Sammy's notes: Happy Birthday, ilna! Along with Mari you make this entire adventure so much fun I can't even begin to describe it. Your unerring support and encouragement is a blessing in my life. Your sense of humor makes my day every day. And your unswerving steadiness in the face of whatever crap falls out of the fandom sky is an amazing thing. So I hope your birthday week is AWESOME!
Mari's Notes: Sammy, another wonderful experience co-writing with you, Partner. You're the best and this experience was more fun than the last and not as much fun as the next one to come!
Ilna, Happy Birthday! This fic is our birthday gift to you, and we hope you enjoy the adventure & the laughs. Have a terrific Birthday and a wonderful year. I honestly can't imagine my life ever again without you & Sammy in it! You're a joy, and such a fun, positive, delightful presence in my life. Many, many happy returns of the day!
Thank you to all our wonderful readers, we love you and appreciate your support of us and
the REAL World!
.
Nesting
Honolulu -Downtown Parking Lot
Friday 8:00 A.M.
Chin was the first Five-O team member on-scene at an early morning shooting and was met by Duke Lukela as he skirted past the wooden barriers set up by HPD to protect the area from on-lookers.
"What's up, Duke?" Chin took in the two wounded men being loaded into a waiting ambulance and another being treated by paramedics.
"Gangbangers." Duke shook his head. "Are they getting younger or am I just getting old?" He mused. "Follow me, you're gonna want to see this."
Chin followed the sergeant to three late model vehicles. One, a Honda Rav4, had the hatch up and a tarp tossed aside.
Chin was already pulling out his cell before he got close enough to count the cache of weapons. He nodded to Duke as he spoke.
"Steve? We have a situation you're gonna want to see."
/
/
The rest of the team arrived on the scene twenty minutes later and made their way immediately to where Duke and Chin were separating and cataloging the weapons recovered from the rear of the Rav4.
What the Hell?" Danny asked incredulously. "There's enough firepower here to outfit a small army."
"Serial numbers?" Steve asked.
"Drilled out like the others." Chin shook his head.
Over the last month there'd been a rash of crimes committed on the island using untraceable weapons. Technology had advanced to the point in the last several years where filed off serial numbers could often be recovered by a variety of methods including the use of either chemicals or lasers so illegal gun merchants, in an effort to avoid detection, now drilled the numbers out making them impossible to recover. Clearly all the similarly altered guns were originating from the same seller but to this point HPD had had no luck tracing the weapons back to their source.
None of the previous crimes, mostly low-level gang activity and a few snatch and grab robberies, reached a level that warranted the involvement of Five-O, but a cache of weapons as large as this changed that.
They needed to stop the flow before every low-life thug on the island was armed to the teeth.
"Cath, grab the registration information off these three vehicles and get everything you can on the owners and anyone else who might have reason to be driving them." Steve said.
"Will do." Catherine nodded then pulled out her phone and began taking pictures of the vehicle license plates as well as the VIN number plates on each windshield.
"Kono, head down to the hospital and see if you can get anything from any of the people involved in the shooting or their associates."
"I'm on it, Boss."
As she headed back towards her car Steve and Danny looked at the assembled weapons. Preliminary count showed eight 9 mm Lugers, three 22 Rimfires, a dozen 40 caliber Smith & Wessons, and five 380 automatics.
"Duke, can you send over everything you have on all the crimes committed on the island in the last month involving these untraceable weapons?" Steve asked.
"I'll get it over to you as fast as I can." Duke agreed. The gun violence was gaining momentum and he was happy to get any help offered in terms of finding out where the guns were coming from before it escalated even further.
"Danny and I gonna are pay a visit to Liko Lonoehu." Steve said as he pulled out his phone. "He's been running the gang task force for a decade now. Maybe he has some theories about who turned on the supply faucet. We'll meet you back at HQ later, Chin, and we'll start looking for connections between the crimes."
/
/
King Kamehameha Statue-Iolani Palace
Friday 12:15 P.M.
Steve and Danny met up with Liko Lonoehu, a well-built local of about forty-five with twenty years of HPD experience, beside the King Kamehameha statue in front of Iolani Palace. The head of the gang task force was tied up all day testifying in a murder case at the courthouse but was able to slip away over the lunch break to talk to Five-O.
"I wish I could be of more help." Liko said after hearing the details of the weapons seized in the morning bust. "I've been hounding my sources hard for weeks now but everybody claims to know nothing."
"They don't know?" Steve asked. "Or they're not saying?"
"Hard to tell." Liko shrugged.
"How can that many guns suddenly show up and no one knows anything?" Danny asked skeptically. "They didn't just drop out of the sky."
"My guess," Liko shrugged, "is it's a pro from off the island. No ties here so no one talks."
Liko looked at his watch. "Listen guys, I'm due back on the stand in 30 minutes and I'd like to grab a sandwich so my stomach doesn't growl through the afternoon session. I'll keep my ears open and call you if I hear anything."
"Thanks, Liko." Steve said as he reached out to shake the man's hand. "We appreciate it."
Liko took a few steps toward the court house then remembered something and turned back. "Hey, Steve, I heard you're gonna remodel your kitchen."
"Yeah." Steve nodded.
"Have you picked a contractor yet? I can give you the name of my guy. He does great work."
Danny chuckled. "Steve thinks he can handle this on his own. Well … with Catherine's help."
"Do you think that's a good idea?" Liko asked doubtfully. "Sometimes it's better to hire a professional."
Steve smiled. Danny had been riding him for weeks about hiring a contractor. "We'll be fine." He said confidently.
"Give me a call if you change your mind," Liko laughed as he walked away.
/
/
Five-O Headquarters
Friday 6:30 P.M.
Catherine approached the smart table where the team was going over all the evidence amassed so far in the case of the untraceable guns. In her hand she carried a thumb drive that she inserted in the smart table when she reached it.
"Any luck on tracking down the vehicle owners?" Danny asked.
Catherine swiped the information up onto one of the empty overhead screens.
"All three reported stolen at some point in the last month." She responded.
"That figures." Kono sighed.
Nothing they'd learned so far put them any closer to finding out who was supplying the guns on the island.
"Let's call it a day." Steve said. "Come back fresh Monday morning and maybe things will look clearer. We'll start of by pulling backgrounds on every person involved in every one of these crimes and cross-checking known associates. I'll talk to Duke about getting some phone records. They have to be contacting the dealer somehow."
"Sounds good to me." Kono said.
Chin began to shut down the smart board. "You won't have to ask me twice."
"I promised Grace an evening of takeout pizza and the movie of her choice." Danny smiled. "You two care to join us?" He asked Steve and Catherine.
"Thanks for the offer but I think we should head home." Catherine said. "Tomorrow morning we start demolition on the kitchen."
Danny smiled. "And so it begins."
"Very funny." Steve snarked. "At least I know we'll be able to make some progress unlike this case where we seem to be getting nowhere fast.
"You can take all your frustration out on the cabinets." Catherine offered.
"Excellent." Steve beamed. "I've been looking forward to this all week."
/
/
McGarrett/Rollins Residence
Saturday 7:15 A.M.
"Is she upstairs?" Steve looked over his shoulder at Catherine, sledgehammer in hand.
"She's napping on her bed. With her stuffed Lambchop and a treat for later."
"Good. We don't want her running in here and getting hurt. Wanna strike the first blow?" He offered the handle
"Nope. Go for it."
"Okay."
CRACK! Steve swung the sledgehammer, made a direct blow against the wood, and the first set of cabinets gave way.
A few more blows and the most of the upper cabinets were gone.
Catherine stopped him. "You're having all the fun, I want a turn."
His grin was infectious.
"Have at it." He handed her the hammer. "I knew you'd want in on it. We just have to break them up, and then we'll pull the rest apart by hand."
Catherine nodded and motioned for him to move back before she swung. Steve stopped a second, pulled two water bottles out of the cooler at the edge of the room and stood back.
Ten minutes later, a red faced but smiling Catherine turned to see him, leaning against the doorframe, holding out a water with a familiar look in his darkening eyes.
"Really?" She reached for the water.
"What?" He laughed and turned his hands up in surrender.
"You know very well what, Steve." She laughed and reached up to give him a quick kiss, but pulled away before he could wrap an arm around her. "Nope. We're covered in wood splinters."
"Wasn't my idea for you to wear the cut off cammies." He mumbled but his eyes were laughing. She could read him way too well.
"You hold that thought, Commander." She winked and put the sledgehammer against the far wall. "Let's keep going."
Two hours later the cabinets were all but gone and the rented dumpster in the yard contained a pile of splintered wood and nails. Steve was pushing the last appliance to go, the refrigerator, across the room as Catherine guided it. "Straight, straight. Steve! You're tilting it." She directed and a few seconds later it was halfway to the center of the room.
"Okay," Steve said as he wiped his forehead, "Danny will be here in an hour, he can help us get it outside. Let me get a screwdriver; I'll take the doors off."
As Steve grabbed the toolbox, Catherine moved to the space formerly occupied by the refrigerator. When he turned back, she was squatting to tug on something in the woodwork.
"Cath? What's that?"
"Don't know. Something's stuck here." She gave a final tug and stood, pushing a few stray hairs out of her eyes with her forearm. "Looks like a note."
Unfolding it, she scanned the page and her expression changed from curious to contemplative before finally her eyes misted.
"Cath?" She looked at him with such devotion he was at her side in a second "Catherine, what is that?"
She offered it to him. "It's a note."
"A what?"
"A note. It's for you. From Mary."
"Mary? That's gotta be twenty five years old, what …?" He stopped as he leaned over Catherine's shoulder and his eyes caught the childish printing, familiar once, but long forgotten as belonging to his sister. He read,
"Dear Steve,
I am sorry I went in your room without asking. Mommy said I have to write you a pology letter. I'm sorry I broke your model ship and I promise not to go in your room without asking no more. Thank you for not being mad and yelling at me. You are the bestest brother ever. I love you a lot.
Love, Mary xoxoxo
Catherine's hand was on his arm. "Steve?"
"I forgot that even happened." He said softly and smiled. "Mary wanted to grab something off my shelf and she toppled the whole thing. She didn't get hurt but she scared herself. And Doris. She was punished with no TV, I remember. And she had to write me that letter. I was about fourteen so she must have been in third grade."
"Toppled the whole shelf, huh?" Catherine smiled fondly.
"Mary was Mary even then." Steve grinned and shook his head but Catherine saw the look in his eyes. He didn't have a lot of good memories, if this one made him smile, it made her day.
"Then you need to save that." She held out her hand. "I'll run it upstairs. I want to check on Cammie anyway."
He handed her the note and gave her a soft kiss. "Cath?"
"Yeah?"
"Thanks."
/
/
Foodland—School Street
Thursday 2:15 P.M.
After close to a week of false information and following leads that went nowhere Danny was beyond frustrated with the case. There hadn't been any new shootings but sitting at his desk searching multiple criminal backgrounds looking for any connection he knew it was just a matter of time.
Unfortunately he was right.
He was the only one in the office when the call came in and he rushed to the scene.
"What's your name?" he searched the eyes of the woman lying prone on the sidewalk and applied pressure to her bleeding abdomen. His demeanor was calm but his eyes blazed with anger.
"Anja." The woman hissed out and looked down to her wound.
"Hey, hey, Anja, that's a pretty name. Look up here at me, Anja." He smiled at her and then, softly, over his shoulder to the HPD officer who was unfurling a blanket said, "What's the E.T.A. on that bus?"
"My baby. Is my baby hurt?" The woman grasped Danny's arm so forcefully there'd be a bruise come morning. "Oh, I think I'm going to throw up."
"Try to breathe through your nose." Danny instructed as the officer said, "Two minutes, Detective."
Danny nodded. "Hear that? Two minutes and the ambulance will be here and we'll get you to the hospital. Anja, that's Russian, right?"
"Yes. It means Grace." The woman's wide blue eyes were terrified and her blond hair was matted with sweat.
"Grace? That's my daughter's name." Danny said. "That's a good sign. You're both gonna be just fine."
He hoped he wasn't lying.
"Hey, Detective, we're here. We got her." An E.M.T. named Lena who was very familiar with Five-0 was already hooking up an I.V. while her partner, Jeff, gently lifted Danny's hands from the wound and prepared to replace them with his own if the bleeding increased. "What have we got?"
"GSW to the left abdomen. She's a little shocky. Her baby's due in ten days." Danny's eyes stung and he swiped at them with his shirtsleeve, as his hands were covered with Anja's blood.
"Okay, Anja, I'm Lena and this is Jeff. We've started an IV and we're going to transport you to the hospital."
"Can he come?" Anja looked at Danny with panic in her eyes. "Can you come? Please?"
Catherine and Steve came upon the scene just in time to hear Danny say, "Of course. I'll be right with you, let's go."
He gave his partner a look over the victim's head and received a nod from Steve. Catherine locked onto Danny's full eyes and the way the victim was clinging to the hand she'd grasped.
"Go. We've got this." Steve said as Danny climbed into the ambulance and sat beside the terrified woman.
Catherine's heart clenched as she heard Danny's soothing tone ask "So, do you have any names picked out?" and she sent up a silent prayer that the mother and baby would survive.
/
/
Five-O Headquarters
Thursday 6:20 P.M.
"Ok, that's great news." Catherine said as she pushed open the door and entered Steve's office. "Yeah, I'll tell him. No, we're headed out too. We'll see you in the morning."
She disconnected the call and looked at Steve with a smile.
"That was Danny." She crossed the room and leaned against Steve's desk beside his chair. "Anja delivered a healthy baby boy and the doctor said she's gonna make a full recovery too. No permanent damage."
"Glad to hear it." Steve exhaled. He reached out his hand and rested it on her hip.
"Apparently the bullet missed all her vital organs and the baby as well." Catherine explained.
"Excellent. Danny heading home?"
"Yeah. Anja's husband is there now. He was on his way back from a business trip when he got the news. He arrived just in time to see his son born."
"That's good." Steve smiled as he traced small circles on her hip. It had been a long week and he couldn't wait to get home.
"Danny stuck around to make sure everything was ok." Catherine said as she placed her hand over his and squeezed softly. "He's gonna head back in the morning to get Anja's statement."
"Well hopefully she has some information because once again we got nothing off the weapon that was dropped in the parking lot." Steve stood and placed a quick kiss on her lips. "Wanna stop at Sidestreet and get some dinner since we currently have no kitchen?"
"Sounds good." She smiled back at him. "I'll grab my stuff."
/
/
Island Elementary School
Friday 7:30 A.M.
45 minutes before classes are in session
"Miss Sophia?" Eight year old Melanie Ramsey smiled nervously at her teacher as she approached the woman's desk.
"Well, you're very early today, Melanie. What's up, Honey?" Sophia Mallory asked the little girl who was standing stock still beside her. "Are you okay?" The child's posture was stiff and tension was rolling off her little body.
"I don't want to get my brother Davey in trouble, but when the police lady came in to talk to us she said we should always tell a grown up." Melanie didn't meet the teacher's eyes. Clearly she was torn between what she felt was right and getting her brother in trouble.
"You're doing the right thing." Sophia prodded gently. "Why don't you tell me and we'll see if we can help Davey instead of getting him in trouble?"
Sophia's mind was reaching for possibilities. Melanie was her best student, not one prone to tall tales. She'd been Davey Ramsey's teacher as well. If Melanie mentioned the police it was most likely something her friend Kono had reviewed with the class when she'd made a visit as a favor to Sophia to give them a safety lesson. The two were longtime friends, having gone from kindergarten through high school together.
"Okay. That's a good idea." Melanie handed her backpack over. "Be super careful."
Sophia Mallory peered inside, not quite sure what to expect.
Drugs?
Shoplifted jewelry?
She caught herself before a gasp escaped her lips because she didn't want to frighten Melanie, whose huge brown eyes were locked on her.
"Melanie, you did a very, very good job. I'll take care of this. Come with me, we'll go to Principal Barker's office and call my friend, the police officer. You know, Officer Kalakaua, she was super nice, right?"
"I liked her." Melanie nodded, looking relieved to have the scary decision out of her hands and confident her trusted teacher would fix everything. "She was smart and cool and showed us her Five-0 badge. And she has really pretty hair."
Sophia smiled softly at the child's points of recollection. She gingerly zipped the backpack and pulled out her cell as she and Melanie walked down the still empty hall of the school.
"Kono? It's Soph. I have a student here I'm taking to visit with our principal." Knowing Melanie was taking in every word, Sophie continued calmly, "She did a very good job listening to you, because I'm currently holding a backpack containing a large handgun. Just a sec."
Sophia opened the door marked A.W. Barker, Vice Principal and guided Melanie to the waiting room chair.
"Melanie, sit for just a minute, Sweetie. Do you have your iPod?" At the child's nod, she said "Great, just this once it's okay. Please put on a song for a little while."
When she was satisfied Melanie was sufficiently distracted, Sophia turned away and whispered into the phone. "I'm on the way in to tell her now. Kono, can your team come?"
When Sophia hung up she tapped Melanie on the shoulder, held out her hand and walked into the office of the Vice Principal. "Knock knock," she said, in lieu of actually knocking. She had Davey's backpack in one hand and held Sophia's small fingers in the other. When the Vice Principal looked up with a smile, Sophia said, "Annette, I've already contacted my friend Kono, from Five-0, and they're on the way. Melanie here was a very good listener and told me about a gun her brother had hidden in their home."
She smiled down at Melanie who was looking at both women, her eyes darting between them and the backpack.
Annette Barker stood and came around her desk. "Melanie, you were a good listener, sweetheart, but if anything like that ever happens again, you should call 911, okay?" At Melanie's somber nod, she continued. "Because I know you didn't actually touch the gun, which was very, very smart, but guns are dangerous. We shouldn't try to move them or carry them around. Do you understand?"
Melanie nodded again. "I'm sorry; I was scared if the police came to my house, Davey might get in trouble. So I took it to Miss Sophia. I didn't touch it, Promise."
Annette took the child's hands in hers, "I'm very proud of you for telling Miss Sophia, sweetheart. Now, why don't you have a seat out with Mrs. Babbits and I'll call your mom and dad. We'll get this all straightened out, alright?"
"Okay, Ms. B." Melanie sighed in relief and looked very glad she wasn't in trouble. Mrs. Babbits, the administrator, was young and kind and the children loved her. When she got married the previous March a group of kids went down to the beach with their moms to see her dressed as a bride.
Melanie started for the door then impulsively threw her arms around Sophia and said, "I love you, Miss Sophia." Before Sophia could recover, the child walked out of the office and they could see her approaching Susan Babbits' desk.
Annette Barker ran a hand through her shoulder-length brown hair and locked eyes with her friend. She and Sophia had worked together for years. Long before she'd been made a vice principal at the early age of 33.
"Soph, what the hell? They're a good family; Davey never had any troubles with the law." Her eyes flitted to the framed photo of her five year old, J.B. that smiled at her from her desktop as they saw Kono's red Cruise enter the parking lot outside the window. A former history teacher from a dicey district, Annette had seen a lot in her tenure, but a grammar schooler with a weapon in her school was enough to chill her to the bone.
/
/
Five-O Headquarters
Friday 11:30 A.M.
"We may have finally gotten a break." Chin said as he entered the bullpen and saw Danny and Kono standing at the smart table.
"We could certainly use some good news on this case for a change." Danny answered. "What've you got?"
"Charlie found a piece of hay in the trigger mechanism of the gun that shot Anja Utkin." Chin said as he looked over the preliminary report he'd just received.
"Hay?" Danny asked. "Like hay, hay? Like for farm animals?"
"Exactly," Chin answered.
"So we're looking for a farmer?" Kono asked, almost as perplexed as Danny.
"Or someone shipping guns packed in hay." Chin shrugged.
"Who ships anything packed in actual hay?" Danny asked. "It's too dirty to use as packing material."
"Charlie's running some more tests to see if he can narrow things down. He'll call as soon as he knows anything." Chin said.
/
/
Interrogation Room
Friday 3:30 P.M.
"… And I work after school Thursday and Friday and all day Saturday." Davey Ramsey turned terrified eyes on Steve. "Am going to jail? My mom's gonna kill me." He moaned and put his head in his hands.
Catherine shook her head at the absurdity of that question and statement in the same sentence. Davey Ramsey really was more child than adult. "Davey? Davey. Look at me. Carrying a concealed weapon is a crime. That's why you're here. But we can help you if you're innocent of any involvement with these people." She handed him a bottle of water. "Finish telling us how you got the gun."
"I …found it. Like I said, at work. I wanna be a vet. Oh, God, you need a perfect school record to get into vet school. I'm screwed." Another moan.
Steve was trying to keep his patience; Catherine could see the twitch in his jaw muscles.
"Davey, try to focus." She said softly.
"Okay, I was cleaning the chicken coop like I do every week and I caught the rake on something. I gave it a yank. Hard. One of the roosts turned over. When I went to put it back together, the gun was behind it, in the hay."
His eyes flitted between Catherine and Steve. "I got real scared. What if Kahala and Monokau, those are my bosses, are bad guys and I tell them I found it and they shoot me? I mean why would they be hiding guns in the chicken coop? So, I shoved it in my backpack and I was gonna bring it to the cops but then I thought, what if they think it's mine? I touched it, my fingerprints are on it. I didn't know what to do to I took it home. I was going to wait till my dad got home and tell him."
The kid turned his eyes to Steve, imploring him to understand. "He can't skip work, Commander McGarrett, he doesn't get paid if he calls out. We …" his voice got softer "need the money. That's why I work. I don't wanna ask for money, we don't have extra."
Steve's tension diminished at the boy's account of the family's situation.
Davey continued, "I make eleven dollars an hour. That's pretty good. And I give Melanie five dollars a week, so Mom and Dad don't have to. She saves it, mostly." The thought of his little sister brought a nervous smile. "I can't believe she went in my room and…" His breath caught. "Oh my God, she could have gotten hurt. If anything ever happened to Mel, I'd … I'm the big brother It's my job to look out for her."
He brushed a tear with a sleeve and Catherine watched as Steve's eyes softened further.
Steve sat in one of the wooden chairs across from the boy. "Look, Davey. You shouldn't have taken the weapon. That's a given. But if what you're saying is true, you're not going to jail."
Davey looked at Steve with fervor. "Really!? Thank you!" He turned to Catherine "Thank you so much! I'm not a criminal, really. I never even tried a beer or anything!"
Steve placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. "I just need you to tell us everything you know about Kahala and Monokau and anything you've seen at work, okay?"
Davey nodded enthusiastically. 'Yes! Yes, Sir, Commander. Anything. Please don't send me to jail. My parents need me, I help at home, they … they can't afford a sitter after school I watch my sister three days that's why I only work two. Mom and Dad pick up O.T. on those days."
/
/
Five-O Headquarters
Friday 5:00 P.M.
The team was gathered in Steve's office reviewing what they'd learned from questioning Davey Ramsey.
"He says that Kahala and Monokau have been taking off in a rented truck every Friday afternoon for the last six weeks without saying anything specific about where they're going. When they get back Saturday there's always a padlock on the back of the truck." Steve reported. "When he comes back to work on Thursday the truck is empty. Then Friday the whole thing starts again."
"As far as we can see," Catherine picked up the story, "there's nothing related to the farm that would require weekly trips in a large box truck. They're a small operation. They sell eggs and goats milk to the locals."
"Or at least that's how it used to be." Steve picked up the story. "According to Davey there's been a dramatic uptick in business lately. Apparently a lot of young men between 18 and 21 have taken an interest in fresh from the farm products."
"You think the place is a front for gun-running?" Chin asked.
"Sure looks that way." Steve nodded. "Not many eighteen year olds I know develop a craving for goats' milk fudge and organic eggs."
"So what's the plan?" Kono asked.
"We'll raid Monday morning." Steve said. "We want to make sure they're back from their weekend trip. Hopefully we can catch them with a truckload of guns and they'll lead us to the supplier."
/
/
McGarrett/Rollins Residence
Saturday - 9:00 A.M.
"You got a new kitchen table?" Danny noticed the large box containing a kitchen set, yet to be assembled. "Wow, Babe, once you jimmy open that wallet you go whole hog." He popped open a can of yellow paint.
"The old one wasn't sturdy anymore." Catherine said. "One of the legs … cracked."
"You guys eat in the living room most of the time … how sturd … Oh, Jesus," He noticed Catherine's amused expression. "Now you're doing it on purpose. Did I not tell you to spare me? Aside from being unable to ever sit in the recliner again, do I have to sani-wipe the kitchen table before I eat in here now?"
Catherine couldn't contain her laughter. "Awww, Danny, I'm sorry."
"No, you're not." He pointed the paintbrush he was holding between her and Steve. "Normal people slow down off after … what is it? Fourteen years and a thousand … Barry White times? You people haven't cooled off one freaking bit, have you?" He turned to his partner. "Stop making that face, Steven."
Catherine snorted. "Actually . . ." She stopped to think for the several seconds it took to reach into a cooler for three beers. "It's fifteen years and 3,854…" She grinned "Barry White times. Approximately."
"How do you figure?" Steve smiled knowing she had calculated it. Literally. This was Catherine.
She handed them both a beer and explained her formula. "We've spent approximately 1,232.50 days together since we first …" she started to motion between herself and Steve, then shrugged and just said, "had sex" and rolled her eyes at Steve's smirk. "That's a ballpark, of course; but I figure we met up three to six times per year when one or both of us was on active duty so let's use an average of 4.5 times."
"Our leaves were between three days and two weeks, so that average is eight and a half days, multiplied over twelve years. I was stationed at Pearl full time in September 2012 and I moved in over the course of last spring, not that we spent more than a night or two apart anyway, but that's when I rented out my house before I finally sold it. I've been on Oahu approximately 697 days. That comes to 535.50 days pre assignment to Pearl. 535.50 plus 697 equals 1232.50 give or take a day."
She smiled at Steve's proud grin and Danny's immediate eye-roll. "Figure we have sex an average of 3 times a day give or take; more on special occasions, less if one of us was sick with say … the flu … it's actually closer to 3,854 …" She made air quotes. "… Barry White Times as Danny says. But who's counting?"
"When you say three times a day … and trust me when I tell you I can't believe I'm asking this … are you counting … you know …" Danny stammered. "Times as in morning, noon and night or … completions as it were?"
"Oh if you want the … completions … number I'm gonna need to recalculate." Catherine said seriously.
Before Danny or Steve could comment, the bell rang and Cammie let out a woof from the living room. Catherine brushed her hands off on Steve's shirt with a grin and stood. "There's the Lowe's delivery." She chuckled at the guys' expressions and went to get the door.
Danny shook his head at Steve who was grinning ear to ear as his eyes followed Catherine. "I hate you. And you really need to start buying lottery tickets you lucky bastard."
/
/
McGarrett/Rollins Residence
Saturday 2:00 P.M.
"Cammie, come here, sweetheart give that back." Catherine gently motioned to coax the dog, whose body language showed she was ready for a game of keep-away because her humans were working way too hard for her liking.
Steve turned and cast a glance over his shoulder at Catherine. Carpet knife poised, tacks in his mouth, which he spit into his hand. "What's she got, Cath?"
"The plans. Steve, she's got the schematic for the cabinet placement. See if she'll come to you, you're closer."
Seeing Steve's muscles tense, Cammie executed a play bow and, assuming the game was afoot, darted out of the kitchen into the living room.
"Shit!" Catherine giggled as the dog scooted past her. She dashed after the 90 pounds of flying fur into the living room, where the pup stood on the opposite side of the coffee table, tail wagging, eyes gleaming.
By the time Steve entered the room he could not hold back his laughter at the sight. His girlfriend and their dog were playing keep-away around the coffee table as Catherine tried to get Cammie to drop the plans or come to her, while laughing so hard she could barely keep upright.
"Ha got ya!" Catherine leapt over the table, grabbed Cammie in a bear hug, and very gently extracted the plans from her mouth. "Out." She said. "There's my good girl." And kissed Cammie on the nose. She turned to see Steve, cell in hand, laughing out loud.
"Did you just take a picture of me wrestling with the dog, covered in dust and drenched in sweat, McGarrett?" Her attempt at looking pissed failed miserably because Steve's beautiful smile was contagious.
"Nope." He smirked.
Catherine stood, crumbled plans in her hand, and marched over to Steve. "Really? Because that cell phone in your hand and your grin say otherwise, Commander."
Steve held up both hands in both hands in surrender. "I did not take a photo of you and the dog wrestling. No matter how hot you look doing it; sweat, dust and all."
"Steve! you're lying."
"I am not!" he laughed and held the phone aloft when she made a grab for it. "I did not take any photos. Video, on the other hand, I can neither confirm nor deny." His laughter echoed through the house.
"That video leaves this house you are so dead." Her expression gave her away. She found it as funny as he did. "Besides, we've got a bigger problem."
She held up the soggy, mangled plans. "Guess we're done for today. The master copy is at HQ."
Steve looked at her incredulously. "Why are we done?"
"Oh, Jesus." She knew exactly what he was going to say. She usually did.
"We don't need 'em. C'mon, Cath, we'll be fine."
Amused expression in place, Catherine shrugged and followed Steve back into the kitchen with a sigh.
/
/
Monokau Farms
Monday 10:00 A.M.
First thing Monday morning the Five-O team along with a dozen HPD officers raided the Monokau Farm looking for weapons. In the barn they found two crates full of guns as well as two crates which appeared to have been recently opened and emptied.
They started a detailed search of the farm in an effort to find the missing weapons. At the same time Animal Control arrived to take possession of the animals.
Danny had been tasked with searching the large barn and kept running into obstacles. Little bleating obstacles.
"Never held a lamb before, Detective?" The animal control officer was grinning at the gentle way the cranky detective was cradling the baby sheep.
"No! Where do you suppose I would have held a lamb in Essex County, New Jersey? They don't exactly have sheep at the local zoo." Danny grumbled, but handed the lamb, which he had to admit sounded a bit like Grace as a baby when it bleated 'maa maa' instead of the 'baa' he'd expected, over to animal control. "You're not gonna … put it down are you?" Danny asked with a grimace, tightening his hold protectively.
"No, Detective, of course not. We'll place her in a farm sanctuary rescue. She'll be just fine." She looked at the lamb as Danny handed it over. "You'll grow up to be a big strong sheep, won't you, honey?" She petted the lamb on the head and with a smile walked back to her vehicle.
Turning to see Steve staring at him with his arms folded and a barely concealed grin, Danny asked,. "What the hell are you staring at, Steven?"
He stepped out of the muck as Steve said, "Nothing, Danny. Nothing," with a snort.
Danny headed back towards the chicken coop, tossing "And you owe me a new pair of shoes!" Over his shoulder.
Back in the chicken coop, Catherine was ankle deep in hay and chicken poop when Danny returned.
"Lamb okay?" She smiled at her friend, knowing his soft spot for kids and animals. If it weren't for Danny, they probably wouldn't have Cammie, and Grace's dog would have been brought to the pound when he was found in his deceased owner's apartment.
"Yeah. She's good." Danny nodded. He knew Cath had been concerned for the lamb as well. "Animal control is sending her to a rescue." Danny surveyed Catherine's boots. Or what he could see of them. She'd stopped working and was downing a bottle of water, her face pink and sweaty from the stifling heat. "Steve owes you new shoes, too." He grinned and Catherine chuckled.
"Nah. These are LPCs" She grinned at Danny's look. "Sorry, combat boots." She offered him the water bottle.
"Of course they are. Jesus, you two are a match made in heaven." He took a swallow of water and handed the bottle back as Steve entered the coop.
"Find anything in here?" Steve surveyed the area.
"A lot of pissed off chickens." Danny said as he walked over to where several of the birds had left their roosts and were milling around. "Why would they get up like that? Wouldn't they want to protect their eggs?"
Danny walked closer to the roosts with Steve and Catherine close at his heels. Donning a glove, he pushed aside the nesting hay and said. "Look at this… this is shallower than it seems from the outside." He tapped on the bottom. "This is false." Steve handed him his knife and Danny pried the bottom up to reveal two handguns.
"That's it." Steve grabbed the knife back and did the same to the next roost, and the next. Each contained weapons.
"Son of a bitch." Danny muttered. "They were using the animals as cover."
"Cath, get HPD and CSU in here." Steve said. "And Animal Control to relocate the rest of the livestock."
At Catherine's "Roger that."
Steve turned to Danny. "Nice, partner." He clapped Danny on the shoulder.
"Thanks. You still owe me a pair of shoes." Danny walked toward the door of the coop as Steve and Catherine shared a smile.
/
/
McGarrett/Rollins Residence
Monday 8:00 P.M.
Danny and Catherine stood, surveying the now completely gutted kitchen while Steve stepped into the living room to take a call from Duke.
"I'm gonna need to get a much nicer mixer now that I have an oven I can really bake in." Cath said as she looked around picturing exactly what the new kitchen was going to look like.
"Do you have any specific model in mind?" Danny asked as he saw Steve out of the corner of his eye standing in the doorway.
"The new Kitchen Aid is awesome." Catherine said. "A little extravagant though."
Steve cleared his throat and stepped into the room.
"What did Duke say?" Catherine asked as he stepped up beside her.
"Kahala and Monokau are singling like birds trying to save their own necks."
"As usual." Danny sneered. "They're tough guys when it comes to selling guns to kids but as soon as they're staring at serious prison time they fold like a paper lantern."
"Well at least the guns are going to be off the streets. That's the important thing." Catherine reminded him.
"You're right." Danny smiled. "I'll take it. Now what in the world are we going to do for dinner? You invited me to eat since Grace is at cheerleading practice but you have no kitchen."
Steve went to the cooler in the corner and pulled out three Longboards. "We have beer and a phone to call for pizza. Will that do?"
"As long as there's no pineapple …" He gave them both a pointed look "… or chocolate sauce … I'm good."
.
THE END