A/N: Well friends this is it. The end of Gladys for good. Thank you so much, everyone for reading and sticking with me. This story was a beast and I struggle through it but it's done and I hope you all enjoyed it. Thank you so, so much, for reading and reviewing!

Chapter 36: Epilogue

Danny stood for a long moment with his hands in his pockets, his badge at his hip for the first time in months and months, and his weapon locked and loaded at his side. He'd been through a lot and, at time, didn't believe he would ever make it this far. It had been a long, hard struggle, and it was still far from over, but normal would be a new thing for him now. He stood staring up at the gates of the maximum security prison on the island, he took in a very deep break and let if out very slowly to try and steady himself, before he set his resolve and walked in to the building for his meeting.

It had been months since the incident with Gladys McMahon. The trauma had left him scared mentally and emotionally. He'd been injured, dehydrated, exhausted, and the whole gamut of things that lead up to the cracks in his mind, and not surprisingly, his body healed so much faster than his mind did. For weeks he laid in a hospital bed, some days in restraints, some days only on the secure ward but free to move, all by the orders of his doctors, and he had many of them now. After his hospital stay he spent even more time on medications - anti psychotics and anti depressants - to calm the tumult of his mind and quiet the voice of one very vocal psychopath. He'd been off the job and in the psychiatrists chair for even longer and once things started to settle down he was ordered into re-certification if he wanted to go back to work. And now here he was, finally cleared to return to work, but not completely clear of mind and spirit. He'd passed all the tests with flying colours and had been stable, without his medications, for a good long time. It was time to go back to the job, but testing the waters was a fear that was new to him. He hesitated momentarily and then took the plunge.

Everything had gotten back to normal, or rather as normal as they could be with the Ali'iolani Hale under construction and the Five-Os relocated to a tiny office space in a precinct across town. Lori Weston had stayed in Hawaii to give a hand to Five-O while Danny was recovering and business for the three remaining officers fell back on track. Most night, however, Danny found his friends in his home or hospital room. They talked about work, much to Doctor Robinson's chagrin, they talked about the weather, they got his opinions on this and that case but no one, except for Steve, mentioned the McMahons, and they only came up when Danny and Steve were alone. Doris had stopped by, once to see how he was coming along but Danny could tell that things with Steve and his mother carried on in a very rocky way. Lou returned to SWAT, after a few weeks of wrap up with Five-O and then another two weeks of vacation to get over that whole ordeal. Max finally got through the bodies that had stacked up after the case, while Charlie and Ruby spent far too much time on far too many crimes scenes pertaining to the McMahon case than was good for anyone sanity. Again, all the science officers took off on their own holidays once the case was closed and wrapped. Charlie basked in the glow of a Hawaiian stay-cation, while Ruby took off on an Alaskan cruise and Max flew to the mainland and toured the country hitting up comic book conventions and amusements parks. Toast was stuck recovering from a broken leg, which needed to be set once he'd finally allowed himself to head to the hospital after the explosion at the Hale and Catherine went back out to sea. True to his word Vladimir Prokovia, as well as Alexander Ward and Cameron Vale, showed up at a police precinct to serve their time, which was reduced because of the help they provided to Five-O, and all three men and their families made it their business to help out the Waiholi family after what had happened to them.

Things were truly getting better but that voice kept coming to Danny in the darkest reaches of his mind. Something was different now, though, and McMahon's words were a memory of a different time when Danny had first come across the man and suspected him. They had had conversations, in that time, and although Danny believe he was talking to a murderer, he was also a very different kind of conversationalist. Danny had listened a lot back then and those were the frightening talks that came to him now. It would continue to be a struggle, his problems with small spaces, the way he had to kill the siblings, those were the things that he would have to work on, but as predicted, he never heard Gladys, only her brother, and the torment of the situation became less and less as time passed. A return to those day when his mind was nourished by the conversations with a killer, and a time when he had actually enjoyed the stimulation of such intelligence.

Now, however, he needed some closure before he returned to work. He walked into Halawa prison and was ushered into a room that was a little smaller than he would have liked but it had windows along one side and Danny was able to quell the tides of his phobia. He felt his heart race for a moment when he was left alone and the door clicked shut behind the guard but it didn't last long as the man he'd come to see was brought in and chained to the table before him.

"So you are Detective Williams?" The man before him asked.

"And you are Walter Kalani?" Danny echoed the question.

"Yes, I understand you have come for closure. Funny we never met before, when I was arrested by Five-O. I hope I might give you closure in reminding you that I was arrested on drug charges and human trafficking, which I am still appealing. I had nothing to do with that side of the business but you and your colleagues were much more interested in that, it seemed. So you see, I'm not into the family brand of psycho. You are hoping that I don't exhibit any of the McMahon crazy as I sit here before you. I cannot help it if we share mannerisms or looks, those seem to be hereditary, but I assure you, I don't have a taste for murder." Walter spoke and a part of him sounded like his uncle.

"You sound like Daniel McMahon." Danny stated and sighed.

"In my defence, I only met the man once. He rubbed me the wrong way. I understand, perhaps the family resemblance, but if I am causing you discomfort I am sorry."

"I'll get over it," Danny said with a shrug and lost his words momentarily. "The real reason I came today was to apologize to you for shooting and killing your mother. I didn't want it to end that way, but it did and for that I am sorry."

"I forgive you. I knew it was inevitable with what she'd done, and what her brother had done before her. I've read up on the case and frankly I'm surprised to see you so well held together."

"I put on a good show." Danny said with a slight chuckle.

"I'm sure you do. In any case, Gladys McMahon got what she deserved. The woman I knew as Gloria Kalani and my mother was gone a long time ago. It's no secret that we didn't get along but I appreciate the sentiment, Detective."

Danny nodded. He wasn't sure what else he should say to this man.

"Well, I'm sure you've had your fill of my family. Enough to last you twelve lifetimes, I'm sure. I promise, once I am out of here, I'll not come after you. I don't harbour any resentment for you or Five-O and I was never a McMahon so you need not worry."

"Thank you," Danny said with a nod and a part of him truly believed Walter. "But if there is anything I can do to help you get back on your feet when you do get out, you know where to find me."

"Yes, with Five-O." Walter said and chuckled. "You wouldn't want to put in a good word for me at my appeal. I mean, I swear to you, I knew nothing of the human trafficking, and I did cooperate fully with your investigation into my mother. That has to stand for something, doesn't it?"

"I'll look into it, and I'll contact your lawyer. We do appreciate all the insight you gave to us during out investigation into your mother. It really is the least I can do." Danny agreed.

"Thank you very much, and I look forward to seeing you again, under better circumstances." Walter smiled. "And perhaps outside of such a small, closed in space."

"And on the right side of the law!" Danny added, and though there could have been a tone of threat in his voice, Walter understood the meaning.

"Yes, I will have quite a long road to redeeming myself and my name after all that has happened here. Unfortunately one cannot choose ones family."

"No we cannot."

The buzzer sounded again to let the guard back into the interrogation room, and to signal the end of the conversation. Danny stood as Walter was unchained and lead toward the door.

"Oh, Detective, can you tell me what happened to my father's cabin?" Walter asked over his shoulder.

"It became property of the state, but if you want it when you get out I can see what I can do to help you." Danny answered.

"No, God No! Burn it to the ground if you could. I'm sure it might be therapeutic for both of us."

"I'm sure it would be." Danny said with a laugh as Walter was lead away and then he was shown out of the facility once more.

Danny walked out of the prison and across the lot toward his waiting Camaro. From there he would head to the temporary office space, or out to whatever scene Steve had found for them, but for now, Danny was determined to leave the McMahons in the maximum security prison, or rather their ghost, exactly where they belonged.