A/N: Good evening everyone. Thank you to everyone who has been reading and reviewing. Your comments have be so fun to read and all the speculations. I assure you, the majority of the big action is done. We are wrapping up. I have one chapter after this. I hope you like what I've done with them.
I want to say two little things about this chapter. First, the title had been bothering me since I finished writing this story. I just couldn't think of anything and then today, while I was driving home from the family camp, I looked in my rearview mirror and saw the words at the bottom 'objects are closer then they appear' and I though oh that's perfect. Secondly, the last big scene in this chapter came to me as I looking in the mirror and saw the words as well. It was not in the initial draft of this chapter, it wrote itself and I feel like it really needed to be there. The chapter was supposed to end with Steve calm and happy with the way things were progressing…now not so much.
Anyway, as always I own nothing and stay tuned for the concluding chapter in the next day or so.
Chapter 21: Enemies Closer Then They Appear
Danny and Steve walked into the construction zone that was once their office, Mr. and Mrs. Williams following behind them. Hard hats donned, for safety, as the cleaning was on going. It was really nothing more then a big, empty, white space, devoid of anything that had once reminded them of who they were.
Steve hadn't been long in the hospital. His surgery was quickly administered but the mothering hadn't stopped. He still walked around with his right arm in a sling, even though he was sure he didn't need it anymore, but Mrs. Williams insisted on him wearing it as long as Doctor Robinson had prescribed; and there was no arguing with Mrs. Williams working in lieu of the Doctor. "Mother knows best," she would remind the injured SEAL, at every turn and Steve had to obey.
Danny enjoyed every moment of Steve's discomfort by his Mother's loving concern. He was also grateful that Steve had been there. Steve had saved Veronica's life, had taken that bullet without care or concern for his own wellbeing. It was all done in the spirit of aloha, and Veronica and her son were grateful, and praised God for the connection they had made with Steve. Danny also knew, deep down, as he watched as Steve accepted his mother's concern with patience and good humor, that Steve needed the interaction. He smiled more, he was open with his emotional state because Veronica forced him to be, and the darkness that would settle in the eyes of his partner would disappear.
Steve, even with the discomfort, was marveling at the attention and the good natured concern of the little woman. He still felt a pang of quilt and remorse as he thought about his mother and the things that Doctor Kin had said about his past, but having the kind spirit and inviting listener in Mrs. Williams, made his mourning of his mother's passing and his worry about his training and action more bearable.
"You are one of the gentlest souls I know," Veronica has said as she sat with Steve one afternoon after the incident, while Patrick and Grace built sand castles on the beach, "You are wonderful with Grace, you're kind and giving with your friends and you are strong and commanding leader. I don't see a problem in that."
"But I have done things," Steve said sadly, "things that I do regret and that haunt me."
"It's all part of the job that you were forced into, and which you take much pride in. You have to take the good with the bad, Steven, no matter what." Veronica said softly.
"I know," Steve sighed.
"And you show a great deal of remorse," Veronica said as she looked him in the eyes, "to feel remorse is to know mercy, and to feel mercy is to know forgiveness. No one will ever hold it against you that you did things that had to be done because they were your orders. What you were doing was for your freedom, for the freedom of your country and your family. No one who knows you and loves you will ever be afraid of who you are or what you did, because they know of the goodness in your heart. You couldn't have stopped the bad things from happening, but you can prevent them now and be good in your life."
"Thank you," Steve smiled, "I wish I had you to talk me through it."
"You have me now, Steven; I'll always be here to listen when you need me." Veronica smiled.
Steve allowed himself to be happy in the presence of the Williams' and not to be concerned that he had been removed from the case because of his injury. Steve spent his days with the Williams' as Danny, Chin, Kono and Jenna worked to reestablish the Five-O presence. They had been moved, temporarily, into a corner of the HPD precinct across the street from the Palace, as their office was renovated, with no expenses were spared by the Governor. The threats had ended after the confrontation at McGarrett's house and the more they looked into the case the and questioned the suspects they had in custody, the more confident they became in having resolved the conflict.
Li made it to the prison without incidence. He was placed in solitary confinement as he had asked and was left to his own accord. He was questioned again by Danny and Chin, but his story never changed and they become suspicious of the case that was tied up in a sweet little package before them now.
"You're unhappy with the wrap up," Chin had observed after the questioning was over and they had moved back to their temporary domain to debrief.
"I don't believe it is wrapped up," Danny countered as he leaned on the desk that housed the temporary computer command center.
"Its too easily ended," Jenna sighed, "to nice and tidy, something else is bound to happen, but what?" she asked.
"That's a very good question. We've checked out opponent's king, now we have to wait to see if he can escape our advances," Danny stated metaphorically, "we're all pawns here and our queen is the wrong colour for this game."
The governor had made a rousing and rather convincing press statement that was echoing the resolve of the Five-Os to not be threatened by terrorists. The speech didn't restore any of the Five-Os faith in the Governor, however, and they all saw her in a very different light. Something was not right, she had lied to them and put them out there, and now she was covering her own tracks, but she remained their boss, gave them back everything they had lost in the bombing and promoted the taskforce with so much zeal, that it was hard to not go along with what she was saying and put the distrust behind them for the time being, but their trust had been compromised. Danny's suspicions were piqued and he wasn't about to look at the Governor without remembering what had happened and Steve worried that she wasn't the ace in the hole that they had initially through she was. He saw himself as a dog on a leash, and if he tried to break free he would be trapped by the red tape and electric fences that surrounded the Governor's play ground.
Jenna, Chin and Kono had retrieved nearly all of the Five-O information by storing information on ghost sites and through secret backdoor software. Each of their personal computers and tablets needed no more than a password and a direct link to Jenna's virtual store house to find the cases and the information they had hidden. It was backed, graciously, by a friend and confidant with access at the CIA, and Jenna became well established as a member of their team for her expertise. They were back on track, so to speak, and waiting and watching the game board for another move.
The old office was already starting to look brand new as the family walked through the construction zone to see the new sheet rock and trim going up around the new windows and doors, but the space looked like any other empty office space.
"Well boys, this should be very nice for you," Patrick stated as he looked around, "the structural damage was minimal I'm assuming."
"Smoke damage to the building was the worst of it," Danny answered.
"And our office pretty much contained the fire and the explosion." Steve sighed.
"It was never meant to do much more then destroy your equipment, and maybe injure if you weren't quick enough to escape. You weren't going to see the landmark go up in flames, not with a fire house just down the block and the fire prevention system in the building," Patrick reasoned as he looked to the lines of sprinklers in the ceiling. "You'll be back in here in no time."
"It may take a little longer then we expect. We've ordered additional security and precautions in the event someone tries to do this again," Steve said. "We hope they're a little more creative next time because we're being very creative in our precautions."
"Bullet proof glass and special fire doors?" Patrick asked in amusement.
"And security cameras, power cut off, virtual security systems and we've decided to go green and run the office with solar electricity," Steve added.
"Save the environment and the people of Hawaii. You are a very good boy," Veronica smiled.
"Thanks Ma," Steve laughed. "Going green was Gracie's idea."
"You should have had them put a kitchen in so that you boys aren't bringing in all that terrible fast food." She added as she walked into the space that was once the lunch room.
"I don't need to eat out for at least a year," Steve laughed, "you've filled my freezer with enough food to feed the whole navy."
"We need to keep you in fighting shape," Veronica stated, "once that shoulder is healed."
Suddenly there was a noise that was not the workers and as they spun around to investigate they spotted the Governor with her assistant Lauren and a pair of HPD officers dressed for their current station as personal security to the Governor.
"Why am I not surprised to find you here?" Jameson asked and eyed Steve's injured arm with concern.
"We're just checking on the progress and waiting for the crew to take their lunch break and join us," Veronica stated as she slipped forward and shook hands with the governor.
"I wanted to apologize, Mrs. Williams, for all of the commotion this past week," Jameson stated, "I hope your second week in Hawaii proves to be quiet and relaxing."
"Ronnie won't relax," Patrick smiled and elbowed his son.
"Oh no, she's got a new job babying Steve," Danny laughed.
"He took a bullet for me," Veronica cried, "it's the least I can do!"
"If I have to take it easy, then so do you Ma," Steve laughed.
"I still hope to see you tonight at the Ball," Jameson smiled.
"I bought a new dress!" Veronica smiled, "very Hawaiian, I'm quite excited to wear it."
"I had to tag along boutique shopping," Steve sighed and shook his head. "Not my idea of a fun afternoon."
"Welcome to my life," Danny laughed.
Jameson laughed light heartedly at the easy nature and familiarity of the family gathered before her.
"You see, as a man of service, our dress is always easy to plan!" Patrick smiled, "I had my dress uniform FedExed last Saturday. It arrived Monday morning. No worries, no hassles, and you have spectacular drycleaners on this island of yours."
"We'll be much honored to have you," Patricia smiled, "and I am glad to hear you are pleased with our entrepreneurs." She giggled.
5-0
Kono, Chin and Jenna walked into the office just as Danny, Steve and the Williams' finished their walkabout with the Governor.
"Are you ready for lunch?" Veronica asked happily as she spied the new comers.
"I'm starving," Jenna smiled as she reached out and hugged Mrs. Williams.
"We've decided on Poke," Veronica stated, "Steve insists that we try some authentic Hawaiian cuisine before we leave."
"You can't cook everyday," Chin laughed and embraced the woman as well.
"You're on vacation Auntie; you need to get into the Hawaiian mind set at some point in your visit." Kono added as she too took her turn hugging the little mother and keeping the family close.
"You must take them to a Luau." Jameson suggested.
"Chin and Kono are planning one with their whole family," Veronica stated excitedly as she held tightly to Kono's hand.
"I am happy to hear it, I'll provide the pig," Jameson smiled and motioned to her assistant.
5-0
That evening, dressed to the nines, Steve walked into the hotel, inspected the security and the venue before the rest of Five-O arrived.
"How is everything running?" he asked, his right arm still in a sling as he walked up to Kalei at the fount desk.
"Everything is in order, commander," the hotel manager smiled, "security is reporting that everything is calm, quiet and under control. The guests should start arriving shortly and the patrons of the hotel are feeling very confident and safe," she added.
"Good," Steve smiled before he turned to return to the ball room.
"Mahalo Commander, for everything," Kalei smiled and watched him leave.
5-0
The Ballroom filled quickly once the assigned time drew nearer. The Williams' arrived together, took up their table and waited as Danny and Steve did one last patrol of the perimeter, before setting the security to their places and making sure that every invitation that arrived was issued properly. They then returned to the table, met Jenna who had bought a brand new dress of her own and waited for the cousin, which didn't take long.
The Governor glowed with pride at the event, she distributed her money, millions in charitable donations to the two primary charities as well as several smaller ones in the names of the arts and good will, and all this happened before dinner. Dinner was served, much to the praise of the family gathered together as they watched the dignitaries and the different service personnel mill about.
Many men and women came to the table to congratulate the Five-Os on their success for the year. There were sailors and soldiers who seemed to know Steve well enough that mingled with the family, as well as police officers and detectives that knew Danny and Chin, now that Chin wasn't as marked as he had been. Rookies, men and women that had just gotten out of the academy also visited with the group to introduce themselves to the three senior officers of the task force, as Kono beamed with pride to be grouped with such a prestigious unit, and even Jenna found a friend or two that waltzed their way toward the table to investigate the newly established CIA agent and resident computer geek that the Five-O's were keeping.
Patrick and Veronica took much pride in watching the easy, joyful mood that filled the ballroom as the dinner service ended and a large orchestra took over when the speeches had finished once again.
"Will you dance with me this time Daniel?" Veronica asked as she turned to her son in his full dress uniform and smiled.
"Anything for you Ma," Danny answered, "but you just want to be seen with me because I'm looking so good tonight."
"Daniel!" Veronica giggled, "You are too prideful. That is my job!"
When the music had started, the lights had dimmed and the majority of the able bodied had taken to the dance floor, Steve stood from his place, motioned for those remaining at the table to not worry and began another slow, contemplative walk about to keep his mind at ease.
Even with his injury Steve was an authoritative presence in the room. People watched him walk about seriously, his dress uniform hiding any trace of the injury as the dark sling melted into the dark colour of his uniform and even those who noticed it were not about to test his ability. They smiled pleasantly at him, or cowered away from him in fear, but no one was ready to follow him further. Things remained quiet.
Suddenly the motion of a dark suit caught Steve's attention as a man slipped toward the exit quickly pulling his phone from his suit pocket and stepping into a brighter location. Steve recognized the man immediately as anger flared within him and he moved stealthily, toward the exit himself.
"Ah so you have found me again McGarrett," Wo Fat smiled as he pocketed his cell and turned calmly toward the advancing commander.
"How did you get in here?" Steve hissed.
"I was invited; care to see the invitation yourself? Your security seemed to think it authentic enough." He said as he pulled the invitation from an inside pocket.
Steve took the invitation, noticed the alias on it and handed it back to the man he knew to have caused much of his grief.
"I'm afraid I've ruined the evening for you," Wo Fat stated seeing the shadows descend in Steve's eyes. "Be calm, sir, I plan on enjoying myself. You should do the same."
"I know you were at my house," Steve accused.
"Do you now?"
"Danny saw you," Steve hissed.
"And you trust him, I suppose, with your life?"
"Danny doesn't lie."
"He is a good friend, I'd hold onto him if I were you," Wo Fat smiled.
"What do you plan to prove here?" Steve asked hushing his voice as several other guest passed them.
"I am simply here to see that my charitable donation goes to the right organization."
"Your own?"
"No, my company is a supporter of the arts. We believe in the future of the arts and the children of Hawaii." Wo Fat answered.
"Mr. Horu I see you've met Lieutenant Commander McGarrett," Jameson stated as she walked up to the two men. "Steve, Mr. Horu is the CEO of Vision Electrical." She added pleasantly making the introductions.
"Are you now?" Steve asked his eyes flashing malice and warning.
"Indeed, we are the leading company for the development of wind energy in the Hawaiian islands," Wo Fat smiled and reached out to shake Steve's hand.
"Steven is the head of the Five-O task force," Jameson smiled proudly.
"I've heard much about you and your good works," Wo Fat smiled.
"We're the leading authority against crime on these islands," Steve stated, his words coated in venom.
"Yes, I believe you are, with full immunity and means given to you by this very generous woman," Wo Fat smiled, took a hold of the governors hand and kissed it.
"I hate to interrupt your conversation, gentlemen, but I wish to dance with one of you." Jameson smiled.
"If you would be so kind as to allow me, Madame," Wo Fat stated, bowed slightly to McGarrett and linked arms with the Governor.
"Be my guest," Steve said, forced a smiled, and motioned to his injured arms, "I'd made a rather poor partner this evening anyways."