As Tani and Lou kept a close watch on the marina, Steve and Danny worked their way to the lower level of the boat. It contained two bedrooms, so it wasn't long before they found two of the girls. They were handcuffed together and semi-conscious.
They startled upon seeing Steve and Danny with guns drawn.
"Sshhhhhh…It's okay We're here to help," Danny told them as he and Steve quickly holstered their weapons and began to free them from their zip ties.
"I'm Commander Steve McGarrett and this is Detective Danny Williams," Steve continued. "We're going to get you out."
As soon as Danny cut restraints from the first girl, she threw her arms around him so hard he could barely breathe. Steve took the knife from him and cut the other girl free. She followed suit and threw her arms around Steve as if her life depended on it.
"It's okay. I've gotcha," Steve whispered as he rubbed her back and tried to ease her trembling.
"You're safe now…..You're okay." Danny said to the girl clinging to him.
After several moments they were able to ease the grip the girls had on them even though they never let go. Steve and Danny continued to hold them close to give them the security they needed in that moment.
"Do you know where the other girls are?" Steve asked.
"I think in the other bedroom," Steve's girl said. She was the one who looked like "Kayla" from the pictures they'd received.
"Are you Kayla?" he asked.
She shook her head and choked back a sob.
Then looking at the other one he asked, "And you are Alyssa?"
She nodded as well.
"Okay girls…..I need for you to listen. Detective Williams and I are gonna get you out of here."
Both girls shook their heads even though they were both visibly trembling.
"Great….so I need to get the other two girls. Detective Williams is going to stay here with both of you…..and I'm going to get them out. We'll be off this boat soon."
Kayla's grip on him tightened. "Please don't leave me here!" she begged.
Steve could feel the terror in her body as she began to shake again. He tightened his hold on her. "It's gonna be okay, honey. Detective Williams is gonna stay right here with you…..and we have this entire place surrounded with the HPD Swat Team and the rest of my Five-0 Team. We're getting you out of here….I promise"
Steve pushed her back a bit so he could look at her. "You're gonna be brave for me, right?"
She shook her head again and he gave her a soft smile and a wink.
"Good girl. I promise, I'll be right back."
Steve moved her over to Danny. "I got 'em," Danny confirmed. "Go!"
*******************H50*******************H50**************H50
Olivia heard the entire exchange happening on her earpiece and felt her heart ache. Steve would have been such a great father. She swallowed the lump in her throat that threatened to turn into a full-on crying spell…just like she did every time she thought about the baby girl they'd lost.
"You're going to be such a great daddy." She whispered.
She heard it in her mind before she realized she'd said it out loud.
Of course everyone heard her….but since Danny was the only one who knew the 'whole story', she felt herself flush.
"I mean…someday…..You know what I mean…Anyway, thanks for doing that, Steve. You've made them feel much safer."
"It's gonna be okay, Livie," Steve said softly. "It's almost over, babe."
Hearing the exchange, Tani and Lou couldn't help but wonder if there was more to the story….the history…..of Steve McGarrett and Olivia White.
Ten minutes later, all four girls had been freed and were being moved to waiting paramedics who were standing by to check them out. Tani and Lou were calling their parents and directing them to the nearest hospital where the girls were being taken.
Junior had also called Steve back saying he'd traced their "guy" back to a location that was in the process of being surrounded by additional SWAT Team members and HPD. If things went as planned, their last girl would soon be on her way to the hospital and into the arms of her frantic parents…and both additional suspects would be in custody and on their way to a life behind bars.
It would all be over soon. Olivia couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
****************H50************H50*****************H50
The team returned to HQ and began gathering around the smart table as they normally did when they were finishing a case. It was time to tie up loose ends for reports that had to be filed.
However, this time was a bit different…..
Olivia rode back with Tani and they'd had a great talk….during which time Olivia shared where she'd bought the sarong Tani loved earlier. Then, both agreed to having lunch together before Olivia returned to Washington D.C. Olivia completely understood Tani's need for "girl time". In an office filled to the brim with testosterone, it was no wonder the young woman needed to vent and unwind with someone of her own gender.
Olivia understood completely!-Even though she didn't share details on the history between her and Steve, she knew what it was like to be surrounded with Alpha-males and needing an outlet to just 'be a girl'.
After all, her daddy had been a SEAL; Then a SEAL Commander…Joe White was nothing if not a Navy man for life.
Not to mention how she'd reconnected with Steve McGarrett. As a little girl, she'd always had a crush. Seeing him again as a teenager when both of their hormones were running wild…..and they both needed someone to talk to about things going on in their lives…Well, that had been a recipe for trouble. There was no denying he'd stolen her heart.
How she had loved him. Their history was long, but it was also complicated. Not something she felt comfortable sharing with anyone else just yet. As the "boss" and head of Five-0, she was going to leave that for Steve to share as he decided what he wanted known to the others.
However, Olivia couldn't deny the big part of her heart that was coming back to life after seeing Steve again. He was infuriating with his controlling and 'Do as I say' bossy ways, but she couldn't deny the spark that was reignited in her heart now that they were working together again.
She'd missed him. So very, very much.
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9:30 p.m…..
Everyone was on their way home. It had been a long week for everyone filled with stress and days of wondering how this case would turn out. They had wondered: Would the girls be found dead or alive? Would they be found at all?
Thanks to Olivia's help…..and a big stroke of luck…..all girls had been returned to their families. The emotional scars were going to last a while. As such, Olivia sat with each parent to go over the importance of getting the girls into extensive counseling to deal with the trauma and PTSD that was sure to follow.
They had thanked her profusely…as well as the rest of the Five-0 team….and promised to stay in touch as to the progress of the girls.
Steve noticed the fatigue on Olivia's face. When she reached a hand up to try and stifle a yawn, he smiled. "Come on, Livie. Let me take you back to your hotel."
"You don't have to do that Steve. I have my rental car, so I can drive myself."
"I was kinda hoping maybe we could stop for a drink on the way?"
Olivia looked at him with confusion in her eyes until she sensed what he wasn't saying. His voice sounded so hopeful that she felt a piece of her heart melt.
"You want to talk."
He shook his head to confirm. "Yeah, I was hoping maybe we could do that. It's been a long time."
They'd been dancing around it for the last couple of days since the case had taken up all their time. However, they both knew a talk was inevitable.
"Listen, Livie, I know it's late, but I don't think I'll be able to sleep until we can talk about some things. Besides, neither one of us had dinner."
She knew he was right. Truth be told, she'd barely slept since arriving in Hawaii and seeing him again. Her stomach growled in response to his mention of dinner and Steve smirked.
"Okay, you win. But can I ask a favor?"
"Anything," Steve agreed causing Olivia's smile to grow wider.
"Would you mind if we went to your house instead of a restaurant?"
Olivia saw a certain familiar glint in Steve's eyes before realizing how her words had sounded. She tried to explain herself, "I mean….you know…..to talk. I…..um….I don't really feel like sitting at a restaurant right now…..You know because…."
Steve was enjoying her unease, but decided to let her off the hook. "You're tired." He finished for her.
She let out a relieved sigh. "Exhausted actually. But you're right. We both need to eat…and we also need to talk."
Twenty minutes later they pulled into Steve's driveway. Steve held open the door allowing Olivia to walk in first. Olivia took in the interior and realized it still looked much like it had when they were kids. Steve had made some changes to make it more distinctly 'his', but it still looked beautiful. She walked slowly to the French doors leading out to the lanai and watched the moon shining on the water.
"Just like I remember it," she said softly.
She felt Steve walk up behind her…..felt his heat against her back. "We had some great times here together, huh?"
Goosebumps popped up all over her body hearing the low timber of his voice.
"Yeah, we did," she said quietly. "Barbeques with our families and swimming in the ocean and hearing our dad's tell their 'war stories'. I loved it."
They were both silent and lost in their own thoughts before Steve broke the silence again. "Want a glass of wine? Or a beer?"
"Wine sounds great."
"Okay, gimme a sec. I'll get us a drink and then start dinner."
"Uh-uh," Olivia protested. "I'm helping with dinner. You must be just as tired as me so I'm not letting you do this alone. Wish I had something else to wear, though." She said before looking at the pantsuit and heels she was wearing.
"You mean something besides the bathing suit and sarong you changed into earlier?"
Olivia almost giggled at his grumpy tone as he mentioned her quick change at the marina. "Ya know, if I didn't know better, I'd think you were jealous, Commander McGarrett."
Steve grimaced, "Maybe I was, but there still could've been another way to distract him and buy us some time."
"We didn't have time and you know that. Now stop pouting."
Steve let out a long-suffering sigh. "Mary probably has some things here. I'll go upstairs to change and see if I can find something for you to wear. From what I heard earlier, that outfit you had on might be too dangerous to wear right now."
"And now you're flirting?" Olivia teased. "What's gotten into you?"
Steve didn't answer. He just made his way upstairs to see if there was something more appropriate he could find for Olivia to wear. At this point, he'd be happy with an oversized t-shirt and sweats to cover her luscious curves.
No such luck, but he did find one of Mary's t-shirts and a pair of shorts he thought would fit. Olivia took them gratefully and went upstairs to change while Steve returned to the kitchen and started prepping dinner.
When she joined him in the kitchen a few minutes later, his heart nearly stopped. Olivia's curves filled Mary's clothes out more than he'd thought they would.
Great…..Now he was back to wishing for sweats and a big tshirt.
Like maybe one of his shirts!
No…..that wasn't helping. Damn, what was he doing to himself?
Besides, who was he kidding? Olivia White would undoubtedly look beautiful no matter what she put on.
"What can I do to help?" Olivia asked cheerfully.
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Olivia sat back in her chair and let out a sigh. "Quite possibly the best steak I've ever had. Seriously…..You've got some skills, sailor!"
Steve grinned at her while taking a swig of his beer. "Thank you," he said sincerely.
Olivia stood to start cleaning the table but Steve reached a hand out to stop her. "Don't. We can get it later."
"We need to talk?" Olivia asked.
Steve answered by standing up and taking her hand in his. "We need to talk," he confirmed.
Olivia grabbed her glass of wine before walking with Steve hand-in-hand down towards the shoreline.
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You've been asking…and I promise to deliver next chapter: Steve and Olivia are finally going to talk about things. And then who knows what will happen when feelings are expressed, emotions are high, and they admit to each other once again that their story has never been 'over'.
