It was a Thursday like any other on Oahu. The sky was blue, and the temperature mild. A light breeze refreshed the atmosphere. It was neither too hot nor too cold, which was rare on an island where the temperature regularly hovered around thirty-five degrees. In addition, Commander McGarrett's team had, for once, no big case going on. Finally, it was the start of a perfect day. The team members had all arrived about an hour. Quinn, Tani, and Junior, who were bored with paperwork, had gathered in an office to chat while working. The three youngest members of the team got along exceptionally well. They spoke sport, work, personal lives, and others without a problem. Moreover, Sergeant Liu was convinced that the bond between her two colleagues was stronger than a simple friendship. Finally, she had not even broached the subject with her new friend because she wasn't sure to understand their complex dynamic.
"So, Rick still hasn't called you. Seriously, what is he waiting for?"
"I don't know but it was only a game of a little watered dart, so I don't see what to expect. Besides, I have so much to do now between work and Olivia. I don't have time to deal with anything else. I know she has a father but he's not a role model. I want to be there for her."
"So, there I have to intervene. I am a man, and as such, I can assure you that no man would act like this without wanting a date. As for the rest, I would not comment. Even if I found that what you do for her is admirable," the marine explained fully aware that the owner of the bar had fallen for his colleague.
"For sure. Besides, what we're doing here shouldn't prevent us from having a private life," the Hawaiian added resolutely.
"You believe in what you're saying or just trying to convince yourself of it," the soldier asked with a playful air. The three singles laughed aware of the irony of the situation. They continued to talk for a few minutes.
Then, around ten in the morning, they were interrupted by Dani.
"Hey Tani, there is someone at the front desk for you. I think you should go see," the policeman announced, sounding disturbed.
"Yes, of course! Do you know who it is?" the brunette asked, slightly puzzled.
"She looks a lot like you, and she told the security guard that she wanted to see her daughter, so I imagine that this woman is your mother," the policeman announced not knowing where he set foot. Indeed, her colleague did not often talk about her family, let alone her mother. When he saw her gaze darken, he understood that he had been right.
"What?" She exclaimed in shock. Without another word, she rose from her chair to walk towards the entrance to the headquarters. Her step was determined, and her face closed. They all knew immediately that something was up. Worried, her three partners followed her from afar to make sure the meeting went well.
When their colleague arrived in front of her interlocutor, it was a shock. None of them had ever seen her like this. She seemed cold and closed. Tani had put on the armor she showed off whenever she wanted to protect herself. The armor they had barely managed to break through after her father's death.
"What are you doing here?"
"Tani, my dear, I know it's been a long time, but I wanted to talk to you."
"What is happening? Wait, I know; you need money. No, because after twenty years with hardly any news I don't see why you would allow yourself to show up to my work in the middle of the week. Unless you want to talk about dad's death since I haven't heard from you, and you didn't deign to show up at the funeral. Or maybe you're talking about the time when the Koa was permanently drugged up and that if my friends hadn't saved his life after his overdose, I would have found myself without a family," the young woman said with unprecedented aggressiveness. When they heard that her team members looked at each other, saddened.
"My baby, I'm sorry to hear that. I know I made a lot of mistakes, and you deserved a lot better than that, but I've changed. I want to know my children. That's what I'm here for."
"I don't care. If you want to do a few things for me, leave and don't come back," the brunette said on the verge of exploding. Quickly, she turned on her heel to avoid making a scene.
She went back to the unit's offices to go back to work. However, she hadn't planned for her teammates to overhear the first conversation she had with her mother in twenty years or so. When Tani saw their stares, she immediately understood that they were going to want to interfere. The young woman knew that whatever they tried came from a deep friendship and unwavering support. After all, they were a team. However, she had no desire to talk about her dysfunctional family, let alone so soon after seeing her mother again. She walked past them without a word and returned to sit in the study to continue the reports. Her colleagues exchanged worried looks. They decided that it would be Quinn and Junior who would try to talk to her, given their increased closeness. The two young people returned to work as if nothing had happened, even though the tension emanating from their colleague was evident.
"Tani, are you okay?" The brunette asked after a few minutes.
"Yes, do not worry. As far as I'm concerned, I no longer have a mother. I know you want to help me, but I don't want to talk about it."
"Okay, but we are here for you if you need anything," Junior remarked, still worried. From the start, a strong bond united him with her friend, but the more time passed, the more his desire to protect her from all suffering grew stronger and stronger, knowing that she was one of the strongest people he met. The Navy Seal wanted to hug her, promising her that she would never be alone, that no matter what, he would always be there.
"I know, don't worry," the policewoman assured, smiling tenderly.
She did not doubt the unconditional support of her team. Only, she was not ready to share this part of her. Despite that, her friend's smile, his benevolent gaze, and his calm voice lightened some of the weight on her shoulders. The rest of the day went by without a major incident. They filled out reports, lent a hand to the police, or continued to look for new leads in closed cases. However, not everyone could get their heads off the event that very morning. Tani's difficulties in seeking help were common knowledge. This is exactly what made them think that she would have a hard time coming to seek comfort from one of them even if she needed it. So, they spent the day observing the slightest sign of sadness. In the late afternoon, noticing the lack of work with joy, Steve released them earlier than expected. They all left one by one without asking a question, so happy to finally have some free time.
Only, heading towards the exit, Junior could see that his best friend was still in her office, deep in thought. He paused to observe her for a few seconds, unsure of what to do. Seeing this, Quinn stopped near him.
"You are the only one who can put a smile back on that face. Stop admiring her, and go ahead," the pretty brunette explained before leaving. The marine decided to follow her advice eager to help her and walked into the office. She immediately lifted her head and smiled, fully aware that he would not let go.
"Hey, you're not coming home."
"I just have a few things to finish and I'm leaving," she explained, only half lying. The truth was, as soon as she was home alone, Tani would start thinking and remembering the worst times of her childhood. He looked at her skeptically.
"Please, don't do that. I know you. You are never in a rush to finish your reports. I can see that you are disturbed, and I have no desire to leave you alone in this state."
"I appreciate the intention and I wouldn't lie to say that it was not strange to see my mother again after all this time. Only I'm not ready to talk about it, at least not yet. Honestly, I'm not even sure how I feel. I just want to get it all out of my mind."
"This is not a problem. After all, I'm not going to throw stones at you. We could go for a drink at la Marianna. There will be music, food, drink and possibly even people we know. It could be fun while helping you take your mind off things. I promise I won't bring it up unless you want to talk about it," the Navy Seal offered with a childish pout. The pretty Hawaiian girl couldn't help the tingling sensation in her stomach. Lately, this kind of feeling was more and more common when she was in the presence of her partner, or she thought of him.
"It's true that I would need to take my mind off things. I have a few small things to finish. Do you mind if I meet you at the reception in a few minutes?" The young woman asked. He nodded in approval then left the room.
As soon as he was out of reach, she leaned back in her chair. Her mother's return had greatly disturbed her. He brought back sad old memories and a feeling of loneliness that she had always tried to silence. This made her more vulnerable than usual.
In addition, the emotions that Junior aroused in her kept troubling her. He was always so kind, loving, and caring. No man had ever treated her with so much consideration and respect. The policewoman got up and gathered her things to join him. She was not ready to analyze the significance of the evolution of their relationship. Only, after such a day, Tani needs to spend some quality time with her best friend. It was even the only thing that could help her.