Disclaimer – still don't own Hawaii Five -0. Just toying with their lives for a while. And my lawyer and psychiatrist both agree that I still don't own Steve. Dammit.


He'd been settled in a lounge chair on the back balcony overlooking the bay for several hours, a file from Jennifer's backpack balanced on one knee, a notebook on the other. He flipped pages and scratched notes onto the paper, connecting his thoughts, theories and facts to one another. He heard Jennifer quietly approaching behind him. "Finding any answers?" she asked curiously.

He turned to face her and found the outdoor sconces casting a warm glow on her auburn hair – a halo, really. His heart caught in his throat – he remembered this feeling – how each time he looked at Jennifer seemed just like the first time. "A few," he finally answered with a sigh.

She nod once and stepped over his outstretched legs to slide into the chair across from him. "Need any help?"

"Maybe," he replied, scratching at his beard. He flipped through the first 2 pages of his notes, reviewing them quickly before speaking again. "So, Thomas Sheldon…"

"Your grandfather," Jennifer interjected.

Steve took a breath to recover from the shock of Jennifer referring to a man he'd never met, never even known about until 2 days ago, as his grandfather. "Uh, yeah," he stammered. "So, my…grandfather…is in the squadron that drops the bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki on 6 August 1945. Almost immediately goes to work for the OSS. The notes say he learned Japanese during the war, so that was a valuable asset. He's in DC, marries Mary, which now explains my sister's name. Mom's born a year later. Sheldon goes back and forth between DC and the Pacific. OSS believes Japan is trying to arm themselves with nuclear weapons, which is where the Yakuza comes in. Then there's a task force specifically assigned to the Yakuza…"

Jennifer nodded her head slowly. "The Yamaguchi-gumi were running the show at the time, so the task force focused specifically on them while other agents were assigned to other families lower in the Yakuza hierarchy. An UnSub sold out the OSS and CIA agents assigned to the task force. Because your grandfather was the head, someone tampered with his plane and your grandparents crashed."

"But," Steve continued, "Mom was already in the CIA. Yakuza think it's all done until she starts digging into her parents' murder…"

"What is it with you and women who just can't leave well enough alone?" Jennifer teased.

"Ha!" Steve laughed heartily. "You know, I'd have lost all the evidence in my dad's toolbox had Mary not interfered and photographed every single item?"

Jennifer's attention was suddenly captured elsewhere. "Jenn?" Steve questioned.

She leapt from the chair and reached out a hand to pull him to his feet. "We got company," she explained quickly. Steve groaned as he stood and gathered the file Jennifer had prepared for him and his notes. Steve grabbed the rifle he'd stashed by the back door as they re-entered the house. She crossed to the metal box that had contained various guns and ammunition when they arrived and removed a small container. She opened it and stepped over to Steve, sliding it in to his right ear while he donned a bullet proof vest and stashed additional ammo in his back pockets.

He immediately heard the voices Jennifer must have heard in her ear on the back balcony. "Blanche," one of the male voices stated, "Vehicle approaching, lights off, approximately ½ kilometer from our location, less than 1 to yours."

"Wo Fat?" Steve questioned, immediately checking the straps on the vest Jennifer had just put on to ensure correct positioning. "Really?" she asked irritably, her eyes narrowed at him.

"Blanche?" he replied, amused by her apparent code name.

"Unknown, Kermit." Steve immediately glared at Jennifer who bit her bottom lip to keep from snickering.

"Navy SEAL? Frogman? Kermit!" was her gleeful explanation.

"Yeah, I got it, Jenn. Thanks," he fired back.

"Be advised, there is also a small boat in the lagoon, traveling in your general direction."

"Copy," Jennifer said quickly, cocking the gun in her hand and shoving another into the back waistband of her jeans.

"Backup maintaining distance – 1 minute out."

Steve heard the slightest crush of feet on gravel just outside the small home's front door. He motioned for Jennifer to stay back, providing cover for him and keeping an eye on the approaching boat. She nod once in understanding before slinking against a wall so she'd be unseen by the anyone coming through the front door.

Steve crouched below the bar that formed one side of the kitchen and waited. He heard picks in the front lock, unnecessary because neither of them had bothered locking the door, hoping for just this situation. The door swung open and two armed men entered. "Come out, come out, wherever you are…" the taller of the men teased in Japanese.

He glanced back at Jennifer, who could see the intruders' faces. She shook her head to indicate that neither of them was Wo Fat. He grimaced, realizing their plan to draw Wo Fat to them had most likely failed. He didn't believe Shelburne was really with them if he'd only sent his minions. It also told him that the boat was coming for them – the guys coming through the front were sent to keep Steve and Jennifer busy while others attacked from the back of the house to subdue or kill them.

He positioned his rifle and waited. He and Jennifer had a slight advantage over the intruders, having already memorized the layout of the house. As the men closed in on Steve's position, he fired diagonally once, taking out the target closest to him. Jennifer fired at the same time, hitting the second target. Both men collapsed onto the floor dead. They turned their attentions to four men creeping up the back stairs to the balcony. A shot shattered the glass door as Steve emerged from his position. He ducked and crept toward Jennifer.

"How do you want to do this?" she asked quietly.

"I go top, you go bottom?" he suggested.

Jennifer chucked silently. "Kinky."

Steve could only shake his head and try to squelch his laughter.

As all four men topped the stairs, Jennifer and Steve began firing.

"Coming in the front."

One of the intruders eyed the agents coming through the front. He got a shot off, hitting one before being gunned down by the second. Jennifer took out the man closest to them while Steve's gun easily brought down the other two.

They emerged onto the balcony, tossing the dead men's weapons back into the house before checking for vital signs and identification. The fallen agent took a hit to the chest but seemed to be fine.

"You alright?" Steve questioned, quickly examining Jennifer's vest and extremities for injuries.

She gently pushed his hand away. "I'm fine, Steve. Not the first time I've been under fire and it won't be the last."

His face scrunched as he realized she was right – Jennifer had done a great job of keeping herself alive and well for at least the last 9 years, possibly more. His eyes lit as he remembered her perfect alabaster skin when he'd accosted her in the shower, unblemished by obvious bullet holes or lingering angry red scars.

Jennifer narrowed her eyes at him. "You're picturing me naked right now, aren't you?"

Steve was smart enough to look slightly guilty before answering with a grin, "I can neither confirm nor deny that, Ma'am."

"I'm gonna 'Ma'am' you in a minute," he heard her mutter under her breath before he gathered her in his arms. It wasn't enough to see that she was fine; he needed to feel it as well. He rested his chin on her head, her hands immediately went to his waist and he sighed. "We're like a crazy version of 'Mr. & Mrs. Smith'", he said quietly. Jennifer laughed against his chest. "If you think I'm gonna be shooting bad guys wearing nothing but one of your shirts and some rains boots, you are sadly mistaken, Commander."

"But I'd be Brad Pitt in a wife-beater and boxers," he countered.

Jennifer pulled away from him and grinned. "Brad Pitt's got nothing on you."

That's my girl, he thought to himself before grinning back at her. Jennifer pulled one of the cell phones from her back pocket and dialed.

"Hey," she said to whoever was on the other end of the line. "Steve and I just had some visitors."

He stepped away as she spoke, using the phone in his pocket to snap photos of the men they'd killed. After conversing with the agents who'd backed them up, he texted the photos he'd taken to them and they all stood waiting for further instructions from Jennifer.

"Balana, Garay, thank you for the back-up," Jennifer said after disconnecting the call and extending her hand toward each man. "New orders for you two are to head back to the office. Cleaners are on their way here."

"Yes Ma'am," the men said in unison before shaking Steve's hand and departing.

"So we wait for the cleaners?" Steve asked once they were alone.

Jennifer worried her bottom lip between her teeth and shook her head. "No," she answered quickly. "Something's wrong. Wo Fat had plenty of time to get here. He knows Shelburne isn't with us or he would have come."

"I agree," Steve answered with a nod. "So…"

She took a deep breath and blew it out slowly, weighing her options. "You up for an adventure, Commander?" she finally asked with a grin.

"Bring it on," he answered.

TBC…