Chapter 3
Steve McGarrett's House; Oahu, Hawaii
Steve decided he was not a cat person. He had taught he might be at one time. But, no. No, he decided that he very much was not a cat person.
Or maybe it was just this cat. His mother had had a cat when he was young and he didn't remember Rebound being quite so creepy. Sure the cat had been entranced by basketball whenever it was on the TV, but that was just the bright colors and moving lights. Right? He certainly didn't remember Rebound being able to open closed doors.
Steve had managed to grab Danny's cat and drop it outside his bedroom door after he had woken up, but that hadn't stopped the cat from getting back in. Some how the cat had opened the door after Steve had gone back to sleep. Once the door had been open the cat had apparently decided it wanted to curl back up on the bed by him. The sudden warmth against his back had freaked him out and for the second time that night he had fallen out of bed, while the cat remained comfortably curled on the bed. Steve had cursed but grabbed the cat by the scruff of the neck and dropped it back out into the hallway, closing the door in its face.
Steve had barely curled back under the covers when he heard the door pop open again. Sitting up he had watched the door swing open, the cat clutching the door knob. Once the door had stopped moving the cat had simply dropped to the floor, gave a little shake to settle its fur, and sauntered over towards the bed.
At that point Steve had jumped up, tossing the covers nearly off the bed, stomped over to the cat and picked it up, intending to lock it into one of the other two bedrooms. Only the cat had apparently not liked the idea and had somehow managed to wiggle out of Steve's hold, leaving little red welts on Steve's arms from where the cat's partially retracted claws had scratched him. By the time Steve had turned around the cat was already on the bed, comfortably curled up on the pillow, watching Steve with a look that seemed to ask why Steve wasn't in the bed yet.
Pressing the heels of his palms against his eyes, Steve groaned. He knew he had to have a long talk with Danny when he got back to the office. Danny was not leaving this little demon here again.
Shoving the cat off the pillow, Steve crawled into bed. Yanking the covers up over his shoulders, Steve turned onto his side, his back facing the cat. The cat yawned, stretched, rubbed the length of its body against his back, and finally curled up at the base of Steve's spine. Steve tried not to shiver at the strange sensation of another living being sleeping so close to him. He wasn't used to this. He never had lovers that he let sleep beside him. Not even Catherine, and he trusted her above almost everyone he had ever served with.
A gentle vibration against his spine, combined with the body heat of the large cat, slowly lulled Steve into sleep. Despite the unease with the situation, the sleep was deep. His body sinking heavily into the mattress as dreams of cobblestone streets and people in costumes like witches and wizards from fairy tale books filled his mind. And if a dark haired man with the greenest eyes he had ever seen smiled at him and took Steve's hand in his, leading Steve down the street, past a shop filled with owls, and a bank with goblins standing guard, Steve would never tell.
Five-0 HQ; Oahu, Hawaii
Steve stormed into their new headquarters, Danny's cat following along behind him. His cheekbone still hurt, a scab was forming over the cut above his eye, and if he had to wear the sling for much longer he was going to hurt someone. So having to deal with Danny's strangely intelligent cat was just the perfect topper to the start of his day. He swore there was something off about the cat. The way it watched you was a little creepy, as if it was too smart to be a real cat, as if it was something else.
Groaning and scrubbing his hands over his face, Steve glared down at the cat, which had paused beside him, looking around the office at the still unpacked boxes. After a moment the cat seemed to nod to itself before sauntering into the office in front of him, jumping up onto the computer table. Steve watched the cat for a moment as it slid its paws over the slick surface of the touch screen.
"So weird," Steve muttered to himself.
Turning away from where the cat was playing with the tabletop, Steve turned to survey the glass walled office that was going to be his. There was still so much to do to get the office set up and running before they could even really start taking cases and Steve wasn't looking forward to it. He was, however, looking forward to taking cases. Smiling to himself, Steve picked up the box sitting next to the desk and set it down on the top of the desk before popping it open. Inside was all the basics he'd need. An 'In/Out' box, a box of black ballpoint pens, a box filled with mechanical pencils and .07 lead, a stapler, a box of paperclips, scissors, and two reams of forms. One set of forms looked a bit like the forms the Navy used to request supplies and the other he was guessing was the police version of an after action report.
None of it was very exciting, but they had to start somewhere in this mess if they wanted to ever get their new office up an running. From the look of it Chin was already here. The computer table and monitors he had requested had already been unpacked and assembled, something Steve should probably worry about since the cat was out there crawling all over their main tech table, an expensive piece of technology that Chin had practically orgasmed over when it arrived, and something that Steve had practically sold his soul to get at a discounted rate. They might have Immunity and Means, but that didn't mean the Governor was going to give a four person team a budget that exceeded what HPD got.
Shaking his head clear of the cobwebs that seemed to be forming now that he wasn't living off the adrenaline of chasing Hesse all over the world, Steve held back a heavy yawn and looked back over the pile of boxes still needing to be unpacked. He was certain they had doubled since last night. Did boxes procreate when people weren't looking like his old CO said paperwork did?
"Shouldn't you be at home resting," Danny asked.
Steve turned, blinking owlishly at the shorter man, who was leaning against the doorframe, watching him with a strange look. Steve wasn't sure about that look, but it reminded him a bit of the doctors and nurses who checked him over after missions. Almost proprietary, with a dash of exasperation, frustration, and amusement thrown in.
Trying to ignore the way the 'Look' made all his hair stand on end, Steve shrugged as if he hadn't a care in the world. "I'm perfectly fine, Danno."
Danny let out a long sigh. "Didn't I tell you not to call me that."
"Aw, come on." Steve flashed his new partner the same goofy grin that had been getting him out of trouble since he was five and learned his first swear word. "It's cute."
"It's my daughters nick name for me, and last I checked you weren't a nine year old girl." Danny arched one eyebrow up towards his hairline as he looked Steve over from head to toe and back. "Unless there's something you've been meaning to share?"
Steve smiled at the light-hearted teasing.
Before Steve could return the banter Chin walked up behind Danny, holding Danny's cat in a grip under it's front legs, Chin's arms stretching it out as far from his own body as they'd go. "Anyone care to explain?"
"He's John's."
"He's Danny's."
Chin looked between them, still holding the disgruntled looking cat out. "He's both of yours then, so keep him from playing on my tech table." With that Chin shoved the cat at Steve, who scrambled to hold the cat in his one good arm. "And don't forget to go see your Dad in the hospital," demanded Chin as he stomped back into the main office.
"Huh," Danny said, sounding surprised. "I didn't take him to dislike animals."
"He likes animals fine," Kono said as she walked into the office carrying another box. "He just doesn't like things that damage his babies." Kono tilted her head towards Chin who was very carefully cleaning down the computer table with the special organic cleansers he had requested.
"Is he baby talking to the table," Danny asked, his voice a shocked, but amused, whisper.
"Yup." Kono smiled, setting the box down on the ground outside Steve office, before stepping inside. She gave Danny a friendly shoulder bump as she passed. "Now, who's this adorable fella?"
Steve, and the cat, looked to Danny to save them as Kono approached making the cooing noises that all women seemed to make when looking at babies and fluffy animals. Both Steve and the cat looked terrified as she approached, one hand moving out to touch the cat, who tried to back away by crawling onto Steve's shoulder, balancing there like a pirates parrot. The cat shot Danny another panicked look, glanced back at Kono whose fingers were just inches away, and the sprang off Steve's shoulder, sending the former SEAL into a stumbled as he was knocked off balance by the force of the cat spring boarding itself off him. The cat sailed over Kono's head by mere inches, crashing into Danny, who let out a started "Oomph" as the weight of the cat crashed into his chest, knocking him nearly off his feet.
Kono spun about looking at Danny and the cat with a large pout. "He doesn't like me."
Danny rolled his eyes heavenward, shifting the cat in his arms, so that it was resting comfortable against his chest with one of Danny arms under it, supporting its weight, as his other hand began to absentminded lay stroke the fur on its back. "You are crazy. Of course it doesn't like you, it doesn't know you! Give it a moment to smell you at least before you stalk it like a rabid jackal."
"Jackal, Danno? Really?"
"What did I tell you about that, huh? Don't call me that!"
"Oh come on, Danno. You know you like it."
"Shut it, Steven. It's my daughter's name for me. And stop trying to change the subject. It's your father's cat so you should be taking care of this. Also, we should order some cat supplies while we're getting the office all set up. If the cat's going to be here during the day like this then we'll need a litter box and a water -"
"Wait," Steve interrupted. "What do you mean my father's cat? It's your cat! You just left it at my house."
"No. I found the cat at your house after you pulled your gun on me. The cat must belong to your Dad, ergo, the cat belongs to you While he is in the coma."
"What," Steve cried. "My dad doesn't own a cat."
"Said cat living in your house begs to differ."
"But," Steve looked at the cat, it's oh so green eyes gazing back at him with that weird intelligence. "I don't -"
"I'll take him," Kono cute in with a smile as she slowly edged closer to Danny and the cat, her hand stretched out cautiously in front of her, palm up.
"There, Kono can have it."
"Him, Steven," Danny said in a gravely disappointed soundly voice. "The cat is a him, and no, Kono can't have him."
"Why not," the two asked together.
"Because the cat belongs to Steven's Dad, and it is his responsibility to care for said cat."
"But-" Steve shut up quickly at the look of disappointment that Danny threw him. "Alright, fine. But I think...uh, well...I think you should have joint custody."
Danny looked at Steve in surprise, one eyebrow jolting up towards his hairline again. "Joint custody?"
"Well, it - I mean, he - knows you and obviously feels safe with you. So we shouldn't, you know, disrupt that," Steve trailed off slightly confusing himself as well as the other two.
Scratching the cat behind his ears, Danny smiled slightly at the rumbling purr that was building in Poppet's chest, and really he needed to get the cat's name changed. He knew Steve was just trying to pawn off the responsibility of owning a cat onto someone else, but Danny had enjoyed having the cat around for the short while that he had. His family had had pets, usually dogs, since before he had been born. Danny was comfortable around animals and liked the uncomplicated affection they shared with you in spades. "Fine. You can have him Sunday through Tuesday, and every other Wednesday, and I'll take him Thursday through Saturday, and every other Wednesday. Deal?"
The revealed smile that split Steve's face, made Danny want to chuckle. Obviously Steve wasn't used to having pets, but this should be good for him.
"How about I get it Monday and you have it the rest of the week," Steve countered.
"Not gonna happen. Be a grown man and take care of your damn cat, McGarrett." Danny turned his best 'You are so in time out' glare on Steve before turning to stalk out of the office, the cat still resting comfortably in his arms. "Come on boy, we are going to order you some nice new cat supplies on Uncle Steve's credit card."
"What? No," Steve cried out chasing after Danny, leaving Kono chuckling in his office.
Kono shook her head and smirked. 'These two are so going to end up married.'
Chin glanced at Kono as she walked in, one dark brow rising higher at the look of mischief on her face. "What did you do?"
"Nothing." Kono smirked. "Nothing at all."
Chin glanced back to where Danny was trying to pull up a website on his computer even as Steve tried to push Danny away from it. "Somehow, cuz, I don't believe you."
"What," Kono cried in her best impression of innocence. "Whatever could I have done?"
Chin rolled his eyes and went back to setting up the computer table. "Just try not to push things like you did with Ailani and cousin Chung Hee. If they are going to end up together it'll happen in it's own time."
"So you see it too," Kono said with amusement as she gazed at her two new teammates who were now fighting over the phone of all things, the strange black cat forgotten. Danny was waving his hands and tugging at the phone while Steve grabbed his shirt, popping a few buttons off as he tried to twist away from Danny with the base of the phone in his other hand.
Kono chuckled into her hand as Steve blushed bright red and Danny dropped the phone to pull the front of his shirt back together, even as he started to berate Steve for ruining another of his work shirts.
A soft thump brought Kono's attention back to herself and she glanced to her side where Chin was starring at the cat, who had leapt onto the top of the table. This time though it seemed content to sit along the edge rather than on the screen. Her cousin just signed, starring intently at the cat.
"Try not to mess up my table," he demanded of the cat, who twitched one curled ear at him before shifting to lick at his front leg, clearly not feeling threatened at all. Chin sighed almost as dramatically as she imagined Danny would, looked back over at Steve and Danny, then back to the cat. "I guess Kono and I will get you some cat things."
Chin nodded at Steve and Danny who were standing awkwardly in what was going to be Danny's office. Danny's shirt was still open, showing off his strong chest covered in golden hair. Steve was still red all the way to the tips of his ears, and the two seemed to be unable to look at each other for more than a minute or two, even if they were still arguing about cat supplies, who the cat belonged to, and Steve's injuries.
"Get the cat, Kono. I think it's time for a field trip."
Puss In Boots Pet Shop; Oahu, Hawaii
Ailani Kelly had been running the PIB Pet Shop for four years, ever since her father's heart attack. It wasn't what she had planned to do when she went to school to get her doctorate in Zoology, but she couldn't say she hated it. The pet shop had been in her family for three generations now, and she was still working with animals as she had always wanted to do. At least her customers knew that they were coming to a local shop and not a chain, that they were getting employees who had a greater knowledge about animals than the standard shop, and that her family took great care not to buy animals from puppy mills.
They were a good shop and they tried to keep everything as local as possible. She was even in the process of getting the empty shop next door and expanding to add an in-shop vet clinic. She could easily handle a lot of that, but so could her brother Kai, when he finished his internship at the local animal hospital. But they would probably need at least one other vet, maybe two.
The door chime broke her from her train of thoughts, and Ailani looked up to see Chin Ho and Kono walking in. Now they had stopped in before on occasion, but Ailani had not seen them in a while, especially Chin Ho, as the family had basically abandoned him after the incident years before. While she did not support him as openly as Kono, she had never believed that Chin Ho would have stolen all that money. Still, she hadn't expected to see them today, let alone with what looked to be an exotic cat at first glance.
"Is that an pet," she blurted out.
Chin Ho and Kono, stopped in their tracks, startled by the outburst. Kono clutched the cat closer to her chest, twisting her body away from Ailani.
"Uhhh," Chin Ho trailed off a little startled. "What?"
Ailani stalked up to them, circling Kono to try and get a good look at the cat, who seemed perfectly content resting in Kono's arms. "Is that your pet?"
Ail and stepped out from behind the front counter and approached them. Stopping half a foot away she carefully looked over the animal lazing about in Kono's arms. It was mid-sized for a domestic, too small for a wild cat, unless it was not yet full grown. At first she thought maybe a lynx of some type bred to be an unnatural coloration for the breed. But now that she was closer she realized it was simply a Highland Lynx, a domestic breed designed to look like a wild cat. "You do realize that is a Highland Lynx? If. Had this been a few years back you wouldn't be allowed to have it on the islands."
"It is," Kono asked confusedly as she looked down at the content cat. "But Poppet, and we really have to vote on a better name, belonged to Steve's Dad. Or at least it was found living in his house after he was murdered, and it already has tags and everything. Why would it be illegal? Is he a wild species is it?"
"No. He is a domestic species. But it is a species that was bred from wild species. Fortunately they are no longer listed as a hybrid species as they aren't bred from wild breeds any longer. O you should be fine."
Chin Ho and Kono shared another look before turning pleading eyes on Ailani. "The cat may be a witness to a attempted murder, and is potential evidence as well. We are pretty sure our bosses father found the cat and was keeping it as evidence before he was attacked. So if you could maybe help us sort this all out, we would be very grateful, cuz."
Ailani huffed out a breath and looked back at the cat, who was watching her now with eerily intelligent green eyes. Certainly not a shade natural to the species either, so perhaps it had been genetically altered? "Fine. But be aware that despite it being super cute, it can be dangerous as any animal could. But with eyes that green, this little guy has likely been genetically altered which would be dangerous as it can make animals unpredictable. That could also be potentially enough for the law to consider the animal an illegal hybrid. So I want you both to take care."
"Deal," Kono exclaimed excitedly.
"Now," Ailani started. "What exactly did you two ruffians need?"
"Cat supplies. Enough to keep for three locations," Chin supplied.
"And a new name tag for his collar. We can't keep calling him, Poppet. It's not decent," Kono whined.
Chin Ho chuckled at the look on Kono's face, and even Ailani couldn't help but slip and let a giggle pass her lips. She did not agree that animals such as this "Poppet" were appropriate pets, and if it got lose it could have a drastic effect on the native wildlife if it did have it's genetic altered enough to cause a change in normal domestic feline behavior. But she would keep her word and trust Chin Ho and Kono to keep an eye on the animal. "Fine. So three sets of food bowls, litter boxes, a few cat toys, maybe a climbing tree or a scratching post, and one new name tag."
"Well," Kono started, her lips parting in a wide smirk. "The boss is paying for this and since it's his father's cat…"
Chin Ho sighed and shook his head. "Try to keep to a reasonable limit, Kono."
Kono huffed at her cousin and sauntered deeper into the store, looking over all the supplies, toys, and cat clothes. She would have to pick the right name for the cat. It should fit in with the crazy team she found herself a part of, but also have a nice tie in to Steve, and his families, past in the Navy.
Kono hmmm'd to herself and picked up a stuffed mouse that, according to the tag, was filled with cat nip. Poppet shifted in her arms to stare at the mouse, no rat, she was holding. Yup, that looked like a hunters gaze if ever she saw one. Calling for Chin to grab a basket, Kono grabbed three of the cat nip rats. Then looked through more of the shelves, grabbing several more toys, tossing them all at Chin.
Poppet squirmed in her arms, until she finally had to set him on the ground. Ailani watched the cat with worried eyes, but he merely stretched himself before coiling briefly about Kono's legs. The cat seemed content to simply follow her around, occasionally stoping to check out some of the items lower on the shelves.
Twenty minutes later Kono had filled three baskets full of supplies and had Ailani's delivery boy packaging up the larger items to be delivered to the office, Danny's apartment, and Steve's home. Chin and she could leave from here straight to their teammates homes to set everything up, before heading back to the office. It wouldn't be hard to pick Danny's lock, and Chin still had a key to his old partner's home, so they were set. Sure the boss would be mad at them for breaking into his father's house, and charging a couple hundred dollars onto his credit card. But really, if he couldn't even stop her from picking his pocket it was his own fault. Plus, as Danny had said, the cat was his responsibility while his dad was out of the picture. Even if only because it was found at his father's home. Of course as Kono pondered over the mystery of the cat that had found it's way into her bosses life, she had also been contemplating exactly what to call the cat, because she really could not let it keep the name Poppet.
"Are we done yet," Chin Ho asked.
"Just one more thing." Kono smirked and picked up a small gold disk, handing it off to Ailani. "We just need to get a new name tag."
"Do you have a name picked out," inquired Ailani.
"I do." Kono's grin widened and a feral light flickered in her eyes. "SNAFU."
Ailani and Chin Ho both blinked, not sure if Kono had sneezed or actually stated a name.
"It's a military term. It means 'Situation Normal All Fucked Up'. Somehow I have a feeling that is really going to fit our life from here on out. Plus, think about it. Steve was out catching gun runners and terrorists in other countries and only came home because one tried to murdered his dad. Then he runs into Danny, who is obviously his soulmate. Danny finds the cat, a possibly illegal genetically altered domestic cat, at Steve's house, they flirt with each other -"
"You mean argue," Chin Ho interrupted.
"-all the time. And we took out a major terrorist in like two days with information gathered from the snow cone guy, and without causing a major international incident."
Chin Ho sighed, but the corners of his lips were twitching as if he wanted to smile, but was forcibly trying not to. "Fine. SNAFU, it is."
Ailani rolled her eyes and sent a silent prayer up to any deity that might be listening. Somehow she was sure her cousins were going to need someone to watch over them in the near future. "What phone number do you want on the tag?"
"The office? Or Steve's cell," Kono asked.
Chin Ho scratched his chin for a moment, thinking it over. "Use Danny's cell. He's more likely to pick up the cat. Steve seems a little afraid of it."
"Danny's cell it is then." Kono turned back to Ailani giving her the number and asking if she could put Five-0 somewhere on it as well. Ailani simply nodded and added it to the back before asking Kono to hold the cat still. She had to admit to herself she was slightly worried that the cat, SNAFU, might try to bite her, but it seemed pretty zen about the whole experience. Though it was gazing intently as she reached for the collar. Licking her lips, Ailani decided it would probably be better to leave the collar on and just replace the tag.
The cat hissed it's displeasure when she took the old tag off and quickly slipped the new one on without taking off the collar. If she had to name the expression on it's face as Kono cuddled it back up to her chest, she would say it looked resigned. She wasn't sure what to think of the whole visit, but she waved goodbye as Kono practically skipped out, chin following along behind with his arms full of bags.
There wasn't anything off about the sight. The cat had seemed very tame, even better behaved than some of her regular's pets, and it wasn't like they had bought anything strange. Though she wasn't sure what to make of Kono's custom order she had slipped in there at the end. But she would trust them to take care of themselves and the cat.
Still, it worried her. There was just something about that cat.
Steve McGarrett's House; Oahu, Hawaii
Steve opened his door with a long drawn out groan. Today had been long and so boring. They hadn't gotten even one case to break up the day. All they had done was fill out paperwork over yesterdays case, and set up all the equipment. Even after 8 hours of unpacking they still had more left, an if that wasn't bad enough several more boxes had been delivered later in the day that he wasn't sure about. The delivery men had looked pretty nervous, just saying that it was supplies ordered by Kono and Chin.
So he had signed for them and left them by Kono's office. He wasn't even sure where the cousin had gone about halfway through the day. He had been so busy arguing with Danny over that damn cat, that he hadn't noticed Chin and Kono had snuck out. They could have been gone for hours before either Danny or he had noticed. God only knew what they had gotten into during that time, or what they had ordered.
He was already worried about the budget he would have to go over with the Governor's aid later in the week, he wasn't sure what he would say if they had ordered more tech tables and sniper rifles.
Tossing his keys down on the table by the door, Steve headed down the hall towards the kitchen. He needed a cold beer. Actually, he needed several.
Popping the top off a Longboard, Steve grabbed a second before exiting the kitchen to go out the sliding door in the dinning room. The sun was setting over the water already and he didn't want to miss it. He hadn't really gotten to enjoy a sunset in years, being a SEAL didn't give a guy time to stop and smell the roses. So he planned to enjoy them as often as he could for now. He knew he'd get recalled at some point since he was still in the reserves, but he was getting old enough that he doubted that he'd be recalled to the SEALs for any major missions. But there was still that tiny part of him that loved being in the midst of chaos, that hoped he'd get the chance do be a SEAL again someday.
Taking a long drink of beer, Steve dropped into the old wooden chair on his beach. Carefully, with his good hand, he set the second bottle in the sand by his feet. Leaning his head back, he turned his face towards the chair Danny had sat in just the other night. When he was a kid his father had sat in that chair while Steve sat in this one. They would sit on the beach and talk as the sun went down, sharing all the days events and troubles as they enjoyed one of his mother's root beer floats. It had been one of the few things they had done together most everyday, even on days that his father was working late on a case. It had came to a halting stop when his mother died, but Steve understood now that his father had been grieving and scared for Mary Ann and him.
Still a part of him rebelled at the idea that could understand and forgive his father for sending them away when they needed him most. But looking at that chair, thinking about Danny and how protective he was of his daughter, Steve thought he could forgive. Danny seemed like he would be willing to walk through Hell for his daughter, as Steve had always thought his father would for him. The tool box made him wonder though. Some of the stuff inside seemed to date back from around the time of his mother's death, if those photos of the car accident meant anything. And for the first time Steve wondered if his mother's accident had been something more. Something capable of terrifying his father so much that he would send his kids away to protect them.
"This is stupid," he muttered, glaring out at the ocean. He forgave his dad but he wasn't going to make up excuses or him. Sending them away was not for the best, not for them, especially not for Mary.
Pushing his thoughts away from his father, Steve found himself thinking again of Danny, of their new team. As a SEAL he had worked with the best of the best, but thinking about the last few days, of Danny, Chin and Kono, Steve couldn't help but think this team was going to outshine every other team he had fought along side of before. There was something magical in the air when all of them were together. It tingled at the back of his brain, sending shivers of premonition through his thoughts, and pleasure dancing down his spine. As many bad memories were here, as badly as he wanted to rejoin his SEAL team, he found he did not want to be parted from this mismatched group of outcasts.
Draining the last of his beer, Steve grabbed the second bottle and stood back up. He still had things he needed to do tonight before he could sleep. All his father's files needed to be sorted through and possibly put in storage or shredded, he needed to go through the house and find what things he would need to replace, and he should think about making something to eat. So much to do, but he needed sleep too. He supposed he would need to pick up something as a 'Thank You' for Danny. Steve wouldn't have even known where to begin to find someone capable of cleaning and sterilizing the house so it could be safe to live in again after his father's murder. Danny had managed to find someone who could do the job right, but could also do it in under 12 hours, so that Steve could come back and sleep here rather than find a hotel room.
Truly the man was magic.
Looking at the unopened bottle in his hand, Steve paused. He wanted the drink, wanted the looseness it would bring to him after this last painful week. But he didn't need it and if he wanted to get anything done tonight, then he should probably put it away. He didn't want to be one of those guys who get drunk alone. He'd rather have a friend at his side, talking and laughing with him as they drank. With that lingering thought, Steve went back to the kitchen, putting the Longboard back with the rest of the six-pack. Besides the beer he had bought other day before Danny's visit, the fridge was basically empty. There was a ziploc bag with three slices of hawaiian pizza, a bottle of ketchup, a bottle of saracha sauce, a half empty jar of pickles, a carton of eggs, and some deli meat that looked to be growing it's own colony of mold spores.
Sighing at the meager fare, Steve pulled out the ziploc bag of pizza. He wasn't a big pizza fan, it was too greasy to eat often, but it would do for now. He could run, or swim off, the calories tomorrow.
Chewing on a piece, Steve walked towards the front of the house and the living room. Knowing his father, there should be basic cable installed. He might be able to find a game on to enjoy, or if not he was sure he could find a rerun of Mythbusters to watch. Thinking it over, he decided that an episode of Mythbusters would be better. If there was a game on it would get his adrenaline pumping enough that it would be hard to fall asleep. Mythbuster it was then.
It wasn't until Steve was actually sitting down on the couch that he noticed the tall piece of furniture in the corner. He wasn't sure what it was. It was covered in what appeared to be some type of carpet material, it had four "arms" sticking out that had small platforms on the ends, and at the top it appeared to have a house like structure. Staring at it Steve wondered where it came from as he was somewhat sure it had not been there yesterday.
A little weirded out Steve began to take a closer look around the room, noting a woven basket beside the TV that appeared to be filled with toys, Steve groaned. On the top of the pile of toys was clearly a recognizable life-sized stuffed rat.
Cat toys. There were cat toys in his house. Which meant the other piece of furniture was a cat tree.
He was going to shoot Kono (when Chin wasn't looking). He doubted anyone besides her or Danny would have broken into his house just to leave cat toys. And since Danny was with him all day, that meant it had to be Kono.
Damn that rookie.
Steve slumped back in the couch, glaring at the toy rat that was innocently resting in the basket sitting in his living room. He didn't need freaking cat toys! He didn't own a –
Steve jerked upright and looked wildly around the room. If there was cat stuff here that Kono dropped off then surely the demon cat was here too. His heart thumped hard against his ribs,his breathing speeding up, as he tried to find where the cat might be hiding. But try as he might he could not see the cat anywhere in the room. Swallowing he tried to calm himself down, closing his eyes and taking in several deep breaths before he strained his hearing to its max, listening for any signs the cat was in the house.
The house was silent.
Letting his body relax again, slumping deeper into the couch cushions, Steve opened his eyes. The house was still and quiet. He was the only one here. Looking back to the coffee table in front of him, and the half eaten pizza slice he had set down, Steve decided to forget about the damned cat for now and enjoy himself while he could. The cat might not be here right now but he was sure that if Kono stilled had it with her, that she would bring it to the office tomorrow. He would see it then and that was soon enough. Though he wasn't really sure why he felt that way. It wasn't like he hated animals. He had always kind of liked cats. They were smart and more independent than dogs were. Something that he appreciated since that meant he wasn't going to be constantly mobbed by the animal. Dogs had always seemed fine, just a bit too needy for him, though there were times that he thought it would be nice to have a companion who had such unconditional love for you.
Feeling a bit more relaxed, Steve finished off his pizza, tossed the dirty ziploc in the trash and headed to bed.
Steve looked around at the shopping district he suddenly found himself in. It looked like something from a fantasy book. The street was cobblestone rather than the normal pavement. The buildings looked like they belonged in a period show, like Sherlock Holmes, but all of them seemed off as well. There as a store that seemed to be selling brooms, racing brooms of all things, and another that was selling owls. Confused Steve spun around in the street, watching the people walk around him, going in and out of shops. Maybe the street was dressed up this way for Halloween, but why would the street and all the people walking down it have spent the time and effort to make a unified decorating theme.
"Pretty amazing, isn't it," asked a smooth, accented voice from beside him.
Steve turned, looking at the dark-haired man standing next to him. There was something very familiar about the shorter man, but Steve wasn't sure why. He was tall and lean, athletic looking, though still an inch or two shorter than Steve was. His black hair was thick and wild, as if he had been standing below a helicopter, or bed throughly fucked for hours. He had almost elfin features with those high cheekbones, delicately pointed chin, and wide doe like eyes. Though his eyes were a bright jewel toned green, rather than doe brown.
"Where are we?"
The smile that spread across the young man's face, lit up the room like the 4th of July. "Daigon Alley. The main shopping center of the British Wizarding World."
"Wizards," Steve stated voice heavy with disbelief.
"Yep." The young man laughed softly, his gaze warm as he looked at Steve. "Pretty cool, right?"
"Who are you?"
"I'm Harry. Harry Potter. And you are Steve McGarrett."
"How'd you know?" Steve's eyes narrowed, at Harry as he started to walk off through the crowd.
"Come on. We'll get ice cream and talk. There are things you need to know, Steve, if you are going to live, if you are going to get your father's killer."
Steve grabbed the man's arm, yanking him to a stop. "I already got him."
"Did you?"