Ka Iwi Kapu
Therapy was never an easy process, less so when we were talking about my biggest fears. But Dr Reed was patient with me, he never pushed anything and let me just flow. It wasn't easy and since my first session my nightmares had shifted back to the events in Po Hang. Back to where it all started... back to my own hell. But at least I was working on it and honestly that was always going to be a good thing.
My week had flown by, mainly because I was going over my files, seeing if I could figure out what Shelburne was. Of course it hadn't matched anything in my notes but at least it had kept me busy. Now if anyone had asked, especially Steve, I had spent my week watching way too much Dr Phil and Judge Judy.
Dr Kawai removed my stitches and I was greeted by a diagonal bright pink scar over my left temple. I had thought the cut might have scarred, but seeing it reinforced how much I had been through, and how much I wanted to get even with Wo Fat. But seeing the scar also meant that I was officially allowed back to work under light duties. To celebrate my return to 5-0 Lori had invited me and Kono on a girls night out to a Halloween party. "Full moon." Kono pointed out as we got out of Lori's car. The sky was clear and the moon shone so brightly against a backdrop of stars. Hawaii was beautiful during the day, but I just loved it at night when all the stars came out.
"Witches and werewolves." I muttered to myself automatically, with my gaze fixed on the moon and stars.
"What?" Lori asked as the pair turned to me, I hadn't realised they had heard me.
"Witches and werewolves, um come out on a full moon. It's a saying my... it's an old saying back home." I explained nodding my head a little as remember the words my mother used to say to me. It always got to me when I would just randomly think of something that would remind me of them. I took a deep breath pushing those feelings aside.
"Well tonight it's right." Kono smirked widely as someone dressed as a slutty witch walked into the party.
"It also means one more thing." Lori pointed out knowingly as I caught Lori's eye and knew what she meant instantly.
"Oh yeah?" Kono asked a little confused folding her arms over her chest.
"Full moon's always bring out the crazies." I explained as Lori nodded in agreement. "I swear it's like the bat signal to them." I laughed shaking my head.
"Least we aren't working tonight... could you imagine having to arrest someone dressed like this?" Lori asked as we all looked down at our costumes. Lori was dressed in a Top Gun jump suit with matching Maverick aviators. Kono was dressed in a lot less as a Bay-Watch life guard, a bright red leotard and red short shorts hiding next to nothing. I was dress as Athena, in a long flowing white dress that had a massive plunge at the front with gold detail under the bust and waist, with a short sword sheaved on my hip with two large slits up both sides showing off most of the sides of my thighs.
"Personally I'm not sure running in this costume is even possible." I joked kicking out as the fabric seemed to gather round my leg.
"True, but tonight ladies we don't have to. All we gotta do is just have a good time!" Lori smirked as she led us into the party. The party was already in full swing as we walked in, people were already dancing and drinking. There were pockets of people just stood around sharing stories and laughing. It was just your typical party, with great music and everyone just having a great time.
About an hour into the party Kono had spotted some nice eye candy and decided to make a move. This left me and Lori chatting in a corner. "How you doing, this isn't too much right?" Lori asked over the music as she leaned into me a little, she looked a little worried about me.
"What? No, I'm fine." I answered with a wide smile on my lips. Honestly going to the party had taken my mind off everything going on. It was nice just to relax without having to worry about Wo Fat or my P.T.S.D. "Thanks for inviting me Lori." I added with a warm smile.
"No worries, hey I heard you've been spending a lot of time with a certain Detective lately." Lori smirked as she wiggled her eyebrows. I took a sip of my drink to hide the blush in my cheeks.
"I may have... he offered to watch over me." I shrugged trying to act cool about it all.
"Oh really?" Lori giggled, her eyebrow going higher than I thought possible.
"Hey it was nothing like that!" I cried out shaking my head. "He just... he worries about all of us. I'm sure he'd do the same if it was you or Kono." I added looking out into the crowd to try and find Kono but she had vanished.
"Sure Nik..." Lori joked as I turned back to her fighting the smile on my lips.
"You know what Weston-" I pretended to be angry but the damn smile was on my lips.
"Good evening ladies." A familiar voice called out to us as I turned to see Max stood in front of us dressed like an extra from The Matrix.
"Max! You made it!" Lori cried out giving him a hug, taking Max back a little.
"Well yes, I finished my shift an hour ago, I had to change in office to make it in time." Max hugged back awkwardly before looking over to me. "Commander Logan, you look every bit Athena the Warrior Goddess." He offered with a warm smile.
"Thanks Max." I nodded as he turned his attention to Lori.
"And Maverick, a perfect costume." Max smirked pushing his sunglasses back up his face.
"Thanks Max, your costume is amazing... Matrix right?" Lori asked smiling widely at him.
"That is correct. I assume you both have watched the films." Max started a conversation with us about how much he loved the films and it wasn't that big of a surprise to either of us I think. Some how we just started talking about our favourite films arguing about which was better.
"Wow Max I didn't know you loved movies so much!" I smirked, enjoying chatting with the guys. I really was enjoying just relaxing with people without having to worry about... well me.
"I have a vast movie collection, if you both would like, you are more than welcome to attend my theme movie nights. I do them once a month with a couple of the people from the Medical Examiners office, but you both are welcome to join me." Max explained with a warm smile on his lips.
"Sure!" Lori smirked widely. "I'd love to!" She beamed genuinely excited.
"Me too, it sounds fun." I added with a wide smile as the song changed to the Time Warp and I saw Max's eyes widen as he got excited.
"Would the pair of you care to do the Time Warp with me?" Max asked like a kid at Christmas as he held his hand out for one of us to take.
"I would but I don't know the moves." Lori explained darting her eyes between the pair of us almost slightly embarrassed.
"I hear it starts with a jump to the left." I smirked as Max's smile got wider.
"Then a step to the right." Max nodded going along with me. "Commander Logan, would you care to join me?" Max asked holding his hand out to me. I glanced down at the costume I was wearing and remembered how many times I had nearly tripped up just walking around in it.
"I'm sorry Max, in this dress walking is a challenge." I joked kicking the material out again.
"But maybe you can teach me?" Lori asked putting her drink down on the side.
"Excellent!" Max grabbed Lori's hand before she could say anything else and dragged her out into the dance floor. I lent against the wall watching Max teach Lori how to do the Time Warp. It was hilarious watching Lori copying the moves out of time to everyone else but still giggling at it anyway. Max was shaking his head at her every couple of seconds and saying something to her making Lori laugh more. It was nice to see my friends having fun.
"My Goddess, I vow to give you my sword, later." A voice called out behind me and I just rolled my eyes at how bad that ice breaker was. I let out a small sigh turning around ready to blast the idiot. "Really?" I asked annoyed but as I turned I couldn't help but chuckle. "You're an idiot!" I laughed holding my arms out wide. Bradley was stood in front of me dressed as John McClaine with a really tight white vest showing off his six pack and muscles.
"What! You look hot!" Bradley laughed pulling me into a hug and picking me up off my feet. "I didn't know you were going to be out tonight!" He added putting me back on my feet as he took a good look at me.
"Well Maverick over there invited me, thought why not." I shrugged throwing my thumb over my shoulder to Lori.
"Maverick sure has changed since last time I watched Top Gun." Bradley joked checking her out. "Though I am not complaining." He chuckled catching Lori's eye for a second before turning his attention back to me.
"I bet." I smirked shaking my head a little.
"Look, since you took all this," Bradley waved a hand over me. "Off the market I need to put my rod back out into the deep blue Doc." Bradley nodded seriously.
"Put my rod back out into the deep blue." I mimicked his voice, trying my best not to burst into laughter.
"Yeah." Bradley nodded firmly as if it was normal to describe his love life like that.
"You are unreal." I burst out into laughter shaking my head as Bradley's shit eating smirk burst onto his lips.
"I hear that a lot Doc." Bradley winked at me as I swatted his arm.
"Then you wake up." I teased making him pout a little. "I'm joking." I sighed pushing some loose hair off my face. I saw Bradley's eyes dart to the scar on my temple as he frowned at it. As his eyes darted back to mine we shared a sad smile. He knew how much I had been through, and being a SEAL he was one of the few people in this world who could really related to it all. I was so glad that he was still going to be my friend.
"So how you feeling? Therapy going ok?" Bradley asked turning his back on the party, almost like he was trying to cut the rest of the room away. This was one of the things I loved about Bradley, he could go from shameless flirt to protective bear in a heartbeat.
"Yeah... it's going ok." I sighed chewing my bottom lip for a second. "I'm getting there. I'm back on light duties now." I beamed up at him like a kid who got given a gold star.
"Light duties. Nice." Bradley smirked nodding at me proudly. "Just don't rush anything Doc. I need my wing woman back on her feet, but only when she's ready." He added softly, leaning into me so I could hear him over the music.
"I promise I'm not rushing, and you don't have to worry about me, ok?" I spoke softly looking up into his eyes smiling softly.
"I'm allowed to worry over my friends. Especially when these friends have saved my life. I still owe you big time for that!" Bradley added sincerely. I nodded pulling him into a hug as I felt him hold me close.
"Not interrupting anything are we?" Kono called out as she and Lori appeared from no where it seemed. The pair was smirking at me, jumping to the wrong conclusions as usual.
"No, just reminding McClaine over here that I'm alive." I joked smiling as both ladies eyes darted to Bradley. "Lori, Kono meet Bradley Jacks."
"Bradley Jacks, the SEAL? The sky driving one?" Lori asked as the pair shook hands as she recalled his name. I could see her already checking him out as the pair seemed to just click. The way Kono shot me a look, wiggling her eyes showed me she thought the same.
"Well I more fell out of the sky that time, but yeah that's me." Bradley smirked giving Lori a once over before shooting Kono a warm smile. Bradley and Lori seemed to be smirking at each other as I cocked an eyebrow to Kono.
"So this is awkward." I smirked clapping my hands together.
"We um... Kono why did we walk over here?" Lori asked, still smirking at Bradley who was giving her his best cheeky, flirty smirk. The pair was shameless as they shot flirty looks back and forth.
"Chin called, we've been called in for a case." Kono sighed, nudging Lori a little.
"Yeah, yeah a case... we need to go." Lori explained to Bradley, the pair just constantly checking the other out.
"It's a shame, Top Gun is my favourite film." Bradley offered as Lori smiled wider.
"Down tiger." I huffed pushing Bradley back. "We need to go, come on Lori." Kono and I linked an arm with Lori and started to walk off, practically dragging her away.
"I don't remember him being so cute." Lori whispered to us with a smirk on her lips.
"HEY THIS ISN'T WHAT A WING MAN IS MEANT TO DO DOC!" Bradley yelled over the crowd as we headed for the door.
"I KNOW!" I yelled without looking back at him and walking out of the door with the girls as we all laughed.
5-0~5-0~5-0~5-0~5-0
We got to the crime scene and was greeted by Chin who just cocked an eyebrow as we all got out the car and made our way to the boot. Lori popped it open as we all pulled out three go bags with a change of clothes in. "Glad you made us pack these now." Kono sighed as we knew all the crime scene guys were checking us out.
"Always be prepared." I sighed as Chin walked over to us smirking.
"Ladies." He greeted us with a warm smile. "You all look... lovely." Chin struggled for the right word as he went from Lori who was the most covered, to me with lots of exposed skin, to Kono in practically nothing.
"Hey Chin." Lori sighed closing the boot. "Got anywhere we can change?" She asked picking up her go bag.
"Sure, the truck over there." Chin nodded towards a crime scene unit van. "Hey Nik, welcome back. It's good to see you back on your feet." Chin offered with a warm smile as I walked over to him and gave him a hug.
"It's good to be back." I smirked tucking some hair behind my ear.
"Light duties though?" Chin asked as Kono and Lori went to go get changed in the van.
"For now, got some issues I need to work through." I admitted looking to the ground.
"We're here for you Nik." Chin replied running his hand up and down my arm. I looked up and met that perfect Zen like expression as I just nodded a little.
"I know everyone's here for me, Ohana looks after their own," I quoted Chin making him smirk a little. "But this is something I have to do alone." I admitted honestly.
"Well then, we'll be here with the beers for when you don't need to be alone anymore." Chin offered making me smile.
"You better be." I smirked, letting out a heavy sigh and looking down at my costume. "I really need to change before Steve and Danny see this." I smirked shaking my head and already knowing what the pair would say.
"Well from what I hear Danny wouldn't mind so much." Chin shrugged as I just stared at him with an open mouth.
"What now?" I blurted out already feeling my cheeks burn.
"Nik, Danny has been glued to your side since the hospital, and it sure ain't because your Ohana sistah." Chin smirked as I closed my mouth, fighting a smile as my blush continued.
"I don't know what you're on about." I lied looking away from Chin as he chuckled. "I'ma, I'm going to get changed." I muttered as Chin laughed loudly as I walked away.
As I walked to the van I noticed Lori talking to one of the first cops on scene, still in her costume. I shook my head and climbed into the back of the van. Kono was packing her costume back into her bag and gave me a warm smile. "Lori really doesn't want Steve and Danny to catch her dressed like that." I laughed unzipping my bag.
"I know, but you know Weston, she's like Steve. Needs to know what's going on all the time." Kono laughed as I kicked off my shoes and pulled my jeans up under my dress.
"It's a little scary how alike they can be sometimes." I smirked shaking my head a little.
"I know." Kono laughed. "See you back out there." Kono nodded leaving me to finish getting dressed in the van. I carefully removed the dress, pulling on an old black faded AC/DC t-shirt. I packed everything back into my bag and slipped on some converses. Admittedly it wasn't the most professional looking clothes I owned but for emergency work clothes it would have to do. I clipped my badge to my belt loop, checked my gun was in the holster and climbed out of the van.
I dumped my things back in the boot of Lori's car and made my way back to where Chin met us. As I walked over I saw Kono talking with Danny and Steve. I gave the guys a warm smile as I reached them. "Trick or treat." I smirked as I saw Danny's face light up.
"Welcome back stranger." Steve smirked proudly throwing an arm over my shoulders and giving me a quick hug.
"Thanks, glad to be actually working again." I replied shooting Danny a quick smirk.
"Remember light duties! I don't want to see you doing a McGarrett." Danny warned shaking his head at me as Steve looked insulted.
"Sorry, doing a, a, McGarrett? What's that supposed to mean buddy?" Steve asked folding his arms over his chest as I just smirked to Kono. This had been what I had missed the most, the constant teasing between the pair, this made me feel right back at home.
"It means babe, let's just hope Nik here has the brains not to start blowing things up. Or shooting people on her first day back after an injuries. Let's hope Nik, actually follows the orders given to her by the doctor, huh?" Danny answered rocking on his heels and shooting Steve a shit eating grin.
I saw Steve open his mouth to argue when Kono stepped in. "So the case, we think there are two vics buried at the trail. Christian O'Conner and Cat Forrester, two amateur documentarians who were trying to fill the Night Marchers." Kono explained as we walked towards the start of the trail for the Kulamanu Heiau.
"Whoa, what are the Night Marchers?" Danny asked as Steve was glancing over this shoulder towards a homeless looking guy who was hanging around the crime scene.
"Hawaiian ghost warriors." Steve explained plainly absent mindlessly.
"Haw- ghosts. Oh good so we have a suspect." Danny nodded as his hands started to wave around. I saw Steve shaking his head a little as Kono rolled her eyes.
"You know what?" Steve sighed out frustrated.
"Hey, don't laugh. My grandfather saw them once." Kono added as we stopped at the mouth of the trail.
"Saw the-" Danny asked waving his hand around.
"Yeah." Kono answered with a sigh as she nodded.
"Ghost warriors sound pretty cool to me." I admitted with a small shrug as Danny just shook his head at me disapprovingly.
"Hey Nik?" Steve asked looking towards the trail.
"Yeah?" I asked standing in between Kono and Danny.
"Who found the bodies?" Steve asked turning back to face us.
"The room mate, she's over there giving a statement to HPD. She was supposed to be here with them but was running late. When she got here they were already dead and buried." I explained as the guys took a glance at the sobbing woman who was trying to make her way through the statement.
"Technically, she didn't find the bodies, as much a hand sticking out of a shallow grave. Spooky." Kono added as I just nodded.
"Alright, where's Weston?" Danny asked as me and Kono shared a look knowing exactly where she was and what she was doing.
"Oh she was um..." I rambled out trying to find the best way to word it to the guys knowing she was in a costume, and how they'd react to that information.
"Yeah she had to change into something more..." Kono added struggling as much as I was as we shared another look.
"More appropriate." I said finishing Kono's sentence as she nodded in agreement with me, giving me a relieved smile. I instantly regretted my words as I saw Steve stand up straight and fold his arms as Danny smirk at us.
"Meaning she was wearing something inappropriate?" Danny asked smirking at the pair of us as he rocked on his heels.
"No, no no... that's not... what we said." Kono answered as both of us tried to backtrack out of the conversation.
"I didn't... we didn't say that." I added shaking my head and holding my hands up.
"I know what you said." Danny answered rocking on his heels with a shit eating grin, as Kono let out a sigh and I scratched the back of my neck nervously.
"What- she was wearing a costume?!" Steve asked as both me and Kono shared a surprised look.
"Please don't tell her we told you." Kono begged as I just bit my bottom lip.
"You didn't tell me." Steve shrugged. "I guessed." He added pointing to himself.
"Yeah." Kono sighed happy to believe the little lie.
I let out a groan knowing this was going to bite us back in the arse. "She's going to kill us." I muttered shaking my head and folding my arms over my chest. Just as I finished speaking Lori walked over to us, changed out of her costume.
"Hey." Lori smiled as she reached us. "Alright, ok, let's get started." Everyone turned to her; me and Kono were looking so guilty. Danny and Steve were just stood there smirking at her like idiots. Lori took one look at the pair of them and then one look at the pair of us and knew instantly.
"Oh you told them." She sighed turning to us.
"They guessed." Kono pointed out as we nodded a little.
"Sorry." I added glancing to the ground.
"Great..." Lori sighed out.
"Oh this is fascinating." Steve smirked looking directly at Lori. I could just tell that Steve was loving every second of this.
"I was at Halloween party, what, what's so fascinating?" Lori asked shaking her head a little.
"The party isn't fascinating. What's fascinating is that you're not, you don't want to tell us about it." Steve argued waving a hand out as he talked. "You're kind of being all secretive, you're kind of being all weird."
"Weird, really?" Lori asked shaking her head. "Not secretive. No, it's just my private life. And I can have a private life-." Lori argued looking over to me and Kono.
"Yeah." Kono nodded.
"Absolutely." I added with a small smile.
"-Like you all have." Lori continued as Danny was looking her up and down, still smirking at her. "Why are you staring at me?" She asked catching Danny's look.
"I was-" Danny started glancing at Steve. "Because I was just imaging who, er, Lori Weston's alter ego might be. Er.." Danny waved a hand out over Lori as he mulled it over. "Wonder woman?" He surmised with all his detective skills. Lori looked away from the guys letting out a heavy sigh.
"No." She snapped with her hands on her hips before her and Kono started to head to the Heiau.
"Slutty Wonder Woman?!" Danny yelled after her as the pair ducked under the tape.
"Stop it Danno!" Lori yelled back. "Oh and I wasn't the only one there, it was a girls night out! Kono and Nik were with me!" She added shooting me a smirk over her shoulder as my eyes went wide and I saw Kono go pale. The guys shot back round to face me as I gave them a small nervous smile. Now they were both looking at me like they had been with Lori.
"Guys... we have a case." I pointed out edging round the pair.
"It can wait a few seconds." Steve smirked wiggling his eyebrows at me.
"Yeah, this is... important work." Danny added as I felt his eyes rank up and down my body. It might have been sexy if we weren't stood at a murder scene and my best friend was stood next to him.
"I think I hear Chin calling." I lied looking towards the mouth of the Heiau.
"I don't hear-" Steve shook his head sharing a glance at Danny.
"Me either." Danny added smirking at me with that shit eating grin again, making my heart race a little.
"Really? I mean I'm sure I can." I smirked clapping my hands together. "Tell you what, I'll go double check and you guys... just, whatever." I sighed pushing the hair out of my face. I started to walk towards the Heiau, backing away from the pair slowly.
"Batgirl?" I heard Danny yell as I started to walk off.
"No Danny!" I called out rushing to catch the others up.
We got to the Heiau and I felt a shiver run through my body. The place was a walled area with nothing really else around it. With the full moon and the fact it was Halloween it just made the place feel spooky. I hung back in the group as we walked over to Chin who had just finished talking to some HPD people. "Chin, what you got?" Steve called out as we reached him.
"Well a search of the surrounding area hasn't turned up anything yet." Chin explained as he folded his arms over his chest. I looked out to the Heiau and could see the hand sticking out from the ground in the middle of the ancient graveyard.
"Hm. Ok I don't want to state the obvious but, I just think that maybe we'd do better if we look where the hand is." Danny explained, pointing out to the hand.
"Yeah but we have to wait for the priest." Chin explained as we all looked over to the hand.
"Why?" Danny asked like a three year old.
"Because this is a Heiau; an ancient Hawaiian temple. We have to wait for the Kahu to bless us and ask for the spirits permission before we can enter." Kono explained to Danny as the rest of us listened in.
"Oh!" Danny said rocking backwards. "Ok I can see- Let me just get this straight so I can understand. There's a crime scene right there, right?" Danny asked pointing to the hand. "Forensic evidence is degrading as we speak, but we are going to wait for a priest to tell us that the magic ghost says it's ok for us to go check it out." Danny ranted his voice full of sarcasm as he looked over to Kono and Chin.
"Uh huh." Kono answered looking pretty annoyed at Danny.
"It's their culture Danny you just have to respect them." Lori pointed out as Danny turned to us.
"Well that's a beautiful thought Wonder Woman. But! I think the spirits will make an exception so we can catch a murder no?" Danny asked putting his gloves on.
"You-" Steve sighed pinching the bridge of his nose.
"Really? The gloves are going on? Making a mistake." Chin offered shaking his head at Danny.
"I think I'll take my chances." Danny explained putting on the gloves.
"They're going to be here soon." Kono added shaking her head along with her cousin.
"Bad idea Danno, there is some serious mojo round here." I sighed agreeing with the others.
"Mojo? Really Babe you too?" He asked turning to me as I just held my hands up.
"Brah..." Chin sighed trying to convince Danny to stop.
"It's all good." Danny replied slapping Chin's shoulder before hopping over the wall as the rest of us just gave him disappointed looks. Kono hid her face in her hands as the rest of us just cringed in embarrassment as the HDP around us got to their feet shocked. Danny just walked up to the hand without a care in the world and started to examine the evidence.
"Got a woven leather bracelet." Danny called back out to us.
"The room mate identified that as the male victims." Kono answered looking frustrated with Danny's blasé attitude to peoples belief's. Getting to his feet Danny continued to look over the crime scene.
"Got a lot of footprints." He walked towards the second grave and noticed something. "Oh everybody!" He yelled getting everyone's attention. "I have found an ancient Hawaiian artefact." He yelled bending down to pick something up. "Look at that!" He smirked holding up a camcorder. "Maybe they got a picture of their killer. Evil spirits, they going to come and curse me now or what?" Danny asked smugly as we all just rolled our eyes at him.
Me, Danny and Steve walked back to the cars as the priest arrived. I was going to take the camcorder back to headquarters to see what we could find. Lori, Chin and Kono were going to help HPD with a search of the crime scene. "So you, Kono and Lori were at a party together?" Steve asked as we walked down the path.
"Yup." I nodded tucking my hands into my pockets.
"Dress in costumes?" Danny asked from the other side of me.
"You would be correct, yes." I nodded again, avoiding looking at either of them.
"You wanna,um, share what costumes you guys were in?" Steve asked as I saw him share a glance with Danny.
"Umm, actually, no, not really." I answered shooting him a quick smirk.
"Nik, we've been friends for years and I don't think I've ever seen you in a costume." Steve explained as we walked. "I just.. I think it would be interesting to know who you three dressed as." He added with a shrug.
"I am sure it would be. But I don't think I'd live it down, so no." I answered with another smirk at Steve.
As we reached the cars I turned to Steve and Danny fighting a smirk. "WHAT THE HELL!" Danny yelled at the top of his lungs as he rushed over to his car. Someone had smashed the front windscreen in with a large rock. I shared a smirk with Steve as we walked over to Danny. By the time we got there Danny was leaning on his hood, just staring at the rock in disbelief. I glanced at Steve smirking behind Danny's back as I shook my head. Steve shifted the weight on his feet and opened his mouth to say something when Danny cut him off. "Do not." Danny snapped and we both saw how angry he was, it just made us smirk more.
"Should have waited for the priest buddy." Steve smirked tapping Danny's arm before walking off.
"Shut up." Danny snapped as I walked to the side of him. He glanced at me over his shoulder as I offered him a small smile. "Don't start with the mojo crap either." He warned me as he turned back to the rock.
"I wouldn't call it crap Danny." I sighed leaning on the side of the car as I caught his eye again.
"So you believe in all this ghost stuff?" He asked letting out a grunt as he turned his back on the windscreen and lent on the car by the side of me.
"I'm not sure. But I've seen people on the death bed swear dead relatives where in the room with us." I admitted with a small shrug. "Just because I've never seen something doesn't make it any less real." I added softly. "And even if you don't believe it, doesn't make any less powerful to the ones who do." I pushed myself away from the car and gave Danny a small smile.
"That is some Chin level Zen right there Babe." Danny replied shaking his as I walked off.
5-0~5-0~5-0~5-0~5-0
The next morning I got into the headquarters early, it officially was my first day back. As I sat at my desk I let out a sigh at how many e-mails I had missed out on in the two weeks or so I was off. At least I have a case, which means no sat behind a desk, yet. This has to be the first time I've been happy to have a case to work. I smirked to myself as Chin walked over to the smart table. "Morning Chin." I beamed walking over to him.
"Morning, I heard what happened to Danny's car- should have waited for the priest." Chin smirked, shaking his head a little.
"Well we all tried to warn him." I shrugged as Kono walked into the office and up to us.
"Hows it?" She greeted us as Chin loaded up the footage from the camcorder.
"We're just about to go through the footage." Chin explained as it uploaded to the table. We went through the footage and found something very interesting. Not half an hour later and we could hear Danny and Steve chatting as they walked into the office. "Chin anything?" Steve asked as he and Danny walked into the office.
"The camera was recording when the murders took place but it looks like our murder was camera shy. Not a single shot of him." Chin explained to Steve and Danny.
"But we did find something interesting." Kono pointed out loading up some footage. It was of the male victim filming himself with a night vision lens.
"It's worth the risk." He smirks into the camera before looking around.
"What is this?" A female voice asked as the camera spun round to find our female victim looking at a white duffel bag.
"Hey maybe um, maybe you should a-" The male victim said as the woman starts to scream loudly, falling backwards away from the bag. Kono paused the footage turning to the rest of us.
"That bag, wasn't at the scene." Kono explained pointing to the bag in the footage. Kono continued the footage which showed the female victim screaming at something behind the camera before its dropped followed by more screaming before the footage ends
"I wonder what the hell was in that bag." Danny asked looking down at the footage.
"There is a lot of ancient skeletal remains up there." I explained looking up at everyone.
"Wait a minute, you think grave robbers?" Steve asked getting at what we were hinting.
"Could be, some unscrupulous collectors would pay a lot for the artefacts up there." Chin explained plainly.
"Ok so," Danny took a deep breath pointing to the footage. "These two kids surprise him; kills them because he wants to keep his secret."
"Maybe, listen there could be something in this section. Something the camera picked up but we just can't see right now. Kono have Fong dig through this, see what he can come up with." Steve ordered as Kono just nodded.
"Max sent me a text saying he wanted us to come see the bodies." I added looking over to Steve.
"Ok Nik, you're with us." Steve nodded as we all headed out.
5-0~5-0~5-0~5-0~5-0
We got to Max's lab and it was still all decked out for Halloween. There were flasks just bubbling with different coloured liquids, even a few had smoke coming out of them. He had cob webs and candle sticks set up, even a few fake bats and spiders. It was clear that Max loved Halloween. As we got there I couldn't help the soft smile as Max was dressed in the same clothes I saw him in the night before. "Morning Max." I greeted as the guys followed me in.
"Commander, it is a shame you had to leave the party so soon last night." Max smirked as I noticed the guys ears prick up.
"What, Max was at this party?" Steve asked folding his arms over his chest. I just sighed rolling my eyes.
"It was purely by coincidence I assure you Commander McGarrett." Max answered for me as I just sat in front of Max's desk.
"What costume was she wearing?" Danny asked and I could hear the smirk in his voice.
"We're here for the case guys!" I grunted, turning to look at the pair who were smirking like idiots.
"Commander Logan is correct gentlemen. However I will say this, her costume made her look beautiful and matched her personality perfectly." Max answered giving me a small smile as I let out a chuckle.
"Oh really?" Danny asked chuckling from the side of me. I turned and gave him a small glare as he just shrugged innocently, but with a shit eating grin on his lips.
"The case?" I asked turning back to Max.
"The female vic died from blunt force trauma to the head, most likely killed by the shovel that buried her." Max explained getting to his feet and walking round his desk. "The male victim had dirt and debris in his lungs. Unfortunately he was buried alive." Max continued as he put his hands behind his back and walked into the mortuary side of the lab. I got to my feet and walked side by side with Danny following Max.
"You know Keanu, Halloween was yesterday. You're aware of that right?" Danny pointed out as we trailed after Max.
"What?" Max asked picking up some gloves. "Oh yes I came directly to work from the costume party." Max explained his attire, although after knowing him for a few months now I wasn't surprised to find him dressed like this.
"Oh come on! You don't secretly have this thing where you love dressing up like you're in the Matrix?" Danny asked almost teasing Max.
"Those two concepts are not mutually exclusive." Max answered making me giggle a little.
"Alright Max, what do we, what have we got here?" Steve asked looking down at the female victim on the table.
"Well I have some good news and some... weird news." Max explained taking his sunglasses off. "Have a look at this. See the marks under her right eye." Max pointed to the bruising on the victims face there appeared to be a hand shaped bruise on her face.
"Finger print bruising." I confirmed looking at the guys.
"Ok he grabbed her face." Steve suggested with a shrug.
"Exactly. And when he did that, he very kindly left a print." Max explained grabbing a pair of reading glasses and holding them up for us to see. "A nice one on the right lens. I ran it through the system and got a match. A man by the name of Greg Straithan."
"Good." Steve nodded as Max put the glasses back down.
"Nice work Max, I'm impressed." Danny praised Max as I gave him a small smile.
"Now for the weird news. Our suspect Greg Straithan," Max paused putting his sunglasses back on. "Is dead." Max explained as Steve just turned to me and Danny looked utterly confused.
5-0~5-0~5-0~5-0~5-0
We called Chin and explained what Max had found. He and Kono were going to run our potential killers background as we drove back. Walking up to the headquarters Lori caught up to us. Instantly Danny and Steve were giving us both the same look again, trying to work out our costumes. "I don't get why this is so interesting?" I groaned, shooting Lori an annoyed look.
"I agree, you guys are obsessing way too much over this." Lori added as I nodded along.
"We just interested in who our work colleagues would dress as." Steve shrugged frowning a little. "I mean clearly it must be embarrassing or something because none of you will tell us."
"Or we could just like to keep our lives separate. You know, have some personal stuff we don't have to share with you guys." Lori shrugged as somehow her and Steve were walking in front arguing about it. I caught Danny checking me out again and couldn't help the smirk on my lips.
"Do I wanna know?" I asked softer as the pair in front continued to argue.
"Super girl?" Danny suggested as I laughed shaking my head. "Cat woman?"
"No." I laughed.
"Slutty witch?" Danny asked, sounding a little too hopeful.
"No." I sighed shaking my head.
"Sexy devil?" Danny asked as I couldn't help the smile.
"No Danno." I smirked trying to sound annoyed but it just wasn't happening. Danny bit his bottom lip as I felt my heart race a little. His eyes ranked over my body before he leaned closer to me whispering.
"Naughty nurse?" He whispered as I burst out in laughter making him grin at me like an idiot.
"No D, no." I giggled shaking my head at him. "But I am sensing a theme here." I smirked trying to stop laughing.
"Yeah you in very little clothing Babe." Danny whispered to me with a wink making me blush as we reached the entrance to the office. I was honestly speechless as we walked into the office and over to Chin and Kono who were over the smart table.
We gathered round the smart table. Chin and me at one side, Kono and Lori opposite us with Danny and Steve at the top of the table. Kono had already brought up Greg Straithan's rap sheet up as we walked over. "Greg Straithan, nice long sheet. Burglary two, criminal trespass. Did three years at Chino in California for assault. Looks good for a suspect." Kono explained as she moved everything onto the larger screen.
"Except for the part where he's not actually alive." Lori pointed out folding her arms over her chest.
"How'd he die?" Steve asked looking over the information on the larger screen.
"Shot and killed in his apartment last week. His girlfriend, Nikki Royce admitted to it." Chin explained bringing up news paper cuttings.
"She's got a history of mental illness, they've got her in a cell at Okaloni hospital." Lori explained to the rest of us.
"Ok so they said she shot him in the face." Danny pointed out looking at the clippings.
"Yeah I remember reading about it in the paper. Didn't she use a shotgun or something?" I asked glancing to Chin who nodded in agreement.
"Ok, so, no dental records alright? No face to identify him. And with the girlfriends confession, I'm pretty sure they didn't print the body." Danny explained waving his hands around as he talked.
"Wha- what you getting at?" Kono asked not following his trail of thought.
"It seems like a really good way to fake your own death." Danny explained to the rest of us. "That is unless you think a dead person slapped our victim in the face." Danny offered with a sarcastic smile.
"Ok so if that's the case then the girlfriend was definitely in on it ok? So let's go talk to her. Lori I could use your profiling skills to determine if she's crazy or just acting crazy." Steve asked looking over to Lori.
"Alright, well there's a big question we haven't asked yet. Somebody got shot in Straithan's apartment, if not him then who?" Lori asked looking at all of us.
"Whoever he is, he's buried in Straithan's grave. I'll get the paperwork started for the exhumation." Chin explained walking over to his desk.
"When it comes through I'll go with Chin, as having a professional medically trained person there should speed things up." I added nodding to the team.
"Alright in the mean time, if Straithan is alive and walking around this whole time maybe our victims had prior interaction with him. Kono, Nik see if the room mate recognises him, ok?" Steve asked as me and Kono nodded.
We got the victims room mate to come down and took her into my office. I sat on the edge of my desk facing her as Kono sat on the arm of the couch next to her. Kono passed her a tablet with the a picture of Greg Straithan on it. "I've never seen him, sorry." The room mate apologised looking back up at the pair of us. "Do you guys think he did it?" She asked passing Kono the tablet back.
"He's a, someone we're looking into." Kono explained passing the tablet to me as I put in on the desk by the side of me.
"How are you coping with all this?" I asked softly with a compassionate smile. The room mate looked from me to Kono before looking at her lap.
"Oh you know, not great." She sniffled. "The worst part is that I've lost both my room mates and I'm all alone." She explained looking over to me. "I've never lived by myself before." She added turning to Kono.
"So your friends, they never told you about anyone threatening them? Scaring them this past week?" Kono asked softly as the room mate seemed to think about it.
"Well there was that one weird guy at the Heiau." She explained remembering it.
"What weird guy?" I asked folding my arms over my chest.
"Somebody was bothering them a few nights ago. Christian tried to make them go away, and I guess he fell and hit his head on a rock. Cat said he was bleeding really bad." The room mate explained as me and Kono shared a look.
5-0~5-0~5-0~5-0~5-0
I had been looking into who the mysterious man with a head wound was, when Chin text me asking to meet him because he had got the order to exhume the body. I met Chin at the graveyard and we headed over to Straithan's plot. From the outside it didn't look like the graveyard had been tampered with at all. We were met by the Mortician who helped get Straithan ready for his final resting place. He seemed to refuse to look either of us in the eye as he talked to us. "All I can tell you is that the last time I saw the casket he was in there." The Mortician explained as two grave diggers winced up casket.
"Alright, but you are certain that it was Greg Straithan's body?" Chin asked as the Mortician slipped on some heavy duty gloves.
"I only know what I was told." He shrugged. "I'm not going to get into trouble for this am I?" He asked not even making eye contact with me and Chin.
I paused, shooting Chin a concerned look before answering the question."We have a warrant, you won't get into trouble for helping us." I answered as Danny and Steve walked over to us.
"Hey guys, hows it going?" Steve asked as they reached us.
"We're just waiting on the casket being risen, shouldn't be long." I answered nodding to the grave diggers who were working the wince. "Hey Danny I've been meaning to ask, how's the house search going?" I asked keeping my eye on the shifty Mortician.
Danny clapped his hands together as he looked over at me. "Actually I think I might have found a place. It's an apartment, big enough for me and Grace to have our own space and it's actually a reasonable price." Danny answered with a genuine smile, as Steve just shook his head.
"That's great news!" I beamed back happy that he had finally found somewhere. The grave diggers brought the casket up and locked it in place so that it could be opened. We all moved round it, ready to find out who was inside.
"Let me just go on record, saying I think it's wrong to disturb someone's final resting place." The Mortician stated as he stood by the lid of the casket.
"Ok, noted, on record. Now crack it open." Danny answered waving a hand over to the casket. The Mortician really looked unhappy as he opened the lid. As I saw the inside of the casket I cocked an eyebrow looking between the guys.
"Huh." I hummed out folding my arms over my chest.
"Ok, wait a minute, this grave site was undisturbed?" Steve asked waving a hand around where we stood.
"Yeah." I nodded blowing the air out of my cheeks. I caught Steve give the Mortician a double take before glancing back to the rest of us.
"Is there any sign someone could have messed with this?" Steve asked Chin as I glanced at the shifty Mortician again. He still wasn't looking at anyone.
"No, not a thing." Chin answered as everyone looked back at the casket.
"Then I am completely at a loss at how to explain this." Steve sighed out shaking his head as the perfectly empty casket just laid there before us.