This is the third chapter (of 10) of 'Affairs of the Heart' and ML / H50 crossover story for challenge 140. In this story, Mick has finally agreed to turn Beth, but is dragging his feet. In the first two chapters, we saw an awkward parting between Mick and Beth as Beth left to spend a few days in Hawaii with Mary Ann McGarrett. Beth has now arrived in Hawaii and in his sister's absence, Steve McGarrett has driven Beth to her hotel on the North Shore. As Steve was escorting Beth to her cottage, someone else saw them. This chapter takes place the next morning.
As always, I don't own any of the characters, I just like to play with them.
Please, enjoy!
Affairs of the Heart
Chapter 3
The next morning, Beth woke early, her body still on LA time. In the pre-dawn darkness, she lingered in bed, still weary from the previous day’s journey and emotionally spent from her stalemate with Mick. What bothered her now was a slight headache and last night’s possible indiscretions.
Note to self; you can’t drink like you used to. Maybe it was the wine or maybe Steve is just so easy to talk to, but either way, I think I said waaaay too much. Mick and I have our problems, but every married couple does. OK, so maybe our issues aren’t typical, but they can be worked out. Leave it to Steve to point out that I’ve never asked Mick why he’s dragging his feet. I just assumed he felt guilty about turning me. But maybe there is more to it than that. When I get home, I’m going to find out.
The sun had not yet risen when Beth had breakfast on the lanai. The young man who delivered her meal seemed friendly enough, but a little nervous as well, glancing around her room as if he were looking for something. Whatever it was, he seemed puzzled when he didn’t find it.
After breakfast, Beth showered and dressed, anxious to see what the resort had to offer now that the sun was up. Hopefully, Mary Ann would arrive soon so that they’d have some time to visit and see the sights. Walking toward the main building, she encountered a little girl on the beach, alone and crying.
Beth crouched down to be on the little girl’s eye level. “Hey, are you OK?”
A simple head shake was her answer.
“What’s your name, sweetie? Are you staying at the hotel?”
The little girl nodded and whispered “Kylie. Kylie Simmons. I want my mommy”.
“Well Kylie, let’s get you back to your mommy, OK? Are you staying in the main part of the hotel or in one of the cottages?”
Kylie didn’t answer, but her eyes grew wide and she began to scream.
Turning, Beth gasped at seeing what had upset the child so, then positioned herself to block Kylie’s view. One of the hotel staff who had heard the screams came running, stopping dead in his tracks at the water’s edge. Holding Kylie close, Beth told the young man to call the police, then find Kylie’s mother.
Making sure the little girl’s view was blocked, Beth walked her away from the water, glancing back at the horror that had just washed ashore.
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Steve McGarrett woke abruptly to the sound of someone pounding on his front door. He didn’t know what was worse – having his rare Sunday morning sleep-in disturbed or that very pleasant dream he was having interrupted. Unfortunately, that same dream was going to make walking down the steps to open the door rather uncomfortable.
Whoever is out there better have a damn good reason ….
As soon as the door was opened, his partner stormed in. “What is the matter with you, huh? Do you have some kind of death wish or something?”
“Danny, it’s too early for this. What’s up?”
“You, apparently.” Danny shoved a copy of one of Honolulu’s sleazier tabloids at his bleary-eyed partner. “At least you had sense enough to come home last night. What the hell were you thinking?”
Splashed across the page was a picture of Steve and Beth entering her beach cottage, with the banner headline reading “Oh No! Married Mystery Woman Hooks Up with ‘Head’ of 5-0”. Underneath the picture were further teases about the use of handcuffs and ‘interrogation techniques’ in the lover’s nest.
“Shit!”
“It gets better.”
Turning the page, a now wide-awake Steve found several more photos of Beth and himself getting out of his truck at the hotel, then walking down the path with him carrying her suitcase. The photo had been altered, but for anyone else seeing it, it would appear the couple was holding hands.
“Fuck!!”
“For your sake, I hope you didn’t…”
“Danny!! Get serious!!”
“I am serious. Tell me you didn’t …”
“Of course I didn’t!!”
“What exactly did you do?”
“I picked Beth up at the airport, drove her to the hotel and carried her bag to her cottage.”
“That’s it?”
Steve sighed. “Not exactly. Since Mary was a no-show, I offered to spring for an early dinner in the hotel’s dining room. We had a few glasses of wine and talked, then I walked Beth back to the cottage and left. That’s it.”
Danny groaned and rolled his eyes. “That’s it, he says. How many people were in the dining room, huh? How many people saw you having dinner with a married woman?”
“I don’t know, maybe 20 or so.”
“Listen, Steven. For the rest of her visit, stay away from that woman. If she needs a ride back to the airport, hire a limo. I’ll pay for it.”
“Yeah, well the first thing I’m going to do is call Beth and apologize….”
“What part of Stay Away From That Woman did you not understand?”
Before he could answer, Steve’s phone rang. “Kono? Aren’t you on vacation?…..Yeah….OK…. Danny is here with me…. You don’t want to know….Listen, call Chin and we’ll meet at your location. We’ll be there in 40. And Kono? If Adam’s there, tell him to take a hike.”
“What? Kono caught a case?”
“Yeah…a body, or at least most of one, washed ashore this morning where Kono is staying. She said the head, hands and feet had been cut off….a signature Yakuza execution. A tourist found the body but a little girl may be involved as well.”
“That’ll give Max a challenge trying to ID the guy. Where’s Kono staying?”
“Same place Beth is….Turtle Bay.”
“Shit! OK, listen to me. We’ll take my car and leave your truck here. No use in announcing your return. And Steve? I’m driving.”
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Josef didn’t knock on Mick’s door – he just let himself in, then proceeded up the stairs and through the gray door to where the younger vampire was sleeping. He thought about pounding on the freezer, or maybe just pounding some sense into his friend, but he didn’t need Mick any more pissed off than necessary.
Opening the freezer’s lid, Josef merely called his friend’s name. Fangs bared, Mick’s eyes popped open, silver in the room’s dim light. Seeing Josef, Mick reverted. “I have got to change the lock on my door.”
“You could put a dozen locks on…I’d still get in. Get dressed and come downstairs. We need to talk.”
With that, Josef left. A few minutes later Mick joined him and was handed a glass of crimson liquid.
“You didn’t come all the way over here to make me breakfast, Josef. What’s wrong?”
“Have you heard from Beth recently?”
If Josef’s solemn demeanor hadn’t already gotten Mick’s attention, his question did. “Not since she called last night while I was at your place. Why?”
Josef pulled out his tablet. “This was sent to me by an old friend on Oahu.”
Mick scanned the image, then shrugged. “So? Beth told me Steve was going to pick her up and drive her to her hotel. All this tells me is that’s what he did and some sleazy guy with a camera is trying to make something out of nothing. Remember Dean Foster?”
“Sadly, yes, as well as the danger he posed. This guy is causing trouble of a different sort, but is just as dangerous. Turn the page.”
The image of Beth apparently holding hands with McGarrett roused the vampire within.
He’s dared touch what is ours, without our permission….
“OK, you and I both know images can be altered. Beth would never cheat on me.”
“You sure about that?” Josef then opened an electronic folder of images showing Beth and Steve laughing and having dinner together, then the two of them heading back to Beth’s cottage.
Mick struggled to maintain control as the vampire within was fully enraged now.
McGarrett was warned…now he’ll pay.
“OK, I admit this looks bad…”
Josef erupted. “You don’t get it, do you? You’re losing her, Mick. You continue to deny Beth what she wants and needs. If you won’t turn Beth and let her know she means everything to you, she’ll look for someone who can give her what she wants.”
Mick snarled. “Don’t even think about turning her, Josef!”
“Believe me, I have. More than once. I’ve even thought about offering, but I can’t, I won’t do that to you.” More calmly, Josef added. “Besides, Beth’s made it clear she doesn’t want anyone but you to turn her.”
“Then what….”
“McGarrett is human and he looks like you. If you’re going to deny Beth eternity, she might see him as a surrogate she could be happy with as a human.”
Mick just blinked; would Beth really leave him for taking so long? All at once, a memory of a night on a rooftop returned. A memory of the first time he held Beth in his arms and kissed her deeply, his first tentative step to opening his heart to her. He was afraid then as well, afraid of hurting her and pleaded for her patience. Beth’s own plea came back to haunt him:
‘Just don’t take too long. You may have forever, but I don’t’
Christ, he’d been such a fool!!
“The proverbial ball is in your court, Mick. What are you going to do?”
“Get on the next flight to Oahu. When I find Beth, I’ll tell how much I love her and that I’ll turn her whenever she wants.”
After I beat the shit out of McGarrett
“Good. My jet is waiting. Pack and be ready to go in 10. And Mick, you’re going to do a lot more than tell her.”
On the other hand, Mick should trust his wife. 
the damage of that sleazy tabloid will disappear. And I hope Mick does take a good sniff when he arrives, so that he will calm the heck down and remember that Beth is not the flighty type!! Poor Steve gets beat up quite enough without Mick adding to the damage. 
Nope, it's just like Josef said - trouble finds Beth. Josef may seem to be over-reacting, but there's method to his madness. As for the paparazzo 
Near the end of the story, he will get to unload on someone and it won't be for the faint of heart 
, and the murder is going to be investigated by 5-0! 
Who is the little girl? And what is the deal with that room service guy? So many questions... I'm looking forward to finding out the answers. 
