Chapter 05
“Wow, this is all so great,” Abby rambled on as she and Tony left the Five-0 office. “I just have to remember to put on a lot of sunscreen before I go out anywhere. Hey Tony! Maybe you and I can take a surf lesson or something if we have time before we go back!”
“Yeah, sure,” he mumbled as he played with his phone, occasionally scrolling down to Ziva’s name before clearing the screen. “Did you know that Ziva knew someone out here?”
Abby frowned as she rested her chin on the headrest of the seat as she looked back at her friend. “No, but it’s hardly surprising. She’s been all over the world even before she started at NCIS. You shouldn’t let it bother you.”
“What? It doesn’t bother me Abby,” Tony frowned. “I was just a bit surprised is all. I mean, what do we really know about the guy, or any of them for that matter?”
“What do you want to know Agent DiNozzo?” Kono asked as she sidled up beside Abby.
“Oh… there you are, Kono was it?” Tony asked, “I was just uh… just conferring with my colleague about the case.”
“No, you were asking about Ziva’s friends here. Not so subtly about the Commander. He’s cute!” Abby replied as she hooked her arm around Tony’s.
“Sure, if you like the tall, dark and muscled look,” Tony replied, “But who’d fall for that… I mean really?”
“I would!” both Abby and Kono said in unison before Kono added, “You should see him in his Navy uniform.”
Tony instantly frowned, having felt that blow to his own ego take a severe hit. “Whatever,” he mumbled as he gently shrugged Abby off before going over to a nearby stand to buy himself something to drink by means of a distraction.
“I take it that Agent DiNozzo and Agent David were an item?” Kono prodded gently.
Abby frowned and shook her head. “No. It was more of one of those will they or won’t they type of things. I always thought that they had a thing together but they never were quite the same after a couple of missions they both had to deal with. I don’t think either of them got over that bump but they are friends. Just – a volatile pair.”
“Ahh,” Kono nodded, “Well I haven’t seen the boss like this… ever. I haven’t known him very long but he’s always so calm and collected, y’know. His SEAL training being what it was. But ever since she and Agent McGee arrived, I don’t know. McGarrett seems different.”
“Like he could be happy?” the woman threw out, recognizing the same look in her friend the moment she saw her when she ran out of the tunnel.
“Yeah, I guess. I mean, I don’t think I’ve ever seen the boss truly happy. He formed the team not long after burying his father who was murdered. When he hasn’t been working on cases, he’s pretty much been working on his Dad’s case,” the rookie officer explained.
“Tony is just being Tony. He worries for all of us, especially Ziva. He’s lost his partner too often and her more than once already. He’s afraid of losing her again,” Abby said. “The goal to cheering Tony up is girls. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.”
“I get that he doesn’t want to lose his partner, I do,” Kono sighed, “But she’ll be heading home with the rest of you. Won’t she?”
“Yeah. I have no doubt that she’ll be coming back, if not with us then after a short vacation that I know she is long overdue for. After what I’ve seen so far, and how she’s dealt with Gibbs – it’s a matter of if she’ll stay in D.C. I hope she does – no offense. Hawaii is great and all but it’s not home. Oh! Hey! Where can I get a Caf-Pow?”
“Caf-Pow? I’m really not sure,” Kono replied. She had heard about Miss Sciuto’s addiction to the caffeine infused beverage, and the Caf-Pow company sponsored several surfing competitions that she took part in early in her career, but finding it would be difficult. She only hoped that they could find a store with a machine somewhere between Headquarters and the HPD lab complex.
Abby pouted as Tony finally made his way back with bottles of pina colada flavored Mystic drinks, handing one each to the girls. “So – other than surfing, what else do you guys do for fun out here?” he asked, his usual mask being slipped back on.
“We hike, we drink, we gamble, there’s more to Hawaii than the beach Agent DiNozzo,” Kono replied, a small smile forming on her lips. “But I’m afraid you’ll be too busy to enjoy any of that.”
His lips pulled back into a smile. “Well, maybe you can show me some of the finer sights if we do get the opportunity?” he asked sweetly, making Abby rolls her eyes and give Kono a look as if to say I told you so.
Kono simply laughed it off and made her way toward the rental. Although DiNozzo seemed like a nice enough guy, she wasn’t interested in him. He was way too boring for her tastes. “Do you wanna drive or shall I?”
Tony looked at Abby and shrugged. He tossed the keys to her. “You know where you’re going. Just don’t go too fast – I get car sick easily…”
“You get car sick?” Kono frowned, “I gotta say Agent DiNozzo, that’s pretty surprising.”
He paused as he made his way to the car. “You never rode with Gibbs. The man is a maniac,” he replied.
Abby laughed. “He drives fine with me.”
“Then there is Ziva. I puked, McGee I think wet himself on that first time she drove the truck…” DiNozzo continued on with the team’s driving history.
“That’s because he had to sit in the back with all the gear,” Abby said, slapping Tony’s shoulder. “And Ziva’s gotten better since then.”
“Abby, we were all in the front screaming for our lives. She went west on and east bound road. There is more I can gladly tell you about – oh! She rear-ended an ambassador’s sedan…then bribed me to say I was driving! Why? Because she had FOUR accidents in her personal vehicle before that.”
“Gibbs trusts her to drive,” Abby said with resolve, “I bet she’s driving the boat they rented as we speak. You’re just upset that you get car sick.”
“Nah. My money is on her and Gibbs having a long talk about the rules,” he sighed happily as he tried to imagine the scene. “Didn’t he sit you and McGee down when he first came to DC?”
“Noooo! Why would he?” Abby asked with an innocent smile. “Gibbs trusts me to make the right decisions.”
Tony frowned again. “Wait – so you’re saying that he was okay with you and McGee but anytime I flirted with Ziva or Paula, I got headslapped and reminded of Rule 12. This is so unfair!”
“I didn’t say he was okay with what me and McGee may or may not have had,” Abby smiled sweetly. “But I didn’t exactly go flirting with McGee around Gibbs. Besides, Gibbs did warn McGee about dating me.”
“Warning him about the coffin isn’t exactly teaching him rule 12 Abs, McGiggles should have gotten his head slapped a few more times!” Tony said defiantly.
“I’m sorry, but what are you two talking about? Coffins and rules?” Kono asked, interrupting as she turned the corner on their way to the lab.
“It’s our boss, he has a whole set of rules which he lives by and we also have to live by them because we’re on his team. Never date a coworker is just one of the rules that sucks a lotta fun out of life,” he explained before turning to Abby with his familiar teasing smirk. “Rules don’t always apply to Abby though because she’s the favourite.”
“Wow. That does suck,” Kono replied. “It would never fly out here though. Steve and Danny have their own rules as well but they tend to conflict with each other.”
“You mean that none of ’em ever took a run at you?” Tony asked, “Not even the Hawaiian guy? What’s his name? Chin?”
She laughed heartily and shook her head. “Chin is my cousin, brah. And if either of them tried, he knows that I can take care of myself, although Danny wouldn’t be so bad. He’s kinda cute I admit.”
“Oh he is!” Abby chanted. “Is he single?”
“Divorced. Rachel is remarried and living on the island. That’s the only reason why he’s here as long as he is because he wants to be closer to his daughter,” she explained.
“Aww,” Abby half smiled, knowing that DiNozzo was glowing a nice shade of red.
“Okay, let’s just get over to the lab while I remove my foot from my mouth,” he said before looking out of the window.
Kono glanced at the man in the rear view mirror and frowned. “Your boss said something about being back by Wednesday. Do you think that we can solve the case by then?” she asked as she attempted to change the subject.
“Once Abby and Ducky get a look at the evidence, sure,” Tony replied. “Because god knows we need some leads.”
“Well the good thing about working with Five-0 for you guys is that while you are limited by certain boundaries and laws, we aren’t as long as it stays in Hawaii. Steve has a free pass for everything courtesy of the governor,” she encouraged. “Means we don’t have to wait and argue for warrants and other red tape.”
Tony’s eyebrow shot up. “Do you think Gibbs can convince Vance to get us one of those?”
“Doubt it. She gave the team full immunity after Steve’s father was murdered the way he was but the same terrorist he spent years tracking. She said she wanted to create a task force to keep threats like Victor Hess off the islands. It has its ups and its downs. Danny is like the voice of reason to try to not go overboard with the methods that Steve is used to using, especially when trying to get a source to talk. Being a former SEAL and all.”
“Not a bad gig,” Tony was genuinely impressed. “Still doesn’t beat working for NCIS though. For one, you guys don’t have Abby.”
“Aww! Thanks Tony! I love you too!” Abby grinned as she turned around in her seat to look at him. “Also, you get to travel overseas for missions too. I mean you got to go to Paris with Ziva! I would die to go to Paris!”
“We’ve got everything we need out here,” Kono smiled, “Good surf, great food, gorgeous weather.”
“Volcanoes, storms, sharks,” Tony added, “I doubt any of our team could live out here full time.”
“I would but I would burn too easily. Same with McGee. Gibbs might, if he chose to retire again. I think Ziva would too, if she had reason enough,” the man’s friend rambled on. “I could see you out here too, trying to compete with the vacationing college guys.”
“Please…” Tony scoffed. “They wouldn’t keep up with me.”
The girls laughed as Kono pulled into the HPD’s lab building lot. “We are here,” she announced. “I called ahead to find out who they have sticking with you and it’s a friend of mine so you’ll be good. He promises he won’t get in your way and will help you out with anything to need. His name is Charlie and really sweet.”
“Charlie? Oh lord,” Tony muttered as he remembered Abby’s last assistant that was out to get him. Charles ‘Chip’ Sterling. “Why oh why…”
“Tony!” Abby said, grabbing her friends wrist and squeezing with all her might. “You’re not leaving, right?”
“No, I’m not going anywhere. Gibbs would have my head if I did but even then, I still wouldn’t unless you were absolutely safe,” he smiled and pulled her over for a reassuring hug.
“May I ask what is going on?” Kono asked.
Tony sighed. “Crazy lab tech that the former director hired to help Abby tried to kill her and frame me for murder because he screwed up some lab tests on evidence in a case and I complained to the company. He was pissed because they fired him and blamed me.”
“Oh…” Kono was taken aback, “You guys at NCIS really know how to party. Well, like I said Abby, Charlie is a nice guy and has work of his own to be getting on with. You probably won’t even see him.”
“It’s second nature for Tony now. Getting accused of murder and all,” Abby shrugged and smiled sweetly at her friend as he frowned.
“Can we get off that subject now? Next thing I know is that you’ll come up with my DNA again and everyone knows I haven’t been out of DC for ages.”
“You must suck at booking vacations,” Kono teased as she signed them in and led them through the reception area before bringing them to the lab where Abby was quickly lost in her own world.
Later that afternoon, Five-0 received a call from NCIS in D.C. Danny had been in his office with Grace coloring quietly on the floor, when he answered. “Five-0, Detective Danny Williams,” he said into the phone as he flipped through another page of the case file he was looking over.
“Detective Williams, this is Director Leon Vance of NCIS,” the voice on the other end greeted back. “May I ask how your team is progressing with my people?”
“We’re working very hard to discover just how Agent Owen’s died sir,” he replied in hushed tones. “Agents Gibbs and David are investigating a lead with Lt. Commander McGarrett as we speak. And Miss Scuito is currently processing the evidence we collected at the Honolulu Police Department Forensic laboratories.”
“Good,” Vance’s baritone voice replied. “Please inform Agent Gibbs that Doctor Mallard has concluded his work with Doctor’s Soroyan and Brennan and will be joining you in Hawaii. His jet should be touching down in two hours.”
“I might not be able to reach Agent Gibbs sir. Cell phone coverage isn’t all that great where they went,” Danny replied.
“Then have DiNozzo collect Ducky from the Airport,” Vance replied. “Give my best to Governor Jameson.”
The man rolled his eyes and nodded despite the caller being unable to see. “Will do. Do you want me to have your people call you back – Gracie! Please don’t get the crayons on the floor!”
“No need unless they have something worthwhile. Good day Detective,” Vance said finally before hanging up.
“CHIN!” Danny called out as he sighed, watching his daughter try to scrub the crayon marked she got on the floor.
“Okay guys, now I know we barely know each other. I’ve got my way of getting things done, you’ve got your own quirks. But Leroy Jethro Gibbs needs your best work, which means I need your best work,” Abby explained as she stood in the center of the alien forensics lab. This wasn’t her lab, it wasn’t her equipment, and that made her feel strange, almost naked even. But she was in Hawaii, with her friends, so she took some comfort from that.
“Uhh, what is she doing?” Kono asked quietly as she, Charlie and DiNozzo watched Abby seemingly talk to herself.
Tony looked up from the magazine he picked up to thumb through. “Talking to the machines. She believes that if she treats them nicely, they will be nice to her by giving answers that Gibbs wants. Believe it or not, sometimes it seems to work.”
“I can vouch for that,” Charlie smiled. “Are you sure I can’t help her out? When I heard that the Abby Sciuto was in town and needed a lab to work with, I cleared my schedule to be here. Her paper on the removal of chemical contaminants was groundbreaking.”
“Oh another fan. Joy. It’s entirely up to her. Just be careful she doesn’t bite your hand off. I still have to track down Caf-Pow for her,” he smiled. “Plus she might even put a collar of bells on you so that you can’t sneak up behind her.”
“Caf-Pow? We have some in the Staff Lounge,” Charlie smiled, “You don’t work forensics and not drink Caf-Pow. I’ll go get her a cup. Care to join me, Kono?”
She raised and eyebrow and nodded silently. She did not dare to say what she was thinking – that these people were more crazy than Steve’s G-I Joe antics as she followed her friend.
“Do you need any help Abs?” Tony asked, suddenly feeling like a spare part.
“Aww, Tony… no. You’ll just get in my way,” she replied as she began looking around the lab for the various pieces of equipment and the supplies she’d need. “Just stand back and let me work.”
“Great, makes me wish I brought a magazine or my iPod or something,” Tony sighed before finding an empty stool and plonking himself down on it. He immediately got to his feet again when his phone started ringing. There was no time to sit down on the job, it wouldn’t surprise him if it wasn’t Gibbs calling to order him to get back to work.
“DiNozzo. Yeah… he is? Okay. Does Agent Gibbs know? Alright, well I’ll go and collect him, pick up Abby on my way back and meet everyone back at your offices.” As quickly as the conversation began, it had ended. “Abby, Ducky’s flying into town. Will you be okay here while I go get him from the airport?”
“I’m good. They are pretty well set up,” she replied after she looked around again really good. “I got mass-spec over there, computers here…yeah, I’m good. Go. Get the Duck-man.”
“Alright, well Charlie’s gonna bring you some Caf-Pow,” Tony smiled. “He’ll be around if you need a hand and you can reach me on my cell. Now I just gotta wait for him and the chick-cop gets back. She has the keys.”
