Disclaimer: Ideas are fictional; not making any money on this. Hawaii 5-0 belongs to CBS. That's okay because none of this would work on TV.
Family Life, Chapter 6
Fall, 2021
Steve was enjoying a quiet cup of coffee in his office when the Yeoman Moore stuck her head in the door. "Commander McGarrett, we were wondering how your son is doing. He took quite a whack from Commander Rollins."
Steve sat back and flashed one of his most charming grins. "Jack is doing well. I heard him talking to Jesse last night. They were discussing how many colors he would be sporting this morning and how long it would last. He was upset that school pictures were already taken because he wanted his eye immortalized for posterity. Those were his exact words." Steve laughed when he remembered the conversation.
Yeoman Moore knew in that instant why Commander Rollins was still carrying a torch for Commander McGarrett. It's hard to resist a man so devoted to his family. It had been apparent to everyone at the cookout that Steve and Danny were very dedicated to each other and their sons. The sight of Steve and Danny on the beach comforting Jack was forever burned into her brain. She only hoped that some day she could have a family like that.
"Well, we were worried about him. Is everything all right between you and Commander Rollins?" Yeoman Moore knew she was pushing her luck but they all had sensed the tension between the commanders.
"We all have the same goal: to take out the bad guys. We just need to focus on that. Thanks for your concern. I'll tell Jack that you asked. Listen, I was just reviewing some of the data the 5-0 team sent over and I think we have our first lead. I'll be out in a few minutes. I want to run this by Commander Rollins."
Steve took his final sip of coffee and walked to Catherine's office. He wasn't sure what to expect this morning but he was prepared for anything. Steve had a short meeting with Admiral Halloran before going to his office. He figured that Catherine had two ways to go. Either she could give up the idea of being with Steve gracefully and let him finish the assignment with no further trouble, or she could try to make his life miserable and get whatever revenge she could. Steve was adamant that Catherine would pose no threat to his family and he made sure the Admiral was aware of the incident on Saturday.
Catherine knew Steve was in and waited to see what Steve's game plan would be this morning. She spent a sleepless weekend trying to formulate what her strategy would be. She was both heartbroken and furious after Steve sent her away. Catherine finally decided that she would give Steve no further reason to find fault with her behavior, but she would find a way to screw him over if it was the last thing she did.
Steve knocked on Catherine's and casually asked, "Catherine, do you have a minute?"
Catherine looked up from her laptop and arched an eyebrow. "What is it you need Steve?"
Steve was relieved that at least Catherine wasn't addressing him as 'Commander McGarrett'. "Chin had some data compiling over the weekend and sent a list over this morning of areas on the island where there has been an unusual amount of activity. He was looking for a lot of communication and ground traffic. Kono's husband, Finn, let us use one of his satellites to scan the island. He's a software genius and created a program for us last year to run probabilities. I think that the team should look at the data."
Catherine considered her options. If she didn't go along with Steve, she knew that he would go to the admiral. "That would be fine but I want to see what you have first."
"Catherine, it's kind of involved and I would rather not go through it twice. I'll need to explain the numbers and how the program interprets the input." Steve waited to see if Catherine would capitulate and let him make his pitch to the team. He had a high degree of confidence that his information would point them in the right direction.
Catherine signed and closed her laptop before following Steve. She listened to Steve lead the team through the data. When he finished, the team looked to Catherine for her assessment. She hated to admit it, but the information was very good. For the first time, the team had a solid lead. Catherine wasn't going to let Steve get credit for catching the bad guys.
Instead, Catherine made some totally pointless team assignments and made a beeline to her office to run down the lead. The team looked to Steve for further guidance but he didn't want to openly countermand her orders. Steve merely shook his head and told them he would get back to them later.
Steve contacted his 5-0 team and told them to proceed with the operation. He knew that Danny, Chin, and Kono would be able to follow the data using the 5-0 resources. Finn promised his assistance and further satellite surveillance if necessary. Steve sent a message to the 5-0 team to meet at Kamekona's shrimp truck for lunch and extended the invitation to the Navy team.
Over lunch, it was agreed that the team would work jointly. Finn generated spurious data to satisfy Catherine's assignments. Meanwhile, the navy team was given special access to the 5-0 network so they could work in an environment that Catherine couldn't monitor. Steve made a late afternoon appointment to bring the admiral up to speed.
The admiral wasn't surprised to see Steve standing before him. He suspected that the investigation and Catherine Rollins' behavior were reaching a critical point. He motioned Steve to sit and waited to hear the latest news.
"Admiral, I received some crucial information from Detective Chin Ho Kelly this morning and briefed Catherine and the team. I believe the data points to the approximate area where we can find our terrorist cell. Catherine gave the team here instructions that will lead nowhere. I suspect that she is trying to make progress on her own. I've arranged to have reports generated for her to keep her satisfied, and the team is working with 5-0 to follow the lead."
"Steve, I'll have one our systems experts monitor Catherine's activities. We should be able to keep an eye on her as long as she uses our resources. You're suggesting that she's tanking the team effort so she can take all the credit by bringing down the cell on her own?"
Steve took a moment to consider the impact of his report before he said anything. A lot was riding on it. But no matter how he cut it, Catherine would cause a lot of damage if he didn't stop her. "Yes sir, I guess that's what is happening. I've gone over it in my head and there is no good outcome. The terrorists might slip off the islands and it will take months or years to find them again. They might be successful with whatever they've got planned. They might go after Catherine. She could expose not only the team here but my 5-0 team. This can't end well. We're trying to work around her, but that is not the optimal solution. We need every resource we have if we're going to be successful."
Admiral Halloran considered his options. He really wanted enough evidence to get Catherine out of the Navy, but taking down the terrorists was more important. "Okay Steve, I'm going to reassign Catherine. Effective tomorrow morning, you'll be in charge. I'm going to arrange for badges for your team. You can bring them on base as needed to work with our team here."
Steve left the office feeling both better and worse. He was immensely relieved that both teams would be free to pursue the terrorists. He was also concerned about Catherine's reaction to the admiral's decision.
The admiral directed his yeoman to contact Catherine and have her report to his office immediately. Catherine was on her way back to her quarters when she got the call. She was in the admiral's office in ten minutes.
"Sir, you asked to see me."
"Yes Commander Rollins, a situation is brewing in North Korea. I need your expertise there; your plane is wheels up at twenty-two hundred hours tomorrow. Your new orders are being cut as we speak. They will be waiting for you on board. Commander McGarrett will take over here. You're dismissed." The admiral coldly turned away and waited for Catherine to leave.
"Admiral Halloran, you can't mean that. I've been working on a new lead today. I only need a little more time and I'm sure I'll be able to pinpoint the cell's location."
The admiral slowly turned back and glared at Catherine. "Commander Rollins, I will not tolerate a subordinate officer questioning my authority."
"Steve did this, didn't he? He been coming in here behind my back and tattling everything that goes on with my team."
"Commander McGarrett reports to me. I am aware of your behavior. You will be on that plane tomorrow. Consider it a gift. Dismissed."
Catherine was furious as she stormed out to her car. She only had a few hours to pack her gear, but there was something she had to take care of first.
Danny had just pulled into the driveway at home when Mrs. Turner, the neighbor across the street, walked over to talk to him. "Detective Williams, do you know if the house next door has been sold?"
"Mrs. Turner, it's nice to see you. As far as I know, the house is still for sale. Why do you ask?"
"I noticed someone on the property on and off for the last week or so. A woman was sneaking around over the holiday weekend and again late in the week. She must have parked down by the 7-11 because she comes from that direction and walks back that way."
Danny immediately suspected Catherine, and Mrs. Turner's description certainly fit her. After promising to check into the matter, Danny made a few phone calls. He had the crime lab send a unit to check for a possible break-in and to dust for prints. He suggested that Catherine's prints be used for comparison.
Steve was surprised to see the techs next door when he came home. The boys were fascinated and wanted to help search for clues. Steve sent them upstairs to wash up. He quickly briefed Danny on the latest development at the base. Danny agreed that it would be a good idea to get the boys away from the house for a while in case Catherine decided to pay them a visit. Rachel and Stan agreed to keep the boys overnight and invited Steve and Danny to stay for dinner. Steve and Danny quickly changed clothes and hustled the boys out. Chin was supervising the scene next door and promised to update them as soon as possible.
By the time that Steve and Danny returned, it was confirmed that Catherine Rollins had broken into the neighbor's house. The most disturbing fact was that her fingerprints were around the window overlooking Steve and Danny's room. She had been spying on them!
Steve called Admiral Halloran's home and reported what happened. The admiral told Steve that the Navy would handle the matter and told base security to pick her up immediately. He wanted her on lockdown until she could be formally charged.
Catherine knew that she was ruined the instant she saw the crime scene unit. She also saw that the SUV was gone and figured that Steve and Danny took the boys away. She knew that protecting his family would be his primary concern. That was fine with her; she was out to get Steve and Danny. She had no interest in hurting the boys. They were blameless.
Kono and Finn were working from their home office; their goal was to locate Catherine. Although Catherine was smart enough to turn off her phone, she underestimated Finn's ability to tap into surveillance cameras. The man was smart enough to find a terrorist cell; it was child's play to find one woman when he had a good idea where she would be hanging out.
Just as Catherine was starting her next lap past Steve's house, HPD tried to pull her over. Like every stupid criminal, she ran for it. It was a bad move. Naval security was waiting for her at the next intersection. Steve and Danny were with them. All had guns pulled and aimed at Catherine. She stopped and put her car in park. In minutes, she was cuffed and on her way to the base. Steve and Danny were careful to keep their distance. They did not want to compromise the scene. They were told that Catherine had a loaded gun and a couple of grenades in the car.
Later that night, Steve and Danny sat down by the beach and shared a beer. Steve was shaken to think that Catherine would betray him that way after all they had shared. He was also furious that Catherine would come after Danny too. They talked for a long time before Danny led Steve back to the house and up to bed. He knew how to comfort Steve, and he knew how to take comfort for himself. Danny thought about all that he had shared with Steve. It still surprised him sometimes that their marriage worked so well. It was more than he ever hoped to have.
It was almost midnight when they finally slept, Danny spooned behind Steve. It would be a busy day tomorrow. They still had some terrorists to track down. But for now, the immediate threat was over.