Chapter Text
Evelyn had learned to navigate supermarkets with the efficiency of someone who had maybe.. possibly slept four hours. Her daughter, Rory (Aurora) sat in the trolley chewing on a soft biscuit, wide-eyed and humming at the fluorescent lights. Evelyn pushed forward, mentally calculating prices and toddler meltdown probabilities like an exhausted mathematician.
Don’t forget milk. Don’t forget wipes. Don’t forget—
“Evelyn?”
The voice was familiar in the way old songs are: soft recognition, then a sudden rush of memories you didn’t realize were still so close.
She turned.
Steve McGarrett stood at the end of the aisle, holding a box of cereal like he’d forgotten why he’d picked it up. He looked older—five years had added definition to his jaw and a few faint lines at the edges of his eyes—but he still had that same awkward, gentle posture she remembered from the palace where they’d once worked side by side. While he was a cop, she was the ‘kid’ the governor asked to help with the tech things.
She had a knack for computers was an unapologetic nerd, that wasn’t the point. But- he was standing right there infront of her. Finally finding her voice she spoke.
“Steve?” she said, surprised at how breathless her voice sounded.
His face lit up. “It is you! I thought—well, I wasn’t sure. It’s been forever.”
Five years.
Five years since their last shift together.
Five years since she’d disappeared from that world almost overnight.
Evelyn moved her messy curls with one hand out of her face, while adjusting her glasses. “Hi. Wow. Uh… long time.”
Rory chose that exact moment to fling her biscuit onto the floor.
Steve laughed. “Parent life?”
“Very much so,” Evelyn replied, scooping up the biscuit with a grimace. “This is Rory, my daughter Aurora. Rory, this is… an old friend.”
“Friend,” he repeated with a small, almost shy smile. “I like that.”
She felt heat rise to her cheeks. Not because of his words.. those were harmless enough…but because she realized she was genuinely happy to see him. Happier than she’d expected, happier than she wanted to admit. It was just.. a little weird, in a good way, she could’ve believe someone like him took interest in someone like her.
He stepped closer, like he was calculating how close he was allowed to be. She knew he was assessing her but, his eyes weren’t full of judgement. More like concern, warmth then he turned his head looking into the trolley.
“Hi, Rory.” He gave a small wave. “Nice biscuit manoeuvre earlier.”
Rory blinked at him with toddler suspicion, then offered him her second biscuit. Evelyn snorted.
“Huh.. you know she usually doesn’t share, at least not with just anyone,” Evelyn said, a little smile creeping into her face she couldn’t stop.
“Must be my charm,” Steve replied.
His tone was relaxed, but she could see something else beneath it: curiosity, maybe. Concern. That quiet steadiness he’d always had, the kind that made people tell him things without meaning to.
He asked softly, “How’ve you been? It’s been… well, a while.”
It was the question everyone asked, but when he asked it, it felt different. Less polite, more genuine. Like he actually wanted to know the truth, not the rehearsed “I’m fine.” “I love being a mom!” Like he wanted to know exactly how she felt.
Evelyn opened her mouth, unsure what version of her life she felt ready to offer.
Before she could decide, Rory began a whining chant—“Juice, juice, juice”—which grew in volume like an alarm. Saved by the bell she didn’t have to trauma dump on someone in a grocery store.
“Okay, okay,” Evelyn said quickly. “I should grab that before she declares war.”
Steve grinned. “Can I walk with you? If you don’t mind.”
She hesitated.
Not because she didn’t want him there. But because letting people close again felt like stepping into cold water—shock, fear, the instinct to flinch away.
Still… she nodded. “Sure.”
They moved down the aisle together, the way they once moved behind the computer, them comparing tricks and jokes and all the soft, simple things she’d forgotten she missed. He asked about Rory, about her job, about the tech room.
He didn’t ask where she’d gone.
He didn’t ask why she’d never said goodbye.
She was grateful.
“So,” he said as they reached the refrigerated section, “i still work at the palace. If you ever want to catch up properly… no pressure.”
He said it casually, but she heard the sincerity underneath.
“Yeah,” Evelyn said, surprising herself. “I’d like that.”
He brightened. “I’ll write my number.” He reached into his pocket, pulled out a receipt, and scribbled on the back. “There.”
She took it, folding it carefully instead of crumpling it like she usually did with stray papers.
He waved goodbye to Rory.. who of course dramatically ignored him and then to her.
“See you around, Evelyn.”
Her heart fluttered in a way she had not felt in years.
“Yeah,” she murmured. “See you.”
When he walked away, she realized she was smiling. A real smile, the kind she didn’t have to force.
Maybe reconnecting wasn’t as scary as she thought.
Maybe some people were meant to show up again.
Maybe this time she wouldn’t run.