#*#*#*#*#
"So . . . Caviness," Jax said, paying not one bit of attention to the selection of sundresses and pretty tanks that Kono was pointing out to her.
Kono sighed. She was no girly-girl herself, but damn, Jax was almost hopeless. "If I spill, will you try on the clothes? We have to get you ready for this."
"Yes, yes, I'll try them on," Jax said, grinning and bouncing a little on the balls of her feet.
"Which ones do you like?" Kono asked, holding up several choices.
Jax blinked at her owlishly for a moment. "I usually wear blue," she offered hesitantly.
"Because all of your clothes are still HPD swat," Kono groaned. "Okay, we're going with the green tank, because the bikini Malia picked out for you is this color, and it's perfect on you; and these jeans - they're a linen blend, not too hot. And then this black sundress. And absolutely, positively, this blue bikini."
"What's wrong with the green one?" Jax asked.
"Absolutely nothing," Kono said, "but you need more than one, and the green one is more . . . sporty. This one is more . . . attention getting."
Kono followed Jax into the dressing room and stood on the other side of the door, dodging the cargo pants and tshirt that Jax tossed haphazardly over it.
"Okay, you promised," Jax said, her voice muffled by clothing, "tell me about Caviness."
"Well," Kono said, "he doesn't know how to surf. Because, you know, he's from New Mexico. So, we started teaching him how to surf."
"And?" Jax prompted, opening the door for Kono's approval.
"Jax, those jeans look amazing," Kono said, appraising Jax. "And the green is perfect; I knew it would be."
"I don't know," Jax said dubiously. "These are skinny jeans. I am not a skinny person."
"If by that, you mean that you actually have an ass, then no," Kono said. "And trust me, the jeans do it justice."
"Fine, yay for my ass," Jax said, disappearing back behind the door. "So. Surfing . . . means you discovered the ink, right?"
"Ummmhmmm," Kono said. "I still can't believe you wouldn't even give me a hint. It was . . . wow. Very nice."
Jax laughed. Clearly, Kono approved of the intricate Celtic design on Caviness' shoulder that Jax had noticed while tending to his injury on a recent case.
"I'm not sure that I'm really a dress kinda person, Kono," Jax mumbled as she pulled the dress over her head. She hesitantly opened the door so that Kono could weigh in.
"You are absolutely that dress kind of person," Kono said emphatically. "Please promise me you will wear this after the case is over. Really."
"Really?" Jax said, looking in the mirror. "Okay, I guess it looks . . . nice."
Kono took a deep breath and fought the urge to smack her head into the dressing room wall.
"So," came Jax's voice from the dressing room stall again. "What happened after surfing?"
#*#*#*#*#
Danny and Jax settled into the seats of the small plane that would carry them to the Big Island.
"This feels a little bit like a vacation," Jax whispered, grinning at Danny.
"You deserve one, babe," Danny said. "Though if the puppy dog eyes were any indication, I think a certain SEAL was having a hard time letting you go this morning."
The rest of the team was staggering their arrival at and near the resort, and Steve especially was having to keep distance from Danny and Jax. For better or worse, Five-O's involvement in high profile cases had landed them on the news more than once, and Steve was becoming recognizable.
"So, the plan is we act like we're from Jersey?" Jax confirmed.
"Believe it or not, that's pretty much it. I don't like the idea of dangling you out as bait, again, but if this perp goes for out of town people with distinct accents, then for once, our tendency to stick out like sore thumbs on this pineapple infested volcanic rock will work to our advantage," Danny said. "Just please, please make sure you don't get separated from your GPS signal," he added, tapping her wristwatch. Chin had set it up with a simple, but effective, GPS tracking device, which he, Grover, and Steve would be monitoring from a room in the resort adjacent to the Royal Kona.
"I'll be fine, Danny," Jax said.
"Hey," Danny said, gently turning her face toward him. "You'll be careful. I mean it, Jax. This idea that you can just take careless, reckless, thoughtless chances with your life needs to have been left behind, in New York. Promise me."
"Okay, Danny, I promise."
"That's more like it. Now, as soon as we land, we're gonna call my sister and have a nice chat. If that doesn't refresh our native accent, nothing will," Danny laughed.
#*#*#*#*#
"This feels creepy," Steve commented, looking through the sophisticated telescope aimed at the Royal Kona lobby. He could see Danny and Jax getting out of the resort shuttle van and making their way up the crushed shell pathway to the front entry. Danny's hands were moving animatedly, and Jax was laughing at him. It didn't take much effort for the two of them to pull off the sibling act.
"Tell me again, what exactly is in that urn, that's supposed to be their mother's ashes?" Grover asked. "Max set them up; I'm concerned."
Chin laughed. "Just ashes left over from the last bonfire on the beach," he said. "Nothing organic, I assure you. Danny threatened to take it to an independent laboratory."
Chin was looking through the telescope aimed at the beach. Kono was the only other member of the team staying at the Royal Kona, and would spend most of her time surfing or lounging on the beach, where the victims had all reappeared as mysteriously as they had vanished.
"Best. Assignment. Ever," Kono had yelled, fistbumping Steve in some sort of elaborate surfer handshake that only Chin had recognized.
"She's still got it, wow," Chin said, shaking his head. "Remind me to tell her to tone it down a notch; we don't need her attracting too much attention."
#*#*#*#*#
The concierge was duly attentive and aiming for the right combination of sympathetic and upbeat, as Danny and Jax were checking in.
"I understand that you are here on a rather unique visit," he said, indicating the small silver rolling case resting next to Danny's suitcase. "I do hope that you will allow us to assist you in any way possible, as you honor your mother's memory."
"Thank you," Danny said. "We appreciate it. It seemed fitting for her ashes to be returned, as our father's were, to their beloved honeymoon location. Right, sis?" he added, turning to Jax.
"Um, yeah," she mumbled, fidgeting with her suitcase.
The concierge raised an eyebrow at Danny, as if to commiserate with recalcitrant sisters, and Danny nodded and shrugged. What-are-ya-gonna-do, right?
"That wasn't terribly convincing," Danny said quietly, as they headed toward their room. "I thought you were a hotshot at undercover. 'Um, yeah'? That was the best you could do? You're supposed to be an emotional, grieving daughter, here with your strong, supportive big brother, to spread your mother's ashes. You're gonna have to do better then 'um, yeah'."
"Maybe not all of us wear our emotions all on the outside for everyone to see, Danny," Jax snapped. Danny stopped, put a hand on her shoulder. "Sorry," she mumbled. She took a deep breath. "Maybe I'm conflicted," she said, aiming for a lighthearted tone. "Daughters have complicated relationships with their mothers, I'm told. Maybe I'm conflicted and complicated."
Danny looked at her searchingly for a moment. "Oh, you have no idea how conflicted and complicated, babe. Tell me you can handle this assignment. Right now."
"Danny, I've got it," Jax said. "Seriously. Grieving people get snappy and grumpy, too. Besides, the most important part of our cover is looking like we're from Jersey. I'm not even going to have to act."
"True," Danny said, grinning.
#*#*#*#*#
The next two days passed quickly for the members of the team who were able to enjoy all of the amenities of the resort. Kono spent hours between surf and sand: watching, observing, looking for anyone who seemed to have an unusual pattern, especially anything that would explain their victims having appeared at dawn on the beach.
Chin shook his head as he watched her head out over the breakers for the fourth time in a row; late afternoon of their second day at the resort.
"She okay?" Steve asked, noting Chin's concerned expression.
"She's going to be exhausted," Chin said. "This is pushing it, even for her."
"Do you want me to bring her in?" Steve said. "I'll pull rank, just say the word."
Chin smiled. Steve was a good friend, and a great leader. "No," Chin said, "she says that sitting on the board, facing the beach, she can watch and observe without tipping anyone off. You know how it is; change of perspective, change of angle when you're out there, looking back. Besides, she has more energy than anyone I've ever met. Just because I'm tired looking at her, doesn't mean she actually is."
"So true," Grover said ruefully. "I've seen her come off a twenty-hour stake-out, go for drinks and dancing with friends, do some night surfing, and show up for work the next morning, fresh as a daisy. Sometimes I downright resent the energy and resilience of the young."
"What's happening with Danny and Jax?" Chin asked Steve. "They pick up on anything?"
"Not yet," Steve said, rubbing the back of his neck. He was both tense and bored, a miserable combination. "They've been hanging around the resort, mostly. They went on an excursion this morning hoping that the bus ride would give them the opportunity to be noticed. Danny said they called Stella again last night, so there's no doubt the accents are back in full force."
"It's uncanny," Chin agreed, smiling. It was always easy to tell when Danny had been on the phone with his family. Even Gracie would shake her head and laugh.
"Speaking of getting noticed," Grover said. "They're heading out on the beach now. That red hair is sure easy to pick out of a crowd."
Steve grinned and playfully shoved Grover away from the telescope, taking over his spot.
"I thought you said it was creepy," Chin reminded him.
"Shut up, I haven't seen Jax for two days," Steve retorted. "I'll resort to creepy. Wow."
"What, wow?" Grover demanded.
"Um, Kono took Jax shopping again," Steve said, as if that explained the wow, which it didn't, as far as Grover was concerned. But Chin was nodding solemnly.
"Well, you wanted them to attract attention," Chin said, turning his scope to match the direction of Steve's. "Oh, yes, that bikini is clearly Kono's influence. I didn't know Jax had ink," he added absently.
Steve scowled a bit. They watched as Danny and Jax spread out towels and situated themselves on the beach. Danny was waving his hands around, becoming increasingly animated, with Jax apparently holding her own in the conversation; one hand on her hip, the other poking a finger in Danny's direction.
"Oh yeah, that's Jersey," Grover observed, having picked up the spare pair of binoculars.
"Kono's heading in," Chin pointed out, as Kono rode the next wave toward shore. They'd risked setting her up with a tiny transmitter, sewn into the corner of her beach towel. There was no way to hide an earpiece for her, so it was one-way conversation, but it was communication at least.
The radio crackled as Kono picked up the towel, and spoke into the microphone as she patted her face with the towel.
"Boss, I hope you're enjoying the view," she said, chuckling. "Hey, guys, check out the gawker in the red trunks, to my ten o'clock. He seems to be terribly interested in our siblings."
Steve, Chin, and Grover all turned the attention to the man pointed out by Kono. Sure enough, he was watching Danny and Jax, seemingly fixated.
"What do you think?" Chin asked Steve. "Could be he's just staring at a pretty girl. Gotta admit, Steve, that red hair, and that royal blue bikini . . . Jax stands out."
As if on cue, Kono sauntered through the man's line of vision. He seemed not to even notice her.
"No way he's just admiring beauties," Grover said, "because he didn't even blink at Kono. Sorry, but Kono walks within two feet of someone? They have to be blind or deliberately concentrating on something else not to notice."
"Okay, we're officially watching this asshole," Steve said, his voice somewhat unnecessarily hostile.
Chin raised an eyebrow.
"What? I don't like the way he's looking at Jax," Steve retorted.
Grover opened his mouth and then closed it again.
"What?" Steve demanded.
"I was gonna say maybe her being at Five-O is a little too close, and then I realized that's absolutely and utterly beside the point," Grover said. "You'd be having a hissy fit if she was an accountant. Sorry, man, it's the burden we bear, when gorgeous women mysteriously agree to be part of our lives. Am I right, Chin?"
"Yes," Chin agreed, "yes, you are."
#*#*#*#*#
The next morning, the agreed upon plan was put into place. No one else had seemed to pay any particular attention to Danny and Jax, so the as-yet unidentified man in the red swim trunks was their only lead.
Danny and Jax sat on the breakfast patio, sipping coffee, hoping to see the man again. It would be an indication that they were getting close to something. Jax was picking at a muffin and looking miserable, and Danny was strongly suspicious that she wasn't acting.
"Babe, come on," he said gently. "Tell your big brother all your troubles." His blue eyes crinkled in a smile, and he tenderly rubbed the back of her hand, wrapped around her coffee cup.
She bit her lip and looked at him. "I'm fine Danny," she said, shaking her head almost imperceptibly. This was no time for actual conversation; they were hoping that they were being watched by a kidnapper, for crying out loud.
But Danny, being Danny, decided to multi-task. "Are you sad about . . . our parents?"
Jax stared at him for a long moment, frustrated, then sighed. "Your relationship with . . . our parents is very different than mine. Was. Was very different. There's all this . . . unconditional love, and support, and . . . it was just different for me, okay?"
"I'm sorry," Danny said. "You never talk about . . . mom and dad. As much as you talk about Billy, you never talk about them. We try not to pry but it's kinda painfully obvious. If you ever do want to, you know. We're here for you. Not just me and -" Danny caught himself before he started saying names, just in case. "Not just me and your boyfriend; you know, your friends. All of them."
Danny was shocked to see Jax's eyes fill with tears, but before he could question her, she held her coffee cup in front of her mouth.
"Your six o'clock," she murmured. "Let's see if he takes the bait; roll with it."
She put the cup down and looked back at Danny. "You know it's true; you were the favorite, the golden child. And no matter how much you love me, it doesn't change the fact that they didn't," she said. "Stop trying to deny it. They're gone, and you're all I have left, but you were all I had to begin with."
Danny was convinced now that the tears spilling out of Jax's eyes and down her cheeks were genuine, and it took everything he had not to follow after her, to try to comfort her, as she stood abruptly and walked away from the table. She headed toward the side of the patio, towards another crushed shell path which led into a shaded garden. Danny sighed, acting every bit the longsuffering big brother, and then casually turned in time to see someone slip into the shade behind her.
#*#*#*#*#
"Got it, Danny," Chin said, fingers flying over the keyboard. He looked up at Steve and Grover. "Looks like our kidnapper took the bait. The guy from the beach yesterday just followed Jax into a garden." He jumped up, grabbing his tablet. "We've got movement; Danny's waiting for us at the edge of the garden. Kono is moving into position on the balcony above the garden."
The three took off, covering the short distance between their surveillance room and catching up to Danny. Steve handed him a vest, along with his gun and badge.
"According to this, Jax is still moving slowly through the garden," Chin said, following a red dot on his screen. "Our guy must not have made his move yet."
They followed Steve's silent hand motions and moved into the garden, Chin leading the way with the tracking signal.
The sound of a scuffle prompted them to move more quickly, rounding a blind curve.
"Oh, nicely done," Danny said, looking at the scene before him. Jax grinned up at him from her position, her knee firmly planted in their target's back, his arm yanked up awkwardly behind him. She was flushed, her eyes sparkling.
Hot damn, Steve's subconscious chimed in.
"Need any help, there, Jax?" Steve drawled, a slow smile spreading over his face.
"Nah, I got it," she said, yanking the guy to his feet. She looked at Steve. "Can I say it this time? Please?"
"You earned it," he said, nodding.
"Book 'em, Danno," Jax said triumphantly, shoving their kidnapper toward Danny and brushing her unruly curls out of her face.
"Seriously? No. No, not from the both of you," Danny groused. "I won't stand for it." The man struggling in his arms sneered. "What?" Danny demanded, giving him a shake. "What are you laughing at, seriously? You just got taken down by someone half your size. You're in no position to laugh, my friend." Danny fastened handcuffs securely around him and hustled him away.
#*#*#*#*#
They let the would-be kidnapper stew in the local police department interrogation room while they ran his fingerprints.
"You're not going to believe this," Chin said, coming out of the tech lab with a file. "The man we have in custody is Fai Nani. Oldest son of the owner of the resort. He's been missing for years, presumed dead."
"You're kidding," Steve said, taking the file from Chin and glancing through it. "Motive?"
"Let's find out," Danny suggested, pointing to the interrogation room. "Jax, this was your collar, you want in?"
Jax shook her head and shrugged. "I'm content with take downs and patch ups, Danny - you know, confident in my usefulness as a SWAT-trained medic. I'll leave the case solving to detectives and the like."
Kono sidled up to her. "Interrogation can be fun, though, seriously. You should at least watch."
Grover and Chin shook their heads as Kono and Jax exchanged smirks and walked into the room adjacent to the interrogation room, outfitted with a one way mirror.
"Do you ever get the feeling that we are just barely holding on to an illusion of control with those two?" Grover asked.
"I gave up the illusion when Kono started driving and dating," Chin said. "But they can definitely kick butt."
"I'm glad they're on our side," Grover agreed.
Fai slouched insolently in his chair as Danny and Steve entered the room. Danny found himself missing the oddly-lit interrogation rooms at Five-O; this room, with its comfortable furnishings and sunny overhead lighting just didn't have the same effect.
"Welcome back from the dead, Mr. Nani," Steve said, leaning against the wall, his arms crossed over his chest.
Danny took a seat at the table. He opened a file and spread out photos of the victims, one by one, across the table. "You recognize these women?"
Fai shrugged. "Look like a bunch of haoles."
"Interesting you should mention that," Steve said, pacing behind Danny. "Is that why you targeted them? You have something against outsiders?"
"I have something against anyone who doesn't honor the old ways," Fai said.
"Oh, profound," Danny said. "Is that why you drugged these women, kidnapped them, injured them? Evidence was meticulously collected, from each and every one of them. It's just a matter of lab results before we match your DNA to that evidence."
"I haven't given you a DNA sample," Fai sneered.
"Haven't you?" Steve said, leaning over the table. "What do you think those scratches are on your arm?"
"These?" Fai said, turning his arm over. "These are the basis of my police brutality lawsuit."
Steve laughed. "Good luck taking that to court. Sit in a courtroom with Officer Nolan. I'm sure you'll be very convincing. Besides, we're not police, we're Five-O. We have this little thing called immunity and means, and it allows us to collect your DNA from her fingernails. So let's skip all of this posturing. Tell us about the kidnappings."
Fai sighed. "I was a good son. I helped my father build the resort, helped him run it for years. He taught me the old ways of the island, and I honored his ways. I honored him. Kael, my younger brother - the golden one - he went off to the mainland. He came home, head full of haole ideas, and my father . . . my father let him make all of these changes to the resort. We had a huge fight, and I left in my boat. There was a storm . . . I knew they thought I was dead . . . I didn't come home. Just wandered, picked up odd jobs."
"What brought you back?" Danny asked.
"I got tired of living like a homeless person," Fai shrugged.
"The prodigal son returned," Danny murmured.
"The resort was thriving . . . I heard rumors, that my father was going to turn the resort over to Kael. Kael, who never honored the island, never honored the old ways . . . " Fai said, becoming agitated.
"So you decided to destroy the reputation of the resort, rather than let your brother run it?" Steve guessed. "By causing trouble at the resort. Word gets out there's a kidnapper striking here, people don't want to come vacation."
"It was working, too," Fai said. "Dozens of cancellations in the last month. I should have known that my father would call on the governor, call in a favor. I wouldn't have pegged the little redhead for a cop, though."
Steve and Danny left the interrogation room, and the team gathered in the hall.
"You buy it?" Steve asked.
"What, sibling rivalry and jealousy as motive?" Danny said. "Babe, didn't your parents ever take you to Sunday school? Sibling rivalry and jealousy were the motive for the very first murder."
"Well, I guess that's a wrap. We better go pack," Grover said.
Steve looked around at his team. Coming off the Halawa fiasco, they'd been burning the candle at both ends: exhausted, recovering from injuries, still spooked and jittery from having surveillance and protection surrounding their families.
"No," he said. "Nobody packs."
He pulled out his phone and pressed a number while the rest of the team looked on curiously.
"Yes, governor, we believe we have only one perpetrator, and he's in custody. Yes ma'am, a solid case. Unfortunately, there have been dozens of cancellations at the resort this month . . . yes ma'am, it would be a concern if people were discouraged from visiting," Steve said. "I thought that perhaps it might help if our visit here looked less like a case, and more like a . . . retreat. I was hoping you'd approve a couple of extra nights for us, make it a public relations opportunity." Steve paused. "Yes, ma'am, I agree. We'll be back in the office on Monday, then, unless something comes up."
Steve hung up the phone and grinned at the rest of the team.
"Two more nights, all expenses," he said. "The governor is calling the owner herself."
Kono whooped with joy and threw herself at Steve, her lanky frame enveloping him in an enthusiastic hug. Danny, Chin, and Grover looked happy, and gave Steve good-natured slaps on the back.
Jax took her cue from the others, and schooled her features into a pleased expression, despite feeling anxious. Days? With no work, no case . . . and with the agreement she and Steve had made that they would be professional on duty, the prospect of sleeping alone in strange, unfamiliar surroundings. Still, everyone seemed thrilled, and watching their delighted expressions soon had a genuine smile on her face.
The resort manager greeted them when they arrived back in the main lobby.
"Mr. Nani is understandably taking some time to contact his family lawyer, but he asked that I extend to you his appreciation for your handling of the case, and your efforts to respect his family's privacy and the interests of the resort," he said. "The governor's office called and explained that you wish to stay on; again, many thanks. We've taken the liberty of reserving a block of rooms for you, on the top floor; three sets of adjoining rooms, one set of course, for the ladies."
Kono started to open her mouth in protest, but Jax put her hand gently on her wrist and answered the manager.
"That's lovely, thank you," she said
"You and Steve aren't fighting, are you?" Kono whispered, concerned, as she tugged Jax toward the elevator.
"No," Jax said. "We just agreed . . . look, we're technically here as a team. We have an agreement, when we're on duty we don't . . . we want to keep it professional."
"Then you probably should stay out of the armory, but okay, we'll go with that explanation," Kono said dubiously, "If you change your mind about the room, which I suggest you do, you should know that I'm a very light sleeper and I'm not above making recordings for posterity. Or blackmail."
"Noted," Jax said, looking at her with a horrified expression on her face.
"Do we want to know?" Grover wondered, as Kono burst into peals of laughter.
"No," Danny said emphatically. "We most certainly do not."
"I might be just a little curious," Steve admitted.
#*#*#*#*#
They were informed that a table had been reserved for them for dinner; secluded enough that they really could discuss business, if they needed, but just visible enough to accomplish their public relations task.
"I'm surprised you went for the photo op vacation, Steve," Danny said, as they took the elevator down. "And I thought things were already tense with you and the governor. Not that I'm complaining; just surprised."
Steve shifted uncomfortably. It was true; playing nice with the public wasn't his favorite thing to do and he was starting to have misgivings about the governor's priority. "The unit comes first, Danny."
"Unit . . . wow, I haven't heard you call us a unit for months. Are we back to being your SEAL team?" Danny teased gently.
"Old habits die hard, Danny," Steve retorted mildly. "The team comes first. That Halawa mess took the wind out of our sails, I have to admit it. And for the record, yeah, I would have done the same for my SEAL team."
"You took your SEAL team to island resorts?" Danny grinned.
"No, to Qatar," Steve replied seriously. "There was an actual armed services approved resort there. Good fishing."
Danny blinked at him incredulously as they found their way to Chin and Grover, who were already enjoying the ocean view from their dining area.
"I gotta say, this didn't happen in SWAT," Grover said, raising his glass to Steve. "To our quick thinking team leader."
"Here, here," Chin and Danny agreed, and Steve grinned sheepishly.
"You guys have more than earned it," he said, and then he was trying to remember how to breathe, as Kono and Jax came toward them.
His brain filtered through another dozen or so of Danny's word-a-day calendar . . . apparently this was something that was going to happen to him, from time to time, and he'd learned just to go with it . . . and once again, it settled inelegantly on holy shit.
Kono looked stunning, as usual, in a simple russet sundress that set off her golden skin and dark hair. She always managed to slip easily between elegant evening wear, beach wear, and tactical gear; carrying off each style with a completely unselfconscious ease and grace. The guys were, at this point, used to doing a bit of a double take when she was undercover or on the rare times that a team event required formal wear. She usually looked downright sultry on such occasions, much to Chin's dismay, but tonight she was smirking mischievously at the poleaxed expression on Steve's face.
"Goof," Danny muttered fondly, glancing at Steve, who was now grinning like an idiot at Jax.
Jax was wearing the black sundress that was more Jersey than island, since it had been selected for her undercover role. Instead of looking out of place, she simply looked striking and unique . . . and totally herself. The day on the beach with Danny had turned her skin golden, though they'd discovered that her fair skin never really tanned so much as glowed, and the sun had caught golden highlights in her hair, which tumbled around her face and brushed her neck in soft curls.
"Ladies, you look lovely," Chin said, since someone needed to say something, before Steve had a coronary.
"I had no idea my partner cleaned up so nice," Grover added, smiling at Jax. "You," he added to Kono, "were already legendary, and now I see for myself why that is."
"Resort life agrees with you, babe," Danny said quietly to Jax, "I think Malia will be relieved; I know I am. You look a little less like a starved kitten."
"Aw, Danny, you say the sweetest things," Jax sniped, rolling her eyes. It was true, though, a couple of days of relative relaxation, and the need to be obviously and visibly dining on the resort's delicious food, had gently rounded out Jax's usual curves.
"I try," Danny said. "Let me get you a drink, since Steve is still standing there like a schmuck." He stepped over to the drink cart where the rest of the team had gathered.
Jax smiled up at Steve, who did look a little stunned, now that she noticed. "Everything okay?" she asked, looking up at him. She bit her lip as she always did, when she was hesitant or uncertain.
Maybe the dress is just too Jersey, Jax thought. Why did I let Kono talk me into this?
Professionalism be damned, Steve decided, and tucked his fingers under her chin, pulling her lip gently out from her teeth with the pad of his thumb. He kissed her, soft and chaste, and stroked her cheek with the back of his fingers.
"Everything is okay," he assured her. "You look . . . wow."
Steve had fallen for her, hard and fast, when she'd arrived on the island, battered and bruised. She was feisty, and stubborn, and oh yeah . . . she dislocated his thumb and landed him on his back within the first twenty four hours. He'd thought she was beautiful, in spite of and because of whatever injuries she sported, in her relentless pursuit to protect others. But this . . . this was Jax, healthy and whole and radiant, and it made him weak in the knees in a whole different way.
Kono drifted behind him. "I can be bribed to trade rooms with you, brah," she whispered. "I can share a suite with Chin, we're family, no one's panties will be in a wad. Just sayin'."
Steve congratulated himself on his exceptional eye for talent. He knew Kono would make a great team member, the first day he met her.
Dinner passed pleasantly, and conversation drifted from personal stories to case review and back again. Steve decided that the governor was getting more than her money's worth in strengthening the team dynamic, and if his hand kept drifting of its own accord to softly stroke Jax's shoulder, warm and glowing and perfect in the evening sun, well, the team seemed perfectly fine with that.
Kono perked up at the sound of music playing. "Okay," she said, pushing back from the table, "who's dancing?"
To their surprise and delight, Grover was the first on his feet, holding his hand out to Kono and whirling her across the floor.
"Wow, he's light on his feet for a big guy," Chin commented, impressed. Kono, of course, with her natural grace and athleticism was a fantastic dancer, to no one's surprise.
Steve looked at Jax and raised an eyebrow in question.
"No, oh no no no no," Jax said. "Believe me. This is not in my skill set. Ask Danny."
"Sad but true," Danny said. "She actually has no rhythm. None. Wait for a slow song . . . if you lead, she isn't completely hopeless."
Steve laughed heartily while Jax smacked Danny good-naturedly on the shoulder.
Grover made it admirably through two songs, but moved to sit down despite Kono's protests.
"Come on, Danny, don't leave Kono without a partner," Jax said, nudging Danny with her foot.
Danny rolled his eyes but gamely stood and took Kono's outstretched hand.
"You know he's really amazing, right?" Jax asked Steve.
"Danny? Really?" Steve said, leaning forward curiously. He watched for a few minutes. "Wow," he said, leaning back in his seat. "No kidding."
The rest of the team enjoyed watching Danny and Kono, as she taught him several new moves and he kept up with her effortlessly.
"How did we not know this about him?" Chin mused.
"He probably didn't want to be the undercover for any club cases," Jax smirked. "Ooops."
After several fast dance songs, the band switched to a slow ballad.
"I'm going to cut in and dance with my baby cousin," Chin decided, standing up.
Steve reached out a hand to Jax. "Want to go be . . . not hopeless, was it?"
She hesitated a moment, then shrugged and took Steve's hand. "Watch your toes," she warned.
He smiled, pulling her into his arms. "I'll manage," he assured her, leading her toward Chin and Kono. "Though I'm no Danny, that's for sure," he added. "I guess the misadventures of our youth didn't include hitting the clubs. Annapolis wasn't known for the party scene."
Jax grinned up at him. "I was busy with cars during high school, and New Jersey Police Academy didn't exactly have a rocking party scene, either. Something tells me, though, that you can more than hold your own, sailor. Come on, all those ports of call? And don't try to convince me that someone who surfs like you doesn't have a few good moves."
"Nothing that would hold a candle to slow dancing with you, ku'uipo," he said sincerely. "Besides, we now know that Danny and Kono are our go-to for undercover club cases. No one really wants to draw that short straw."
Jax chuckled and rested her head on his shoulder. He was leading her so confidently that she barely had to think, and she hadn't stepped on his toes once. She sighed contentedly and Steve really, really regretted his noble intentions of not sharing a room on a team overnight.
The band switched to another slow song, and when it was over, they stopped for the night, nodding at the muted applause from the resort diners.
Kono yawned. "Why am I so tired?" she complained.
"Because it's been a hell of a few weeks," Danny reminded her. "And you spent most of the day yesterday in the water. Not to mention our stellar workout on the dance floor just now."
"Danny, you've been holding out on us," Kono said. "And you're right; it has been a long few weeks. It's been a lovely evening, guys, thanks for dancing with me. I'm going to sleep until noon tomorrow and then collapse like a slug on the beach."
Grover and Chin decided to call it a day as well, citing a need to check in with Renee and Malia, and get some well-deserved rest.
Danny kissed Jax on the cheek. "I'm going to go call Gracie," he said. "Good work today, Jax. It's nice to see you back to kicking ass. See you tomorrow, guys."
Steve watched Danny's retreating back disappear into the resort, and then he grabbed Jax's hand firmly and started walking.
"Where are we - oh," Jax gasped, as they stepped into a secluded alcove, created by a trellis of climbing jasmine. "Oh," she said again, looking up at the stars, and out at the moon on the ocean, "beautiful."
"Yeah," Steve agreed, looking at Jax. He trailed his fingers over her collarbone, tracing the delicate strap of the sundress. "This is . . . wow."
"It's not my usual cargo pants and boots," Jax said, ducking her head self-consciously. "I was going to wear it when Danny and I spread our fake mother's ashes," she added, grinning back up at him. "It's very Jersey."
"I like Jersey," Steve said absently, as his fingers tangled in her curls. "You were Jersey when I met you; don't apologize for being who you are. I'm glad you like the island; I'm glad you liked it enough to want to stay but . . . " he lost his train of thought when Jax smiled at him, so he gave up and kissed her instead. Trailing kisses down her neck, he mumbled against her soft skin. "It's been cruel and unusual, having to watch you the last couple of days . . . I don't know what I would have done if the case had dragged on . . . "
"Added two more nights as a team retreat?" Jax suggested, proud of herself for being only slightly breathless.
Steve groaned. "I'm a stupid man and I agreed to a stupid agreement about professionalism."
"Oh, yeah, this is totally professional, right here," Jax said, her lips grazing over the soft spot behind his ear that predictably made his breath hitch and his arms tighten around her.
He looked down at her, blinking slow with those ridiculous lashes, and smiled; that rare, relaxed smile that made her feel like she had somehow given him something important without even realizing it.
"What?" she said, smiling back at him, sappy and goofy and not even caring.
"You . . . is it a Jersey thing or a Danny thing or what," he mused, kissing her cheek, her jaw, soft little kisses like punctuation, "you make me crazy, you don't give me an inch, you call me out on everything."
She laughed, low and sweet. "Someone has to; you'd be insufferable otherwise."
"Insufferable?" he chuckled.
"Yeah," she said, warming to the topic, "you, with all the 'commanderness', and the muscles, and the tattoos, and the . . . " she was momentarily distracted by his lips on her neck, not able to suppress a little shiver from his stubble grazing her tender skin, " . . . the - oh - elite task force."
"Elite," he agreed, "Also, Navy SEAL."
"Oh, it always comes back to - oh - that, yes," she said, "the Navy SEAL thing."
"You love it," he insisted, teasing.
"I do," she admitted, shaking her head in mock ruefulness. "I tried to resist but it was futile. I'm a sucker for a badass in cargo pants and combat boots."
"Ditto," he said, "although the dress is nice, too." He kissed her again, slow and sweet, willing himself back into the control that he was hanging on to by a thread.
Screw professionalism, his subconscious suggested.
"I want so badly to take you back to my room right now," he whispered into her hair, wrapping her in his arms and holding her against him.
"You're a Neanderthal, you know that, right?" she mumbled against his chest. "Also, your pocket is buzzing."
"What?"
"Phone," Jax suggested.
"Oh," he said, pulling his phone out and frowning at the screen. "If we've caught a case, I'm . . ."
Brah, you'll find that your key card no longer unlocks the room adjoining Chin's. It does, however, unlock the room, formerly mine, that adjoins Jax's. You're welcome.
Steve grinned broadly.
"What?" Jax asked. That grin usually meant someone was going to get to drive fast or shoot something.
"I need to either fire Kono for insubordination, or give her a promotion and a raise," he said, flipping his phone around so Jax could read the text message.
"Promotion. Definitely," Jax nodded.
Steve's fingers flew over the phone.
I thank you. Jax thanks you. The state of Hawaii thanks you.
Thank Chin; he moved your stuff. Said I was too curious about the whole boxers/briefs situation.
You guys are the best.
Please, I knew what I was doing when I took Jax shopping. Why are you still texting me?
Bye.
#*#*#*#*#
"There are probably security cameras in this elevator," Jax commented, on the ride up to the top floor.
"I'm sure there are," Steve said. "In fact, I know there are. We reviewed footage, remember?"
"Hm. Yes." Jax tapped her foot impatiently.
"In the hall, too," Steve said quietly, as they exited - finally - on their floor and started walking toward their rooms.
"I remember," Jax agreed, stopping at her door and sliding her key card into the lock.
Steve took a few more steps, to the next door, and smirked at Jax. He fumbled his key card out of his pocket, and sure enough, it magically worked in what had been Kono's door.
Jax stepped into her room and closed the door, sliding the security lock into place, and then gave a very undignified squeak as she turned around and stepped into a solid six plus feet of Navy muscle.
"How -" she started to asked, and then decided it didn't matter, since Steve's fingers were deftly figuring out the straps of the sundress. She kicked her shoes in the general direction of the closet, and started tugging on his shirt.
"You wore a shirt with buttons," she said accusingly.
"It happens sometimes," he nodded.
Her dress and his shirt hit the floor in unison, and then his shoes were landing on top of hers, and her strong, capable fingers were tackling the fly of his cargo pants.
"More buttons," she groused. "Too many stupid buttons. Why is this taking so long? It doesn't take this long at home."
"It hasn't been days at home," Steve mumbled, as his kissed down her neck and across her collarbone to her shoulder. "And at home we're usually in boardies and tshirts."
"Hmm," Jax agreed, not bothering with coherence. The buttons had succumbed to her deft fingers, and Steve's cargo pants were now hanging low on his hips. She sighed in approval and appreciation, that soft little sigh that had made Steve crazy in the early days, when he noted her appreciation of coffee and guns, and kept bringing her a steady supply of both, just to hear that delicious sound.
"No stitches," he marveled, tracing his hands reverently over every inch of skin he could reach.
"No concussion," she added, " . . . not even a - oh, shit - bruise."
"Me either," he said, his breath hitching as Jax decided that she'd appreciated the low slung cargo pants long enough, and started shoving them out of her way.
"This means," she said, heading with dangerous intent and deadly accuracy back to that little spot behind his ear, "that no one has to be . . . careful."
Hooyah, Steve's brain supplied, just before he lost coherent thought altogether.