I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.

Notes: here we go - the end - thanks for the great comments. :-) I appreciate each and every one! I understand the story was "OC-centric", but I did try to balance it as best as possible. Sometimes a story just has to go the way it goes ...

Chapter 19

H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O*

After first calling Ramirez to discuss the proposition in more detail, he had called Adrian Parker to finally accept the offer of owning the clinic. Per Ramirez's strong recommendations, he had also retained his own lawyer and would be setting up a formal lawyerly meeting to finalize papers.

Excited about his future, Jasper went directly to work on Monday morning.

In comparison, it wasn't going as well with the small puppy. Life with General's daughter lasted the length of one car ride, the patience of one new-found friend, and then barely the span of the remainder of an atrocious weekend.

He didn't dare leave the two dogs in the same house, despite the large crate the puppy was now housed in. Loading the crate into the Jeep in the morning, the little hooligan made the trip to the office with him. Distracted with his illicit plan, he noticed the one or two cars parked out front but kept driving to park in the back of the old renovated house. Taking the chance that she wouldn't damage his truck, he then made two hasty trips into the office from the parking lot. One to bring in the empty crate, leaving the puppy five whole minutes alone to terrorize the interior of his truck. He genuinely thanked the heavens when she hadn't messed or destroyed anything before carefully carrying her in through the back door.

"Stay and hush!" One finger raised, he warned General's carmel-eyed brat and then tried to sneak out for the main office. "Koa, I mean it. Hush!"

It was early and he expected only the receptionist to be there preparing for the day and he hoped that she might be able to help him a few hours at a time. As soon as he was out of sight, the crescendo was immediate, followed by the scrabbling of paws against the sides of the rather large crate. The creaking of metal and crackling of plastic followed him down the hall and he winced automatically. There was no doubt that it sounded as if someone was being killed in the office as her incoherent yowl's gained in volume. He needed to find a home for the puppy .. and fast.

After nearly losing her pony-tail to the puppy's tugging teeth in the car ride home from the airport, Kono's mocking suggestion was beginning to sound more of a reality than a joke. On top of that, General's less than enthusiastic welcome was alarming. Extremely jealous, General took great exception to his space being invaded. His deep growls and raised lips did nothing to intimidate his daughter as she bravely refused to back down.

"What is that?" The male voice was loud and came from the small lobby. Jazz groaned again as he heard who he guessed was a patient already complaining about the ruckus. It was going to be a long day if he couldn't find a better solution very quickly. Practicing a quick explanation and swearing to have some sort of foster care in place by lunch time, he was ready to explain what was going on before things got truly out of hand.

"This is not how I thought my first day would be." He complained to himself under his breath. "Not one bit and this not what I want it to be."

Ready to take control of the morning's interruption with the one or two patients that might already be there, instead he walked directly into Steve McGarrett who was rounding the corner on a jog. Both Danny and Ramirez were directly behind him; the Detective evidently as equally concerned as the Commander for the cautionary hand on his gun.

"Hey!" Jazz smirked with a backhanded gesture towards the most horrendous din. "It's okay. I didn't expect to see you both here."

"What's going on?" Ramirez demanded with a critical tone. It made Jasper feel like a two-year old and he glared back as the big doctor tried to peer down the hallway. "It's fine. I'm taking care of it." Tired from a stressful weekend, he wasn't at all happy by what seemed a challenge.

"Is everything okay?" At the same time, Danny voiced his question while motioning towards the offices. Minus the sling, his arm was still bandaged leaving him to awkwardly drape his left hand over his holstered weapon.

"Yes." Jasper exclaimed over the incredibly increasing noise. "It's fine. I got it under control .. mostly."

"You sure? Because it sounds like someone's being killed in here!" Jasper grimaced at that comparison but still caught the not so amused glare from Steve to Danny. Ramirez only rolled his eyes as if to apologize for the comment.

"Yeah, well." Danny huffed in annoyance while glancing from one to the other. "What can I say. It does. So what's going on? We swung by to offer our congratulations about your new ownership of this place."

"You told them already?" Curiously, Jazz glanced to Ramirez who barely had the decency to appear to be a bit mortified.

Crossing his arms in self-defense, Ponch nodded. "Well, it's good news and they asked .. and well .. it's good news!"

Jasper closed his eyes and shook his head as his world changed more rapidly than he could draw a simple breath. He was hoping for a more methodical announcement of the ownership changes; something slow and steady or very controllable. Before he could say another word, they were all distracted when the yips and yelps began to end on a long, mournful howl.

"It's a puppy?" Danny started to grin and completely relaxed when he recognized the noise finally for what it was. "You got a dog in here? Another addition to the family?"

"Yes, one of General's daughters. No way .. she's not staying." Jasper had just about had it after a weekend of messes, destruction, near dog-fights and much too much opinion by the small hooligan who was now not so well hidden in his office. With the three confused men standing in front of him, he could only sigh before literally throwing his hands in the air. "No, and I can explain."

He blanched and turned when the crash sounded from his office. "Oh .. no!" Jazz knew from his short experience what she'd done before he even saw the movement. "No no!"

"Ah! She's smart .. hey, puppy!" Using his best happy voice, Danny was still smiling as the small brindle tornado came hurtling down the hallway, hell-bent to escape her dungeon. Convinced she'd be no issue to intercept, Danny hunkered down and held out his left arm.

Measuring the trajectory, Steve didn't think it a wise move as the little brown blur scrambled wildly towards them on the slick floor. "Uh. Danny, bad idea. Watch the arm."

Dogs liked him and he certainly liked them, so keeping his voice light, Danny waved off Steve's concern. "It's fine. She'll stop."

"Don't think so." Steve muttered under his breath as he was forced to watch the coming catastrophe unfold.

"Hey, puppy, puppy, puppy!" Danny continued calling as she got closer and her speed increased. Too late, he realized that Koa didn't seem to hear him at all. She saw the four big shapes and kept going for the glimmer of sunlight which spelled freedom. She was certainly going to avoid the one man who didn't seem to relish her jokes or sense of humor. He had bought the evil box and she was not interested in his grasping fingers.

"Koa! Stop .. come!" Jasper was not smiling as he lunged forward to grab her body and missed as she scrunched herself to the floor. He fell to his knees and cursed as he just skimmed her soft coat. Her momentum carried her into Danny next, but limited by having only one arm, he only wound up sitting splayed on the tile floor. She wiggled free with ease and kept going closer to where she scented open air and sunshine.

However, Danny went down with a strained ooph, followed by an ow of pain as he jarred the deepest of the healing wound by his wrist. Trying to simultaneously catch his partner and gauge the puppy's route, Steve lunged forward next. "Danny!" Steve blurted in surprise when he tripped over him instead of helping. Too late then for the careening speed of the puppy, Steve almost followed their example, only to catch himself awkwardly against the wall.

"What is going on here!" Ramirez was stunned by Steve's resounding thud into the wall and by the two men who were both suddenly on the floor. His eyes widened as the brindle bundle of energy came in his direction. Holding his hands out, Ponch called on his best military and most severe tone of voice which stilled the very air around all of them.

"Stop! Bad puppy!" Skidding on all four paws, even Koa looked startled when the loud booming shout came down upon her very head. "Stay!"

The linoleum was like ice as Koa fell to her tummy and slid with her ears back directly into a solid wall of the last man's legs. "Bad, bad puppy!"

She knew she was puppy, and the other man with the evil box had said that first thing so many times that weekend, Koa knew it was a dissatisfying reprimand. This was different and she instantly felt obligated to listen even if she didn't understand the words. Instead of cringing though, she craned her head up to see where the big voice had come from. It took some doing as she put her paws under her and backed up, ready to flee again. Instead she forgot the sunshine and the enticing scent of freedom only to bark immediately when she saw this new man's very stern face.

He wasn't happy with her; that was obvious. Yet she knew that wouldn't last. One small puppy bark sounded that was full of play, you found me and I want you. She barked again and reared up on her hind legs to bat at his knees. When she hit the ground, her bottom went up and her tail swung in a tight circle. In short, the change was astonishing as a new, much-improved Koa strutted around Ponch's legs very happily.

"So, Jasper." Danny asked coyly over the young doctor's profuse apologies and the final declaration that his wrist was indeed fine. "This looks like it's meant to be."

After that comment, it didn't take much for Maddie's voice to ring in Jasper's head about fate and luck. "You're right." He gaped from Danny to the overly excited puppy before laughing. "I think so. Yes, I do."

"No!" Even the big man seemed to understand what she said because he backed up instantly. "Oh no you don't!" Refusing to give ground, Koa already had his pants' hem in her teeth. Puppy-growling in full swing, Ponch dragged her backwards with every step he took. Butt-high, she was tenacious and very determined as she clung to the fabric of her new man. "Mitchell!"

Still with Danny and making sure one final time that he hadn't injured his healing wrist, Jazz could only smile. The two were now standing side by side and grinning like loons because this was what Kono had suggested. "Ramirez likes General so much .. and he's got his niece .. plus the space and a yard."

She had laughed and then Jazz had, too. He had thought it a ridiculous intrusion. But now ... well now, the hooligan was deciding it for them all as she refused to let go of the big doctor's pants. Because, like Maddie said, this was serendipity.

"She likes you, Doc." Steve drawled out laughingly. "Congratulations, buddy. It's a girl."

~ End ~