Author's note: Hi all, thank you so much for the encouragement to continue Myah's adventures. I can't wait to see what she's up to and how they are all adjusting. Hope everyone is doing well! Enjoy and let me know what you think, good or bad, as always!

Chapter 1

"How do you sleep? Side, stomach or back?" Myah McGarret looked expectantly at her recently adopted brother Nahele, who in response gave her an eye roll.

"Stomach. And this is stupid."

Myah pursed her lips at him before moving on to the next question. "Do you sleep hugging a pillow or a stuffed animal, yes or no?"

"No. What do they think, I'm six?"

"Is your room an escape? Yes or no?"

"It's about to be, assuming you don't follow me in there."

"I'll take that as a yes." Myah marked the box on her phone. "There's a vase next to your bed. What is it filled with?"

"The only reason I'd have a vase by my bed would be to have something to throw at you."

"Not an option. Your choices are colored pencils, flowers that remind you of someone, candy or interesting sticks or stems?"

"That just sounds like a mess." Steve McGarrett said, choosing that moment to walk in the door. He deposited 2 large bags onto the table.

"Thank God." Nahele muttered.

"Oh, you're not done, we're just going to table this for now." Myah informed him. She happily accepted the container of thai chicken curry from Steve. "Does everyone want water?" Noting their quick nods she quickly filled two more glasses with water. She was pretty sure the takeout bag had plastic silverware tossed inside but as usual she noticed Nahele grabbing regular silverware from the drawer. She was curious why, but decided she was already toeing the line with him and so accepted it without a word.

"What are you guys doing?" Steve asked, once they'd all dug into the thai takeout.

"Nothing." Nahele rolled his eyes at Myah. "She thinks I need a room makeover. I don't."

Myah poked her lower lip out. "But you do. I got one when I moved in and granted yours isn't nearly as… out of style as mine was, but we could still at least paint. What's your favorite color?"

"I don't know… red?"

"Okay good. I think there was actually a color question in this quiz." Myah pulled her phone back out and began to scroll through the quiz. "I can't find it. But here, we left off with picking a blanket. Would you choose… An afghan made by an old or deceased relative…" she wrinkled her nose slightly, "a silk lined faux fur throw," she shook her head at the tongue twister, "or a plain white or gray comforter?"

"Gray comforter." Nahele and Steve answered at the same time.

"What is that?" Steve asked.

"It's a quiz to help you figure out your style in the bedroom."

Steve almost choked on his water at her choice of words and Nahele rolled his eyes towards the ceiling. "I hope that's not what you googled."

"What… Oh, nice guys, real mature. Bedroom decor style."

"And the quiz didn't start with asking what colors he likes?" Steve looked suspicious.

"Uh… no. But I asked. Nahele would you be mad if I just painted your room and surprised you?"

"Yes. When I get home tonight it better be the same color I left it."

"Fine." Myah grumbled.

Steve was in the process of making coffee and looked amused by the conversation. He glanced over at Nahele. "You're going out tonight?"

"Uh… yeah." Nahele looked suddenly unsure. "I was. Is that okay?"

"Yeah." Steve responded quickly. "I want you to hang out with friends. Where are you going?"

"Just going to hang out with Ryan and Joel. At Joel's."

"Okay," Steve nodded. "Home by midnight. You can text me if you need a ride." He set a steaming mug of coffee down onto the table and sat back down with them. "I know we really haven't had a chance to talk about things like that, now that you're here full-time. Now that you're mine. I know Reilly had some rules."

"Yeah, he did." Nahele acknowledged. "We had to text if we were going to miss dinner. And no illegal activity." He grinned slightly at this.

Myah rolled her eyes. "High standards."

Nahele shrugged. "You'd be surprised."

Steve eyed him. "What do you think's fair? For you?"

"You mean for rules?" Nahele shifted in his seat, looking uncertain.

"Yeah. I'm not budging on midnight because nothing good happens after 12. But what do you think?"

"I don't know. I'd have to think about it."

"Okay. As Myah says, we'll table this for now. Think about it though and we'll talk tomorrow night. You too, kid." Steve looked over at Myah. "Not just rules, but things you'd like to see happen in our family."

Nahele nodded and then noted a text signaling his friend's arrival. He quickly disposed of his trash and placed his silverware in the dishwasher.

"See you guys."

"Be good." Steve cuffed him gently on the shoulder.

Nahele locked eyes with Myah. "Stay out of my room."

She made a face at him. "I will." She waited until she heard the front door slam and then turned back to Steve. "So do you want to know my opinion on the rules too?"

Steve leaned back in his chair and stretched, his hands locked behind his neck. "I'm pretty sure I already know your opinion on the rules. But you're welcome to share."

"Well… I don't think it's fair that I have to be in bed by ten and he doesn't even have to be home until midnight."

"Just because it's different doesn't mean it's unfair."

"So… you're going to treat us differently?"

"Yeah. You're different people."

Myah hesitated. She felt unsure about what he meant but her confidence in how much he cared about her had grown exponentially, as well as the certainty that she could talk to him about anything. She stood and tossed her trash into the can. "Does he get more freedom because he's a better kid than I am?"

"No. Come here."

Myah didn't initiate it, but wasn't surprised when he pulled her onto his lap, actually welcoming the gesture. She still felt that she was far too big and too old for it but the security it brought her was undeniable.

"I know you guys are close, but fourteen is very different than sixteen. When you're driving and working, so long as you continue to earn my trust, I'll loosen the reins on you too. Besides if there's something specific you need to stay up late for, I'll probably say yes."

"Ok, good." Myah shot him a cheeky grin. "I'd like to stay up late tonight to specifically watch tv."

"Very funny. No."

"Are we going to train?"

Steve smiled. "I'll always say yes to that."

It was about 20 minutes later that Myah found herself outside quickly stretching. She loved Thai food but had quickly learned that portion control was important if she was going to be able to train comfortably afterwards. Steve had not been sympathetic the last time her stomach had cramped up and the discomfort had been an incentive to avoid overeating.

"Let's roll kid. Let me see your front roll. Both sides."

Myah felt significantly more comfortable rolling over her right shoulder, but Steve was insistent that she be comfortable rolling both directions. They hadn't had a chance to go to his martial arts dojo yet but Steve was determined that she start to learn the basics and according to him that meant being able to roll and fall. He was a good teacher and after several days worth of lessons, Myah was feeling fairly confident with the basic front, side and back rolls. The grass-covered ground was not particularly forgiving and if she did not follow his instructions exactly she occasionally ended up with bruises on her back.

"Shoulder to hip." he murmured quietly, as a reminder. "Keep your legs in tight. Good girl."

"My body isn't going to know what to do when this is on a padded mat."

"This is better. The ground will keep you from forming bad habits and you'll be able to roll safely no matter where you are. I never know what kind of terrain I'm going to roll on if I'm chasing somebody."

Myah nodded seriously, then smiled briefly. "I'll keep that in mind the next time I'm running from the cops."

"Very funny. You want to play tag?"

"What happens if you catch me? Or should I say when?"

Steve laughed. "I don't know. I'll have to give you incentive to be faster next time I guess."

"Yeah, no thank you then."

"Okay, face away from me. I'm going to push you. Relax and roll. When you come up, have those hands up, ready to fight."

"Are we going to fight?"

"Not yet."

Almost an hour and a half later, Myah lay on the ground, after what seemed like her hundredth breakfall. She had practiced rolling from a push, and then Steve had started teaching her how to dive roll over low thresholds and then how to breakfall. On his instruction she had started her break falls from a regular roll and then had progressed to him throwing her. Being thrown was a whole new experience and while he had gone slow it had still been scary. She trusted Steve entirely though and even through her fear of being thrown was cognizant of him supporting her neck, just to ensure her safety. She was exhausted and felt like she had just taken a dip in a pool, she was so soaked with sweat.

"Did you break her?" Danny's voice could be heard from his position on the patio.

"No." Steve scoffed, before reaching down a hand and pulling Myah to her feet. He tousled her hair. "Good job, kid."

"Thank you." Dad, Myah added silently. Her adoption was official but use of the paternal title still felt a little odd. She tried to at least make use of it in her own mind, hoping that eventually it would become second nature. "Hi, Uncle Danny. Want a hug?" Knowing that she was filthy with a combination of sweat, grass and dirt she teasingly held out her arms.

"Yeah sure. Right after you shower, you get in these arms." he responded firmly. He looked over at Steve. "Chin's on his way."

Myah left them on the patio and ran upstairs to shower, grabbing her phone from the counter on the way. It read 830 and also showed a text from the group chat she had started with Danny's daughter Grace and Sam, the daughter of another 5-O team member. Sam was hoping they could get together the following day at an outlet mall. Grace had texted her approval to the plan and Myah responded that she would ask and let them know. Asking permission was one of the rules after all, at least for her.

She stepped into the shower and began lathering up her long dark hair, pondering things briefly. Was Nahele really that much more responsible than she was? She had to admit to herself that he was much less likely to push boundaries. She'd bet money that he would be home well before his midnight curfew. But he also had lived a long time with the underlying concern that he would go to jail if he stepped over the line. Steve had literally destroyed the paperwork that detailed that thread but Myah wondered if Nahele truly believed it. She for one, did. She had known in her heart of hearts that Steve would never let anything happen to Nahele from the moment she had met him. Regardless, she was certainly no stranger to the heart being unwilling to accept reality.

Myah pulled on some comfy black joggers and a turquoise t-shirt before heading back downstairs. She heard Steve, Danny and Chin's voices from the study. She quickly cut herself up an apple and added a scoop of peanut butter to the bowl, before making her way into the living room. Chin gave her a quick wave, and a few minutes later the men joined her in the living room.

"You guys want coffee?" Steve asked, hardly waiting for the affirmative response before heading into the kitchen.

"Hey what's this, babe?" Danno sat down next to Myah, putting his arm around her and touseling her still damp hair. "You hungry or something?"

"Yeah… yummy protein." Myah waved the apple slice with peanut butter on the end of it, in front of his face.

"Protein, huh? So he's got you doing martial arts now?"

"Yeah. I'm learning how to do rolls and how to fall, right now."

"Looked like you had a nice comfy place to land out there."

Myah snorted. "No. But if I do it like he tells me, I land right, and it doesn't hurt."

"Hmm… sounds like a metaphor for life." Chin sat down on her other side and reached for an apple slice. "May I?"

"Of course."

"That's cool that you guys are doing that together." Chin said.

"Yeah, I can't imagine a better way to bond… than beating each other up in the backyard. Not that I'm surprised considering whose house this is." Danny looked pointedly at Steve as he entered the room carrying steaming mugs of coffee. Steve smiled at Danny, clearly not taking offense at his words.

"You should let Grace join us, Danno. Last I checked she has a pretty good right hook."

"Yeah, don't remind me. Because what every parent likes is to get a call from the school telling you your daughter's been in a fight."

"Wait, what?" Myah looked at him in amazement. "Grace? Oh, I am getting this story from her tomorrow."

"You guys hanging out tomorrow?" Danno took a sip of coffee and nodded approvingly.

"Oh." Myah looked up at Steve. "I still needed to ask, is it okay if I go to the mall with Grace and Sam tomorrow?"

"Yeah." he answered. "You guys got a ride?"

"Sam said her mom would take us."

"Okay."

"I'm glad you girls are hanging out." Danny said. "Grace has a lot of school friends, but I feel like she hasn't truly connected with anyone."

"We're kindred spirits." Myah assured him. "Sam too, I think."

"Three musketeers, huh?" Chin smiled.

"Maybe… we're thinking tomorrow we should get a tattoo or a piercing to celebrate our friendship…" Myah smiled mischievously, as Danny nearly choked on his coffee.

"Okay, you're grounded." he said firmly.

"What?!" Myah protested. "You can't ground me, can you?"

They both looked at Steve who was perched on the rolling office chair he had pulled into the living room. "Yes, he can."

"Ah, see." Danny cuffed her gently across the back of the head, while Myah huffed in offense.

"I'm just kidding anyway." she told him. "We're all very responsible when we're together. I'm only irresponsible with myself."

Steve's eyebrow raised. "That is not what I like to hear."

"Oh…" Myah hastily tried to back pedal. "I feel like that came out wrong. Uh…uh…" She tried to think quickly of how to clarify her statement but nothing came to mind. The reality was she did feel more responsible when with the other girls. They had connected quickly, having several things in common. They had all been uprooted from the mainland, albeit for different reasons, to find new homes in Hawaii. Their fathers were in law enforcement, and that made for a family dynamic that few outside the life could understand. Neither of the other girls had lost a parent, but Myah felt they had experienced enough loss themselves to provide an empathy that she had not experienced from any other friend. They were both younger, as Myah had just turned 14, Sam was 13 and Grace was only a few months short of 13. Sam was straight forward and could be counted on to speak her mind, although was not unkind about it. Myah appreciated knowing that Sam would not beat around the bush. Grace was quieter and a bit more of a people pleaser. She was incredibly loyal and someone Myah knew she could count on. With their mix of personalities, Myah felt that with their heads together they could tackle just about any problem and she had every intention of going on some fabulous adventures with them. Myah felt that she had taken on the role of protector of the group. She supposed the feeling stemmed from losing her mom and the anxiety she now carried about losing someone else that she cared about, but regardless, she was determined to do all in her power to keep her friends safe.

She also couldn't deny that when she was alone, she found her anxiety much harder to keep at bay, and even common sense seemed to be a little harder to come by.

Myah suddenly realized that she was still the focus of attention, her joke having landed her firmly in the hot seat. "Man, would you look at the time. I am going to responsibly head upstairs to bed." She stood from the couch and yelped when Danny popped her from behind with a pillow. "You know, I get no slack from you guys."

Chin reached up a long arm and gave her a hug. "No slack, but all the love."

"Yeah, well…" Myah couldn't help but smile as she returned his hug and then accepted a quick squeeze from Danny. She retreated into the kitchen where she carefully rinsed her bowl and placed it in the dishwasher. She noticed Steve's cell phone on the counter, lit up with the notification of a back into the living room she stopped behind Steve's chair, and bent down to wrap an arm around his neck, and give him a quick kiss on the cheek. "Good night." Dad. "Love you. Here's your phone."

"Love you too, kid. I'll be up in a minute."

"Okay." Myah paused briefly on the stairs as he was reading his message, curious as always.

"It's from Jenna Kay." Steve addressed Danny and Chin. "She's back on the island and wants to meet up with me tomorrow. Says it's important."

He didn't seem inclined to provide further information to her and Myah knew better than to delay, and so continued upstairs. She had just climbed into bed after brushing her teeth when Steve's footsteps sounded outside her door. "You sure you have time to read?" she asked hesitantly.

"Of course. It's what we do." He pulled the chair out from her desk and settled himself into it, propping his feet up on her bed. "Why? Because Chin and Danno are here?"

"Yeah, I just… feel bad if you guys need to work." Myah couldn't help but feel guilty about him taking time away from a case. She also couldn't deny that she looked forward to the evening ritual and missed it more than she wanted to admit when they had to skip it.

"Myah. Joelle. McGarrett."

"Uh… yes, dad?" Myah inwardly awarded herself points for the use of his title.

"That's not for you to worry about. You're my priority. If something happens where time is of essence and I truly don't have time, I'll let you know. Now relax." He opened the book and Myah settled back comfortably, enjoying the sound of his voice. They were reading The Princess Bride and so far she loved it. It was funny and she loved falling asleep with the images of Wesley and Buttercup's adventures playing across her mind.

Myah's room was dark. The rhythm of the surf played just outside her window, her gauzy curtains moving just slightly from the breeze through the screens. She had just started to drift into that cozy place between wakefulness and slumber. With the images of a princess and a masked man in black still in the forefront of her mind, Myah no longer feared sleep. The nightmares that used to cripple her at rest, were now what she hoped, a thing of the past. She supposed it was a combination of a solid bedtime routine that involved being read to, along with the confidence in knowing she was safe and loved, and that this was her home.

The piercing siren of an ambulance split the night's air and Myah found herself rudely jerked awake. She shifted uncomfortably trying to fall back asleep. The clock read 10:47. Myah sighed realizing she needed to use the bathroom and that trying to fall back asleep when nature called would be futile. Feeling somewhat grumpy, she stood and made her way to the bathroom. After taking care of business, she opened the door and saw Nahele quietly making his way upstairs. He looked up, meeting her gaze and gave her a little chin up in greeting.

"Hey." Myah said softly. "Look at you, golden child. Home well before your curfew I see."

Nahele rolled his eyes. "What are you doing awake anyway? You know you need all the beauty sleep you can get."

"Haha. Just so you know I have no regrets about the pink flamingo theme I decorated your room with."

Nahele actually looked mildly amused at the threat. "Then just so you know, I will have no regrets about letting Steve… I mean Dad, spank your behind."

Myah pursed her lips and shot him an offended glare. In an unspoken agreement, they both settled to the floor, their backs to the wall outside the bathroom.

"Do you think we'll ever get used to calling him that?" Myah asked in a whisper. "I still feel funny saying it most of the time."

"Yeah, me too. But I like it. Pretty soon we probably won't even think about it. It'll be weird not calling him Dad."

"I guess so. Did you have fun tonight? What'd you guys do?"

"Just played Halo mostly. Threw the football around."

"How do you know them?"

"School. They're cool guys. They want to come hang out here sometime."

"Oh, that's cool."

"Yeah, I guess it is." Nahele looked unsure. "I've never had friends over. I mean it wasn't like I was going to invite anyone to hang out at a foster home. Not that Reilly was a jerk or anything. But you can't really hang out when you've got social workers coming in and out and have random checks on the guys who are smoking who knows what."

"Yeah… I get it." Myah said frankly. "When I was younger I had a lot of friends and we had sleepovers and stuff all the time. But when my mom got sick, everything changed. She was really tired most of the time and when she started losing her hair and stuff… I think it made my friends uncomfortable. And I don't blame them, I was scared too. But I haven't had friends over in a long time either. But it feels normal here. I mean, Uncle Steve…Dad… has the team over all the time."

"I know…" Nahele looked down at his hands. "I love that. It's what started to make me feel like I had an actual family. But I've never invited anyone myself."

Myah considered this. "I guess when Grace and Sam were here for our adoption day that was the closest I've come. Oh, actually Lacey was here for a little while before Grace's mom picked us up for that hike."

Nahele snickered. "That fateful hike."

"More like the most painful hike ever. I don't completely regret it though. It did lead to all this." Myah waved her hand around, indicating their home.

"Not really. Dad had literally just met with the lawyer about adopting us before coming to pick you up…and finding out of course that you had gone off on your own little adventure."

Myah shifted uncomfortably. "You're not wrong. For once. I feel like it cemented some things in my own mind though. Steve… I mean Dad says that you learn more about yourself through hardship than comfort. If I hadn't gone through that, I might not be the confident, amazing sister you have sitting next to you today."

"Oh, right." Nahele snorted.

"Anyway, I think it'd be cool if you had friends over. I promise not to embarrass you."

"Is that possible? You're not going to make us all take stupid personality quizzes?"

"No." Myah pursed her lips at him. "Not unless you guys get bored. What do guys do when they hang out anyway?"

"Video games. Sports. Joel really wants to work out. When we lift, I smoke them and they know it's cause of working out with Dad."

Myah nodded in agreement and flexed her arm. She knew she had a long way to go, but she had started to notice a tightening in her arms and possibly some mild definition. With the amount of push ups Steve made them do, she was personally surprised her muscles hadn't already gone the Popeye route.

Nahele suddenly tensed up beside her and when Myah realized that Steve was halfway up the stairs, she sank down even further in her seat. When she had stopped to talk to Nahele it hadn't even crossed her mind that she was disobeying Steve's bedtime rule. This was the first time since she'd been adopted and it was a milestone she had not been eager to reach.

Steve stopped a few feet in front of them and folded his arms over his chest. "Little late for a powwow, isn't it?"

Nahele immediately stood up to face him, and after some hesitation, Myah slowly did as well.

"It's my fault, dad." Nahele said. "She was just going to the bathroom and I was talking to her."

Steve looked down at his watch. "It's 2315. 75 minutes after she's supposed to be asleep. You owe me 75 burpees tomorrow morning."

Nahele nodded. "Yes sir."

"Alright. Bed."

Myah was caught off guard but hesitated only briefly before retreating into her room and climbing back into bed. She lay there in the dark, feeling fully awake. She was unsure what to think of the situation. She thought of how Nahele had immediately jumped to her defense, taking full blame for the situation. Her heart warmed at the thought of her adopted big brother, who thus far had fully lived up to his promise to both pick on her and protect her as needed. She was a little surprised however, that Steve had let her off the hook so easily. If anyone had asked, she would have told them that she was far more likely to get in trouble than Nahele and that if experience was any indication, that he had yet to really get punished for anything, while Steve had not hesitated to lay the law down on her several times since she had moved in with him. Myah snuggled deeper under her comforter and made a face at the thought of his punishment. Seventy-five burpees? It really was an awful consequence, even for someone as strong as her brother. She sighed, still uncomfortable with how the situation had played out. It just didn't seem fair. Sleep was starting to make her eyelids heavy, and she decided to worry about the situation in the morning.

Morning came as early as it ever did and it was a day for swimming which Myah was growing to love, as was her comfort level and skill in the surf. She still didn't usually swim out as far as Steve and Nahele did, and she doubted she could swim even half as fast as they did when they went full throttle. Swimming was followed by a variety of lunges and squats. When they finally finished Myah could feel the burn in her legs.

"Alright." Steve said as they stood next to the patio table downing water. "Finish your drinks and then someone owes me seventy-five burpees."

Nahele nodded and set his water bottle down, before moving onto the grass. He took a deep breath and flexed his wrists. Myah squared her shoulders and then moved to stand next to him.

"It's just me. Myah, it's just me." he said.

"No." she answered softly. "It wasn't just you last night, so it's not going to be just you now." She exhaled. She was determined to see this through, but had no illusions about how much this was going to suck. The most burpees she had ever done at one time was ten and that had been enough to make her question her life.

"Alright, you two." Steve said. "Is this how we're doing this?"

Myah nodded. Nahele gave her a resigned look, but the corner of his mouth quirked up a little with the hint of a smile. "Yes, sir."

"So it seems none of us operate as an island, is that what you're telling me?" Steve stepped off the patio and positioned himself on the other side of Nahele. "We'll get this done together then. Down."

When they finally finished, Myah's arms felt like jello. Her lungs burned and all she could do was lay on the ground. When she held a hand out in front of her face, she noted it to be involuntarily trembling. "That sucked." She glanced over at Nahele who also lay on the ground panting. Steve was covered in sweat but sitting up with his knees bent, appearing to be in much less discomfort than they were. He reached over and tugged on her ear. "Think about what you're doing then. I don't think you intentionally disobeyed me last night, but you still needed a lesson."

"So this was your master plan all along?"

Steve smiled. "Maybe. You better shower kid. Don't you have a trip to the mall planned?"