Chapter 4

"Hey, do you have any fun ties?" Myah poked her head into Nahele's bedroom. He was sitting on a stool, in what had become a usual position for him, strumming his guitar. He shot her a pained look.

"No. I have one and it's black. Why? Are you going to court?"

"No, I… well… I guess it's possible. I don't know. I'm hanging out with Uncle Danny tomorrow and I thought he'd think it was funny if I wore a tie."

"Are you going to slick your hair back like he does?"

Myah considered. "That would be funny. I could." She flopped onto her belly onto his bed.

"Make yourself comfortable."

"I will, thanks. I guess I'll ask Dad. I feel like the only tie I've ever seen him wear is black too." She shook her head. "Like father, like son."

Nahele actually smiled at this.

"Did you work today?"

Nahele's head jerked up in what seemed an over reaction to the question. "Yeah. Why?"

Myah shrugged. "I must have just missed your car. Kono took me paddle boarding and when we drove back, we passed by the shrimp truck and I didn't see… didn't see your…" she started to trail off as Nahele jumped up and closed the door to his room.

"What's wrong?"

"Look…" he said in a low voice. "It was a crap day at school, so J and I went to the batting cages for a while to blow off steam. It's not a big deal, but I was late to work."

"Oh." Myah was surprised. She had never known her brother to blow off work before, recalling how much it had bothered him just to have to cut his hours when school had begun. As far as she knew, he loved working at the shrimp truck.

"You going to tell on me?" Nahele's voice was hard, and his dark eyes suddenly reminded her of storm clouds.

Myah sat up and made a face at him. "Of course, not. If I'm not going to tell on those idiots who put coke in Coleman's van, I'm definitely not going to tell on you. You're worth a lot more to me than Rachel and Hema are." She clapped her hands over her mouth.

Nahele rolled his eyes. "Wow. You are easy to break." He laughed. "Wait, Rachel Coleman? As in Coleman's niece?"

"How do you even know the freshmen?" Myah mumbled. She couldn't believe that after keeping it to herself for what seemed like forever, their names had just tumbled out.

"She's a cheerleader." Nahele shrugged. "And generally kind of a jerk. So she trashed her own aunt's car?"

"I don't have any proof, but I think so. She was the one who started talking about what a genius idea it'd be to use coke instead of gas to fuel our cars, which is when I said that would ruin the engine. I feel like it had to have been her that recorded me."

"Why would she do that? What's it to her?"

"Other than being a bully? We're in the same group for projects all semester and she's lazy and wants me and Delia to do all the work. Delia's mom works for Mr. Coleman and she's afraid that if Rachel complains, her mom could lose her job."

"So what, you're just going to let her get away with it? Do her work for her all year?"

"That definitely wasn't the plan. But I can't let Delia's mom get fired." Myah shot him a smirk. "Unlike some people, she actually values her job." The only reason Myah made it out of the door before Nahele caught up to her, was because he had been holding his guitar and took the time to set it down.

"Yeah, you better run!" he called after her softly as she took off down the stairs. His voice was tinged with laughter however.

When asked about a tie, Steve rolled his eyes, but managed to scrounge up a blue and orange striped one. "That's as colorful as you're going to get from my closet. That might actually have been my dad's."

"Aww… I'm happy to wear Grandpa's tie."

"I'm sure Danny will appreciate the gesture. At least I can count on him not to take you to the beach when you're suspended."

"Don't be mad, daddy." Myah said. "Kono made sure to throw in lots of life lessons. It was a very valuable afternoon."

"I'm sure." Steve rolled his eyes, but his smile betrayed his feelings and Myah knew he wasn't upset.

The next morning when Danny saw her tie and hair pulled back from her forehead in as similar hairstyle to his as she could manage, he smiled as well. "What's this? I'm glad to see at least one McGarrett knows how to dress professionally. Get over here, if you're going to wear that, you need to tie it properly." Myah obediently stood in front of him and allowed him to retie the knot and straighten it.

"I did watch a video on how to tie a tie."

"You kids… this is what happens when you get your information from youtube."

"It was called: How to get the Avril Lavigne look."

Danny scoffed and gave her a pop across the backside to propel her forwards. "There. Now you're ready. Ready for the real world. There's a pile of paperwork on my desk that needs to be edited for an insurance claim. The top sheet has a list of words I need you to highlight every time you see them."

"I feel like there has got to be a computer program for that." Myah couldn't help but groan.

"A computer will never top our most important asset… which is right here." Danny tapped his temple and then turned a glare on Steve who was silently laughing. "Don't you agree, Steven?"

"Oh, I do… Myah, behave yourself. Danno, don't wait for me if she doesn't."

"We're not going to have any problems today, are we, MJ?"

"Seriously, you guys have no faith in me." Myah settled down on a chair in Danny's office and picked up the ridiculous stack of paperwork.

"Well, it's not like you're suspended from school or anything."

"Touche. But I didn't vandalize the teacher's car. I would never do that." She picked up a highlighter. As she had feared there was nothing interesting in what she was reading and was barely through the first page before feeling like she was going to go cross eyed. "Uncle Danny… I do have homework. I don't want to fall behind."

"Oh." Danny nodded at her from behind his desk. "Glad to hear you value your schoolwork. I bet it'll seem even more fun after you get through that job."

Myah's shoulders sagged. She adored Danny and normally he was a lot of fun, but she was getting the feeling he was taking this school suspension a lot more seriously than she was. She considered reminding him that she'd already gotten a spanking for her troubles and that there was really no need to make this week worse, but she also found she was just a little timid about pushing him at that moment.

When Danny got a call about an hour and a half later, Myah couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. She waited in his office, as he conferred with Chin, Kono and Lou in the briefing area and then poked his head back in the door. "Time for a ride along, babe. Bring your backpack." Myah was more than happy to comply. She immediately felt more serious when he turned to her in the car.

"This is a double homicide case, babe."

Myah bit her lip. She loved the island and it was chilling to remember that evil was still very much alive and well in human form.

"This is technically a ride along, so after I do an initial walk through, I'll let you come inside. You're not going anywhere near the bodies though and it's very important that you don't touch anything. We don't want to do anything that would tamper with the scene and our investigation, you understand?"

"Yes sir." Myah was serious and wide eyed. They drove into a gate that Myah initially assumed was for a whole community, but turned out to be for one house. It was huge and screamed wealth. It had been taped off and was already swarming with unbuckled her seat belt, but settled in, assuming she was going to be sitting for a while. Her homework went untouched in her lap however, as she watched the swarm of activity. It was about twenty minutes later that Danny waved her in.

"CSI is going over everything with a fine tooth comb right now. Watch, but don't get in anyone's way. And you don't take a step towards that kitchen."

"Okay." Feeling paranoid about getting in someone's way or stepping somewhere that she shouldn't, Myah kept her arms wrapped around her body and moved slowly around the living room. The sound of a whimper startled her and it took her a moment to realize the sound had come from a monitor on a table. A baby monitor, she quickly realized, as Mary used one similar for Joanie. Another whimper could be heard and feeling her heart constrict, Myah made her way up the staircase she had passed earlier.

"Can I help you, miss?" The police officer standing in the doorway of the room nearest the stairs looked at her oddly.

"I'm just on a ride along with Detective Williams."

"On a homicide case?" The man looked at her incredulously.

"Yes." Myah didn't feel the need to give further information. Steve had told her they'd filled out the necessary paperwork so she could ride along with the team this week, but she was also aware that under normal circumstances, a teenage civilian would not be allowed on the scene of such a serious case. The whimper came again and Myah stepped into what was clearly a nursery and caught sight of a baby girl, barely able to stand, holding onto the side of her crib. She was adorable with dark curls and tears rolling down her sweet cheeks. Her crib was one of the few pieces of furniture still upright, as everything else was completely disheveled.

"Oh, baby girl…" Myah's heart broke at the sight. Was it her parents downstairs?

"Don't go near her." The officer warned. "We can't touch her until Protective Services gets here."

The baby held out her arms pleadingly and Myah couldn't help herself. She stepped over to the crib and lifted the baby up.

"Did you hear what I just said?!" The officer sounded irate.

"Please, she's scared." Myah turned away, cuddling the little girl close and rubbing her back. "I'm just holding her." She started humming softly and the baby started to relax. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the officer speaking into a radio and was not surprised to see Danny appear in the doorway. She tensed but stood her ground. "Uncle Danny, she's scared."

Danny's face had initially been stern, but his expression softened at the sight of the baby. "Damn…" he said softly, stroking the little girl's back.

"Is she all right?"

Myah looked back to see Chin entering the room.

"Yeah…" Danny sighed. "But whatever they were looking for, cost this little girl her family."

"Kaylea Van Horn's sister has been notified and will be meeting us at the ME office. If you want to meet her there, I'll finish up here."

It was only about fifteen minutes later that the social worker from Protective Services arrived and Myah handed the baby over to her. Danny spoke to the woman for several minutes and then nodded for Myah to follow him out to the car. She bit her lip when instead of entering the car, he leaned his back against the door and turned to face her.

"The rules are there for a reason… and sometimes it's appropriate to break them. But you're getting swatted for not asking me first." Before she had time to protest he quickly tucked her upper body underneath one arm.

The strength of his arm locked her in and Myah ducked her head, praying that nobody would see and knowing also that there was nothing she could do about the situation. She yelped when Danny smacked the curve of her backside with the flat of his hand. He swatted her hard twice more and then to her relief allowed her to stand up straight. He immediately hugged her tightly. "That's all you're getting because I would have done the same thing."

"Oh, so it's okay for you to break the rules?" Myah murmured against his shirt. He released her and she quickly made her way around to the passenger side of the camaro. Once buckled she eyed him. Getting a spanking from him had been unpleasant, but had not lasted long enough to bring her to tears. Regardless, she was embarrassed that it had happened.

"Alright, you listen to me, young lady. I have been doing this job a very long time and if I do say so myself, I'm very competent at it. The more competent you are, the more you'll know when it's okay to break the rules. You haven't earned that yet. So have a little trust, and ask me first."

"Okay. I'm sorry."

Danny glanced at her and then with his eyes back on the road, reached over and tousled her hair. "It's okay, kiddo. You take direction a lot better than your old man."

Myah rolled her eyes and picked up her water thermos. "Thanks a lot. So you spank him, if he gets out of line too?"

"No, but I did punch him in the face during our first case."

The casually stated remark almost made her snort water out her nose in laughter. "You guys are very weird. Grace is my best friend and we've never had an argument, but if we did, I'd never even consider punching her."

"Would you punch somebody for her?"

Myah swallowed her water, feeling like she was getting set up. "Yes."

"I'm not saying that should be your first move in matters of conflict. But you know I couldn't ask for a better best friend for Grace. I hope you realize how special you are. And that you're worth fighting for too."

Danny had never been tight fisted with kind words but it still caught Myah off guard. She instinctively tried to pull her knees up and tuck her head in, but the shape of his camaro made it difficult and she was forced to physically remain in the moment. "Thanks Uncle Danny."

"Am I still the cool uncle?"

"That very much depends on what you decide to feed me for lunch."

Their trip to the ME office sobered Myah entirely however and she couldn't imagine having an appetite. Danny parked her in a waiting room, although Myah honestly thought she wouldn't be bothered by the sight of the bodies. She was very much bothered by the whole situation and anytime she thought of the orphaned little girl she wanted to tear up, but so much time spent in a hospital and subsequently in a funeral home had made her a bit numb to the idea of human remains. She'd met the HPD medical examiner Dr. Max Bergman only a couple of times as he'd been away on a Doctors Without Borders trip that summer. He was quirky but generally friendly, and waved to Myah in greeting when he saw her.

"How is Nahele getting along with Samson?"

"Who?"

"Samson O'Neil, guitarist extraordinaire."

"Oh, Mr. O'Neil. Nahele really likes him. He practices all the time. Are you friends then?"

"Yes, when Commander McGarrett asked if I could recommend a guitar teacher for his son, Samson was the obvious choice. Do you have any musical prowess?"

Myah chuckled. "No. I'm working on being a better swimmer so I can learn to surf and I've been doing martial arts with dad. I'm not naturally talented at anything, so that pretty much takes all my energy."

"Yo, Max!" Danny called and both Myah and Max looked up to see him standing next to a young woman with dark wavy hair. She was petite and nervously clutching a large purse. As the three adults vacated the room, Myah pulled out her homework but found herself struggling to concentrate. She assumed the woman was the little girl's aunt. Myah's heart constricted again at the thought. She allowed herself to explore her own thoughts and wondered what would have happened to her if Steve had not agreed to be her guardian when her own mother had died. Her mother didn't have any siblings and her grandparents were deceased. Her father had died in a car wreck before she had been born and her mother had not stayed in contact with his family. His family was technically her family, Myah supposed uncomfortably. She hadn't even thought about those relatives for a long time and was uncomfortable with them invading her thoughts now. She was only just settling in here and figuring out the order of operations in this ohana; she didn't really want to add anything or anyone to the mix just now.

Myah recalled Nahele's opposition to Joanie getting to know her biological grandparents. She had been for it from the beginning but now she couldn't help but feel a bit hypocritical with encouraging it for Joanie and having no desire for it herself. They'd sought Joanie out, Myah reminded herself. Her father's parents certainly hadn't. Myah had seen a few pictures of her father, but noted that when the word dad came to mind, she now saw only Steve. She'd come a long way since struggling to even call him that aloud.

Danny and the woman re-entered the sitting room and sat down at the other end of the room, with Chin arriving and joining them. Myah attempted to re-focus on her homework but was unable to keep from listening in. The woman broke down in tears and needed several minutes to compose herself. Danny placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"I was just at my sister's house the other day. It was my niece's first time in the pool. Everyone was so happy."

Chin spoke up gently. "Ma'am we think whoever did this, was looking for something inside the house. Do you have any idea what that could have been?"

The woman sniffled. "They have so many nice things… I couldn't even begin to guess."

"We think that it might have been something that would have been hidden." Danny's eyes were filled with sympathy. "Did your sister ever mention anything like that?"

"No."

"Family Services said that… uh… you're going to take custody of your niece. How is she?"

"Thank God, she's too young to understand what's going on."

Myah felt tears press against her lids as she listened.

"But one day, she's going to want to know who did this to her parents. I want to be able to give her an answer."

Both men nodded and Myah's heart swelled with pride. They were such amazing people who carried such a burden and got so little thanks in return. When it was finally time to follow Danny out to the car, she felt emotionally drained.

"Alright, MJ, what sounds good for lunch?"

"I'm not really hungry." This was unusual for her as she was generally more likely to eat her feelings than starve herself. "Your job is really hard."

"Yeah. Yeah it is. I just remember that what we're doing is bringing people like Alani and that little girl answers, and hopefully making sure that the bastards that did this, never do it again."

Myah nodded.

"That being said… if I don't eat and get rest, and generally fill my own cup, I'm no good to anyone, so we're getting lunch. You liked that gyro place by the palace?" At Myah's nod, he said, "Let's swing by there then."

It turned out a bowl of rice, lamb, cabbage and sauce did wonders for tempting the appetite and Myah found she was able to finish nearly the whole thing. Once back at the palace, she worked on her homework and messaged back and forth with Delia to discuss their project. She quickly set her phone to silent after getting the side eye from Danny after the hundredth notification. They'd been there for about an hour when Chin knocked on Danny's door. After a brief discussion, Danny poked his head back into the office.

"We've got to go out for a while babe. Finish your homework and then that project is still waiting for you." He indicated the offensive pile on his desk.

Myah poked her lower lip out. "Can't I please go with you?"

"Not this time."

"Okay." She needed to use the bathroom and so got up to follow him out the door.

Chin was standing at the desk in the main area. He smiled. "You stay put, kid and behave yourself. I have oatmeal cookies in my office if you want to help yourself."

"I definitely will." Chin's wife Malia was another one of Myah's favorite people and after suffering a gunshot to the head earlier that summer she was still recuperating at home while doing outpatient physical and occupational therapy. She had turned to baking in her free time and Chin had complained that if she didn't go back to work soon, he was going to have to go up a size in pants.

Once settled back in Danny's office, Myah tried to make the time pass by alternating between doing a page of the proofreading, a page of homework and five pages of Hunger Games. This worked out fairly well until she got distracted texting with Delia. Delia updated her on school and wanted to continue to work on their project.

"I'll message you what I have." Myah texted.

"This would be easier if we could meet in person. You said I could come to your house?" Delia responded.

"Yeah, but right now I'm at my dad's work. Iolani Palace."

"I can take the bus there. We can work outside."

Myah considered the proposal. It would certainly be easier to work together in person. She couldn't recall anyone specifically saying that she couldn't go outside.

"We can work inside."

"I feel weird coming inside your dad's work."

"Okay. Text when you're here and I'll meet you outside."

Delia must have been close because it seemed only minutes later that she was messaging confirmation of her arrival. Remembering his offer, Myah ran into Chin's office and grabbed a cookie for herself and one for Delia. She paused briefly, admiring the wedding picture Chin had framed on his desk. She also remembered that of her keepers, he had specifically been the one to tell her to stay put. Remembering also what Danny had said earlier, she decided that to be on the safe side, she would text him her location, as soon as she and Delia found a place to sit.

Delia was waiting directly outside the doors of the palace and happily took Myah's offering of the cookie. "This is where your dad works?"

"It's his office. He works all over."

"Wow." Delia was impressed. "I saw a bench around the side of the building. We can work there."

"Okay." The girls immediately delved into work on their project, with Delia confirming that the other members of their group had continued to put zero effort into contributing.

"And Rachel's pretty much admitted she's the one who set you up."

"She admitted it?"

"Well…" Delia backpedaled. "As much as she could without implicating herself. It was definitely her, but she hasn't come out and admitted it."

"I'm going to need hard evidence." Myah said.

"You can tell you're a cop's kid."

"When I get back, if we can get her to implicate herself, then there's no way she'll be credible to her aunt and your mom's job should be safe."

"Like, I said, you're definitely a cop's kid."

"Myah!" Both girls looked up, startled at Chin's voice. Myah noted with a sinking feeling that the normally easy going detective did not look happy.

"Uh… hey, Uncle Chin."

Quickly taking in the scene, Chin stood in front of them. When he spoke, his voice was calm, but judging from the glint in his eyes, Myah could guarantee that was for Delia's sake.

"What are you doing?"

"This is Delia. We're partners on a project at school. We're just working on our project."

"I should be going though." Delia spoke up, sounding spooked. "I need to catch the bus. I'll call you later, Myah." The girl quickly gathered up her belongings and made a beeline towards the sidewalk.

Myah stared after her and had the brief thought that as nice as the girl was, she did seem to have a habit of leaving Myah to take the heat. She slowly turned to face Chin, who was on his phone. He waved an arm and began to herd her back towards the front door. Danny rounded the corner before they got there and joined the procession. The lower floor was still crowded with people and Danny waited until the elevator opened on H50 level to speak.

"MJ, what is the matter with you?!"

"I was just outside!" Myah responded, stung.

"What did we just talk about this morning?"

"But I told you where I was. I texted you. I…" Myah froze with a sinking feeling. Panicked, she quickly pulled out her phone and saw several missed calls. "I swear I meant to text you. I was just going to see where we were going to sit to study first. And I forgot."

"And your phone is now silent, apparently?"

"I put it on silent when you were still in your office." She shifted back and forth uncomfortably. "I was just outside. I promise, I wasn't going anywhere else."

Chin spoke up this time, his voice strained. "Myah, you got a little taste of our job this morning. We see the worst of the worst. So imagine what goes through our minds when you or anybody we care about goes MIA."

Myah felt horrible. She had truly screwed up and after what she had seen and even felt that morning, she couldn't blame them for being furious. "I'm so sorry. Should I… Are you going to…"

"Probably not." Danny understood her stumbling words. "When I couldn't find you, the first thing I did was message your dad."

Myah didn't mean to, as she felt beyond regretful, but she couldn't help but give Danny a look of betrayal. There was a tall stool behind her and she felt her body give way to sitting on the flat surface. She curled up into her familiar ball, doing her best to shut out the world.

The door to the stairs leading to the main level opened which did not bode well for her. If Steve had taken the stairs instead of the elevator it meant his mood was so heightened that he had not been able to tolerate something as simple as standing in an enclosed elevator. She felt his presence but kept her eyes tightly closed.

"You better look at me, young lady." His voice was just as stern as she'd expected and she felt her stomach quiver. Taking a deep breath, she obeyed him but was unable to hold his gaze. She was quite certain her inner misery was fully reflected on the outside.

And what could she say? She couldn't have reflected on her actions any more than if she'd had her nose in the corner. After witnessing the tragic events of the morning, she couldn't blame Danny or Chin an ounce for panicking when not only had she not been where they'd left her, but hadn't answered her phone.

"My office. Now." Steve's tone was clipped.

Myah didn't respond but immediately slid off the stool and turned towards the glass door.

"Steve…" Chin's low voice seemed to hold a gentle caution.

"She knows the rules, Chin."

When Myah pushed open Steve's office door, she took the briefest of looks behind her and saw the three men sharing looks. She sat down heavily on the small couch and put her head in her hands and wondered briefly if they could communicate without speaking. She had no doubt Steve and Danny could, as she'd seen them do it.

If the men were actually conversing aloud now, she couldn't hear them and certainly wasn't going to stand up and look. Regardless, that didn't mean the office was soundproof and the only thing Myah could find to possibly be thankful about during this situation was that Chin and Danny were the only ones in the office. Of course, that could all change with the push of an elevator button, she thought bitterly.

Steve entered and immediately closed the door behind him. He looked substantially calmer, Myah noted but was unsure what that meant for her.

Folding his arms across his chest, Steve perched on the outer edge of his desk. "You just can't seem to keep yourself out of trouble, can you, kid?"

Myah felt tears start to trickle down her face. "No. But I honestly didn't mean to. I was going to text Uncle Danny and then I just got caught up in talking to Delia. And I understand why that scared him and Uncle Chin. I saw what your job can be like today and honestly, I would never scare them on purpose. I'm so sorry."

Steve nodded. "I am glad to hear that. That tells me a lot." He gently pulled Myah to her feet and took her place on the couch. "Let's get this over with."

"Here?" Myah didn't know why she bothered, as she had fully expected a trip over his knee the moment she'd heard he was on his way.

"I told you." He gently but firmly guided her over his lap. "I'm not using my belt because I believe you when you say it was an accident, but I still expect you to remember and to make sure there's not a next time. You understand me?"

"Yes, sir." Myah managed to say, her throat already tightening with the horrible anticipation that came from feeling his strong knees against her stomach and the vulnerability of her backside in the air. Considering she'd never received so much as a smack prior to living on the island, she had now lost track of how many times Steve had blistered her bottom. Regardless, she was never quite prepared for how much the first swat always hurt, and yelped when Steve's hard right hand connected with the right side of her butt. In this semi-public setting, she was determined to stay quiet, but it appeared that Steve did not share her opinion regarding technique, and she was certain the sound of her spanking could be heard all over the building.

Steve had said he wasn't going to use his belt, and Myah was thankful, but as the heat spread across her backside and he tipped her forward to access the tender underflesh of her bottom, she decided she could no longer tell any difference. She was exceedingly thankful he hadn't bared her bottom and credited the office setting for that, but was starting to think that he was going to make up for it, in time spent. She started to squeal and kick a little as he alternated spanking her butt cheeks, as well as her upper thighs.

When he finally stopped, Myah was almost gasping for breath and allowed herself to remain across his lap in an attempt to calm herself. Steve gently rubbed her back. Finally she sat up and rubbed at her swollen eyes. He wrapped his arms around her and she collapsed against his chest.

"I really did try to be good, Dad. I had every intention…" She was surprised to hear a soft rumble of laughter from the depths of his chest.

"I know, kid. I know."

"Are Uncle Danny and Uncle Chin so so mad at me?"

"I don't think so." Steve shook his head. "You scared them, because they love you." He emphasized his words with a squeeze that made her yelp. "But no, I think they probably feel worse about this than you do. It's a good thing I am not a man easily swayed."

Myah couldn't help but scoff at this.

"Go apologize and let them know you're still alive."

Myah stood up stiffly and feeling thoroughly embarrassed stepped back out into the main office. Steve was close behind her.

"Oh my gosh, are you done?" Danny snapped. "I thought you said you were going to go easier on her than you normally do. Come here." He pulled Myah into a hug while Steve rolled his eyes.

"She's clearly alive and walking."

"Don't be mad at him." Myah told Danny, mumbling into his shirt. "Not everyone is lucky enough to have a daughter like Grace."

Danny just shook his head and held her close.

"I'm really sorry Uncle Danny. I promise with all my heart I meant to text you where I was."

"I know MJ. It's okay." He finally released her and Myah turned to face Chin.

"I totally get if you don't want me to hang out with you tomorrow." Her voice wobbled slightly.

"Hey." Chin tapped her cheek. "You think you're the first person in this office to make a mistake? Don't forget who trained me. You know how many times your Dad was the recipient of the dreaded: Wait until your father gets home?"

"Hey!" Steve protested. "We are not talking about me here."

"Oh I think we should…" Chin joked and tucked Myah into a gentle side hug. She let out a breath of relief and was happy to rest against him, beyond thankful to be out of the limelight, at least for the moment.

H50 H50 H50

"For those of you that did not turn in a rough draft today, you have lost your chance at the bonus credit. I expect everyone's drafts by Friday."

Nahele scowled into his desk and waited for Haukea to make her usual snide comment. As expected she turned around and shook her head at him. "You know that was a really generous bonus credit to waste. And this is not a hard project. My rough draft is pretty much the completed project."

For a girl, she had a very punchable face, Nahele thought. He knew if he said anything, it was going to be cruel and so kept his mouth shut. He wished like anything she would choose to do the same."

"I know your adopted dad is more than just an average cop. I can't figure out why he doesn't care that you're getting crappy grades. Does he care about your adopted sister's grades? Because she's a haole?"

The bell had yet to ring, but Nahele chose what he felt was the better part of valor and stood up and exited the classroom. He heard the teacher call his name, but didn't look back. His breath was shallow and he made his way aimlessly towards the gym, praying J would be available to go crush balls with him again. He found his friend in the gym and the red haired teenager waved him over. "Behind the maintenance shed." J said softly. "It's that MMA club vs the football team. You in?"

Nahele didn't stop to ask what the rules were or if any supervision was going to be part of the event, only let out a sigh of relief and nodded. As it turned out the captain of the football team and the young coach from the MMA gym were friends and they did lay out a few ground rules.

"Which team are you on?" Noa, the captain of the football team asked, while handing out mouth guards.

"I fight for myself." He felt J slap him on the shoulder and Noa shrugged.

"That's cool. We'll figure out whose kid you are, anyway."

Nahele's eyes flashed. Years ago, Noa had lived on the same street as he and his family had. "The hell does that matter?"

"It matters." Noa's smile was sly but not vindictive. "You know… do we call you Huikala or McGarrett."

"Guess we will."

H50 H50 H50

Author's note: Happy early Friday H50 family. First, thank you as always for taking the time to read and review, as well as send some really sweet messages. It makes my day without a doubt. I honestly wasn't sure where this chapter was going to go, but that can be kind of fun when it happens. The crime is loosely based around season 4 episode 3. I actually felt really sorry for Myah in this chapter. Getting a spanking in the office… whose idea was that?! Lol. Have a great weekend!