CHAPTER 7

Thursday morning, temporary Five-0 offices:

"Hey Danny!" Kono Kalakaua called from across the parking lot.

Danny had just been about to open the door to the HPD precinct when he heard Kono's voice. He turned around and saw her jogging up to him. She looked way too alert for that time of the morning. Danny looked down at his watch, surprised to find it was later than he'd thought. Much later.

He was late.

But so was Kono. Danny groaned inwardly as he raised his eyes to the sky; Chin was going to have a field day with this.

"Hey Kono. What time do you call this?" Danny asked with a small smile.

"Like you can talk, Williams," Kono quipped back.

"That's fair. Come on, let's go face the music. And by music, I mean Chin."

"Yeah, I got that, thanks," Kono said sarcastically, but not without a smile of her own.

"Alright, smart ass," Danny said as he held the door open for her. "Ladies first."

"Such a gentleman," Kono said as she walked through the door first, Danny following closely behind.

They entered the HPD bullpen, which was bustling with activity as per usual. Kono saw Duke off in the corner, discussing something with three other officers. She raised her hand to wave at him and grinned when he waved back.

"I'm just saying," Danny continued. "I don't want to get on Chin's bad si—"

Danny was cut off when an officer rammed into his shoulder, evidently in a hurry to get by.

"Well, excuse you," Danny muttered to the passing officer's back.

The officer must have heard and turned to face Danny. "What was that?"

"I said 'excuse you'. Most people, when they accidentally run into someone apologise or say 'excuse me'," Danny said, his hands on his hip.

The officer, whose name badge read 'Lieutenant Clarke' stepped up to Danny. He towered over the shorter detective but was slender in build. His light brown hair was close cropped and his jaw was all angles. His hazel eyes looked Danny up and down, sizing him up.

"Excuse me, Detective," Clarke said, the last word spoken in a sneering manner.

Danny watched the taller man walk off as Sergeant Duke Lukela joined them.

"Charming fellow," Danny muttered to Kono, who nodded in agreement.

"Clarke give you any trouble?" Duke asked.

Danny looked back in the direction said Lieutenant had disappeared to and shook his head. "No. It's fine."

"Sorry about that. He's…a bit hot headed," Duke explained. "Ever since we found Regina's body, well, no one's really been the same."

Regina Matherson, soon to be Regina Rogerson, had been found in the house that Carl and her shared together hanging from one of the support beams in the garage by her neck. When HPD had tried to inform her of her fiancé's death with no luck, they had gone searching for her and found her body. The whole of HPD was suffering a significant loss from their family.

"It's fine, Duke. We understand," Danny said.

Duke sighed. "He was Rogerson's partner."

Danny and Kono exchanged a look with each other. Officer Carl Rogerson had been involved with two bombs that nearly killed several members of the HPD and had taken an active part in kidnapping the head of Five-0. The only problem was, no one knew that except for Five-0 and Duke. To everyone else, Rogerson died in the line of duty as a hero.

"Let me guess, he's under the impression that Rogerson's death was our fault?" Danny surmised.

Duke hung his head. "Yeah. He's been mouthing off a bit, especially about McGarrett. Even more since the hostage situation. You know, I could tell him—"

"No. You can't tell them what really happened without threatening national security. It's better they don't know. At least let Rogerson rest with his reputation in place," Kono said.

"It's not fair that you guys are taking the brunt of this," Duke said.

Danny had to agree with the seasoned Sergeant. It wasn't fair, but orders were orders.

Danny shrugged. "It is what it is."

Duke changed the subject. "So, when is Steve coming back to work?"

"He hasn't been cleared for light duty yet, but maybe next week," Kono answered.

"We're lucky Catherine's here to keep him from the office," Danny added with a smirk.

"Yeah, but she leaves on Sunday," Kono reminded him.

"We'll deal with that later. Right now, we need to get to work. Excuse us, Duke," Danny said as he led the way to the back room where their new office space was.

Duke waved them farewell and went about his business.

Danny and Kono walked into their small office space. Danny wrinkled his nose at the smell. Somehow, it smelled even worse than a sewer. It smelled like…

"Dead rat," Chin Ho Kelly announced as he emerged from under Steve's desk with a plastic bag containing the rotting corpse of the aforementioned animal.

Kono shuddered and Danny grimaced.

"In case you were wondering what the smell was," Chin explained as he held the bag triumphantly at arms reach.

"How long has that thing been there?" Danny asked, holding a finger under his nose while keeping his distance.

"Longer than the two of you. You should have been here half an hour ago," Chin admonished.

"Sorry, cous. The waves were really pumping this morning," Kono said sheepishly.

Chin smiled at his cousin before turning to Danny. "And what's your excuse?"

"Grace. Rachel and Stan decided to go on a last minute business trip. Rachel called me this morning and asked me if I could take Grace to school and pick her up. Of course, I said yes. And I get her for the next three days," Danny gushed.

The cousins grinned in response to his explanation. Anytime he got to spend time with his daughter, he felt like the happiest man on earth. Grace Williams was the key to his happiness. She was the reason he moved to this pineapple infested hellhole. Like he needed any other reason to pack up his life without a second thought.

"Regardless of your tardiness, we caught a case," Chin said as he deposited the bag in the trash can and placed the lid on it.

Danny groaned. "Please tell me it doesn't involve deceased canines again?"

Chin and Kono exchanged a look. They had just closed the case the Governor had given them on the morning of the hostage situation. They thought they were going to be investigating a murder only to find it was the opposite.

Max Bergman, the medical examiner, had quickly identified the remains from the bag recovered at Honolulu International Airport as canine. Not human. It turned out that the owner had brought his deceased 'friend' from Los Angeles to be buried in the backyard of his childhood home. The team had spent numerous days trying to track down the owner, only to discover the man himself had died of a massive heart attack four hours after landing.

As the bag had not been claimed, the airport staff had taken it to the unclaimed baggage area. Two months later, the putrid remains of the dog had been discovered and the Five-0 taskforce was called in to investigate. After finding where the owner was buried, the team decided it was appropriate for man and dog to be buried together.

After cleaning up in the HPD locker rooms, the team had adjourned to their office space and completed the reports necessary to close the case. It had been an unusual case for the Governor's taskforce, to say the least.

Chin shook his head. "I really hope not."

"So, what have we got?" Kono asked, eager to sink her teeth into a real case.

Chin handed them each a file. "An AT&T store on Kapahulu Avenue was engulfed in flames last night. Four people were killed. The Governor wants us to find out who the intended target was and who killed them."

"How do we know it wasn't an accident?" Kono asked.

"According to the arson squad, a gas leak was the cause of the explosion," Chin said.

"A gas leak?" Danny checked. "In an electronics store?"

"Exactly," Chin concurred.

"Why does the Governor assume this was a targeted attack?" Danny asked, flipping through the files. He really missed the smart table sometimes.

"Because of who our victims are," Chin announced.

He flipped over a whiteboard to reveal the photos of the victims and their names written nearly underneath.

Chin pointed to the first image. "We have the shop owner, Kevin Braithwaite. Fifty-two years old. Wife and two kids, both on the mainland attending college."

Danny nodded at the information. Nothing stood out about the man immediately. He seemed like your typical family man.

"Now it gets interesting," Chin announced. "Our second victim is the niece of Lieutenant Governor, Michael Kamaka. Jane Liana, twenty-two, single. She was on the island visiting her uncle this week. She was due to go back to the mainland tomorrow."

"Now I see why the Governor wants us on this. Personal connection?" Danny asked.

Chin shrugged. "Maybe. Wait until you see who else we have. Our third victim is a Navy Ensign on assignment at Pearl Harbour. Ensign John Parker, twenty-nine."

"What was his assignment?" Kono asked.

"I'm still waiting for his commanding officer to get in touch with me," Chin answered.

"Where's Steve when we need him? He would already have the answers we need by calling in a favour," Danny commented.

Chin ignored Danny's comment. "Our last contender is Hideki Ichikawa—"

"Are you saying the Yakuza is somehow involved in this?" Danny interrupted.

Chin glared at Danny for the interruption before continuing. "Son of Jin Ichikawa, a high-ranking Lieutenant in the Yakuza."

The team stood back and looked at the board. There were three people on that board that stood out. Any one of them could be the target of an assassin. Or maybe all of them together.

Danny sighed. "I'm not going home tonight, am I?"

"Probably not," Chin said, wincing sympathetically.

"Let me figure out what to do with Grace and we can get started," Danny said.

Kono had an idea. "What about Steve?"

"I can't ask him to look after her while he's recovering," Danny said. "Besides, he can't pick her up from school."

"Get Cath to pick her up. I'm sure she won't mind," Kono said.

Danny thought it over for a moment before conceding it was his only real option. Either that or get Kamekona to look after her. That wasn't happening again any time soon.

"I'll call Steve on the way to the scene," Danny conceded.

Kono grinned happily and clapped Danny on the back as they made their way out to the parking lot behind the HPD precinct.

Steve McGarrett reached his front door, panting for breath as he slid the key into the lock. It opened with a small click and he walked inside, toeing off his shoes as he went. He pulled his phone from the band strapped around his upper arm and placed his keys in the bowl on the kitchen counter.

He walked over to the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water, sipping at it while he waited for his heart rate to slow down. His usual run had turned into a slow, shuffling jog about halfway through the routine. Steve sighed. He supposed the doctor had specified light jogging for a reason. Still, he was pleased with his effort, even though it was nowhere near his usual capabilities.

He spotted Catherine in the living room, reading a book. She smiled at him and he gave her a thumbs up to indicate the jog had gone well. He was startled when his phone started vibrating in his hand. He sighed when he saw Danny's name pop up on the screen. He showed Catherine, who grinned at him before returning her attention to the book.

"Yes, Danny?" Steve answered.

"Hey Steve," Danny replied.

"Not that I don't enjoy hearing your voice, but why are you calling? Don't you have work to do?"

"I need a favour."

Steve frowned. "What kind of favour?"

"So, here's the deal. Rachel called me this morning, saying her and Stan were leaving on some business trip that just popped up. Anyway, the point of this is that I get Gracie for three whole days. Except, we just caught a case and I don't think I'll be able to pick up Grace from school and I was wondering if—"

"If I could get Catherine to pick her up and watch Grace until you can get here later tonight?" Steve finished for him. Catherine looked up at her name and nodded enthusiastically.

Danny paused a moment before answering. "Well…yeah?"

"Of course. I'd love to spend some time with Gracie. I know Catherine would as well. We'll have a movie night or something. I'll get some popcorn and maybe we can make pancakes. I still have those chocolate chips you bought last time," Steve said with a smile.

Steve could hear the smile in Danny's voice as he answered. "Woah. Just remember it's a school night. Don't give her too much sugar."

Steve placed a hand over his heart, even though he knew Danny couldn't see it. "I am shocked that you would think I would do that. So…what's the case?"

Danny sighed. "You just can't keep your nose out of it, can you?"

"What can I say, Danno? I love a good mystery."

Danny chuckled. "Or you just like being able to blow things up. Anyway, there was an explosion at an electronics store and four people were killed. The owner, the niece of the Lieutenant Governor, a Navy Ensign and the son of one of the top lieutenants of the Yakuza."

"Any idea who the target was?" Steve asked, his brain already formulating scenarios.

"No. Hence why it's going to be a late night. It's going to take some time to talk to the family members and the Governor wants this solved quickly."

"You know, I could—"

"No. You need to rest and recover. You can play Ninja-SEAL when you are allowed back in the office. Until then, stay at home and have fun with Gracie. Tell her I'll definitely drop her at school tomorrow if I don't see her tonight."

"I will. Who are you going to see first?"

"We are going to talk to the Lieutenant Governor first. My gut says this has something to do with him, but Chin thinks it's got to be Yakuza related."

"Well, Gracie will be in good hands with us," Steve assured his partner.

"Thanks. I'll call if things wrap up early. And really, thanks."

"You're welcome."

Steve hung up the phone and grinned at Catherine. "You up for some time with Grace?"

"Absolutely," Catherine said earnestly. "I heard mention of pancakes. You know how much I love pancakes."

Steve's smile broadened. "That I do. And we have…five hours until Gracie's school gets out. What do you say we find a way to pass the time?"

"I'd say that sounds like an excellent idea, Commander."

"I'm glad you think so, Lieutenant."

Thursday afternoon, McGarrett residence:

"Uncle Steve!"

Steve raised his head in time to see Grace Williams charging up to the front door while simultaneously hitting his head on the window sill.

"Ow…mother…mmm," Steve caught himself before the curse slipped out of his mouth.

He extricated himself from the window and rubbed the sore spot on top of his head. He had been working on repairing the window latch on the kitchen window. After multiple attempts at repairing it, he'd decided the replace it entirely and was just tightening the last screw when Catherine pulled up in the driveway.

"Hey, Gracie," Steve called from the kitchen.

Catherine let Grace into the house and she made a beeline to the kitchen where Steve was waiting with open arms. Grace immediately rushed forwards and gave her honorary uncle a surprisingly strong hug.

"Danno said I get to spend the afternoon with you and Catherine," Grace said, unable to contain her excitement. "Can we have a movie night? Catherine said we could make pancakes too."

Steve chuckled. "Slow down Grace. Do you have any homework to do?"

Grace pouted. "Yeah. Spelling and some maths. But I can finish that really quickly and then we can watch Finding Nemo."

Steve exchanged a look with Catherine when she entered the kitchen before looking back at Grace. "Sounds like a plan. How about you set up on the table and we can help you with your homework?"

"Okay!" Grace said and she was off to the other room, pulling paper out of her backpack as she went.

Steve shook his head at her enthusiasm and smiled at Catherine. "Everything go okay?"

Catherine nodded. "Yeah. She was very excited to spend the afternoon with Uncle Steve."

Steve rubbed a hand over the back of his neck but couldn't help the grin that found its way onto his face.

Together, they managed to get Grace through all of her homework. Steve was proud to see she barely needed any help with any of it. The rest of the afternoon was spent in the kitchen making pancakes.

"Remind me, Grace. Do we put the chocolate chips in the batter or after we've poured it?" Steve asked, already knowing the answer from the last time they made pancakes.

"After, Uncle Steve. Remember, so they don't make a chocolate soup," Grace answered earnestly.

"Of course," Steve said with a smile.

Catherine watched from the kitchen doorway and a soft smile played at her lips. Steve's eyes were light and untroubled. He looked genuinely happy and Catherine found she was unsure who the biggest kid in the room was. Steve matched Grace's excitement as they discussed the finer points of pancake making.

After the pancakes had been consumed, the trio settled down to watch Finding Nemo. Movie snacks had been prepared in advance and included vegetable sticks, hummus, popcorn and pineapple juice.

The film ended and Catherine looked over to find Grace fast asleep, her head on Steve's lap. Steve was likewise asleep and had his hand resting protectively over Grace's shoulder. She smiled and quickly took a photo for Danny. She stood up and turned off the television before going in search of a blanket to cover them.

Finding a nice blue one, she unfolded it and stretched it over the pair. Steve woke suddenly and smiled at Catherine when he realised what was happening.

"Hey. Do you want me to take her to the guest room?" Catherine whispered.

Steve shook his head. "No. We're fine here."

"Okay. I'll be upstairs."

"Okay," Steve said.

He leaned his head back on the couch and closed his eyes. He listened to Catherine's footfalls as she climbed the stairs. Steve opened his eyes again and looked down at the blanket-covered bundle that was Grace.

He felt incredibly thankful that the little girl trusted him so implicitly to fall asleep on him. To think there was a time when he thought he would never get to experience this again. Tears sprang to his eyes when he remembered what had almost happened a month ago.

He shook himself. It was over, in the past.

With another glance at Grace, he settled in for the night. He never let his protective embrace go, even in his sleep.