I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.
Notes: one final thanks to JazzieG, CinderH and Synbou who have all been such an awesome help with this story. Each caught major holes, gaps and helped with the plot. PHEW! And of course, thank you to everyone who has taken the time to review and drop me a note. I'm very happy you liked this and hope you like this ending too.
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Chapter 22
The next morning, everyone slept in. Including Rebecca who herself had a busy day in the sun just the day before. The first person to wake up was Ellen and she was shocked to see it nearly nine o'clock. The sky was still dark as another storm threatened to once again drench the island in rain and was the likely reason everyone had been encouraged to stay hidden under the covers. The house was utterly silent and she did a rapid walk-through counting heads before making coffee in the kitchen. She grinned when she realized that there was no evidence lingering anywhere that Mike and Ponch had arrived home in the wee hours of the morning.
A few minutes later, a still drowsy-eyed Becca wandered into the kitchen. She woke slowly most mornings and wasn't much for eating breakfast or even talking right away so Ellen only poured her a glass of juice at the table. "Good morning, sleepy-head."
"Good morning." Becca was barely awake as she stood silently in the middle of the kitchen before pulling a chair out from the table. Ellen approved of the powder blue pajamas her niece had chosen to wear from the new pile her father had bought. She was learning to steal things for the laundry when Becca wasn't looking to entice the child to choose another article of clothing to wear. The light blue color was pretty against her tan and long black hair; Mike had done another good job selecting just the right thing.
The family travel calendar was still opened and Ellen turned the well-worn piece of paper around to face her niece. There was a large shadowed movement in the hallway and Ellen had to do her best not to give Mike away.
"What are they doing now?" Becca got on her knees while on the chair to lean over the paper. The black magic marker was on the table and before answering, she put a big dark X through the prior day. Ellen patiently watched the ritual. However, Becca frowned because she wasn't entirely sure.
"I think they could just be done with lunch or at a meeting with the apartment manager." Ellen found herself not liking the latter part of that update and she abruptly turned to the coffee pot to fill her mug. Behind her, Becca was glancing at the clock. Her smile was happy as she read down the list.
"Daddy is supposed to call in thirty minutes though."
Mike had taken up a not so casual stance in the hallway as he watched his daughter read through the day's original plans. He was trying to control his excitement while smiling from ear to ear and almost chuckled at her diligent and very serious time check. When she saw him in the hallway, Ellen had to bite her lip while trying not to laugh as Becca sat back down to drink her juice. He mimed using his phone that very second and she quickly shook her head to disagree. Her cell phone was in her purse and that was in the master bedroom. There would be no way to easily try that game with her father in the house.
"What would you like to do today? I may have to run into work to check on a few things. But I won't be long, so you can tag along." Ellen was beginning to have real difficulty keeping a straight face as Ponch showed up discreetly behind his brother and waggled his fingers in her direction. They both needed hours more rest, but wanted to announce their homecoming even faster.
Becca made a funny face. Her only concern was being able to answer the pending phone call. "I dunno. It looks like it's going to rain anyway."
"I have an idea. How about a visit to the pet store for a new bunny?" Mike's deep voice startled her and Becca nearly spilled her juice as she lurched off the chair. Wide-eyed, she stared at him in the hallway, saw her Uncle, and simply burst into tears. Settling both hands on each shoulder, Ellen shushed her as Becca backed up into her legs.
"It's okay. Your daddy came home really early this morning to surprise you!"
And then Mike was striding forward to scoop her up in one fast motion. "Oh, no no no!" She strangled him with legs and arms as her sobs deepened in intensity. "This was supposed to be a surprise not something to make you cry!"
He was smiling as she pushed back in his arms to get a look at his face. He used his fingers to tuck her own hair back behind her ears and then the side of his hand to wipe her tears away before planting a kiss in the middle of her forehead.
"You're back." Becca's voice was full of tears as she fisted both sides of his t-shirt. Her face was dark and almost angry. Mike smiled happily at the obvious mostly embarrassed reaction which made him plant another kiss on each wet cheek. "How did you get back so fast, Daddy?"
"Uncle Ponch and I wanted to surprise you. But since you're so mad, we could leave again if you want and come back in - what now - three more days?" She made a distinctly annoyed face at that ridiculous idea before throttling him in a hug again.
"No. That's dumb." Ponch laughed out loud at the no-nonsense, flat reply. Ellen had to join at that point because Rebecca was so seriously adamant. "Why would you do that?" Her attitude was entirely all Mike and Ponch shared a happy look with Ellen.
"I agree, that would be totally dumb." Becca wiped her face as her Uncle laughed heartily at her wry, self-conscious tear-stained grin. "You look funny, sprite!"
"You scared me." She was still grinning but her tone was almost defensive which made him only laugh harder. Her eyes were serious shining images of her father's most aggravated expression and he couldn't help the proud smirk.
"You are your father's daughter. Come give me a hug; my arms are woefully empty." Holding his hands out, she dove across the short distance to him.
"Breakfast out and then we can talk about this ridiculous idea your father has about a new rabbit." Ponch wiped the remaining tears from her face as he set her on her feet.
"They're abominable little creatures you know." He faked a shudder as Becca giggled. "Just terrible furry, demonic things. Why EVER would you want one?"
"Fiona." The announcement was made as Becca ran off down the hallway to her room to change. "My rabbit's name is Fiona!"
"It's named already? We haven't even picked it out yet!" Ponch aimed a dagger-like stare in his brother's direction. "This is entirely your fault."
"I could actually blame this on you, too." Mike shrugged as he followed in Becca's wake before giving Ponch a devilish grin. "You do realize that little Miss Fiona will have to live here. I can't exactly keep a rabbit in an apartment or a condo."
Ponch and Ellen's faces dropped in shock for entirely different reasons. While he certainly didn't want to keep the small furry creature in his yard, Ponch felt the small shudder run through Ellen's body. Smiling warmly, he cupped her cheeks in both hands as he clarified Mike's words.
"Ellen, he's staying. They're both staying." She stared at him in total disbelief before bursting into tears herself. "Plus this damned rabbit now."
Her tears escalated as she stared at him in shock. "Ellen! Oh, good grief!"
Throwing his hands up in the air as more sobs filled the kitchen, he tried to pull her into a hug but she completey resisted his attempts. " Not you too!"
Ponch laughed loudly as he finally anchored her tightly into his chest and then winced as she slapped his shoulder hard through her happy sobs. She managed to find exactly the same spot from much earlier that morning and he released her to rub at the smarting sting. She raised the flat of her hand again and he ducked away to stumble into the kitchen table.
Crying and laughing at the same time, Ellen continued to pummel his arm. "I hate you! You're awful!"
"Ow! Stop!" Her last slap was weak as she fell into his hug and he roared with laughter. "Fine, okay. Yes, I deserved that!"
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After breakfast, the general plan was to return to the house while Ellen ran to the hospital. But once Mike read the offer letter out loud, they all had to convince Becca over and over that Mike's job would allow them to stay right where they were.
"We're staying?" Becca was stunned as they explained what the letter really meant to her father's job. "Here? We can live here with Aunt Ellen and Uncle Ponch?"
"Well, in our own place but very nearby. The man I work for is setting us up in what's called a corporate apartment and I got something called a signing bonus so we have even have some money to help us get settled. Or if I want, I can get a small house and not use the apartment." Mike could easily see that Becca had no idea what he was talking about and he smiled reassuringly at her.
Trying something more simple, he got to the main point and she hung on every word. "Yes, we can stay. Either in an apartment downtown or maybe even a small house. But we are staying."
She had never thought that could be possible. She always assumed that they would leave because that was just the way it had to be and now her father was telling her something quite special. "I can go to school here?"
Ellen covered her small hand with her own. "Are you happy? Do you want to stay?"
Only able to nod, Becca was speechless as she stared at her father, Uncle and then her Aunt. It was definitely real and for the first time, someone wanted to know if she agreed. Still not quite believing her luck, she whispered it again just to be sure. "Can we really?"
Mike waved the letter in the air over the table. They had gone to a cozy family restaurant and polished off an enormous breakfast while the rain pounded heavily on the roof. "Yes. We can and we are. So yes, you can go to school here, see Grace whenever you want, make more friends and not worry about anything ever again."
She slumped dramatically back in her chair with a floaty feeling in her stomach that made her smile. Her Aunt was sitting closest to her and Becca moved off her chair to stand next to her. Ellen had happy tears in her eyes as she drew the little girl into her arms. Becca closed her eyes as she leaned her cheek on her Aunt's shoulder before wrapping her arms around her neck.
She loved her Aunt and had been scared about having to move so far away; she wouldn't need to miss her now because she could see her almost every day. She began to laugh as she realized that was very true and she pulled back to look directly at her Aunt in awe.
"I can see you every day. We can do things like you said." She whispered it softly and just so Ellen could hear. "It's really okay."
Ellen was stunned and looked up in shock at Ponch and then to Mike. She knew how she felt towards the little girl but hadn't actually known that Becca felt the same way. She had never guessed that Rebecca had been petrified to say it out loud because it was dangerous for her to feel comfortable or grow attached. Ellen felt a pang of sadness for her niece for her terrible past where things simply had changed too much and she hadn't dared form a loving attachment.
Stroking her hair, Ellen leaned down and put all the love and security she could into every single word. "You bet every single day. Whenever you want, Becca. Everyone will always be here for you."
The men had guessed what was going on and their dual happy smiles broadened as Ellen pulled Becca up onto her lap. Mike could only smile happily at Ponch's pleased expression.
"I'd like to get something for Uncle Steve and Uncle Danny." Her face reddened shyly. Becca didn't quite know how to express herself as she played with her fingers. "Can we get them something?"
Mike seconded the suggestion quickly. Without Danny or Steve, his little girl might not be sitting so happily in his sister-in-law's arms directly across from him.
"Absolutely! I think that is a wonderful idea, Becca." She beamed at all of them as she cuddled into her Aunt's arms. "We can pick something out today."
"Fiona first though?" Her uncle's disgusted grumpy sound from the opposite side of the table made her giggle again as he hung his head low in defeat.
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Steve left Danny and Grace still sleeping to run to the office to get a read-out from their new friend, Special Agent Jim Marcus plus both Chin and Kono. With his condition stabilized, Frank Curtis had been moved out of the ICU and the FBI was now making plans to return him to Vegas for further processing. Without a doubt, everyone was happy to see him leave the island.
Marcus was extremely pleased and refused to discuss Doctor Ramirez's reaction in the emergency room that day. "Water under the bridge. It never happened as far as I'm concerned."
The audible sigh of relief from Steve made the FBI agent smile as he clapped a friendly hand to his back. "It's been a pleasure meeting and working with all of you. I'm on the escort detail back to Vegas with Curtis and his man with the busted leg. Both were cleared for travel. We leave in three hours so I need to go. Be assured though, that he'll never see the light of day again and we've already processed the rest of his cohorts. Each will get their just-due."
Marcus left a much relieved team at that point as the last of their major concerns was put to rest. However, Steve's face was concerned as he looked from Chin to Kono.
"How's the teenager doing? Do we know who she is yet?" Steve hadn't received an update on the nameless girl in days. There had been distressingly little to go on and the last he had heard, his own team along with HPD had continued to come up empty on identifying her.
Kono smiled now though and tapped around the smart table to show a family picture of five; one was evidently the teenager just a few years earlier. "She woke two days ago and was coherent enough to say her full name and give a fairly decent statement to the FBI. Stacey Akanu ran away just a few weeks ago to stay with a bad news boyfriend against her family's wishes."
The home information that Kono pulled up next was for a local island and Steve made a surprised sound. "Her family lives on Niihau, so she didn't go far."
"Far enough and way out of her element." Chin said bitterly. "She's still in ICU but we're hearing she could be moved to a private room sometime over the next few days."
"And her family? What do they have to say about all of this?" Steve asked.
"They came immediately and haven't left the ICU since we notified them. The hospital has set them up with resources for counseling and family services to help get them through this."
Kono sighed with some relief. "I think Stacey may have learned a harsh lesson. The boyfriend up and left her four days after getting to Honolulu. She tried to stay on her own and fell in quickly with the wrong crowd through his initial introductions. It was a series of very bad decisions and being at the wrong place at the wrong time."
"She was at the right place for Frank Curtis though. Damned good thing Kamekona had that lead for us." Chin complimented their friend and then aimed a finger at Steve. "And a damned good thing that you insisted we get back onto that boat for another sweep."
"It was too close." Steve added as he rubbed his hands over his face. "Too close for every innocent person affected by this guy and the ex-Ms. Joanna Pearce."
"How are things going with the Ramirez family at this point?" Chin smiled when he changed the subject and saw Steve's face immediately soften regarding any reference to the Rebecca.
"I guess when Mike gets back, they're going to leave and pick up the pieces of their life again in Virginia?" His voice faded as Steve shook his head about another possibility.
"Look's like it but Danny's got grand ideas to find Mike a job here, locally. Some ploy that he and Ellen are hatching. I'm going to make a few calls and 'troll' as Danny put it to see if I can get any job leads for him." Chin nodded in approval and then frowned; Kono was already staring at him in a stunned silence.
"Wait a minute. Our Danny Williams suggested that a mainlander stay here? A single father, I might add?" Chin was stunned as Steve started to chuckle about the odd manner of fate.
"Danny's called Stan Edwards, too." Steve remarked dryly as he watched the surprise grow on both Chin and Kono's faces.
"Are you sure he feels okay?" Kono's eyes were playful as she started to laugh. "Maybe we got the wrong Danny back from TAMC or the zombie-meds have him confused."
The three grinned at the next obvious realization that despite the complaining, whining and occasional contrived rant, their friend was finally acclimated and probably even very content with his home and island Ohana. Steve laughed loudly as he folded his arms across his chest.
"Trust me, it's the right Danny! However, this does make sense with Mike's background. Besides Ponch and Ellen, I guess he and Becca have a few folks who would greatly prefer that they hang around here." He being one of them, and Steve smiled warmly after making that very point.
"How's the arm?" Kono was motioning towards Steve's bicep where she could now see the healing mark. He smiled widely, rotating his entire arm to show off how much it had fully healed.
"It's fine. No problem whatsoever." Before they asked, Steve brought them up to speed on Danny and the excitement with Grace just the evening before.
Chin sighed deeply before looking worriedly at Steve for confirmation. "Danny was really fine after that? That must have just about done him in when Grace got sacked."
"He handled it surprisingly well in front of her. He did have some issues from that damned injury but Ellen said he'd be okay." Steve acknowledged how hard Danny had fought to stay in complete control so Grace wouldn't be even more frightened. He thought about Danny's near collapse afterwards though, and shut down for a moment with a deep settling sigh. Danny's childhood friend from Jersey who had drowned was a constant in his friend's mind and yet, he tried constantly for Grace's sake.
Steve chuffed a quiet sound under his breath before offering his team more. What he said was the truth and just enough to satisfy any remaining curiosity. "He did the right thing - as always - and then Ellen compounded it. Grace is fine and probably ready to go for another swim again today."
"Yeah, but not today." Kono laughed and then looked at the ceiling as the thunder echoed for yet another rainy day. "He must be happy about this!"
The answering smirk on Steve's face agreed to that sentiment. "I left them both sleeping with a note on the table to ransack whatever they wanted in the fridge. It's a very good day to sleep in."
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Danny watched curiously as Steve first turned his head to the left and then the right. They were at the Ramirez house for yet another quick impromptu barbecue to celebrate Ponch and Mike's early return. This time, the gathering was smaller and very specific for only the closest of friends. After the grand announcement that Mike and Becca would be staying because he had found a local position, Steve had crumpled up his job leads into a small paper ball. With one toss, it wound up happily burned to a crisp in the grill.
At the time, he and Danny were grinning foolishly at the news and Becca had thrown herself into Steve's arms with a happy shout. Minutes later, he and Danny were almost embarrassed to be opening gifts. Steve's gift was already safely stowed in his truck. Since photographs were special to Rebecca, she had pulled her family into the mall photo shop. The end results were a series of first time family pictures with Rebecca in each and every one.
The one she picked for Steve was of her and Lord Ted with a sunset colored backdrop. The frame was a stunning piece of embossed silver and he was overwhelmed by their thoughtfulness. Danny also received a photograph in an identical frame. However, what she and Mike selected for him was a picture of her and her father together. A perfect gift from a father and daughter to another loving pair. Each gift was specially selected and would wind up on their respective desk at work.
Ponch kept an eye on his brother as each man opened their colorfully wrapped presents. Their genuine joy seemed to be keeping Mike in check as they warmly thanked him and Rebecca. He recognized the lingering pain but was pleased to see Mike coping better than he had been just the day before. Paging through the digital images at the photo shop had become difficult for Mike and he had unexpectedly excused himself in a vain attempt to get outside for air. Ponch had worriedly chased him down finding him at the top of the open-air alley with his hands on his knees.
"Amy should be here. How did this happen and get so out of hand?" He croaked it out in a mad rush against a rising feeling of nausea as Ponch rubbed his back. They had stayed outside for a long time in an effort to get Mike back in control of his emotions. Since then, Ponch had stayed watchful as years of anxiety continued to push and pull at his brother. He had faith that things would work out over time and having Mike local would only help that healing process happen faster. It also offered even more validation for the family to stick strongly together.
However, now Steve was frowning, almost as if deep in thought as he puzzled out whatever it was he was attempting to decipher, define or understand. When his head stayed cocked completely to the right as if trying to look upside down at his target, Danny had enough of the antics. Excusing himself from where he sat talking to Ellen, he wandered to where Steve was standing in the doorway.
"What are you doing? You look ridiculous."
"Hmm." The monotone sound barely made it out of Steve's chest as he continued to study whatever it was that was so terribly interesting. Danny groaned as he followed Steve's gaze. The girls had been playing with Fiona and Mrs. Hoppy in the portable caged play area that Danny had borrowed from Rachel for the weekend. With another barbecue well in progress and a new bunny to entertain as part of the package, it was obvious that Mrs. Hoppy was required to attend once more to meet 'her new BFF' as Grace put it.
"Do you have a problem with Fiona now?" Danny grinned and took a sip from his beer as Steve's frown only deepened. Fiona was a beautiful chocolate color and had seemingly fallen in love with her new BFF upon sight. Mrs. Hoppy was equally entranced and the girls had just left them alone to have something to eat on the patio. The two rabbits seemed to be bounding around quite happily in the safety of their grassy enclosure.
"No, but you and Mike just may have one .. or a few more." Confused, Danny watched as Steve's head completely turned the other way. A grin spread across his face and he stopped watching the bunnies to grasp Danny's shoulder warmly.
"Looks to me like you're both going to be grandpas this time, buddy."
Danny literally spat the beer out he'd just taken a mouthful of as Steve gave him a friendly one-armed hug that somehow reeked of sarcasm. "Me-thinks Mikey Ramirez went to the wrong pet store for Fiona because that little lady has a few extra parts. And by the looks of things, she sure knows how to use them."
Steve leered evilly at him as he clinked the neck of his Longboard to Danny's before offering a new name suggestion. "Finster, maybe?"
~ End ~