A baby was crying. She could hear it, faintly. She slipped her hands down to her stomach, wincing as they caught on the incision. Caught between waking and sleeping, she felt panic bubble up in her chest and struggled to remember why.
WoFat.
WoFat had been here, had threatened the babies. And now the babies were here and she was in the room alone and -
"Hey. Jax, you with me?"
She struggled awake, leaning instinctively into the calloused hand cupped gently around her face. Blinking slowly, she focused on familiar hazel eyes, crinkling into a smile.
"Hey," she whispered.
"There you are," Steve murmured. He was kneeling next to the bed, his face level with hers. "You okay?"
"Yeah. I was . . . I'm okay," she said. "Annie and Billy?"
"They're fine. Woke up from a nap just a few minutes ago, Colonel Hart and Maureen are giving them bottles. Mary's resting, too," Steve said, smiling at her.
Jax closed her eyes, tight, her breathing still ragged. Steve's hand carded carefully through her tangled curls.
"Little bit of panic?" he asked quietly.
She nodded.
"I understand. Right? You know I understand. I've got you. Take your time," he said.
"WoFat -"
"Maximum security, on the other side of the world," he reminded her. "NATO has him. He's done. Jax. It's over. This is the part where we get to breathe again; where we get to enjoy everything that we never let ourselves think we would get to have. Okay?"
She nodded again, taking a shuddering breath.
"I brought you some coffee," he whispered.
She cracked one eye open, and he laughed. Wincing, she struggled to sit up, but his hands were there, steadying her, and then pressing the steaming mug of coffee into her grip. She took a sip and sighed happily.
"Hi," she said, fully awake and grinning up at him.
"Hi," he said back, a broad smile on his face.
"We're home," she said. She took another sip of coffee and a deep breath. "We're home, the babies are okay . . . you're okay . . . holy shit. We made it."
He sat down next to her, carefully, and wrapped his arms around her, pressing his face into her hair.
"You made it," he murmured. "You scared me."
"And you scared me," she said. "Let's not do that, any of it, not for a long long time. Deal?"
"Absolutely. Okay, what do you need? Pain meds? Cold packs?" he asked.
She shook her head. "Another shower. No more meds."
He started to argue with her, but she pressed a finger against his lips.
"Maybe some regular Tylenol, I'll piggyback it with Motrin," she said. "Steve. This is - I've had worse. Much worse. I don't want to miss this. I don't want to walk around in a haze."
He nodded reluctantly. "Tonight, though?"
"If I have trouble sleeping," she said. "I'll think about it tonight. Okay? Now, get out of my way so I can shower and go count baby toes again."
"Still ten each," he said, kissing the top of her head and laughing. "Just counted."
#*#*#*#*#
The first week went by in a blur.
Diapers, bottles, baths . . .
"We outnumber them five to two," Steve said, yawning, standing bleary-eyed in front of the coffee pot. "Five to two. You know, in a firefight, those are . . . those are great odds. We have the strategic advantage. I don't understand."
Fred Sr. chuckled and shoved past Steve to pour a cup of coffee. The palest light of morning was just filtering into the kitchen. "Son, these babies don't play by the rules. That diaper of Billy's - that was biological warfare, straight up."
Jax shuffled into the kitchen and made a beeline for the coffee pot.
"You should be sleeping," Steve said. "I told you, the colonel and I had the night shift. It's barely oh six hundred."
"You woke me up, gagging," Jax said. "Which one was it?"
"Billy," Steve said. "Again."
"You're such a lightweight, McGarrett," she teased. "Go on, get some rest. I'll catch up on Sportscenter. Mary and I have the next shift."
"I should go for a run," Steve said, fighting another yawn.
"Oh, I'd advise against that," Fred Sr. said. "You should grab some bunk time while you have the chance. Besides, isn't Danny bringing his family over this evening to visit?"
"Yes, while you and Mrs. Hart take a well-deserved evening out," Jax said firmly.
"Yeah, guess you're right," Steve said. "They laughed at me. Danny, and Grover. I said I thought I'd be back in, full time, by the end of the week, and they laughed at me. Now I know why . . ."
Jax and Fred Sr. laughed as Steve shuffled toward the stairs.
"He healing up okay?" Fred Sr asked softly, topping off Jax's mug, and then his own. "He's still guarding those ribs."
Jax nodded, staring into her mug. "Bruised, badly . . . one or two, maybe even cracked. He has -"
Fred Sr tilted his head at her, waiting patiently.
She cleared her throat. "Burn. Cigar burns. Those aren't healed yet."
"Shit, I'm sorry, darlin'," Fred said.
"Nick got hurt, really bad," Jax whispered. "I think - I think Steve won't forgive himself. Blames himself."
"He won't talk about it," Fred Sr. guessed.
"Been kinda busy," Jax said, managing a smile.
"Yeah, that's for damn sure," Fred Sr said. He reached out and covered Jax's hand with his own. "You don't let him bottle all that up, okay? And if you need me to beat it out of him, you just say the word. Now, why don't you go on up, get a little more rest? We just put the babies down, they should be good for another hour or so at least. Go on, I'll read the paper and keep an ear out for them."
"But I -"
"But you, young lady, are barely ten days out from delivering twins. And still, if I'm not mistaken, not quite finished looking over your shoulder for the man who tried to destroy your family. Still seein' him as a feature in your nightmares, judgin' by those dark smudges under your pretty eyes," Fred Sr. said. "So, discretion bein' the better part of valor, and all - go on. Guarantee you Steve'll rest a bit better with you next to him, anyway."
Jax ducked her head with a grin, then nodded in agreement. She rinsed her mug and placed it next to the coffee maker.
"Yeah, no sense putting that away," Fred Sr. said. "You'll need it soon enough. I'll set up a fresh pot. Go on."
Jax made her way slowly back up the stairs, and silently into the bedroom. Steve forced his eyes open.
"Hey," he rasped. "Everything okay?"
"Sleep," she said, as she slipped under the covers next to him. "Annie and Billy are both still asleep. Colonel Hart is going to keep an ear out for them." She snuggled next to him, wincing a bit as the movement pulled on her stitches.
"Careful, be careful," he murmured, but he stretched his arm out so that she could tuck her head onto his shoulder. "You okay? Not hurting you?"
She shook her head, not that she'd have cared anyway. Her fingers traced lightly over the bruising on his ribcage, and he hummed in appreciation.
"I'm fine, Jax," he mumbled automatically, closing his eyes. Her fingers traced feather-light over the bandages covering the burns.
"Bullshit," she whispered. "But you're here."
He grunted softly, too tired to argue with her, and knowing she was right. Instead, he let the familiar scent of her shampoo soothe him, while his fingers rubbed absently over the soft cotton of her t-shirt.
"Missions . . . hell week .. . " he muttered.
"What?" she whispered, her eyes drifting back closed.
"Trying to remember when I've ever been this tired," he said. Suddenly, it seemed funny, and he laughed quietly.
His laughter was contagious, and Jax found herself giggling, too. "A stake-out," she said. "Last time I was this exhausted, it was a stake-out. Lasted for over a week, just four of us, rotating shifts in pairs . . . eventually, we were so full of caffeine that we couldn't even sleep when we were off shift . . . just sort of wandered around, like zombies."
"Can you imagine, if Mary and the Harts weren't here?" he sighed, his hand moving up to her hair. He wrapped a curl around his finger, back and forth.
"We'd have moved a mattress to the floor of the babies' room," she said. "Lived on MREs. We'd have bunkered down, managed."
"Yeah, we would have," Steve said.
"Glad we -" she broke off with a yawn "- didn't have to."
A gentle whuffling sound was the only response.
#*#*#*#*#
Steve didn't quite manage to hide a wince as Gracie flung her arms around him.
"Oh, I'm sorry, Uncle Steve," the little girl cried out, starting to pull back. But Steve wrapped his arms around her and held on tight.
"Gracie, honey, it is so good to see you, you can just hug me as tight as you want," Steve assured her. "I don't care one bit."
"Danno said that bad man, the one who took Auntie Jax, tried to hurt you and 'Mander Taylor," Gracie said.
"He did. But my team, they didn't give up on us, just like Five-O doesn't give up," Steve said. "They came and helped us, and everything turned out fine."
"And you got back before the twins," Gracie said. "Mommy said it was a bloody good thing."
"Grace," Rachel chided, hiding a smirk.
"I wouldn't have wanted to miss it," Steve agreed. "Would you like to see them?"
"Sure," Grace said. "Stacey Olsen's mom had twins. Both boys. I'm glad one of yours is a girl. There's enough boys."
"Remember that when you're fifteen," Danny grumbled. He plopped Charles Nolan unceremoniously on the floor of the nursery, allowing him to explore in the relative safety of the room. He babbled happily and scooted around, trying to pull up on the cribs.
"Wow," Steve said, looking down at him.
"This stage goes so quickly," Rachel said, gesturing at the twins. "Try to enjoy it. Before you know it, they'll be climbing the walls. Literally."
Danny carefully disengaged Charlie from where he'd already shimmied a few inches up the rail.
"Another monkey," Danny laughed. "Go on, Gracie, check out the babies."
Grace was just tall enough to look over the edge of the crib, her hands wrapped around the top. Her eyes widened.
"They're way smaller than Charlie," she said, looking up at Rachel who had joined her.
"Twins are sometimes smaller," Rachel said. "It's okay, they're healthy and strong, just tiny. You were smaller than Charles Nolan as well, you know. He was kind of a big baby."
Grace reached out a hand and then pulled it back quickly.
"No, it's okay, Gracie, you can touch them," Steve encouraged. "We've discovered they don't break."
Grace laughed softly and reached out to stroke tiny cheeks. "Billy has a lot of hair," she observed. "It's dark like yours, Uncle Steve, but it sticks up funny."
"Yeah, it does," Steve laughed.
"Annie doesn't have much hair yet," Grace said. "I hope she gets some."
"I am quite sure that she won't be bald, darling," Rachel assured her.
"Why are they both in this crib?" Grace asked.
"They were together so long in Auntie Jax's tummy, honey, they don't like being very far apart now," Danny said.
"Where is Auntie Jax?" Grace asked.
"She'll be down in just a minute. I think she might have lost track of time taking yet another shower," Steve said. "I'll run and check on her, if you'll watch the twins for me, Gracie."
Grace nodded enthusiastically and planted herself firmly by the crib, with Danny by her side.
Steve made his way up the stairs, taking them still just one at a time, a bit stiffly. Pupule took advantage when he opened the bedroom door, and bounded in, determined to claim some quiet time in the house full of visitors.
"Hey, buddy," Steve said, rubbing between his ears as the big cat turned in circles on the bed, trying to get comfortable. "Lot going on, hunh?"
Pupule let out a raspy meow and flopped down, covering his eyes with his tail. Steve chuckled, looking around the room for signs of Jax. He heard her, moving things around in the closet.
"Jax?" he called softly. "You okay?"
She stepped into the room, scowling.
"My clothes still don't fit," she said. "The babies are, like, pushing two weeks old, and I'm still wearing maternity clothes. Maternity clothes, Steven."
His eyes flicked over her, wearing the familiar denim shorts and the blue batik print tank that accented her strong shoulders and soft curves.
"First, the babies are still closer to one week than they are two. Because trust me, I'm keeping very close track of weeks, here. Second, I was hoping that shirt would stay in the regular rotation because . . . damn," he said, shaking his head. "You look fantastic."
She ducked her head, smiling.
"Danny and Rachel and the kids are here," he said.
"Shit, sorry," Jax said. She quickly bundled up her hair in a loose ponytail, several wayward strands escaping in curls around her face.
Steve couldn't resist wrapping one soft curl around his finger, tucking it behind her ear.
"I mean it," he said softly. "You are beautiful, ku'uipo. If you don't believe me, look at our kids."
"Our kids," she said. "Holy shit."
"I know," he said. He laughed. "Let's go enjoy the first of many McGarrett - Williams family nights. I think Gracie made a playlist."
#*#*#*#*#
Mary typed in the security code, then slipped in the front door and closed it quietly behind her. After all of the chaos and exhaustion of getting ready for the twins' arrival, and helping out in the first flurry of days at home, Steve and Jax had insisted that she take the evening out with new friends she'd met through Kono and Brian.
"But the Harts are going out, too," she'd argued.
"And we've got Danny and Rachel coming," Steve had said. "We still outnumber the babies. We'll be fine, Mare. You've done so much, and we appreciate it. You need some time out, time for yourself."
"It would be nice to wear something that didn't smell like baby formula," Mary had admitted.
So, she had met up with the group at Sidestreets, and from there, they had enjoyed a long walk on the beachfront, stopping for shave ice. Now, she stood in the living room, smiling fondly at her brother and sister in law, snuggled together on the couch, each of them with a baby in their arms. Steve had one arm around Jax, her head tucked securely on his shoulder. She was holding Billy - upright, as he had made his preference clear - one hand under his bottom and the other between his shoulder blades, her fingers cradling his head. Annie was tucked into the crook of Steve's elbow, her little feet propped up on his wrist. Mary slipped her cell phone out and snapped a picture.
"Hey, Mare," Steve murmured. He didn't blink or open his eyes.
"Should have known," Mary said. "No self-respecting SEAL would let someone sneak in the front door."
"Damn straight," Steve said. He finally opened his eyes and smiled at her. "Have a good evening?"
"I did," she whispered. "You guys?"
"It was unmitigated chaos," Jax said, smiling. "It was awesome."
"I didn't mean to wake you," Mary said. She put her bag down and sat down next to Jax.
"Please, no self-respecting SWAT officer would let someone sneak in the front door," Jax quipped.
"Will there ever be a point at which you guys don't primarily identify as a SEAL and as SWAT?" Mary asked.
"I don't think so," Steve said.
Jax was silent for a moment, stroking Billy's head. "Maybe," she said slowly. "I wasn't SWAT for very long . . . I think, someday, I'll think of being a medic, before I think of being SWAT."
Mary leaned over and kissed the top of Billy's head.
"And don't forget, you're also a mom and dad, now," Mary said. "I mean, pretty much the most kick-ass mom and dad ever, in the history of mom and dads, but still. You're not just a SEAL and a medic, either. Okay, I'm grabbing a shower and going to bed, but I'll keep an ear out to help with the munchkins tonight."
"Night, Mare," Steve said, as she kissed him on the cheek. His phone buzzed as she headed down the hall. He looked at it, breaking into a big smile and angling the screen toward Jax before he thumbed the icon to accept the call.
"Smooth Dog?" Nick's voice, slightly raspy, came over the speaker.
"Bullfrog, man, it's good to hear your voice," Steve said. "How's it going? You out of the hospital yet, or are you still making those nurses miserable?"
"Not so much," came Catherine's voice. "Hey, rumor has it there are two more McGarretts on the scene - we were hoping for a video call?"
"Yeah, but we wanted to ask first," Nick said. "I've served enough missions with you, Dog, that I don't want to risk seeing that ass of yours any more. Enough is enough, you know?"
"You're such a jackass," Steve said fondly. "Yeah, you've actually caught us in a calm moment, video is great. Hold on." He glanced at Jax, who nodded, smiling, and he pressed the buttons on the phone to switch to video.
Nick and Catherine's faces filled the small screen.
"Shit, Nick," Steve said, shaking his head. Nick had lost an obvious amount of weight, and still had dark circles under his eyes. A livid bruise still colored his jaw. "Shit. Nick, I'm so -"
"Sorry? To be there with your beautiful wife and children? Better not be, you idiot," Nick said. "I'm fine, Steve. Seriously. They let me out a couple days ago . . . I've got Catherine here while I recover . . . it's all good, I mean it. Now, angle that phone, I don't need to see up your nose, brother, I want to see those babies."
Steve propped Annie up a little higher and she opened solemn eyes, blinking and yawning. She shoved a tiny fist against her mouth.
"This is Ann Hart," Steve said. "We call her Annie, though."
Nick swallowed hard. "Named for Mary Ann and . . . and for Freddie," he said quietly. "Damn, guys, that's beautiful. She's beautiful. She gonna have Jax's red hair?"
"If she's lucky," Steve said. He angled the phone toward Jax. "And this is William Daniel. Billy, obviously, after Jax's brother."
"And when he's in trouble - and he will be, he's your kid - that's a good name for yelling down the beach," Catherine laughed. "William Daniel McGarrett. It's lovely, really. And look at all that hair! Oh my."
"Danny's already suggesting hair gel," Jax said, rolling her eyes.
"Jax, you look well," Catherine said hesitantly. "I'm . . . we heard, from Chin, that things got a little dicey. We were so relieved to hear that everything turned out okay."
"Thank you for getting Steve home," Jax said. "It wouldn't have been okay, not without him. Thank you, both of you."
"We did it," Nick said quietly. "WoFat . . . he's done. So many governments want a piece of him."
"Is he going to give up his suppliers, his buyers?" Steve asked. "Because otherwise . . ."
"He might, to get . . . more comfortable accomodations," Catherine said carefully. "I'll keep you posted as I get reports. It's out of the Navy's hands at this point; he's been turned over to NATO. He was an international criminal."
"Navy's taking the credit for the take-down, though," Nick said. "We'll get another medal or some such."
"Well, that's one I might actually show up for," Steve said. "I could stand next to you and get pinned."
"About that," Nick said, rubbing his hand over his face. "We're being stationed - well, deployed really - here. To the base here, in Japan. If WoFat's base of operation was North Korea, and if Joe is tracking Shelburne in this area . . ."
"Shit. It makes sense but . . . we'll miss having you close," Steve said. "Catherine?"
"I asked for the transfer," Catherine said. "The SAD used me long enough . . . but I developed skills in the process. I think I can make a difference here, tracking down WoFat's closest connections. We need to stop the next WoFat before he starts."
Jax looked at Nick's hands, wrapped around Catherine's, his thumb caressing her knuckles. She smiled into the screen.
"You'll find it's well worth it," she said. "Going. Staying."
Catherine smiled, then, genuinely and without hesitation. 'Yeah?"
"Oh yeah," Jax said. She turned serious. "And Steve's mom?"
"We'll do what we can to keep you posted but . . . nothing yet," Catherine said. There was a voice in the background, and she turned. "Look, we have to go. Congratulations, the babies are precious and you both look happy. Tired, but happy."
"Pretty much sums it up," Steve said. "Thanks guys, you be careful."
They ended the call in a flash of static and white noise. Billy snorted and lifted his head, then nestled back against Jax.
"Your first international military call, and you slept through it," Steve said, chuckling. "Both of you."
"My arm's going to sleep," Jax whispered. "Trade?"
"Yeah, absolutely," Steve said. He grinned and shifted Annie easily, taking Billy and propping him on his chest, as Jax took Annie and laid her on her lap, wiggling her little feet and hands.
"Do you wish you were with them?" Jax asked quietly. She smoothed her hand over Annie's rounded belly, the lavender cotton onesie soft under her fingers.
"Do I - what? No, Jax, I don't. I don't wish I was with them," Steve said.
"You could be . . . at one point, you could have been," Jax said.
"Yeah, maybe, before Five-O, before I came back home, made a life here," Steve said.
"I don't want you to feel trapped," Jax said. "With me, and the babies. I don't want you to end up hating us."
Steve shifted on the sofa to face her, holding Billy against his chest easily. "Jax, what the - never. I would never hate you and Billy and Annie - God, I can't even imagine - no, ku'uipo."
"We could go," Jax said, looking up at him. '"I would go. I'm a Navy wife, Steve, and if -"
"Jax," he said, cupping his free hand around her face. "I don't want to go back to active duty. I don't want to go be stationed with Nick and Catherine. I want to be right here, with you and the babies, and Mary. With Five-O, with Danny, Chin, Kono, and Grover."
"I don't want you to regret . . ." Jax said.
"I gave up active duty to take on Five-O," Steve said. "Before I even met you, Jax. I didn't know about you until after I made Danny my partner, and Kono reminded him of you, and he started with the stories. Jax, I was out of the teams before I even heard your name. Okay?"
She nodded slowly.
"Listen, I - when Freddie told me that he and Kelly were getting married, having a baby . . . I was so happy for him, Jax, I was almost jealous," Steve said. "But even then, it didn't occur to me that it was something I was going to be allowed to have. Do you understand that? This - this, right here - this was the ultimate, the thing I thought would never happen. Someone who would get me, who could deal with all the - the nightmares, and the bullshit, and the rest of it. And a kid? God, I love kids. Kids are awesome. I didn't dare let myself hope for one, much less two. This . . . Jax, I want this. I think I wanted it the day you showed up at Five-O."
"You're sure?" she whispered.
"Damn sure," he said. "Jax, are you sure? I know this is overwhelming. Lieutenant Allen said, it's not unusual for new moms to really struggle . . . I know you had to give up so much, during the pregnancy . . . but I promised we'd work everything out, and we will. We haven't . . . it's been so crazy, just keeping them fed and changed and . . . God, Jax, I'm so sorry, I haven't really asked -"
"Steve, I'm fine," she said. "I mean, yeah, I'm a little - okay, so I'm not just showering because I feel gross and awful, it's also because, out of nowhere, I feel like crying, and . . . I don't want to bring everybody down, so I sort of get it out of my system in the shower, and I hate it, I hate not feeling in control but . . . Rachel said that's perfectly normal, she did that with both kids. I asked her tonight, while you and Danny were building a sandcastle with Gracie. And . . . Billy and Annie, I - no one ever said, the books didn't talk about how - God, I'm so stupidly in love with them, I can't even -"
"I know," Steve whispered, a wide smile spreading across his face. "I keep sneaking down the stairs to look at them sleep."
"I know, you goof, because you wake me up every damn time," Jax said, grinning. "And I can't hobble up and down the stairs that much."
"We could move down -"
"Nah," Jax said. "This is nothing. When I left the hospital after 9/11, I was in way worse shape than this, and I had a third story walk-up."
Steve's face darkened. She tossed the information out there so casually, it clearly didn't occur to her that she never should have been put in that position. He watched her now, for any sign that she was visiting the past in her memories, but her eyes were fixed on Annie still, marveling over the impossibly tiny fingers and toes. When she looked up at him, she was smiling.
"What?" she asked.
He shook his head. "Nothing. So . . . you're happy? You're okay?"
"Yeah . . . really and truly," she said.
He leaned forward and wrapped a hand around her neck, and kissed her gently, his thumb tracing over her jaw. The moment was interrupted with an unmistakable, wet squirting sound from the vicinity of Billy's diaper. Steve glanced down at his son, and then back at Jax, his eyes mournful.
"You know the rule, you're holding him," Jax said, smirking.
"I know, but . . . we just traded, like, a minute ago," Steve argued.
She pretended to ponder the situation, her eyes sparkling. Steve put on his best sad puppy face for her benefit.
"Tell you what," she said, sighing dramatically. "You and Annie make me some coffee, and I'll deal with Billy's blow out."
"It's late," he said. "You sure about the coffee?"
"They've been asleep for about two hours," Jax said. "All hell is going to break loose any minute now. Billy's already awake. And we told the Harts that we'd only call for them if we were in deep shit."
"Yep, coffee, good plan," Steve said. He reached for Annie and held her, snuggled next to her brother, while Jax gingerly extricated herself from the sofa. "You good?" he asked, when she was standing, steady on her feet.
She reached for Billy, who was starting to protest his situation.
"Really good," she said, looking down at him.
#*#*#*#*#
Steve gauged his distance from the house and decided to start swimming back. It had been good to get in a swim. He could sense the beginning of a return to routine, now that the babies were almost three weeks old. The Harts had left the day before, with promises to return for a weekend in about a month.
"The babies will be a little over six weeks old by then," Maureen had said, winking at Jax and making her blush. "We'll come and stay overnight. Maybe let the two of you take a night at one of these lovely resorts, a little get-away. Late Valentines day celebration."
"Maureen, could you be any more obvious?" Colonel Hart had teased, while Steve ducked his head an avoided eye contact with the woman he considered a second mother.
Steve smiled to himself now, as he cut smoothly through the placid low-tide water. These first few weeks had blurred by in a state of exhaustion and euphoria, their attention completely wrapped up in Annie and Billy, simple snuggling more than enough to satisfy them as their bodies healed. His ribs and burns were a mere nuisance now, and Jax had been scratching absently at her healing incision. He suspected the next three weeks would be a little more . . . difficult. Maybe he should follow up on Maureen's suggestion, book a simple suite at the Hilton. The views wouldn't rival their own, but room service . . . Jax would be cleared to use a hot tub or jacuzzi by then . . . Maureen was a genius, really. Brilliant. The distance back to the stretch of beach behind his house was covered quickly as he mused on ideas, and soon he was angling toward the shallower water parallel with the familiar yard. He stood, brushing the water out of his face and shaking himself, and spotted Jax standing at the water's edge, one of the babies in her arms.
He moved as quickly as he could toward her.
"Hey, everything okay?" he called softly, closing the distance between them.
"Annie was fussy," Jax said. "I thought, a change of scene . . . as much as you and I love the water, maybe . . . it worked. Look."
Annie was snuggled in Jax's arms, her wide eyes solemnly gazing out at the water. She gurgled happily, shoving a fist at her mouth and managing to wrangle her thumb between her rosebud lips. She blinked in confusion, and then settled in happily to suck at her thumb, looking up at Steve.
"Hey, baby girl," Steve murmured. "I'd hold you, punkin, but I'd get you all wet."
Jax laughed. "She'll dry. Here."
Steve took Annie from Jax, his big hands wrapping around her body easily. He snuggled her against his chest and she nestled against him, seemingly unconcerned about the dampness. Her thumb stayed firmly in her mouth and she let out a tiny sigh of contentment. The early morning breeze ruffled through her wispy hair, and Steve smoothed it down with a finger.
"You think her hair is going to stay this color?" he wondered. "I guess I assumed she'd have red hair, like yours, but it looks brown."
Jax was too distracted by the sight of their child cuddled against Steve's strong chest, the water darkening the ink on his biceps and dripping down to disappear into the low-slung waist of his swim trunks.
"Jax?" he prompted.
"Hunh?" she replied, blinking up at him. He smirked at her. "Shut up," she said.
"Didn't say anything," he pointed out.
"Just shut up," she said again, stepping closer to him. Her fingers traced over the swirling tattoos, and then one of his arms was around her shoulders, pulling her close to him.
Mary held Billy at the kitchen window.
"See, kid? I swear to God, they're going to be embarrassing you with public displays of affection your entire life," she sighed. "Shameless. Look at them, making out, squishing your sister in between them. Second thought, don't look. Here, look at the bottle Auntie Mary just made for you."
#*#*#*#*#
Steve hustled off the elevator and into the Five-O office suite.
"Sorry I'm late, guys," he said, as the rest of the team stood gathered around the smart table. "It was harder to leave than I had anticipated."
"Sorry to cut the baby-moon short, man," Grover said. "But we need you on this one."
"It's no problem. Jax says I'm starting to smother and hover What have we got?" Steve asked.
"We've got a dead Naval officer," Chin said soberly, as he started to flick documents and photos onto the plasma screen.
"That's NCIS's jurisdiction," Steve said.
"It is," Danny agreed, "but the victim is theirs. Lieutenant Commander Elizabeth Graff. She was found in her parked vehicle, inside her garage, by her partner this morning. Special Agent Mark Dillinger. He started CPR immediately, called for a bus . . . she was pronounced dead on the scene. First glance, of course . . . could be suicide, but it's way too soon to tell."
"The special agent in charge of NCIS Pearl Harbor conferred with Sec Nav, reached out to us," Grover explained. "It would be like . . . well, it would be like us trying to work the case if Kono or Jax were the victim. There's zero objectivity, and frankly, the entire department is just in shock."
Steve nodded solemnly. "Yeah, of course. What do we know?"
"Not much, yet," Kono said. "They're sending a courier over with every open case file of Graff's."
Steve studied the photos on the screen, his arms crossed over his chest. "Who has the body?"
"NCIS," Chin answered. "Autopsy scheduled for this afternoon."
"No. No, I want Max on the autopsy," Steve said decisively. "Their ME can come, observe, as a matter of professional courtesy, but if they want us on the case, everything goes through this office. If Graff had a car, why was her partner at her house this morning?"
Danny shrugged. "Why do you and I ride in to work together half the time? We each have our own vehicle."
"It's the car rides that keep the bromance alive," Kono sighed.
"Okay, but still - we start with him. Danny, with me, we'll go interview. Chin, would you please coordinate with Max and the NCIS ME?" Steve asked. "Kono, reach out to Caviness - if we find out this is case related, we may have witnesses in danger. And then you and Grover, start pulling financials. Any questions or concerns from NCIS or the Sec Nav, put them through to me, I'll talk to them."
#*#*#*#*#
"I missed this," Danny said, gesturing to Steve behind the wheel of the Camaro.
Steve grinned at him. "Aww, you missed me. That's nice, Danny, really."
"Don't let it go to your head," Danny said. "You just have a way of shortcutting that the rest of us haven't quite mastered, and so . . . okay, I'm going to admit, sometimes things get done faster with you around. Because you're reckless and have a complete and utter disregard for procedure and protocol."
"You missed me," Steve repeated, still smiling.
"Let's not belabor the point," Danny said. "How are Annie and Billy?"
"Man, they are awesome," Steve said. "Sleeping for about three hours at a stretch, both of them, so we're getting decent sleep -"
"Wait, three hours at a time, you call that decent?" Danny protested.
"Danny, I can go for a couple days on three hours of sleep, if I need to. We sleep for a few hours, we get up, give them bottles, change them, and sleep for a few more hours," Steve said. "It's great. Mary helps with one of the night-time feedings, so Jax is getting five, six hours at one stretch."
Danny shook his head. "I'm glad that works for you, babe. Five or six whole hours."
Steve started to say something, shot Danny a look, and then stopped.
"What?" Danny demanded.
"Nothing, Danno," Steve said. Little lines of tension appeared around his eyes.
"No, it's not - oh. Oh, geez," Danny said, rubbing his face. "Five or six hours a stretch, that's probably the most you and Jax ever get."
"Yeah," Steve said. He rubbed a hand over his face. "Yeah, Danny. That was . . . when Jax was pregnant, she was sleeping seven or eight hours - that was unusual. It's okay, partner, we just - sleep isn't something that comes easy for us."
Danny was pensive for a moment.
"You guys been doing okay, since your last run-in with WoFat, and Jax's close call with the delivery?" Danny asked quietly.
Steve barked out a laugh. "Shit, I don't know, Danny. The last few weeks have been such a blur, I - Jax wakes up disoriented sometimes, has to double check to be sure the babies are here, and that it's me downstairs with them and not WoFat."
"Steve . . ." Danny sighed. "And you?"
"I'm fine, Danny," Steve answered quickly.
"Appointments with Lieutenant Allen?" Danny asked.
"Yeah. Yeah, we are. We will," Steve said. "It's . . . scheduling stuff is a little tricky right now, ya know?"
Danny chuckled. "I do, in fact. You've got plenty of us to help, though, you know that."
"We appreciate it," Steve said. "We're good, Danny, thank you for worrying, but . . . seriously, we're wandering around stupidly goofy just . . ."
"Besotted," Danny suggested.
"Yes, besotted," Steve agreed. "Absolutely besotted with Annie and Billy. They're just . . . God, they're so tiny, and cute. Annie started sucking her thumb. Is that okay?"
"Sure," Danny said, gesturing expansively. "I mean, by the time she goes to kindergarten, you'll encourage her to stop but, you know. I don't see any harm in it."
"I had no idea . . . I get why you dropped everything and followed Rachel and Gracie to Hawaii," Steve said. "I absolutely can't imagine . . . four weeks. They've been here four weeks and already I can't remember, can't imagine my life without them."
Danny laughed softly. "It's hard to explain."
"It is impossible to explain," Steve said. "That day I came to your apartment -"
"Excuse me, invaded my apartment, you home-invasioned my apartment -"
"Home-invasioned? That's not even a word, Danny," Steve argued. "Your place was shit, boxes everywhere, that miserable pull-out sofa, and right in the middle of it, the one thing that didn't look like absolute crap, was that framed picture of Grace."
"And the fact that you picked up on that immediately was the one thing that gave me hope that you were more than a muscle-bound pretty recruitment poster boy for the Army -"
"Navy, Danny, the Navy -" Steve interjected. "Muscle-bound pretty recruitment - is there something you would have liked to have told me, because it's too late now. We're both very happily married with two children."
"Very funny."
"Which, by the way, if we were keeping score - which we're not - we're even," Steve said smugly. "Two and two."
"We're - what the hell is the matter with your brain, you - keeping score -"
"I said we weren't, though, we aren't keeping score," Steve said. "I'm just pointing out that, if we were, you have two kids, I have two kids."
"And you do realize, that had absolutely nothing to do with you, right? Twins are a maternal phenomenon. We learned that in high school biology," Danny said.
"I was better at chemistry," Steve said. "Anatomy and physiology, which all made sense and came back to me when I did my SEAL medic training. But biology . . . " He broke off and waggled his hand back and forth.
"Which is precisely why we tried to make sure you were caught up to speed and informed, you know, before the babies were born," Danny sighed.
"In our defense, we didn't know about the pregnancy until almost the second trimester, and then we were kinda busy, Daniel, what with taking down an international arms dealer," Steve said.
"Don't get testy with me, I know, I was there, remember?" Danny said. "Geez, you don't have to remind me. I see it in my dreams sometimes too, you know? Jax, on the damn video screen with WoFat . . . and you, not knowing where you were and if you were going to make it home and -"
Steve was silent for a long moment. "Yeah, I know. I'm sorry, Danny."
"Yeah, well, prove it, and stop putting yourself in such ridiculous situations," Danny said.
"I plan to call for backup more often," Steve said.
"You - okay, I will accept that, gladly," Danny said. "Fatherhood, see? It makes us more rational, more appropriately cautious individuals."
"Jax will kill me if I'm not around to help her with the twins," Steve said seriously.
"Kill you if - you'd already be dead, numbnuts," Danny said.
Steve looked at him. "She'd probably find a way to revive me, just so she could kick my ass."
Danny nodded. "I wouldn't put it past her. You're right. So, backup, more backup. And Steve, you'll talk to Lieutenant Allen? You and Jax both? If Mary isn't available, you know Chin and Kono have an entire network of aunties and cousins that would love to hold McGarrett ninja babies."
"Yes, Danny, what - do you want me to pinky swear or something?" Steve asked. Danny was nothing if not persistent. A fine quality in a detective, a sometimes troublesome quality in a friend.
Danny very seriously held out his pinky.
"What, I have a nine year old?" he demanded. "You said pinky swear, now pinky swear."
Steve linked his pinky through Danny's until Danny nodded in satisfaction.
"Can we please talk about the case now?" Steve asked.
"Talk - who's stopping you? I'm not stopping you," Danny said. "I can tell you're already suspicious of the partner. Why? What about this person has warranted your paranoia, oh Super SEAL . . ."