Chapter 20

"The Inevitable"

The metal restraints encircling Nate's wrists were constricting, but even more, they were unnecessary. Nate had been taken off guard by Steve's order to have him arrested. And for what? Failing to comply with his wishes. Steve had definitely gone too far this time. The two officers bringing Nate in didn't seem comfortable either. But they were following orders.

They ascended the stairs to Five-0 headquarters and Nate saw Steve waiting for them at the top. His mouth was set in a firm line and his eyes were unyielding. This wasn't going to be pleasant.

Steve grabbed Nate's arm. "I'll take him from here." The two officers gave the youngest McGarrett a sympathetic look. They knew the commander of Five-0.

Steve dragged his brother through the main door of headquarters. "I can't wait to hear your explanation for this."

Nate pulled his arm out of Steve's grasp. "This is ridiculous, Steve."

Steve pointed his finger at his brother. "No, ridiculous is you losing your police detail. Go sit in my office."

"No."

Steve thought he saw Nate's lip curl. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me."

Steve scowled. "Get your ass in my office or I'm gonna put it there for you." He saw something flash in Nate's eyes, but then he turned and entered the office, plopping himself on the couch.

Steve sat down in one of the chairs in the main room and rubbed the back of his neck. Those muscles ached. No, his whole body ached. He needed to sleep.

Danny had taken refuge in Chin's office. He sat on the edge of the desk while Chin leaned back in his chair. They watched and waited for Steve to finish what he had started. Five minutes passed. And before they hit ten, Danny was pacing the floor.

"How long is Steve gonna leave him in there?" Danny wondered. Just as he spoke, Steve stood and marched into his office.

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Nate looked up as Steve entered the room. "Are you here to sentence me?"

"Shut up," Steve ordered, leaning against his desk.

"You shut up," Nate countered.

"This is my office you shut up."

Nate stood. "I don't take orders from you."

Steve stepped toward his brother. "And you don't keep your word either."

Nate looked away for a moment. "I never should have agreed to this."

"Agreed to what? Being safe?"

Nate's eyes flashed. "Being under your control."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I'm surprised you let me tie my own shoes."

Steve snorted. "I'm not gonna apologize for wanting to keep you safe."

"Who said you had to keep me safe?"

Steve shook his head. "You have no idea what Keller is capable of. I've experienced it, not only from him but others like him." Nate seemed unaffected as he turned away to look out the window into the main room. "Damnit, Nate," Steve snapped, "if you ever have to face horrors like that I would never forgive myself."

"Too late," Nate mumbled.

"What?"

"It's getting late. Are you gonna take these bracelets off and let me go?"

"We're not done here."

"We were done a long time ago."

Steve stiffened. He really thought they were going to get through this. He had let a lot slide in an effort to fix their relationship, but now Nate didn't seem to care. He wasn't the same person he was last week when they went hiking. Steve didn't know what had changed. "So that's it?"

Nate didn't respond. He only stared back at his brother.

Steve stepped forward and removed the handcuffs. "Get out."

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Danny and Chin watched Nate leave headquarters. The blond detective ran a hand through his hair. "At least they didn't hit each other."

Chin looked at Danny. "I think you should go talk to Steve."

"Been there. Done that. Your turn. You know Nate better than I do. You might have something relevant to say other than my usual 'don't give up on your brother' speech."

Chin stood and walked toward the door. "I guess I can give it a shot."

"That's what I want to hear." Danny took Chin's vacated chair. "Yell if you need backup."

Chin smirked. "Thanks." He left his office and approached Steve's door. His boss was sitting behind his desk twisting a bottle of green tea in his hands. Chin knocked.

Steve set the bottle down. "Come in."

Chin entered and looked at the handcuffs that lay on the desk. "So did Nate go home?"

"No idea."

"You may not know this, but this isn't your brother's first time losing a police tail."

"What?"

"When your brother was here visiting and your dad had to go to work he paid off duty police officers to keep an eye on Nate."

"How do you know that?"

Chin raised an eyebrow. "I was one of those off duty cops."

Steve wiped a hand over his mouth. "That's why he was so upset."

"I just thought you should know."

"Thanks, Chin," Steve replied. At that moment, his phone rang and he glanced at the screen. "I have to take this." Chin nodded and Steve waited until the door closed before he answered. "McGarrett."

The voice on the other end sounded tense. "I had to dig deep for this one, but I've got something on that woman you asked me about."

"What is it?"

"She's a nasty one. One of management's favorite mechanics."

Steve frowned. He wondered how Nate could have possibly gotten himself mixed up with an assassin. Maybe he didn't know. "Any idea what she's doing in Hawaii?"

"As far as I can tell she's on vacation with her father."

"Anything on the other name I gave you?"

"Nothing really, except he sells cars to wealthy people, but I think you knew that already." He paused momentarily. "He was actually in Paris with the woman a while back, and at the same time there was a death that she was supposedly involved in, but it was only talk. There was no solid evidence."

"Who was the victim?"

"A waitress at a little café. There didn't appear to be any connection between the victim and the woman in question, except that the woman and the man had lunch together at the cafe on a few occasions."

"Why did they suspect her?"

"According to witnesses, the woman demanded the waitress be fired for being rude to her and flirting with her boyfriend."

"Her boyfriend?"

The man cleared his throat. "I'm sorry, but that's what she called him. There were inconsistencies with how the woman described the victim's behavior and how the victim's co-workers described her. Apparently, she was kind hearted and relatively shy, not the type that would be rude to a customer or flirt with a stranger."

"Was the case ever solved?"

"Yeah. The police investigated and they concluded it was an accident."

"But you don't think so."

"I think someone came in, cleaned up the mess. Made sure the woman didn't get in trouble. Look, if you plan on trying to take her down for something, I'd be careful. She has friends in dark places."

"Thanks for the info. I owe you one."

"Yeah, more like three."

The call ended. Steve tossed the phone on his desk, feeling more like throwing it against the wall.

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Steve wasn't hungry. The last place he wanted to be right now was sitting at the dinner table across from Nate. He was surprised that his brother had even come home after their confrontation that afternoon. Neither one spoke. Nor did they look at the other. All Steve could think about was Nate's involvement with Nicole Millay, and what his brother could possibly have in common with a killer.

"Daddy, can we put a light on?" Natalie asked.

Steve didn't look up from his plate. "The light's already on."

"But it's dark in here."

"Natalie, eat your dinner."

The little girl cast her gaze downward, hiding the hurt look in her eyes. He called me Natalie, she thought. What did I do? He usually asked her about school, but tonight all he said was "eat your dinner."

Natalie peeked at her Uncle Nate. Even he was grumpy. He hadn't smiled at her once. She didn't think he had eaten anything either. All he seemed to be doing was cutting his meat into a million pieces and pushing them around his plate.

Her daddy and Uncle Nate always made her feel happy and safe, but right now she struggled to get through dinner. She wished her mommy were there. She would know what was wrong. "Daddy, can I call mommy?"

The little girl's question broke into Steve's thoughts. "What?"

"Can I call mommy? I need to talk to her."

He was about to say "eat your dinner" when he noticed Natalie's troubled face. He pointed to her plate. "You finished?" She nodded quickly. "Go ahead."

The little girl left the room and the brothers immediately stood. A cautious look passed between them. The men realized they had each been waiting for Natalie to finish dinner, so they could leave the table. Steve grabbed his plate and Natalie's and headed for the kitchen. Nate left his plate and went outside.

* * * * * * H50 * * * * * *

Steve hadn't thought about how late it was for Alex when he said Natalie could call her, but he figured the little girl probably needed something that daddy couldn't give her. Besides, he knew he and Nate hadn't been very good company at the dinner table. That was probably one of the reasons she asked to call Alex.

Heading upstairs after finishing the dishes, Steve heard Natalie's voice coming from his room. He thought he heard her say something about grumpy Uncle Nate and grouchy daddy. His brows twisted together as he peered into the room.

Natalie saw him and her voice lowered to a whisper. "He's here. I think he heard me."

"Did you talk to him about it?" Alex asked.

"No, I don't think he wants to talk right now. His face is all scrunched up. Are you coming home yet? I miss you."

"This Saturday, for sure."

"That's too long."

"Do you want papa to come get you, so you can stay with him and nana for a few days?"

"Um," Natalie glanced at Steve who stood in the doorway. "I think daddy needs me."

"Why don't you let me talk to him."

Natalie sighed. "Okay. Bye mommy. I love you." She slid off the bed and held out the phone to Steve. "Mommy wants to talk to you."

He took the phone. "Get ready for bed. Then I'll read to you when I'm done."

That brought a faint smile to the little girl's lips as she left the room. Steve sat down on the bed. "Hey," he said.

"That's all I get?" Alex teased.

"Tired I guess."

"You sound it. How are you otherwise?"

"Fine."

"Hmm." She didn't believe that. "Well, just a few more days and I'll be back. Can't wait to see you."

"Mhmm."

"I miss you."

"Yeah."

"So…" she paused, "I cut my hair and I'm now a blonde."

"That's nice…" Then his brain registered what she had just said. "What. Why'd you do that?"

"Just to see if you were listening."

"So you didn't really do that?"

"No, Steve. Now tell me what's wrong."

Steve felt like an idiot. He had been thinking about other things and not paying attention to her. He could say nothing was wrong all he wanted, but Alex wouldn't believe him. "It's the end of a long day."

"Did that long day include Nate?"

"I saw him today."

"Before dinner?"

"Alex, stop interrogating me."

"I'm not. Natalie just said that you and Nate were grumpy and grouchy at dinner tonight. I just want to make sure everything's okay with you two."

Steve ran a hand over his eyes. He had to tell her something. "Things are a little difficult right now, but it'll work out."

"Okay, if you're sure."

"Yeah, it'll be fine."

"Well, I should let you go, I guess."

He was tired, but he didn't want the call to end. He just wanted to know she was still on the line, even if they didn't say anything. "Alex…"

"Yeah, I know. Love you too."

* * * * * * H50 * * * * * *

Steve sat in the darkened room beside Natalie's bed. He could hear her quiet breathing. She had been asleep for at least half an hour, but he stayed, rocking in the chair.

He recapped his conversation with Alex. She would be coming home in a few days. He hoped he would be in a better frame of mind when she came back, but that meant finding Keller, and figuring out Nate.

He fingered the prescription bottle he had found in his brother's room a couple days earlier. That wasn't the only mysterious thing about his brother. There was the accident that had caused him to miss their father's funeral, the lies and odd behavior, Nicole, and what had started it all, China.

Steve felt a sharp pain stab at his stomach and radiate outward as something occurred to him. Nate had reappeared in his life at the exact time Keller did. Was that coincidence? The two had been in China at the same time. Could it be possible that they were in league together? That could be the reason Nate didn't seem to be concerned about Keller's threats.

Those thoughts moved him from the chair. He hurried down the stairs. "Nate?" Steve called. He finally found him outside. "Nate, we need to talk."

Nate brushed past his brother trying to go inside. "We talked this afternoon."

Steve caught his arm and spun him around. "You're not walking away, changing the subject, or making excuses. I want some answers."

Nate frowned. "If this is about the police detail, I'm not talking about it anymore."

"This is about a lot of things I've let go, starting with Nicole Millay."

Nate flinched slightly, but remained silent.

"I know she's not who she pretends to be and it makes me think you're not either." Steve saw something shift in Nate's eyes, but he looked away before Steve could decipher it. "Damn it, Nate," Steve's face was lined with emotion, "your girlfriend gets paid to kill people. What is it you do that fascinates her so much? I doubt it's selling cars."

"She's not my girlfriend."

Steve put his hands on his hips. "Whatever she is, she seems to know a great deal about your sleeping habits."

Nate shifted his weight. "So what? Is that a crime?"

"It is if you're mixed up with what she's doing."

"You think I'm a murderer?"

Steve searched the darkness in Nate's eyes. "I don't know what you are."

"I'm your brother."

Steve reached into his pocket and retrieved the bottle of pills. "Then how 'bout you tell me what these are?"

Nate looked at the bottle. He had wondered where that had disappeared. "Um…it's for pain."

Steve's intense tone melted into sarcasm. "So I can take one of these and the pain in my ass will go away."

Nate grimaced. He felt like he was drowning. "No. I'll still be here."

Steve looked to his left. "How did you get hurt?"

"It was a sporting accident." Nate's answer was tentative. "I bruised…fractured…maybe broke a couple ribs."

"Let me see"

"It's fine. There's nothing to see."

"I just wanna make sure. Take your shirt off."

"I'd rather not."

"I didn't ask if you wanted to. Take it off." Steve stepped closer to Nate. "Or I'll do it for you."

Nate didn't see a way out. He pulled off his shirt, while taking a step back into a shadow. "You satisfied?"

Steve could see the wrapping that covered Nate's supposed injury. "Why don't you come into the light again and turn around."

"Come on, Steve, this is ridiculous. You've seen the bandage. No big deal."

"Turn around."

Nate hesitated, but he knew Steve would persist until he complied. He turned around. Steve's silence unnerved him. Finally, he felt a finger run over one of the vertical scars on his back.

"Where'd you get these?"

Nate thought he detected a catch in Steve's voice. "My accident. The reason I wasn't at dad's funeral." He felt Steve's finger press on the circular scar he thought had been covered by the bandage.

"What kind of accident leaves you with a gunshot wound?"

Nate stepped away and put his shirt back on. "I don't want to talk about it."

Steve ran a hand over his face. "Did Nicole do this to you? Is she holding something over you?" He grabbed Nate by the shoulders. "What aren't you telling me?" Steve forced his brother to look at him.

He hadn't noticed before, but there was something about Nate's eyes that said everything, yet nothing. It was a look he had often seen in his own eyes. A cold, aching, weariness. He had seen it after a grueling mission, after losing a team member, after coming home to the empty house his family once shared. The weariness never went away completely. He had just learned to bury it. And now it was staring back at him in the eyes of his little brother.

Steve blinked, realizing his eyes stung. He didn't know what his brother had been through that had caused that look, but before anything else was said he needed an answer to the question that had been burning in his mind for the past four years. "China, Nate. I need to know."

Nate cast his eyes downward. He felt the truth climbing up into his throat and onto his tongue. He couldn't hold it back any longer. He didn't want to. "I was… I was working with-"

"Daddy! Daddy!" The two men jumped as Natalie burst through the back door. Her red face and tear filled eyes arrested the brothers' attention. "I couldn't find you," she wailed, seizing Steve around the waist. "That man was trying to take me away from you."

Nate's heart twisted inside of him as he watched his brother scoop up the little girl.

"I called you, but you didn't come," she cried, hiding her face against Steve's neck.

Steve stroked the back of her head. "Shh, it's okay, sweetheart, it was just a bad dream. I'm here."

"But you weren't! And I couldn't find you. I thought he killed you."

"Shh, it's all right." Steve had thought Natalie was past the nightmares. "Nate, I'll be back," he assured him. "We need to finish this."

Nate only half nodded. Guilt flooded through him. Finishing their conversation would be harder because of Natalie's tearful interruption. He stared after them as they disappeared into the house, preparing himself for the inevitable.

* * * * * * H50 * * * * * *

Steve lay on his side rubbing Natalie's back as he sang a Hawaiian lullaby. Her sobs had receded and her breathing was now quiet and steady. Her grip on his shirt had loosened, and he suspected she had fallen asleep. He waited a few minutes more before gently removing her fingers from his sleeve. Then tucking in the blankets of his bed around her, he gave her a soft kiss on the top of her head.

He hated to leave her, but he was anxious to get back to his conversation with Nate. His brother had been about to tell him who he had been working with when Natalie had interrupted them. He left his door open and headed downstairs.

Nate wasn't in the living room, so Steve assumed he was still outside. He opened the door, but the backyard was empty. He had a sinking feeling. He ran through the house and yanked open the front door. Nate's car was gone and so was the answer to China.

A/N: Well, it's been a while, but I will finish this story. Thanks for reading.