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Chapter Eighteen "Communication"

Kirk counted the rings as he leaned against the smart table, waiting for his father to answer the phone. He tapped his fingers on the side of the table. It seemed to take much longer than three rings for Walter O'Brien to pick up.

"Why is it my sons have called me more in the last week than they do in an average month?" came the toneless voice of the head of the O'Brien family.

"I call you all the time," Kirk argued.

"My phone bill says otherwise."

"Yeah, look, pretty soon you'll be hearing about an incident at UH, and I was just calling to let you know that Mia's fine, so don't worry about it."

"What kind of incident." Walter had his tone. The tone that said Kirk was going to tell him everything he wanted to know.

"There was an explosion in one of the buildings, but she's fine, okay?"

"An explosion? Like a gas leak or a terrorist attack, Kirk?"

"Like... I don't know. It wasn't a gas leak."

"What is going on over there? I thought those people were taking care of it."

"Apparently it's a lot bigger than we thought. I don't know. I'll have Morgan call you later. He knows more than I do."

"I'm starting to think no one knows what's going on. Why hasn't Mia called us?"

"She's been under a lot of pressure lately. I don't think she needs more right now."

"Talking to her family is pressure?"

"Yeah, Dad, have you met yourself?"

"Watch it. This isn't about you or me, Kirk. How is your sister?"

"Right now? She's in the best place she can be with the best person. He's something else, Dad. I've never met anyone with that much patience."

"What are you talking about? Mia isn't hard to get along with."

"No. But she doesn't tell anyone anything either. Kind of detrimental to a relationship. But somehow he's getting through to her."

"Sounds like a nice guy, but we don't know him."

"Sure. Whatever. I just wanted to let you know what was going on so you and Mom didn't freak out when you turned on the news tonight."

"I think we should come down there. Maybe we could convince her to move back home."

"No, Dad, that won't help anything. There are too many people around here as it is, and she's not a little girl anymore."

"You sound like her."

"She's my best friend, remember?"

"Yeah. I remember. But I still want to be there."

"You don't want to put Amy and Michael in this situation, and you know how it would stress Mom out. Me and Zach have things handled here, and Morgan is helping the police."

"I'm not sure how I feel about your skills at handling you sister. Or Zach's skills at handling anything."

"You don't give him enough credit."

"Oh, I'm sorry, my genius son drives a taxi for a living."

"Dad, it's what he wants to do. Why should it matter? I can't believe we're having this conversation again."

"I don't know why you always defend him. He should be doing something with his life."

"I guess I just think family should support each other even when they don't agree. I have to go."

Kirk didn't say goodbye. He just hung up and put his phone away. Conversations with his father always seemed to go that way. There was never any yelling or insults, but they had never seen eye to eye on things, especially Mia and Zach. Maybe Kirk was too preferential to his younger siblings, but they had always been there for him, and he just wanted to return the favor.

H-5-O

Kono overheard Kirk's conversation with his dad. She could hear the tension in his voice the whole time, as if it were the last conversation he wanted to be having. After everything that had happened, Kono figured Kirk could use someone to talk to.

"Your dad isn't happy?" she said, moving to stand beside him.

Kirk shrugged. "Wouldn't know. We don't really communicate very well."

"Why's that?"

"I don't know. We see things differently, I guess."

Kono was silent for a moment. "Hey, you want to get some fresh air? You look like you could use it." She touched Kirk's arm briefly, then dropped her hand to her side.

He smiled weakly. "Yeah, sure."

They took the stairs slowly to the main floor and headed out the doors and down the stone steps outside. They walked across the lawn under the trees. For a long time, neither of them said anything.

Kono finally broke the silence. "So, I heard what you said about Steve. I didn't know you liked him so well."

"What's not to like?" Kirk said. "He's done more for Mia than any of us has been able to do in the last two years."

"I guess it just takes the right person sometimes."

"Yeah." Kirk looked down at his hands. "I mean, I feel bad that I couldn't help her, but in situations like this, I suppose it's not the same."

"Not the same as what? Divorce?"

Kirk didn't answer immediately. He chewed on his lip for a second. "Yeah. I always said she kept me from going crazy after, but when she needed me... I couldn't fix it."

Kono put her hand on Kirk's shoulder, and they stopped walking. "No one can fix something like that. And I bet she doesn't know how much she helped you. Maybe you helped her and just didn't realize it."

"Yeah, maybe." Kirk stared off across the parking lot beside them.

"Hey, I mean it." Kono pulled on his shoulder to get him to face her. "I'm sure she appreciates you."

"You know, I say whatever's on my mind, and I could never think of a damn thing to say to her after it happened. And now what am I supposed to do, huh? Tell her everything's gonna be okay? I highly doubt that."

Kono shook her head. "Maybe you just tell her you'll be there when she needs you. Maybe you sit with her when she won't say a word. Maybe you take her surfing."

Kirk gave Kono a curious stare. "How do you know these things?"

Kono shrugged. "I have a big family. Things happen. And I spent a day with Mia. She seems more the sit in silence than talk about her feelings type."

Kirk nodded. "She is. Maybe that's why I never thought I helped her. Because she listened to me talk for hours on end, and then when she needed me, she didn't say anything. I thought I was doing something wrong."

"I don't think you need to worry. Steve is good with the sitting in silence thing."

"And you're good with the talking thing."

"Well..." Kono smiled, and realized her hand was still on Kirk's shoulder, but she didn't feel any need to move it. He was smiling back at her. His dark hazel eyes seemed bright for the first time since she met him.

"You know something else about me?" Kirk spoke as if telling a secret. "I'm very impulsive." He leaned toward her, and Kono had felt this coming since they started talking, but it somehow managed to take her by surprise, anyway. It wasn't just a simple brush of the lips. This was the real thing. There was no holding back with him, and Kono found herself enjoying it very much.

H-5-O

Morgan watched through the glass. His sister was sitting against the wall, her back to him. She didn't even look like she was breathing. Steve sat across from her on the couch. He was watching her. Deep furrows marked his forehead, and his jaw was tight. A vein in his neck twitched every so often.

Morgan didn't know where his brothers had disappeared to. He almost didn't care. He could see Chin and Danny in the former's office. They looked downright grave. Kyra had just come out of Danny's office and joined Morgan beside the table.

"LAPD is working on tracing the explosives," she said. "They think it's possible Durante's dealing in weapons now. And I talked to the police chief here. HPD is working on figuring out how the bombs got there. No security cameras though, with the whole place up in smoke."

Morgan didn't respond for a moment. "What if he came here to make an arms deal? Maybe the drugs are just a side thing. Remember how often he had business trips? This could be what he was doing."

"But if he's really an arms dealer, how could we not have known it all this time?"

"We didn't know anything until two years ago. He's that good at hiding his tracks. And maybe Mia saw something that could have exposed that. She said she saw drugs and weapons. Maybe that's why he's after her."

"Possible. Doesn't help us find him though."

"That's for the cops to sort out. It's our job to put him away for it."

"It's gonna be hard if all his major crimes are in Hawaii. We may have to turn the case over."

"Hey, I don't care what prison he ends up in. I'd be thrilled if he were tried in both states. Longer sentence."

"Once they find him."

"Yeah."

Kyra sighed and bushed her hair back from her face. "So, how is everyone?"

"Well, you can see Mia from here. I just got a call from Dad. I should have just called him to begin with. Kirk only irritates him."

"They'd do that anyway."

"I know. I haven't seen Zach. He's probably looking for food somewhere."

"I saw Kirk leave with Kono a little while ago."

"Good." Morgan nodded. "She seems to be a good listener."

Kyra linked her arm with Morgan's. "I wish we could do something."

He looked down at her. "We will. We do what we do best. We're superheroes, remember?"

Kyra leaned against Morgan's shoulder. "Yeah. We're superheroes."

H-5-O

Mia looked up at Steve from her spot on the floor. "I want to go home," she said.

Steve nodded. "Okay. I'll take you."

"No, I mean home. My home."

"I don't think that's a good idea."

"I didn't ask."

"Mia—"

"I need something normal. Is that so much to ask?"

Steve stood up. "Look, I understand that, but it's not safe for you there. I wish I could help you, but I can't take you back there."

"Fine." Mia stood up and reached for the door.

"Wait." Steve grabbed her arm.

Mia looked back at him. Her eyes narrowed in contempt, and Steve let go.

"I'm sorry," he said.

Mia's eyes softened a little bit. "I need to be alone for a while. Just—just a while, and then I'll be fine."

Steve shook his head. "I can't leave you alone. And for all we know, they've rigged your apartment too, in case you come back. This guy knows you. He can predict what you'll do, so you can't afford to take off without thinking."

"Without thinking? All I've been doing is thinking. I want to go home. And curl up in my bed. I want to fall asleep to the sound of my neighbors talking too loudly and the smell of old wood."

Mia had her arms wrapped around herself like a blanket. She looked so much smaller than normal, her eyes wide and shimmering with unshed tears.

Steve's voice came out a whisper. "I'll go. I'll get you whatever you want, but you have to stay here. I'm sorry."

Mia looked away. She didn't say anything. She didn't move. Steve could only wonder how long it would last this time.