Aumakua 5 of 10
Disclaimer: Hawaii 5-0 and characters belong to CBS, only the story is mine.
A/N: Thank you for reading. I’m glad that people are enjoying my story.
Getting back to Steve, Danny and Grace
Hele Wawae Mamao La 'Ekehi
Hike Day One
The trio had been hiking on and off most of the day when they found a good place to stop for the night. Steve had not wanted to push Danny or Grace who were not used to taking a long hike moreover they were all sore from the chopper’s crash. He also taught Danny and Grace how to hide their path. He knew a good tracker would easily follow them, but this would still buy them time.
“Okay, time to stop, this looks like a good place to spend the night.” The three hikers took off their packs and grabbed their canteens for a drink of water and sat down. Steve was checking out the small clearing to get an idea what would need to be done. “We'll need to clear the ground for a place to sleep. It will probably be a good idea if we can find some fruits to eat too. We don’t want to use up our supply of food if we can help it.”
“What do you need us to do Steve?” Asked Danny tiredly.
“We need to look at our food supply; I want to be sure that we will have plenty for an extra day just in case. I’m going to take a quick walk around to see if I can find any edible fruits as well as a water supply. That way we can supplement what we already have.” He looked at Grace. “Leia would you like to help me find some fruit for us to eat and extra water to drink?”
She smiles brightly. “Okay. I’d like to help.”
Steve returned the smile. “Good. Grab your canteen, your knife and something we could use to carry fruit.” He wanted to see what she would pick. He grabbed a bag out of his pack before teasing Danny. “Don’t worry, no pineapple, takes too long to open.”
Danny rolled his eyes. “Under the circumstances, edible will be acceptable even if it is pineapple.”
Grace giggled at her father as she joined Steve with a shirt she had made a knot in the bottom forming a bag. Steve smiled pleased holding out his hand. “Loa maika’i Grace. We won’t be long Danny.”
Danny noted Steve’s proud, though amused expression as he took Grace’s hand. He watched them leave thinking about the time he had thought Steve was terrible with kids. Either he had been very wrong or Steve was a fast learner. He decided it was a little of both. Today had revealed another side of his friend. He knew that Steve was trained for this kind of thing and that he and Grace were holding him back. However, Steve never let it show in word or deed. Steve had acted as if this was a regular hike, pointing out different trees and birds that they saw along the way after showing them ways to hide their trail. He even praised Grace for her skill in minimizing her trail. Now he was going to show her how to find fruit to eat in the wilderness that is Hawaii. If this kept up, Grace would insist on hiking and camping for fun! He can’t even be angry, because Steve has helped keep her from being afraid.
Meanwhile Steve led Grace deeper into the woods. He continued to teach Grace about the local fauna as they looked for food.
“΄Anakala Steve?”
“What’s up?”
“We’re not going to have a fire, are we?” Grace wondered.
“No, we’re not. Can you think of a reason why we shouldn’t have a fire?” Steve wanted to know if she had figured it out herself.
“Someone would see it. So to stay hidden we can’t have one right?” She looked at Steve.
He smiled as he tweaked her nose, making her giggle. “Fo’ Shua. You’re plenny akamai.” He wasn’t worried about her not understanding him; he had been teaching Grace Pidgin since she had moved in with Danny and him. He also knew that she was picking it up at her school. They walked a couple more feet when Steve spotted some Lilikoi. He stopped and pointed them out to Grace. “See that fruit there.” She nodded. “They are called Lilikoi, they're like passion fruit. They look nice and ripe too. I’ll show you how to tell.” So Steve showed Grace how to tell which fruit was ripe and the best way to pick them.
“How many should we pick ΄Anakala?”
“Since they’re small, we’ll pick six for each of us. We will be able to save some for the hike tomorrow. I’m sure that we can find something else before we head back, so we need to save some room.” They proceeded to pick eighteen Lilikoi fruit and put them in Grace’s “bag”. “Now let’s see what else we can find.” They picked up their bags and headed to the right. Steve decided to circle the campsite. He didn’t want to go too far, they still had to do some more hiking tomorrow. They also found a couple of Java Plum trees and picked some fruit as well as some macadamia nuts to pick. They did not find a source of water. Steve wasn’t too worried about it though. He figured that the fruit would help them stay hydrated and more than likely they would find something tomorrow. “Alright Grace, I think we’ve done enough searching. It will be getting dark soon enough, and I would rather we be ready before it does.”
“Okay ΄Anakala Steve.” She took his hand as they headed towards their camp.
Steve noticed that she was kind of quiet and asked her about it. “Is there something wrong Leia?”
Grace whispered. “I’m scared ΄Anakala Steve. I’ve never spent the night outside before. I know that we planned to go camping, but this is different.” She looked at him with wet eyes and trembling lips.
Steve squatted, putting his bag down so he could hug Grace. Steve had been waiting for something like this. Grace may be a brave little girl, but she was still a little girl who was almost killed earlier that day. “I know you’re scared Leia, and that’s okay. I’m scared too.”
She pulled back to look at him. “How can you be scared? Daddy says that you’re one of the bravest men he knows.”
He gently brushed some hair out of her face smiling softly. “Being brave doesn’t mean that you don’t feel fear. It means that you do what has to be done in spite of the fear. Do you remember when we watched Disney’s Beauty and the Beast?” Grace nodded. “Do you remember how scared Belle was when she first entered the Beast’s castle? She still entered it though, didn’t she? She was very brave, just like you. You have been helping me all day, even though you were afraid.”
Grace searched Steve’s face finding complete sincerity and believed him. She hugged him tightly sniffing. “Thank you ΄Anakala Steve. I didn’t want to let you or Danno down.”
Steve tightened his hold on her reassuringly. “You could never disappoint your dad or me for being afraid. Do you know why?” Grace shook her head. “It’s because we love you.”
Grace pulled back to look at a smiling Steve surprised. He’d said the words that Danno told her were hard for him. “I love you too ‘Anakala Steve.” She returned to hugging him tightly.
Steve kissed her hair as warmth spread through his chest. It had been too long since he’d heard those words. He held her for a few minutes relishing in the feeling of holding his kaikamahine before speaking in a practical manner again. “It’s going to be dark soon, so we should get back to camp and see if we can make our beds nice and comfortable. What do you think?” He pulled back so that he could see her face and gently wiped a couple of tears away.
“Okay ΄Anakala Steve.” Steve smiled grabbing his bag and picked Grace up so that he could carry her back. “Hey, I can walk.”
“I know you can. I wanted to carry you. Would you rather I carry you over my shoulder? I could do that.” So he moved her so he was using a fireman’s carry.
She giggled from her upside down position. “Hey, I’m not a sack of potatoes you know.”
Steve threw his head back laughing. “No you’re not. You are my nani kaikamahine.” Still, he kept her slung over his shoulder as they walked back to camp.
Danny watched Steve step through the bushes and tried not to laugh at the sight of his daughter hanging over his partner’s shoulder. "What, did you get too tired to walk Monkey?”
“No, ΄Anakala Steve decided I was a sack of potatoes.” She huffed in pretended exasperation.
Danny laughed as Steve put the bag of fruit and his daughter down. Before Grace could move away Steve grabbed her by the waist and hoisted her so that she was above his head while she shrieked with laughter. “Well, maybe I should toss you around like a sack of potatoes.” He pretended to toss her in the air before setting her back down.
“Save me Danno!” Grace ran to her father and jumped into his arms nearly knocking him over.
The threesome laughed. “I see you found some fruit, your bags are nice and full.”
Grace nodded. “We found some Lilikoi, some Java Plums and Macadamia nuts.”
Steve was looking at the sky while Danny and Grace were talking. “I hate to interrupt, but we should prepare a place to sleep and eat before it gets dark. We can’t afford a fire because of search and rescue.”
“Alright Steve. Let’s get ready for our night out.”
As Steve directed and/or demonstrated what was needed, the three worked together to create a space to sleep that would be easy to hide in the morning. Once that was done, Steve prepared the fruit with Grace’s help, and Danny grabbed two peanut butter and jam sandwiches and some bottled water for them to share.
As they were eating Danny asked a question that had been nagging at him most of the day. “Steve, I’ve been wondering about something since before the crash.” Steve looked at Danny quirking his eyebrow in question. “You were already looking to land before that guy contacted us. You said something about the owl acting weird. Why did that bother you?”
Steve shifted so he could look at both Danny and Grace before answering. “Danny do you remember when I told you and good old Joey about the Hawaiian belief in having an 'Aumakua?” Danny nodded. “It had to do with that belief.” At Grace’s curious look Steve tried to explain. “Let me tell you about the 'Aumakua Leia. The Hawaiian’s believe that our ancestors can come to us when we are in need of help. They can appear to us in the form of an animal, fauna, or mineral either in the physical world or they can enter our dreams. We might need advice, to be led to safety when lost, or even warned of danger. Our 'Aumakua will show up and help us. It is said that you will know your 'Aumakua when you see him or her. We just need to be open to the possibility. Do you understand so far?”
“I think so. The 'Aumakua is not always the same every time you see him?”
Steve smiled. “That’s exactly right Grace. If we had been on a boat the 'Aumakua could be a shark, a dolphin, or even a sea turtle. It depends on where you are located, and your particular needs. Do you remember the Pueo Owl we saw today? Do you remember how it acted?” She nodded. Danny looked confused; he hadn’t really been able to see how the owl behaved from the back seat. “Do you want to tell your dad what it did Leia?”
“It flew towards us, then turned and flew towards the clearing where we crashed. It did it again, coming even closer to us.” Danny’s eyebrows shot up; even he knew that was not normal for a bird of any kind.
“I swear it looked right at me Danny, that’s how I knew something wasn’t right. I started heading for the clearing. You know the rest.”
“I guess I’m just wondering why you were so quick to believe you were seeing an 'Aumakua. You’re so good with science, I would think that science and beliefs of a spiritual nature would be difficult to reconcile.” Normally Danny would give Steve grief, but his actions saved them today. So Steve earned a break this time.
Steve was looking at Danny and Grace, trying to decide if he should talk about his previous experience. He really shouldn’t, it was part of a classified mission. He took a deep breath making up his mind. “It’s not the first time I've been saved by my 'Aumakua. I can’t give you the details; the mission I was on is still considered all secret and hush, hush. Can you keep a secret Leia?” She nodded vigorously. He smiled at her as he continued. “I was leading a team of SEALs through a jungle in South America. We were ordered to bring some very bad men to justice. I was startled by a Capuchin Monkey who dropped onto a branch to my right. I signaled my team to stop. I was afraid that the monkey might give our position away. It waved its arms frantically looking right at me, not making a sound. When I didn’t seem to understand, it did it again. It seemed so intent, like it was warning me about something. I remembered the stories I had heard in my youth about 'Aumakuas and decided that it was better safe than sorry. I signaled two of my team to go ahead and scout the area. Once I did that the monkey disappeared into the trees. The scouts returned with the news that we were heading for a trap. Somehow the bad guys knew we were coming and were ready for us. I was able to change our plans and the mission was successful. I firmly believe that the monkey saved the lives of my team. That’s why I was quick to believe that the owl’s odd behavior was a warning Danny.”
The two Williams stared at Steve. Danny in disbelief, and Grace in awe. She moved over to Steve sat in his lap and hugged him. “I’m glad you listened to that monkey. If you hadn’t you wouldn’t have come to Hawaii and become my ‘Anakala.”
He returned her hug, closing his eyes to keep tears at bay. “I am too kiddo. I'd have missed out on getting to know you and your dad.” He clapped Danny on the shoulder which snapped him out of his stupor.
Danny blinked, realizing that he was grateful to that monkey too. Even though Steve could drive him around the bend sometimes, he was still the best friend and partner Danny had ever had. “I’m glad that you listened both times Steve. My life would be very boring without you in it, safer, but boring.” Both men laughed as Grace giggled.
Steve reached one-handed for the first-aid kit and pulled out a couple of bottles. “I have some pain reliever here for the three of us. We are all sore from the crash and the hike. I want us to be able to get some rest tonight. This bottle is for children.”
He opened it and dropped two pills in her hand. “Mahalo.” She popped them in her mouth and began chewing.
Steve opened the other bottle and dropped two pills in Danny’s hand and two in his own. “Thanks Steve.” Danny handed Steve his canteen so he could take his pills before grabbing his own.
“Now that is taken care of, we should get settled for the night. Danny and Grace, there's a good place to relieve your bladder just through those trees.” He pointed to their left. “There are no poisonous plants or leaves so don’t worry about what you pick to use instead of toilet paper. I’ll call Chin and my friend while you’re taking care of business, then I’ll go.” Steve pulled out the SAT phone and called Chin as Danny and Grace walked off.
“Detective Kelly.”
“Chin, it’s Steve. We’ve stopped for the night. How goes the investigation?” Steve asked.
”Glad to hear that you guys are still okay. Kono and I have found who we think is responsible for your crash. Word is that there is a new player in Hawaii. At least two drug traffickers have been brutally murdered. This agrees with the information that Kamakono had. We believe we have a name, rather names of the people behind your ‘death’.”
Steve sat up straighter. “Did you say names? As in there is more than one person involved in trying to kill us?”
Chin answered. “Yeah. Kamekono was able to get me a name, Cameron, but didn’t have anything else. Meanwhile Kono discovered information about twin brothers, Lloyd and Liam Cameron who are believed to be responsible for similar actions in LA. They've been in Hawaii for two months. Shortly after their arrival, a major drug trafficker was brutally killed. A second trafficker was murdered last week. Now the attempt to kill you has happened. This is the same thing that happened in LA according to records. Kono and I will keep digging and will be able to fill you in when you get back.”
“Good work Chin. I imagine that Search and Rescue have found the chopper by now. How did that go?”
“I was visited by a Lieutenant McShane from Search and Rescue. They have found your helicopter. At this time, you are presumed dead since they haven’t found any signs of survivors.”
“Who informed Rachel and Stan?”
“Fortunately, the Lieutenant notified us first so I suggested that he speak to Stan first. That way he could be with Rachel when she was told. She had to be sedated and is currently at the hospital.” Chin sighed.
Steve grimaced. “I am not looking forward to the confrontation when she finds out we are actually alive and played dead.”
Chin agreed. “Better you than me brah. Stan will probably understand, but I don’t know what he will be able to do.”
“No sense in worrying about it. We have more important things to be concerned with right now. You can start investigating ‘the crash’ officially. I’ll call tomorrow when I know when we'll be picked up. Be careful you two. It sounds like these brothers are very bad news.” Steve reminded Chin, concerned for his team’s safety.
“We will brah. You three stay safe. Sleep tight.”
Steve chuckled. “We’ll try. Later brah.” He hung up.
Next he called his friend Alan.
“Hello.”
“Hey Alan, it’s Steve McGarrett.”
“Steve, been a long time since you called. Howzit?”
Steve told Alan about the chopper crash.
Alan interrupted. “That was you brah? A helicopter crash in the Napali Coastal area has been all over the news. Are you okay?”
“Yeah, we’re fine Alan. Unfortunately we are going to have to stay dead until we can get off the island.”
“What kind of trouble did you get yourself into this time Steve?” Alan asked.
Steve sighed. “Someone sabotaged the chopper Alan, trying to kill my partner, Detective Williams, and myself. I had enough warning to get the chopper close enough to the ground so the crash wasn’t too bad.”
“Wasn’t too bad? I heard that the chopper is a smoking mess! That’s why you are presumed dead. They're looking for your bodies.” Alan was incredulous.
“Oh, it is now. It was rigged to blow after it crashed. I was able to get Danny and his daughter out of the chopper and a fair distance away before it blew. We were very lucky. Danny and I thought it was best if we play possum and let the saboteur think he succeeded. My other Five-0 team members are investigating the crash.”
“So what do you need from me Steve?”
“I need you and Mark to pick us up without notifying anyone. We are headed for the Na Pali Coast State Wilderness Park. From the information that I read, you should be able to reach it by boat. If you can’t, it can be reached on land. Hopefully it will be no later than tomorrow afternoon.”
“Okay, we can do that for you. I will get things lined up. Mark and I will take one of our extended fishing excursions. Fortunately we haven’t done that recently or it would be suspicious. Do you have food? Does the area have enough fruit and nut trees around for you?” Alan added.
Steve smiled. “We’re fine. We brought three backpacks which I had packed with food and water. I had planned on having a small hike after we returned from our aerial tour before having a picnic lunch. So far, we have been able to find some fruit and nuts to add to our food supply. I don’t see us having a problem if we have to stay an extra day or two. I don’t want to push Danny and Grace who is only eight. They're not used to hiking and camping, and we are all sore from the crash. I appreciate the concern Alan.”
“Glad to hear it. Contact me when you are at the park and Mark and I will let you know how long until we can pick you up. Take care of yourself Steve.”
“Will do, Alan.” Steve hung up and headed for the bushes himself.
When Steve had returned from ‘using’ the facilities, he had Grace lie down between the two men for comfort and safety. “If either of you have to go during the night, wake me up, I have a flashlight we can use and I’ll take you. Goodnight Leia and Danno.”
“Goodnight ΄Anakala Steve.” Grace gave him a quick hug than hugged her father. “Goodnight Danno.”
Danny returned her hug. “Goodnight Monkey. Goodnight Steve.” Danny was relieved that Grace seemed to be okay with staying out in the open like this, he didn’t know about the talk that she and Steve had had earlier. He would find out later and be grateful for Steve’s understanding and kind words for his daughter.
The three of them settled down for the night with their heads on their backpacks.
TBC
Plenny: plenty
Akamai: smart
Fo’ Shua: for sure
Nani: beautiful/pretty
Maika'i: good
Kaikamahine: niece
I read the information on 'aumakua on the following websites http://www(dot)coffeetimes(dot)com/aumakua(dot)htm and http://www(dot)kaleoaloha(dot)com/aumakua(dot)html I hope I do the concept justice.