WILD CARD

Based on the characters and stories of Hawaii Five-0.

Hawaii Five-0 is owned by CBS and their respective creators.

A month passed and then another and then another. And each day that passed made Jude fall harder and harder for Noelani. Maisey had settled into the routine of bouncing between Noelani's place and Jude's when he had to work late. She basked in the added spoils of being a two-house dog, not to mention the attention and affection she got whenever Jude let her tag along to Iolani Palace.

Maisey had, for all intents and purposes, adopted Shelby and Will as her honorary pups. Jude had been concerned about Maisey getting scared and aggressive when he introduced her to the little McGarretts, but it was a match made in heaven.

Shelby walked hand in hand with Jude as he strolled beside Catherine in the park. She giggled as Maisey stopped every three feet to check on Will who was lounging in the umbrella stroller. "Maisey, sit!" She squealed as Maisey put her front paws on the edge of the stroller and gave Will a thorough sniff. Maisey plopped her furry behind down as soon as Shelby gave the command. "Good doggie," she cooed as she patted the dog's silver head.

Catherine smiled and tugged on Eddie's leash, "I think this is the first time in like… three weeks that I've gotten any alone time with you. You and Noelani seemed awfully cozy on Tuesday. Have you, um… have you asked her to move in yet?"

Jude shrugged, "I mean, she pretty much already has. She only sleeps at her place if I'm working a case overnight and sometimes even then she'll crash at mine."

"And what about that other thing?"

"What other thing?"

"You know what I'm talking about. Don't play stupid with me, Beckett."

"Princess…"

"The freaking foster parent application! You haven't mentioned it since I popped in and saw you at the palace like months ago!"

Jude raised a thick eyebrow, "Freaking? Not once in ten years have you ever said freaking."

Catherine leveled him a mom-look that had him shaking in his boots. "Little ears," she grumbled. "Really takes the fun out of being a sailor." She shooed Shelby towards the playground and settled on a bench. "Stop avoiding the question."

He let out a billowing sigh as he twisted Maisey's leash snug around his hand and sat down beside Catherine. "Background checked, licensed, and approved."

"Just like that?"

He shrugged, "Like you said. It's been a few months."

"And how does Noelani feel about that? Trust me, having a kid around can really put a damper on things if you know what I mean."

"Catherine-"

"Ooooh, you called me Catherine. I must really be hitting a nerve."

"Princess."

"Have you even mentioned it to her?"

"No," he mumbled.

"Jude Freaking Beckett, are you kidding me?!"

He held his hands up in defense, not just as a show, but having firsthand knowledge of just how vicious Catherine could be when provoked, he thought it best to put up a guard. "Chill, Rollins. I'm just waiting to tell her until I have a few more things locked down. And even then, just because I'm cleared by the state doesn't mean I have to take a placement. I just wanted to get the approval process done to have it behind me."

Catherine raised a suspicious eyebrow, "What kind of things do you need to get locked down?"

The way her eyes studied his told him that she was about to catch on to his game. With a resigned sigh, he shoved his hand in his pocket and pulled out a velvet box. "I wanted to see what you thought. Just picked it up this morning."

Her jaw dropped and an ear to ear grin spread across her lips, "You're kiddin." Catherine looked up at him with wide eyes, "You're proposing?!"

"Just open the box and tell me if I did okay," he groaned.

Catherine did just so, clasping her palm over her mouth to stifle her shock, "Oh Jude. She's going to love it."

For once in his life, Jude actually looked nervous, "You sure? It's not too small, is it?"

Catherine laughed in disbelief, "If that rock was any bigger she'd need a crane to lift her finger." She snapped the lid to the ring box shut and handed it back to him, "I'm so happy for you." Tears welled up in her eyes and she dabbed the dampness in her eyes with her fingertips, "I've wanted this for you for so long."

"Feels like it's been a long time coming." Jude scrubbed the golden stubble that peppered his jaw, "You know she found that old picture of me and Beth and framed it? Put it over the fireplace for me."

Her heart nearly melted. Noelani was the most kind-hearted, thoughtful person. She couldn't have found a better girl for Jude if she had tried… and boy had she tried.

He cleared his throat and eased forward on the bench, "Look, uh, I may have had an alternate motivation for asking you to meet up today."

"Oh?"

"I was hoping I could use your and Charming's backyard to pop the question."

Catherine nodded without a moment of hesitation, "Of- of course. Whatever you need."

A slow grin spread across his face as he stuffed the box back in his pocket, "Thanks, Princess."

"So, where are Steve and Catherine this time?" Noelani asked as they hopped out of the truck and walked around the side of the McGarretts' house.

"Flew to Texas to visit Catherine's folks." Jude said as he led her into the backyard, "Catherine called when she heard that we were gonna get hit with that storm coming in and asked if I'd put the furniture on the lanai in the storage shed."

Noelani giggled, "Oh my God, I love Evelyn. I met her at their wedding. She's a trip."

Jude felt the pang of guilt at the reminder that he had missed Catherine's wedding. He would have moved heaven and earth to be there. "Why, uh, why don't you go sit down in one of the chairs. I'll be down in a sec. Just gotta get this stuff put away." Noelani hesitated for a minute, but his strong hand nudged her towards the shore, "I'll be right behind you, Sunshine. Go on."

She settled into one of the weathered beach chairs and closed her eyes, the tension from her long day at work leaching from her muscles with every soothing crash of the waves. On their second date, she had told Jude how she used to love watching Steve and Catherine break away from the craziness of the cook-outs they hosted and sneak down to the shore and share a quiet drink.

Truth be told, she had always been slightly envious. Watching the two of them navigate career changes, parenthood, and marriage had been wonderful, but what she wanted more than anything was the quiet companionship that they seemed to have achieved. The contentment that came with being with your soulmate and growing old together.

After she had confessed all of that to him, she had been embarrassed beyond belief. Noelani smiled as she remembered exactly what he had said. "Good. Then we're on the same page."

Noelani didn't even hear him as he closed the shed door and padded down to the water's edge. "What's on your mind?"

She leaned her head back on the chipping paint that flaked off the chair and smiled, "You."

A cocky smirk curled up at the corner of his mouth, "Oh really."

"Mhmm."

"What about me?" He asked as he eased down in the chair beside her.

"I like us."

He had been nervous all damn day. He knew she wouldn't want something flashy and public, but even with his plan to ask her quietly and privately, he was still racked with anxiety.

Jude reached over and held her hand, "I like us too." His heavy thumb stroked the back of her hand. "Tell me something."

"What's that?"

"Are you happy?"

Noelani giggled, "What do you mean?"

"Happy with the idea of growing old with me?"

"Completely."

Jude leaned over the side of the chair, the dilapidated armrest letting out a banshee shriek, and kissed her. Noelani reached out to caress his straw jaw, but as soon as she did, cool air rushed between them. When she opened her eyes he was in front of her, dropped down on one knee. "Noelani," he began with a grin.

She covered her gaping mouth with her hands and tried her best to contain the squeal that escaped. "Oh my God," she whispered. "You're…. You're seriously-"

"Dead serious, Sweetheart." He chuckled as he peeled her hands away from her face and held them gently. "I want you to be the one I grow older with. I want you to be the one I wake up next to every day. I want to protect you and make you feel safe." His miles of muscle and brute strength couldn't hide the fact that he was shaking like a leaf with excitement. "You are every good thing I want in life. All of it and more."

Jude let go of her left hand and reached in his pocket. Pinched between two fingers was the most spectacular ring she had seen in her life. The setting sun made rays of light dance off the diamond like shooting stars.

He took a slow breath, quietly pleading, "God, I need you to say yes."

Noelani giggled, "You haven't asked me yet."

Jude's jaw dropped and his eyes widened. "Oh shit," he chuckled. He cleared his throat and flashed his Hollywood smile that nearly made her melt. "Noelani, will you marry me?"

He barely got the last word out before she squealed, "Yes!" Noelani threw her arms around his neck, "Oh my God, yes!" He wrapped his arms around her and stretched up to his full height, bringing her up with him. Noelani clung to him with all her might as he spun her around. "Yes," she whispered again.

Jude and Maisey trolled into HQ the next morning wearing matching grins. He was on track for making his girl his wife, the sex after he proposed had been the best of his life. And that wasn't even counting the repeat performance that had nearly made both him and Noelani late to work. Not even the sight of the Calvin Shaw case that had gone cold up on the screen in front of the surface table could ruin his mood.

"Well, well, well," Danny clapped his hands together and leaned back against his office door, "Look what the cat dragged in. I, uh, I hear congratulations are in order."

Jude chuckled as he let Maisey off her leash and watched as she trotted into his office and plopped down on her bed. "Let me guess. I told Catherine, Catherine told Steve, and Steve told you."

"Bingo."

He rolled his eyes, "I swear, for a former spy and a former tier-one operator those two sure can't keep their mouths shut."

Danny clapped him on the shoulder, "Eh, they're just happy for you, man."

"Oh my God! Jude!"

His head spun around as he watched Junior and Tani step out of the elevator. Junior's arm rested protectively around his wife's waist, but even he couldn't contain her excitement.

Tani bolted into the bullpen and threw her arms around him, "Lincoln texted me! I can't believe it! I'm so happy for you!"

Jude groaned as her superhuman pregnancy strength squeezed the life out of him, "How'd Cole find out?"

"Catherine," they all agreed.

"Alright, alright. Enough of the love fest," Jude grumbled. Just as he managed to regain some semblance of order, Lincoln, Grover, and Quinn strolled in with shared smiles that told him they were about to stir up the engagement excitement again.

Jude cleared his throat, "Alright, I'll say it one more time and then we're done with the topic for the day. Copy?" A murmur of consensus rumbled through the team as they crowded around the surface table, "Yes. I proposed to Noelani last night and she said yes."

After a moment of individual congratulations, Danny swiped across the surface table and a photo filled the screen, "Alright, kids. Time to earn those tax dollars."

"Who's this?" Quinn asked, pointing to the screen. The kid in the picture couldn't have been more than fifteen.

Danny swiped again and the photo of their victim from months prior popped up beside the kid's photo. "That, ladies and gentlemen, is Calvin Shaw's son, Andrew."

"Calvin Shaw, the D.B. we had wash up on Waikiki Beach?" Lincoln chimed in.

"The very one," Lou confirmed. "And I'm sure you're asking why this is coming up since the case went cold." He typed on the table and brought up a police report, "Well that is because Andrew's mother- a.k.a. our dead guy's wife- was found dead in an abandoned car last night. Andrew called 911 when he got home from school and there were signs of forced entry at his house. HPD tried to locate his mom once they had the house secured and eventually found her car parked on Sand Island near the water treatment plant. Supposed suicide."

"Supposed suicide?" Junior asked.

"The mom's body had defensive wounds on it. That, combined with the fact that there were signs of a break-in make it more than suspect. So for now Jude's fiance isn't ruling it as suicide. We're treating it as if it's a homicide," Danny said.

Jude frowned, "Why are we just now finding out that Shaw had a wife and kid? Why didn't that come up when we ran background on him after we found the body?"

"That's probably because his name isn't Calvin Shaw, it's Callum Shaw and he was undercover with the FBI's organized crime division."

"Oh! Who called that it was a mob hit?! That's right. It was me!" Tani interjected.

Lincoln sided up to the table, "So, what? The FBI scrubbed his old identity and didn't bother saying anything when he got whacked?"

"I got off the phone with the field office this morning and according to them, they were trying to keep it contained and control the news coverage so it didn't spook the people Shaw was investigating," Danny explained.

Quinn waved her hands, desperately trying to get back to the point. "So what crime family was Shaw investigating and what's happening with the kid? Is he a potential witness?"

"Kid wasn't there when his mom was taken, but chances are, if the bad guys knew where to find the mom, he may have seen some of them before. It also means he's probably in danger." Lou said. "According to Noelani, time of death was yesterday right around four in the afternoon. If she was kidnapped from her house in Makapu'u, taken out to Sand Island and killed, it's possible to think that the killers were planning on taking both Mrs. Shaw and her son considering he gets home from school at three-thirty."

"Why wasn't the kid home when his mom was taken?" Tani asked.

Danny stepped up next, "Bus was late. Got stuck in traffic. He didn't get home until just before four. Neighbors confirmed the story. Andrew called 911 to report the break-in and then went next door to wait for HPD."

"Smart kid," Jude mumbled.

"So for now," Danny began, "We need to start looking into the Odessa mafia. That's who Callum Shaw was investigating." He swiped up on the surface table and flooded the screen with intel, "They are a Ukrainian crime family known for being a very secretive organization and is involved in protection rackets, loan-sharking, murder-for-hire, narcotics trafficking, human trafficking, gun running, prostitution, and the list goes on and on. In the United States the Odessa mafia is based in Brighton Beach. It is regarded as the most powerful post-Soviet criminal organization in the U.S. and has since expanded its operations to Miami, Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay area. If we need it, Chin and Abby are going to be our West Coast contacts. The SanFran task force has had more than a few skirmishes with the Odessas over the years. According to the FBI, they've set up shop on our island."

"Where's Andrew Shaw now?" Junior asked. "Seems like he should be in protective custody. Is the FBI putting him in a safe house?"

Lou shook his head, "Until we can prove his momma's death wasn't a suicide, the FBI isn't doing jack shit. They don't wanna draw attention to him. We're waiting to hear back from family services to see where he's being placed in foster care before we can go talk to him."

Jude audibly growled, pushing away from the table and stomping to his office.

"Yo! Don't go green on us, Hulk," Lincoln shouted.

Jude snatched the receiver of his desk phone out of the cradle, smashing the buttons with fury as he dialed, "I have some calls to make."

AUTHOR'S NOTE

Dun dun duuuuhhhh! Leave me some thoughts and comments in the reviews, loves!

Just a wee bit of housekeeping:

If you've been following along since Pehea, here's an update on the book-that-has-not-been-named. I'm about halfway through writing it and am trying to push to be done with the first draft within the next few weeks. SO! This week there may be fewer Jude and Noelani chapters than usual while I marathon through some book content.

Wild Card is going to have a much different tone than Pehea. I want to practice writing more procedural storylines, so this is going to be a little more along the lines of Throwing Darts. Don't worry- you'll still get plenty of Judelani sweetness!

I love you guys! Have a wonderful week! Spread kindess!

XO,

-Mags-