I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.

Notes: sorry for the delay. This was done; but the muse refused to allow a posting until a few things were added.

Chapter 18

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Contacting Adrian Parker was going to be the easy part. All that Jasper needed to do was pick up the phone and use the direct number he'd been given within the letter. However, his current issue was the call he'd just received from a pet rescue service on the Big Island. It was actually his second conversation on the subject and he'd had some time to prepare, though not very much. As he told Madeline McCarvey, the woman who had purchased the very last breeding for her Champion female Bull Terrier Aurora Night to one Champion Bull Terrier, General Patton, it wasn't a good time.

"It's not a good time." He found himself repeating the sentence again. But he lacked fervor since it was never going to be a good time and he felt like a heel for even muttering the words out loud. His comment nearly caught the administrator by surprise but she knew, as did virtually every person across Hawaii, what had just happened to him. The media could be a virulent thing after all. She had actually waffled about calling him but Madeline McCarvey had reached out first to inform him of the puppy's plight. Maddie had laid the roadwork for the administrator to now do what she did best.

"I don't have to tell you, Jazz, that our bullies are rather persnickety. They aren't for everyone and this little one is special. Besides .. it's darn lucky that Animal Control did the right thing first and got her to the rescue instead of letting her wallow in some kennel! Plus, she was meant for you." Maddie spouted with determination.

He didn't like her craftily pleased tone but she meant what she said with a genuine excitement. According to Maddie, who was a bit in love with the romantic idea of serendipity, what was happening was an act of divine destiny.

"Jazz, this is a fortunate and very lucky accident of fate! Kismet even!" He swore that she was giddy on the other end of the line and had to at least smile. It was very strange that the abandoned brindle female was the one she had ear-marked for Jasper, herself. He had refused endless proposals from her that began the same night the pups had been born. He had rejected Maddie's insistent pushing despite her argument about a future regret for not having one of General's last pups.

"They're all special, Maddie." His fading retort fell on deaf ears and Jazz knew he was sunk at least in the short-term until they found another buyer. A good owner who would do the little female justice.

He sighed as he listened to the pet rescue administrator who was now waxing on about the puppy's lovely traits and how he simply needed to help.

"I know it might not be good timing and I'm very sorry, Doctor Mitchell." The pet rescue administrator was no doubt truly sorry, but she continued to wheedle him as his façade crumbled. Because, in reality, how could it not into dusty little pebbles?

"I can send the puppy to you directly via a local flight and she can be there this afternoon. It's a blessing that you are so close for her sake. Shipping such a youngster back to Australia is so incredibly stressful and she certainly does not belong here at the rescue."

He winced at the near miss of mentioning fate, though blessings were close enough to a repeat of that sentiment. Regardless, he knew his location was optimal too and so, he agreed on principle.

"Yes. I'll make it work." Jazz mumbled distractedly. Being so close geographically, it was easily his responsibility and he nodded into the phone before realizing that she couldn't actually see him. "Yes, yes. It's fine. I'll pick her up today .. just send me all the details and paperwork by email." He said a bit more loudly.

She hung up quickly in fear that he might verbally change his mind with promises to eMail all the final flight and paperwork within the hour. Sighing, Jasper rubbed his hand through his sandy hair to leave it mussed and spiky.

"I can't blame this on you." He addressed General who sat by his side thumping his tail on the ground for any type of attention. Things seemed to be getting back to normal and they'd just returned from a short walk on the beach. His master was up and about rather than lazing around and General was in a good mood.

Jasper's hobby for years had been dogs and professional dog shows. And not just any dogs shows, but national and even international venues and Jasper had co-owned General every step of the way. General was hands-down his favorite dog and he'd bought out his partner so he could enjoy the dog as a pet once he'd been retired. Now permanently a house-pet, General had only recently been neutered before accommodating his last studly commitments as requested by Maddie McCarvey and for lovely brindle-coated Bull Terrier Champion, Aurora Night. The puppy in question was from the Bull Terrier's very last litter and had been found abandoned in a townhouse on the Big Island. No one knew how, why or where the owners had gone off to but a nasty divorce was suspected. Despite the breeder-buyer contract, the buyer had not bothered to reach back out to either him or the bitch's owner who was in Australia. Instead, the young four-month old puppy had simply been left behind as if she were nothing. Micro-chipped, the rescue had been able to back-track her to the breeder in Australia where it all came round robin to Jasper.

"A puppy." Jasper groaned dramatically into the air. "What do you think of that, big guy?" His only reply was another round of loud thumps, though Jasper assumed that General would have something to say when his private space was invaded by his young four-month old daughter.

Less than five minutes later, his email chimed and he choked out a sarcastic disbelieving laugh. A pair of rather devious someones had already coordinated the puppy's flight plans in tandem and Jazz seriously wondered if his call with the administrator had taken place at the airport. Putting Adrian Parker on the back-burner, he had scarcely two hours to collect the puppy.

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"Hi!" Jasper took a full surprised step back when he opened his front door. Keys in hand with his printed airport documents under his arm, he was running out already to get the puppy. Instead, a pretty Asian woman stood happily on his doorstep holding a large bakery box. Shoving it into his hands, she pushed past him into his house at the same time she realized he had his car keys out.

"Bad timing? You're going out?" Utterly confused, Jasper followed her the few steps it took to get to the kitchen. General was already all over the unexpected guest with a happy greeting.

"He's cute!" She was on her knees down with her arms wrapped around his dog's neck. The two were getting on famously after only seconds of meeting.

"Excuse me?" Jasper frowned down at the pair and then made a sterner face for General's benefit. They'd have to have a discussion about the bullie's new inability to provide more protection inside the house.

"Do I know you?" It was then he saw her knee. Not exactly kneeling correctly, he saw it then. The single pristine bandage on a knee not nearly as bent for the stitches that lay there. The surfing injury. Alan's last abducted victim was in his own home. Relaxed, happily laughing and she had brought him cake as if they were life-long friends. Jazz lost his voice entirely when he realized who was now visiting him. She was very much alive and she'd come to see him. He had definitely been shirking things he needed to do for much too long since getting home from the hospital.

"Oh." The weak-ish sound was all he could get out as Kono carefully stood up to retrieve the bakery box. He was only momentarily saved from further embarrassment by her own apologetic chatter.

"Hi, Doctor Mitchell. I'm Kono Kalakaua and we never got a proper opportunity to actually meet." Kono was smiling warmly as she placed the box on the counter. "I took a chance because after trying the clinic, they said you hadn't been in to work yet. I thought it might be okay to swing by your house, but you're obviously on the way out. Maybe we can meet again when it's more convenient?"

"Oh." She laughed again and squinted her mouth up a the same time. Her laugh was a breathy, easy noise and Jazz swallowed hard. He hadn't realized that she was so very pretty.

"What am I keeping you from?" He stared and said nothing until Kono waved her hand in front of his nose. "Hey, Doc? You okay?" Once more, she laughed and then tucked her hair behind her ear and Jazz managed a stupid grin.

"Puppy." He shrugged, General wagged his tail and Kono laughed more. His brain was back-firing and screaming at him but his scrambling mouth refused to find the words.

"What a nice surprise It's nice to meet you and I'm sorry that I didn't try you first. I was wondering how you were doing after all this time and I'm so glad you stopped by. I am on my way out. Yes, I'm on my way to get a puppy from the airport. One of General's daughter's. A mercy mission really .. poor thing was abandoned."

The words were inside him. Stuck forever as his faced reddened in embarrassment and he shrugged lamely. "Yeah. Puppy."

"So?" She squinted her forehead and raised her eyebrows questioningly. Kono hadn't meant to rattle him and especially the way he seemed to be so sweetly nervous. Choosing to ignore it, she decided to just ask the most likely of things. "A puppy? That means what, exactly?"

It was enough for Jasper to shake the idiotic thickness from his stumbling brain. He nearly sighed in relief when she completely and so obviously turned a blind eye to his embarrassment. "Airport. I'm on the way to the airport to pick up a puppy that was abandoned on the Big Island."

Her face changed again as she beamed happily with genuine interest. "And you're helping? That's nice, Doc."

"Jasper." He blurted more easily. Kono was more than relaxed and very approachable. Heaving a sigh, he smiled in return as his nerves calmed as quickly as they flared. "Or, Jazz. The puppy is one of General's and she was abandoned a few days ago."

"Can I come along?" His face fell as his brain malfunctioned once more. More because he was stunned by the suddenness of the question.

"What? Really?" He would need to thank her later, because she clearly understood his issue. Completely unaffected by his wavering sense of confidence, Kono only grinned at him.

"I have nothing to do and would love to see her. We would have more of a chance to talk and catch up." Kono motioned to her knee and then outside to the glorious sunshine.

"I certainly can't surf yet and so, maybe I can help? I have all day and frankly, I'm bored." It was the truth for there wasn't much more than that on her agenda. Not really his either, though he'd have to get over his instant bout of puppy-love. The thought made him smirk at himself and he nodded before laughing.

"Absolutely! I'd be happy for the company."

~ to be continued ~