I do NOT own anything, but the plot.

Thank you for reading and reviewing!

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

Only two more chapters after this!

Nalo a loaʻa

-loosely translate to "lost and found"-

CHAPTER FORTY

Steve was already seated when Franklin was led into the room, hands cuffed in front of him, orange prison uniform firmly in place. Gulping, Steve remembered the time he was in Franklin's position, and he resisted the shudder that wanted to erupt over his body.

Yesterday, he'd seen his son for the first time, moving and alive on a small screen.

Today, he had been handed his discharged papers and begged Danny to make this pit stop before he headed home to recuperate.

"You look rested, Commander," Franklin mocked as he was pushed into his seat and allowed the guard to hand cuff him to the table.

Flicking his gaze across the room, Franklin looked at Danny as he stood in the corner leaning against the wall, arms crossed over his chest.

"Can't say the same for you," Steve replied, his tone even and concise.

"Yeah, well, sweet dreams and prison don't really mingle well." His tone was rough, cutting around the edges. "Want to cut to the chase and tell me why you're here?"

Steve mulled over the multiple ways he could go about this. Danny had been against this trip on the way over from the hospital but had relented nonetheless and warned Steve that no matter what part of Halawa Steve went, he would be two steps behind him.

"Was it worth it?"

Steve's question punctuated the air with everything syllable spoken. He had spent many sleepless nights wondering if what he had done to Steve's life made up for even one iota of losing his brother.

"Coming after me … using your cousin … targeting innocent people who didn't even know me when I was on that op in Kabul … was it worth it?"

"To bring a little hell into your life … yes." Franklin smirked, narrowing his gaze. "I wanted you dead. Miserable first, dead second. But you came back, and you looked pretty fucking happy to me."

Steve scoffed - he didn't constitute losing everyone as a slice of happiness.

"When I knew that bullet had hit you, I thought I would have the upper hand, but you're a very skilled man."

"I was trained to be that way," Steve smoothly replied, relaxing into his seat. "Much like your brother was."

"Don't talk about my brother!" Franklin snapped, the metal of his handcuffs hitting the table as he jolted in anger. "You don't have a right!"

"I do when we were brothers in arms. I have every right when he was a member of my team." Steve watched Franklin getting angrier, but he didn't let it affect him. "You have to understand that Tommy was a great member of my team," Steve stated, fighting vehemently on that fact. "What happened that day … it never should have happened, but I did everything to lead my team through it."

"You led them through that mission to their deaths and you got to walk away." Franklin's bore his gaze into Steve, not relenting on the memory of being told his brother had died. "You're lucky I'm the only family member that wanted to hold you responsible."

"Whoa, wait one minute," Danny said, pushing off of the wall.

"It's fine, Danny," Steve spoke, stopping his partner from moving anymore. "We knew the risks of the job when we enrolled into the navy … knew them more than anyone else when we decided to go through SEAL training. We are trained to know that death is a probable outcome, but that is the life we all chose."

"Tommy wasn't even twenty-five," Franklin argued. "He wasn't old enough to know."

"Tommy was an adult who chose to become a SEAL and follow me into that mission in Kabul," Steve replied, knowing this argument all too well from family members. "I might not have brought my men home how I wanted, but I did everything to make sure they came home," Steve stated, his throat becoming tight. "You blame me, but you didn't blame the people who orchestrated that air strike … you didn't think to blame the people behind more than Tommy dying. I already carry the weight of my men's deaths on my back every single day … I don't need you to make me feel guilty when I do that myself. I also didn't need you to make me feel guilty by bringing innocent people into it."

"I didn't want you to feel guilty, Commander McGarrett. I wanted you to pay how I think you deserved."

Outwardly, Steve did waver.

"That's not you decision to make," Steve observed, reigning in his emotions. "Tommy was upright and just and would never have wanted you to do what you did."

"You didn't know him," Franklin admonished with an eye roll.

"I knew Tommy well enough to know what sort of man he was," Steve rebuked, remembering everything about the man in question. "And the man he told me his brother is, is not you. I know what death does to people, I know how losing family warps everything, but never did I lose sight of the bigger picture, and if I could, I would have taken down everyone behind that bombing and killed them myself."

"But you didn't."

"No, because I'm able to rationalise the situation I am placed in." Now Steve felt his coolness give way to his ire. "Your issue was me … you didn't have to bring others into it. You didn't have to bring my family into it."

"My brother died," Franklin barked.

"So, your justification for threatening little kids is because your brother died," Steve noted, scoffing on the idea a bit as he took stock of the full situation. "Y'know, I can tell you are never going to feel any remorse for what you did, so there is no point trying."

If he was honest, Steve was exhausted. He should've gone home when Danny advised it, but he had to come here and hear Franklin out. Pushing himself up, he ignored Franklin's gaze as he struggled and thanked Danny the moment crutches were placed into his hands.

Nothing else was said as Steve turned to the door and Danny hit it preparing to leave.

"For what it's worth, I am sorry," Franklin stated, sniffling noncommittally. "You're right, Tommy wouldn't have approved of what I've done, but you can't make me believing you were not to blame for it."

"Then that's your life sentence, not mine," Steve stated and turned to move out of the door.

The navy SEAL didn't stop long enough to think. In automatic notions, he manoeuvred the corridors to the front desk, handed his visitor's badge over, allowed Danny to sign them out and kept heading towards where Danny had parked his car.

"Hey, Babe," Danny said, catching up with Steve.

"What's up, Danny?"

From the tension of his shoulders, Steve was wound tight again, something that wouldn't prove worthwhile on his healing body.

"You okay?"

"Is that a trick question?" he asked, squinting a little against the early afternoon sun. "Right now … no. Tomorrow? Who knows?"

"Want to go and look at nursery decor?" Danny questioned, hoping that would help a little, and the moment the tension loosened in Steve's upper body, he allowed a triumphant smile tug on his lips. "Got to get that ball rolling now you're out of the hospital."

"Get me home and get me my laptop, and then we're talking."

"C'mon, Buddy … school lets out in like two hours. That gives us time to get you medicated ready for the arrival of SEAL team Williams."

"SEAL team Williams?" Steve asked, laughing.

"Good, right? Gracie and Charlie thought you'd like that," Danny stated approvingly. "You're very own fleet to boss around."

"I'm still not letting them sit on me."

Danny was already walking to open the passenger door for Steven when he called over is shoulder, "We'll see about that, Steven."