OC's Introduced: Kalani Lahele (Operator - Special Agent for CRT) created by Katiekatz27
Havika Kamaka (Senior Field Agent of MCRT) created by Me
Creation of Georg Rutherford goes to LuciferXII Trollkaiger Green
Disclaimer: Don't own Hawaii Five-0 belongs to CBS. All OC's you don't recognize were created by their respective creators.
Havika Kamaka's children were created by me as well, same goes with any subsequent oc's relating to Scott's family, his in laws, the boys' girlfriends and boyfriend. All my creation.
Authors Note: Only need the remaining three members of the MCRT. Extending the OC submission deadline to August 10th 11:59 PM (PST - Pacific Standard Time)
One needs to be a former FBI Profiler that is all the stipulation for that OC. The other two Oc's the team leader/unit chief and the probationary Agent can be whatever gender, race, sex, sexual orientation you wish. Form is on my profile. Please if you're reading this story consider or think about submitting an OC.
Here's an extra-long next chapter to make up for my two-week unintended absence. Sorry everyone.
Read. Review. Enjoy. :)
Chapter 4
Steve arrives back at the Palace via Uber and sees Danny's Camaro parked next Lane's personal vehicle. He heads inside waving at a few officers and passersby in greeting, and heads up the stairs to the Five-0 offices. Steve pulls open the glass paned doors and walks over the Five-0 special investigations seal on the floor over to his team and Agent Sullivan.
"Ah finally decided to join the rest of us here have you Steve?" Danny asks in greeting his partner. "Scott finally kick you out of his room?"
Steve looks affronted, "No." Steve remarks. "He didn't kick me out, I left because you all need my help and as leader of this task force I thought it prudent I be here."
"Okay, whatever you say babe." Danny retorts back.
"Ahem if you two are quite done." A voice rings out from the big computer screen in the middle of the briefing area. It's the NCIS team's unit chief. Steve and Danny both look towards the screen and see six smaller individual screens showcasing the six remaining members of the NCIS unit. "Commander McGarrett you have something you'd like to share with the rest of us."
"Yes, I do." Steve says seriously all hints of playfulness gone under the mask of serious Commander. "Agent Sullivan here was informed by another Agent that your perp Calvin McManis escaped your custody under the ruse of the NCIS bombing earlier this afternoon."
"Yes, I'm well aware of that Commander. When McManis is found, he'll be brought in and properly dealt with."
Steve takes stock of all six expressions of the NCIS team, plus Lane and he knows those looks all too well. Those are looks of determination, this man put one of their own in the hospital, non-life threatening injury or not, but still out of commission. These are looks of men and women that want retribution.
"I'm about 95% sure I bumped into him when I was leaving my brother's hospital room just twenty-five minutes ago."
The unit chief looks at the Commander of the Five-0 task-force in disbelief. "How can you be sure. You don't even know what he looks like."
"Believe me I know shifty ill-dressed perps when I see'em Agent. The man was dressed in ill-fitting mismatched scrubs, and he was walking like he was injured. He must have been treated down in the ER, then stole a pair of scrubs, and gone looking my brother."
"What did he look like?" The probie of the MCRT asks.
"Wavy chest-nut brown hair and green eyes, lean looking he was walking like he had bruised ribs, also something I know about from personal experience."
The unit chief responds before anyone on their team can, "So you're saying based on the way the man walked and his mismatched scrubs, that he's our guy who killed our Navy sailor, blew up our headquarters, and put all of my team in the hospital including your own brother."
Before Steve can jump in to respond Danny backs him up. "With all due respect Agent, my partner isn't one to just jump to conclusions. He may not be a cop, or a federal Agent, and I realize you've only worked with this MCRT for a year, but your predecessor former SSA Blackburn can vouch for Steve. He knows what he's talking about if he says he saw your guy even if he looked different he saw your guy."
The most junior member of the MCRT the probie pipes up, "Boss, it is possible McManis was seen at the hospital, I mean he had to go to the hospital to get treated for his injuries, right? He could have easily slipped in amongst the throngs of other Agents and employees."
"Probie's right." Lane tells his unit chief. "He could've easily gotten treated, and found his way up from the ER to the medical ward."
"How do you explain how he knew which floor Agent McGarrett was on. And why would McManis even be seeking out an Agent in my unit?"
Now it's time for Lane to put on his big boy pants so to speak in his partner and team leads absence. "Well McGarrett..." Lane looks at the rest of the Five-0 members and quickly amends his words to avoid confusion "Agent McGarrett, did jump out of a second story window into a pool after him, and he may or may not have roughed him up a bit in the scuffle getting him out of the pool. He saved his life though, McManis can't swim, according to Scott."
"Agent Sullivan I doubt a man like McManis with his record would want to thank Agent McGarrett for saving his life only for Agent McGarrett to rough him up as you put it in the ensuing arrest."
"McManis is a serial killer there's a pattern to his work and he doesn't stray from it. McManis was most likely there to scope out the area come back later and kill Agent McGarrett. Don't let the man's young face and mannerisms fool you." The MCRT team member who used to be an FBI profiler informs Five-0.
"If what you're saying is true Agent then Agent McGarrett could be in serious danger." Adam tells the FBI profiler turned NCIS MCRT team member.
"Do we need to put eyes on the hospital? I could get a few plain clothes officers to the hospital in..." Steve starts in a rush. All manner of things now going through his head. He knows he shouldn't have left the hospital.
"Commander McGarrett." The unit chief cuts in abruptly. "If you can't keep your personal relationship and feelings to one of my team members out of this debriefing, I'm going to ask you be pulled off this case. Five-0 commander or not. You're not the only one with connections, with people in high places."
Steve looks like he's about to blow his top at the unit chiefs audacity. Steve's nostrils are flaring and Danny and the rest of Five-0 and Lane know that Steve wants to hit something. Steve with guttural rumble in his voice asks, "Do you have any siblings Agent, a brother or sister?"
The Agent looks at the Commander over their video screen. "No Commander, I'm an only child. But I don't understand what..."
"Exactly." Steve interrupts the Agent. "You don't understand..."
"Well that's not what I was going to say Commander, but do go on."
"You don't understand, that's what I'm getting at, you don't know what it's like to have a sibling a brother and that connection you have with a brother, and how deep that bond and relationship runs. Anyone of us in this room and I'm sure on your own team as well will do anything if our brothers or siblings period are threatened or put in harms' way in any manner. So, I'm sorry if I'm a little harsh and irrational." Steve bites out sarcastically.
"If I may remind you chief, were you or weren't you the one who almost risked termination from NCIS in order to go to any lengths to get your cousin's name cleared in that drug bust with the other sailors when you first were transferred here." Lane reminds his superior.
The unit chief is at a loss for words at this point and doesn't know what to say to the medic of the CRT. So, they instead speak to Commander McGarrett again. Not wanting to confirm what their team members already knew in from of the Five-0 members.
"I'm positive your brother is in no danger Commander, McManis despite his shall we say résumé is a lackey he doesn't have any real power, whoever he's working for is obviously paying him well enough that he won't endanger himself not getting a paycheck, by trying to terminate the guy who gave him a black eye and bruised wrist while arresting him."
"It does seem a bit overkill Steve, even for McManis he's not that type of person." Lane tells Steve.
"We've got a case to work everyone." The unit chief addresses them all trying to refocus them and get them back on task. "Agent McGarrett will be fine for one night in the hospital."
The members of Five-0 and Lane who is the sole physical representative of the NCIS team, refocus themselves, and grapple with what Steve has informed them all of. "I'll go back to the office chief and see if I can't get the files on the Manning case and we can pour over everything again there has to be something we missed."
"Excellent idea Agent Sullivan." The unit chief tells Lane. Than they turn in their eyes in the direction of Commander McGarrett. "Commander do you think we could use your headquarters as a temporary base of operations for now?"
"I don't see a problem with that." Steve replies. "I'll get you and your team set up with visitor's badges for when you arrive."
"We should all be there within the next hour." The unit chief tells him and cuts the connection to their video screen.
"Well guess that's our queue to sign off see you within the hour Commander." A member of the CRT responds. Within succession all five remaining screen connections are cut and the computer screen goes back to displaying the Five-0 investigations seal.
Lou's in the first one to move from the smart table, "I'll go start the coffee pot, I have a feeling that it's going to be a long evening." Lou makes his way over to the small kitchenette and starts the coffee pot.
"I'll be back in fifteen with the all files. And maybe a few energy booster shots, Scott likes to keep around in his locker for his diabetes." Lane chimes in as he waves to the remainder of Five-0 and departs the office for his SUV.
Steve, Danny, Adam, Tani and Junior set about making more room in the already spacious office area for the incoming seven members of the NCIS unit. Bringing up folding tables and chairs and setting them up next to and around the smart table. Steve stands around at the center of the office area and taking stock of their work. It'll do in a pinch it's not like the other team has anywhere else to work at the moment anyway.
Steve turns to Danny and gives him a certain look. "Don't say it. I know, I'll call Rachael ask her to take Grace and Charlie it's already starting to get late." Danny whips out his phone and starts calling his ex-wife's number.
"We should probably get food, enough for a small army." Steve says as he sees Tani and Junior walking out from their respective offices. The two youngest members of Five-0 nod and Junior pulls out his phone to call Kamekona for a delivery.
Thirty minutes later, the seven NCIS Agents all with visitor badges on walk in through the double paned glass doors of Five-0 headquarters. A Hispanic looking agent with olive tanned skin whistles in awe at the governor's task force headquarters.
"This is some nice office space you have here Commander McGarrett." The Hispanic looking male agent with short dark brown hair and dark brown eyes comments as he looks around the office space.
"Your office space is nothing to not be impressed by either Agent..." Steve hasn't had the pleasure of meeting the two other members of his brother's team in person. He's only ever met the MCRT, and Sullivan and really befriended Sullivan.
The youngest agent of the CRT at twenty-seven, extends his hand for Steve to shake. "Santiago, Agent Jackson Santiago." He greets the other man. Steve hears a slight Mexican accent to the young man's voice.
Steve's eyes go wide in recognition at the name. "Ah so you're the agent my brother says is his version of my partner Danny. A stickler for the rules, very by the book kind of guy." Steve says a light smile on his face.
Jackson takes his hand back from Steve, and looks at the older man who is his team leads' brother. "The law is hard but it's the law. Rules were made to be followed." Jackson states seriously.
"You haven't been with your unit or on Scott's team long have you." Steve states rather than asks.
Jackson looks at Steve a quizzical look on his diamond shaped face one eyebrow raised in question. "No, I've only been on the island a little less than over a year, ten months to be exact. Why?"
The unit chief sees where Steve is trying to go with this line of questioning of one of their Agents and tries to redirect the Five-0 leader. Not liking where the questioning is going.
"Commander McGarrett..." They start slowly but sternly.
"No, he needs to know this." Steve tells the NCIS unit chief. "Though it's not my place to tell him." Steve turns back to the younger man. "Ask Scott when he gets out of the hospital tomorrow why not only your team and but your whole unit have carte blanche with the rules and regulations for your cases and call outs."
"Why can't you just tell me Commander?" Jackson asks crossing his arms over his muscular chest.
"S'not my place to say didn't you hear what I just said."
"Than why tell me I need to hear something and not tell me whatever it is." Jackson retorts.
Lane can see this conversation going sideways quickly and steps in before someone says or does something they regret. The rest of Five-0 and the other Agents just look on to see what'll happen next. "Okay, Steve, Agent Santiago let's kill it with the third degree yeah, we're all on the same side and here for a reason remember we've got a serial killer to catch."
Lane's unit chief looks at him thankfully. "Agent Sullivan is right gentlemen we've got to work to do. Now there's twelve..."
"Thirteen." Danny pipes up eyeing Jerry with a nod. Jerry smiles back at the blond Jersey detective. "Our special consultant Jerry Ortega is just as much a part of our team than those of us who are actual law enforcement."
"Okay, sorry thirteen of us here, and three sets of files we need to go over, Petty Officer Todd Manning our first victim, Corporal Eli Barnes our second vic and our perp in all this Calvin McManis. Divide and conquer is our best bet if we want to get anything done."
Steve nods to the unit chief. "You're right." Steve says taking charge of his team. "We'll take the Barnes' file and split it up amongst ourselves, seeing as Five-0 was the one to catch the case."
The unit chief nods in acknowledgement. Then turns to toward Agent Santiago, "Agent you're a wiz on computers why don't you help out Ortega and go through Corporal Barnes' financials, bank accounts things of that nature."
"Understood, chief." Santiago acknowledges his boss and walks over to the plus sized Caucasian man with slicked back brown hair in khaki shorts and a short-sleeved white and red plaid shirt.
"The rest of us should split off into pairs and comb through every inch of both Manning's' and McManis' files starting from the very beginning. Nothing is too small or insignificant here." The unit chief orders their agents. They all pair off having been given their orders and get to work.
All the members of Five-0 have their office doors open to the main office area as they've paired off, Steve and Danny, Tani and Junior and Lou and Adam. The pairs use the more senior members' office to work out of while the NCIS agents have the folding tables and chairs covered in the paper files pouring over every bit of information they have.
The coffee and takeout from Kamekona's is free flowing and all participants of the joint operation are working in tandem with one another. It's like a well-oiled machine for the most part.
Lane is sitting at a fold out table facing Steve's office and he's going through McManis' personal history with the sole female member of his team. He scratches his head in frustration, they're getting nowhere with their search. It's like Calvin McManis has just dropped off the map after the end of last year.
"There's nothing here in his personal history that indicates he has any prior beef with the military." Lane says. "Why kill someone you have no personal beef with."
"Maybe it didn't have to be personal, maybe it's all about the money the profit you know." The female Polynesian Agent with a slender build tells her more senior teammate. All of by two years, but seniority is seniority.
"So, what you're saying Kali is McManis didn't care who Petty Officer Manning was, or why he was ordered to kill him. It was all about the money the profit for him."
"That's what I'm getting at yes Lane." Kali replies as she blows a piece of her mocha brown hair out of her face that's fallen out of her messy bun.
Adam overhears what Agent Sullivan is saying about something being about the profit or all about the money that peaks his interest. Adam and Lou have been tasked with looking into all the organized crime organizations on the island with possible military involvement.
Adam gets up from his chair in Lou's office and walks over to blond haired Agent, "What'd you say about profit and making money?" Adam asks the junior agent.
"That our boy McManis is only in this for the money for making a decent payday. Whoever is paying him has to have some deep pockets."Kali replies to the Asian American man.
"What are you getting at Adam?" Lane asks turning in his seat to fully face the man.
Adam has a determined look on his face. "Follow me, I think I've got a lead on who's in charge of this underground fight club." Both agents get up and follow Adam the short distance to Lou's office and to the laptop Adam is using.
"I was looking into all the possible criminal organizations on the island that could have a connection to or have had a run in with the military before, and only one popped up," Adam pulls up a file he found from a year ago, and shows the two agents.
"Georg Hans Rutherford." Lane says aloud. "Never heard of him."
"Me neither." Lou says as he comes to look at the screen with the picture of the man.
Now the man they're all looking at doesn't look at all like a criminal, quite the opposite. This guy Rutherford's youthful appearance and athletic build does not lend to the usual scum of the earth that either Five-0 nor the NCIS unit deal with. If Kali has to guess she'd put the man at mid thirties if that.
"This guy with his blond crew cut hair and narrow blue eyes is our ringleader?" Lane asks in disbelief. "He's in a goddamn pinstripe suit for crying out loud."
"Definitely a high roller in that suit, probably costs more than I make in a year." Lou puts in as he takes in the man's picture.
"We were definitely looking in the wrong pool here that's for sure." Lane looks to Adam. "He look German to you?"
"He does, and the name kind of gives him away." Adam notes. "There's one more thing you'll want to see on Rutherford." Adam adds.
"What's that?" Kali asks a curious look in her eye.
"Turns out Rutherford isn't just your run of the mill crime boss, he's big time bad news. He's listed on almost every agency's database as one of the most wanted criminals in the world." Adam informs the others.
Lane calls out to Steve and his unit chief. "Yo, McGarrett, chief we got a big-time break over here." Steve stops what he's looking through as he hears Agent Sullivan yell for him and his chief and jogs over to Lou's office.
"What d'you have Sullivan?" Steve asks expectantly.
"Adam, can you throw this guy's file up on the big screen." Lane asks the other man. Adam hits a few keys on his laptop sending the file to the big computer screen in the main office area. Everyone comes out of their office or stops looking at what they're looking at when the file comes up on the big screen.
Now everyone's standing around the smart table Adam at the helm of it looking up at the calm looking face of the man who most likely ordered the murders of two special operators.
"This guys is the guy you're all after?" Danny asks in disbelief. That seems to be a running theme of the past two minutes.
"He's the one calling all shots." Jackson surmises. "That is the definition of a ringleader. Well in our context of the word anyway."
"I guess criminals really do come in all shapes and sizes." Tani says as she looks at Rutherford's rap sheet. "He really is big time like Adam says, human trafficking, drug dealing, arms dealing, the list goes on this guy's got a hand in everything."
"Looks like it and not just on the island, this yahoo is a worldwide equal opportunity nut case." Lou adds.
Lane's been quiet for the past five minutes since Adam brought up the rap sheet on the big screen. Santiago notices this and walks around Junior and Jerry and over to his older teammate and stands by his side. "You okay Sullivan?" Santiago asks his eyes searching the older man's.
"Just ingraining this guy's face into my memory and thinking about what Scott's going to think and want to do when I tell him we know who the ring leader is."
"I can come with you if you want?" Santiago offers.
"No, thanks though this is something I've got to do on my own."
"That'll have to wait until the morning Agent Sullivan." The unit chief looks at their watch and realizes the time. "Or a more reasonable hour of the morning. We've made great headway thanks to Mr. Noshimuri here I can see you're a real asset to Five-0." The agent compliments Adam openly and Adam brushes off the compliment like it's no big deal.
"Your chief's right Sullivan. We've made decent headway here, it's late er early, everyone should head home, get some rest and we'll all get a crack at this guy soon." Steve tells the group as a whole.
They've all been at this combined search since 4:30 this afternoon, not many notice the darkened skies outside the palace walls. All of them too deep and engrossed in whatever they were trying to look over.
This is good this a real start to maybe finally taking this guy down before he makes McManis kill someone else. McManis has to be Barnes' killer as well it only makes sense. Same MO as Petty Officer Manning's killer which is McManis. Though they can't make a definitive conclusion yet it's only been 24 hours since Barnes' body was found.
With the order and promise of sleep in their own beds tonight everyone in the room starts to trickle out of Five-0 headquarters. Steve watches them all leave he particularly eyes Sullivan talking to Agent Santiago, and the younger man's nods and glances back in Steve's direction briefly before following his fellow Agents out.
Before long it's just Steve and Danny up in the offices. Steve is sat at his computer screen staring at it. He's too absorbed in his own thoughts that he doesn't even hear his husband came into his office. Danny's his husband at home and his work partner at work, but here now even at work when it's just the two of them they're husbands. Even at this ungodly early morning hour.
"Babe we should head back home to the house. Get a few hours shut eye." Danny says coming into Steve's office and walks up to his leathered back black chair. "Than we can be back at it as soon as you want."
"Danny hey." Steve greets tiredly trying to hide a yawn behind his hand. Danny looks at Steve's blank computer screen and the bags under his eyes. A clear sign he's not thinking straight and beyond tired. He has a lot on his plate right now.
"Come on babe we're going home. Up and at'em." Danny grabs Steve's upper arm and gently pulls him up out of his seat. The blond then starts collecting Steve's things from his office. "I'm driving Steve no buts' you're in no shape to drive."
Steve just nods tiredly again and the two walked out of the palace into the early Saturday morning air. The drive isn't long even with Danny driving and Steve for once isn't complaining that's another sign of how tired Steve is. The two make it back to their house, and make inside the door, not before removing both of their shoes first though.
Danny gently pushes Steve on sock clad feet up in direction of the stairs to their bedroom while Danny goes about the nightly routine of checking all the doors and windows making sure they're locked. The last thing Danny does is arm the alarm system, Danny persuaded Steve to put in after the whole Nick Taylor incident.
Danny walks into their bedroom and finds the sheets already turned down, and hears the shower running in the connected bathroom. He wants nothing more than to just crawl into bed and that's exactly he does. Though not before turning off Steve's alarm that is set to go off in an hour.
He climbs into his side of the bed and he's asleep before his head hits the pillow. He stirs only briefly when he feels Steve's weight on his side of the bed. He leans over and kisses Steve mumbling something akin to an 'I love you'.
McGarrett-Williams Residence - The next morning Saturday, Honolulu, Oahu.
Steve wakes up slowly and turns to look at his nightstand eyes blurry, but spring wide open when he sees the time. 1000 hours. Steve bolts upright out of bed. "Danny, Danny wake up babe we overslept."
Danny rolls over in bed grumbling to Steve. "Steve go to sleep, it's Saturday."
"No Danny it's late we have to get up and go in." Steve sits up in bed fully and faces Danny who is now also sitting up and looking at his husband like he has two heads.
"It's Saturday Steve." Danny tells his already awake partner. Who is somehow already fully awake even at 10 in the morning. Damn Navy SEAL training.
"You said we could go in as soon as I was ready. Do you not remember we caught a case yesterday and what went down?"
Danny sighs heavily and swings his legs over his side of the bed looking back at Steve. "Of course, I remember we were in an explosion yesterday that all started with a dead Marine we found at the Hale Koa Hotel."
"Which led to a whole slew of other events that included Scott and his unit getting involved and him ending up in the hospital. I'm going back in Danny." Steve stresses urgently.
Now both are up standing in their boxers on either sides of their bed. "Easy babe I didn't say we weren't going to go in. I'm just sayin' I'd like to get a little coffee and breakfast first yeah."
Steve's phone rings on his nightstand before he can answer Danny. Steve walks the short distance to his nightstand to grab his phone. "Yeah, McGarrett oh hey ready to be jailbroken already. That's great news, I'll be over in twenty I'll even bring you breakfast. You can eat, right? Great, see you soon bro."
"Scott getting let out of the hospital?" Danny asks as he makes his way to the bedroom door. Intent on getting coffee for himself.
"He is, I'm going to pick him up, he's all good to go. Dr. Carson says it's standard concussion protocol from here. His arm will be in a sling for the next six weeks doc doesn't want him moving it that's why he didn't just put him in a cast."
Danny smiles at Steve and at the good news. "That's good to hear nothing too serious then have fun with that babe I'm heading over to HPD after I shower and change." Now Steve looks at Danny an eyebrow raised in question.
"Why? You think of something we could have missed? We just went through everything with a fine-toothed comb, and we even found the head honcho remember Georg Rutherford."
"I know we did that's really good, but let's call this a hunch. I'll call when I get back with any news." Danny says and walks out of their shared bedroom. "Keep me posted with Scott yeah.
"Will do Danno." Steve calls out and heads into the bathroom to shower and get ready for the day.
Steve showers and dresses all within the next ten minutes in gray cargo pants, and a navy polo shirt paired with coyote tan combat boots. He puts on his shield and holster with his weapon out of habit. He grabs his wallet, phone and keys from the bowl on the table by the front door.
"Bye Danny. Love you." Steve calls out as he half way out the door.
"See yah babe love you too, tell Scott I said hey and I'm glad he's okay." Danny calls from the threshold of the kitchen he's leaning casually still in his boxers sipping a cup of coffee. Steve nods and smiles a huge goofy grin on his face the whole way to the hospital.
Tripler Army Medical Center. Medical Wing, 5th Floor Rm. 507 Moanalua, Oahu.
That goofy grin is still plastered on his face when he enters his brother's hospital room thirty minutes later. Arms laden down with breakfast of two containers of loco moco and two energy juice smoothies.
"Hey bro, I brought your favorite." Steve declares as he walks into the room, but stops about halfway in, at seeing his brother's expression. "Who pissed in your cheerios brah." Steve sets the breakfast food and smoothies down on the table under the window by the door and then his eyes land on the offending item of clothing on the cushioned chair. And also, the lack of clothing on his brother aside from a pair of blue and green striped Hurley board shorts.
Steve doesn't have to say anything else and Scott doesn't move to say anything either. Steve just walks over to his brother and picks up the navy Aloha shirt with big pineapples printed on it and helps Scott into the shirt.
"Thanks Steve." Scott mumbles after a minute.
"I'm sorry bro what was that?" Steve asks grinning like a loon again.
"I said thank you okay, and I shouldn't have pushed the nurse away. But you know how it is."
Steve does know and for the second time in as many days is wishing his brother wasn't so much like him. Though that's what most of their friends say they like about Scott. He's almost a mini Steve and they say it jokingly and all in good fun.
They all know both men are their own people. Scott is the father out of the two of them and Steve is the fun uncle to not only his brother's kids but to Grace and Charlie Williams as well.
A nurse finally clears his throat at the doorway of Scott's room announcing his presence and Scott immediately scowls all over again at seeing the wheelchair. "Your ride awaits Master Chief." The male nurse by the name of Chris exclaims as he unlocks of the brakes on the chair.
"Yippee."
"Let's go Maddog, there's a nice couch waiting for you back your place, and five teens who are all very worried about their Pops." Steve relays to his brother. He then gathers up his brother's overnight bag, the food and smoothies, and the plastic hospital personal effects bag his clothes from yesterday were in plus his sidearm, badge, and wallet.
Chris wheels his patient down to the first floor with Steve by his side the whole time just talking about anything and everything. When Chris finally reaches the entrance, Scott sees two familiar faces walking up to the Oceanside entrance of the hospital.
Lane and Jackson, Jackson is dressed like he's going to work, in a gray shirt with a curved hem, black jeans, and black boots. Lane on the other hand is dressed much more casually for this late warm Saturday morning, in a sage green plaid short sleeve shirt and storm gray 5.11 tactical shorts and black Reef slippahs on his feet.
Both men are also wearing their badges on their left hips and holsters as well. Being a part of a response team such as theirs they always have to be ready even if it's the weekend or their day off.
"Hey Sullivan, Jackson howzit nice to see you guys wasn't expecting this." Scott greets two of his teammates from his seated position in the infernal black leather wheelchair.
"I'll go bring the truck around you just sit there." Steve tells his brother and nods in greeting to both Lane and Jackson. Chris who has been Scott's nurse since this morning is standing off to the side of the wheelchair. He has to be there until his patient his safely in his vehicle.
"What are you guys doing here did something come up in the case?" Scott asks. "What about the bombing we find out who did it?" Scott's a mile a minute with the questions and both his teammates don't know yet what to say to their leader. They thought the drive would help, but not so much.
"Easy there Speedy slow down, what did I tell you about the case yesterday dude." Lane tries to remind his friend.
Scott tries to look glaring and intimidating but with one of his arms in a sling it's kind of hard. And the whole crossed arms and angry look don't really work. Scott finally concedes to his partner though. "Not to worry about it and it should be the last thing I worry about right now."
Jackson looks straight into the blue hazel eyes of his team lead and gives him an answer. It may not be the answer he's looking for but it's an answer. "Something did pop in the case, we found the ringleader well, actually Mr. Noshimuri found who the ringleader was." Jackson says very straight-forward and to the point. "We have no idea yet of who bombed HQ or how it was started."
Lane throws the younger man a look like 'really he's not supposed to be stressing and you go and tell him this' kind of look. "What he needs to know he's our leader." Jackson retorts to the look thrown his way.
"Yeah and while he's out of commission I'm in charge it goes by seniority not your role on the team. You maybe be point-man, but I'm second in these circumstances." Lane informs Jackson. "I tell Scott what I think he should or shouldn't know."
"You weren't going to tell him I saw that look in your eyes Sullivan."
"What look I don't have a look, Santiago."
"Guys. Hey guys." Scott tries to get his teammates' attention but they're not listening. He takes his right thumb and pointer finger and puts them together between his lips and whistles. "Yo ey guys would you chill for a sec."
Lane and Jackson both look at their team leader and the older male nurse who's once medium brown hair is graying all over. They both at least have the decency to look sheepish and slightly ashamed of their semi shouting match in front of the hospital. "You think this is exactly the place or time to have this conversation?"
The two men know it's more of a rhetorical question than anything and don't answer. "Thought so."
"Oh, look Chief there's your ride." Chris points out as he sees a royal blue Silverado truck pulling up in the loading zone. Steve in the driver's seat, Steve cuts the engine and gets out of his truck he walks around and opens the passenger side door for his brother.
Steve moves to take the box of loco moco from his brother's lap but Scott with speed Steve doesn't think is possible in brother's current condition slaps the hand away. "No I can hold the food."
"Let me just put it up on the dash while we help you in the truck huh. Chill I'm not gonna take your food." Steve chuckles at his brother's actions. Steve goes for the box again and this time Scott let's him place it on the passenger side of the dashboard. He then helps Chris help Scott into the truck.
Chris claps Scott on his right shoulder a warm smile on his worn but gentle face. "You take care of yourself now yah hear Scott try and follow doc Carson's instructions this time."
Steve jumps in before Scott can reply. "Don't worry Chris I'll make sure he follows Dr. Carson's orders. And takes his meds and takes it easy for a while."
Chris shakes Steve's hand. "You have his discharge papers and know what to do if something goes wrong. Though I doubt anything will. If he follows his doctor's orders." Chris stresses again.
"Alright alright I get it. I'm not that bad, I'm better than him at least." Scott crows and jerks his right thumb at his brother. "Mr. I broke every post op rule in the book after I got a liver transplant."
Chris shakes his head at the two brother's interaction. It reminds him of his own brother back on the mainland.
"There were extenuating circumstances to that case. You had to be there." Steve fires back.
"Well I think you're in fine hands Scott. I'll leave you to it. Gentlemen." Chris addresses both Jackson and Lane who have been standing by Silverado just watching the McGarrett brother comedy show. Chris turns on his heel and takes the wheelchair back inside.
"How did we ever land this guy as our team lead?" Sullivan questions in a joking manner.
Jackson looks between the two brothers arguing in the truck in front of them. Jackson and Lane start walking around to the driver's side door of the truck. "You're asking me now I have no idea I've only been here ten months." Jackson replies.
"I was joking Jackson geez do you have to be so serious? It's the weekend, chillax."
"We just caught a major break in the case, shouldn't we be following up that lead and trying to find out where this Rutherford guy is hiding out?"
"We've got plenty of time for that. Two days off won't hurt us, plus I just got a text from the chief they're giving us forty eight hours leave to and I quote 'recuperate' from the ordeal."
"The bombing right, I suppose if we're given it I can't say no, can I?" Jackson tries to reason with his inner self. Lane smiles at Jackson and claps him on the back.
"Hey sailor boys." Lane calls out to Steve and Scott. The two Hawaiian island born brothers look up in unison. "Where you two going? We'll meet you there. We've both got some things we want to talk to you about." Lane points in Scott's direction.
Steve answers for his brother. "Back to Scott's house, so he can chill and take it easy."
"Right, we'll follow you then Steve." Lane tells him. "Hey Jackson."
"Yeah." Jackson turns to face Lane.
"Try not to hit any mongoose on the way over huh."
Jackson's face goes beet red in embarrassment. "Almost, I almost hit a mongoose." He amends.
"Right, almost." Lane says as starts walking away back to the parking lot where his Expedition is parked.
"No seriously it was almost like the thing came out of nowhere." Jackson calls after Lane as he runs after him down the steps to the parking lot.
Honolulu Police Department. Honolulu, Oahu.
Danny walks in through the doors of HPD and heads straight down to the evidence room. Danny swipes his I.D. to get into the room and then is met with the officer that's in charge of the evidence room. It's not like Danny's doing something secretive or illegal so there's no reason to hide what he's doing.
"Detective Williams what can I help you with today?" The officer asks.
"I need evidence from the case Five-0 caught yesterday, with a Corporal Eli Barnes. HPD crime scene guys bagged up four bottles of prescription pills." Danny tells the officer.
The officer nods her head in understanding. "Okay Detective here's the case number, you should find what you're looking for right down there." The officer points down the long row of shelves holding all manner of evidence from all sorts of cases.
Danny walks down the row and leafs through the shelves to find the evidence from their case he's looking for. "Bingo, got you." Danny plucks the plastic clear evidence bag from the box, and walks them back over to the officer. "Got what I need, thank you for your time."
"If you can just sign off on this sheet here and noting the evidence, I let you take what you need."
Danny signs the sheet where he needs to, and then takes the evidence bag with him and starts dialing his nephew Eric's number. Eric is not only Danny nephew, but the forensic scientist and lab technician that frequently works with Five-0. Danny knows it's Saturday but he needs Eric to come on and run the pill bottles for prints.
Honolulu Police Department. Crime Lab. Honolulu, Oahu.
Eric comes into the crime lab hair mussed and sleep still in his eyes. He surprises himself by making it here in one piece without getting in an accident. Danny watches his nephew walk into the crime lab on this glorious Saturday morning from across the room.
"Hey Uncle D. What have you got for me?" Eric greets his uncle trying to hide a yawn.
Danny smiles at his nephew and his mussed hair and how he's dressed. In an old New York Jets t-shirt and jeans, a pair of black sneakers on his feet. "I'm gonna let the Uncle D slide this time seeing as it's the weekend and I'm the one that called you in." Danny holds up the bag of prescription pills. "I need you to pull any prints you can off of these. Our victim Corporal Barnes was poisoned and we need to find out who poisoned him."
Eric looks marginally more awake now and ready to work now. "Can do Detective Williams. It'll take me some time to pull the prints and then cross match them with the people who are in the system. It'll be easier if whoever did this is in the system already."
"Well here's hoping this guy is in the system already." Danny says and hands over the evidence back to his nephew. He turns to leave the lab, but stops on his way out. "I want an update the minute you get a match, this is bigger than what we've encountered before Eric."
"Copy that Uncle D, no pressure right." Eric chuckles nervously. Danny leaves Eric to his work and he heads back outside.
On the road, Danny gets a text from Steve telling him to meet up at Scott's house. He stops off on the road and texts Steve back. After he sends the text he gets back on the road. About halfway to Ewa Beach the city in which Scott lives he gets a phone call from Kai Akamu the lead bomb tech from HPD that was looking into the NCIS bombing yesterday.
Danny hits his Bluetooth earpiece and picks up the phone. Detective Williams. Danny answers his phone.
Detective Williams it's Kai Akamu from HPD bomb squad. We've finished our investigation just an hour ago.
What have you found? Danny asks.
The primary explosive device that was found in the MCRT pursuit vehicle was actually two bombs, for maximum damage and destruction, one was an IED strapped to the undercarriage of the car, the second device was found inside the trunk of the vehicle, it was a standard bomb with a timer, that could be set off remotely.
Danny swallows thickly a lump in his throat before asking his next question. What about the one Commander McGarrett and I were caught in? Silence on the other end. Captain Akamu?
Yes, Detective sorry the explosion you and Commander McGarrett were caught in was detected by undetectable tripwire. Though that wasn't what set off the bomb this one was also remotely detonated.
Danny takes stock of this information. That means whoever set off the bombs had to be within range to be able to set them off remotely. They had to be close by. Are you any closer to finding out who set them off?
I'm afraid not Detective, but that hunch you had of this McManis guy causing this as a distraction. He must have had someone helping him, a partner to set off the bombs in order for him to escape.
Thank you Akamu are any of the pieces of any of the bombs salvageable?
Yes, Detective they are what would you like me to do with them
Package them up carefully bring them to HPD, give them to Officer Pua Kai, tell him to bring them to Five-0 Headquarters we'll take a look at the remnants on Monday. Five-0's off for the weekend.
Understood sir. Is there anything else?
No thank you for calling me back, Akamu.
My pleasure sir. Akamu hangs up the phone on his end and Danny does so as well by hitting his Bluetooth device.
Danny loves driving his own car, he relishes it in fact there are very few times that he gets too, even on weekends. With his control freak of a husband. Even when they're not driving to a crime scene for a case, driving to the beach for a surf sesh or driving to the Tropics Bar, Steve's always got to drive. He knows that that's just one of his partner's quirks one of the things that he loves about his husband among other things.
Danny's stomach starts growling for lunch about midway through the drive so he detours to L&L BBQ a local Hawaiian eatery in Ewa beach about fifteen minutes away from Scott's place. Danny calls Steve and tells him he's stopped to pick up lunch and told him where he's getting food. Steve informs Danny that two of Scott's teammates are also at the house as well as all five of Scott's sons.
So, enough food for a small army huh. Danny replies.
Teenage boys can eat a lot of food Danny.
I don't presume to know that, seeing as Charlie's about seven years off from that age. Overgrown man children tend to eat a lot too. Danny jokes.
See you in a few Danno.
Be there soon. Danny replies.
The food is made and ready twenty minutes later and Danny collects his bags of food and heads over to Scott's house.
Danny turns a corner on Scott's street and his house is on the right side the fourth house down. The two story house with five vehicles outside the three vehicle garage. Danny has to park on the street there's not a spot for him in the driveway, he parks the Camaro, cuts the engine and then grabs the bags of food. He walks up the short driveway past the well-manicured lawn and up to the oak front door.
Scott McGarrett Residence - Early Afternoon. Ewa Beach Neighborhood. Oahu.
Danny walks up to the front door and sees about fifteen pairs of footwear all lined up neatly by the door. That's including, sneakers, running shoes, combat boots, and plethora of slippahs. Anyway, Danny skillfully shucks out of his red Chuck Taylors and adds them to the pristine line of shoes, and then knocks on the door with his right hand.
There's loud yelling from inside the house and a minute later the door opens to reveal a teenage boy in a green muscle tee all of 5'2" with light brown hair styled in spikes stood straight up from his head.
"Oh, food finally thanks Uncle Danny." The teen greets his blond haired uncle.
Danny shakes his head at the boy and watches as the boy steps aside to let him in the house. "Good to see you too Wyatt." Danny closes the door behind him. Wyatt, makes a grab for the food bags, but is stopped when he hears his father's voice.
"Wyatt Daniel McGarrett, I know I taught you better than that." Scott's raised voice can be heard coming into the front room, where Danny and Wyatt are currently standing.
Wyatt turns to his dad head down looking apologetic. "Sorry Uncle Danny." Wyatt apologizes.
"It's okay Wyatt. Here take these and take them into your brothers." Danny hands the young teen the two bags. Wyatt walks back through the house into the kitchen. "How you doing Scott?" Danny asks concern etched in his voice.
"I'm good really all things considered just a concussion and this broken arm." Scott raising his left arm slowly in the sling and puts it back down.
"I see you're rocking that pineapple Aloha shirt who bought you that monstrosity?" Danny questions a huge grin on his face as the two move through the house to the back where the kitchen is.
"Luke actually bought it for me, for father's day. He's always buys me Aloha shirts. Just like Grace buys you ties. Even though we're in Hawaii."
"Hey, have you seen me wear a tie recently?"
"No, but I know you still have them." Scott replies. "Hey guys would it kill yah to wait for everyone." Scott announces and six pairs of eyes look up at him. "Yeah I'm looking at you bro."
"Eh sorry Pops." A lightly tanned skinned muscular 6'1 teenager tells Scott as he puts down his fork of bbq beef.
"It's all good TJ, hey why don't you and your brothers take your food outside to the lanai it's nice out."
"Sure, thing Pops. Come on guys." TJ the oldest of the McGarrett sons at nineteen motions with his right hand for his four younger brothers to follow him.
"Ah party pooper Teej I want to stay and hear the juicy details." Wyatt's twin brother, David complains.
"Please Davy you don't even know what they're gonna be talkin' about." TJ retorts. "Now let's go."
Once the boys are all outside the men, Steve, Danny, Scott, Lane and Jackson all take the dining room as their temporary work station. Each man digging into their meals and enjoying each other's company, talking and laughter free flowing and easy. Despite what's in the back of all of their minds, the threat that's looming over their heads.
Danny's phone rings in his pocket and he fishes it out of his back pocket. Hello, what've you got for me. Tell me you have something? Great. Are you sure, absolutely positive? Okay I don't doubt you. Thank you, Eric. Danny hits the end call button hanging up on his nephew.
Danny looks around the table at the four other men, at Scott in particular. "What? What is it Danny why were you just talking to Eric?" Scott questions the blond.
Steve puts a comforting hand on Danny's thigh and he visibly relaxes. "That was Eric, yesterday Five-0 found a body Scott, the body of Corporal Eli Barnes." He says slowly letting that information sink in. Scott didn't look visibly affected but Danny knows on the inside Scott's hurting. Danny continues explaining what he found. "We know all about him being an undercover operative for you in this underground fight club you're trying to break up. Eric just confirmed for us that Calvin McManis did indeed poison Barnes. His fingerprints were all over the pill bottles. I'm sorry Scott." Danny sounds sincere at the end of his explanation.
Scott breathes slowly in through his nose out through his mouth. "It's okay Danny, Barnes knew the risks we all did as a team, he agreed to do it."
"Still man you're the one who brought Eli in." Lane says as takes a sip of water downed coke and puts down the cup.
"It's hard on all of us Corporal Barnes' death." Jackson agrees nodding along with Lane. "At least now we know and we can bring McManis down on two counts of murder and we can get Rutherford and bring down his fight club, before it escalates even further."
"Escalates further the Marines and sailors in the fight club were never killed they just ended up badly wounded and sent along to the nearest ER. It only turned bad when we decided to poke our noses in it." Scott exclaims his voice rising.
"Scott breathe man calm down we're all a bit heated about this case. Yelling about whether or not we should or shouldn't have gotten involved isn't helping. We're just doing our jobs." Lane tells Scott.
Steve senses the weight in the room, and knows just how to lighten the tense mood. "I think that's enough shop talk for now, we can pick it up Monday. How about we go surfing the surf report's looking gnarly."
"Yeah I'm down." Lane says stretching his arms up over his head. Then one hand comes down to rest on his full stomach. "Relaxing on the beach sounds just like what the doctor ordered for you Scott."
"Yeah just what I want to be surrounded by water, and I can't even get in." Scott sounds bummed.
"Count us in, Uncle Steve." Wyatt says coming in from the lanai standing just inside the door with his brothers next to him. All peering inside the dining room.
"How, how much of that did you guys here?" Scott asks anxiously. His kids don't need to be hearing any of what they were talking about. Not if Scott had anything to say about it.
"Nothing dad we swear just about the surf report. And there are some pretty nice swells out there today." TJ answers his dad.
Scott smiles his first real smile in twenty four hours. "Alright alright twist my arm much why dont'cha. Go get changed." Scott tells his boys. He watches them all run off. "And put your clothes in the hamper not next to it." Scott hollers down the hall. His declaration falling on deaf ears.
"Surfing Steve really, in case you haven't noticed three of us aren't exactly dressed for a day at the beach." Jackson reminds the man gesturing to himself, Danny and Lane.
Scott levers himself up from his seat and starts walking out of the kitchen. "Follow me, I've got you covered Jackson." Scott informs his teammate. Jackson gets up from his seat and follows the older man upstairs. "I think I've got something that can fit you."
"Thanks Scott."
"Don't mention it can't exactly swim in your dress pants can you." Scott laughs.
Back in the kitchen it's just Danny Steve and Lane around the table. "He's holding it in well." Lane says after a while.
"He is, it's what he does." Steve says, Steve and Danny both unfortunately know feeling of bringing someone in to help them, and then said person dies. "It'll be rough but he'll get through it. He has to know deep down it's not his fault."
"Jackson, Kali, and I'll keep an eye on him. It's a good thing he won't be going in to work for a while. At least not to full duty, what with his concussion and a broken arm. He doesn't need the stress of this case. On top of what he's no doubt feeling." Lane assures both Scott and Danny though more so himself he knows how his partner can get.
"Come on, let's go get changed too, I think I've got some boardies I left here in Scott's guest room for you two." Steve says as he pushes back his chair and gets to his feet.
The three men all head upstairs to get changed, Steve does indeed have boardies left behind from his last overnight weekend with his brother and nephews. It's a tradition they have ever since the boys were old enough to surf. A couple weekends a month Scott and Steve take the boys for a boys weekend.
Their weekend getaways ranged from kayaking, paddle boarding, hiking up to the petroglyphs. Anything outdoorsy really. No women, or talk of the wife or girlfriends, just the eight of them, talking, laughing, telling semi inappropriate jokes (for teens always kept it PG-13), belching, burping, farting. You know all the things that wives and mothers frown upon in their homes.
It's just recently included Danny the last two years. Steve felt awkward bringing his then boyfriend to intimate yet informal gatherings. Now Scott fully embraces the shorter man and thinks of him in some capacity as another brother. A much shorter more hot headed Jersey slang slinging brother. Danny says when Charlie's ten he'd like to bring him along too. Steve and Scott agree they both like Danny's son and think he's a good kid, a mini Danno.
Danny's pair of boardies are a solid gray with a tropical floral pattern on top and there a bit loose but that's what the drawstring is for.
Danny looks over at Steve's fairly plain red horizontal striped board shorts that fade in color as they go down his leg. The trim around the bottom of the shorts are solid red. "Really you give me these things and you wear those?" Danny looks affronted that he has to wear the Hawaiian floral monstrosity.
"We can swap if you want Danno no big deal." Steve says as he pulls on one of his brother's BUD/S t-shirts. And it's the actual t-shirt with sleeves, all of Steve's own BUD/S shirts have the sleeves cut off.
Danny waves off the offer. "No, no we're wasting enough time as it is. The more time we spend here the more I'm afraid of what your brother'll come up with. For what we're doin' up here."
Steve looks confused for a minute than it dawns on him and he tries not to blush too hard. "Oh, uh yeah you're right we should..." A loud yell from downstairs startles Steve.
"Steven, Daniel get your asses down here. We're all waitin' on you!" Scott yells sounding clearly irritated and annoyed. Even though he can't surf with a broken arm doesn't mean he won't try, he also just wants to get out of the house. His boys Lane and Jackson are all dressed for the beach and both vehicles are packed up and ready to go.
"We're coming down hold your horses." Danny calls down to the younger McGarrett.
A goofy lopsided grin appears on Steve's face and he turns to Danny, "Quick Danny get your shorts back on." He says loud enough to where he knows those downstairs will have heard. Danny slaps Steve's right arm shaking his head as the two men exit the guest room and head downstairs.
"You're unbelievable you know that." Danny mutters as they descend the stairs and find eight pairs of eyes all looking at them.
Scott looks about ready to throttle his brother. Danny saves his husband from the impending thrashing. "Relax Scottie we weren't doing anything."
"Yeah, we weren't bro honest, somebody was just complaining about his board shorts choice." Steve tells his brother as they all head out of the house.
Lane drives his black Escalade with Jackson in shotgun and Scott's boys in the back row of seats with some of the beach gear. Most of their boards are stacked on the double soft surf rack on top of the SUV. That's only four boards the other three are stowed in the back of the SUV and they stick out through the seats. Steve is driving Scott's shadow gray metallic GMC Yukon Denali, since Scott can't drive or operate heavy machinery with his concussion for at least two weeks.
Attached to the roof is another double soft surf rack and strapped down to the rack are two surfboards for Danny and Steve and a paddle board for Scott. Scott also grabbed a several different skim boards from his garage and stowed them in the SUV before Steve could see. Scott is in the shotgun seat next to Steve and Danny's in the backseat with the rest of their own beach gear. Towels, chairs, a beach pop up tent. All set for a great afternoon of fun in the sun.
White Plains, Ewa Beach, Mid Afternoon, Oahu.
White sandy beaches, clear blue water, a nice ocean breeze. Lane feels right at home on this beach it may not be the beach at Del Mar in Oceanside, California, or the beach at the Hotel Del Coronado, but it's a beach with sand, sun, and clearest most blue waters he's ever seen. Moving to Hawaii after accepting the position of medic for the CRT has been the best choice he's made in a long time. Aside from fighting for joint custody of his five kids against his ex-wife Laurie Hall. She'd wanted to split the kids up, taking the younger three for herself, leaving Lane with the two oldest nineteen year old Logan and thirteen year old Paige. Lane wasn't having any of that.
Though Lane isn't thinking of Laurie and how she's spending her Saturday in island paradise or even his kids at the moment. All he's thinking about right now is this sweet wave he's gonna catch. It's a decent size and it's all his he paddles out and rides the wave until a female surfer clearly of Polynesian descent nabs his wave.
Lane watches the young female surfer ride his wave back into shore. Lane catches another wave in and follows the female surfer. He watches her plunk her surfboard into the sand, he gives her time turn a little before speaking up. "You stole my wave, dudette." Lane accuses.
The young woman turns around her dark brown almost black hair slicked down from the ocean water. Her hazel eyes with flecks of brown fall on another set of familiar hazel eyes. "Lane." The young woman exclaimed in surprise, "Oh my gosh I'm so sorry I had no idea that was your wave."
"Kali?" Lane asks than he recognizes the rounded off-colored slightly raised mark on the front of her right shoulder.
He also recognizes the belly button piercing, not that he's looking at his younger teammate's body he's not. He's not that type of guy even if he is divorced. She's almost ten years his junior, at twenty nine years old almost thirty.
"Yes, Lane it's me and it's Saturday you know the day people usually have off. Saw the surf report this morning and thought I'd come catch a few waves."
Lane smiles friendly at Kali as he asks, "So you drove the almost thirty minutes it takes to get from your place to White Plains here in Ewa Beach?"
Kali props one of her arms casually on her surfboard. "Yeah you forget Mr. Sunny SoCal I was born and raised on the island. In Kailua, it's not that big of a drive and I live in Aiea now anyways, it's only four miles north of Pearl Harbor."
"Right I knew that, I uh saw your personnel file a while ago on Scott's desk. I didn't look at anything else I swear."
Kali laughs lightly. "Good I wouldn't want to give all my secrets away." Lane laughs along with her. "So, you hear by yourself or..."
"Oh, no, we're all here, uh I mean, me, Jackson and Scott are here."
"Don't you mean Jackson, Scott and I are, are here?" Kali smirks at her older teammate.
"Okay Ms. Grammar Nazi, Jackson, Scott and I are here along with Scott's brother, his partner, and Scott's sons. Scott was going stir crazy in his house so Steve suggested we all come out to surf."
Kali raises one of her eyebrows at the end of the Lane's statement. "McGarrett is surfing with his broken arm?"
"No. He's probably sitting on the beach up over that way." Lane gestures behind Kali a ways. "And being mopey cuz he can't surf."
"He can't surf what'd you mean?" Kali asks. In all the time, she's known Scott McGarrett she knows the older man loves to surf probably even more than she does.
"He broke his left arm, in the explosion yesterday when he fell in SSA Blackburn's office. Also hit his head pretty good got a nasty concussion 'cuz of it. I'd say he'd be out there in a wrapped cast if it weren't for the concussion and Dr. Carson's strict orders."
"Yeah that sounds like him. I mean from all the stories I've heard from you and his brother Steve."
Scott is sitting in one of the four foldable beach chairs under their portable beach pop up tent. Absolutely losing his mind, in boredom. What Steve had going through his mind when he suggested going to the beach obviously wasn't thinking of him. No Scott knows exactly what Steve was thinking, he wanted to see certain blond haired Jersey detective dripping wet and shirtless.
Though that backfired on his brother spectacularly because Danny's plopped himself down in the green foldable chair right next to Scott. Seemingly perfectly content to sit and watch the waves and the people all over the beach. A young boy and his father playing Frisbee not too far away, Scott's sons rushing in and out of the surf, showing off their surf moves for their Uncle Steve. Jackson on the paddle board they brought paddling out several yards and enjoying himself in the waves.
Danny turns to Scott and looks at how miserable he looks just sitting there. He's all wet from about his abdomen down, so at least he's cool in the mid-day Summer's heat. Scott had tried skim boarding three times just on the shore as the water came in. That's what they were made for after all. The water is barely ankle deep.
Steve catches his younger brother skim boarding as he comes out of the surf he promptly puts a stop to any of that fun. "You're such a buzzkill Steve, I wasn't even going fast." Scott had yelled at Steve.
Steve just takes the skim board from his brother and points back to the beach and where their pop up tent is situated. Scott had grumbled but went back up anyways. And now here he sits disgruntled wet and so not pouting. Danny feels bad for Scott, out of everyone in the explosion yesterday it had to be Scott who gets injured to the point where he can't surf.
Scott feels Danny staring at him and he loses his scowl a bit before he turns to the other man. "You know don't have to sit here with me. Babysit me, I'll be a good boy and not have any fun." Scott says sarcastically.
"I'm not babysitting you Scott. You're a grown man you can do as you please. I just don't feel much like surfing today is all. Thought I'd sit and people watch." Danny replies easily.
"Sure, you did Danny. I know you'd rather be out there showing Steve and everyone your skills."
Danny laughs out loud. "Skills, as in surfing I have many skills in many different areas, but I am no Kono Kalakaua. Even if she did teach me." Danny remembers fondly how that one surf lesson went and how they ended up with a faked Tsunami warning and evacuation and kidnapping of the lead Tsunami expert on the island.
"That is true, you are no Kono. Speaking of Kono she and Chin are stilling coming, tonight right?"
"Yes, they are they say they wouldn't miss it their flight gets in, in about three hours." Danny replies. "Hey I saw a Frisbee in the back of your SUV I'll go grab it and we can toss it around." Danny gets up from his chair not waiting for Scott to answer and goes to get the Frisbee.
Danny has his head in the back of the shadow gray metallic SUV, as he grabs the Frisbee. He pulls back out and shuts the trunk. As he does so he's sees a tall Caucasian man late thirties early forties with medium length chocolate brown hair and a blue New York Yankees ball cap with a camera pointed straight at him.
Danny drops the orange Frisbee and runs after the man. "Hey you hey buddy." Danny calls out. As soon as the man realizes he's been caught he books it across the parking lot and surprise surprise, into a waiting four door late model 2012 sedan. Danny hands on his knees out of breath from the short run just manages to catch the tail end of the plate number.
He commits it to memory walks back over to Scott's SUV picking up the Frisbee where he'd dropped it and heading back over to where they're situated. When he gets back with the Frisbee Jackson and Steve are back from the water. Bodies dripping wet from the surf and sand all in between their toes.
"Those waves are gnarly out there. Don't have anything like this back in Texas." Jackson is saying as Danny approaches and gets closer.
"Nah brah you won't find anything like this anywhere else, but Hawaii." Lane calls out as he walks up to the growing group of colleagues and friends with Kali Lahele by his side.
"Kali good to see you." Jackson greets at seeing his only female teammate. They formed an easy friendship since they're both close in age and the youngest members not just on the CRT but in the whole unit.
Kali smiles at Jackson warmly. "You too Jackson, wow it's a real party over here. I should come hang with you boys more often." She jokes, she looks over and sees the older blond detective from yesterday shirtless and in gray floral print boardies. "You okay there, Detective?" Kali asks noticing the man's worried expression. "You look like you've seen a ghost."
"Yeah Danno you looking a bit pale there." Steve notes at the lack of color in Danny's face.
"I think your team's being watched Scott. I just saw some guy with a camera in a baseball cap and jeans taking pictures, I think of your SUV."
This admission immediately puts everyone in the group on alert. Knowing or rather not knowing who exactly their dealing with in the Manning case and Rutherford as the ringleader.
"Watched? Are you sure?" Jackson asks Danny.
"I'm sure I was getting the Frisbee from Scott's trunk I close the door turn around and there's, Mr. Tall dark and shady with his camera. He spots me looking and then bolts, I ran after him but he got into a sedan and fled."
"That sounds pretty sure to me." Scott says. "Steve go get the boys we're cutting this beach day short." Scott starts to get him from his chair.
"Whoa Whoa hold on there, Scott. We don't exactly know who we're dealing with here. The guy could've just been a tourist taking pictures of the scenery." Steve tells his brother.
"Steve this yahoo was in jeans and a long sleeve t-shirt, and a baseball cap. All he was missing was the sunglasses and you got yourself a real genius. It's upwards of 90 plus degrees today." Danny states.
"Danny's right Steve no self-respecting islander or make that no self-respecting sane person would wear long sleeves in this heat. Not unless he wanted to stand out. This guy whoever he is is clearly an amateur." Kali puts in.
Steve gets to thinking and the young Polynesian NCIS Agent is right. That guy did look very out of place. Add in the fact that he booked it after Danny tried racing after nails it for Steve.
"Okay we'll pack up and head home. Danny, did you happen to get a plate number or partial." Steve asks.
"Yeah, I got a partial 6-5-1 was all I got. The car was a late model 2012 sedan, navy blue in color." Danny informs Steve.
"I'll get someone at HPD to run the plate number see if anything pops." Steve says, "We shouldn't worry too much we don't want to spook anybody."
"We should just go about our business as usual, it'll throw off whoever we think is looking if anyone is looking." Lane says.
Everyone helps gather up the beach gear, and within twenty minutes Kali and the group of men and young teens are all headed back to the parking lot. Kali is parked right next to Lane's black Expedition, her blue 2018 Jeep Cherokee Altitude sitting undisturbed. All three of their vehicles are.
"Jackson, can you take the boys over to get some Shave ice?" Scott asks looking toward Jackson.
Jackson nods his head slightly, "Sure thing Scott." Jackson stirs the five teenagers away from the parking lot. Now that his boys are gone and out of earshot Scott speaks. "Check the cars." Is all Scott says.
"For what?" Danny asks slightly worried.
"For anything that looks like it could be part of B-O-M-B." Scott spells out the last word not wanting to say it out loud in a crowded public place like the beach.
"Oh God! Seriously you think?" Danny doesn't can't even finish that sentence.
"I've been having Adam send me intel on this Rutherford guy the ringleader. He's big bad news and I don't appreciate being left out of the loop, but we'll talk about that later." Scott looks at Lane more so than Kali. "I wouldn't put it past him, that's for sure."
Now all the adults are slightly more on edge. Lane, Danny and Steve check out all three of the vehicles and after a thorough search of the cars they deem them safe. Scott motions for Jackson to come back over, Jackson, Cooper, Jake, Tristan, Wyatt and David all walk back over to the parking lot, the boys each have medium sized three flavor shave ice cones.
Scott sees this, and immediately yells out, "Not it."
Lane realizes what his friend has just done and retorts, "You're such a child one of my best friends is a child in a mans body, I swear!"
"What you think I want their sticky mitts in my car. No thank you. Not in my baby."
"We'll be extra careful dad we promise." Wyatt says pulling out the puppy dog eyes.
"Yeah we will we swear." David, his twin agrees identical puppy dog eyes drawn on his dad.
Scott sighs, whether four or fourteen Scott could never resist those dual puppy dog eyes. "Fine, fine, it makes more sense for you boys to come back with me and your Uncles anyway. So, Lane can just drop Jackson home." Scott reasons. The boys all climb into their dad's car with their shave ice, Steve at wheel and Danny in the shotgun seat this time. All three vehicles head for their respective homes.
Kali drives her Jeep back to her apartment in Aiea, Lane drops Jackson off at his apartment in Waikiki.
"Thanks for the ride Lane." Jackson calls backpack with his clothes in it slung over his shoulder. He'll return the borrowed board shorts after he's washed them. Which is what he's going to do once he gets in. It's just about 1530 now, or 3:30 pm. Gives him plenty of time to shower, change and relax a bit before the party that starts at 1700 hours or 5:00pm. He also knows a few of the other unit members are going over to Commander McGarrett's house early to help set up. Jackson had offered to help too, though Steve said they had enough people already as it was. Jackson accepted that, and told Steve he'd be there are on time.
Lane waves to his younger teammate in farewell before he turns around and drives off back towards his house in Ewa Beach to shower and change. Then he has to drive over to pick up his kids at his wife Laurie's house. Ah the life of a divorced man with kids, not just one, not two, not even three, but five kids.
Lane pulls up to his single story four bedroom three bathroom house, American flag and US Navy flag flying high above the arch of the doorway.
Lane Sullivan Residence, Ewa Beach, Oahu.
He walks into his house and locks the deadbolt behind him. Lane makes a beeline to his bedroom and his ensuite bathroom. Hopping in the shower he stands under the warm spray and lets it run down his back. For the first time in twenty four hours he gets to breathe. A lot's happened since Friday morning. If he's thinking straight which he thinks he is, this isn't how he thought the Manning case would go. Not when the case landed on the MCRT's unit leader's desk over two weeks ago now. It's not even over yet, far from it, he fears.
He leans his head back under the spray letting it watch out all the dirt, grime, and God knows what else of the past twenty four hours. He swears he can still feel stout and grime in his ears. Lane doesn't like to think about it but he could have died yesterday in that explosion. It was bad enough they lost Agents, he could have been one of them. Last Friday would've been the last day he'd seen his kids. Being divorced and being in his line of work has put a lot of strain on his relationship with his ex-wife. Laurie and he are civil because of the five kids they have together.
If it weren't for those five kids he shares genetics with he'd want to be as far away from his ex-wife as possible. Their divorced hadn't exactly been pretty or amicable what military spouse divorces are. It's a cheating case, the wife or significant other can't take the pressure of being married to someone who's away from long periods of time, or Lane's favorite, "You're never here, and even when you are here you never REALLY here." meaning he's not all there mentally at times.
His oldest daughter Paige once told him, she and her siblings would rather have half of him there all the time rather than all of him there half of the time. Meaning she and her siblings would rather he split his time between NCIS and them, then have him with them all of the time. Lane's daughter is probably the most perceptive thirteen year old he's ever met. She can see a lot of what goes on in her dad's head and find out what he's thinking sometimes before he knows.
Shaking his head to clear his thoughts he turns to happier thoughts. Like to the Aloha Farewell party his partner is throwing for his second oldest son, Jake who's made the choice to enlist in the United States Navy. Jake'll be shipping out at the end of August. With everything that's been going on with the case and not knowing where it's going, this is the only day everyone can guarantee being free to attend. And in their line of work none of them like to guarantee a lot of things even to their own family members. Lane's lost count of how many family events or sporting events he's missed do to his job, both when he was in the Navy and now in NCIS. He thought it'd be easier in NCIS have a somewhat more stable job. As the one saying in SEALs goes, The only easy day was yesterday.
Lane dresses in green cargo shorts and an Aloha shirt and black slippahs. The attire for the party being Aloha casual, he's all dressed and ready to go in minutes. He grabs his keys, wallet, phone, and sidearm and he stashes his sidearm in his under the seat gun vault on the passenger side. He's a Federal Agent he can never not be too prepared. Everyone in the unit has similar arrangements in their own vehicles. They have a right to be prepared and protect their friends and family. They all also have concealed carried permits and each member has their primary personal vehicle decked out with a police package, with lights and sirens because they weren't always, at work when they got a call out sometimes they'd get paged and didn't have time to go the office. So their personal vehicles also doubled as mobile offices in a way.
McGarrett-Williams Residence, An Hour before the Party, 1600 hours, Honolulu, Oahu.
The old McGarrett household where Steve grew up with his younger brother Scott and younger sister Mary Ann never seemed more full of life than it did now. There was probably one other time. Steve and Danny's wedding reception had been held in the backyard with all their friends and family and extended Ohana. Soon there would be upwards of three dozen people in the house for this party.
Now it's looking like that again, except instead of wedding decorations decking out the lanai it's red white and blue stars and stripes and streamers. Grace is even putting up red white and blue star lights around the lanai.
"Lights are looking great Gracie." Steve calls from where he's trying to situate a few lawn games.
Grace looks down at her Uncle Steve from the ladder and smiles she's happy that her Danno and Steve are finally letting her help. She's doing just fine on the ladder by herself Charlie handing her string of lights as she finishes a row. "Thanks Uncle Steve. Do you think you should check on Danno and Mr. Kamaka?" Grace asks.
Steve stops setting up the dart board he's nailing into a nearby tree and looks over at Grace. "Hmm you're probably right it's been awfully quiet in there." Steve remarks. Danny Williams is not known to be a quiet man quite the opposite. He's loud, short, hot tempered, and rants with his hands.
When Steve comes into the house and the smell of freshly baked goods hits his nose and he's practically drooling at how good everything smells. Danny being a single father to a daughter and a son had learned to bake when Grace was younger for bake sales and stuff like that at her school.
He finds Danny in the kitchen whistling the National Anthem, and pulling out a tray of homemade sugar cookies out of the oven to place next to the cupcakes. There's about three dozen baked goods on Steve's kitchen counter. And they all look to die for even if they aren't decorated in their little flags yet or Navy anchors.
"Whoa Danno go a little overboard here." Steve exclaims as he walks over to his husband, he tries to snatch a cookie from the still warm tray. Danny smacks his hand away.
"No, bad SEAL, bad Steve, you want to end up banished to decorating the living room with Havika?" Danny glowers playfully at his husband and smacks his hand again when Steve tries to go in for a cookie while Danny's ranting at him.
"Okay, okay I'll be good...for now." Steve says. "Hey Havi!"
A 6'4 broad shouldered man with olive tanned skin pokes his short black spiky haired head through the door of the kitchen. "You yelled Commander." Havika replies a wide smile on his face. Despite his what some would say imposing appearance Havika Kamaka is the embodiment of a gentle giant. Wearing his own Aloha shirt sky blue in color with white Polynesian tribal symbols, and tan cargo shorts shark tooth necklace around his neck.
"How's it looking in there brah?" Steve questions the thirty six year old man.
"Come see for yourself." Havika answers and walks back out towards the living room.
"Yes, take this heathen with you out of my kitchen." Danny shoes Steve out with a dish towel over his shoulder. Steve walks through the door of the kitchen back through to the front/living room. Just like outside there are red white and blue streamers set up from the rafters and even decorating the stair banisters leading upstairs.
There's even a customized blue sign with a golden yellow font on the wall opposite the front door that says.
'OFF TO BOOTCAMP'
_GREAT LAKES, IL_
We Love You Jake!
ANCHORS AWEIGH
Under the wording there's a picture of Jake's four brothers, his dad and mom all smiling. Steve takes a once over the room as a whole and it looks really good. "Man, Havi are you sure you don't have any interior design genes this is amazing."
Looking around by the front door there's a medium sized table by the couch under the window with a chalkboard easel on the table. Please Sign the guest book. There's a book where everyone can write their names down and their addresses so Jake'll have their addresses to write to whoever he wants when he's in boot camp, or recruit training.
Along with the guest book on the table there's another longer angled by the couch with a black easel stand with a large white for now poster board. It's decorated with Navy anchors and insignia on the poster, and pens of different colors are laying on the table for guests to write words of encouragement and well wishes for the second oldest McGarrett son.
"Think you can thank my cousin Alana for all this." Havika states placing his hands on his hips looking back at his handy work. "Well and Scott's wife Brooke. They're the Pinterest queens, I'm just the guy who put everything up and arranged."
"Thanks for helping with this brah. Everything looks great. Jake's going to really be surprised he has no idea." Steve says. "He thinks he's just coming over for a family dinner."
"I'm glad we could do for him now what with everything that's going on with the case. I think we all need this break." Havika replies.
Havika is the senior field agent on the MCRT and also the third friend a part of the three amigos with Lane and Scott. All three men had met at BUD/S, being in the same class, three of only 50 of class 203 that made it all the way through all the training and earned their SEAL tridents.
"Me too, Jake's a good kid, got a good head on his shoulders. All of Scott's boys do, raised the way they were. I'm one proud Uncle. Scott was over the moon when he told me Jake wanted to enlist in the Navy."
"He was for sure told me too; do you know what his rating is?" Havika wonders what job the teen or young adult has chosen.
Steve crosses his arms over his chest loosely and shakes his head, "No, I don't Jake's been pretty tight lipped about his job he wants it to be a surprise."
"Four generations of Naval service that's definitely something to be proud of Steve." Havika is thinking of his own son Kaleo or Kale as he likes to be called. He's a year younger than Jake McGarrett at seventeen. All the McGarrett boys get along well with Havika's kids even the younger ones having grown up together in Coronado, California and then moving to the Aloha state when their fathers got new jobs with NCIS.
"My grandfather, my father, myself, and Scott, wouldn't Jake be fifth generation since he's Scott's son my nephew." Steve does calculations in his head.
"You're right." Havika then nudges Steve's arm, "Want to see if we can sneak a cookie or two."
Steve chuckles at the taller man. "At your own risk brah." Steve follows Havika anyway back into the kitchen.
McGarrett-Williams Residence, Hour and Thirty Mins Later, 1730 hours, Honolulu, Oahu.
Steve stands on his coffee table in the middle of the living ignoring Danny's mild glare. It's not like he has shoes on or anything. How else is he supposed to get everyone's attention? The large group of guests all turn in Steve's direction. Standing on furniture tends to do the trick. Dressed in dark blue tropical flamingo button down shirt, and coyote brown cargo pants, he compliments Danny perfectly. Danny's wearing a matching tropical flamingo shirt though his is black in color and he's wearing actually wearing a pair of shorts, sans cargo pants of course.
Steve's phone pings in his pocket he takes it and reads the text. It's from Scott. "Alright everyone Scott just texted Jake's pulling up the driveway now." Steve motions for the photographer an old friend of Scott's to get into position to be able to capture Jake's reaction when the eighteen old opens the door.
Camera at the ready and posed for the surprise shot, everyone from Danny down onto Jake's grandparents Patricia and Cameron O'Connor who made the trip over from New York is here. Hearing the high-pitched screech of tires on gravel alerts everyone to the father son duo's arrival. Jeep doors slam, and Steve hears his nephews voice muffled through the door.
"Can't understand why I couldn't bring Kanani, it's just family dinner, I've brought her before."
"I told you Jacob, she's got a family thing or something obligation she couldn't get out of."
Jake and Scott kick off their slippahs at the front door. Jake wraps his right hand around the door handle and turns it opening the door. "SURPRISE!" Everyone exclaims from inside the front room. Scott's old friend takes a picture right then of Jake's open mouthed surprise and shock at seeing practically everyone he knows and cares about standing in his Uncle Steve's front room.
Little six-year-old Charlie Williams in an identical shirt to his dad is sat on his Danno's shoulders smiling at the older boy he thinks of as an older brother. He thinks of Nahele and the other McGarrett boys as older brothers as well. They're all really cool, and nice to him. Charlie wants to be a cop like his dad when he grows up though.
Jake turns back to his dad whose wearing his black sling over his black pineapple print Aloha shirt, he's smiling wide. "Congratulations Jake you're not a NJOTC cadet anymore, you're a Navy recruit."
"So this is why I didn't get high school graduation party." Jake realizes looking up at his dad.
"Yeah JD, you happy now?" A female voice asks, from next to Jake's mom.
"Kanani!" Jake greets running up to his girlfriend and hugging her. "I thought you had a family thing to go to." Jake asks. Kanani in a floral print tank top pulls back from her boyfriend.
"I may have lied about that, babe." Kanani grins slyly. "You think I was going to miss your going away shindig." Kanani tells him.
"No, no I didn't." Jake gives Kanani a small peck on the cheek.
Most of the adults in the room awe at the cuteness of the young couple. The party then migrates out to the lanai. Steve has already started grilling burgers, hotdogs, an assortment of seafood for those with pescatarian diets or those who just liked fish and an assortment of grilling vegetables.
Several of the guests had offered to bring other side dishes, or other dishes like Kamekona and Flippa both brought shrimp plates. Lou had, had his brother Percy make an assortment of desserts so he brought those.
Scott is trying to micromanage Steve's grilling, telling him when to flip burgers and hot dogs and to make sure the grill is at just the right temperature.
Steve brandishes his tongs at his brother in a very Danny like fashion. "You, go sit or mingle grab a soda." Steve half orders half pleads with his brother. He can man the grill just fine thank you very much.
Scott stocks off like a moody teenager, "If I get a burnt burger bro I'm blaming you." Scott yells over his shoulder. Steve shakes his head at his brother and continues manning the grill.
Havika and Kalani are over by one of several large white coolers filled with non-alcoholic drinks talking and laughing. Havika is telling Kali a story of a much younger Jake and how he went through a period of wearing only swim trunks and a snorkel mask.
"The funny part he wasn't like five or six he was ten. Both Scott and I were convinced he'd grow up and be a SEAL, just like his old man."
Kali almost snorts soda out of her nose which ouch that hurts, with laughter. "I may not have known Jake or the rest of Scott's kids like you have but he sounds like a funny kid."
"Oh, he was, and he's still a total prankster. I'd say even rivaling you Kali." Kali has an innocent look on her face.
"I have no idea what you're talking about Havika." Kali grins and out of the corner of her eye she sees her team leader stoking towards them.
"Mmhm, hey Scottie." Havika calls out to his friend once he's a few feet away a root beer already in hand. Scott walks up to Havika and Kali and takes the root beer can from his friend. God, he really wishes he could drink right now. Damn concussion, damn broken arm. He downs half of the can in one gulp and belches.
"Sorry excuse me." He apologizes.
Kali chuckles. "I grew up with an older brother Akoni and a younger brother Kai, bodily functions don't gross me out like most women."
"Right you're just one of the guys." Scott says, then realizes what he's said. "Wait Kali I'm sorry I didn't mean it like that." Scott tries to back track.
"No worries, Scott. This is quite a turn out isn't it. Did you plan for this many people?" Kali asks looking at the grassy lawn of the lanai.
"I'm an Ex-SEAL Kali I'm always prepared."
Charlie is playing a game of tag with two of Havika's youngest, Tino and Eke. Six years old and eleven years old respectively.
The middle age children at the party, Lane's kids. Julia, Elliott, and Paige are lingering around the older teens, Grace, Will, Logan, and the McGarrett boys. All trying to get in on their conversations. Acting like the usual annoying younger siblings they are.
"Scram will yah Eli, Julia." Logan tries to shoo his siblings away. Logan actually being their siblings is the only one who can get away with saying anything. Paige smirks at her two younger siblings thinking she gets to stay. "You too, Paige."
Paige huffs and starts to leave with her siblings. "Hold up Logan, Paige is cool she can stay." Wyatt speaks up looking at the thirteen year old dirty blonde girl with pretty hazel eyes.
"Fine you can stay sis." Logan agrees as he downs the rest of his Cherry Cola and crushes the can in his hand. He tosses it in a nearby trash can on the lawn.
Jake is inside the house enjoying his party. This is epic, he never expected this at all. He really is thankfully for the family he was born into. Also, the extended family his Ohana that he has in dad's NCIS team and his Uncle Steve's Five-0 Ohana. All the love and support, there's no way he won't not get through boot camp at the recruit training command in Great Lakes.
He's in the middle of listening to one of Junior's own boot camp stories when the doorbell rings. Danny's in the kitchen grabbing more ice from the freezer when he hears the doorbell, as well as his phone vibrate with a text.
Danny knows exactly who that is. He calls out to Jake in the front with Junior. "Hey Jake get the door will yah, I think it's for you."
Jake excuses himself politely from the conversation with Junior and gets up to answer the door. He checks the peep hole first just to be safe. He smiles at seeing who is on the other side. Jake opens the door and standing on the other side are two people he hasn't seen in two years.
Chin Ho Kelly and Kono Kalakaua. Or as he affectionately calls them Uncle Chin and Auntie Kono and has since he was nine years old. Standing in between the two Hawaiian native cousins is a little girl Jake recognizes as Sara Diaz Chin's niece.
"Hiya, Sara." Jake greets the ten year old girl. Sara waves shyly at the older boy. "Uncle Chin, Aunt Kono I didn't know you'd be here."
"Like we'd miss this special occasion Jake it's a great legacy your following." Chin tells Jake.
Kono agrees with her cousin. "It is, but it's also okay to follow your own path in the Navy as well you don't have to be a SEAL like your Dad or Uncle Steve."
Jake nods in understanding. "I know, believe me I've seen the stress it put on my mom, as I much as I wanted to when I was younger, I know what I want to do in the Navy."
Sara looks between her uncle and her aunt and Jake. "Uncle Chin can I go outside to the lanai."
"Sure, you can Sara go say hi to your Uncle Steve."
"Okay." Sara runs off through the house and out to the back.
Danny hears the voices of the two cousins in the front room and calls out, "Jake who's at the door."
Jake, Chin, and Kono walk through the house to the kitchen Junior following as well. "Uncle Chin and Auntie Kono." Jake replies. "You were in on this weren't you Uncle Danny?"
"Guilty as charged." Danny smiles and goes over to hug both Chin and Kono. The last time he'd seen either was at his and Steve's wedding two years ago. "But your Dad, and Uncle Steve were in on it too. Actually, your brothers too, and the rest of Five-0."
Jake turns to Junior. "You and Tani and Lou and Adam were in on it too?"
"We were, it was Commander McGarrett's idea to keep it a secret." Junior tells the young adult in board shorts and Aloha shirt with the top two buttons undone.
"I'm glad you did it was a good surprise, I'm glad you're both here." Jake tells Chin and Kono smiling brightly.
The rest of the party goes on well into the late evening. Food is served, cake is eaten, drinks are poured, laughter is had all around. Everyone enjoys themselves, celebrating Jake's choice and sharing stories of Jake. If they don't know he too well just listening and laughing at times that are appropriate.
As the night wound down, guests started to leave expressing how much they enjoyed themselves.
McGarrett-Williams Residence. Late Evening - 2138 Hours, Honolulu, Oahu.
"That's was sick party Jake. Your dad is very proud of you." Kali tells Jake as she walks out of the house with Havika and his kids. Havika being a good teammate didn't want Kali to wait for her ride by herself.
"Thanks for coming Agent Lahele, Uncle Havi bye Kale, Alex, Lili, Eke, Tino." Jake waves to the two adults and Havika's kids.
Since Scott didn't want to arouse suspicion from his son, he had everyone who wasn't already at Steve's house or his in laws take an Uber to and from the house. If Jake had seen a bunch of vehicles outside of his Uncle's house the surprise would have been spoiled.
Jake stands by the front door and thanks the rest of his guests for coming, the Grover's', Kamekona and Flippa, Noelani, Jerry, Nahele, Tani, Adam, and Junior. Junior actually gives Jake his phone number and tells him if he ever wants to talk more to call him. No question is off limits. Jake is smart kid he knows which questions are off limits and he'd never in his right mind think of asking those specific questions.
Jake has formed a sort of mentor mentee friendship with Junior much like Nahele had with Steve. Junior is a cool guy to talk to and he's the one out of all the ex-SEALs in attendance that had gone through boot camp most recently. Thus, had more up to date info. Jake likes listening to his stories and will definitely be calling Junior in the future.
After seeing his last guest out the door, Jake turns around and closes the door he sees his mom, grandpa and grandma walking towards him.
"You enjoy your party sport?" Cameron asks his grandson.
"I did Grandpa, I'm glad you and Grandma were able to come." Jake replies to smiling tiredly at his grandfather.
"We were too Jake, we're sorry your Uncle Eddie and Bryce couldn't be here, but they said they sent cards and two going away presents. They should be arriving soon." Patricia informs her grandson.
Thanks Grandma, and it's okay I understand. I'll be sure to call them when I get a chance."
"Any chance I get you switch sides?" His grandfather asks a jokingly smile on his face.
"Fraid not Gramps, pretty sure it's too late for that. I've got a legacy to uphold anyway."
"That you do, son. Your Grandpa John would be proud of you." Brooke tells her son. "It's not all about legacies you know that though right?"
"I do Mom, I know I've got my reasons for picking the branch and the side I did." Jake confirms firmly. Meaning choosing to go enlisted like his father rather than the officer route like his Uncle. He planned on taking college courses while he was in regardless so that took care of his higher education.
"Well Jake sweetie, I'm glad you enjoyed your party, but it's getting late I best get your grandparents back to their hotel." Brooke tells her son.
"Okay Mom thanks again for coming Grandma, Grandpa it was real surprise." Jake waves at his grandparents and watches his mom leave with her parents.
Jake walks back through his Uncle's house and by now the only people here are the ones who live here. Well and his Uncle Chin and Aunt Kono they were seen talking to his Uncle Steve out on the lanai catching up. Grace has put Charlie to bed in his room that he stays in upstairs several hours ago. The six-year-old is tuckered out from all the fun and games he played. Or it could have been the three slices of sugary cake he somehow got his hands on while his dad wasn't looking.
He walks through the kitchen and sees Grace trying to fit half of one of the full three sheet cakes into the fridge. "Here Grace let me help you with that." Jake walks over to Grace and takes the cake from her, and it puts on the island counter top in the center of the kitchen.
"Thanks Jake."
"I think it might be easier if we cut it up put in a Tupperware I'll take this one home. Uncle Steve's gotta massive sweet tooth. He doesn't need anymore sugar."
Grace laughs agreeing with Jake. "That's true. What about your dad with his diabetes isn't that like massive temptation for him?"
Jake turns back around from fishing in a cupboard coming up victorious with a large plastic Tupperware box. "He had two sizable pieces of cake at the party and who knows how many sodas. I think your Dad should've been watching my dad's soda intake and not Charlie's he definitely had more than your brother."
"Can't argue with that it's like every time I saw him he was downing a soda can. I'm surprised we didn't run out." Grace finishes up slicing the cake and then helps Jake put the slices in the Tupperware.
"I think something's bugging him, I could see it in his eyes."
Grace looks up from washing one of the knives they used to slice the cake. "You think it has to do with the joint case our dads and Uncle Steve are working."
"It's possible."
"I'll get Danno in here to help me finish up you go talk to your dad." Grace assures.
Jake gives his friend a thankful smile and walks out to the lanai. He sees Chin and Kono hug his Uncle in goodbye and head out the side gate back to the front of the house. Jake sees Danny talking on the phone on the other side of the lanai, and by the way he's waving his hands it's his ex-wife Rachael, Grace and Charlie's mom. He waits a full five minutes for the older man to get off the phone before he approaches.
"Hey Uncle Danny."
"Hey kid you enjoy your party?" Danny asks as he shoves his phone in pocket.
"I did best surprise ever way better than a graduation party. Grace is asking for your help in the kitchen. We finished up most of it, but there's just a few things left to be put away."
"Thanks for telling me. I'll go help her." Danny says as he starts to walk off. Before he gets too far Jake calls him back.
"Have you seen my dad?" Jake asks trying to keep the worry out of his voice.
Danny thinks for a minute than points down towards the far end of the grassy area of the lanai under a big tree. There are two wooden white deck chairs and two heads poking up above the backs of the chairs.
Jake nods in thanks and heads over to his dad and Uncle. He makes sure to make noise or as much as he can on grass and barefoot. So as to not startle either of the men in the chairs. As he gets closer he realizes they're not talking just sitting in silence looking out at the waves.
"Hate to interrupt this scintillating conversation, Uncle Steve, but can I talk to my dad for a minute?"
Steve looks up at his nephew and into the same blue hazel eyes as his own. "Yeah sure. I'll go see if Danno and Gracie need any help in the kitchen." Steve gets up from his seat and heads back inside the house. Leaving father and son to talk.
Jake takes the seat his Uncle vacated easily and looks over to his dad. He looks tired physically drained, not just from the party tonight or a pain flare up in his arm. He waits a few minutes to see if his dad'll speak first, he doesn't.
"Dad." Jake starts tentatively.
"Yes, son." Scott turns his dark tired eyes on his son. "What's up." he tries to sound not, not happy, but not like he's totally dead inside either. He really is happy for his son this is a momentous occasion and a life long decision that'll change his son's life forever.
"We're worried about you, Dad. Tristan and me I mean. He can't help being away at school and he doesn't see it as well I do. The past few weeks, you've been distant."
"I'm sorry Jake I don't mean to be it's just..."
"It's the case you're working isn't it? Does it involve kids brothers?"
Scott takes a breath for a minute to try and center and compose himself. "It doesn't no thankfully. It's...the unknown variables of this case that I don't like." Scott tells his son.
Both Tristan and Jake had told him a few months ago that they weren't kids anymore and they could handle certain things when it came to his work at NCIS. Yes, all of his five sons know there's a possibility of him not coming home, they've known that since they were twelve.
Jake just sits and listens and lets his dad vent. "I hate this helpless feeling. I can't do anything, you saw your Uncle he wouldn't even let me skim board today."
Jake has a feeling this a lot more than just not being able to skim board on a nice summer's day like today.
"Dad he's just doing what Grandpa John told him to do. What you tell us to do. As older brothers, it's our job to protect and make sure our younger brothers are safe." Jake reiterates what his dad has told him many times before.
"Since when did you get so smart hmm." Scott leans over in his chair and ruffles his sons' brown locks smiling lightly.
"Hey hey watch the hair." Jake smooths his hair out again into some semblance of what it was before.
"Okay Mr. Casanova you've been spending a little too much time with Danny."
"Dad, you can totally tell me if I'm out of line I know being eighteen doesn't mean I'm necessarily an adult in your eyes, but...you need to let Lane and your other teammates work the case for while you're out of commission. It's okay to ask for help to have others help you."
"No, you're not out of line Jake you're right actually. As far as I'm concerned when you signed that dotted line a month ago, you became your own man. Though you'll always be my little Jake a roo."
"Dad..." Jake whines at the nickname he that he hasn't heard since he was five years old.
Somehow Scott knows with his family by his side, and his team and Ohana at his back. Maybe things would be alright.
Phew, finally done that was a long chapter. Just a little heads up there will be a time skip or jump next chapter of two weeks as well as more action and more McDanno. Also fanfiction-y authory hand wavy time magic or suspension of disbelief when it comes to how long it takes for a building the size of NCIS Pearl Harbor field office to be rebuilt after an explosion. I know it takes longer than two weeks obviously. But this is fanfiction after all people even though I do try and keep most of my content as realistic as I can.
Mahalo again and keep reviewing, favoriting and following every person is greatly appreciated.
Till next time folks!
