3

As they hopped in Danny's Camaro, Danny glanced over at McGarrett, "So, when did Steve McGarrett become Mr. Suave?"

Steve pressed down hard on the accelerator, "What are you talking about?"

Danny lifted his head back against the seat and laughed, "I'm talking about those smooth operator lines you were feeding Ms. Raines."

Steve shook his head, "Those weren't lines."

"Really? Telling a woman how attractive she is on the worst day of her life usually signals that a guy wants to provide her with a different kind of comfort."

"For your information, Daniel, I was trying to make her feel better. I have no intention of sleeping with her."

"Are you sure about that, because I could've sworn I saw some sort of connection between the two of you."

"Yes, I'm sure about it. Our relationship is strictly professional."

"Okay."

"You're letting the subject go that easy? Are you sure you aren't losing your edge, Williams?"

"You know me better than that, don't you? Of course I won't let it drop. I was just giving you a slight audio break before I really give it to you."

"I knew I wouldn't get off that easy."

"You're right. You won't get off that easy, especially when you're having some type of love connection with a crime victim and possible murder witness!"

"Where do you come up with this stuff? There was no connection. I don't want to sleep with her. End of story."

"What about the little girl? Don't you want a family, Steve?"

The question knocked Steve's world into focus. What did he want? As far as a family, it was crunch time, the final countdown. However, the fear of a child living a life like his own was chilling. No one asked for a life like that.

Steve stared ahead, "Of course I want a family, Danny. Every man does, but I don't want any kid living the childhood I did. I'm not sure I want to risk putting a kid through that kind of pain."

Danny rubbed the bridge of his nose, "There's no saying your kid would have that kind of childhood."

Steve replied, "Unfortunately, my job makes it a much more likely scenario."

Danny nodded, "Sure, but I didn't sacrifice having Grace because I was a cop. Times have come up when I had to protect her and Rachel from my job, but I didn't give them up because of it."

"When did your rant about my love life turn into a family lecture?"

"When you didn't answer my question about family right away. Steve, you don't want to wake up one morning and wonder why you're alone. That's much worse than worrying about a wife and kids for the rest of your life."

Steve remained silent. He didn't want to tell Danny that he was right. He didn't want to spend the rest of his life alone and regret it in the end. His stubbornness prevented him from admitting it, though. There was a downside to being Steve McGarrett: showing very little or no emotion. God, he needed to get that fixed or he'd have nothing left.

After McGarrett and Danny left, their female counterparts, Kono Kalakaua and Catherine Rollins, took over looking after Chrissy and Sarah. McGarrett left explicit instructions to keep Chrissy and Sarah in sight and not allow them to go anywhere alone. Yeah, McGarrett was a little OCD when it came to keeping victims safe. It usually aggravated the rest of the Five-0 task force, but not in this case. There was a child involved this time, and everything possible needed to be done to insure her safety.

Chrissy was a little surprised by the women's roles on Five-0. Kono dusted for prints and searched for evidence as thoroughly as her cousin, Chin Ho Kelly, did. Catherine, formerly Lieutenant Rollins, had access to high-level military intelligence as well as other government agencies, and used it to its best advantage on behalf of Five-0. The women were as important as the men and equally tough. Besides that, they were beautiful. Kono, with her elegant black hair, sun-tinted skin, and thin figure, was the vision of a Hawaiian hula girl. The exotic look was deceiving, though. In action-packed situations, Kono could kick the butts of most guys. Catherine was slightly different. Her long, dark brown hair and model-like features didn't hide her military training, which she tried to distance herself from. She was tough only when she had to be.

After getting off the phone, Catherine sat down next to Chrissy, her warm eyes filled with sympathy, "I just talked to Steve and told him that all of the American airline companies are checking for suspicious activities and unmarked planes. He and Danny are going to talk to someone who might know something about Wo Fat's whereabouts."

Chrissy nodded, "Okay."

Catherine smiled, "I guess I should warn you ahead of time that Steve isn't going to let this go. Wo Fat killed his mother and father quite brutally, and Steve wants justice for them. Now that Wo Fat is back to his old ways, Steve is hoping that this will be a good opportunity to catch Wo Fat and put him away for good. Don't be surprised if he bugs the hell out of you about this. Steve gets a little crazy when it comes to Wo Fat."

Chrissy shook her head, "I don't blame him. Wo Fat's excellent at ruining people's lives. I want to see him go to jail as much as McGarrett does."

"If you're that determined, you and Steve will get along just fine. It might be good if he has someone around who understands his situation as well as you do."

"Yeah. He seems like a decent guy."

"Steve is a good guy. However, he has one major fault: he doesn't know how to express his emotions productively. He can get a little crazy if he feels strongly about a case. Unfortunately, he tends to show little or no emotion on things that are not work-related. I think he really blocked off the emotional part of his brain after his mother died and he joined the Navy. Ultimately, I think that's why it didn't work between us."

Chrissy's eyes widened, "You and McGarrett were together?"

Catherine laughed, "Oh, yeah. We were together for close to eight years. I was head over heels for him. Steve wasn't big on feelings, though. He never really wanted to talk about his mother's death and its aftermath. When his father was murdered, he really closed up. He didn't want to see or talk to anyone. It took him quite a while to come around. I think he really changed when Governor Jameson gave him the task force option. The crime-fighting gave him more emotion, but not in our relationship. I stayed with him so long purely because I loved him and hoped he would change. He didn't, though. The break-up was amicable. We're still friends, and we're better off that way. I'm actually engaged now, and I'm really happy. Steve and I just weren't meant to be. Maybe he'll soften up one day and be a great husband for someone else. If that ever happens, his wife will be a very lucky woman."

Chrissy bit her lip, a little shocked at the scenario, "I'm sure."

Catherine shook her head, "The thing is that when Steve loves someone, he does it like there's no tomorrow. I think that's what he figures did him in when his parents died, and he never wants to be hurt like that again."

"In his mind, not putting his heart on the line is probably a logical solution. I mean, I understand that what happened to his parents really scarred him. Still, you would think that he would give love a chance."

"He won't, though. The girl he falls for will have to be really special. From what Danny has told me, girls are constantly flirting with him and giving him the eye and he barely notices. Danny checked Steve's pulse to make sure he had one. Steve does not play around. It's a little scary that he's so focused."

"That is scary. Most red-blooded males can't ignore a beautiful woman. I'm guessing looks don't faze McGarrett, though."

"No, they don't. I guess in some ways that's a good thing because it means he isn't shallow, but it also means he doesn't notice women, period."

"True."

"Can I ask you a serious question?"

"Sure."

"Do you like Steve?"

"Please. I only met him an hour ago. Besides, I'm not looking for a guy, and especially not one as complicated as Steve McGarrett."

Kamekona's shrimp truck was as busy as on any other hot day in Honolulu. Even Steve was tempted to take a ten minute break and cool off with one of Kamekona's famous snow cones. However, he and Danny had a pressing investigation, and there was no time for breaks. They needed to talk to Kamekona and see if he knew anything about Wo Fat's return to Hawaii.

The instant Kamekona saw McGarrett and Danno approaching his shrimp truck, he closed up shop. Usually, when they came, it was for information, not shrimp or a snow cone. Besides, they looked like they meant business today.

McGarrett approached the window first, his arms folded across his chest. He nodded toward an empty table, "We need to talk."

Kamekona sighed, "That's what I figured. I was hoping you were stopping by for an afternoon snack, but I knew better."

McGarrett shrugged, "Well, I have to admit, I'm feeling a little hot, and Danny's stomach growled the whole way here. Why don't you get me a blue raspberry snow cone and grab a hot dog for Danny, and we'll eat and talk?"

Kamekona's grin widened, "I like you the more I'm around you, McGarrett."

As Kamekona went back to the truck to grab the food, Danny nudged McGarrett, "Okay, now I know there's something wrong with you today. Food is never a top priority with you. Cases always come first, no matter if we are starving and dehydrated."

McGarrett smirked, "I'm in a generous mood today."

Danny shook his head, "Uh-uh. You buying me a hot dog in the middle of a case is a little too out of the blue for a generous mood. When you talked to Governor Jameson about Rachel's custody petition, you never bought me a hot dog. You just did me the favor and that was it. Something is definitely off."
McGarrett glared at Danny, "Okay, wait a second. Where did you get the impression that I am paying for your hot dog?"

"When you ordered it without consulting me, I assumed that you were also picking up the tab."

"What? Are you saying you didn't want the hot dog?"

"No! I am simply saying that you gave me the impression you were paying because you ordered without asking me."

Kamekona came out, food in hand. He was a jolly man, with a round face and body and dark Hawaiian skin. He interrupted, "Okay. You can stop fighting about the tab like two school girls. This stuff is on the house."

McGarrett and Danny glared at each other for a second, and then took their respective orders from Kamekona. Sitting down at one of the picnic tables, Kamekona smiled, "So, what do you guys need to know?"

McGarrett dug a spoon into his snow cone impatiently, "We need to know if you've heard any rumblings about Wo Fat returning to Hawaii."

Kamekona nodded, "Somehow, that doesn't surprise me. It's the talk of the underground crime rings here."

Danny stopped before he took a bite out of the hot dog, "What have they been saying?"

Kamekona grinned, "Rumors have been swirling that say Wo Fat is planning to return to Hawaii and he has an agenda."

McGarrett bit his lip, "What's on the list?"

"Priority number one is to silence you and the rest of Five-0 permanently, although he's mostly focused on you."

McGarrett sighed, "I guess that's no surprise."

"The other priority is to get rid of another nuisance by the name of Chrissy Raines. Apparently, she's seen too much and needs to be disposed of."

McGarrett felt a tug in his gut, "Wo Fat knows Chrissy is in Hawaii?"

"I guess so. That's where he's coming to look for her."

"Well, it sounds like he found her. Danny and I were called to Chrissy's place this afternoon because someone attacked her. Is it possible that Wo Fat is already in Hawaii?"

"I'm not sure, but if she is being attacked, I would recommend moving her. She's definitely not safe if Wo Fat is here."

McGarrett and Danny got up from the table, food in hand. McGarrett shook Kamekona's hand, "Thanks for the food and the information. We'll be in touch."

As they headed for the car, McGarrett whispered to Danny, "We have to find a safe place for Chrissy and Sarah where we can keep a constant watch on them."

Danny nodded, "I agree. Do you have any ideas?"

McGarrett replied, "Yeah. I think they should stay with me."