Kris barely slept that night. Something was plaguing her mind, but she wasn't sure what it was. At 0530, she gave up trying to sleep, and decided to go on a run while Steve caught his last few hours of sleep.
Throughout her five mile long run along the beach, Kris' mind couldn't help but to imagine what her new life would be like back home in Hawaii. When she was fifteen, she imagined herself in a completely different life. Dreams of being on the US Olympic volleyball team and touring the world playing the sport she loved while making lots of money seemed like a lifetime ago to her now at 33. Being forced to grow up at sixteen when her mother died and her father, consumed by grief and anger, sent her and Steve away to boarding school on the mainland while Mary got to stay with their aunt in Los Angeles. Kris was thankful for her life now though, she held no real resentment towards her father for everything that he did to her and her siblings- her and Steve got an amazing education at the Navy academy, and Mary got to truly live a free life in Los Angeles, just like she always dreamed of. Even at a young age, Mary told everyone that she was going to be a famous Actress in Los Angeles, where she could have everything she had ever wanted. The dream lasted a little while for Mary, until she nearly died from an overdose at age 25, which then lead to a bit of a downward spiral for her. Aunt Deb always took good care of Mary though, and helped her get back on her feet. Unfortunately, Steve and Kris could not be there to support her during this time, as their location for nearly ten years was on a strictly need-to know basis, thanks to them being in Naval intelligence and the SEALs. A lot of their adult lives were confidential, which lead to a big rift between them and Mary and Deb in LA. Mary blew them off in return, which Kris now understood that it was completely their fault, but Deb always made sure to check in on them whenever she could, and whenever they were able to.
Deb McGarrett had a heart of gold, and always saw the best in everyone. She never gave up on believing in Steve and Kris, and she knew that they were just as devoted to their jobs as her brother, their father once was. Deb secretly hoped that they would have a different and better life than John, but deep down, she knew that they would most likely have the exact same life as he once did, which was working until he died. Even when John was retired, he still worked every single day, up until his death. Deb hoped to god that Steve and Kris wouldn't end up like him, but she figured it was inevitable at this point. Thanks to John sending them away to boarding school, he practically sealed their fates. Deb hadn't talked to them in a few years now and was fearful for their futures. She hoped that they didn't become obsessed with his death as he did with their mother's death seventeen years ago.
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When Kris returns from her run, Steve is awake and fully dressed, after having gone on a (shorter) run of his own. He was ready for the day, and apparently had a full itinerary planned for the both of them. Kris quickly showered and got dressed, then listened to what Steve had planned out for the both of them. While Kris was out running, Steve asked the governor if they could borrow a car for the next few days until they could get the taskforce going, to which she agreed- there was a government Issue black SUV waiting outside for them as they spoke. Steve was going to go and recruit Detective Williams and get them to work with them on the case. Steve was impressed with his background, and after a quick little rundown on him, Kris was too. The next person that they had decided to ask to join their team was Chin-Ho Kelly. Even though Chin had been fired from HPD, Steve and Kris knew that he was still a good man and a cop. Chin was essentially an older brother to them when they were teenagers- he was always around their house, learning everything he could with their father, who was his training officer. Their father had trusted Chin with his life, and if John McGarrett could do that, then Steve and Kris could as well.
A coffee was quickly downed by each of the twins, then they head out for their day of recruiting. Steve had gotten Detective Williams' address from Duke, so that was their first stop. Steve pulled into the parking lot outside of the detective's shabby looking apartment complex, and hopped out, wishing his sister good luck.
Kris quickly hopped over to the driver's seat once Steve left, and drove over to Pearl Harbour, in hopes to find Chin-Ho working there. When she parks the car, she quickly goes over what she is going to say to him, then hops out of the car. Thankfully, it has stopped raining now, and it is a sunny and beautiful September day on the harbour. Kris tucks her phone in her pocket and makes sure that she has her wallet on her, then walks over to the gift shop, which is opening for the day. Thankfully, Chin-Ho is there, and he smiles when he sees her approaching.
"Hey, back so soon?" Chin asks, smiling as he begins to make his way over to Kris, who is now smiling back at him. They shake hands when they get close enough, then Kris asks if there is somewhere a little more private that they can talk. Chin quickly directs them inside the gift shop, which is still empty for the time being.
Chin and Kris make a little bit of small talk, mostly about how happy Kris must be to be back home on the island after all these years. To be honest with herself and Chin, Kris is very glad to be back home and feel a little bit of normalcy in her life for the first time in a while. Deep down, she really hopes that the taskforce will work out well for them, and that they can hopefully settle down back home.
Once Kris and Chin are seated, Kris gets right to the point. "I'm just going to jump right in. Yesterday, the Governor gave Steve and I command of the new state taskforce to take down Hesse and his accomplices. By the looks of it, we will be special forces in a way, and Steve and I want you. We need someone we know we can trust, and I know that our old man trusted you. We also need someone who knows this island like the back of their hand. We need your help." Kris offers to Chin calmly.
Chin sighs and looks down at the table. "I'm the last person that HPD wants to see with a badge again. We did not end on good terms." He replies, looking a little upset. He looks up at Kris, defeated. Kris nods, understanding his perspective.
"I understand that. But this is not HPD. We will be working under the governor's command. No backing, no red tape. Just us, doing our own thing. Sure, we will butt heads with HPD occasionally, but you are going to have to face them one day. We are willing and ready to help you when you do so." She explains to him.
Chin furrows his brows and looks a little skeptic towards the offer. Something like this must be too good to be true.
"HPD thinks that I stole money from their evidence locker, what is going to stop you guys from thinking the same?" Chin challenges, hoping to call out Kris' bluff. He assumes that she must be bluffing at this point, because nobody gave second chances like this. Never.
"My father trusted you with his life back in the day. You were a part of our family for a while Chin. If he can trust you, then so can we." Kris explains, now looking Chin in the eye, making sure that she can get a good read on him for the next thing she is going to ask.
"I will only ask you this once, then it will never be brought up again by me or Steve. Did you take the money?" Kris asks sternly.
Chin takes a deep breath and looks her in the eye before saying a firm "No.". Kris can't help but smile.
"Good. Well, the offer still stands. This is your ticket back in the game, Chin." Kris tells him, and then stands up and pushes her chair in, waiting for his response.
"You're sure you want me?" Chin asks once more.
Kris nods.
"alright. I'm in." He grins and stands up himself.
He and Kris shake hands once more and smile at each other.
"Welcome to the taskforce, Chin-Ho Kelly. Now please, raise your right hand." Kris says to him, and then swears him.
Chin chuckles in disbelief once he is sworn in, then quickly heads to the staff area to grab his things. Kris heads outside to wait for him.
While waiting on the pier, she pulls out her phone and calls Steve, who fills her in on his little outing with Detective Williams, who was investigating the possible involvement of Fred Doran, a local arms dealer who may have set Hesse and his crew up with their weapons. Doran himself was a dead end, but his house revealed a big break- Doran was involved in human trafficking. Kris wasn't surprised to hear those words, as Victor and Anton Hesse were highly involved in many human trafficking rings around the world, so it was easy to assume that Hesse contacted a trafficker to get onto Hawaii.
Kris quickly fills Steve in on her meeting with Chin, telling him that he agreed to join, and has been sworn in by Kris on a temporary basis until he can get sworn in by the governor. Steve tells her that the Detective is in as well, but Kris already knew that he was going to be, as Steve wasn't going to give him an option- he wanted him on the team no matter what. And if Kris was being completely honest with herself, she wanted him on the team too. His track record was great, and he was nice to look at too.
Chin meets up with Kris a few moments later, and she congratulates him again, then offers to give him a ride back to the palace, where they will be meeting up with Steve and Detective Williams. Chin declines, saying that he brought his bike to work today, so he would meet her there. Kris nods, and they go their separate ways.
Twenty minutes later, Kris parks the car at the Palace and waits for Chin to pull in beside her. They quickly make their way into the building and up the stairs to the new office. Kris gives Chin a little tour and lets him have first dibs on the three remaining offices. Chin chooses one and puts his bag down in there, and then heads out to meet Kris in the main room, where she fills him in on the case so far while they wait for Steve and the Detective to arrive.
Within a few minutes, Steve and the Detective arrive, looking awfully grumpy and generally unhappy to be around each other- Danny wont even look Steve in the eye right now, due to his anger towards him and how bad the raid at Doran's house went. Danny had managed not to get shot in his six months on the island. But within one day of knowing the McGarretts, he managed to get shot. He was thoroughly unimpressed. He really hoped that this wasn't going to be a normal occurrence for him but based on the fact that Kris was already nursing an injured arm, he had a feeling it would be.
Introductions are made, and the Detective insists on being called Danny, which Kris and Chin note.
Danny seems to be favouring his left arm a little bit when Kris looks at him and quickly analyzes him. When Chin asks him about it, Danny grumbles something about a woman biting him, which confuses Kris a little bit, but she doesn't question it any further. The moral of the story is his arm is injured. Kris makes a mental note to ask Steve about it later.
The new team then gathers around the table and discusses Steve and Danny's new findings. Thankfully, Chin pipes up and says that he may know someone who can help with the trafficking lead, which is a relief to Steve, Danny and Kris, who had no idea how to pursue that lead. Steve and Kris had hoped that having a local as well known and liked as Chin would help them out. And they were right.
"My guy may have the information, but he probably won't give it to you. He's not the biggest fan of haoles." Chin explains to the three outlanders who definitely would not pass as locals.
"but he'll talk to you, right?" Steve asks.
"if the price is right, yeah. His name is Kamekona Tupuola. He used to be a big-time gambler and arms dealer, 'till he got handed a five-year sentence in Halawa. He got out a few years back and since then, he has been running a legit shrimp and shaved ice truck. He still has connections to the black market though, so he may be able to help us out." Chin explains to everyone, who is listening intently.
"and he can be trusted?" Danny asks the question that was in everyone else's mind.
Chin nods. "He is a well-known CI with most of HPD. You may not have heard of him in homicide, but he was well known in organized crime and robbery. He's good. He helped me a lot in HPD." Chin replies, reassuring Danny, Steve and Kris all at once.
Kris slaps the table. "alright, let's get a move on then." She says to her team, grinning. She digs her SUV keys out of her pocket and tosses them to Steve so he can drive. She technically isn't supposed to be driving with her arm in a sling, so it's better if Steve does the driving until her arm is feeling a little bit better.
They all then file out of the office and back downstairs and to their cars. Kris ends up hopping in Danny's car, while Steve and chin take the SUV. Kris really wants to get a proper first impression on the detective, and she wants to make sure that he is a good fit for the team. Steve seems to think so based off of their meeting in the garage of their house, but Kris, being the control freak and leader she is, wants to be sure. She learned quickly in the Navy that she needs to be able to trust her co-workers and team members in order for their ops to go well, so she needs to make sure that Danny will fit in well. She already knows Chin will.
The first few minutes of the drive are silent while Danny and Kris try to feel each other out and figure out what is going on in each other's heads. Danny is still angry about Steve's impulsive actions back at Doran's house, which could have easily gotten them both killed, but that was not what was bothering him. What was truly bothering him was Steve's complete lack of empathy and common sense. Steve did not have a way with words, and so far, had come off pretty rude and offensive towards Danny, which just made him feel miserable. Danny was already dealing with enough misery in his life- he hated Hawaii with all of his being- but now, he had no choice to deal with a complete and utter moron who had no people skills and would most likely end up getting him killed before he can see his sweet Grace graduate elementary school. Danny secretly hoped that Kris had the brains between the twins and was a lot better with her people skills than her neanderthal of a brother, but he definitely wasn't getting his hopes up.
Kris on the other hand, was trying to figure out what made Detective Williams- Danny- tick. She didn't get to go in his apartment with Steve to get a real feel for him, and she only looked over his work file quickly, which really does not give her the full picture. He drives a Silver Camaro that is in impeccable shape, meaning that he is not a slob and that he is a good driver. So far, he hasn't done anything too reckless yet, meaning that he is quite careful too. Kris glances over to his visor and sees a picture of a little girl and a post card of New Jersey. She quickly thinks back to his file and recalls that he has a daughter, and that he transferred from Newark PD six months ago. Kris hasn't noticed a wedding band or anything on his person, meaning that he must be separated or divorced; he probably transferred out to Hawaii to be closer to his daughter by the looks of it. Kris makes a mental note to ask either Danny or Steve about it when it is appropriate. And finally, Kris takes a closer look at how Detective Williams presents himself. His blonde hair is always perfectly styled back, and he always makes sure to wear a tie with his dress shirts, meaning that he definitely cares about his appearance, and still is clinging onto the mainland, where detectives wear suits and ties. Here on Hawaii, the dress code is a lot more informal; it's hot year-round, and the only time suits are worn are weddings and funerals. Most detectives wear polos or Hawaiian shirts, which would be completely inappropriate on the mainland. Based on Danny's resentment towards Steve so far, He probably isn't impressed with Steve's lack of communication or people skills, so Kris makes sure to not tease him about anything for the time being. Good first impressions matter, especially when you are supposed to be working together and having each other's backs in dangerous situations. Based on all of this, Kris has a good idea about how to approach him now.
"So," She begins, "Steve wooed you with his great communication skills, right?" Kris chuckles, now looking over at Danny when they stop at a light.
Danny scoffs. "What gave you that idea?"
Kris smiles cheekily. "I've spent thirty years with the man. I think I know how dreadful he can be when talking human beings." She tells him. Danny raises his eyebrows and exhales loudly through his nose, half laughing. "so, what-" He says, and now looks over at Kris. "he's the brawn and you're the brains?" he asks, then looks back at the road and continues to drive, gripping the steering wheel a little tighter.
Kris shrugs. "more or less. It's more like... we're both the brawns and brains, but him more so the brawns and me more so the brains. People skills are not his strong suit."
"yeah, I learned that real quick." Danny mutters, now thinking about his throbbing arm.
"He'll grow on you. He always does. He's kind of like a parasite in that way." Kris jokes, hoping to break the tension building between her and Danny now. Danny just nods, obviously not too impressed.
"I just don't wanna end up six feet in the ground, okay? I got a kid, I wanna see her grow up- and with him being all impulsive and shit, I'm gonna get killed! I'm not a Navy SEAL like you two. I do things by the book, and I do things to stay alive- I do not have a death wish like you two." Danny says with a little bit of urgency- to kris, he sounds quite angry and upset about this.
Kris nods, now understanding his perspective. "okay. Okay. I can work with that. So can Steve, but we just need a little bit of time to adjust, you do need to understand that we have been in the navy since we were eighteen. Old habits do die hard, unfortunately." Kris explains to him, which causes him to loosen up a little bit. He sighs. "I- I didn't think about that. You're right. Sorry- Steve really got me goin'." Danny chuckles. Kris can't help but to smile at the detective. "I know. He's good at that. I just tune him out if he gets like that with me." She confesses, making Danny laugh again. When Danny stops at the next light, he turns and looks at Kris again. They half smile at each other. "And Danny," Kris begins in a softer voice, "We will do everything in our power to get you home safely to your daughter, okay? You have my word. And Steve's. He may not act like it, but he means it." she smiles sadly at him, feeling her heart pang in her chest. Kris tries not to think about the day that her mother didn't come home from work, but at times like these, she can't stop it. She still remembers seeing her father collapse in shock and devastation at the door- the gut-wrenching sobs that escaped her father's lips that day have been permanently trapped in her mind for nearly two decades now.
"thank you," Danny says softly, as he pulls up to the parking lot of the shrimp truck next to the SUV that Chin and Steve drove in. Danny and Kris hop out of the car and greet Steve and Chin, who are already out of the SUV and waiting. Kris nods at Chin, and he leads the way to the window of the shrimp truck.