a hellraising former fighter pilot who had somehow managed to get himself elected to the Senate.
"Everything under control, Sis?" Steve asked.
"For now, although you may want to handcuff Johnny to the building. I swear that boy could find a way to cause trouble in an empty room. I'm going upstairs to check my hair before those kids have me tearing it out. I have a feeling it's all over the place."
If there was a hair out of place, McGarrett couldn't find it. Mary Ann was always perfectly and effortlessly turned out.
"Just the man I'm looking for," Susan Lukela said as she joined them. She was looking a little harried from the preparations. "Everything is ready. I'm going to freshen up and we should be ready to go in about twenty minutes. Post a guard on that camera, please. I've got it set up and if I find one shot of anyone mooning, flipping the bird, or sticking out their tongue, there will be repercussions."
"You got it, Top," Steve said. He had no doubt Susan, a retired Army first sergeant, meant exactly what she said. She saluted and headed up the steps.
He found Cooper waiting in his office, wearing his Navy dress blues and studying the folder Steve had left on his desk. "Cooper, how many times do I have to tell you to stay out of the case files?" Cooper had always been overly curious about Five-O's cases. Margo, on finding this out, had a few words to say on the subject, with both Steve and Cooper.
"Dad, I'm a grown-up Navy officer. Mom will have to get over it. If she knew half the stuff NCIS was investigating, she'd call the admiral and try to get me grounded. Is this case the reason you didn't meet us at the airport?"
Steve nodded slightly. The day Cooper, Sophie, and Vinnie had arrived in Honolulu, he'd been in the middle of a sugar cane patch looking at a bloody corpse. "Yeah, HPD kicked it over to Honolulu sheriffs. It was in the middle of a cane field in an abandoned shack. The body had a lei around the neck and bouquet in his lap. Doc ID'ed the body from fingerprints. That's when we found out he'd jumped bond three years ago."
"Says here he was wanted for sex crimes, most of them involving children."
"Among other things," he said. Cooper had obviously inherited the cop genes.
"I read the report. Sounds like a revenge killing. Did you get a profile from the FBI?"
"Should have one after New Year. The only reason I'm getting it then instead of six months from now is the Feds screwed the pooch when they didn't strap an ankle bracelet to the creep or bother to put a surveillance team on him. With that charge sheet, he should have never gotten bond."
Cooper closed the folder. "He dropped out of sight until last week when you find him dead in a cane field. I'm thinking he had help to make it to Oahu. Someone had to pay for the plane tickets. I take it this is what's been bothering you. And here I was thinking you were upset with me and Sophie."
"No, son, of course not! I wasn't expecting to be a grandpa this soon, is all. I'm doing it again. Obsessing over work when I should be taking care of my family. Maybe your mom was right all along."
"Dad, Mom's right about a lot of stuff, but not everything. She set down a bunch of rules you had to follow, or she would have revoked the few parental rights she let you have. You did what she let you do, and believe it or not, it was more than enough. You're a good cop because you think it's your job to protect the entire world. Makes you a pretty good dad, too."
"Thanks, son," He said, patting Cooper on the shoulder and glancing at his watch. "I don't suppose your mother is going to show up for pictures?"
"I'm still hoping she'll come to the wedding," Cooper said, sighing. "Can you imagine what's going to happen when she meets up with Auntie Susan the first time? Especially with cameras in the area?"
Steve shuddered, remembering a quote from a Terry Pratchett book Maggie had translated into modern English for non-Discworld inhabitants and had stitched into a sampler hanging in Susan's living room. "Photographer: from the Latin "Photus" meaning to prance around like a general ordering everyone about as if you owned the place."
"I should let you in on the rest of the news," Cooper said, grinning. "Mom has been seeing Colonel Yablanski."
Steve gave his son an incredulous look. "You're kidding, right? The same woman who didn't want a '28 hour a day' cop is seeing a man who is still on active duty and is subject to being sent anywhere at any time. Now that's an idea that's going to take a lot of getting used to." McGarrett hated to lose at anything. With Margo the battle had been short, bitter, and one-sided.
"They've only been out when he's been in New York or when she's in DC, but they're on the phone all the time, like a couple of teenagers. I'm not sure if it's getting serious, but they do seem to get along."
They were interrupted by a soft knock at the door. Maggie came in, looking ravishing. "Just the young man I was looking for," she said. "Cooper, honey, Sophie wants you in the break room."
As far as Cooper was concerned, the retired Army sergeant from South Louisiana was the best thing that had ever happened to his dad. He bent to give her a quick peck on the cheek. I've got a step-mom and a new sister, he thought. Ohana, Dad calls it. The family you make. If I could only talk Mom into joining.
"How's it going, Big Guy?" Maggie asked.
"I think this is going to work. I really do," he sighed deeply. "Cooper hasn't heard a thing from Margo. He is going to be upset if she's a no show."
"Not much you can do about that. Susan and I are hoping Andy can talk her into coming."
"You mean Susan knows? Why am I the only person on Oahu who didn't know Margo was seeing Yablanski? Is this some sort of conspiracy?"
"No, honey, no conspiracy. You've been so busy this last week or so. You managed to get everyone here for pictures and then there is the surprise wedding and the news you are going to be a grandpa. I also know the case everyone has been working overtime on is getting to you and to the rest of the crew. I know it's been difficult, and I know it will continue to haunt this Island until you get it solved. I know you have been trying to juggle both job and family commitments, and I hope you know how much I appreciate the effort." She paused for a minute, trying to work out what to say next. "This has been a difficult year for us all, but it's ending on a happy note and a new beginning for a new century. And Tilda and I love you very much. And before I forget since we've got about a thousand different things going on at once, Happy Birthday and Happy Anniversary."
Steve took her in his arms and kissed her softly. "Happy Anniversary and I love you, too. Now let's get this show on the road."
Susan had set up the group shot on the front steps of Iolani Palace. Steve and Maggie were front and center, with Tilda sitting on Steve's lap. Danny and Beverly, each holding one of the twins, were to the right. On his left was Duke Lukela, Susan's chair currently being held for her by Michael. Kono was next, sitting next to Vinnie, and holding little Honi. Sandy Welles, Pacita Mendoza, and Grace Thompson were on the end next to Danny and Beverly. In the second row were Robbie and Ivory Compton, both wearing their HPD uniforms. Duke's kids were next; Lillie home from Vassar and Eddie on leave from the Army and in uniform. Colonel Yablanski stood next to Sophie and Cooper, directly behind Steve and Maggie. Mary Ann's family was next, with Jenny and her husband and kids rounding out the group.
Susan had reverted to non-com and was happily bossing everyone around. "Listen up, everyone!" she said. "This is how it's going down. The hardest one's first. I'm going to take about twenty shots and go from there. After I'm done, we're going to break it down by family, with Beverly and the babies up first. I've got an area set up in the basement for those. Everyone ready?"
"Ready as we'll ever be," Steve said.
"Then we're good to go." Susan hurried over to her chair, linked her arm through Duke's to hide the remote, and smiled. "On the count of three, one… two… Smile!"
O-O-O-O-O
Susan paced the floor, occasionally glancing at her watch, and swearing under her breath.
"Sit down, Mom," Sophie demanded. "You're making me nervous."
"Not as nervous as your father is going to if he doesn't get a move on. You're getting married in an hour and he's off running errands." Susan checked her watch again, ran her fingers through her hair, and once more adjusted the seams of her dress.
"Come on, Susan," Maggie said. "Let's get a drink. Andy will be here on time. He's not going to miss walking Sophie down the aisle."
Susan followed Maggie into the kitchen, leaving Sophie, Lillie, Beverly, and Tilda to finish getting dressed. Maggie took two shot glasses and a bottle of Jack Daniels from the cabinet and poured each a generous shot.
"You want ice?" she asked.
"Straight up works for me," she said, clinking glasses. "Here's to weddings in the sand. You married that handsome devil at daybreak and now my daughter is marrying his son at midnight. Next time anyone in this Ohana gets hitched, let it be at a decent hour!"
"Where's Andy anyway?" Maggie asked after she'd downed her drink.
"All he said was he had an errand no one else could do. Whatever in the hell it is had better be important, is all I'm saying."
"Chill out," Maggie said. The Jack was going to her head faster than she'd anticipated. "He'll be here. I think it's cool Sophie's having Duke and Andy both walk her down."
"Yeah," Susan said. "Me, too. I was as surprised as Duke was when she asked. Neither of us had even considered it. Duke got a little emotional when she asked."
"Duke? Emotional?" Maggie asked with raised eyebrows.
"Yeah, go figure. He's very flattered. Sophie says she has two families now, one on the mainland and one here in the Islands."
"Wish I could say the same for Cooper," Maggie said, pouring and downing another shot. "Fine, Margo has issues with Steve, but that was years ago, and she needs to put on her big girl panties and cowgirl the fuck up for her son's sake."
"Okay, kiddo," Susan said, taking the bottle and the shot glass. "No more of this until after the wedding! There goes the doorbell, and it had damn well better be Andy!"
They opened the door to find Andreus Yablanski in dress blues holding onto the arm of a tall, slender brunette with huge brown eyes. Maggie would know those eyes anywhere. Cooper had the same eyes.
"I am sorry I am late, Susan. I had to stop by the airport. Susan, Maggie, I would like for you to meet Margo Cooper."
Maggie held out her hand, "Please, come in. I'm glad you could make it. Thank you for coming. Cooper will be glad to see you."
Susan extended her hand to Margo. "Andy, you need to get with Sophie and the rest of the wedding party. Margo, it's good to finally meet you but we'll have to wait until after the ceremony to really talk."
Maggie and Margo were sizing each other up. She gave Margo a mischievous smile. "Let's go find Steve," she said. "And let Cooper know you're here. Would you like to freshen up from your flight? Not that you need it, you look great."
"Thank you, I'm fine for now. Andreus tells me you are retired from the Army and you are Sophie's godmother," Margo said. Maggie wasn't exactly what she had expected. The woman was only about five feet tall and wearing a floor-length pale grey dress embroidered with flowers and vines along the neckline and hem. Her silver hair was pulled back and braided with flowers into one long braid.
"Guilty as charged. I've known the family for years. In the rarefied world of Army journalism, Susan and I managed to be assigned together most of our careers." Maggie was once more feeling like the odd duck. Margo was tall and gorgeous and next to her she felt like a frumpy housewife.
Margo smiled, surprised to find she was starting to like the petite Southerner. "I understand you and Susan were both in the Gulf War and that you were injured."
"Yes, but it's something I don't like to think about, especially when we're supposed to be celebrating. I've seen some of your work. Very nice. Susan's a photographer. She took the pictures, I wrote the stories. Now we're a couple of old retired grunts and wouldn't have it any other way."
Margo paused for a minute, thinking. Better now than later. "Please, if you are uncomfortable with me being here, let me know. I don't want to intrude."
Maggie was first and foremost one of those Southern women made famous by Julia Sugarbaker, but only if Julia Sugarbaker had spent twenty years in the Army. "Margo, believe me when I tell you this, if I thought for one minute you were intruding, or that your presence here would somehow interfere with my marriage, you would not have made it through the front door. Twenty minutes ago, I was calling you bad names for not showing up for your son's wedding. I'm glad you are here. That took courage. Now let's go tell the guys because the wedding starts in about fifteen minutes."
The men had taken over the office/sewing room. Cooper was pacing nervously, waiting for the signal to head down to the beach. Steve was lounging by his desk, while Danny and Tom Whalen were doing their best to lighten the mood with stories of impending fatherhood.
"Steve," Maggie said, softly. "Look who decided to drop by."
Steve was on his feet in seconds. Cooper stopped pacing. Danny and Tom exchanged glances.
"Margo," Steve said. "I didn't know you were coming."
"Our son is getting married. I wouldn't miss this for the world. Well, don't just stand there, young man. Get over here an give your mom a hug."
Cooper hugged his mom. "I'm glad you could make it."
"Me, too," she said, so quietly no one else heard.
Steve's phone rang. He answered in the usual manner. "McGarrett." He listened for a minute and clicked the phone closed.
"They're ready for us on the beach. Let's go, son. Maggie, Margo, the music starts in ten minutes and the ushers will escort you down." He kissed both Maggie and Margo on the cheek. "Thank you," he whispered.
"Steve's the best man," Maggie said after the men had left. "Danny and Eddie Lukela and Tom are all groomsmen. I'm supposed to walk with Kono, but since he's a big man, we can share, that is if you don't mind."
"Not at all," Margo said. "I hear Kono is the sheriff now."
"Re-elected with no opposition. I guess that means he's doing a good job."
"You ladies talking about me?" Came a gruff voice from behind. Kono was standing there wearing a dark blue suit.
"Good to see you again, Kono," Margo said. "You've lost weight."
"Dat's 'cause no one told me how much work being sheriff was gonna be until after I said I'd take da job. Looks like the music is starting. Shall we, Ladies?"
Escorted by the Honolulu County Sheriff, the two women walked down to the beach.
O-O-O-O-O
The wedding went off without a hitch, beautifully accented by the fireworks exploding across the sky, signaling a new millennium. The ceremony was presided over by the Navy Chaplin from Pearl Harbor and Father Kwan, the priest of Our Lady of the Ocean where the McGarrett family attended Mass every Sunday morning. After rings were exchanged the happy couple was wrapped in the Hawaiian wedding quilt pieced by Susan and Maggie and finished in time for the ceremony with a lot of help from the Hawaiian Quilters Guild.
Fireworks were still lighting up the skies when the dancing began. Maggie and Susan were standing by, watching Sophie and Cooper's first dance when Margo joined them.
"I didn't bring my camera," was all Margo said.
"Duke made me leave mine at home," Susan said. "Old habits are hard to break."
"It looks like we're going to be taking baby pictures soon," Margo said. "I was hoping they would have waited. I think they are happy, and I can live with that."
"Me, too," Susan said. "She's going to finish law school. Andy made Cooper promise. He said they could live with him for as long as she's at Georgetown, and beyond if they want. I think he's tired of rattling around that big old house by himself."
"They are talking about buying a house in Georgetown," Margo said. "I have no idea how he's planning on paying for it on a junior officer's salary with a wife in law school."
"That's where I come in," Steve said. He had seen the women talking and couldn't resist the urge to know what they were discussing. Maggie raised an eyebrow over her glass of champagne, knowing full well the bomb Steve was about to drop in Margo's lap. "Remember when I tried to send child support, and you wouldn't take it? I put it in the bank. Eighteen years' worth of the percentage of my salary as required by law. Add interest and a few investments and it all added up to enough money for a very nice engagement ring and a down payment on a house in Georgetown."
"You didn't," Margo started.
"I did," Steve finished. "It was the right thing to do. Now go dance with our son."
"You always did have to have the last word," Margo said, smiling. She handed Maggie her empty glass. "Thank you, for everything, and good luck with this one, you're going to need it."
Maggie watched as Margo made her way across the lanai to where Cooper was waiting, and Andreus had already claimed Sophie for the father/daughter dance. She smiled at her husband. "She's right, you know. You always have to have the last word."
"I do not," he said.
"You do, too, and that proves it. Now stop arguing. You were busy at midnight and I didn't get my New Year's kiss."
"Really," he said, as he took her in his arms.
"Yes. Really. Happy New Year and Happy New Century, now shut up and kiss me!"
Steve didn't need prompting. He kissed his wife as fireworks explode overhead overshadowed only by the ones in his heart.