A/N: Thank you for the kind reviews! You guys are the best. I sort of have the end in mind, but still, some things are coming out that I wasn't planning or expecting. I'm just following the rabbit trails because you all usually seem to like where we end up.
And yes - "participating in real life" - no matter how reluctantly - has been a real drag. But the last major assignment for the semester has been turned in, and I've not forgotten Skeletons altogether. I'm itching to write an update.
#*#*#*#*#
"I understand that WoFat is asking for me in exchange for your wife, Steve," Doris said.
"I don't - there was a funeral, Mom, and Dad said - I don't -" Steve stammered.
Doris tilted her head at him and raised her eyebrow. "Steve. You need to focus."
"Yes, ma'am," he said, automatically.
"Do you have contact with WoFat?" Doris asked. She looked at Catherine. Perhaps the women would be quicker and sharper in a crisis. It wouldn't be the first time.
"He's been contacting us . . . left a trail of breadcrumbs to ensure our attention and then used it when he was ready," Catherine said. "Email, then a video call. Untraceable, so far - we have our best people on it."
"I'm sure," Doris said. "Frequency of contact?"
"About every six hours, so far," Steve said. "If the pattern holds true, that means any minute."
"Then there isn't much time," Doris said, and she looked at Steve wistfully. "I would have liked so much more time. We'll need to contact Langley, and be ready to arrange the exchange when WoFat calls."
"Arrange - no way," Steve said. "We can't trade you out for Jax. We'll find another way. You - you were dead, mom, you owe me answers, you owe Mary answers, we -"
"There is no other way, not without risking . . . her name is Jax?" Doris asked. "Never mind. Joe was right, it's too distracting, and we need to focus."
"Joe knew, didn't he," Steve said quietly. "He's known all this time."
"Joe did what he thought was best, and he sacrificed his career for you today," Doris said. "I hope you'll be able to forgive him. To forgive all of us. But right now, we need to be ready for WoFat's call. We need to be ready to work out the exchange. We'll do it on his terms, of course. And the CIA is going to sanction it." She winked at Steve. "Joe sacrificed his career, he wouldn't want the three of you to do the same. Get me a secure line."
#*#*#*#*#
There was a flurry of calls, some yelling - Steve could hear it even without the benefit of speaker phone - and through it all Doris was remarkably calm. It took shockingly little time for Doris to come back from the dead, and even less time to convince the CIA that getting inside WoFat's operation was an opportunity not to be missed.
"You're a CIA agent," Steve said, staring at her.
"I'm so sorry, Steve," she said. "I've had a little over twenty years to prepare for this day. I know this comes as a shock."
"We'll go ahead into comms," Nick said. "We'll come get you if we get a call from WoFat." Danny and Catherine followed him out, past the two sailors still stationed at the door.
"You're a fucking CIA agent," Steve said again.
"And you're a Navy SEAL, obviously," Doris said. She was nonplussed by the language. "Let's move on into new information. How is your sister?"
"Good," Steve said. He felt numb and wondered if he'd wake up, soon, with Jax laughing at him. "She's still living with Aunt Deb, but she's moving back here, before the babies get here."
"Mary's expecting?" Doris asked.
Steve stared at her again.
"Steven, really, you're not reflecting well on Naval Intelligence with this fish-eyed stare," Doris said. "When is Mary due?"
"It's not Mary, Mom, it's - Jax. Jax and I are having twins," Steve said. "It . . ." He stopped, sighing and shaking his head. "It would be nice for them to have a grandparent, you know?"
"Her parents aren't around?" Doris asked.
"You have no idea, Mom, because instead of finding a way to be part of my life, of Mary's life, you've been playing dead for two decades," he snapped.
"I could find them, if -" she started.
"No," he said firmly. "No way. I don't even know who the hell you are or what you've been doing my entire adult life, you don't go digging into Jax's life. She's off limits, do you understand? Not until . . . not until I have answers. All of the answers."
"That's fair," Doris said quietly. "It was to protect you, Steve. You and Mary."
"Did Dad know?" Steve asked abruptly. "That you were still alive? Because, I gotta say, if he did - he was in the wrong business. He should have been an actor."
"No. Your dad didn't know that I was alive," Doris said. "Only Joe. And WoFat, apparently . . . "
"What is your connection to WoFat?" Steve demanded. He stood up and started pacing the floor. "I've been tortured - tortured, Mom - for information on Shelburne, on you. Jax has been taken, twice . . . the first time because he was trying to take Mary. Jax managed to hide Mary, under the house, and gave herself up instead. I damn near lost her that time and now - who is WoFat to you?"
"It's who I am to him, Steve," Doris said softly. "It's difficult to explain, you see -"
There was a sharp knock on the door before it flew open, and Nick beckoned them. "It's time. He's opened a video call connection."
#*#*#*#*#
Jax counted the steps as she was led from her room. She wasn't sure why - it seemed like a good idea.
"Be quiet, for goodness sakes," the nurse hissed. "You sound crazy."
"Sorry," Jax whispered. She was vaguely aware that something was very wrong, but she couldn't put her finger on it.
WoFat scowled at the nurse as she prodded Jax into the room.
"She looks unwell," he said, appraising Jax.
"She's been resting," the nurse said. "She ate. I'm doing the best I can. Perhaps if we could leave off the restraints."
"Yeah," Jax said. She knit her eyebrows in confusion. She was normally more articulate than this, more sarcastic. Sharper. Danny would be so disappointed. The thought made her inexplicably sad.
"Put her in the chair," WoFat said.
"Do it myself," Jax mumbled, as she shuffled to the chair and collapsed into it. She was just so tired.
WoFat looked alarmed. "We can forgo the restraints," he murmured to the nurse. "Fetch her some coffee, tea . . . something."
Jax fought down a wave of hysterical laughter. She was no longer a threat, then. WoFat didn't think she could make it out . . . probably didn't think she could even get out of the room.
WoFat nodded and the camera light turned red.
"Commander McGarrett couldn't be bothered?" WoFat asked. "I must say, you're quite a lovely substitute."
"He will be here momentarily," Catherine said. "With Shelburne. Are you ready to discuss an exchange?"
"Ah, so the key was indeed the correct application of leverage," WoFat said. "Let's see if you've really managed to raise the dead."
Steve and Doris walked into the room, silently. Catherine stepped aside and Steve stood in front of the camera.
"I want to see Jax," he said levelly.
"No, first I see if you actually have Shelburne or if this is going to be another pointless conversation," WoFat said.
Steve started to argue, but Doris placed her hand on his arm, moving him gently aside, and standing next to him.
"Hello, WoFat," she said.
Danny felt a chill go up his spine, as his head snapped up to look at Doris. That tone . . . she spoke to WoFat exactly as she had spoken to Steve. He looked back to the monitor. WoFat seemed shocked.
"I was right, then," he said. "You were alive." His face hardened. "So you abandoned me, then, let me think you were dead. Something we apparently have in common, Commander."
"My hand was forced," Doris said. "When you give your life to something bigger than yourself, sacrifices must be made."
"Ah, so noble," WoFat said. "And you're willing to sacrifice yourself now, for the favored son."
"For both of you," Doris said. "This needs to end. I'm the one who hurt you, not Steve. Certainly not his wife. You've verified my presence. Let Steve see her."
"She is, as promised, in good health," WoFat said. "She has been more than adequately cared for." He seemed nervous, and it didn't sit well with Steve. He shot Danny a glance then leaned toward the camera, his hands tightening on the back of the chair in front of him.
"I want to see her, now," Steve demanded. "Let me talk to her."
WoFat nodded and the camera panned to the side of the room. Jax was sitting, unrestrained, in the same uncomfortable wooden chair. Her eyes were closed, her lashes fanned dark against her pale cheeks.
"Jax," Steve said, his voice urgent. "Jax, what the hell . . ."
Her eyes blinked open immediately, and she looked at the monitor. "Steve . . . " She looked at Doris, confused, and rubbed her eyes. "I don't understand. I shouldn't be hallucinating yet."
"It's a long story," Steve said, "I'll explain in just a little bit, when you're home." He gestured to Danny, who crowded in next to him so that Jax could see him. "Danny and I are going to get you home."
"Is that your mom?" Jax asked, thoroughly perplexed. "Oh, God, I am hallucinating. I tried to sleep, I did, but -"
"It's okay," Steve said. "Now you know you're coming home soon, maybe you can rest. Okay? I'm coming to get you, Jax."
The camera panned back to WoFat.
"What are the demands of the exchange?" Steve asked.
"Simple," WoFat said. "Shelburne will wait for me - alone - at the exact location where I collected Jacqueline."
"Not gonna happen," Steve said. "For all I know you'll kill both of them on the spot. I bring my team to the exchange."
"You come with Shelburne, unarmed, to the exchange," WoFat said.
"Not likely," Steve retorted. "Besides, Jax is going to need medical care. I bring a doctor."
WoFat thought for a moment. "A sniper in a labcoat? I think not. Bring the haole. He's obviously wrought with concern for Jacqueline, I think he's not much of a threat."
"You underestimate him at your own risk," Steve said, "but you're right about his concern for Jax. Me and Danny bring Shelburne, you and your guy bring Jax. Time?"
"No need to delay," WoFat said. "One hour."
Steve hesitated. Jax wasn't doing well, it was obvious, and every hour that passed would put her and the twins at greater risk. But if he was going to put together a tactical plan, find a sniper, get people in place -"
"One hour is agreeable," Doris said calmly. "And I expect to see my daughter-in-law with a bit more color in her cheeks by then." She nodded firmly to the technician, who turned off the camera and ended the transmission.
Steve glared at him.
"Sorry, Commander," he said sheepishly. It hadn't occurred to him not to follow her instructions.
Doris smirked at Steve. "What? There was no need to drag that out. She's lovely, by the way. Not what I would have expected, but lovely. Does she have a temper to go with that hair? Is that what attracted you to her?"
"We are not talking about Jax," Steve said. "An hour? Okay, Nick, if we can get snipers on the way, right now, there's good cover on the ridge across from -"
"Snipers? Don't be ridiculous," Doris said. "We're going to do exactly according to plan. Danny, is it? Hello, I'm Doris. I'm Steve's mom."
Danny shook her hand in bewildered politeness.
"Mom," Steve said, exasperated. "We have to find that split second where we can take WoFat out. He'll have to put Jax out in order to make room for you, unless he's flying something big, and I don't think he is. We can take the shot -"
"And then Jax and I are killed by shrapnel or rotor blades when he careens off? What would that accomplish? Steve, I'm going with WoFat," Doris said calmly. "It's the only way. Besides, we have orders."
"Orders? What the hell are you - Mom, who are you calling?" Steve asked.
Doris held up a finger, waited a moment, then held the phone out to Steve. He took it, glaring at her.
"Commander McGarrett," he snapped. Danny watched as Steve's eyes widened. "Yes, Rear Admiral Vincas. Yes, I understand, but . . . Special Activities Division. I see. Yes, sir. Well, with all due respect, sir, I don't think she's been active for twenty years . . . oh. Yes, sir. Yes, I see. Yes sir. Thank you, sir, we are concerned, but I think we have every reason to believe she'll be okay. Yes sir, to Tripler. Thank you, sir."
Steve started to hand the phone back to his mother, then did a double take. It was his phone. He hadn't felt her take it from his pocket. He shoved it back, sighing.
"One hour," he mumbled to Nick and Catherine, shoving past them. "Danny, with me. Doris . . . with them." He gestured vaguely in Nick's direction.
"Have you known Stevie long?" Doris asked Catherine.
#*#*#*#*#
WoFat led Jax back to her room himself, his hand firm on her elbow. She tried jerking it away, but his fingers tightened in an iron grip.
"You're hurting me," she said, furious, through clenched teeth.
"Sit" he ordered, pointing to the chair.
She started to resist automatically, on principal or out of innate stubbornness, and it infuriated him. His own temper flared and he drew back his hand, thinking better of it at the last minute.
Jax decided not to press her luck and sat down, seething. Under any other circumstances she would have risked it without thinking, without hesitation. She would have launched herself at him, going for his neck with her teeth if that was the only available option.
"Oh, this is quite intolerable for you, isn't it?" WoFat crooned. "I knew it. You're a firecracker, aren't you? McGarrett domesticated you. Pity."
Jax turned her face away from him.
"Struck a nerve, did I?" he asked. "Fascinating. Tell me, did you deceive the nurse deliberately?"
"What are you talking about?" Jax asked.
"You're not sure if you're awake or asleep, lucid or hallucinating," WoFat said. "Sleep deprivation. An unnecessary experience, as I did meticulous research and was prepared. Nitrous oxide is harmless to you. There are sedatives that are also harmless, and you were offered one. Obviously, you declined it. So my question is simple - did you trick the nurse deliberately?"
"I - I don't know," Jax said. "I didn't want to take the stupid pill, okay? I thought I was sleeping, a little, but -"
"It's not a trick question, Jacqueline," WoFat said. "It won't change anything."
A shot rang out, close by, and Jax gasped.
"The nurse failed to keep you in optimal health," WoFat said. "I was just curious, as to how much of her blood is on your hands." He stroked her cheek with the backs of his fingers. "Such a pity. I should have thought to ask for a little more time with you after all."
Jax stared after him as he walked out of the room, humming.
#*#*#*#*#
"We can't do this," Steve said, pacing next to the Jeep. "I can't just hand you over to WoFat, Mom. There has to be another way."
"There isn't, Steven," Doris said. "I'll be fine."
"Do you have any idea - any - what he's capable of?" Steve demanded. "He's a soulless bastard. Anton and Victor Hesse - they were responsible for Dad's murder. Declan Novak - a sociopath, used psychological torture against my entire team, kidnapped Jax and - and returned her to me tied up in a damn ribbon."
"She's quite resilient," Doris commented. "A civilian?"
"No, and we're not talking about her, we're talking about WoFat. These men - you know what they had in common? They were all afraid of WoFat, Mom. They answered to him," Steve said. "I can't just let him take you."
"You can, you will, and you are," Doris said. "We're both under direct orders. The CIA and the Navy know I can give them intel that will bring his entire network down. He still has people all over the globe, Steven, and if we cut off the head -"
"Three more will grow in its place, I know the rhetoric, Mom, I've been in international anti-terrorism for most of my adult life," Steve said.
"It's something of a family business," Doris said, beaming at him. "I'm so proud."
Steve stopped and looked at her, his hands on his hips.
"Any mother would be so proud," she added softly. "I'm sure your father was, too."
"I wouldn't know," Steve said bitterly. "He sent us away, Mom. After you . . . died. We were still kids, still in school, and he sent us away and - you know what, I can't do this." He stormed back toward the gray building, dull now in the fading light of late afternoon.
"Do you have children, Detective Williams?" Doris asked.
"Unh unh. No, we don't talk about my family, either," Danny said. "He's a good man. He's the best man I know. No thanks to you, apparently. I, for one, have no problem handing you over to WoFat. Whatever it takes to get Jax back, and as far as I'm concerned, no great loss. You wanna play cloak and dagger, you go right ahead."
"What, did you love her first?" Doris asked. "You seem exceptionally invested."
"Unbelievable," Danny muttered. "You know what? Just don't talk. Let's try that."
Steve came back, clutching the straps of three Kevlar vests. "Here," he said, shoving one at both Danny and Doris, and impatiently slipping into the third.
They rode in silence to the curve and overpass where the entire nightmare had started. Doris looked wistfully at the passing scenery.
"I'd forgotten . . . " she said. "I'd forgotten how beautiful it was. I missed it. I missed you, Steve, and Mary. I wish there was time to explain, time to make you understand."
Steve was silent for a moment, then glanced at her. "You'll be able to handle yourself, right?"
"Don't worry about me, Steve," Doris said. "Take care of your family. Do . . . do a better job than your father and I did, okay? I'll be fine. WoFat doesn't want me dead, he's just . . . confused. Hurt, and angry. Like you."
Steve pulled over to the side of the road and put the Jeep in park. He nodded, and started to say something, but then his head jerked up at the sound of approaching rotors.
"I - Mom," he said. "I'm sorry, if there was another way - we could -"
"This is the best way, we've established that, Steve," Doris said. "And no apologies. I'll try to get word to you, somehow."
They stood near the impossibly small clearing, braced against the downdraft of the helicopter. Steve's gun was drawn and ready as his eyes flicked back and forth between Tadeki, at the controls of the aircraft, and WoFat and Jax in the small back seats.
"Shit, this is taking years off my life," Danny grumbled, as he trained his sidearm on Tadeki. WoFat held a gun to Jax's temple, smiling.
The helicopter settled gently onto the ground with the engine and rotors still fully engaged. WoFat reached around Jax, pressed the latch on her seatbelt, and then nudged her from the helicopter. She stepped out on unsteady feet, and ducked beneath the onslaught of draft. WoFat had a hand tangled in her hair, and pulled her head up sharply.
Danny saw Steve's finger twitch against the trigger.
"Steve, no," Doris yelled. She put her hands up and moved between Steve and WoFat, and approached the chopper, barely ducking as her hair whipped around her face. She reached them, and Steve watched as she reached out and cupped Jax's face in her hand, gently. He saw her lips move, but it was impossible to hear her over the din. Then Jax was stumbling forward, falling, and Doris was directly in front of WoFat as she climbed into the helicopter.
Danny holstered his sidearm immediately and rushed toward Jax, while Steve cursed and kept his SIG trained on the helicopter until it banked sharply and for a split second seemed to fall from the clearing, before accelerating away, nose still tilted down slightly.
"Hey, we've got you," Steve heard Danny muttering to Jax, as the chop of the rotors faded. He turned back to see Danny kneeling next to Jax, baffled, as she tried to push him away.
"She's dead, he killed her," Jax said. "Just like Nira . . . Adam. It was - the girls, for Adam, it was WoFat, he - the nurse, she probably was . . . her sisters, WoFat will give them to Adam -"
"Hey, whoa," Steve said. He dropped to his knees next to Jax, wrapping his arms gently around her, trying to grab her hands and still her wild movements without hurting her. "Adam is dead, remember?"
"You gave your mom to that monster," Jax said, her eyes wide and glazed. "Why did you do that?"
"I'll explain, I promise," Steve said. He tried to cradle her head against him, tried to tuck her wild curls under his chin. She tilted her head back and then headbutted him. Her movements were weak and wildly unfocused, but she managed to make some impact, and a small trickle of blood appeared, dripping toward his lip. He swiped at it with the back of his hand.
"What the hell?" Danny mumbled, his eyes wide with alarm.
"It's okay, Danny," Steve said. "This is not unexpected."
"I'm sorry," Jax said, finally stilling in Steve's arms. "I'm . . . Steve, he was going to take the babies. Why does he want them? Are they okay?"
Steve took Jax's face in his hands and looked into her eyes. "Ku'uipo, stay with me, okay? You're a little shocky and confused. Let's go get you and the babies checked out. You want to go to Tripler, or you want to see if we can get a doc on base?"
"Pearl Hickam," Jax said immediately. "There's . . . we can't waste time. We have to track - he has your mom."
"Let's get back to base, we'll talk about all that," Steve said. He looked at Danny. "Call Catherine, please, ask her to have a female medic waiting for us. A good one."
For once, Steve was content to let Danny drive, and didn't give a passing thought to motion sickness, even in the back seat of the Jeep. He held Jax securely against him, murmuring nonsense, his lips pressed against her temple.
"Was that your mom?" she asked. "It looked like your mom. From the pictures at home. How is that possible?"
"It was, and we'll explain everything," Steve assured her. "Just close your eyes and breathe for right now, okay?"
Jax closed her eyes and Steve felt her relax. But almost immediately, her eyes flew open with a start, and she pitched forward.
"Hey, I've got you," he said, his hands gentle on her arms, steadying her.
"How long was I asleep?" she asked. "He killed her. He killed the nurse. I saw her body, in the hall, he didn't even move it."
Danny's eyes met Steve's in the rear view mirror.
"Jax, you're experiencing micro sleep," Steve said, explaining to Danny at the same time. "You were only asleep for about a minute, maybe less."
"That only happens in . . . that's in combat trauma," Jax said.
"Ummhmm," Steve agreed.
"I wasn't even gone that long," Jax argued. "I'm fine. Just a little spooked."
Steve pulled her back against him, gently. His hand hovered over her stomach. "Can I?" he whispered.
She hesitated, then nodded, and he placed his hand gently on the curve of her belly. Danny kept glancing anxiously in the rear view, until he saw a wide grin appear on Steve's face.
"I think . . . maybe there's a lot of adrenaline," Jax said. "But that's okay, right, because they're moving like crazy, and that's got to be a good sign?"
"I think it's a good sign, yeah," Steve said. "I'll feel better once we have a doctor agree with us."
Danny nodded and pressed more firmly on the accelerator.
#*#*#*#*#
There was a uniformed medical team waiting for them when they arrived. It unnerved Danny, but Jax didn't seem fazed by it - at least, she was no more disoriented than she had been on the twenty minute drive.
That wasn't saying much, as far as Danny was concerned.
Steve and Jax were whisked away, leaving a shaken Danny with Nick and Catherine.
"Danny," Catherine said sympathetically. She pressed a cup of coffee into his hand.
"You guys tried to warn me," Danny said, shaking his head. "I've seen her shot, broken, concussed . . . this was almost that bad. She kept falling asleep, but just for seconds. She'd bolt awake, rambling about something."
"Microsleep," Nick said, nodding. "Her body is taking over and trying to shut down, but her brain won't quite let that happen. It'll straighten out."
There was a sharp knock on the door, and Nick and Catherine snapped to attention as a silver-haired officer entered.
"At ease, sailors," he said. "Hell of a day."
"Rear Admiral Vincas, this is Detective Danny Williams," Catherine said. "Part of Commander McGarrett's task force, as well as a friend of his, and of Jax."
"I take it the exchange was successful," Vincas said. "We ready to debrief?"
"Commander McGarrett is with his wife, sir," Nick said. "We may not have had time to fully brief you on her situation. She's expecting. Twins. Obviously, our first concern was to have her checked out. She's exhibiting signs of sleep deprivation and shock."
"Can we get an idea of when they can join us for debriefing?" Vincas pressed. "We've just embedded a CIA, Special Activities Division agent with a high value international target. The Navy wants to know what the hell is going on. We like to stay ahead of these things, not play catch up."
Danny took a deep breath and Catherine sensed that things could get heated very quickly.
"Detective, I'm sure you're quite concerned about Jax," she said. "Why don't I escort you to the clinic, and I'll report back here with an answer to your question, Admiral."
Danny was impressed with the strength of Catherine's fingers on his elbow as she ushered him from the room.
"Asshole," he muttered, when the door was barely closed behind them. "Did you just abandon Nick? You are a credit to Naval Intelligence, Catherine. You remind me a lot of my wife, actually."
#*#*#*#*#
"Tell me what I need to know, Commander," the doctor said. Steve liked her immediately - no nonsense, quiet, and Navy - not Air Force. "Lieutenant Rollins got me up to speed on the generalities."
"Mild sleep deprivation," Steve said, "mild shock . . . she's been through worse, seen worse. I don't think she's physically injured. But she's plenty rattled. Multiple episodes of micro-sleep on the way here . . . she's not coherent, but I'm pretty sure a nurse that was supposedly responsible for her care was murdered in her presence, or close by."
"Physically, her body is already maxed out, given that she's entering her third trimester," the doctor said. "And from what Lieutenant Rollins said, her time with that asshole may have been brief, but you witnessed behavior that bordered on psychological torture. Mentally and physically, she's fragile. I can clear her, and the babies, from a medical standpoint. You understand what I'm saying? I can say her vitals are stable and the babies aren't in distress. I'm not an OB and I'm damn sure not a psychiatrist. You'll need to follow up immediately with her specialists."
"Copy that," Steve said. "She didn't want to go into Tripler tonight. She works there."
"Understood. Okay, the nurse should be done checking her vitals and getting her into scrubs. Wanna tell me, real quick, why that was so urgent?" the doctor said, leading Steve back to the treatment room. The clinic was quiet, and almost empty, and Steve was profoundly grateful.
"She was not wearing her own clothes," he said simply.
The doctor stopped and looked at him before opening the door. "And this guy, we're going after him, right?"
"Damn straight," Steve said. "There's not a rock big enough for him to hide under forever."
#*#*#*#*#
"You must be Detective Williams," the doctor said, smiling at Danny as she slipped out of the treatment room. "Commander McGarrett said not to be surprised if you found your way here."
"I was protecting Rear Admiral Vincas from Danny's wrath," Catherine explained. "He's demanding a debriefing."
"Of course he is," the doctor said, raising an eyebrow at Catherine. "That argument is above my paygrade. I'll let Commander McGarrett deal with him."
"How's Jax?" Danny asked anxiously.
"Medically stable," the doctor said. "A little all over the place otherwise, which is to be expected. Not entirely sure that she's up for a debriefing, but I'll let her and Commander McGarrett decide."
"I'll stall," Catherine said, squeezing Danny's arm. She turned and started making her way back.
"You can go in, I'm sure," the doctor said, gesturing to the door. "I'm going to write up discharge papers."
"You're not keeping her?" Danny asked.
"It's not in her best interest to be in yet another unfamiliar environment," the doctor said. "Home. She wants to go home, and it's the best thing for her. Keep an eye on the commander, too, yeah?"
"Always," Danny said, smiling. He knocked softly before going into the treatment room.
"Hey, Danny," Steve said. "I've received five text messages from Rear Admiral Vincas. Would you stay with Jax? I need to go make a statement."
"He's very pushy about debriefing," Danny said, pulling up a chair. "Of course I'll stay with Jax."
"No," Jax said. "I can do a debrief."
"Jax, you're -"
"I can do it," Jax said stubbornly. "And then we can go home? If I can get through the debrief, can we go home, and not come back tomorrow?"
"Yeah, probably," Steve said reluctantly.
"Then let's go," Jax said. "My IV just finished, let's get this over with. The babies are fine, I'm fine, I'm just tired."
"That's why you should go home, so you can rest, and sleep," Danny pointed out.
"Danny," Jax said quietly. "I'm going to play some things over and over in my head for a while. May as well go through it once officially. Maybe it will even help."
Steve nodded slowly. There was a reason, after all, that you were debriefed when you came back from a mission. It wasn't for the sole purpose of record keeping.
"Okay," he said, "but I pull the plug if you start to spin out."
"Fine," Jax snapped. She ducked her head. "Sorry," she whispered.
"Hey," Steve said, tucking his fingers under her chin and tilting her face up to his. "I get it. You know that, right? I've got you, Jax. I know what this is, I've been through it."
She nodded. "I think the IV worked great and I'm no longer dehydrated. I need to hit the head."
Steve chuckled and bent to kiss her on the cheek. "Danny and I will be in the hallway. We'll go debrief and then go home."
Steve let out a long sigh and leaned against the wall of the hallway, closing his eyes.
"You okay, babe?" Danny asked.
"The babies are fine, as far as they can tell," Steve said. "I was terrified, Danny. Even feeling them move, on the way over . . . all I could think was, what if it was only one of them, you know? Two heartbeats, plain as day. Jax is . . . she's definitely in shock, but you know how she is."
"Yeah, I do," Danny said, "and that's why I'm worried. She's going to shove this down, like she does everything else. Go on as if nothing happened."
"She's been through much worse," Steve said. "Since I've known her, even."
Danny sighed. "Sometimes it's like deja vu all over again with you two. Come on. Let's get this over with. I'm exhausted, too."
"You don't have to debrief, Danny," Jax said, as she slipped into the hallway to join them.
"Someone has to supervise you two yahoos," Danny groused. "You okay to walk, Jax?"
"How far is it?" Jax asked, as they stepped outside the building. She stopped, looking around in confusion. "It's dark. Was it dark when we got here?"
Steve slipped off his watch and pressed it into her hand. "It wasn't," he said, "but it was pushing that way."
Jax looked at the watch for a moment, her lips moving silently as she read the time and date to herself. "It wasn't much more than twenty-four hours," she said. "Right?"
"Right," Steve said, as they started walking toward the now-familiar squat gray building. Exterior lights gave it a soft glow.
"Okay," Jax said. They walked in silence until they reached the door. "I would really like some coffee," she whispered.
#*#*#*#*#
The debriefing was, in Danny's opinion, more like an interrogation.
"You're a SEAL," the Admiral said. "You're telling me you couldn't get a shot?"
"No, sir," Steve said calmly. "My - Shelburne deliberately blocked my angle."
"Would you have taken the shot, if you could have?" Vincas asked.
"Yes," Steve said, without hesitation.
"Even though you know the CIA, SAD, and the Navy had sanctioned embedding Shelburne in WoFat's operation, with her full cooperation?" Vincas asked.
"Yes," Steve said, again. "I deeply regret every time I've missed an opportunity to take out WoFat. Permanently. I will never stop watching for an opportunity."
"Likewise," Jax said. Her voice was steady, but her hands trembled, wrapped around a cup of coffee.
"Ms. McGarrett -"
"Jax, please," Jax said, wrinkling her nose.
"Jax," Vincas said. "In deference to your understandable exhaustion, I'll try to be brief. You encountered a staged car accident on your way home?"
"Yes,"Jax said. "Empty car. Empty car seat. I let down my guard, assumed it was an accident . . ."
"You were overcome? Or simply coerced?" Vincas asked.
"Gassed," Jax said. "Nitrous oxide. Short acting but effective. I woke up in a helicopter, and then was blindfolded. I can't help you with the location; I was blindfolded coming out, too."
"Distance?" Nick asked softly. "Any guesses?"
Jax shook her head. "I'm so sorry. I have a terrible sense of direction under the best of circumstances. I was disoriented from the nitrous on the way, and on the way back I was . . . just disoriented. Oh - I do know that WoFat wasn't the least concerned about me getting away."
Nick walked to the map and nodded at the red circle drawn by Steve. "Radius can be narrowed to inside an hour. And if he wasn't worried . . . I'm thinking one of the islands. Steve?"
"It's what I'd do," Steve said quietly. "We'll start with that assumption."
"Will you try to recover the nurse's body?" Jax asked quietly.
"Excuse me?" Vincas asked.
"There was a nurse taking care of me," Jax said. "WoFat killed her."
"Maybe you were confused," Catherine offered.
"I was confused, about a lot of things," Jax said, "but I know dead bodies. I had to step over her in the hall, on the way out. That wasn't confusion. She has a father . . . sisters . . . WoFat is trafficking humans as well as -" Jax stopped short. "There's something else, something important -"
"We'll try to recover the body," Steve said quietly. "Jax, when we first got to you, you said something about Nira, and Adam. Is that what you're trying to remember?"
"Adam killed Nira," Jax said slowly. "WoFat . . . WoFat handed Nira over to Adam, in return for Adam feeding him intel. On us, on the team. It was Adam. He was the mole."
"That's why the intel was more up-to-date, but still not current," Nick said, nodding.
Danny rubbed his hand over his face. "We have to go back, look at everything we have on Adam again. Why are you smiling, Steven?"
"Because now that we know what we're looking for, we might find something that leads us to WoFat," he said.
Rear Admiral Vincas looked back and forth between the matching grins on Steve's and Nick's faces.
"The Navy approves of the continued joint operation between the Five-O task force and our Naval Intel and SAD offices to track WoFat and ultimately bring down his global arms - and apparently human - trafficking," he said. "But gentleman, I think you're overlooking two things."
"Sir?" Nick asked.
"You'll also have to work with the CIA," he said. "And then there's the matter of Commander Joe White. Every alphabet organization is lined up for a piece of him. The man owes us all a great deal of explanation.
#*#*#*#*#
Catherine and Nick cleared up the rooms cluttered with debris from the latest interaction with WoFat. They meticulously stored away every map, every note . . . knowing that it could be significant, even if they didn't see it now.
"It was a good call, having our people drive them and their vehicles home," Catherine said, stretching to reach a print-out that had been haphazardly posted to the wall.
Nick reached over her easily and yanked out the push pin. "Last thing we needed was a tragedy of one of them falling asleep at the wheel. I've seen it happen, sailors get home after a year deployment, crash on the way home from the airport. Here," he said, folding the long strip of computer fed paper neatly, and handing it to her.
She placed it in a file, the last piece, and looked around the now spotless room.
"They're giving us better offices, at least," Nick said with a sigh. "Maybe we'll even get a couple windows."
"Oh, now that would be a nice change. I guess this is the part where we go rest up and regroup and get ready to start all over again. But unlike Danny and Steve and Jax, we get to just walk home," she said. She laughed. "Alone. Again."
Nick looked down at her thoughtfully. "We wouldn't have to be alone," he said quietly.
"Nick . . ." Catherine murmured. "If you haven't noticed, this doesn't end well for me."
"If you haven't noticed, I'm not Steve," he said. "I'm not looking for just a friend, and you haven't been assigned to me. It doesn't always have to be complicated or end badly, you know. And I don't know about you, but I'm exhausted. I was thinking sweat pants, a beer and a game on DVR to decompress, and eight hours of serious snoring. Then coffee, bacon and eggs."
"Snoring?" Catherine asked. She was walking towards the door, and Nick decided to take it as a win, falling in behind her. "That could be a deal breaker."
"Nah, I've pulled enough overnights with you," Nick said. "I can live with your snoring. It's kinda cute."