Cujo IV – The Fence Rabbit Rises

Chapter 26

Okay, here it is. The final chapter. It's monstrous. Still didn't include all I was intending, (like Steve and Danny's final conversation regarding Doris), but there's lots of McBambi. Was going to make a separate epilogue but I figured this had gone on long enough. Thank you all for your readership and support. Thank you as well for your patience and forbearance. I tried to stay away from the standard mayhem on this outing but I hope there was enough pain and suffering for all the whump-junkies.

Husband, and not-very-ninja cat should thank you as well. They are much relieved. Their servant has now been restored to them.

Disclaimer: No fame, no fortune, no shit.

*5-0*5-0*5-0*5-0*5-0*5-0*5-0* Hawaii 5-0*5-0*5-0*5-0*5-0*5-0*5-0*

Mothers

The project table vs Porsche issue had been sorted out.

The Housing Commissioner, one of Denning's opponents in the upcoming election, had been busily engaged in undermining the incumbent as part of his strategy to become the governor elect. Needless to say, Sam Denning was not necessarily displeased to hear the guy's car had been demolished by 5-0's plummeting project table. He'd actually been in a decent mood when McGarrett had called to apologize for this latest mishap involving property damage and the repair and/or replacement of equipment. Still, he had to make it sound good so he ripped Steve a new one for the incident itself and then another for even being at work. There was never any mention of a cat.

All-in-all, 5-0's leader counted it as a win. Cujo's flying table was awesome, Chin had been avenged and they all still had jobs.

….

He'd only been allowed back to work for half days and only behind a desk. It was driving him crazy which in turn was driving everyone else crazy. Steve was bored out of his skull and frustrated he couldn't be out in the field with his team.

His hip still hurt like a bitch if he twisted the wrong way. Against advice, (his doctor's, Bambi's, his team's and pretty much everyone else on the planet), he was no longer taking the pain medication that had rendered him so very laidback – and entertaining according to anyone who'd visited him at the hospital. He loathed the fuzzy-headed feeling it caused. All of this did not put him in a very good mood. After their latest squabble, Danny walked away muttering something about finding that beer truck to finish the job it started.

Everyone pretty much agreed the only thing that remotely put him in a better mood was Cujo and the missus.

Lili was huge. The veterinarian had estimated the impending offspring to number at least ten.

Cujo, despite his much deserved reputation as a general all-around badass, had proven to be a surprisingly tender and devoted partner. He followed the waddling tabby everywhere she went; zealously guarding her from anything perceived as a threat to his beloved. He'd even growled menacingly at a stuffed toy poodle sent to the office by Gracie's grandmother when she couldn't find Danny's home address. They'd had to hide the plush animal before the fierce little warrior turned it into a pile of batting and fake fur.

He lay beside his bulging mate wherever and whenever she chose to recline; often grooming her already gleaming coat. Poor Queen Liliuokalani was so bulky that when lying down, rather than her previously graceful descents toward the floor, she just kind of plopped over sideways. Kono cooed that it was adorable while her teammates only thought it hilarious, (secretly they thought it adorable as well but, of course, they'd never admit it).

For the first couple weeks, the tabby had apparently suffered from morning sickness as Chin had distressingly discovered when walking barefoot through the office one morning. Danny had always been disturbed that Five-0's relaxed dress code even permitted its members to wander around unshod but the morning sickness didn't alarm him. Rachel had spewed like Kilauea when pregnant with Gracie.

When told of Lili's distress, Steve had been worried. Danny was highly amused by the reaction of his heretofore BAMF partner and told him that puking was just something cats did as revenge for being awakened from their twenty-three hour a day naps. Steve called the vet anyway.

Assured by Pat Charteris that a pregnant feline could indeed be subject to morning sickness Steve was relieved and immediately googled for information on how to care for pregnant cats.

The Jersey detective had only laughed when asked to take a turn at giving the expectant mother her prenatal vitamins. In his experience, attempting to pill a cat was usually futile and sometimes even dangerous to the person giving the pill. Chin, still a bit gun-shy regarding howling and/or angry cats wasn't even asked to help. By default Steve and Kono had been designated to administer the supplements.

Besides actually enjoying bath time, Cujo had no issues with swallowing a pill; especially if it was wrapped in something yummy. Unlike her mate, Queen Liliuokalani wanted nothing to do with such horrors. She immediately bit Steve when he tried to poke his finger down her throat to keep her from spitting out the capsule. He was not one of her favorite humans after that. She did seem to like Danny however. At least the loud man hadn't tried to make her eat little rocks that didn't even taste like food. She knew her mate wasn't all that fond of the noisy human but he seemed nice and she liked the way he always smelled like flowers when he'd arrive in the mornings.

One day, after agreeing that Chin would take Lily to her next prenatal check-up, the team began discussing how to build a birthing den. It was something Steve had discovered on the internet and he was now preparing to build the Taj Mahal of cat beds.

Danny, with a roll of his eyes had exclaimed, "What the hell ever happened to cats having litters in closets or in the sock drawer for chrissakes! Even Rachel didn't get this much medical attention when she was pregnant!"

Steve had looked startled at the outburst but only blinked his annoyance before going right back to drawing the proposed design and thinking, This thing is gonna be awesome!

And so it went for nearly two months.

Finally, one afternoon when they'd tiredly dragged in after a stressful bust, the orange tabby wasn't waiting with Cujo by the door as she usually was when they returned.

"Hey shithead, where's the missus?" asked Danny. He'd immediately noticed there was someone missing from the greeting committee.

Eyes searching their immediate area for the orange blob with feet and a tail and not finding her; Kono bent to address their rodent control officer, "Cujo, where's Lili? Go find Lilli."

The little grey cat stared back at her with a slightly worried expression. What does the female-who-smells-like-water want? She is using the sound she makes when she calls my mate but what does she want?

"Kono, he's not Lassie." snorted Danny, "You're not gonna get him to lead us to her."

"I think we should look for her." said Kono worriedly

"Maybe she's in the birthing den?" suggested Chin, "Steve said it could happen any day now."

Deciding to conduct a search the three fanned out automatically in formation as though clearing a bad guy's hideout. Cujo followed them curiously from room to room and office to office.

Though now back to work full-time Steve wasn't among the searchers. After diving from a balcony to subdue a perp, their fearless leader had been in major pain from a still tender hip. Though most of the blood on his clothes wasn't his own, (he'd sustained only a slight nosebleed and a small cut on his cheekbone), he looked thrashed. After he'd supervised the wrap-up at the scene, his team had no problem talking him into taking his pain meds. With wise forethought, Danny had stashed the vial of prescription painkillers in the glove compartment of the Camaro on the day Steve was cleared for field work.

Worried Steve would be too stoned to drive home and with Catherine not scheduled to return from her latest tour for a couple more days, they'd ratted him out to Bambi. Though no longer on the job as caregiver, the nurse seemed to have taken an almost motherly interest in her ex-patient. Somebody had to.

She'd been waiting in her van when they pulled into the palace's parking lot. Steve had been hauled away before even stepping foot in the office. The team breathed a bit easier as they watched the vehicle pull away; their leader's protests fading into the distance.

They searched all the usual hangouts: the birthing den, the top of the file cabinet, Chin's outbasket, and the narrow space under Kono's credenza, (though considering the current girth of the missing tabby it was an unlikely hiding place).

After several more minutes the others heard Chin call out, 'Bingo!"

"You better not be yelling bingo in my office!" yelled Danny from down the hallway where he'd been looking through all the cupboards in the breakroom. Lilly had come to them already proficient at opening cabinets and even drawers. Someday they'd have to seriously investigate her origins and how she'd wound up a stray.

"Sorry brah, Steve's the lucky winner." said Chin as the rest of the team gathered at McGarrett's office doorway.

Standing behind the big desk the Hawaiian detective was peering downward; a delighted smile on his usually inscrutable face.

"Awww" said Kono as she came forward and leaned down to look into the lower right-hand drawer.

Even Danny had stopped bitching as he crowded behind his teammates. The delighted expression on his face was soon replaced with one of puzzlement. "Wait." he said "Isn't there one too many?"

There, atop Steve's stash of clean T-shirts lay Queen Liliuokalani, curled around eleven fuzzy little princes and princesses.

…

Bambi glanced worriedly at the man in the passenger seat. It had been weeks since McGarrett no longer needed her care and another few until he'd been okayed to return to work full-time but, at the moment, he looked as though he should never have left Queens Hospital. The dirt and dried blood on his face and clothing didn't help matters.

"You look like shit." she pronounced

"Thanks." he replied in an annoyed tone. "It's always good to have a second opinion." The first one, Danny's, had been exactly the same. "I don't look that bad; do I?"

Her response was only a sarcastic snort.

Within fifteen minutes they arrived at the McGarrett house and pulled into the driveway. The drugs had kicked in and the SEAL sat staring blankly at his own house before seeming to realize where he was. Turning to the woman in the passenger seat he said, "You didn't have to come and get me but I appreciate it. Danny appreciates it too. There'll be hours of reports to file after what went down today and I know he's glad he didn't have to take the time to haul my ass here. Thanks for the ride Bambi."

He reached for the door handle intending to exit the car and make it into the house before the predicted lecture.

"Not so fast Steven."

Crap!

"Huh?" he said not yet far enough out of the car to pretend he hadn't heard her.

"I'm pretty sure you need to eat something. You know; something that didn't come out of a can or a box."

"I'm fine for tonight. I'm not really hungry. Besides, Cath comes back in a couple days and she'll take care of it."

"I think it's my duty to see that you are fed tonight."

When Steve screwed up his face to begin the inevitable protest she added, "You know, I can always call the governor. We've struck up quite a friendship him and me. The man's not nearly as big an ass as I thought he was. He said he values my opinion and when I tell him my opinion is that you need a few more days of convalescence . . ." The tough nurse looked pointedly at the now worried looking man still holding onto the door of her car.

There was no way he could go back to staying home or even to restricted duty. He'd friggin' kill himself. "You wouldn't!" he said in alarm

"How about we come to an agreement for tonight then?" posed the nurse

"What are the terms?" he asked suspiciously as Bambi, confident of his acquiescence, got out of the car on the driver's side and waited for him on the walkway.

"I make you dinner and stick around long enough to make sure you eat it then I'll leave you alone."

Steve smiled in relief, "That doesn't sound so bad. I really like your cooking."

"Oh, and you have to get some sleep. Before I leave, I want to hear you call your team to tell them you won't be in until later in the morning. I already know that asking you to take the day off is futile."

"Bambi, I think I'm old enough to make my own schedule." protested McGarrett

"Just because you can tie your own laces doesn't mean you don't need someone to push you in the right direction once you have your shoes on." she snorted before turning to finish her walk to the front door.

Steve hesitated for only a brief moment, then shaking his head he limped after her up the walkway.

Once in the door he immediately went upstairs to shower off the blood and grime while Bambi got busy preparing what she'd call 'stick to your ribs' food though some people would term it 'stick to your hips' food. Even though she couldn't use the extra calories, the man she'd just dragged back to his house definitely could.

In not too long a time, Steve found himself enjoying the company as well as the food. Even though he resented the implication he wasn't capable of taking care of himself he appreciated her efforts . . . and her friendship.

"There are leftovers for tomorrow." said Bambi as she stashed a couple of plastic containers in the fridge. She'd refused his assistance in clearing up the dishes and he was feeling guilty as he sat at the kitchen table and watched her bustle around.

Noticing his expression she said, "Don't feel bad for not helping Steven. It's just nice to have someone to cook for. Since Benny's been gone, it feels almost like . . . well, you know." she trailed off sounding embarrassed.

"Bambi?" he asked, sounding uncertain.

"Yes Steven." she said as she turned toward the now whistling tea kettle on the stove behind her.

"I know this is a really odd question but umm do you think that all mothers automatically love their children? Is it something that's there from the start and maybe, as time goes on, the kids could do something to . . . maybe change that? Something that could make their mothers love them less?"

Bambi was startled at the question but she knew where it was coming from. She'd met Doris McGarrett. Attributing this sudden openness to the pain meds she nevertheless considered the question carefully. The answer was at once difficult and easy.

"Let that steep." she said as she set a cup on the tabletop and slid it toward Steve before returning to the stove.

She poured herself a cup and sat across from him. He was toying with the paper tag that hung over the edge of the steaming cup. She knew tea bags are considered an abomination by tea aficionados but she'd never had a problem using them.

"I know it's none of my business but have you heard from your mother since she stormed out of here a few weeks ago?"

"No." he answered "And I don't expect to."

"I'm not going to lie and say I liked her but, for what it's worth, I think in her own way she cared about you."

This time he didn't meet Bambi's concerned gaze. Still fiddling with his tea; he thought back to his last angry conversation with Doris.

"So, you never wanted me?" he'd asked

"I wouldn't say that. You were just a surprise." answered Doris

Did she love him? Should it even matter?

When Steve hadn't responded to her statement she said softly but with conviction, "I know that I loved my son unconditionally. There was nothing he did or could have ever done to lessen it."

He looked up at her with an unsure smile. "From you, I'd expect nothing less Bambi. You're a good person."

"As are you Steven. Don't ever doubt it."

Clearing his throat he shifted in his chair to stretch his leg below the table. His hip was feeling a bit better but it had started to cramp a bit. "You never told me what happened to your son. Maybe I'm being presumptuous but I'd like to know - if you want to share that is."

She stood go to the stove and top-off her cup from the still hot kettle.

"Benjamin . . . Benny had AIDS." she answered before turning back toward Steve.

"Oh." he said now wondering if he should have asked. A lot of people still didn't like to talk about the disease or its victims but he really didn't think Bambi had that attitude. She was a medical professional and he knew she loved her son with all her heart.

"I'm sorry. That must have been really rough." was his response

"Yeah it was." she sighed. "Benny was tough and he'd hung-in as long as he could but, eventually, he developed spinal lymphoma. It put him in a wheelchair and over time almost completely paralyzed him. The loss of mobility was hard for him to deal with but he fought with everything he had until he couldn't any longer. He died of pneumonia twelve years ago."

Despite trying her best to stop it, a tear nonetheless slide down her cheek. Embarrassed, she raised a trembling hand to wipe it away as Steve rose from his chair.

"I'm so sorry." he said softly as he wrapped his arms around her. She hugged back. They stood that way for a long minute; acknowledging loss and offering comfort. One having a mother's love to give and no one to give it to. One seeking a mother's love and having no one to get it from. Funny how things work out sometimes.

…

After gathering herself and sniffling a bit before blowing her nose Bambi opened the door of the fridge and seemed to be calculating something in her mind before snatching two bottles and turning to say, "Come on. I think I need a beer." She led the way out the back doors and toward the chairs at the edge of the lawn.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you." Steve apologized as they settled themselves onto the weathered seating. His hip seemed to have settled down to only a vague ache. He thought the meal had probably helped as much as the drugs.

Bambi handed him a bottle of water. He knew a beer was too much to hope for. The woman is a nurse after all and of course he was very well aware that combining painkillers and alcohol was a really bad idea. It was probably the painkiller that had loosened his tongue enough to ask Bambi those questions but he didn't regret it.

"Your talkative friend said he'd be stopping by with some news after work. I'm going to enjoy the peace and quiet while I can." said the nurse as she cracked the cap of the Longboard, laid back in her chair and toed her shoes off.

The two sat comfortably enjoying the warm evening air and the sound of the ocean. As the sun slid toward the sea he once again thought back to his last conversation with Doris before he'd told her to leave and not bother to come back.

"How did Dad feel about all this?" he asked steeling himself for the answer. Doris had promised him honest answers. He hoped he was man enough to hear them.

"After John took you in, you became his. You couldn't have been any more so than was Mary. He loved you."

Perhaps that would have to suffice.

…..

Danny had arrived. Despite trying his best to sound annoyed by the birth of the kittens, he smiled as he recounted the search for and eventual discovery of Lili and her brood.

After learning where the new mother had chosen to give birth, his compulsively neat friend had exclaimed, "What the hell is it about that drawer!?" but he'd immediately texted Catherine to give her the good news.

She'd quickly texted back 'Cngrats Grndpa'. He didn't quite know how to react to that. Grandpa?

….

Cujo hovered at his human's doorway looking dejected. No one was paying any attention to him now that the kittens had arrived. They'd been moved to the cozy den in the breakroom and everyone seemed to find some excuse throughout the day to go pour themselves another cup of coffee or whatever.

They can't even eat the mice I brought for them and they can't chase me when I want them to play. My mate doesn't want to play either. My humans don't want to play. Not even the-female-who-smells-like-water. They only want to talk to the noisy little cats.

When they come back before the light goes away they walk past me to go see the new ones first. My female is mad at me and threatened to bite me if I didn't go away!

Cujo sighed and jumped onto the top of his human's desk where he lay on his side then dejectedly stretched out a paw and pushed the box of little bent pieces of metal and the cup with the little sticks in it onto the floor.

…..

Six weeks later Steve, very nearly without a limp, walked into a headquarters overrun with kittens. He carefully picked his way through them as they scampered and slid about chasing one another across the slick floor. Shaking his head half in annoyance and half in amusement he made his way to Danny's office where his partner sat tapping away at his laptop; an orange fur collar draped across the back of his neck.

"So," said Danny without turning his head so as not to disturb the sleeping kitten, "How'd your last check-up go? The doc finally clear you for running marathons and swimming to Australia?"

"Yup, all set." smiled Steve glancing down as a grey tabby began climbing his pant leg; its needle sharp little claws digging into his thigh before he plucked it off to hold it squirming against its his chest. The entire litter seemed to regard them all as human trees.

"So, you and Kono find homes for the last ones? You said there were two left."

"Yup, Chuck and Diana are going to Dave and Warren. They're finally convinced their dog-slash-moose doesn't eat cats."

"You mean that big mutt that swallows rocks and tries to adopt baby skunks?"

"Yeah, that one, the Einstein of the dog world. His name is Killer." snorted Danny which startled his fur collar into a squeak. Automatically reaching up to stroke the kitten and soothe it back to sleep Danny went on to explain, "After Kono worked her magic, Warren talked his husband into taking them but Dave wants to change Diana's name to Camilla. I foresee rough waters ahead because your Army friend says the name change is a no go."

"Navy." corrected Steve automatically as he set the squirming kitten onto the floor where it raced off to parts unknown.

"Anyway." smirked Danny, "It's good to know that straight couples don't get to have all the fun."

Steve laughed. Warren, a guy with whom he'd served in Afghanistan, was tough as nails and always did things by the book. Good luck to Dave on the outcome of any cat renaming contest. Then, wrinkling his brow he asked, "Why is their dog named Killer?"

"He may be a bit confused over stereotypical gender roles so I'm pretty sure he was named ironically; sort of like you being named Smooth Dog."

It still amused Danny that despite the name, his partner is at times, (well, mostly all the time), far from the word 'smooth'. Catherine had told Danny that her parents had been impressed after meeting Steve. He'd responded that she had to have mad skills as an animal trainer for her paramour to have achieved a level of socialization that could be considered impressive.

Feeling a bit defensive, Steve snipped back, "The dog is confused? You mean like a so-called Jersey tough guy who is widely considered the mother hen of this outfit?"

Danny lifted his head to glare at him which dislodged the cat from the back of his neck.

"Just so you know, Cat Lady, I find it a huge relief the little flea magnets are now old enough to go to their permanent homes before you can recruit them into your feline ninja strike force. No doubt that rabid wolverine that masquerades as a cat will be your second in command."

As he said this, the kitten named Lizzy was attempting to regain her position of pseudo collar. Danny reached up to reposition her before she dug her nails into the back of his neck.

Lizzy nee Elizabeth, the smallest of the litter was, much like Danny himself, a bit undersized but afraid of nothing and no one. She didn't seem all that fond of Steve though, having peed in his drawer yesterday; the one that contained his stash of clean T-shirts. "What the hell is it about my desk drawer that they find so attractive?!" growled the not very amused commander. Danny was, of course, ecstatic.

Chin suddenly appeared at the doorway, "You guys seen my doughnut? I must be getting forgetful in my old age. I thought I left it on my desk."

Danny had volunteered to bring 'traditional' cop food to avoid another round of what he'd called free-range tree bark. The morning before, it had been Steve's turn to bring the breakfast goodies. According to the Jersey detective, whole wheat bran muffins were sacrilege to cops everywhere and just . . . no.

"You mean that doughnut?" pointed Steve to the small grey feline trotting by dragging a sugar-glazed sweet.

"Dammit Attila!" exclaimed Chin which startled the thief into dropping his purloined pastry. Suddenly, from out of nowhere appeared another furry miscreant to snatch it up. This new hooligan, no doubt realizing his booty was about to be confiscated, took off like a shot.

"Hey!" yelled Chin as the striped blur disappeared down the hallway.

"Friggin' cats." muttered Danny, as Chin rushed off in search of the perp.

Steve stood looking toward the now empty hallway; a bit nonplused by the brief skirmish. When did this all get so out of hand?

Danny absently stroked the kitten he was wearing. It yawned; displaying its sharp little teeth and promptly went back to sleep. In a girly falsetto the detective mocked, "Oh Danny, having kittens in the office for a few weeks will be fun. You'll see, Danny. It will brighten up your day."

Since he'd done it in such a voice, Steve whirled toward him hoping his partner was making fun of Kalakaua rather than him because he didn't really want to kick anyone's ass this early in the morning. On second thought, if Danny did it again within Kono's earshot, the ass-kicking would be a foregone conclusion. He wouldn't even have to lift a finger.

Danny wasn't yet done. "Do you know how hard it was to get all these little fuckers into a crate to take them to the vet for shots? As soon as I'd stuff one in, another would pop out and take off. It was like playing friggin whack-a-mole at the carnival. I shoulda at least won a goldfish." bitched the detective. "At least this won't be happening again unless your wolverine has a little somethin' on the side that we don't know about."

As soon as the kittens had been weaned, Queen Liliuokalani had been spayed but the guys were still resistant to having Cujo altered, saying it felt like betrayal to the brotherhood.

Ten of the eleven offspring were now promised to assorted victims whom Kono had cajoled/bullied into acquiring their own little bundles of furry joy. Chin had stuck to his guns regarding cat adoption despite the collusion of his cousin and his wife but, unbeknownst to him, at this very moment he was attempting to apprehend the doughnut thief named Louie who would soon become part of his household.

Gracie's dad had tried mightily to resist his daughter's pleas to adopt the kitten she'd picked out. He'd told her that, though he'd tried his best to make it happen, the landlord wouldn't allow it. Thank God the rules regarding pets were spelled out very clearly in his rental agreement. Gracie was at first crushed but, very much like her father, she wasn't one to easily give up

While Danny was testifying in court and she'd been left at H.Q. for a couple of hours; she'd convinced Kono to take her to talk to the manager of her father's apartment complex. A man not immune to a ten year old's huge pleading eyes; the manager relented and told her, with an additional deposit, it was okay to have a small pet.

Saying it was an early birthday present, Steve had given her the money for the deposit. Danny wanted him dead.

Lizzy was now a permanent member of Grace Williams' world and, like a furry overnight bag, she was soon to be carted back and forth between Danny's apartment and Rachel's home. The ginger kitten probably wouldn't mind the travel. Her temperament very much like her mother's, the cat remained unfazed by pretty much everything. Danny had pronounced her either deaf or maybe just brainless but, in any case, Grace Williams and Lizzy had bonded and her dad was helpless to break it.

The one kitten that hadn't found an official home was the feisty Attila. Like his father, he was a handful. He even looked like a smaller version of their fierce rodent control officer; the only difference being a white spot in the middle of his chest. Chin had said the marking was one he'd heard about from an ancient myth. The spot was where the cat had been touched by the finger of the devil. Danny said that if that was true then Cujo would be covered in demonic handprints.

So far, with no one willing to take him on, it may be that Attila was on his way to becoming a permanent resident of H.Q. Steve didn't think they could get away with having a third cat but they'd have to cross that bridge when they came to it.

The others, Mary, Victoria, Ferdinand, Henry the Ninth so named because he was the ninth born, and Popoki, (there were only supposed to be nine of them and he was the surprising eleventh and they'd run out of royal names), had all found permanent homes.

Even Bambi had been persuaded to take one of them, a chubby little calico named Nina; her name a shortened version of Christina of Sweden as well as the name of one of Chin's fuller-figured girlfriends from long ago.

Upon learning the fierce woman would be taking one of the little cats Danny had remarked that, rather than worry about Killer eating a kitten they should be more worried about Bambi doing so.

…..

"Hey, Steve, here's something for you that I just signed for." said Chin as he strode into the Five-0's leader's office; a brown catalog-sized envelope in his hand.

Steve, without looking up from his laptop asked, "Who's it from?"

"It was delivered via courier and there's no return address but it has a hand-printed notation on it saying 'Photos, Do Not Bend'."

"Hmm," said Steve, clicking the icon to save the document on which he was working and closing the cover of the laptop. He didn't trust that Cujo wouldn't walk on the keyboard and screw up the report he'd been working on for the last hour. He'd already had to spend several minutes this morning picking up all the paperclips and pens the cat had dumped onto the floor - again.

"Maybe it's the ones I requested a couple days ago on that trafficking case but you'd think the F.B.I. could just e-mail them to us."

Taking the envelope from Chin he examined it carefully. On the label stuck to the front his name had been printed in large block letters on the courier company's standard shipping label. Standing to reach into his pocket for the folding knife he always carried; he winced slightly when his hip gave a twinge. The doctor said it could bother him for several months before he was completely pain free. Some grueling physical therapy had restored range of motion to what it had been prior to the injury but sometimes after a rough takedown he still needed a prescription pain pill or a few hundred milligrams of ibuprophen.

Sitting back down, he used the wicked looking blade to slice through the tape that sealed the mysterious envelope. He slid out the contents; two pieces of cardboard with something sandwiched between them.

When he pulled the protective layers apart he found a folded sheet of paper and two photos; one no larger than three-by-five and the other an eight-by-ten.

Since Steve had made no mention of this being private, Chin peered curiously over his shoulder.

He turned the first one face up; a small black and white snapshot of a familiar looking young man next to a woman of about the same age. The couple were standing, arms entwined, on some sort of bluff and looked to be laughing; most likely because the woman's long, dark, hair was blowing wildly in the breeze. The photo was definitely taken in Hawaii because Diamond Head was visible in the far distance.

"That's my grandfather!" exclaimed Steve under his breath as he recognized the tall man grinning out from the photo. He picked up the picture to more closely examine the image of the Hawaiian girl who had a blindingly bright smile and lovely doe eyes. She had to be Ondine Kaikala – his grandmother. She was beautiful.

He set it down on his blotter and turned over the eight-by-ten. The lean face staring back at them from the color portrait showed a strong jawline and eyes narrowed in a steely gaze.

Chin was startled. It eerily resembled the official Navy I.D. photo of one Lt. Commander Steven J. McGarrett; the image that Danny said could be used to scare small children into compliance. Though the features were a bit less aquiline and the skin a bit more tan, the same frown lines creased the space between dark hazel eyes.

"Whoever that is, he looks an awful lot like you." carefully commented the Hawaiian detective.

"Yeah, he does." said Steve seemingly stunned as he continued to stare at the photo. Then, looking up, his eyes shining with unshed tears, he cleared his throat and said, "Could you give me a minute?"

"Yeah, brah. Of course." replied Chin as he quickly left his leader's office. This was obviously something Steve held private and Chin Ho Kelly respected privacy; his own and anyone else's.

After sitting for several long minutes just staring at the photos; Steve finally unfolded the sheet of paper that had come with them. He immediately recognized Joe White's strong, jagged, script; pen pressed heavily enough to indent the words into the sheet of plain white bond.

Steve,

Doris told me what happened. I understand but I'm just sorry it came to that. I feel bad for both of you but I know how she is. Your mother and I have been friends for many years, (just that – to answer another question she said you'd had), and she's never changed.

Here are photos of your grandparents and your father. I never got to meet Ronan but, despite how things turned out, I heard he was an upright guy. Your mother said he was a good man who went through a lot before it finally got to him.

She'd held onto these photos intending to give them to you someday but she said, somehow, it was never the right time. I apologize for any deception on my part but I promised to keep the secrets. You can think what you want of me but try not to think too badly of her. She did the best she could.

Joe

He wondered if Joe found her behavior as disturbing as he did. If so, it obviously never interfered with their relationship. He and his mentor had never had the chance to discuss Doris in depth and perhaps never would. Wherever they were, he wished them well.

Clutching the photos, he stood to walk to the main room where his team was gathered around the smart table as several kittens frolicked beneath it while their parents proudly looked on.

"Hey," he greeted, "You guys wanna see some pictures of my family of origin? Have I got a story to tell you."

*5-0*5-0*5-0*5-0*5-0*5-0*5-0* Hawaii 5-0*5-0*5-0*5-0*5-0*5-0*5-0*

Mahalo to JazzieG for the 'bomb disposal suit' used in a previous chapter as well as to GraceGraceGrace for the term 'McBambi'. And a huge thanks for all the suggested kitty names. I tried to use as many of them as possible that would work for the story, (I realized too late there was a theme I needed to adhere to), but it wouldn't have been quite believable for a cat to have thirty kittens in one litter. If you don't see one you suggested, I've kept a list and may be using them in an upcoming story. It will be a while before I'll be posting again but I will continue to read and review.

Please let me know your final thoughts on this story if you'd be so kind.

PS – SEASON SIX! I have no words.

Aloha