A/N: Hello my wonderful readers! Thank you so much for sticking with me. You are all the best and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for the wonderful words of encouragement you have sent my way. You guys are awesome and I love you for it!
Sorry this chapter took so long to write. I was having a lot of trouble with it. I wanted to put out a chapter completely centered around the women and although Rachel and Malia really can't do anything, I wanted to portray their feelings on the whole ordeal and I think I finally got through to that. Jameson also has a big part in this chapter and we do see Liliana and a very brave and calm and collected Grace. I hope you like it. The next chapter is going to be action packed, I promise!
As always I do not own anything. Enjoy!
Chapter 7: Between Women
Rachel looked up from her place in Danny's office. She couldn't bring herself to leave; she wanted to be near to something, anything that might give her hope in the situation. It had been clear to Rachel for a very long time that her ex-husbands teammates were very fond of their daughter, but the longer she sat staring at everything around her, the more she saw Grace in it. She was everywhere in the Five-O office space.
Danny's office was the sanctuary of a loving father. His filing cabinet had hand made fathers day and birthday cards from years past, that he had to have brought with him from Jersey, taped to every surface. His book shelf had three framed photos of Grace and his absolute favorite photo of her sat in the place of honor on his desk. But it was obvious for a father to have such things.
The sadness that was overpowering Rachel, however, had caused her eyes to wander, and although she never left Danny's office she could see into the others. She spotted the faint outline of a hand print on the glass door that opened into McGarrett's office. She saw the paper flowers on Kono's desk, the same as the ones that Rachel had placed on their bookshelves at home and she spotted the papers that had been turned into origami cranes for the mobiles that Kono and Grace were making together. Rachel's eyes wondered to Chin's office and she not only saw the stars and hearts Grace had drawn on the glass of the door with her fingers but the teddy bear that she had given to Chin after he had a small child in his office with not a toy in sight to comfort him. Even the war room caught Rachel's attention because tucked under the Smart Table, barely visible, was a small step not for anyone other than a child, no taller than Grace, and a book and box of crayons sat on a waiting table just outside of Steve's office.
Grace was absolutely everywhere in the Five-O office and the thought of her not being present in the flesh for those who loved her brought tears to Rachel's eyes again and she fell into the chair to cry out her sorrows.
Her mind rushed back to her husband and his business, to his dealings and to his faults. Stan and Rachel had been having troubles and the more she tried to be apart of his life the more he had been pushing her away. He was so different and secretive compared to Danny, and in that time she found herself more afraid of Stanley then she had ever been afraid of Daniel. At least with Danny the fear was forward and of an outside nature. Rachel knew the dangers of being an officer's wife, but all those fears had been silences for different, more sinister fears as Stanley played his business games.
Rachel covered her face with her hands, the rosary beads still wrapped around her fingers, as she sobbed into them, "why have I been such a fool?"
5-0
Malia hadn't moved from Chin's office. She sat down on the sofa, next to a plain brown teddy bear and wrapped her arms around the little toy for a comfort she had been seeking, but hadn't found. She knew she should have returned to the hospital, to her patients and to that world for which she had been claimed years ago, but she could not. The fear of the unknown plagued her.
When she and her baby sister had been young, Liliana had always talked of being a super hero. Growing up in a family of girls Liliana was the youngest and the last of five before her parents had given up hope of a boy and in that time Liliana became the tomboy of the family. She played Baseball rather than accompany her sisters to dance class. She would rather collect bugs over flowers and played catch with their father every night until the stars came out. She rode western, over equestrian, when the five girls decided they all wanted to learn how to horse back ride and Lili was the only one who took interest in surfing and snorkeling over scrapbooking, skipping and hula lessons. Liliana proclaimed at five that she would be like the doctors on M*A*S*H and would save lives in the worst conditions. She learned to rope and could hogtie a calf by the tender age of twelve. She was the adventure and Malia had always believed that Liliana would be the one to do great things in the family.
Thinking back on their young lives, Malia realized just how much Lili had influenced her decision to become a doctor. As Lili grew older her determination changed, she would be a cop, a firefighter, a pro surfer, a games and wildlife warden, but never in a million years did Malia think that her sister would become a teacher, and yet, when it happened, the worry about Liliana's life choices and recklessness faded away; until now. Malia had never thought that teaching could be a danger until she first saw the news broadcasts about Columbine, but even that seemed so far away and detached from where she was. Things like that didn't happen in Hawaii, and yet here she was, sitting in a police office, hugging a teddy bear, and waiting, just waiting, for news on her kidnapped sister.
Her mind would have never let her venture away from the five-o offices. She couldn't let herself think of the poor souls that waiting at the hospital to hear the horrible news that she would give them, because as an oncologist, she always gave bad news first. Malia was ready for that bad news to come. How bad was yet to be discussed, Chin was always the optimist, and yet all the possibilities and severities had rushed through Malia's mind. The best news would be that Lili and the child were unharmed; the worst, death, untreatable, unmistakable, no hope, just death.
Malia knew that horrible news and knew what it did to people. She had seen it so many times, but what was worse was making the patients wait and she felt that now. Malia began to pace the office again, the bear still in her arms, taking in her surroundings, trying to take her mind off the horrible waiting and in turn she saw the man that she had fallen in love with. The office was simple, clean, well organized and held all the things that had made Chin who he was. She could read in the space all the routines and habits that made up the man and all the same books and gadgets filled the office space as it had filled their lives, not so very long ago. Sadness hit Malia again in that moment as she reached instinctively for the ring that she wore around her neck and the regret she had for not fighting to keep Chin in her life.
Malia realized that her life was and had become all about losing battles and she vowed that this one, the one to save her sisters life, would not be lost, although she didn't know what she could do to help the efforts along.
5-0
Governor Patricia Jameson left the interrogation room with a heavy heart. She understood crime and the evil things that were plaguing her beloved state, but she had started the task force to stop that. To find out people within her own administration were working against her made her sick and she felt partially to blame for the abduction of Grace Williams. Now she was more determined than ever as she walked with Detective Kelly from the interrogation room back up to the Five-O office and saw the two women separated by offices and their own sorrow written visible on their faces.
"Who are they?" Jameson asked as Chin hesitated before going toward his office.
"Rachel Edwards, Grace's mother and Danny's ex-wife. You've met, I believe," Chin stated and motioned toward Danny's office.
"I didn't recognize her under the circumstances," Pat admitted.
"Understandable," Chin said softly, "and that is Doctor Malia Weston. She is the sister of the young teacher who was taken with Grace." He added without explanation and avoidance of the subject.
"Hmm," Patricia said wordlessly as her eyes fell on Chin again, "you're not telling me something." She added when he averted his eyes.
"Malia and I were involved once. I'm sure it has nothing to do with this case but it is only the second time I've seen her since⦠since I left her." Chin sighed.
"I see," Pat stated, then with an air of authority walked toward Chin's office. "You will leave me with these ladies and go back to your work with the rest of the taskforce," Jameson ordered before entering the office. She waited a moment as Chin turned and left, then walked into his currently occupied office.
5-0
Malia ceased her pacing when she heard the door open and dropped the bear with a start when she realized that the Governor had entered the room. She straightened her professional dress and simply waited, apologetically, for the Governor to speak.
"You're used to meetings like this," Governor Jameson stated, "but I believe you are usually on the other side of things."
"You have news about Liliana?" Malia asked impatiently.
"We know she is still alive, and we know she is in a building in Pearl City. Other than that, we are still looking for something solid to put us on the right path." Jameson stated.
Malia sighed heavily and felt into the sofa that rested against one wall. The news wasn't good, but it wasn't bad either. It was somewhere lost in the middle. It was like getting struck with the knowledge that you had cancer but that it was completely treatable and that the outlook was good. You still doubt, because its cancer, but you have something small to hold onto. The abduction of her sister had seems so farfetched and unbelievable that Malia had started to see it in the same way as she saw the illnesses of her patients and she wondered how the poor girls mother was taking it. She looked up in that moment and across the office space to Danny's office and saw only the head of another woman as she sobbed in the darkness alone.
Patricia followed the gaze of the stunned doctor and saw the woman across the office in deep depression and hopelessness. In that moment she stood, feeling like it was her duty to comfort and console those who were left behind. These two women, left in the aftermath of the events, were unable to contribute to the search as the Five-O teams was, and yet they were suffering as grievously as the four members of the team. She motioned for Malia to follow as she opened the door to Chin's office and walked across the bullpen.
5-0
The opening of the office door caught Rachel by surprise. She turned in hope to see her ex-husband, but was greeted by the Governor and a woman for whom she was unacquainted with. She stood hastily, dried her eyes and looked on in shock as the door was closed again and the women were alone in the quiet of the space.
"Mrs. Edwards, this is Doctor Malia Weston," Jameson stated as the two women shook hands. "Liliana Weston is Doctor Weston's sister."
"I am so sorry about your daughter," Malia sighed tearfully as Rachel sat down in exhaustion once more.
"Thank you, I'm sorry about your sister," Rachel said weakly as she rolled the rosary beads over in her hands, "have we any news?" Her eyes were pleading.
"I can say that we have two suspects in custody. They are in interrogations as we speak. Detective Williams and Commander McGarrett believe that their efforts should give us a new direction to look into, Detective Kalakaua and Detective Kelly are also optimistic with the intelligence they have uncovered." Jameson said and watched as tears rolled down Rachel's face again.
"But we are no closer to finding my daughter?" she asked choking back her tears.
"We are; have hope Mrs. Edwards. The Five-Os are doing everything in their power and I have given them every permission and avenue they may need to bring about a swift and favorable resolution. You have my word; we will find Grace and Liliana." Jameson stated but her determination wavered in the sight of the sorrow in both women's faces. "I don't pretend to know what either of you are going through, but I assure you, we are doing everything we can and if there is anything that I can do, personally, for you, you need not hesitate to ask."
5-0
Grace cried and cried until she couldn't cry anymore. She felt the lifeless form of Liliana pressed tightly against her and she waited until silence came over the tiny space she was trapped within. Feeling the weight of the woman on her, Grace could hardly move and stiffness began to hit her.
She pushed hard on Liliana's body and the woman groaned but did not wake up. Relief spread over Grace as she pushed again and Liliana was rolled over just enough to give Grace enough room to crawl out from under the plank. She felt for Lili's pulse, found it and was happy that the woman was still alive. She felt for her breath and found that as well and she felt around Lili's head and found the bumps and cuts upon it. The blood was drying in scabby patches, and the bumps were as big as goose eggs, but hope was still with her as she moved into the openness of the little cell.
Grace walked to the door, tried the handle and found it locked, then she placed he ear on the door and listened with all her might to the silence behind it. When she was convinced that her abductors were no where to be found she pulled Lili's phone out of her pocket again and turning to the woman who laid on the floor unconscious. She pushed at the display screen, lighting the little room and seeing the true damage in the photographs that she shot. She then quickly typed at the screen and sent off the pictures before standing and photographing everything in the little room and sending them off.
She sat down again when she heard Lili stir and stuffed the phone into her pocket.
"Grace," a light whispered filled the echoing silence.
"I'm here Lili," Grace said as she rushed to the woman's side. "Are you badly hurt?"
"I can't move," Lili whispered.
"Don't try to," Grace stated as she held Lili's head still, "you make hurt yourself more."
"You have to get help," Lili sighed, tears in her eyes as fear flooded her face, "you have to call for help."
5-0
All three women jumped at the sound of the phone on Danny's desk. His cell was lying discarded and announced the received text with a little jingling sound and then silence. Rachel looked up at that moment and reached across the desk. The displace screen flashed, the text was open and a gasp escaped her at the sight that she saw. She handed the phone to the Governor and reached out and took Malia's hand before she was shown the image.
Malia's heart dropped to the pit of her stomach as she saw the images of her beaten and unconscious sister.
"I'll take this to Detective Williams," Jameson stated as she took the phone and rushed out of the office.
Malia fell into the sofa beside Rachel, tears and hopelessness flooding her face.
"We'll find her," Rachel whispered still holding the shaking doctors hand, "I promise, my Danny will find them."
