Chapter 16

Hey guys, here' another one. hoping that the last chapter will be posted to tomorrow.

...

"Tears are words that should be written."

..

And everything happens for a reason
It's all a blessing in disguise
I used to question who I was
But now I see
The answer's in your eyes

Two days before Christmas now, the guys had gone to the woods to get a better tree, with a chain saw, no doubt Steve's brilliant idea, but Danny's dad was game. Danny grumbled as usual, being the law enforcer to the end, but went along anyway. The house was full by now, some had to share rooms, Danny's two sisters and their husbands had joined them in preparation for Christmas. Hastings and his family had also joined them today, but since they lived in New jersey, they could come and go every day until Christmas.

Laura felt overwhelmed to have so many friends all of a sudden like that. To have a family in ten year, she had forgotten what it felt like. It was exhilarating and trying to stomp her heart to make it not be so hopeful was becoming really difficult.

She really needed the shopping though, the two-courtroom outfit that Steve had purchased for her and the one Danny had managed to steal for her were the only civilian clothes she had. Tani and Rachel had later loaned her some nice clothes. Now, Danny's female family and friends were dragging her to a shopping spree, and she didn't have a single cent to her name. It would be a while before she was able to access or even claim the trust fund her parents had been saving for her before they died. She was happy today, the high vibe from the girls rubbing off on her. She had been treated to a spar treatment, all the women taking their luxury time while the men saw to whatever handy work they could do back home. Then they had gone shopping, almost everyone needed winter clothes in the cold Jersey weather, but Laura more than anyone. They shared stories with her as if they had been all friends for a long time. Grace was such a sweet girl and intent on giving her a makeover. Tani, Rachel, Stephanie and Bridget had become fast friends. She could laugh now; she could not believe how easy it was to laugh now. Since the Ski trip two days ago, it seemed something had broken in her, her walls, he armor had been chipped away and now she was left vulnerable again, she almost felt like her old self ten years ago. She would never have believed that she could get that innocent, vulnerable and happy girl back, but she could feel herself melting.

They walked into the warmth of the house with their shopping bags, laughing, and she was one of them, laughing too. They all stopped to gaze in awe at the magnificent tree the man had got. It was huge, touching the roof of the first floor.

"Great, the girls are back. Come join us redecorate this monstrosity." Danny's Dad grumbled. He talked like Danny. Steve was perched high on a ladder fixing the lights. He looked down and winked at her, she felt all warm inside and smiled back at him.

"Hey, why don't you come up here and stick this star up top, can't reach it, I'm afraid." Steve said, with a naughty smile.

Now, Laura was getting ideas about a mistletoe she shouldn't have, but Steve's eyes told her that he was thinking of the same thing. She could not remember when she had last decorated their Christmas tree at home, she had taken it all for grunted, thinking that she would always be doing it all the time. Fate had ruled otherwise, or rather, the CIA Deputy Director had. But now she had been given a brand-new start, and she would love to decorate this Christmas tree, place that star on top of it and maybe get a kiss under the mistletoe on Christmas day. She had always wanted too much, and now she was starting again. The girls had rushed in to help with the decorations and she took her first step towards that she shouldn't have.

Christmas day was a frenzy of exciting activities, they played ball, they shared stories, the festivities were great. It was a full house of family, friends and new beginnings. Christmas this season had not been what Steve could have ever imagined. It had started off really rough for him, but the sun was rising. He kissed his new beginning under a mistletoe and Jersey could not have been better.

….

Six months later-

The man entered the McGarrett house as stealthily as he did everything. No one was in the house today, they were all at the beach, the Five 0 Commander, his team and his now girlfriend, Dr Laura Mallory. He had been staking them out for a whole month now. He knew their routines, and today, they were playing at the beach. After that they would all come in and have a barbecue, typical Saturday afternoon for them. It was perfect, he needed them all in one place. Can't have multiple accidents targeting the same group of people, it wouldn't look legit.

The man moved around the house, gloves on, carefully setting up the perfect gas leak accident that will unfortunately kill the whole of the Governor's task force and the recently newsworthy Doctor Mallory.

…..

In an office in Washington, the CIA Director sat at his desk waiting for the call to confirm a certain tragic accident in Hawaii. It was time to tie up loose ends. His phone rang and he answered with anticipation.

"Look inside your top desk drawer." The voice said, a woman's voice.

Not the call he was expecting at all.

"Sorry, who is this?" He asked politely, burying his impatience. One didn't get to the top like he had by displaying every emotion he was feeling.

"Just look in the top drawer and you tell me." The voice said.

The Director impatiently complied, just to get it over with. Whoever she was, she had to be somebody because not just anybody called on this number. He found a large envelope and impatiently took it out.

"An envelope." He said.

"Look inside. Do I really need to tell you everything?"

The Director drew out the papers and froze. "Who the hell are you?" His voice was considerably less bored now.

"I'm your shadow, I know everything. That information, you're welcome to keep it. There's more where that came from."

"Is this some kind of shake down?" The Director scoffed. "I want you to know this, whoever you are. You are less than a nut to me and I'll find you." He threatened on the phone.

The voice laughed, "Then you'll be happy to know that I'm not the only nut."

"How much do you want?"

"I want you to call off your hit."

"What?"

"You heard me. The moment any one of those people is hurt, this gets out."

"You've got to be kidding me. I don't know of any…"

"If they die in a gas blast, or a car accident, a random shoot out, whatever freak accident you have in mind. This gets out. I swear to God it won't take even a minute to release."

"They've all got very dangerous jobs; anything can happen without my involvement."

"Well congratulations then, their lives have just become your responsibility. If they die of a Coronary heart disease or cancer, this gets out!"

"That's hardly fair."

"You've hardly been fair in your dealings either Director. If you still want to enjoy life as you know it, make the call."

Then the line went dead. This phone of his was untraceable, but the downside of it was, he couldn't trace any calls that came through it. The Director almost banged his fist on his desk with frustration but managed to control himself. He had been checkmated this time, but he'll find the nut!

He made the call.

….

Steve was in high spirits as he ushered his friends into his house, just coming from a fun day at the beach. The whole Ohana was there and he hadn't felt freer in a long time. Laura had a lot to do with it. She was like a ray of sunshine in his recently gloomed up world. But he lived each day wondering when they were going got come for her. When this whole happy bubble was going to end.

He went into his kitchen and froze. He picked a piece of rubber from the floor, something that he quickly recognized from his time in the service with the Navy. But how did something like this get into his house? He suddenly went cold as he searched the whole kitchen for more evidence, he turned up nothing.

He stuck his head out to the living room,

"Hey Danny, can you come in here for a sec?"

Danny just took one look at the poorly concealed fear on his face and got up, no snarky comment or anything.

"You ok?"

Steve put the heel of his hand on his forehead, a sign of his despair and spun around , facing the sink. He didn't say anything.

"Steve? You didn't just call me in here to turn your back on me did you?" Danny said.

Steve spun back around and handed the piece of rubber to Danny.

"Am I supposed to know what this is?"

"I recognize it from when I was in Afghanistan. It's rare but…"

"Steve?" Danny prompted, worried about Steve's behavior.

"It's used to make a special kind of bomb. Not easily traceable. The blast can be blamed on just about anything as this doesn't leave any evidence after the blast." Steve explained. He looked into Danny's eyes, seeing the horror that mirrored his.

"You sure? There's a bomb in here?" Danny asked in alarm.

"It's no longer here. I searched everywhere. It looks like… they changed their minds."

"Changed their minds. Steven…We interrupted them; you mean?"

"They had set it up, alright. But it looks like they had to undo everything in a hurry. This little piece is the only evidence left that they were even here. Without this we could have never known."

"Why would they change their minds? They are not the types to change their minds about taking out a target. What the hell is going on?"

"I've no idea. And that's what's killing me. The not knowing what the hell I'm supposed to be fighting!" Steve said in frustration.

"They're here Danny. They are here for her." Steve said, his voice betraying the fear in his heart. The thing was, if he knew where to hit, he would have dealt with this along time ago. But these people were shadows, he had nowhere to start.

"They are here for you too, Steven. Hell, they are here for all of us. And from the moment we rescued her, we knew this was coming. It was only a matter of time." Danny said.

Steve could hear Laura's laughter from the Living-room, he suddenly felt bereft of strength and took the stool in his kitchen, leaning his head in his hands.

"I'll call the bomb squad to do a sweep, but they won't find anything. Should I run? Do you think I should take her away and run? Go somewhere? Leave the country?"

"I doubt there's anywhere you're going to run they won't find you if they want to, because you don't even know who you're running from or what you'd be running to." Danny said.

"I can't…I can't lose her now Danny. What am I going to do?"

Danny sighed and took the stool next to him. "Nothing. What can you do?" Danny said. "Listen, they withdrew. Who knows why? All I know Steve is we've been living by faith from the moment we rescued her. Whatever has been preserving her all this time, from prison to this moment here, has preserved her again, today. We're just instruments in protecting her Steve and we do our part."

"I just…don't even want to imagine…I feel so helpless. What can I do?" Steve continued to lament.

"You take each day as it comes. Give it everything you've got, grab everything as if there's no tomorrow. You've been given another chance to love her. Tomorrow has not been promised us anyway. But live like you have forever. Don't let fear ruin it for you."

"Grab everything today as if there's no tomorrow but live like I've got forever." Steve said with a smirk, he suddenly felt light again. "You've got a twisted philosophy Danno, but it makes sense to me."

…