AN: Well, guys, at last we come to the end of this tale. Thank you all for reading each week, and a special thank you to those of you who took the time to leave a review on many of the chapters. Those are the things that made writing this story so rewarding. I hope you all enjoy this final chapter of Brave New World. Who knows what comes next? ;)
To the right, to the left
We will fight to the death
To the edge of the earth
It's a brave new world, it's a brave new world
It's a brave new world.
- "This Is War" by Thirty Seconds to Mars
For once, it didn't seem to be an exaggeration to say that the world would never be the same.
The case against Brad Kingsley and his massive empire of bribed officials and traffickers was one of mammoth proportions, creating an uproar that spanned every corner of the nation and rapidly expanded to an international level. With each new piece of information uncovered, more questions were raised and everything dissolved into chaos. A small mystery on a tiny island in the middle of the Pacific evolved into one of the biggest busts in remembered history.
No, the book would never truly be closed on the Kingsley case. Ripple effects from the takedown continued to permeate throughout different systems and communities, and they would for years to come. Just when things seemed to settle, the evening news showed images of another high-profile person being dragged to a police cruiser in cuffs.
Hawaii's little task force had truly kicked the mother of all hornets' nests this time.
No industry was left untouched. Politicians, police officers, doctors, government agents, CPS workers, bankers, parents, teachers, even funeral home directors found themselves on the receiving end of a rather rude wakeup call from the FBI, S.W.A.T., or the local police contingent. The smart ones turned state's evidence early, leading to even more arrests. Under the call of officials seeking to save face for allowing this to brew under their very noses, no stone would be left unturned.
And thanks to Kingsley's vast records appearing in their inboxes, they had all the evidence they needed to uproot this poisonous weed that had taken over their society. No one - from buyers to suppliers to informants - was safe from the furious outcry.
With all the arrests and investigations, the criminal element slunk back into their holes for the time being to wait out the storm. The bell of justice tolled awfully loudly, after all, and many were unwilling to risk their enterprises and dealings getting caught up in its tidal wave. For now, they'd sit back and thank their lucky stars that they somehow avoided the sadistic scheme.
Or they prayed they wouldn't get caught as well. Their pleas remained unanswered.
It all appeared to be a massive leap forward in the sentiment towards elites - their rights and safety finally defended rather than overlooked. However, the wisest elites knew it wouldn't last - not forever. The whims of a crowd change with the ever-shifting wind, and superpowered beings make the best scapegoats for their perceptions.
Today, they weren't hated, and that was enough.
While the rest of the world blew up around them, the one team that could finally put the Kingsley debacle to rest was the group that started it all. As a task force with only four people - all squeaky clean according to Kingsley's ledger - Five-0 spent their time and efforts focused on the young elites they'd rescued and finishing reports from their raid of Kingsley's vessels. With the team itself not at 100%, they earned a well-deserved rest with no new cases.
After all, Officer Kalakaua had been knocked unconscious during the raid and Detective Williams was MIA for nearly a full week. That alone earned them a free pass from the Governor to duck the press and quietly finish their work in a flexible environment, one that allowed them to keep an eye on the injured Williams.
In fact, Commander Steve McGarrett made it abundantly clear to Gov. Jameson that his first priority was the wellbeing of this team - especially in the aftermath of a trying case like this. They would tie up their own loose ends and assist as needed, but that was all. With Detective Williams injured and the rest of the team running on fumes, the governor caved to the demands with little fuss.
With the Kingsley business wrapped up as neatly as possible on their end, the young task force used their time to attempt to chase the rest of Kingsley's rats out of their holes - starting with the idiots brave enough to kidnap their haole detective. Unfortunately, it seemed like a futile endeavor. Danny's many statements made it quite clear that he'd neither seen nor heard anything useful. The drugs in his system - a strange cocktail that Charlie Fong was still deciphering - kept him in a stupor.
In other words, it appeared to be the mother of all dead ends. Oddly enough, Five-0 didn't seem all that concerned with the lack of progress.
Frowning at the thick file lying open on her desk, Pat Jameson wrestled with the sense of dissonance with this Kingsley business. Everything leading up to the exposure of the elite trafficking scheme occurred too… neatly. Anonymous emails with full ledgers and details of illegal schemes didn't just fall out of the sky. The sequence of events, even after the bust, was oddly concerning.
Yet, try as she might, she couldn't put her finger on what was off with the whole situation.
There was something at work here - a smaller conspiracy within a massive one. However, the players and purpose remained stubbornly elusive. Ever since the little girl - the one who could turn invisible - killed the drug lord, Jameson felt as though she'd lost control of her entire island.
Thank God for her task force, who once again pulled a miracle out of thin air and swooped in to save the day. Whatever she'd started by offering Steve McGarrett leadership of a team with full immunity and means had turned into something huge - though whether it was good or bad, she'd yet to determine. This business had their fingerprints all over it, and she wasn't entirely sure if she wanted to know exactly how they pulled this off.
No, given the skeletons in her closet, she certainly didn't want to start digging. Poking that bear might just lead to her own downfall and that simply couldn't happen.
Between the massive upheaval on her island and everyone clambering for some sort of resolution, there was no time to chase ghosts. Signing off on all the official reports, she closed the file with a sense of finality. Five-0's role in this case, though incredibly significant, was over for the time being.
However, she would keep a closer eye on Steve McGarrett and Five-0 in the future - two eyes and a great deal of scrutiny. If they got too close, well, she'd have to take care of it. After all, if they could take down a criminal empire with nothing more than an email, the prospect of what they could do with her secrets was terrifying.
A closer eye, indeed.
~H50~
The familiar growl of a powerful engine had Steve looking away from the happy commotion before him and towards the gravel lot nearby. Sunlight glinted off the silver sports car, signaling the arrival of one snarky detective and the bundle of joy that was his daughter. Grinning in spite of himself, he rose in preparation of helping them over to the little gathering.
With the governor signing off on their final case reports, Five-0 found themselves with some well-deserved down time dedicated to healing and ensuring that Kingsley's other victims were given the opportunity to do the same. That alone was a tall task, though far more rewarding than most of their other assignments.
The road to healing was far from linear, full of many hard-one rises and rapid falls. However, each step was worthy of celebration, especially for this group of kids and young adults. They endured so much under Kingsley's evil rule and they deserved the very best Hawaii could offer.
They stayed at the Governor's ranch for the first week while Five-0 worked to sort through them with the aid of CPS and the FBI. Meanwhile, counselors and medical personnel worked to ensure the captives were taken care of in every conceivable manner while trusted officers provided protection. Of course, they couldn't stay at the ranch permanently, but it was a great temporary solution.
As the shock of their rescue began to wear off, the young elites began shyly sharing some details of their stories. Some of them made Steve's stomach twist. Kidnappings, relatives basically selling them off, CPS shipping them to Kingsley - the horrors never seemed to end. The fact that these kids even survived garnered the utmost respect from him.
These young elites could give SEAL Team 6 a run for their money.
This time, it was Five-0's connections that proved to be the most valuable. Between Danny's contacts on the mainland and Chin's contacts on the island, they found places for nearly every single one of the kids. Some went back home, safely returned into the arms of their rejoicing parents who thought they'd lost their child forever. While a few could go live with other relatives, some returned to the foster care system on the mainland to couples that Danny either knew personally or vetted with every contact he had.
Meanwhile, a nonprofit organization that dealt with kids coming from abusive homes or from sexual trafficking on the island jumped at the opportunity to take in any kids who wanted to stay. They had a huge facility - similar to the Governor's ranch - there on Oahu. Complete with plenty of fresh air, horses, and a beach nearby, there was ample opportunity for the young elites to recover at their own pace. Moreover, the nonprofit provided skills training for them to help them once they became legal adults.
However, there was no age restriction. Even kids too old to enter the foster care system were more than welcome to stay at the compound. Most of the young elites chose that option almost immediately, especially the ones who didn't have parents waiting for them.
In the end, it was no surprise that the founder of the nonprofit and head of the facility was a distant relation of the Kelly/Kalakaua clan. Chin swore on his father's grave that everything was legit, that these brave children could finally be free there.
Now, as the team visited the little encampment, Steve couldn't help but agree.
Taking his eyes off the Camaro, he once more scanned the happy scene. Kids - not just the elites - ran around all over the place in a vaguely organized chaos. Some were gathered over by the barn getting a lesson in riding horses from an instructor, while more were over by the small, private cove getting surfing lessons from Kono. Best of all, there were more smiles than he'd seen in… well, in quite some time.
However, the happiest ending of all went to the little girl who started it all. Hidden away from Kingsley and the prying eyes of the press, Sarah found herself in the kind, affectionate care of Mamo and his wife. Never able to have kids themselves, they quickly grew fond of the little girl and offered to take her in permanently - if the young elite agreed, of course. A few quiet words with Kono and careful consideration, Sarah agreed as long as everyone from Five-0 came to visit often.
Last time they had, that once somber, distrustful face lit up in a wide grin as she babbled on about how Mamo was teaching her to surf. She even fell asleep curled in Danny's lap, which earned a few, subtle tears from the soft-hearted father.
Speaking of…
"Uncle Steve!"
He barely had time to brace himself before a pint-sized blur slammed into his legs, still nearly knocking him over at the sheer force of the hug. Glancing down, he grinned at the innocent, cheerful face staring adoringly up at him.
Rachel had graciously allowed Danny to have Grace this weekend as well, now that he was back on his feet a bit more and because she begged to go back to Steve's beach. Looking up, he spotted the aforementioned blond limping toward him at a much slower pace than his hyper daughter.
"Hi, Gracie!" Hoisting her up into his arms, he whispered conspiratorially, "You keep an eye on Danno this morning for me?"
She giggled and nodded, quickly checking over her shoulder to make sure her dad couldn't hear her. "Uh huh. He walked kinda funny, but he took the red pills when I asked him to."
"Good girl."
"What are you two yapping about?"
Grace's eyes widened and they both spun to meet Danny, innocent expressions plastered on their faces. Before the little girl could let the cat out of the bag, Steve smoothly stepped in. "Grace was just telling me all about the zoo, right?"
A pointed look had Grace nodding enthusiastically. "The monkeys were so funny! And Danno made funny faces at them to make them jump up and down!"
Grinning fondly at his daughter, Danny subtly shifted his weight. "What do you say to Uncle Steve for getting us those tickets?"
"Thank you, Uncle Steve!"
"You're very welcome. I'm glad you had fun."
Setting the little girl down, he subtly examined Danny's somewhat awkward stance and inwardly cursed. However, Danny ignored his furious glare and addressed his daughter once more. "Grace, why don't you go play with the other kids? Uncle Steve and I are gonna talk for a bit, then we'll be right over."
Bolting toward the group running around in an elaborate game of two-teamed tag - led by none other than Chin - Grace was gone before Danny could even finish his sentence. As soon as his daughter's back turned, the detective slumped a bit more and the pain lines appeared on his face. Steve sprang forward and placed a supporting hand under Danny's elbow, bearing his weight as they moved to a nearby bench.
"Damn it, Danny, you really shouldn't have ditched the crutches so early." Easing his partner down, Steve leveled another reproachful glare in his direction. "What part of 'take it easy' did you not understand?"
"I'm fine, Steven," came the sharp retort. "Being a little sore isn't the end of the world, you know. Besides, it was totally worth it."
Remembering Grace's wide smile, Steve couldn't help but soften. "I'm glad you guys had a good time."
"We did, actually. I took Grace to the zoo the first weekend I had her here, but haven't been able to afford to take her since." Elbowing Steve in the ribs, Danny shot him a half-hearted glare of his own. "Speaking of, you didn't need to buy us tickets. I mean, it proved that you actually do have a wallet and a heart underneath all that SEAL testosterone, but it wasn't necessary, babe."
Steve shrugged. "Grace would've gotten bored sittin' around my house all weekend again. Figured it'd be nice for both of you to do something fun."
Plus, it came with the added bonus of getting Danny out of the house so he and the cousins could get everything set up without the very loud protests of one stubborn mainlander. Yes, it was way easier that way and well worth shelling out the cash for zoo tickets.
Oblivious to Steve's internal schemes, Danny offered him a smirk. "You are pretty boring, after all. Beside that beach out back, your place has zero entertainment potential for an 8 year old girl."
"You're one to talk. I've seen condemned buildings nicer than your rat trap of an apartment."
"Hey, just because it's the only place I can afford doesn't mean it's my first choice to live there." Throwing his hands up in the air as he enunciated his point, Danny dove headfirst into yet another rant. "You wanna complain about my living situation? How 'bout you get me a pay raise? Or a better lawyer so I can stop shelling out three-quarters of my paycheck to Rachel every month? Otherwise, stop mocking my apartment."
"Sure, Danno." Steve plastered an innocent expression on his face.
Grumbling under his breath, the detective whacked Steve's arm. "Does this mean I can go back to my apartment after this weekend? Not that I don't appreciate sleeping on a real mattress, but I miss my solitude and my door with a lock to keep you out of it."
Oh boy.
"About that…" Steve shifted so that he was facing his partner. "I actually had a proposition for you."
Eyeing Steve's expression with something akin to wariness, Danny's questioning gaze penetrated Steve's walls. "Why do I get the feeling I'm not gonna like this?"
This was not going how he planned this, but he forged ahead nonetheless. "I was thinking you could ditch the crappy apartment and stay at my place permanently."
Danny's eyes got huge, scooching on the bench a half-inch away from Steve. "Uh, I'm flattered, but I don't really swing that way and I kinda don't think you do either."
"What? No!" Rolling his eyes, Steve resisted the urge to plant his face into his palm as blood rushed to his cheeks. "Not like that! Listen - - your place has crap security, alright? I mean, Grace could break in if she wanted to. Plus, it's kinda isolated and doesn't really offer a ton of protection."
"What does that have to do with me living in your house?"
Huffing a frustrated sigh, Steve gestured helplessly. "The whole reason you almost skipped town was because you were worried about Grace's safety and the team if someone decided to come after you again. I have a good home security system and I'm always armed, plus I have the space. This way, I can keep an eye on you in case… well…"
"In case someone else tries to sell me to the highest bidder," Danny finished, steadily meeting his gaze.
He swallowed hard, terrible images once more flooding his mind. "Yeah. You were taken from right under our noses, Danny. I'm not gonna let that happen again."
"Exercising our control issues, huh, babe?"
"Call it whatever you want. I call it keeping my best friend and his daughter safe."
"And I appreciate that, I really do." Hissing quietly as he leaned back and pulled the healing wound on his back, Danny's gaze flitted back toward his daughter. "But I'm accustomed to having my own space."
Steve nodded slightly, conceding the point but unwilling to give up. "You'll have just as much space at my place as you do right now in that shoebox. We can get rid of that hallway closet and enlarge your room a bit, maybe even connect the bathroom. Plus, you won't have neighbors screaming in the middle of the night and wakin' you up. And it'll save you a ton of money."
Scowling, Danny shook his head. "I can pull my own weight, you schmuck. Not some charity case."
"Danny, the mortgage is paid off already. You'll split utilities and groceries with me, but that's it. That's gotta be less than your current cost of living, right?" Softening a bit, Steve risked reaching over and clasping his friend's shoulder. "This doesn't have to be permanent. If you find a great house or apartment, then you can leave. It just makes sense for now."
C'mon, you stubborn son of a gun. Don't fight me on this.
With a carefully schooled poker face that gave nothing away, his partner sat silently and seemed to consider the offer. His eyes flitted over to Grace, who squealed happily as her Uncle Chin chased her with a playful growl. Then, all at once, his expression eased.
"Fine," he grumbled, then immediately added, "but you don't get to criticize my life choices, alright? I'm gonna have my TV in my room that will play baseball 24/7 and you don't get to complain!"
"Deal. Glad you said yes… since me, Kono, and Chin kinda already moved all your stuff over to my place."
A flurry of curses nearly broke Steve's calm facade, laughter bubbling up in his throat as his friend furiously ranted about insane people with no respect for privacy and boundaries. This was followed by numerous threats of maiming and other interesting varieties of bodily harm should Steve ever do anything like that again.
"And another thing! This is not some sort of agreement for you to control every aspect of my life, alright? I am an adult and I will do, watch, eat whatever the hell I want! I'm not eating your nasty rabbit food, McGarrett. From this moment forward, there will be an abundance of edible, normal-people food in your house, capiche?"
Steve nodded, a stoic expression failing to hide the glint of humor in his eye. "Got it. Heart attack food in the pantry for Danno."
Throwing his hands up in the air, Danny turned away. "I already regret this. I'm gonna be corrupted by Rambo and turn into some insane G.I. Joe! Next thing you know, I got a gun under my pillow and grenades lining my mattress!"
"No, you use smoke grenades. Equally protective, but less potential for a messy accident."
"I hate you with every fiber of my being, Steven."
Grinning widely, Steve was fully prepared to continue poking at his friend to wind him up further (seriously, it was almost too easy sometimes) when a figure broke free of the swarm of kids and jogged over to their little bench. With a tired huff, the lanky young man collapsed next to Steve.
"Never, and I mean never, play a game that involves being chased with a bunch of kids that have enhanced speed." Wiping his forehead, Jason grinned widely. "Nothin' is more humiliating than being caught by a 10 year old."
"And that's why we're over here sitting on a bench," Danny sniped back with a smirk. "I get enough running in workin' with this neanderthal every day."
Benevolently deciding not to call out Danny's little fib, Steve only elbowed his friend in the ribs. "How're classes going, Jason?"
"Good, yeah. 'M hoping to get my GED by the end of the year." Smirking, Jason winked at Steve before adding casually. "Maybe then I'll join the SEALs or something."
"That's a terrible idea. You really think we need more people like him -" Danny jabbed a finger at Steve, who looked wholly unrepentant, "- running around blowing things up? Do something a little more sane, like being an astronaut or something."
Rolling his eyes, Steve leaned back against the bench. "Whatever you decide to do, Jason, I know you'll do great. You've got the drive and the courage to achieve whatever you put your mind to."
"That's actually why I came over." Expression sobering, Jason met both of their gazes head on. "I know you'll just say that you were doing your job, but what y'all did for us… you gave us all our lives back. I'd given up until you… until you came in and gave us hope. You guys saved us."
Steve shook his head. "You saved yourselves. Don't sell yourselves short."
"But you were the reason we even tried." Jason rose and offered his hand to Danny first, then Steve. "Thank you. And if you ever need a reminder of all the good your team does, you have more than enough evidence right here."
Then he trotted away, drawing their attention back to the scene before them. The horde of children had now turned on Chin, who gallantly fled from the cackling young elites. A loud whoop from the beach revealed Kono cheering as a kid successfully caught a small wave crashing toward shore.
No, healing was far from over, but hope in the results of that hard work kindled within the two seasoned warriors once more.
Danny squeezed his shoulder, a rare, genuine smile on his face. For once, neither of them said anything as they broke eye contact, content to sit and watch the young elites bask in their freedom until it was too dark to see.
~H50~
"Tell me a story."
Hiding a smile, Danny finished tucking the last blanket around his very tired daughter. Grace had run herself ragged playing with the other kids and he would've thought that she'd fall asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow in what used to be Mary's old room.
True to his word, the team had in fact moved all of Danny and Grace's stuff to Steve's house with the lone exception of the "poor excuse for a bed" futon Danny slept on for a little over a year. The feisty detective grumbled once more about the Hawaiians hijacking his life, but he couldn't hide the small smile on his face. Everything was set up almost exactly how he liked it in the largest guest room, which was now his room.
That part definitely hadn't been Steve. His money was on Chin.
He pretended not to notice Steve stashing two full duffels in his dad's old hidey hole under the stairs. Judging from Steve's furtive glances, he'd bet his next three paychecks that they were fully stocked go-bags complete with fake ID documents and an assundry of untraceable weapons. He'd probably given Kono and Chin one as well.
In case someone less illegitimate than Kingsley comes after you next time, came the dreadful whisper.
Shut up, he growled back.
Refocusing all of his attention on his daughter, he chuckled quietly as she fought back a huge yawn. "You sure, Monkey? I think you'll be asleep before I even finish."
Stubborn to the last, Grace pulled her wildly effective puppy dogs out of her arsenal - complete with a wobbling bottom lip. "Please?"
And as surely as the sun would rise in the east the next morning, Danny caved to his little girl's request. "Alright, what'll it be tonight?"
"Pirates," came the earnest request. "And start at the beginning this time!"
"Alright, alright." Rubbing his hands together, he winked. "I think I got just the thing, but you gotta lay back and close those eyes, okay? Now, once upon a time - -"
"We doin' bedtime stories?"
Sighing, Danny halted his story and turned to face his Neandethal of a best friend standing in the doorway. Ignoring Danny's glare, Steve flopped down on the floor.
"Yes, Steven, I was just about to start. Do you mind?"
Grinning wildly, Steve ignored the subtle invitation to leave and instead made himself more comfortable. "Don't let me stop you, Danno. I'll just sit here and be quiet."
"I highly doubt that," Danny mumbled, shielding Grace's view as he flipped Steve off. Steve, however, piously smirked back.
Resigned to his best friend's presence, Danny returned his attention to Grace and began his epic tale. Grace listened fervently, interjections becoming fewer and fewer as her eyelids drooped closed. Coinciding with his little girl's near slumber, Danny's voice slowed and dropped in volume until it stopped completely.
"Wait, you can't stop there!"
Whirling around, his eyes widened as Kono tumbled into the room with Chin serenely following behind her. Both flopped on the floor by the wall next to Steve, who only shrugged.
"What the - - is there no sense of privacy in this house?"
"Hey, don't change the subject," Kono shot back. "We wanna hear what happens next! Right, guys?"
Chin's firm nod and Steve's thumbs-up signal had Danny resisting the urge to deliver the rant of the century, complete with ample four-letter words and maybe a gunshot or two. However, Grace's slurred agreement from behind him stopped him in his tracks. With a long suffering sigh, he sat back down on the bed and dived back into his intricate tale.
Words danced around the dimly-lit room, weaving a tale of heroism to the highest degree and battles too epic to fully describe. If any of the characters resembled anyone in the room, no one said a peep - not even when one of the pirates blew up more ships than was strictly necessary. Interjections grew less and less frequent as the climax of the story neared.
So caught up in telling the story, Danny was almost to the very end when quiet snores reached his ears. Looking up, a fond smile tugged at his lips as he took in the scene before him.
Grace was fast asleep, curled up to face him with her little hands bunched in his shirt just like she used to do as a baby. However, she wasn't the only sleeping occupant in the room. Kono's head was buried in Chin's shoulder as steady breaths caused her own torso to rise and fall. With his arm wrapped protectively around his cousin, Chin's soft chuffs puffed out of his slightly open mouth.
And Steve had his knees bunched up against his chest, his face for once totally lax as sleep's comforting embrace banished his stress away. Without the lines of pain or anger lining that face, his partner seemed incredibly young and vulnerable.
Ever the detective, Danny noted the dark circles under each of their eyes - signs of exhaustion not easily hidden. This case hadn't been kind to any of them and he wasn't the only one with restless nights plagued by demons. This image was the culmination of all his team had sacrificed to bring everyone home.
They deserved a little rest.
Still smiling, he quietly rose and planted a soft kiss on Grace's cheek. Then, he snuck out, grabbing a few blankets from the hall closet and returning to drape them over the sleeping forms. Switching off the small lamp on the dresser, he tiptoed toward the door.
Pausing, Danny surveyed the tranquil scene one more time and whispered the conclusion of his elaborate bedtime story to his daughter and a group of people he'd begun to cherish almost equally.
"And together, they lived happily ever after… until their next adventure."
I do believe in the light
Raise your hands into the sky
The fight is done, the war is won
Lift your hands toward the sun
End.