And so it begins...


Chapter Two

Five minutes later…

"Can I help you?" the lady behind the desk asked politely as Emerson pushed open the glass doors leading into the reception area of the Five-O offices. She was an older Hawaiian woman with a round face, a sweet smile, and a desk plate that read Mia.

Emerson looked at her, hesitated for a moment, thought about running, then took a deep breath and said, "I'm looking for Commander Steven McGarrett."

"You got an appointment with Steve?"

"No, I'm an…" Emerson hesitated again, wondering if she wasn't perhaps the stupidest woman in the world, licked her lips and went for it, "Old friend."

"Steve's not here," Mia informed her, then looked at the newcomer closely and offered, "But I can call him."

"No," Emerson replied quickly, relieved beyond belief that Steve was somewhere else. There it was, the Gods telling her that this was not meant to be. She was going to go with that. Big time. "I'll just…" she stopped and looked around, deciding to get the hell out of Dodge. "Forget it. Could you please just tell him Emerson Kennedy was here? I'll try to catch him later."

Emerson was rethinking telling this woman her name (too late now) when she smiled huge like she had just thought of some hilarious joke but wasn't going to let anyone in on it as she said, "No problem to give him a ring," Mia pushed, "I got him on speed dial."

Oh crap.

"No!" Emerson cried, suddenly sounding desperate, because suddenly she was desperate. She shouldn't have come there. She could get the goods on Lucy's stupid cheating jerk of a husband herself. It couldn't be that hard. She didn't need Steve. She didn't need anyone. Emerson started edging away, deciding on escape, as she finished, "Really, thanks, but I'll just go, I've got to be somewhere anyway."

"Just hang on one tick," Mia insisted, ever helpful, getting up and waving her hands to dry her nails. "I'll just talk to the team. Maybe they know where he is."

Eek! The team?

Another glass door opened on the other side of the reception area, a man walked in, and after one glance at him Emerson stared. At first she was worried it was going to be Steve, but it wasn't. This guy was tall, dark-haired with jade-green eyes, a lean, muscled body and he was unbelievably gorgeous. Not your average, Hawaii gorgeous but really gorgeous.

"Steve just called in," he told Mia, which caused her to sit back down behind the desk, "He'll be here in five."

Emerson had a silent freak out and noticed too late that Hot Hawaiian Guy was standing between her and the exit. Crap.

"Hi, um…?"

"Chin," he said and Emerson blinked as he continued, "Detective Chin Ho Kelly."

"Well, Detective Chin Ho Kelly, I need to go," she told him. He shook his head and Emerson stared at him, thinking maybe he didn't hear her right. "I need to go," she repeated.

"Steve'll be here in five," was all he said. He stood with his arms crossed on his chest and Emerson got the (correct) impression that for some reason he wasn't going to allow her to leave. The nervous brunette found this somewhat alarming. Emerson gave up on him because he didn't look like he was easily swayed and turned back to the receptionist.

"Um, really, I've got to go. I just remembered a dentist appointment. They get kind of touchy when you miss your appointments." This made Mia laugh, so Emerson added, "No, really. Sometimes they charge you." When Mia frowned at her, Emerson turned and started toward Chin. They couldn't actually keep her there. She was pretty certain that was against the law and these guys were supposed to uphold the law. Taking a step closer, she announced again, "I'm leaving."

"Steve wants you here," he told her as she took two steps toward him, which meant she was a foot away from him and about ten away from the door.

Emerson tipped her head back and looked at him, surprised at what he said. "He doesn't know I'm here."

"He knows."

"He doesn't."

"I told him."

"How'd you know?" Emerson asked, her eyes wide.

Chin grinned and pointed. She followed his arm to see a camera in the corner of the room. The light on it was green. The team had been watching.

Before Emerson had time to process this information, the outer door opened and Steve was suddenly standing there. She noticed instantly he looked even better than ever. Tall, at least four inches taller than her, lean and built, wearing a skintight blue t-shirt, tan cargo pants and black boots. His thick hair was clipped short to his head, but not buzz cut short so that it was still long enough to showcase his trademark waves.

His eyes landed on Emerson, slid to Chin, then over to Mia. Then one side of his mouth went up in a half-smirk as he asked, "Too late?"

"Not quite," Chin told him and he sounded like he was trying hard not to laugh.

This exchange confused Emerson, but she had no time to ask or say anything at all. Steve's eyes scanned the room with intense precision. Obviously looking for something then not finding it, his gaze sliced back to the receptionist as he asked, "Where's Emmy?"

"What do you mean, where's Emmy? Boy, you looked right at her," Mia answered with a grin as she gestured in Emerson's direction.

Steve's eyes cut to the pretty brunette and pinned her to the spot. She went still and he stared even harder, his eyes narrowing.

"Hey Steve," she said, feeling and sounding stupid.

His brows came together. "Emmy?" he asked. "Emmy Rose Leigh?"

Emerson's heart lurched as she heard him call her by his childhood nickname for her. No one else in the world was allowed to call her Emmy Rose Leigh and no one had ever dared. Pulling herself together, she tried for a jaunty smile and answered, "In the flesh."

Steve did a slow, full body scan and then his eyes came back to hers as he asked, "What the hell happened to you?"

There was definitely a sort of pissed-off accusation in his tone. Not exactly the reaction she had dreamed of when she pictured Steve's first glimpse of the new Emerson.

"I got contacts," she told him and he glared at her, so she added, "And I dyed my hair." The glare turned scary, so she continued, "And I lost seventy-five pounds."

For some reason, Detective Kelly burst out laughing at that and Emerson could hear other laughter in the room as they'd been joined by more people that she couldn't see. The rest of the team, apparently. But she just kept her eyes on Steve who looked, for some insane reason, about to blow. His jaw clenched and his gaze hardened as he asked, "What're you doing here?"

The moment the words were out of his mouth, Emerson decided that she didn't need a tough guy. She was going to go it alone so she lied, "I thought you might want to get a beer."

"I called you," he said, changing the subject suddenly, seemingly oblivious to their audience.

Crap.

She was worried about this. He had called about half a dozen times after his father's funeral. Two she missed because she was out. Four she had listened to, sitting there while he was leaving the messages and didn't answer. None of them did she return.

"I know," she whispered softly.

"After my father died, I called you," he stated again, and the laughter swept out of the room just as quickly as it came in.

"I know," she repeated, getting ready for the storm that was about to be unleashed.

"You didn't call back and now, four years later, you wanna have a beer?" His tone was even more frightening than before. Emerson wouldn't have thought it was possible, but there it was.

"Um… maybe not," she muttered, deciding that perhaps she should go home, go to bed, get up again and try the day differently, next time making smart decisions about her actions (read: not going to Five-O Headquarters).

"What're you doing here?" Steve asked again.

"I told you…"

"You lied," he interrupted, crossing his arms over his solid chest.

Emerson's mouth dropped open. She had lied of course, but how could he know that? And anyway, he was accusing her of lying in front of other people. She felt her temper flare.

"I did not," she snapped (and lied again).

"Bullshit."

"Don't you say 'bullshit' to me, Steven McGarrett."

"Don't lie to me, Emerson Kennedy. What're you doing here?"

He wasn't going to let it go so she sputtered, "I was going to ask you out for a beer. Then I remembered I have a dentist appointment and now I'm late so I'm just going to…"

She was preparing for escape so she took two steps toward the door, mid-rant, and Steve moved. But not to get out of her way. One second he was several feet away from her and the next he was right up in her space. She would have done something (though she didn't know what that something was) to get away, but he moved into her. She had no choice but to move back and she backed right up against the wall. Steve came up close, the heat from his body hitting her, his face in hers and she stilled. He was so tall and broad she couldn't see anything but him. He was so pissed-off and full of attitude she was captivated by him and wouldn't have been able to look or move away if she tried.

"What're you doing here?" he repeated, dark blue eyes shining dangerously. Emerson ignored the danger, mainly because at this point she was seriously angry.

"Back off!" she snapped.

"I'm only gonna ask one more time," Steve warned. She put her hands in the spare space between them, right on his rock-solid chest and gave a mighty shove. Then her eyes widened and dropped to her sides. She was pretty certain she had given a good old shove, but he didn't move, not an inch.

Okay then, new tactic. She looked around the room for someone to help her but quickly realized they were alone in the reception area. Chin, Mia and the team had quietly disappeared while Steve was backing her into the wall.

"What's going on?" he asked again for what he had promised would be the last time.

"Step back, Steven."

"Are you in trouble?"

"Step back!" she shouted. But he didn't step back. Instead, he got closer. So much closer, his body touched hers and one of his hands went to the wall beside her head, the other by her hip. She was totally trapped.

"Talk to me, Emmy," Steve ordered. His voice had dipped low. He didn't sound pissed-off now. He sounded patient and a lot like Steve had always sounded whenever he talked to her. Gentle. Affectionate.

She should have responded to his tone, but he was so close. Her head tilted back to look at him and her eyes caught on his mouth. He had a nice mouth, but Emerson never had the opportunity to stare at it in that kind of proximity. The top lip was nicely formed, the bottom one full. The balance was perfect and there were these sexy ridges that made you want to explore. She found herself wondering if that mouth was soft or hard when he used it to kiss you. Then she found herself wondering what it tasted like. Then she found herself thinking she wanted to run her tongue along it.

"Emmy Rose Leigh."

She watched those lips move as they said her name and her eyes drifted dreamily up to Steve's. She was in kind of a fog, so when her eyes hit his she was no longer thinking clearly, totally lost in the moment, so lost she licked her lips.

"Jesus," he muttered, his voice soft, and now he was staring at her mouth. She watched, fascinated as his face stayed hard but his eyes went warm. Ultra-warm. Warm in a way she had never seen before. He always looked at her with warmth in his eyes and she knew he didn't look at everyone that way, but he always looked at her that way.

But this was different, way different.

His eyes were warm in a way that made her feel warm all over. He wasn't that far away but he started to come even closer. Emerson blinked, and self-preservation in mind, shoved at him again, pulling her head back with a jerk and cracking it against the wall. The moment was broken.

"Step back!" she shouted.

Steve's eyes narrowed as he asked, "What are you playing at?"

"I'm not playing at anything!" Emerson answered sharply, "I was in the neighborhood, I thought I had time on my hands. Mary told me you worked here so what the hell? Stop by and see an old friend. Then you act all Neanderthal crazy. Jeez. Forget it. I have to go to the dentist. He's gonna be pissed."

She shoved again, but Steve still didn't move.

"You're lying," he answered simply.

"I am not!"

"I KNOW you, Emmy and I know when you're lying," He reminded her angrily as his face came closer. The closer she thought it would have come a moment ago when, for one heart-stopping, insane moment, it seemed like he was going to kiss her. This time, though, it came in threateningly as he hissed, "You waltz in here after four years, not looking like yourself, not acting like yourself, acting all jittery and bitchy…something I never would have expected from you. You lie through your teeth then stare at my mouth like you want to stick your tongue down my throat, and when I'm ready to give you that opportunity, you go back to bitchy and lying."

Emerson was staring at him. She couldn't help it. She'd never heard anyone be that brutally honest before in her life. And had she been imagining it or had he told her he was going to give her the opportunity to kiss him? Um… wow.

"I'm not playing this game, Em. Not with you," he warned, snapping her out of her thoughts. Gentle, affectionate Steve totally gone, they were back to dangerously pissed-off Steve. "You got trouble, you tell me right now so I can help you. If I find out another way, you'll..."

Her head jerked as she interrupted, "You'll what?" Shaking her head at the absurdity of the situation, Emerson didn't allow him to answer and bit out, "You won't find out anything. In fact, I can promise you won't see me again."

"I'll see you again," he said in a way that she felt a thrill go up her back. Seriously, it was high time to escape.

"Step back," she demanded.

He glared at her once more and then stepped back. Emerson whirled, threw open the closest door and stomped into the hall. Only it wasn't the hall. It was offices and a bullpen area. And those offices were filled with desks. And sitting at those desks were Chin Ho, Mia, another gorgeous Hawaiian woman, and a hunky blond guy. She had stomped through the wrong set of doors.

Before any of them could say anything to her she was twirled around, his hand at her elbow and she jerked her arm out of Steve's grasp. He was, for some reason, now grinning, face relaxed, one corner of his lips tipped up.

"Wrong way," he informed her and he looked about ready to laugh.

Great.

She was a total dork, making her grand exit and going the wrong way. Emerson threw him a look that should have made him spontaneously combust (of course, it did not) and stomped the other way, Steve beside her the whole time. His vibe had morphed from pissed-off to amused and she didn't like it one bit. He opened the door to the reception area and she hightailed it across the room, focused on the outer door.

She opened the outer door and marched out. But before it closed behind her, she heard Steve say, "See you later, my Emmy Rose Leigh."