Chapter 21 "Impediments"

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A/N: (date) Because a number of reviewers said you cared about ME, I burst into tears because I didn't expect that and my thanks are very deep and true. You are such good people! I care about you too! Very very very very much! I am slowly getting better, and my eyes aren't as blurry as often. (The first time they did the sudden blobs and blurs thing, I so freaked out! Antibiotics and med allergies are not to be ignored, and two doctors…..did, despite my insistence. I was sooooo sick from that med! If things go haywire after you start a new med, don't ignore it. And don't let the doctors decide they know your body better than you do.)

Disclaimer: CBS owns Hawaii Five-0, even the strange CGI Jack Lord that we will say no more about except "Why?" and "someone has seriously lost their marbles."

A/N: This chapter is, er, well, uhm. It just happened! I think I needed it, so hopefully you will, uh, sortof like it, too?

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Chapter 21 "Impediments"

(23 December 2016, Wednesday, 2:30 am)

Steve had his arm around Grace in the backseat of Officer Kai's cruiser. She was asleep against his shoulder, and she in turn was holding on to Charlie, who had curled up in her lap and was out for the count, wrapped warmly still in the HPD blanket. Steve did not have a free arm to itch his nose or scratch his knee, or any of the things one needs absolutely needs to do the second one doesn't have a free hand/arm with which to do them.

He was tired squared, but awake. He had way too much on his mind to even think about sleeping. He needed four of him to do all the things he personally needed to do in the next given sixty seconds, all of them aimed at the vitally important need to get as much information as possible out of Stan and Rachel concerning the whereabouts of Danny Williams.

As soon as Officer Kai pulled up in front of the Cornett house in one of the nicer neighborhoods of Honolulu, Steve realized he hadn't known what to expect, but this wasn't it. It was a nice house, normal, and looked like a great place to have raised kids. He could only see the front, but it was well kept, homey, and unostentatious. Steve felt instantly comfortable with the two storey dwelling surrounded by still-flowering Bougainvillea and the distinctive silhouette and leaf form of mimosa, plumeria, ferns, as well as banana trees, orchids and bird of paradise not currently in flower, and a yellow flowering vine crawling over the lanai roof supports on the second floor. The specimen tree in the front yard was a koa tree, otherwise known as the Hawaiian mahogany tree, standing tall, beautifully shaped. Steve thought the air smelled marvelous now, with the cool sea air not far away. It must smell heavenly in the summer! It was, in a word, beautiful, and fit in with the surrounding neighborhood so well that Steve was reminded a little of his own homey home.

Dr. Cornett and his wife were waiting on the front porch, as was his daughter, Becca. It was the first time Steve had seen either of the ladies. Dr. Cornett's wife was cheerful, short and slim without being skinny, and so pleasant and kind that Steve knew in an instant that her husband adored her, and she in turn adored him. Nobody attained that degree of happiness unless they were truly soulmates. Steve felt a tiny flare of jealousy, which he kicked in the shin and replaced with genuine happiness for the couple, hoping someday to find that soulmate type of love for himself. He resolutely did not think of Catherine.

Becca Cornett was also present, and it was clear she had taken the best genes and temperament of both parents. She was not beautiful in the model sense of the word, but had such a pleasant nature and features that she seemed to be. Her hair was short and somewhere between wavy and curly, darkish, and when she smiled the sky lit up, even at such a late hour. Steve thought she might be perfect for Danny. It was the strangest feeling.

And then another woman came out, and Dr. Cornett introduced her as his eldest twin, Hannah, and Steve's jaw hit the ground so hard, he almost said 'ow'. Who was this perfect-height (for him), honey colored hair goddess wearing pale jeans and purple t-shirt that hugged her athletic curves in all the right places, a small waist, perfectly shaped orbs of bosoms neither too big nor too small, and a voice like sultry music? His mouth went dry, his stomach filled with butterflies, and his ability to speak coherently flew out the proverbial window, leaving behind someone with a newly acquired slew of impediments.

He tried to introduce himself and shake the goddess's hand, but his own was clammy and his name came out more like "Stiff McGrit" than "Steve McGarrett," and at Hannah's touch, zingers flew up and down his nervous system, causing unseen (he hoped) but definitely felt things to happen to certain body parts such that he was mortified to be standing in front of the goddess's parents! 'Stiff' was not just a slip of the tongue, though it definitely was that too. He blushed so red, he was beyond glad it was night and the porch light was on the other side of Dr. Cornett, who was grinning with understanding. Steve immediately determined not to touch the goddess again, lest his problems worsen, if that were even possible.

"It's so mice to eat you," Stiff McGrit said, and did another tomato blush that was probably visible from the Orion Nebula. "Rarg! I'm moe smarmy!" he mangled, trying to apologize, then cleared his throat and went desperately for the superfecta. "Mate I half a glance of walter?" Upon that embarrassing gibberish, Steve mentally slapped a piece of duct tape over his mouth and became abruptly mute, noticing out of his vastly diminished peripheral vision that Grace was giving him the strangest look he could ever remember.

"It's probably a good thing you didn't meet Hannah in daylight," smiled Becca, kindly. "My sister is a beauty. And she's got brains, too."

Mrs. Cornett took pity on Steve and drew him into the house. "Would you rather have water, or tea?" she asked. "You can just nod." Steve had no idea which one he'd picked, because Hannah followed him, causing him to walk both self-consciously and uncomfortably from the zingers-affected body parts problem. Becca saw to Officer Kai and the kids.

Nobody noticed that Officer Kai had set his phone to 'record'. There was no bribe offerable sufficient to deny him the playing of this meeting for Duke and every member of the Five-0 Task Force. Beyond that, he would be keep it private.

Not long afterwards, in the comfortable living room, Steve's agony continued when it was Hannah who brought in the glasses of water and cups of tea for everyone in the room, which only excluded Becca and the kids. She was settling them for the night. Hannah entered with ethereal grace and blushed so becomingly, Steve got dizzy from forgetting to breathe. Then he got even more dizzy because he stopped breathing entirely when Hannah had to bend over just a bit to hand her father and mother their water and tea, respectively. Steve noticed because he could not help it, that the hugging of those jeans to the wearers parts indicated that the wearee was going commando. Steve thought he might faint.

He knew he must absolutely must see this creature of heaven in a bathing suit, even if it killed him to see it. To not see it, well, that would kill him too. So he suddenly burbled, "Do you smurf?" when she turned to him with his glass of ice water.

She pinked like the most beautiful pink flower in the universe and smiled. "I live in Hawaii! Of course I smurf! Surf."

"Would you smursurf with mmmme?" he begged. "And sim! Swiff! Aw hellk."

Hannah shyly answered that she would love to. Steve spilled his ice water all over the part of himself most in need of it while he grinned like a stupefied owl.