I do NOT own anything, but the plot.

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As always, thank you and I hope you continue to enjoy what's to come!

Nalo a loaʻa

-loosely translate to "lost and found"-

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

"Danny."

Ignoring his partner voice, Danny carried on walking.

"C'mon, Danny," Steve continued, his tone turning into a whine. "This is a bad idea."

"Not listening!"

"Evidently!" Steve threw back in a huff as Danny kept walking. "What if I don't want to do this?"

"Then I'd still turn up," Danny argued, pushing his office door open. "What's the big issue, Steve? Not the first time we've been to yours for a party."

"Given recent events, I don't think now is the time for a party."

In actual fact, Steve didn't feel settled on the idea when his stomach churned at the thought of how easily Cath and Mary had written him off. He knew his sister had to simmer down before he approached her, but Cath was usually of such sound mind that she was the voice of reason in every bad moment.

Danny had always called Cath 'Ramboette', the female version of Steve. It just seemed like now, they were worlds apart in likeness and he had hurt her the most, in the cruellest of ways.

"We need to celebrate."

Between the words Cath had spoken and those that Grace had said, Steve still didn't feel like he had much to celebrate.

"I think that ship's sailed, Danny," Steve commented, gripping the glass panel of Danny's office door. "I'm home now … we can just move on. No big deal."

"You can just move on, but for some of us, we want to mark the occasion."

Danny was struggling to forgive himself, so he wanted to make sure Steve understood how much he meant when he said he was there for him. He didn't want Steve to have a moment of concern over where he stood in Danny's life.

"Honestly, Danny, just leave it," Steve remarked and turned and left Danny's office.

Danny watched his partner disappear and quickly got up to follow him. He hadn't realised organising a little reunion party would cause such turmoil in Steve, but apparently, they were only scratching the surface on Steve's return.

"Leave him, Danny," Lou called, stopping Danny dead in his tracks.

"He's never been against a little party before."

The blonde detective approached, running a hand over his head as he tried to muddle through everything.

"Do you really think this is a good idea if he's being like this?" Chin asked, arms folded over his chest as he leant against the computer table. "You know he's usually up for a good get together, but given what's happened recently…"

"Yeah, Brah," Kono chimed in. "We only just about managed to get him to rethink his resignation and even now he's not fully reinstated."

"Yeah, because he's a pig-headed nincompoop."

"How old are you?" Lou questioned, cocking an eyebrow.

"Old enough to know a pig-headed nincompoop when I see one," Danny replied, dryly.

"What is this really about, Danny?" Chin questioned.

He'd watched Danny since the intervention only the day prior and even though Steve didn't give many details, the team had managed to make Steve revoke his resignation and think about what he really wanted.

"What's eating you most, Man?" Lou asked, clearly seeing what Chin was.

"We've only just started to be there for Steve, but we're all dealing with this. So let us help," Kono offered.

Danny felt nervous as he looked between them.

"The idea that he came home and had no one is killing me." Danny's eyes softened and he stuffed his hands into his pockets to quill his overactive energy. "We should've thrown the biggest party possible and what did we do? Shit, what did I do? We did absolutely nothing. We all thought about ourselves."

"Danny," Kono started with a sympathetic lilt to his words. "We all know we failed."

"It's not just that," Danny started. "The idea of him coming home and not one person caring…" Danny stopped, looking up at the team, namely on the Chicago police chief. "Well, most of us… I know you weren't as hard on him, Lou," Danny rebuked, no bad feelings towards Lou over the fact he was lenient on his partner when he couldn't be. "But I feel like we need to do something to really show we're trying and want to change what happened."

"And you really think a party will help?" Chin asked.

"Why not?" Danny question, rhetorically. "How many times have we been to Steve's for a cookout and a few drinks? We'll fire up the grill, the kids will have the beach to play on, we can all kick back."

"And you think he's up to it?" Kono asked, full of scepticism.

"Look, I don't know… I don't think so, but I'm all for forming a coup and overriding his decisions. He may be the leader and he may be our boss, but I like to think that sometimes I can outrank him." He gave a small smile, a slight uncertainty behind it. "Because regardless, I know what's good for him when he doesn't."

Chin agreed but knew there was a grey area they needed to discuss.

"And what about Grace?"

"Grace is my issue," Danny merely commented, offering a half smile. "I need to go find him."

"Let me go and talk to him," Kono offered.

Having be part of the intervention formed, she hadn't had a moment to sit with her boss and really clear the air. Finding her opportunity, she took it with both hands.

"Sometimes it's a woman's touch that's needed."

"I'll take zero insult to that, Kono," Danny retorted, putting his hands up. "If you can bring back GI Joe, you go have at it."

Kono didn't say another word, just left with a positive smile on her face. Tracing the steps Steve had taken to leave the office, she headed downstairs, hoping her boss hadn't disappeared entirely.

She stopped only when she saw him sat on a bench, and while he stared, she knew he wasn't paying any attention to the world than passing him by. Taking a slow approach, she shook her own nerves and tried to think of the best way to go about this.

"Hey, Boss," Kono greeted lightly, taking the space beside Steve on the bench. "You left in a bit of hurry."

"Sorry," Steve replied, his voice soft.

"No need to apologise," she returned, studying his posture. "I know Danny keeps on about this party, but I think you should let him do it."

"Why?" Steve asked, exasperated. "There's really no need for it."

"That's where you're wrong," Kono argued, preparing to make sure Steve felt secure in the reasons behind them wanting to throw a get together. "He wants to do it because we all agreed we need something to bring us back together."

"Thought my reincarnation did just that," Steve bit back dryly and felt Kono tense. "Sorry, it's not a laughing matter."

"It should be," Kono mutter wryly and chuckled. "Because what is more Steve McGarrett than coming back from the dead? On any other day, Danny would be having a hay day over this."

Steve had to snicker at that thought.

"Part of me did hope for that rant," Steve replied, his lips tugging in a small smile. "Y'know, when I was in the hospital, those were what I missed the most."

"Really?" Kono replied, surprised. "Hmm, I would've thought you'd have missed the adrenaline rush from running into the wrong situation."

"Couldn't do much running, so tried to not think about it."

There was a sombre tone to Steve's words and Kono leaned in, placing her arm to his, forcing human connection on him.

"I know you don't do feelings unless you're made to but just hear me out, please," Kono commented, twisting her small frame to face him. "I know we spoke yesterday, and we cleared the air, but I wanted a moment or two with you … to apologise."

Steve gave her a small smile – the smallest of prompts that he was listening.

"I'd forgiven you without this talk, Kono."

"I know, Boss."

And she did. She knew the moment Steve came back in with Danny for food, the air was clearer, and her boss looked much lighter, as if the burdens he'd been forced to carry had started to leave his shoulders.

It just didn't take the weight of her guilt of her own shoulders.

"I didn't want you to let me off that easily."

"I'm not letting anyone off easily, Kono," he replied with a soft sigh. "I promise."

"Well, I feel like you are," she replied, her eye watering. "When we buried you, I felt a part of me close off, and it took me all of this time to realise that everyone felt the same." She tried to ignore the look Steve gave as she spoke by rolling her eyes. "I'm not saying this to make you feel bad, Steve, but we all carried around our grief differently and while that did ultimately bring us closer, it also left us separated."

"I don't understand."

Because he didn't. Steve had watched how connected the team were and he was grateful for that. After all, his team were chosen by him for good reason, he forged a union with them, and he was happy that in the event of his death they remained undivided.

"You left a pretty big void in us all," she replied, laughing humourlessly. "Regardless of how he moans, Danny acted like he'd lost his right arm. Chin got super quiet … which is saying something."

Steve reacted with a laugh and a head nod of agreement.

"For what it's worth, I'm really happy you didn't die, Boss Man."

"You and me both," Steve replied curtly.

"And we both know you wouldn't leave Five-O if you didn't have to."

Her words were met with an eye roll.

"What is this?" Steve asked, cocking a brow at her. "An ambush?"

"I just want you to know that while we did do well without you, we also struggled through it all. We only did such a good job because you led us."

Silence fell between them as Steve mulled over that fact. He thought about everything that happened - before and after his homecoming.

"I'm sorry for how I overreacted to you taking that bullet … I know how it feels to take bullets even in the vest."

"More than most," she muttered.

"Careful now, Kalakaua, you're starting to sound a lot like Danny Williams," Steve quipped with a snigger.

"Usually, he says I act a lot like you," she replied, brandishing a wide grin. "You did pass on a few non-academy approaches to policing."

"Good thing I don't know actual academy procedure, hey?" Steve quipped.

"Yeah, but Danny also started to take your unorthodox approaches." The comment came before she even had a chance to stop it. "Shit."

"What was that?" Steve asked twisting in his seat.

"We said we wouldn't discuss it," Kono said, knowing Steve wouldn't let it go.

"Well, we're discussing it now..." Steve said, his back becoming ramrod straight. "What did Danny do?"

Kono shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

"Steve," she warned.

"Kono..."

His tone plus his glare were her undoing.

"Fine," she sighed in defeat. "A few weeks after your funeral, Danny became a little reckless. He didn't keep to any procedure. Hell, at one point he used some flash bangs you'd left in the Camaro, and I think I actually saw this look in his eyes that said he enjoyed it."

Steve chuckled, shaking his head.

"That man," Steve muttered. "Always telling me I need to read the police handbook a time or two then follows in my footsteps."

"Someone had to," she jested. "You left your mark on us, Steve, and we let you down."

"Kono-"

She waved him off, forcing him to shut up.

"You don't see the effect you had on us, but we sure felt it and when they pronounced you dead, I honestly thought the world stopped turning. I couldn't understand how a man like you, who does the stuff he does, is just suddenly gone."

"I'm so sorry you had to go through that."

Shame had become a fine friend of Steve's lately and he hated the way it flared in him so casually.

"Not half as sorry as I am for what you've had to go through," she commented, reaching for his hand. "We would've been there for every moment of it if we could've."

"I know."

Because he did.

"Now about tomorrow..."

He groaned as she grinned.

"Look, I know you hate emotions and are practically allergic to talking to them, but allow him the party. It'll make you feel better ... I promise."

He tilted his head, cocking an eyebrow at his team member.

"It's that or we discuss why you still think leaving this team is an option," she offered, shrugging. "I'll allow your resignation to remain pending - for now - if you just allow Danny to sort the party for tomorrow."

"Blackmail is an arrestable offense," Steve argued, his frown deepening.

"So is using explosives to open doors, but that never stopped you from getting a job done," Kono chided, offering yet another wide grin.

"You play dirty, Kalakaua."

"So, I'm told."

"Fine," he sighed, deflating. "Fine, we'll have the damn party, but I don't admit to being happy about it or accept being a willing counterpart."

"You'll have to, because no one grills burgers and steak like you do," she says, nudging him playfully with her shoulder. "And trust me, before the weekends out, you'll want to rip your resignation up and call the governor Monday morning to tell him just that."

"You sound so sure," he worried.

And really, Steve knew he wanted to do exactly that, but something in the back of his mind just seemed to stop him.

"Learned it off the boss," she said and shrugged. "Should have a word with him."