Chapter 28

Here's the next. Cujo's almost home. Can't offer any valid excuse for the delay in updating; can only apologize. Thank you so very much for your response to the last chapter. When this story is complete won't be posting for a while. Will have to actually complete the next one before I begin posting to avoid such long gaps between chapters. Living on the edge is not all it's cracked up to be.

Disclaimer: No money made. No one from the show ever called to say they wanted me to get on a plane to Hawaii and come write for them. Am as depressed as Cujo.

*5-0*5-0*5-0*5-0*5-0*5-0*5-0* Hawaii 5-0*5-0*5-0*5-0*5-0*5-0*5-0*

Hidden

Kono peeked out the doorway of the supply room before making her exit into the hallway. She'd had no luck here either.

Coming in an hour early today to hunt for Cujo's hidden treasure; she'd been searching high and low, (mostly low), without discovering the buzzsaw's stash. It had to be here somewhere; she was a trained detective for chrissakes! How hard could it be to find something a cat had hidden - even a seriously devious one?

Even if it was with the cooperation of the murderer himself; they'd had more progress on the murder cases than her search for the thumb drive. That reporter from KAEO, Kiki Kenworthy, received what was supposedly one of the murder weapons in the mail. Late yesterday a nickel plated thirty-eight had been delivered to the station along with a note stating it had been used in the first killing - though HPD's lab had yet to confirm it. They should be getting the report this morning sometime.

Though the solution of the crimes was everyone's focus, it annoyed her that the Kenworthy woman would have a 'one-up' on the people actually doing the investigation. Kono had never liked her style of reporting. Rather than just dispense the facts she always seemed to inject herself into the story she was covering. After Danny told her about the obnoxious reporter's run-in with Steve and then seeing the coverage of her arrest, (hilarious though it may have been), that just cemented her opinion of the woman.

What was it that made her so special the murderer would begin sending her evidence? Giving a last look around to make sure the coast was clear, Kono made her way back to her office. Blowing a wayward lock of hair off her face in frustration she plopped into her chair to stare blankly at her laptop. Where the hell is the popoki's cache?

"Hey cuz, what were you looking for?" She nearly jumped out of her skin as she looked up to find Chin leaning against her doorway. He wasn't usually here this early. Steve was the only one who came in before six-thirty and only if he drove without Danny.

"Oh . . . uh . . . just some staples. I thought I had a box in my drawer but I guess I've used them all." It was all she could come up with.

"I know there are boxes of them in the supply room. Didn't you find any?" he asked, noting she'd brought no staples back to her desk.

"No. When Cujo was in there a few days ago and chewed his way through the bag of Meowi Wowie he got so high apparently everything became a toy and he managed to create quite a jumble. It's still kind of chaotic in there." She wanted to ask him what he was doing here so early but glancing at the clock set into the glass figurine of a dolphin on the corner of her desk, (a gift from a former boyfriend); she realized it wasn't that early.

"I guess we need Steve back huh? Not for just the regular stuff but he was the only one who had the energy to keep everything sorted out in there. I think HPD may be catching on to my 'borrowing' of their office supplies. I hope our big kahuna gets back here soon to sort all that crap out so I can start replacing what I took before there's another I.A. investigation." said Chin ironically referring to what had gotten him bounced from the force before Steve had asked him to be part of Five-0. Even though he'd been absolved of any wrongdoing there were still a few on the force, (Mickey for instance), who still harbored ill-feelings toward him from that time.

"Yeah, the boss's OCD streak sure comes in handy sometimes doesn't it?" smiled the slim Hawaiian woman.

"Still, maybe we should neaten-up in there before he comes back. It's not fair to make him do all that work." said Chin standing straighter in preparation to walk to the breakroom to make a pot of coffee.

Though Kono had arrived earlier than he she hadn't set-up a pot. That was a little odd. She and Steve pretty much had to have a cup before starting their day; their leader wasn't the only one with a bit of OCD – at least about coffee anyway.

"Just leave it for him cuz. He won't be allowed back into the field for at least a few days after he returns. It'll give him something to do to work off that excess energy." She wasn't done in there yet. It would kill her if any of the guys, especially her boss, found the thumb drive and looked to see what was on it.

"Yeah, you're probably right. As it is, we'll probably have to chain him to his desk." smiled Chin

"Isn't Cujo about ready to be sprung from the hospital as well?" she asked trying to change the subject.

"Yeah, Danny said he was gonna pick him up on the way home from work tonight. The clinic is open until eight. I hope we don't get a call that'll keep us from going to get him. The vet called to say she thinks he's depressed and she doesn't want to keep him there any longer even if he isn't totally healed yet."

"Depressed? How can she tell? I mean, sometimes people sleep a lot when they're depressed but cats pretty much sleep all the time anyway."

"Well, for one thing, he hasn't bothered to try to take a chunk out of anyone in the last couple of days which is unusual and he's not much interested in food which is also not the norm. Sure doesn't sound like our buzz-saw and I know it's not good when an animal stops eating."

"Maybe we need Danny to donate a pint or two to keep him going." smiled Kono, "Cujo's favorite blood donor might have to take one for the team."

"Yeah, if that's the case you get to ask him." laughed Chin as he walked off to make coffee.

I've gotta find that thumb drive! thought Kono as she fired up her laptop to see if the report from HPD had come in yet.

…

Kiki was currently basking in the attention of other media and print reporters. This was working out exactly as she'd planned. How could the networks ignore her now?

"No, really, I have no clue as to why the Macchiato Murderer would be sending me a gun. No, I don't believe I've ever knowingly or unknowingly met him or her. There's never been any hint from anyone I've interviewed that they could possibly have committed such heinous acts. Yes, it is quite a coup but it's such a shame it took these horrible crimes to make it happen."

She tried to keep the smile out of her voice. It was difficult. Completing the phone interview, she hung up and allowed herself a self-congratulatory grin. This day is just going to get better.

…

Steve was still reeling from what Angela had told him.

Danny, his brother, the man he considered the most principled guy he'd ever met had been caught cheating on his wife . . . and with a guy no less!"

"Yeah, I know it may have been some sort of a one-time-only-rebound/curiosity thing but it seemed to be something Rachel wasn't ever going to get over." said Angela as Steve became completely silent across the table from her. Damn, he looks kinda pale right now, she thought.

"So Danny told you about it?" he asked setting his spoon down and pushing away the remainder of the soup. The headache was creeping back.

"Yeah, he had to spill after Rachel called that night to tell me to come get her lying, cheating, snake of a husband before she threw him out into the snow. She'd done the 'wronged woman' thing and flattened all the tires on his car. He's lucky she didn't flatten him. At that time they'd already been fighting for weeks over him not wanting to leave his job. I know he and she probably hadn't been . . . uhh, cozy for awhile but I never thought Danny would ever cheat on her."

"Wow." said Steve, "I had no idea." stunned at what Angela had revealed.

"Well, as long as we're at it. I think I should tell you something else."

"What?" he asked, thinking maybe he should go lie down again after that last revelation.

"Has Danny been a little touchy . . . I mean . . . on edge with you lately?"

"Well, yeah, this morning he almost bit my head off when he thought I'd called him a bitch."

"Oh." said Angela, "Maybe it's worse than I thought."

"What's worse than you thought?" asked Steve knitting his brows as he looked into the eyes of the obviously uncomfortable woman across from him.

She hesitated only a moment before blurting out, "I think he's jealous."

"Jealous of what?" exclaimed Steve

"Of you and Dave."

Steve was wordless, his mouth opening and then closing again before saying, "He can't be! I mean, how could he? There's nothing going on with Dave. It was just a joke. You mean that Danny . . ." Steve looked really queasy now and didn't finish the sentence.

"You don't look so good bro, maybe you better lay down." said Angela sincerely. The man really didn't look all that well. He looked like he might hurl any second.

…

Danny pulled into the clinic parking lot dreading this last chore of the day. He'd promised Steve that he'd pick-up Cujo on the way home from work and drop him off at the McGarrett house.

Clutching the heavy canvas bag in which they usually transported the Spawn of Satan back and forth to the vet, he pushed open the door and entered the clinic. It was almost time for it to close and Connie the receptionist was finishing-up entering the info on the day's intake forms.

"Hi Danny" she greeted with a smile. Connie met all the requirements for a perky receptionist. Good looking, bright smile, friendly attitude. What she didn't have enough of was the courage it took to fetch Cujo from the back office to hand him over the counter to the man who came to claim him.

"So, Cujo's going home today?" she asked waiting for him to confirm what she'd been dreading all day before checking in the data base for Cujo McGarrett's info.

"Yeah, time for the wolverine to blow this place." answered Danny, taking in the dimpled smile of the receptionist. Too bad the girl was young enough to be . . . well, his kid sister.

She batted her eyelashes at him and unlatched the part of the counter that would allow him to get to the doorway to the back office. He knew the routine. If Janet or Joanie weren't there, no one else other that the vet herself was brave enough to approach their most difficult patient. Steve usually had to go into the back room to get him from the holding cages.

"I'll show you where he is." she said as he trailed behind her.

Coming to a bank of cages in a side room that held several recovering animals, she pointed to the last one in the middle row on the left and then stood several feet back. Cujo looked up indifferently as he approached the cage.

"Hey Cujo. You wanna get outta here? You wanna go see the Cat Lady?"

The little cat seemed to recognize him but made no move to stand or to greet him. He looked absolutely pathetic.

"Now, that's not normal." he muttered. From the complaints he'd heard over the last few days the little wolverine should be clawing at the bars wanting to get out. Turning to Connie he asked, "You guys sure he's ready to leave?"

"That's what Dr. Charteris said." she replied, "I can check the orders again if you like but she told me that he was going home tonight because he'd recover better there. Said he was depressed here."

"Guess I can't blame him." muttered Danny as he looked around at the sterile surroundings of metal cages stacked three high along one side of the room; half of them containing other recuperating animals. He'd be depressed too if he had to spend any time locked into one of the pens no matter how necessary.

"You want me to double check to make sure he's supposed to go home?" asked Connie looking like she wanted to be anywhere else but in the same room with this particular patient.

"No, that's not necessary. It probably will be better for him to go home. I know it'll be better for Steve."

"You mean the tall guy with the tats?" she said in obvious admiration of Cujo's owner.

"Yeah, that guy." answered Danny wanting to roll his eyes at the obviously smitten girl. Who the hell hadn't Steve charmed? He didn't get it. The guy has the social skills of a two-by-four. Women, and apparently at least one guy, must be a lot more easily swayed than he'd given them credit for.

"Okay, let's get this over with." he sighed as Cujo stared back at him disinterestedly.

"You're on your own here dude." said the girl as she backed away from the cage as far as she could without actually going into the next room.

"Excuse me? Aren't you an employee here?" asked Danny as the girl looked almost poised for flight.

"Hey, I've witnessed what this cat did to Janet and Joanie. They don't pay me enough to get shredded like that. I'm only supposed to take care of paperwork and uhh, the animals that aren't you know . . . like homicidal."

Danny shook his head but knew where she was coming from. "Just stand out of the way. I'll get him." he said to the now relieved but still apprehensive looking receptionist. "Come on fence rabbit. Let's go see Steve." said Danny as he turned back toward the cage and unlatched it.

…

Angela popped the last mini-meatball into the soup. The scent of cooking onions and garlic had already filled the air in the kitchen. It smelled like home.

She rummaged around in the cupboard looking for the lid to the big soup pot. Running across the biggest cast iron Dutch oven she'd ever seen, she wondered what the hell Steve was doing with such a thing. What would anybody do with such a thing? It had to weigh a ton.

Deciding the gigantic pot was probably a leftover from his parents she spied the lid she was looking for on the back of the bottom shelf. The entire house really didn't seem very 'Steve like'. It was cluttered and out-of-date. It sort of resembled her mom and dad's place. The McGarrett house had old photographs and souvenirs adorning the walls and very few things that might have been put there by her adopted brother. She recognized photos of the Five-0 ohana here and there along with a few bits of things like a big screen television and an I-pod docking station etc.

She thought it was maybe a little sad that after being home for over three years now the man hadn't yet cleared out all the stuff that wasn't his and made the place his own. Maybe he wanted to hang onto what probably represented a time in his life when this really was a home for him?

Months ago Danny had told her of the return of Steve's supposedly dead mother. What a shock that must have been. With all the things she knew about Steve and all the crap he'd had to endure she'd wondered how he even managed to hold it together so well. She was glad he'd become a part of the Williams family. His mom sounded like . . . well . . . not the most motherly of women. Danny hadn't said so but she knew he didn't trust her.

Dropping in a big bunch of chopped parsley, she watched the steam rise from the boiling pot and chastised herself once again for being part of Danny's plot for revenge. Men! She thought shaking her head. Do they ever grow up?

…..

At first it seemed to go well. Cujo was docile enough that Danny didn't even feel the need to stuff him into the canvas bag. It seemed insult on top of injury to do so. There was still a big shaved patch on the little cat's side and a band of bare skin around one leg they'd also shaved to get access to a vein for an I.V. The cat was pathetic looking. Actually, with the bald spot, he reminded Danny of the other pathetic animal waiting for them.

"You sure you don't want to stuff him in the bag?" anxiously inquired Connie as she backed out the doorway to the front office to print out the final paperwork and have Danny sign it.

"He's okay for now I think. He doesn't look in good enough shape to cause any trouble."

"That's what Joanie thought yesterday too but now she's got a new bandage on her wrist."

"Do Janet and Joanie get hazardous duty pay?"

"Huh?" said the kid

"Never mind. Just tell them thank you for taking care of the wolverine. I'll make sure Cujo's owner brings in another box of candy for them." smiled Danny as he gingerly held Cujo against his chest with one arm and signed the form Connie slid cautiously toward him on the countertop.

"Come on fence rabbit; let's go see the cat lady. He's probably missed you as much as you've missed him".

*5-0*5-0*5-0*5-0*5-0*5-0*5-0* Hawaii 5-0*5-0*5-0*5-0*5-0*5-0*5-0*

Reviews would be much appreciated.