May 3, 2011
It was May 4, 2011. Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett had just walked out of his office late that evening when the phone rang. Stiffing an impatient sigh, he answered his office phone.
"This is Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett." he answered.
"Steve?" said the voice on the other end. "It's me…Lily."
Steve's eyebrows furrowed. The voice sounded familiar, but he couldn't place where he had heard it before. "State your full name," he ordered.
"I know it's been nineteen years," said the voice on the phone. I know that voice. Steve couldn't remember where he had heard the calm alto. The voice continued. "But I was hoping you'd recognized my voice." The voice paused, as if taking in the pain. "My name is Dr. Lily Newton."
Immediately Steve remembered.
It was a cool day. The rain showered the seventeen-year old boy's head, but he didn't care today. Mud coated his shoes, but he didn't bother to wipe the mud off. Lily Newton's hand was clutched in his own. Unlike the last time she had held his hand, her grip was calm and assured. As they neared the cemetery, however, Lily's grip became more desperate and panicked. As with before, Steve gave Lily a reassuring squeeze. She instantly calmed.
As the two teenagers neared the grave, Steve felt Lily's body slacken. He pushed her along, whispering that it was almost over, and that they would go home to see the Commander soon. The grave was in sight now. It was alone, barren, and not enshrouded by flowers. The lone grave had been alone for its four long years.
Lily crouched down onto the grass, oblivious to the mud and wet grass. She traced the letters imprinted into the carved stone tenderly as she silently cried. Steve watched from a distance, knowing that Lily needed to grieve before telling him that she was all right.
It was April 19, 1993. Steve supposed he should be next to Lily, sobbing next to her, since it was a year ago that his mother had been killed by a drunk driver. But he didn't feel anything toward her death. His concern was for Lily, who was sobbing. Today was her mother's birthday.
Four years she had been dead.
"Lily?" Steve gasped. He never thought he would hear her voice again.
There was a muffled laugh on the other end. "It took you awhile to recognize that the voice was mine."
Suddenly feeling like seventeen-years old again, Steve sheepishly smiled. "Well, it has been nineteen years since we've seen each other."
"Yeah." Steve sensed sadness lingering in Lily's voice. "I'm sorry I couldn't visit you sometime during that timeframe. You didn't break your promise." Her voice brightened a little.
"What promise?" Steve knew exactly what promise he had made to Lily, but he asked anyway.
"You told me, "'I'll see you again.'" It took nineteen years to fulfill it, but here we are."
"Here we are." Steve agreed.
There was a moment of silence.
"What's happened, Lily?" Steve finally broke the tension a couple moments later. "Why don't you tell me what's going on?"
"It's the Commander." There were now muffled sobs on the other end. "He's dying."
Steve waited for Lily to explain. "He had a stroke last year," Lily said when she found her voice. "The half side of his body is paralyzed, so he can't do many of the tasks he once could do himself."
There was another pause. "Last week, I was with a patient, and he decided to try to walk up the stairs himself. Ultimately, his hip was shattered after falling down a flight of twelve stairs." Steve imagined Lily rubbing her forehead, as she usually did when she was stressed. "What an idiot." Lily added quietly.
Steve couldn't help but smirk. Danny, his partner, would say the same thing about him. He imagined Danny coming up with a rant. He wondered what his hot-headed partner would think about Lily.
"He's dying, Steve." Lily's voice brought Steve back to the present. "The Commander wants to see you." Steve could hear the desperation in Lily's voice. "We're the only family he has."
"Why haven't you told me this before?" Steve demanded. "You could have called me earlier."
"You seemed so happy…" Lily tried feebly.
"How do you know I'm happy?" Steve asked. He only just realized what Lily had meant to say.
"I tracked you, and I found you were living in Hawaii. I know it's your home. You should be happy. It's always been your home. I also have a photo of you," she added quietly.
Steve smirked. "You've been stalking me, haven't you?" he mocking demanded.
"I have not." Lily laughed, and to Steve she seemed to be an eighteen-year old girl again. "So will you come with your family, your teammates?" she asked. "I think they would like to meet the Commander."
"How much do you know about me since 1994?"
"I know you're the leader of the Five-0 taskforce, and that you are a former Navy SEAL." Lily's voice vibrated from the phone. "That's all I know, honest."
There was a moment of silence.
"So will you come?" Lily asked quietly.
Without thinking about the consequences, Steve said, "Yes, I'll come. I'll book the earliest flight to Maryland."
"Thank you," Lily said.
"You're welcome, Lily." Steve replied. "You know, I also promised you that I would never leave you unless you wanted me to. And to me, a promise will always be fulfilled."