Chapter 2

McGarrett woke, finding himself face down on the couch. He felt stiff and groggy.

Brilliant sunshine, warm and inviting, shone unobstructed through the lanai door. He smiled, instantly liking the beautiful view he had from this new place. He stretched his arms over his head until he felt his back pop.

The morning was crisp and clean. A perfect day to be outside. After a quick jog, a shower, and more unpacking, he decided to make a market run. Danny was coming over later to help put the large pieces back together and he wanted more in his kitchen than stale bread and black pepper.

When he arrived back in the building, he found Danny standing impatiently in front of the elevator. He chuckled, startling the other cop who hadn't heard him come in.

"You'll stand there all day." McGarrett warned. "It's broken."

Danny laughed as well, picturing Steve having to move everything up the stairs. He was wearing a green Aloha shirt and board shorts, telling him that he had spent his Saturday morning surfing.

They climbed the stairs, discussing the upcoming surfing competitions that were being held on Maui.

With both of them working, the platform bed and two bookcases went up in no time.

Steve gathered a stack of flattened boxes and stacked them in the outside hall. He would throw them out later. He turned back into the apartment. "Hey Danno, how did that new typist work out?" He followed Danno's movement to the kitchen as he finished his sentence. He was surprised to find the room empty. "Danno?"

He heard a flush of water. He turned to see Danny exit the bathroom.

"What?" Danny asked, confused at the look Steve was giving him.

Steve shook off his strange feeling. He sighed. "Nothing."

Danny strode passed him and rifled trough the fridge. "Hey you don't have enough food in here to feed Chin's kids."

Steve laughed. "Thankfully Malia is cooking."

Danny grinned, "Great."

By Sunday evening, Steve's condo was mostly empty of boxes and full of people. Chin, his wife Malia, and his eight kids arrived first. Followed by Kono and Jenny. She eyed Tim, Chin's oldest, as he stood guard by the food. She looked at Steve and said. "Danny, better hurry, or there will not be food left for him."

Steve laughed as the door bell rang. As he opened the door he was surprised to see Danny's cousin, Julie, standing next to him.

"Hi!" Julie's bubbly personality was already flowing into the room.

Danny's smile bore slight nerves. "I hope it was OK to bring her."

"The more the merrier." Steve moved to let them in.

"Julie just moved to the island." Danny said by way of explanation.

"Really?"

"Yes!" she tossed her purse onto a nearby table. "I graduated and made the move here. I have an apartment close to Danny."

"That's great." Steve answered.

She moved through the room to great everyone.

Soon after dinner the kids grew bored with the grown-ups talking and became restless. Julie corralled them into Steve's extra room as Danny set the TV in there to entertain them.

The adults remained in the living room, talking, laughing and blowing off steam. Steve walked through the group, passing out drinks.

As he handed the last one to Julie, he saw a young Hawaiian girl, around ten to thirteen, cross from the spare room and into his bedroom. A red flag waved in his mind, he had never seen her before. He walked over to his bedroom, not at all surprised to find it empty.

He poked his head into the other room. "Hey, Kim." one of the younger Kelly looked at him. "Did you all bring a friend?"

"No Sir." she answered him. "Why?"

"No reason." McGarrett's mind was spinning. He knew he saw someone. Am I going crazy?

He felt eyes on him. Looking up, his gaze met Julie's. Her crystalline blue eyes seemed to bore into him. He had the strangest feeling that she could read his mind. He was brought out of his trance by the sound of glass breaking.

Danny's voice floated from the kitchen. "Hey Steve, how close were you to that lemonade pitcher?"

McGarrett gave Julie and easy smile, rolling his eyes. He tried to shake the erieness off.