A little more than a month passed after Elijah Mikaelson and Amelia Parsons was captured. 5-0 wasted little time in having everyone involved extradited to Louisiana where their investigation and crimes were primarily based.
It was a little more difficult when it was time to send Antoinette Mikaelson as it had been discovered she’d been as much victim but it wasn’t the team’s call to make in regards to her outcome. Myriam, Cole, and Nick were still on the fence about speaking to her before she left. Cole still refused, although Steve could see the fire fueling his anger had died down. Nick did take a few minutes before the marshalls left. Myriam, as angry as she was for what her father had done, still had a difficult time facing her even knowing the truth. Her emotional attachment didn’t exist to be as hurt in the way that Nick and Cole had been, citing that she grew up without a mother, so she wasn’t sure how to face the woman now.
Nick assured Steve that she might change her mind in time, as they had shared some discussions about the revelations that had been learned. As much as she was relieved it was over; she now had kept in the worries about what would eventually happen to their mother in Louisiana after the investigation and trials and how her brothers would react. It was more than likely that their mother was going to get a reduced sentence, but then what?
Myriam had kept herself busy with getting everything she needed and wanted for the new NCIS offices in the HPD building, a floor above 5-0. Including that gorgeous table and extra screens. She even made sure it was accessible for Auggie when needed. She worked with the rehab center to make sure Auggie would be fine at work and was very pleased with herself after the offices were done. It would take a couple more months until Auggie would be able to join her and Sheppard, but she was already looking forward in pouring over new candidates for their team.
Privately, Myriam spent a lot of time over at Steve’s house when work did not get in the way. While her brothers knew where she was, they had thankfully kept her activities to themselves whenever they were around their colleagues. It wasn’t that they were trying to hide, but the relationship was still new for Myriam and still very much adapting to the changes of Hawaiian life and preferred to keep things quiet between themselves for the time.
Hawaii wasn’t that bad, at least not as bad as she thought it would be the first few weeks she was on the island. She stayed away from Kamekona’s shrimp truck, but other than that, the food that Steve cooked her was great and wholesome. The cook at her and her brother’s place was far too fancy, despite him being from New Orleans. So that’s what she had told Cole when still had the idea of setting up a restaurant and bar; it’s great he wants to bring a bit of home to their new home, but the cook had to be authentic. Not trained, but authentic.
Myriam knew that he was diving into it as not to think about their mother, and even she was on the fence about it. There had been nannies, but not a mother. And they now knew why, so why was dealing with the fact that her mother had been a victim and a criminal at the same time so hard? She needed to pay for what she’d done with their father, as they always did things together. On the other hand, the woman needed a reprieve, and perhaps her children needed to go and talk to her, but Myriam didn’t want to.
She’d be more hurt and pissed off if something would have happened to Gibbs, and Pride, than her mother. And that was something that pissed her off, too. No child should hate their parents as much as she and her brothers did. But it was just how things were. A fucked up dysfunctional family.
If there had come anything good out of this, it would have been her brothers deciding to go completely straight after their reunion. They were a proper family now, and even Nick had loosened up after their parents were caught. They were all settling, and even Myriam had found something she hadn’t dreamed of finding with Steve.
Steve and her were equals. He managed to have her see things differently and often in a better way. He was exciting and kept Myriam on her toes, and he truly was one of the reasons why she had been able to settle in Hawaii.
She tended to dive into work, getting the new office in order and more recently, been when free, requesting the time of Danny’s daughter. Leading them to that day.
Danny walked into Steve’s office, appearing confused, and concerned. “I have a question about your girlfriend.”
Steve looked up from the report he was working on for the governor, unsure of how to respond. “Um… girlfriend?”
“Yeah. The short brunette upstairs with an attitude?”
Sitting back, Steve let out a sigh. “Since when did she become my girlfriend? Was there some announcement that I missed?”
Danny pursed his lips as he stared back at his friend. “Would you have any idea of what she wants with my daughter?”
Steve was very obviously confused as he shook his head. “Sorry, no. I haven’t seen her outside of the office here for almost a week,” he then shrugged. “Ask her yourself; you have her number.”
“She’s your girlfriend!”
“Are you afraid of her, Danno?” Steve barked out a laugh as he shook his head and dialed Myriam’s number before putting her on speaker.
“Is the building on fire?”
“No,” Steve replied. “Danno was wondering what you need Gracie for.”
Myriam was quiet for a moment. “Girl stuff.”
“Girl stuff?!” Danny squeaked. “Girl stuff?!”
“Yes. Do you have a problem with her hanging out with me? It’s not like we are robbing banks. I could always have her go with my idiot brothers and whatever they are up to at the moment?”
“No! To both! God! Just… don’t break her!”
“Relax, Danno,” Gracie’s voice sounded over the phone. “It’s nice to do girl stuff!”
“Gracie, sweetheart,” Danny took a deep breath and Steve was just looking at him with an amused look on his face. “Define ‘girl stuff.'”
“Oh, well, we want to go shopping and then we’re going to sip non-alcoholic drinks on the beach while someone gives us a foot rub,” Grace responded as a matter of factly.
“Just don’t tell him about the cabana boys,” Myriam whispered a little too loudly.
“I won’t tell him about the cabana boys. I believe you just did,” Gracie giggled.
“What!”
“Bye Danno!” Gracie giggled again as she hung up.
“I’m going to shoot your girlfriend,” Danny scowled as his face reddened.
“It’s just a girl’s day out. And it’s with Myriam and not with one of her friends from school. Grace is safe. Now sit down and finish your reports before Grover is going to shoot you.”
“This is the same woman that took off, stole my car and then went after her father and his girlfriend. I recall you weren’t so happy about that either,” he pointed out. “She’s as much of a short fuse as you.”
“Myriam likes Gracie. She didn’t like her father. Relax.”
Danny let out a sigh and shook his head. “You aren’t concerned about what they are doing?”
“If what Grace said was the truth and they’re going shopping and then sitting at the beach drinking non-alcoholic drinks with their feet being rubbed then I’m all for it,” Steve said with a nod. “Because that means that Myriam finally gets Hawaii.”
“See that confuses me about her. She’s from New Orleans. Aren’t they supposed to be super laid back? Adapting to Hawaii should have been easier for her than it was for me!”
“Uhuh.”
Danny went over and yanked the papers out of Steve’s hands and glanced at them. “What the hell is she sending you for NCIS?”
Steve glared back, annoyed, pulling the documents back. “It’s just routine collaborative contract that the governor requested since we’d be closer with offices than before. It’s more of liaison agreements that clears any red tape that we might cross with cases.”
“Okay,” Danny relented as he held up his hands. “Fine. But seriously. What is going on with you and Myriam?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Steve answered, bored of his insistence as he tried to get his work done.
“You are going to stick with that story? Just be honest because if her bosses or ours comes and questions things, I’d like to know what to say and not be caught by surprise.”
Dropping the pen he held, irritated, Steve looked back up at Danny. “I can’t tell you what I don’t know. Whatever she and I are, we just are. When she’s ready to apply a label, then we’ll cross that bridge, but you know as well as I that she’s extremely resistant to the idea of attaching herself to anyone or anything until recently because of her family.”
Danny let out a breath. “Good friends then.”
“You’re not going to ask her out if that’s what you’re thinking. Because I’d have at least some objection there,” Steve frowned.
“You two are good friends, and Myriam’s not available for courting, gotcha,” Danny nodded.
“Why do I have the feeling you’re up to something?”
“I’m not up to anything, but I just want to be sure that I know what to say when people start asking!”
Steve merely rolled his eyes and turned back to his desk. “Get back to work Danny before I sic Grover on you. He’s still in a bad mood from his trip and everything he missed.”
~o.O.o~
Later towards the end of the afternoon, Myriam returned with Gracie to the 5-0 offices with a large number of bags on their arms. Both girls were full of smiles and secret glances between each other.
“Remember, shhh,” she whispered in the young teen’s ear as she pushed her into the open office.
“Shouldn’t you, you know, be working upstairs or something?” Grover questioned as he eyed the NCIS Agent.
“I could, but it’s rather dusty with the construction going on. Why not take advantage of the forced time off this time?” She replied with a devious smile.
“Is that so?” He murmured as he stared back at her, still unsure over the last few weeks of what to make of the woman.
Myriam smiled as she turned her attention back on Grace. “Here. Go on and put your bags in your dad’s office. I’ll go get the rest of them in a minute,” she said before heading into Steve’s office.
Grover sighed as he watched her walk away. “I still don’t know what to make of her,” he told Danny, who was busy staring at all the bags that his daughter was fussing with. “What?”
“She’s a freaking menace, that’s what she is,” Danny murmured as he took one of the bags and peeked into it. “You two went nuts huh, Monkey?”
“Relax, Danno, she paid for it.”
“I would hope so because you certainly don’t have a credit card unless your mother didn’t tell me something,” he replied. “Why the hell did Agent Myriam buy you so much?”
“She said I needed some things,” Grace shrugged. “She got me some clothes, music, and girl things.”
Danny scowled as he turned to face his friends where they were talking in the office. “Really? If you needed something, I’d have gotten it for you. As far as I recall, you didn’t need anything, and you didn’t let me know that you needed anything.”
“But you’re not a girl, Danno, and Tani doesn’t like taking me out shopping or do girly stuff with.”
“And Agent Myriam is? Despite what Steve might say, she’s on the crazy side,” he smiled. “What exactly did you two do? Please tell me she was joking on the phone earlier.”
“Foot rubs are great, Danno,” Grace smiled, not missing a beat. “And non-alcoholic cocktails are to die for.”
Grover leaned on the situation table as he narrowed his eyes. “That sounded a lot like it was rehearsed, young lady.”
“It might be, it might not be,” Grace smiled widely. “We didn’t do anything illegal, that’s a promise.”
“How do you know whatever you two did wasn’t illegal? Hm?” Danny asked as he smiled down at her. “Uncle Steve is just as crazy as her and damn near gets me in trouble since the day I met him.”
“Can we go home so I can put all of this away?”
Danny looked over all the bags with a wary eye. “Yeah Monkey. Sure,” he sighed. “Come on.”
“Let me let Myriam know! She has more stuff in her truck!” Grace said before running over to Steve’s office to knock on the door.
“More?” her father damn near whimpered. “I’m going to murder Steve’s girlfriend.”
Grover looked at him confused. “I thought that they said they weren’t dating.”
“They are something. They’re sleeping together at the least, and he confirmed she’s not available to anyone else. What would you take that as?” Danny smirked.
Grover raised an eyebrow as the thought for a moment. “Well, until they define themselves, why not call them friends with benefits?”
Danny shrugged. “They are what they are. Her brothers call them the same, trust me. It will only be a matter of time before they stake their claim publically. You really should have seen their faces that first day at the base.”
Grover huffed. “The best things always happen when I’m out.”
“It was only a matter of time that they got together, though neither of them made it easy for the other,” Danny added and stood straighter when Grace started to come back with Myriam. Glaring at the woman, he shook his head. “I don’t think I want to know the amount you spent on my daughter today. Did you have to do that?”
“No, I didn’t,” Myriam grinned. “I wanted to. We had fun. Anyway, want to just take the rest of her stuff from my car and put it in yours? I was just asking Steve about all of us going to dinner tonight. Auggie would probably join us.”
“You think he’s ready for that?”
“Steve? Maybe not. Auggie? Yes. He’s a fast learner, and he’s itching from a night out from rehab. Oh, I should ask Shep too. You know, bonding time with the neighbors. Yep,” Myriam nodded as she motioned for Danny to follow her. “Come on, Danny, got your girl’s stuff to put in your car.”
He followed her and his daughter, feeling confused. “Why would Steve not be ready for a night out? He goes out all the time. I get your friend because rehab sucks, I admit.”
“Because my brothers will be there too, I mean, I can’t just leave them at home,” Myriam shrugged as she shared a look with Grace and grinned. “The evening might get too much for you, too, Danny.”
“What!”
“Relax,” Grace rolled her eyes at her father. “It’s so easy to wind you up; it stops being funny.”
~o.O.o~
Nick and Cole were already seated at a large table in the front of the restaurant, right in front of a stage. They were chatting amicably with Myriam’s friends, but none of 5-0 spotted her with them.
Confused and perhaps a little disappointed, Steve took a seat with his girlfriend’s brothers. “Where’s Myriam?”
Nick raised a brow and flashed a smirk. He glanced over his shoulder quickly and shrugged. “I’m sure she’s around. She’s been in a peculiar mood recently so when she gets like that we tend to keep a distance until the show.”
“Why would she be nervous for a show? She’d be watching, right?” Steve shook his head. “I don’t understand your sister sometimes.”
“She didn’t tell you?” Cole put his elbow on the table and rested his head in his hand as he looked at Steve with a big smile on his face. “Typical.”
“What are you two going on about?” He questioned.
“Oh no. Now we’re not saying a word. But you’ll understand how she earned her nickname at least. Or is it codename?” Cole asked, looking to his brother.
Nick shrugged. “Hell if I know. They’ve called her that for years in New Orleans.”
“To be honest, I can’t wait,” Auggie grinned as he felt around for his glass. Shep had moved it again. Asshole. “And see all of your dumbfounded faces.”
“You know what’s up too?” Sheppard blinked at him. “Of course you do. On your left.”
Auggie shrugged as he carefully felt around for his glass, not wanting to knock it over and when he got a hold of it, he smiled triumphantly. “Shep, move it again, and I’ll break your fingers.”
“Just having some fun. Don’t worry, McGarrett. I’m in the dark just as much as you,” Jon replied and grinned as his order of calamari arrived and mixed a few pieces in with Auggie’s fries.
“Shep?”
“Yes?”
“I heard that,” Auggie warned him before he felt around on his plate and took inventory. His meat was cut, as he had asked – he still needed to get the hang of that, there was a salad, some fries and… frowning he picked up the calamari and put it in his mouth. “Oh, okay, not the worst combination I’ve ever had. Thanks.”
Danny and Grace took their seats with everyone as the rest of the team settled down. “They have a show on tonight? I don’t remember them putting anything up,” he commented as he eyed the stage.
“Apparently,” Steve replied, looking around as he tried to find Myriam.
A friendly waitress arrived to take the newcomers orders, drawing concern from those that had no idea what where or what Myriam was up to. The only ones that weren’t, were her brothers, her ex, and seemingly Grace as she shared some not so subtle giggles and secret comments with Cole about her friend’s plans.
The lights dimmed, and music began to play from the DJ, drawing the patrons’ attention to the stage. Before the teams knew, Myriam was up there performing a popular song by Carrie Underwood. Steve grinned as he watched her, glancing over at her brothers who weren’t surprised and watched like it was something they were simply used to seeing.
While she performed the energetic number, she smiled at her friends but never let her attention linger on them for more than a passing glance. There were a few moments she stood in front of their table. However her gaze remained on the crowd behind them.
“Let me guess, she’s commanding that stage as if she owns it,” Auggie grinned as he pushed a fry into his mouth. “What is she wearing?”
“Uh, I don’t know what you call it,” Jon replied. “Looks like a one piece, low cut, some sequins… gold… showing off her legs.”
Auggie hummed and nodded. “Those legs…”
“Hey,” Steve warned Auggie. “Just because you’re blind doesn’t mean I won’t smack you.”
Jon shrugged. “She does have great legs… and that low cut-”
“Stop it.”
A couple of songs in, she was having a grand time. Her tone shifted slightly as she glanced at the group to find a brunette approaching them and settling herself next to Steve. A look to her brothers found two very irritated expressions as they struggled to keep themselves behaved.
“I’m going to have to say something about this,” Cole muttered quietly as he looked at his brother. “Whoever that is, I do not like it.”
Nick nodded as he looked at Danny, who looked severely annoyed as well as he eyed his friend and the brunette next to him.
“Hey, Catherine,” Danny eventually spoke up. “Steve’s moved on, stop trying to get him back.”
“I’m not doing anything! I’m friendly, Danny.”
“Steve,” Nick said as he looked at his sister’s boyfriend. “Myriam may not be so fast to put a label on what you two have, but you know as well as I do that it has its reasons. Do know that she’s very possessive despite you two not having that label. Get rid of that woman next to you before Myriam does.”
“She’s a former colleague.”
“You wanted to propose to her!” Danny hissed. “And now she’s here? No.”
“I’m still here,” Catherine replied before she let out a scream as something was spilled on her.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” Auggie said as he wobbled on his feet, holding on to his glass. “I merely wanted to take my drink and sit closer to my friends, did I spill my drink on you?”
Catherine huffed. “It’s fine,” she said as she got to her feet and nearly pushed Auggie over before Auggie found the now empty chair and sat down in it with a big smile on his face.
Sheppard laughed. “For some reason, you see more than we think!”
“Perhaps,” Auggie shrugged. “Or maybe those years of CIA training are finally paying off. But I do hear quite a bit more.”
“And now, for my last song,” Myriam spoke with a smile on her face. “I’d like to invite a very special guest here with me,” she said as she held out her hand for Gracie to take it. “Grace and I worked on this all day yesterday.”
Grace grinned as she took Myriam’s hand and got onto the stage with her.
“Are you ready?”
“Uhuh,” Grace nodded with a big smile on her face.
“You want to tell them which song we’re going to sing for everyone?”
“The Road Less Traveled.”
~o.O.o~
After Myriam was done with her set, she had joined them all for a meal of her own while Auggie told everyone about how her singing skills got them through a few difficult situations or her skills were an in with some people. She just happily munched on her fries. After a fun night out, she went home with Steve, and they collapsed onto the couch together with a nice glass of wine and a beer. “That was fun,” she smiled.
“You surprised most of us,” Steve nodded. “You do have an amazing voice, though.”
“Thanks,” she took a sip of her wine and looked at him. “Did you have a good time?”
He let out a breath and nodded. “Until Catherine showed up.”
She raised a brow and lifted her glass to her lips with as much of an indifferent shrug that she could muster. “Looked a little tense,” she murmured.
“She’s an ex,” he said carefully. “She uh… well, I wanted to propose to her, she thought of it as a joke and left. Then came back, and left again… I just ended it. Nothing left between us as far as I’m concerned but professionalism.”
Myriam wasn’t sure what to say, pressing her tongue to the back of her teeth as she looked back at him. “Nothing? Because I’d understand if there was. I know with whatever this is, it’s not easy with how close Auggie and I remained.”
Steve shrugged. “I’m fine with Auggie. He’s a fun guy, and I’m glad you two remained good friends,” he replied. “And whatever this is, you and I are what’s important.”
“I didn’t like seeing her,” she muttered, finishing her glass and refilling it. It took a lot for her to admit that after everything and shook her head.
“You and me both,” he replied.
She raised her eyes with a smile. “Just how much did my brothers threaten you or her before she was run off? Out of curiosity.”
“Once. And then Auggie made sure she left by spilling his drink all over her under the guise of wanting to sit closer to us,” Steve shrugged. “Look, she’s still in the same line of work as we are. I often get interrupted with stuff. This time it was her. For nothing work related.”
A sense of irritation flowed under her skin as she shifted in her seat and scratched her neck. “So, there is a high possibility of having to run into her again, you’re saying? Neither of us can depend on having Auggie around to spill drinks on her every time,” Myriam commented rather sourly, her eyes shifted as thoughts ran through her head.
“Well,” he smiled at her. “It would be a lot easier if you and I could put a label on ourselves as what we are. Because I already think of you as my girlfriend, I just want you to think of me as your boyfriend.”
“Labels,” she sighed, looking at him. “I hate that word, you know. But if it’s what would keep these bitches away from what’s mine, sure.”
He let out a chuckle. “I don’t like labels either. But, yeah. It gives a certain reassurance, I suppose.”
“However, I get to punch your ex in the face if she tries putting her hands on you,” Myriam said with a sweet smile.
“Whatever you want,” he laughed.
She smirked then as she shifted a little on the couch and looked at him. “Whatever I want?” she asked playfully.
“I’m going to regret saying that, aren’t I?”
“You can ask that again when I’m done with you,” Myriam sang as she moved to straddle his lap. “The main question for now is… Will you be able to keep up?”
He set his bottle down on the side table and put his hands on her hips, a big smile on his face. “Will you?”