Epilogue

Big Chicken was not a happy con. His parole had been revoked and he was facing a raft of federal and state charges guaranteed to have him locked away for good. His lawyer wasn't much help. After seeing the reams of evidence provided by discovery, and by three unnamed witnesses for the prosecution who had turned state's evidence in hopes of lighter sentences, he had suggested that Chicken plead either guilty or no contest and ask for the mercy of the courts. Chicken refused.

He had been released from the hospital into the custody of the federal Marshall's, as fine a bunch of assholes as ever lived. They were not subservient like the guards at Oahu State and it was apparent that they gave absolutely no fucks whatsoever about his comfort or convenience. They had loaded him onto a military transport plane off the Islands to a federal facility in Colorado. Gone were the days when he could put in a request to see his lawyer and have it granted the next day. Gone were the days when he ruled the exercise yard and had a healthy black market in drugs, weapons, and pornography . If one of the guards thought about it they would send a hospital orderly down to help him into his wheelchair sometimes before noon. Most of the time he was left lying on his bunk, semi-helpless. The only time he was allowed out of his cell was for an hour a day for 'exercise' in a fenced off cubicle away from other prisoners and three times a week when he was taken out for a shower and for occasional visits to the doctor and the physical therapist. He was learning how to be helpless.

For the first time in his life, he was having to think.

What bothered the hell out of him was he was discovering he had a conscious.

The doctors had told him he could live another thirty years, still confined to a wheelchair, alone in his cell with only his thoughts for company.

This time he did find god in his cell, only this god was not a happy one. This one had the face of a Polynesian and voice that put you in mind of black velvet and smoky bourbon.

This time, Chicken prayed and hoped that his prayers would be answered.

He prayed to die in his sleep.

Maggie had recovered, it just took time. Physically she had been fine. Emotionally, she had been a wreck. When the doctor's told her she'd lost the child and would never be able to have another, she had cried for days. Steve was there for her, taking a leave of absence from Five-O until he knew she was recovering.

The trauma to her spine and damage to her back muscles had left her with a slight limp. Her days of running PT were over. Her last year in the Army would be spent on light duty. She didn't seem to mind and as long as she could still write for the Stars and Stripes, she was content.

She had awakened in the recovery room to find Steve holding her hand, his head resting on the bed beside her, sleeping. He hadn't left her side since she came out of surgery.

"Steve," she'd said in a voice softer than a whisper.

He was alert instantly. "My little Menehune, you're finally awake."

"How long has it been?" she asked.

"About two days. Hush, sweetie, you need to rest."

"Everything hurts," she said. "What happened? The last thing I remember was you were kneeling beside me."

"Hush. Tomorrow we'll talk about what happened. Today you rest and get better. I love you."

"I love you, too," she said as she drifted back to sleep.

Four days and buckets of tears later all the bad news had been delivered. She'd sent Steve out to get her a cup of Chai tea. She called Danny as soon as he was out of the room.

"Danny, you've got to get him out of here for a few hours," she said. "I start physical therapy today and he can't be here when I do. I've done this before. I know what's going to happen. It's going to hurt and hurt like hell and there's not going to be a thing he can do about it. He doesn't do helpless very well. Find a reason to get him out of here."

"Easiest request I've had all day," Danny said. "The Governor needs to see him anyway. One AWOL McGarrett coming right up."

True to his word, and hour later Danny appeared and announced the Governor needed to talk to Steve, as soon as possible and was in no mood to take no for an answer. Steve reluctantly kissed Maggie good-bye and went to Capitol Building to meet Jameson, surprised to find Duke and Kono already there.

"What's up?" he asked.

"Don't know, boss," Kono said. "All I know is the Governor said to get here. Duke was here already. Somethin' goin' on. Just don't know what."

Duke's face was as calm and inscrutable as ever. If that man played poker, Steve thought, he could bluff with no cards and win.

The secretary ushered McGarrett and Williams into the office. Jameson stood up to shake his hand.

"How's Maggie?" he asked.

"Recovering. She'll be back on her feet in no time."

"My wife sends her regards. She thinks highly of Maggie, and for her, that's a rarity. Oh, sure, she puts up with the political wives, but that doesn't mean she likes them. Sit down, please. I've got a few questions for you."

"Fire away," Steve said.

"You know we're going to need a new sheriff to replace Murphy. What's left of the Mayor's staff, the Board of Supervisors, the City Council, and the Planning Commission put together a list of names and submitted them to my office yesterday. After a long meeting we shortlisted the candidates we know are more than capable and who also happen to be Native Islanders."

"About time someone decided to put a Hawaiian in the Sheriff's office. Who'd you draft?"

"The first name on the list turned us down flat. Said the position came with too much politics attached to it and he wasn't a politician."

"Smart man," McGarrett said. "Which one turned you down."

"Duke Lukela, he says he hasn't got the patience to deal with the politicians. Which leads me to the second name on the list. He's one of yours. Kono Kalakaua. That's why I'm asking you before I ask him. He's got more than enough qualifications, he's a Native, and he's young enough to deal with the politics. If he accepts, you're going to be short handed."

"I can't think of a better man for the job. As for being short handed, I already have a man in mind, and I don't think he'll turn me down."

"I suspect you want Lukela on board," Jameson said. "I can understand why. He's a good man. He's got twenty-five years with HPD. He can retire at full pension and join the Five-O team as soon as you get an answer from him." Jameson pressed the intercom button. "Please have Sgt Lukela and Officer Kono come in."

The two men entered the room. Two native Hawaiians, one stocky and dark haired, the other lean, muscular, and silver haired. One quiet and thoughtful, the other a bundle of contradictions, a big dumb looking Kanaka who was smarter than most people gave him credit for being and stronger than an ox. Both were damned good cops. McGarrett had trusted his life to both men more times than he wanted to think about.

Jameson handed a small leather case to Kono. Inside was the Honolulu County Sheriff's badge, the one so recently removed from Augustus Murphy. "It's yours if you want it," he said.

Kono stared at the badge. "Me?"

"Yes," McGarrett said. "You, if you want it."

"In all honesty," Jameson said, "I should tell you that you are my second choice."

"Who was first," Kono asked, wondering.

"I was," Duke said. "Turned him down. I'm too old for politics."

"Couldn't think of a better man to be second to," Kono said. "I get to run the department the right way, which means I'm going to want to get rid of everyone Murphy hired and get people I trust."

"I see Steve has trained you well, Kono. I wouldn't have it any other way. We'll get you sworn in this afternoon and you can start tomorrow. There's a ton of paperwork waiting for you with my secretary. Go sign some papers and make this thing legal." He shook hands with Kono, who left, still clutching the badge and smiling.

"That leaves us short by one detective," Danny said.

"Not for long, I hope," Steve said. "How about it, Duke? Want to work for Five-O?"

"It would be an honor," he said.

"Then I guess it's all settled. Governor, I'm taking a leave of absence until Maggie gets better. Danno's in charge. Chin and Duke can handle everything else. If at all possible, I'd like Sgt Wells from HPD temporarily assigned to Five-O. She's worked with us before and we're going to need her help with the human trafficking ring from the mission on Hotel Street."

"Anything else before your leave officially starts." the governor asked.

"I'm going to be thinking of this as a working vacation. Everything's changing and if we don't keep up, these Islands go back to what they once were, a haven for every criminal and con man who can hop a plane or a ship. We're in the middle of the Pacific. We're a way point for both drug and human smuggling. It's got to stop. I'll have a copy of the details and the numbers for you when I'm back in the office. But the first thing I want is my own hostage rescue team. Duke, that's your job. Make it happen."

"Sure thing, alaka'i." Duke said. He already had a list of potential candidates for the team and for the equipment he wanted. "I'll co-ordinate with Cpt Peterson out at Schofield. I have a feeling he will be more than happy to help out."

"Then it's settled. I'm going back to the hospital. Call me if you need anything, but it'd better be damned important."

The men shook hands as he rose to leave.

"Is he going to be alright," Jameson asked after McGarrett had left.

"I think so," Danny said. "He needs something to occupy his time while Maggie is recovering. Wait until you see the plans he has for Five-O.

"I suspect they are going to be expensive," Jameson said, sighing.

"That's a given," said Duke. He shook hands with the governor and left the office. Time to head down to HPD's personnel department and put in his retirement papers. Between his pension from HPD, his salary and benefits from the state as a member of Five-O, retirement was starting to look better than ever. Now all he had to do was convince Susan she could retire from the army in two years.

He walked out into the Hawaiian sunshine, smiling. His world was indeed a better place.

December 30, 1996

Susan stood behind Maggie, pinning the plumaria wreath to her hair.

"You look beautiful," she said, fighting back the nausea. At 43, what she though had been early menopause had turned out to be pregnancy. Duke had been ecstatic. She'd been scared, convinced that all the chemo and radiation from the cancer treatment would damage the child. Duke had been the rock she knew he'd be, waiting patiently and going to every appointment for ultrasounds and amniocenteses she had been scheduled for until Dr. Sessums had announced they were going to the the parents of a very healthy baby boy.

"You okay there, Susan?" Maggie asked. It was strange, after all the years she had known her to be calling her Susan instead of Lu. When asked why the sudden preference, she's just smiled and said she'd finally grown up.

"I'll be fine. The little one needs to let mommy keep breakfast down, is all." She had refused any anti-nausea medication.

Beverly, home for the holidays and looking deliriously happy, came in with the bridal bouquet and the flowers she and Susan would carry. She was closely followed by Tilda Kelly, who looked adorable in her flower girl dress.

"The guys are all down at the beach and most of the guests are here already. Sunrise in about fifteen minutes," she said smiling. "Susan, I think Cooper has a crush on Sophie. He's been following her around like a puppy dawg all morning."

John Cooper McGarrett had flown in on the same plane as Beverly and Sophie. He'd spotted the young blonde sitting across the aisle and was instantly attracted. She wasn't as tall as her mother, but had the same firm and generous curves and huge blue gray eyes. He's spent the rest of the flight from LA to Honolulu trying to get to know her. She'd finally admitted that this would be her first time in Hawaii. Her mother was stationed there with the army, she had said, and was getting married New Year's day. She was there to attend not one, but two weddings. The first was her godmother's who was getting married on the beach at sunrise on December thirtieth.

"Let me guess," he said, looking directly into those big blue gray eyes, "your name is Sophie Yablanski, your godmother's name is Maggie, and she's marrying my dad." He held out his hand. "Ensign John Cooper McGarrett at your service, but my friends call me Cooper."

The two of them had been inseparable since their arrival. Duke had already semi-jokingly asked Cooper his intentions toward his soon to be daughter. Susan had a suspicion Sophie's dad would be calling soon, complaining that his only daughter's suitor was Navy, not Army. Steve had just smiled and said to add another win for the Navy.

Beverly checked her watch. "Time to go if you want to make sunrise."

Maggie got up from the dressing table. She was wearing a gown made of ivory silk with long flowing sleeves, an empire waist, and a long skirt that fell into a short train. She wore the opal pendent Steve had got for her in Singapore with the matching earrings. She'd transferred her engagement ring to her right hand, leaving her finger free for the wedding band Steve would put there soon.

Susan snapped several pictures with her ever present camera.

"Hey," Maggie said, "you're suppose to be the bridesmaid not the photographer!"

"Old habits die hard," she said. "Come one, let's go get you married to that handsome devil."

As they walked down the trail to the beach "The Year of the Cat" was playing on the CD player.

Then the Hawaiian music.

Steve stood at the waters edge, smiling, wearing what was for him a rather subdued Aloha shirt and white pants. All the men in the wedding party were dressed the same, agreeing to the matching outfits only after Maggie had re-assured them that she, not Steve, was choosing the shirts. Cooper stood next to his father. He was an inch taller and thinner, but had the same dark chestnut brown hair, high cheekbones, and cleft in his chin.

Governor Jameson, sighting a seldom use state law, was officiating.

Leis were exchanged, then vows and rings. Susan and Cooper then draped the newlyweds in a Hawaiian wedding quilt as Kono and Duke intoned the blessing in flowing Hawaiian.

Steve kissed his bride as the sun was starting to make it's way above the horizon.

The music started. Once more the house at the end of Kalamanu Drive was filled with the sound of people having a good time.

After the toasts and good wishes, and cutting a wedding cake that featured fifty-four candles, Maggie and Steve left for the Marina. They were sailing to Hilo, where on New Years Day, Duke Lukela would marry his Kukana. After the wedding, Steve and Maggie were going to spend the next two weeks just sailing.

After that, well, who knew. It was a new year. Anything could happen.

(Pau)