Reading Time: 128 Minutes

Title: Finding and Faking Ohana
Author: CorgiQueen14
Fandom: Hawaii Five-0
Genre: Action Adventure, Contemporary, Episode Related, Family, First Time, Pre-Relationship, Romance
Relationship(s): Steve McGarrett/Danny Williams
Content Rating: R
Warnings: Violence-Graphic. Canon Typical Violence, Kidnapping, Catherine Rollins Unfriendly
Author Note: Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think!
Beta: Astarlightchase, Chris_hotrod2000, Ereneefics, Twigen, Grammarly
Alpha: Astarlightchase
Word Count: 63,526
Summary: Danny Williams thought he had his life under control until the aftermath of his daughter’s kidnapping revealed a shocking secret. To try to get things back under control, he somehow ended up pretending to be engaged to his best friend and partner. Could he pull this off, or would his real feelings for Steve get in the way?
Artist: Darian MacAver

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Chapter 1:

If Danny had to pinpoint where his life took a turn for the crazy and twisted, it would probably be around when he got assigned to the John McGarrett murder case.

Sure, things had been off for a while. His wife left him, moved his daughter halfway around the world, and he had to leave his family behind and move to Hawaii to see his daughter every other weekend, but he had adjusted.

But everything changed when he got that case.

On the surface, it seemed like an open-and-shut case. John McGarrett had been shot; his son had been on the line, and he had overheard the entire thing. The murderer was already identified as one Victor Hesse, and now Danny just had to find him.

This was a lot easier said than done since Victor Hesse was an international fugitive. There was no record of him ever having arrived on the island or of him knowing anyone on the island.

Still, Danny wasn’t going to let that stop him. Years in the Newark PD before moving to this pineapple-infested prison would not disappoint him.

The closest Danny had gotten in the last three days was a tiny mention of Fred Doran. Hopefully, that would lead to something.

So, after chasing down a few leads and making some notes on the case file, Danny went to check out the scene. Maybe he would get lucky, and there would be some clue left behind that could help him.

He had to break this case. During the last six months of his time at HPD, he hadn’t exactly made many friends—only one, his partner Meka.

It wasn’t like he hadn’t tried to play nice; it was just that he seemed to clash with every officer in the HPD aside from Meka. But Meka was working with Vice right now, so Danny was on his own. This was his chance to prove to the department that he was more than the outsider they hated. To prove he had valuable experience and skills.

He was sure he’d solve the case, and everything would look up.

Of course, when he got to the scene and saw a light on inside the house, Danny bit out a curse and got ready for a fight. He pulled out his gun, moving quickly across the grass to the garage door.

“You! Hands up! Don’t move!”

“Who are you?” the man asked.

“Who are you?” Danny fired back. “I am Detective Danny Williams–”

“Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett!” the man said, raising his voice and cutting off Danny. “This is my father’s house.”

“Put your weapon down right now!” Danny raised his voice, the two of them shouting over each other for a moment.

“Show me your ID!” Danny told the man, his gun trained steadily on him.

“You show me your ID. Right now!” he demanded.

“I’m not putting my gun down,” Danny told him, wondering if this guy was stupid.

“Neither am I,” the man glared before seeming to take a beat and think of something.

“Use your free hand, take out your ID,” the man told Danny, who raised his eyebrows at him.

“Please, after you.”

The man gave Danny an annoyed look.

“At the same time?” he offered.

“At the same time?” Danny scoffed.

“Yeah, at the same time,” The man seemed to get more annoyed.

“What, like, on the count of three?” Danny asked.

He didn’t know why he was humoring this guy. He could have shot him by now, and it would have been justified.

But honestly, he had better things to do than fill out the mountain of paperwork that would come from shooting a murder victim’s son at the crime scene. He might as well humor him and keep things civil as long as he could.

“Sure. Okay, three’s good,” the man agreed, and Danny shifted to have a hand free. “One… two… three.”

They both showed their IDs, and Danny felt his hackles lower as he realized the man was telling the truth. This was indeed the son of the murder victim.

“Listen, I’m really sorry about your father, but you can’t be here right now.” Danny tried to make his voice more reassuring as he spoke to the man. “This is an active crime scene.”

The man glanced around the room before looking back at Danny, “Doesn’t seem that active.”

“I can’t share any information with you,” Danny told him.

“Hesse wasn’t here alone when my father was murdered,” Steve argued. “Someone was sitting at the desk in the study– there was a space clear for a 13-inch laptop, and my father hated computers.”

Danny put that information away for later and remained firm. “I’m going to ask you again—you’ve got to leave.”

Steve nodded, surprising Danny. “You got it.”

He grabbed a toolbox off the counter and started to walk, Danny inwardly groaning. He should have known this guy was going to cause trouble.

“And you can leave the box– that is evidence,” Danny told him. “You know that.”

Steve tried to look innocent as he gestured to the box. “I came with this.”

Danny raised an eyebrow, wondering if this man thought he was stupid. “No, you didn’t come with it. I see the dust void it left right here on the counter—what’s in the box?”

“How long have you been with the Honolulu PD?” Steve asked, Danny’s hackles rising at the question.

“None of your business,” he tried not to snap. “What are you, Barbara Walters?”

“No, but it is my business if you’re investigating my father’s death,” Steve bit back.

“I am, and I’d like to get back to that,” Danny told him, “So the sooner you leave, the sooner I can.”

“Anything you say,” Steve answered back in a raised voice as he started to walk with the box again.

“Leave the box or get arrested, all right?” Danny started to reach for his phone, keeping his eyes on Steve.

“You going to call for backup?” Steve asked, with a slightly mocking edge to his tone.

Danny bared his teeth at him. “An ambulance.”

To his credit, Steve seemed mildly impressed by the threat, and he nodded and put the box down.

“Thank you,” Danny actually meant that. He didn’t need to spend all afternoon dealing with the paperwork from shooting the son of a murder victim. Something told him his coworkers would never have let him hear the end of it.

“Don’t thank me yet,” Steve pulled out his phone, and Danny narrowed his eyes in suspicion.

“What are you doing?”

Steve ignored Danny and spoke into the phone.

“Uh, yeah, Governor Jameson, please?” he said, his voice suddenly pleasant. “Tell her it’s Steve McGarrett.”

“Oh, please,” Danny scoffed. Like he was supposed to believe this guy knew the Governor of Hawaii. Give him a break.

“Governor, I’ll take the job,” Steve said, clearly waiting for a response from the fictional governor. “Let’s say I found something that changed my mind.”

Danny cocked his head. Was it possible Steve was actually talking to the Governor?

Danny didn’t think he’d even seen the Governor from a distance the entire time he’d been in Hawaii, so how did this man have a direct line to her?

“No, no, no, immediately!” Danny quickly tuned back into the conversation. “I’ll transfer to the reserves, and I’ll run your task force.” Steve groaned in response to whatever was said. “What, right now? Okay.”

Danny watched as Steve raised his right hand.

“I, Steven J. McGarrett, do solemnly declare upon my honor and conscience that I will act at all times to the best of my ability and knowledge in a manner befitting an officer of the law.”

Danny stared in disbelief as he realized what was going on.

Steve was using his connections with the governor to take over Danny’s murder investigation.

“Thank you, Governor.” Steve hung up the phone and smirked at Danny. He picked up the toolbox and started to walk out of the room.

“Now it’s my crime scene,” he leaned in to say as he left the room, not even pausing as he swept out the door with Danny’s case.

Danny glared after him, wondering who the hell this guy thought he was.

~~

Danny’s day only went downhill from there.

His Captain was furious he’d let this case slip through his fingers, and Danny felt himself bristle at some of the mocking stares he got as he walked back through the bullpen.

It wasn’t even as though he could talk to Meka about it. Maybe he could call him later and ask for his advice on how to get revenge on the guy who stole his case. That could make him feel better.

Danny threw himself into his work as best he could and tried to focus on the fact that he would be seeing Grace that weekend.

His beloved little girl, who was the only reason why he had even moved to this pineapple-infested hellhole in the first place.

Nothing felt as bad as it was when he was around Grace, and he cherished every moment he spent with her.

Even if he had to share her with his ex-wife and her new husband.

~~

The next day was Danny’s day off, and he was cleaning up when he was interrupted by an unexpected knock at his door.

Wondering who it could be, he opened the door, only to be confronted with the jackass who stole his case out from under him. He was contemplating slamming the door in his face until Steve spoke.

“I swung by your precinct and spoke to your captain. He said you requested a wire be put on someone named Fred Doran.” Steve gave Danny a look. “Tell me about it.”

“You stole my case, and now you’re coming to ask me about it?” Danny couldn’t resist snarking. “Let me ask you something: were you the kind of guy who copied his friend’s homework in school instead of doing his own?”

“Do you want to be a smartass, or do you want to catch a killer?” Steve shot back.

Danny sighed, opening the door. “Come in. I can multitask.”

The door closed behind Steve, and Danny watched as he surveyed his apartment. He could practically see Steve judging him as his eyes raked over the futon and the cracked walls.

He knew it wasn’t much, dealing with the divorce, custody dispute, and the cross-country move had almost wiped out his savings. It was a far cry from the house he and Rachel had shared in New Jersey. But it was fine. This was all temporary, and seeing Grace every other weekend made it all worth it.

Despite his dad having a nice house, Steve had clearly been raised in a barn– there was no other explanation for the way he was unabashedly snooping through Danny’s apartment.

“This is your kid?” he asked, picking up Danny’s picture frame.

“Yeah, that’s some stunning detective work,” Danny said, his tone drier than the Hawaii air, not that that was saying much with all the humidity.

“You don’t actually let her… stay here with you, do you?” Steve wrinkled his nose as he looked around Danny’s small apartment. Danny once again wanted to punch this guy in his stupidly perfect face.

“What are you, uh, Nanny 911?” Danny snapped. Sure, his apartment was kind of crappy, but he was doing his best. He’d barely had time to look for a place when Rachel had announced she was moving to Hawaii and taking Grace away from him, not to mention how much of his salary went directly to child support. Not that this asshole would know anything about that.

To his credit, Steve dropped the subject and turned back to the matter at hand. “So, what do you know about this guy…” he consulted Danny’s case file, “Doran?”

He held out Doran’s mug shot as if Danny would have forgotten the details of the case Steve had stolen from him.

“Oh, but surely, you don’t need my help, right?” Danny couldn’t help but snark.

Steve gave him a dirty look as he leaned against the wall. “Enlighten me.”

Danny made a face but decided to tell him what he knew. He might not like the guy, but his dad had done nothing wrong. He deserved to have his killer brought to justice, even if his son was an asshole.

“He’s a suspected arms dealer,” Danny said, rattling off what he knew. “Two years at Maui Correctional for weapons possession. He’s currently a person of interest in an unrelated homicide,” he shrugged. “The weapon was never found.”

“So, what’s he got to do with my father’s case?” Steve asked, not getting the connection.

Danny sighed, “When I ran a ballistics comparison to the bullet that killed your dad, I got a hit on the Doran investigation.” Danny paced around the room as he spoke, “See, I think the first thing Hesse did when he got on the island was hook up with Doran and get a gun–”

“And maybe Doran still knows where he is,” Steve finally understood. “So, let’s go talk to him.” Steve moved to the door, expecting Danny to follow him.

Danny was this close to him leaving and getting his afternoon back, until he said that.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” Danny stopped him in his tracks. “Excuse me?”

“What?” Steve huffed in impatience, and Danny gave him a look.

“Don’t ‘what’ me! Are you suffering from dementia?” Danny demanded. “This is no longer my case.”

“The captain said you transferred in from New Jersey six months ago, so your eye’s still fresh.” Steve seemed to ignore what Danny was saying.

“I appreciate it, but my psych eval’s not for six weeks, so have fun!!” Danny waved him on his way.

Unfortunately for him, Steve couldn’t be shooed away like the annoying bug he was. He crossed his arms and faced Danny, giving him a considering look,

“Fold-out bed, no ring on your finger.”

“Truly stunning observational skills, well done.” Danny gave him a sharp look.

“You moved here to be close to your daughter, ” Steve told him, “Which means, in between visits, all you have is your job, and you take pride in it. That’s what I’m looking for. That’s what I need.”

“Yeah, but you know what?” Danny told him. “It’s guys like you who think they know how to do everything better, and that only makes my job harder. So, thanks, but no thanks. Close the door on your way out.”

“You got no choice, Detective,” Steve gave Danny a satisfied smirk. “Governor gave me jurisdiction– I’m making you my partner.”

Danny’s mouth hung open in indignation.

“We’re going to get along great,” Steve grinned and made his way out the door.

Danny stood there a moment longer, stunned.

Did that happen? Did this guy just press-gang Danny into being his partner?

And if the captain and governor were behind this, Danny didn’t have a choice. He had to go along with it and pray this case was over quickly.

Danny sighed as he walked outside. He had a bad feeling about this whole thing.

~~

As they drove to Doran’s place, Danny winced as he heard the familiar screeching violins of his ex-wife’s ringtone.

He quickly declined the call, hoping that would be the end of it.

“I take it your marriage didn’t end too well?” Steve questioned.

And, of course, that wasn’t the end of it.

“No,” Danny said in a clipped tone. “It would have, had my ex not remarried and dragged my daughter to this pineapple-infested hellhole.”

“You don’t like the beach?” Steve asked, sounding genuinely offended.

“I don’t like the beach.”

“Who doesn’t like the beach?”

“I like, uh, cities, you know?” Danny shrugged. “Skyscrapers, no tsunamis, no jellyfish.”

There was silence in the car, and then–

“Tell me you can at least swim.”

“Can I swim?” Danny asked incredulously before thinking of something. “If I say no, does that get me out of being your partner?”

Steve gave him a disappointed look. “You don’t know how to swim.”

“I can swim!” Danny burst out, wanting to be done with the conversation. “I swim for survival, not for fun.”

“All right.” Steve seemed to let that go, and they sat in silence.

That was until Rachel’s ringtone screeched through the air once again.

Danny sighed and moved to answer. It had to be urgent for Rachel to call him two times in a row.

“Yes, dear?” he asked in a dismissive tone.

“Hi, Danno!” Grace said into the phone.

“Hey, monkey,” he chuckled, his mood instantly better.

“Is everything okay?” she asked. You sounded upset.”

“No, no, no,” Danny reassured, “I thought you were your mom. How was your day?”

Grace seemed to accept that as an answer. “Everyone really liked Mr. Hoppy at Show and Tell!”

“I’m so glad everybody liked Mr. Hoppy,” Danny told her, trying very hard not to think of the giant stuffed bunny he still had in the backseat.

“I’m excited to see you this weekend.”

“I’m excited too, baby,” he grinned as he spoke, aware Steve was watching all of this. We’re going to have so much fun this weekend.”

“Yeah!” Grace said before there were some muffled sounds. She sighed, “Mom says I have to go now. Love you, Danno.”

“Hey,” Danny stopped her before she hung up the phone, “Danno loves you.”

He heard her giggle as she hung up, and he kept smiling even after putting down the phone.

And then Steve opened his mouth and ruined his good mood.

“Who’s Danno?” Steve asked.

“Don’t–” Danny cut him off. “Just…”

“Okay.” Steve didn’t ask any further questions.

“Thank you.”

~~

Before too long, they were pulling up to Doran’s place. Danny wasn’t even sure Steve waited for the car to stop before opening the door and springing into action.

“Hey, hey, hey!” Danny stopped him and Steve leaned down to look at Danny through the window. “This guy Doran’s not going down easy, all right? We shouldn’t be doing this without backup.”

Steve looked at Danny like he was an idiot. “You are the backup.”

And with that, Steve was off.

“I’m the backup,” Danny muttered to himself as he got out of the car. “I hate him. I hate him so much.”

Sighing, he checked his weapon and got ready to follow Steve.

Danny knew things wouldn’t go well as soon as he saw the smile on Steve’s face, but he didn’t have a choice. This was his case, and he would see it through, no matter what happened.

Danny almost came to regret that dedication to the case when Steve, stupid asshole that he was, got him shot because of his recklessness. And then, he dared to get mad at Danny for shooting Doran when Doran was about two seconds away from killing Steve.

So, when Danny got the chance, of course he blew up at him,

“I’m not getting myself killed for your vendetta!” Danny seethed. “I have a daughter, okay?

“Yeah, that girl, there, is someone’s daughter, too,” Steve told Danny as he gestured to the young girl they’d found in Doran’s house. Danny had to fight the urge to smack that self-righteous look off of Steve’s face.

“You don’t get it,” Danny scoffed. “I mean, for somebody who lost his father, you’re pretty dense.”

“What’d you say to me?” Steve demanded, getting in Danny’s face.

“What? Are you deaf as well as stupid?”

“What if she were yours, huh?” Steve asked, Danny’s temper rising. “Is there anything you would not do to hunt down the son of a bitch who did that to her and killed her?”

Danny pointed his finger in Steve’s face, seething. “Don’t ever question my resolve…”

“One warning… Take your finger out of my face!” Steve talked over him, and Danny’s temper flared.

“Listen to me, you son of a bitch!”

Before Danny could blink, Steve had grabbed his hand and forced him into an arm bar.

“Aah!” Danny cried out as he felt a flare of pain in his uninjured shoulder.

“What did I tell you?” Steve asked, and Danny could tell he was feeling smug about this. He didn’t even have to look at him; he just knew it. “I warned you.”

“What are you, a ninja?” Danny struggled. “Let go.”

Steve humored his attempt to break free and then leaned down. “Now, you don’t have to like me, but there’s no one else to do this job right now. So, you need to work with me.”

Danny sighed, letting his body go limp.

“Okay. Let me go,” he said, trying his best to sound contrite.

“All right,” Steve let Danny go, and Danny turned to face him. “Look, we need to find these human traffickers–”

Danny didn’t feel even a little bad about how he took that opportunity to sucker-punch Steve. Not even a bit. The pleasure he got from watching that smug jackass hit the floor… That was going to carry him through at least the next week.

“You’re right; I don’t like you.” Danny turned back to the car, tossing that retort over his shoulder.

~~

You know what’s awkward?

Driving with someone after you punched them in the face.

Not that Danny regretted it, but still. If only he could have left Steve there.

“How’s the arm?” Steve finally broke the silence.

Danny gave him a dirty look. “Let’s not talk.”

“You mean right now or ever again?” Steve pushed.

“Just… both, okay?” he told him, hoping that would end it.

“I think I might know why your wife left you.” Steve had no survival instincts, and Danny felt his pulse quicken.

“Really?” He tried to keep his voice calm.

“Yeah, you’re very sensitive,” Steve said.

And just like that, Danny’s tenuous grip on his temper snapped like a twig.

“I’m sensitive, huh?” A humorless laugh escaped his lips. “You think I’m sensitive?”

“Well, a little bit, you know?” Steve shrugged.

“When did you conclude that I was sensitive, huh?” Danny demanded, not giving Steve a chance to respond. “Was it when a bullet was tearing through my flesh? Is that when I seemed sensitive to you?”

He scoffed. “I’m thrilled that you’re not afraid of anything, okay?? I’m glad you have that GI Joe thousand-yard stare from chasing shoe bombers around the world, okay?” he pressed forward, not giving Steve a chance to respond. “But in civilized society, we have rules, all right? It is the unspoken glue that separates us from jackals and hyenas, all right?”

“Jackals and hyenas?” Steve managed to cut in.

“Animal Planet, whatever,” Danny told him before pressing on. “Okay? The point is, rule number one: If you get somebody shot, you apologize!” He knew he was shouting by the end of the sentence, but damn it, someone had to make sure this got through Steve’s thick head, and apparently, that someone was him.

“I’m sorry,” he heard Steve say, but he kept moving forward.

“You don’t wait for a special occasion. Okay? Like birthdays, frickin’ President’s Day…”

“Hey, man, I’m sorry, okay?” Steve cut Danny off. “I said I’m sorry, sincerely sorry.”

Danny blinked. He didn’t expect Steve to apologize. In Danny’s experience, guys like him never cared about apologizing.

“That’s what I was trying to tell you. Last year, when this conversation started.” Steve told Danny, a teasing note in his voice.

Danny narrowed his eyes, trying to figure out if this guy is for real. After a long moment, he decided to try to move on. This was only for a few more days; they might as well try to be civil.

“Your, uh… apology is noted,” Danny told him before adding, “Acceptance is pending.”

“You let me know if it gets accepted,” Steve gave him a teasing smile.

Danny rolled his eyes and looked back over at Steve. “Yeah. I’ll let you know.”

~~

They soon caught a break in the case, thanks to Chin Ho Kelly joining their team, who used to work with Steve’s father. Chin led them to Kamekona, an informant who gave them the name Sang-min, a smuggler on the island. Hopefully, he would be able to lead them to Victor Hesse.

With Chin came Kono, an academy cadet about two weeks from graduation, and a plan was formed.

After a nerve-wracking undercover operation, they had their guy and the news that Victor Hesse was about to skip town on a Chinese freighter.

Steve was driving a cruiser at a breakneck speed to the docks when, all of a sudden, Danny’s phone rang with Rachel’s ringtone.

“Son of a bitch!” Danny cursed before picking up the phone. “Yeah?”

“Daniel! What the hell were you thinking?”

“Rachel–” Danny said, barely able to get a word in edgewise.

“Imagine my surprise to get a call from Grace’s school that no one had picked her up.”

“Rachel, don’t start with me,” Danny told her. “I left you two messages telling you to pick her up.”

“I had to change my plans because you couldn’t stick to the agreement.”

“Don’t tell me you had to change your plans!” Danny snapped. “You send a driver for her half the time anyway.”

The tires on the cruiser squealed as they got closer to the freighter.

“I need you to look at your calendar and find another day when you can pick her up from school, Daniel.”

“I can’t do that right now. I’m in the middle of something.”

“Daniel!”

“Please stop for a second,” he told her. “Can you just do me one favor? Tell Grace Danno loves her, all right?”

Rachel huffed but seemed to realize something bigger was going on. “Very well.”

She hung up the phone, not giving Danny a chance to respond.

Danny let out an annoyed breath and put down the phone, looking over to see Steve watching him.

“Okay,” Danny sighed, wanting to get this over with. “When Gracie was three, she’d try to say my name; all she could say was Danno. That’s all that came out. Danno. Okay?”

“That’s it?” Steve asked.

“That’s it.”

There was silence in the car, and then–

“It’s cute.”

“Shut up.”

“Why can’t I think it’s cute?” Steve wanted to know, and Danny rolled his eyes.

“Because I don’t need you thinking anything about us,” Danny told him. “It’s between me and my daughter.”

“All right,” Steve said in response, silence engulfing the car for the rest of the drive.

~~

Before long, they were at the Emma Carl, the ship Victor Hesse was escaping on. Steve drove the cruiser directly onto the boat, and it was an instant firefight.

Steve took off almost immediately, Danny covering him until he was out of sight.

Steve could handle himself with Hesse. It was Danny and everyone else’s job to handle the rest.

Danny threw himself into the fight, taking down two of the men on board. As he straddled one of them, zip-tying their hands together, he looked up to see Steve shoot Hesse in the chest. Hesse fell backward off the boat, and Steve turned to look at Danny.

“Hey, ” Steve said, blood still seeping down his face from the cuts on his lip and brow, “get the Coast Guard to find that body.”

Danny nodded. “What do you want me to do with this one?”

Steve grinned, the action lighting up his face even with all the blood. “Book ’em, Danno.”

Danny stopped and gave him a look. “What did I tell you about that?”

Steve smirked down at him, and Danny steadfastly ignored the flutter in his stomach.

~~

Steve handed him an envelope when Danny was walking back into the office after the bust at the docks.

“What is this?” Danny gave Steve a confused look as he took the envelope.

“Three nights at the Kahala Hotel,” Steve shrugged, and Danny’s hackles went up. “Look, I know you’re going to say no…”

“Yeah,” Danny cut him off, getting annoyed. “You’re right; I’m going to say no. What is it with you and my living arrangements? You can’t go a day without making a crack about my apartment?”

Steve gave Danny an unimpressed look. “Gracie’s coming over this weekend, right?”

“Yeah,” Danny answered reluctantly.

“Okay,” Steve nodded. “I hear this place has a pool. You can swim with the dolphins. Just take it.”

Danny sighed, knowing this was a losing battle. If he didn’t accept it, he had no doubt Steve would sneak it into his car later, under his pillow at home, or somewhere where he least expected to find it. It seemed like the kind of crazy thing he would do.

“Fine,” Danny eventually said, pausing a minute before letting out a breath. “and thank you. This was nice of you.”

“Don’t be so surprised,” Steve said, a teasing note in his voice. “Many people think I’m a very nice person, Danno.”

“I highly doubt that,” Danny retorted, amusement coating his words. “And don’t call me that.”

Steve gave him another grin. “I’m sure you’ll change your mind eventually.” He continued into the room ahead of them, leaving Danny rooted to the ground. Danny paused, stilling for a moment, and he felt the back of his neck grow hot.

He hadn’t been with anyone since he and Rachel had split, and he would be lying if he said that he hadn’t noticed how attractive Steve was. With his piercing eyes and his lean frame, Steve captured his attention right from the moment they met.

But none of that mattered… Danny had learned the hard way; developing feelings for straight people never ended well. So, no matter his feelings, he had to leave it alone.

Danny sighed as he entered the room, and as soon as they entered the main office, Chin and Kono waved him over.

“Okay, guys, honestly,” Kono said as he joined Steve and the cousins, “I think we need a name.”

“A name?” Steve raised an eyebrow at Kono. Danny wondered how he didn’t wince at the motion, given how much of a mess his face was.

“What kind of name? What are you talking about?” Danny asked Kono.

“Yeah, like, something to call ourselves,” Kono grinned. “What do you think?”

“Why do we need a name?” Chin asked his cousin, brow furrowed in confusion.

She rolled her eyes at him, “Because we’re going to be working together, and it’d be cool.”

Danny saw Steve grin at Kono when he said that, and how his eyes lit up.

“I got it,” Chin said after a moment, grinning proudly. “A’ohe hana nui ka alu’ia.”

Kono laughed.

“What are you laughing at? Come on.” Chin frowned at his cousin.

“What does it mean?” Danny asked, taking pity on Chin.

“It means, ‘No task is too big when done together.’”

No one seemed to go for it, and Chin sighed. “This is the problem with you haoles—no team spirit, no island spirit.”

“No, honestly. Come on,” Kono told her cousin. “Our name should be something cool like Strike Force.”

“Strike Force?” Chin asked incredulously.

“Yes. Strike Force.”

“I hate that so much,” Danny grimaced, Kono pouting.

“You know,” Steve said diplomatically, “I say, we keep thinking.”

~~

When Danny returned to his apartment that night, dropping his keys on the counter and sitting on his futon, he wondered how quickly things had changed.

For the last six months, he felt like he had been in a special type of hell: doing the job he loved, that he had been doing for years, but never getting a chance to prove himself.

But working with Steve the last two days? Danny had never felt more alive since the day he stepped onto this island.

And to think, Danny had been tempted to shoot him the day they met.

~~

Danny was aware that he could have transferred back to HPD as soon as the case was over, yet when Steve offered him a permanent position on the task force, Danny jumped at the opportunity.

He wasn’t sure why he’d agreed… Maybe it was Stockholm Syndrome setting in, or wanting to keep that crazy SEAL from leading anyone else into trouble.

Or maybe, it was because despite getting him shot on day one and being a generally reckless schmuck, Steve was a good person.

He had given Danny and Grace a three-day trip to a hotel for no reason other than he wanted to. He seemed to care about Chin, giving him a chance to be a cop after nobody else in the world had his back. He seemed to also care about Kono, the ex-surfer who had already been promised a position in the task force after graduation.

So yeah. Steve might be a crazy son of a bitch, but maybe there was more to Steve than Danny had assumed.

Chapter 2:

The next six months on the newly named Five-0 task force would prove him right if Danny didn’t count all the crazy stuff Steve did regularly, like using a grenade to blow a door or driving Danny’s beloved car, which he rarely got to drive because Steve constantly commandeered it, into a gate to get past security.

But there were other moments, too. For example, when Steve helped prove Meka’s innocence, the first friend Danny had made on the island, everyone else thought Meka was dirty. Or when Steve called in a favor with the governor to keep Rachel from taking Grace away from him.

Every kind thing he did seemed to balance out the crazy stuff he did every other hour of the day, and Danny felt himself starting to feel something for Steve. Something he had not felt in a long time—since before Rachel came home and told him that she wanted a divorce because she had met a handsome real estate mogul at a work event and would rather be with him than with a lowly detective from Newark.

However, none of that mattered when Danny couldn’t let anything happen. He couldn’t let himself feel anything for Steve, anything at all.

There were a thousand reasons why Danny shut down his feelings. Steve was his boss, and that could make things difficult at work. Steve was the closest thing Danny had to a friend on the island, and he didn’t want to lose that.

But deep down, Danny knew the truth.

He couldn’t let himself get hurt again.

Rachel’s leaving had crushed him more than he ever cared to admit. And Steve? Steve could destroy Danny if things went badly between them. Steve had wormed his way into Danny’s life over the last six months to the point where Danny couldn’t imagine his life without Steve insisting on driving his car or giving him a hard time about wearing a tie to work or any of the other thousand things he did every single day.

Danny barely survived losing Rachel. He would not be able to survive losing Steve. And he would lose Steve if he acted on his feelings; there was no doubt about it. Steve had never shown even an inkling of attraction towards men, and while Danny was sure it wouldn’t be a problem if Steve knew he was into men, he was sure if Steve found out he was in love with him, it would be a step too far for their friendship.

So for his own sake, he had to lock these feelings deep inside him. Because if he ever let them out? That would spell disaster.

So instead, he focused on being the best partner he could be. He supported Steve when he found out his mother’s tragic death was not an accident, and when the toolbox containing all the evidence his father had gathered over the years had been stolen from his house. And when they found out the man behind it was a shadowy figure known only by the name Wo Fat? Danny was there for Steve, promising that they would figure it out. That was what partners were for, right?

~~

Danny had grown accustomed to Steve’s tactile nature while working with him. There were thousands of casual touches between them, some of which were burned into Danny’s mind–

Steve’s reassuring hand on Danny’s shoulder at Meka’s funeral, or when Danny realized his brother betrayed his trust and fled the island.

The way their fingers brushed as they drank beers on the lanai, Steve’s eyes glittering in the evening light.

Or how Steve shielded Danny from his insanely stupid plan to blow a door using a goddamn grenade, his body pressed against Danny’s.

But this was his least favorite touch, because it could be his last.

Things had started so normally. Steve and the rest of the team had reached a possible lead in their Wo Fat investigation, and Danny had chased Sang Min through a nearby house, only to find a body. He stopped to check his pulse and immediately made his way to the front door. That was where everything went wrong. As he left the house to rejoin the others, Danny felt his chest tighten. He coughed, gasping for air, but nothing was helping. He collapsed against the gate of the house, his legs giving out from under him.

What was happening? Why was he feeling like this? Why couldn’t he take a breath?

“Danny! Danny!” Steve practically skidded to a stop in front of Danny, falling to his knees in front of him. “Danny, are you hit?”

“No. But something’s not right,” Danny managed to get out, the words coming out as a wheeze. “I can’t breathe.”

Danny saw Steve’s eyes widen as Danny spoke, and Steve went to take Danny’s pulse.

“Guys, his pulse is slow,” Steve said to the others over his shoulder before turning back to Danny. “Okay, I’m going to call an ambulance. What hurts?”

“My chest, I don’t know. I can’t breathe.” Danny wanted to claw at his throat, but his limbs seemed to be weighed down with stones. Or coconuts. That would probably be the Hawaiian equivalent.

“All right, we’ve got help on the way, okay?” Steve put a hand on Danny’s shoulder, and Danny wanted to do nothing more than to cling to it with all the strength he had left. “Just tell me what happened?”

Danny wheezed in another breath.

“Uh, there’s a body. There’s no pulse,” Danny gestured behind him, and Jenna immediately went to examine it.

Steve kept his hand on Danny’s shoulder, his piercing eyes never leaving Danny’s face.

Danny kept trying to force air into his lungs, his vision blackening at the edges.

~~

Danny didn’t remember much after that. The next time he woke up, he was in the hospital with Grace on one side and Rachel on the other. That, if anything, was the craziest part about all of this. He and Rachel might be cordial with each other, but they weren’t at the “sit at each other’s bedside in the hospital” stage of their separation.

“Danno!” Grace perked up as soon as she saw he was awake, ready to hug him.

“Hey, monkey,” Danny pulled her into his arms with a small smile.

Grace kept him company a while longer, until the nanny came to pick her up. And then Danny was left alone with Rachel.

“Thank you for keeping me company,” Danny said as he got up and dressed. He was doing no good sitting in a bed when he could be working the case. “I’m sorry you and Stan had to come home early.”

“It’s no trouble. In a way, I’m glad this happened,” Rachel told him.

“Oh, you are?” Danny gave her a strange look. “You’re glad that, uh, I got poisoned and almost died? I know we’ve got a complicated relationship, but still…”

“Okay, not glad, exactly, but grateful,” Rachel gave him a fond smile, which threw Danny for a loop. He hadn’t seen Rachel look at him like that since they were married, before Stan and Hawaii and everything else.

“The truth is, I was looking for any excuse to come home,” she admitted, looking down at her hands.

Danny frowned. “I thought you liked Maui, but I’m glad I could help.”

Rachel scoffed, staring down at her hands where her wedding ring used to sit. Danny said nothing, letting her say what she needed to say.

Sometimes, Danny was ashamed of using the same tricks on Rachel that he used to get suspects to talk during interrogation, but he couldn’t deny that it was effective.

“Stan only booked this trip to see if we could save our marriage,” Rachel finally admitted looking at Danny. “I don’t know there’s anything left to save.”

Danny was thrown.

“I’m sorry,” he finally said.

“I’m not sure I am,” Rachel told him, reaching for his hand. “Maybe this was meant to happen.”

“Why would this be meant to happen?” Danny asked, his gaze locked on Rachel’s hand in his. He felt like none of this was real. Like the Sarin gas had plunged him into an alternate reality.

“Because maybe this is the universe’s way of helping me fix my mistakes,” Rachel told him, looking right at Danny.

“That’s good,” He finally responded, feeling stupid for saying it.

Rachel gave him a soft smile.

“You should get to work,” she said after a slight pause.

Danny nodded, tying his tie.

“We’ll talk later?” he asked her, questioningly.

She nodded, looking at him shyly. “I look forward to it, yes.”

~~

After that, things got a little more complicated for Danny.

Or a lot more complicated.

Not with work, that was fine for the most part. But things with Rachel had taken an unexpected turn.

Falling back into bed with Rachel was a mistake. He knew that it was. He didn’t want to be the other man and cause problems between Rachel and her new husband. That wasn’t the kind of person he was, or the example he wanted to set for Grace.

And yet, it was the least crazy thing that had happened to him since moving to Hawaii. It was so easy to fall back into old patterns with her. To forget about the year of stress she caused him by divorcing him and taking his child away. For a brief moment, everything was going well. She said she was going to tell Stan, and they could be together. Grace could have her parents back together. They could be happy.

Danny wanted that more than anything else.

A small voice inside his head told him that he was considering reconciling with Rachel because it was easier than dealing with his feelings for Steve, and Danny tried to drown out that voice as best as he could. He had loved Rachel once; he could do so again.

And then, right in the middle of Steve’s harebrained suggestion that they break into the governor’s mansion because of some suspected conspiracy, Rachel called and asked for them to meet.

After making Steve promise to go home, get some sleep, and not do anything insane until he got back, which meant asking Chin to keep an eye on him since he was the only even-keeled team member, Danny took off. When he arrived, Rachel was pacing back and forth, looking panicked.

Danny parked the car and practically flew to Rachel’s side.

What’s going on?” he asked, his eyes scanning over her to check for injuries. “What’s the matter?”

“It’s nothing,” Rachel tried to brush off his concern, but Danny could hear the faintest quiver in her voice. “I just need to talk to you about something.”

“Okay,” Danny didn’t have a good feeling about this. “What’s going on? Are you having second thoughts about telling Stan?”

“No,” Rachel shook her head, leaving Danny slightly relieved. “That’s not it at all.”

She started to pace, and Danny put a hand on her shoulder.

“Hey, listen to me,” Danny told her. “Whatever it is, you can tell me, okay? Anything. I’m right here.” He gave her a reassuring smile and was relieved to receive a small one in return.

“I’m pregnant, ” she finally told him, and Danny froze. That was the one he least expected her to say.

“You’re pregnant,” Danny repeated, trying to understand. “Wow. Uh… and I’m definitely…”

“Yes,” Rachel immediately cut in. “You are the father.”

“Okay, good,” Danny ran a hand through his hair. “Good, good, good. Okay.” He could see that Rachel was freaked out, and he went to comfort her. “Everything’s going to be okay, honey. I promise.”

“How is everything going to be okay, Daniel?” Rachel asked helplessly. “Stan has been so wonderful to me. How do I tell him I’m leaving and I’m pregnant with your child?”

“I don’t know,” Danny admitted. “But you don’t have to do it alone. I’ll come with you, all right?”

“No,” Rachel shook her head, pulling out of his arms and stepping back. “This is something I need to do by myself.”

Danny understood that. When he was in Stan’s position, he didn’t think Stan’s presence when Rachel said she wanted to leave him would have helped; it likely would have made things worse.

“Once it’s done, I don’t want to be here,” Rachel told Danny, and he questioned if he had heard her right.

“You want to leave Hawaii?” he asked. “But you love it here.”

“This is Stan’s home; it’s not mine,” Rachel told him. “I was too blind to see before, but I get it now.” She paused for a moment. “I already checked with the airline. There’s a red-eye to Newark that leaves tomorrow night.”

Danny set his shoulders and looked her in the eyes. “All right, well, I’m coming with you.”

Rachel stared at him. “Danny, you can’t leave. You have a life here.”

“I have a life here?” he asked incredulously. “Rachel… you and Grace are my life.” He held a hand up to her face, Rachel leaning into the touch. “The only reason I came out here in the first place was for you guys. Wherever you are, that’s where I want to be. That’s where I’m going to be, okay?”

She blinked away the tears that had formed while Danny was speaking.

“What about your job?”

“Listen, we’ll go, uh, I’ll get you settled in Jersey, and I’ll come back here, I’ll wrap up all my… my cases, and then, uh, that’s it,” he told her. “All right? It’ll be the three of us again.” Danny smiled at her, and Rachel returned it.

“The four of us,” she chuckled, motioning at her belly.

Danny smiled, looking deep into her eyes. “Rachel, I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

Danny got back in the car and drove back to the office, lost in thought.

At this point, he’d been in Hawaii for nearly a year and expected to stay here for the rest of his life—or at least until Grace went to college.

And now he was going to leave. He was going back home to his beloved New Jersey, where it wasn’t humid all the time and pineapples stayed in fruit salads.

This was everything he wanted. So why did none of this feel right?

~~

Danny had spent the entire afternoon trying to draft his letter of resignation, but nothing seemed right. Then he realized that Steve didn’t deserve to hear he was leaving from a letter. He deserved for Danny to tell him to his face. And that was what he had to do.

Danny drove to his house, letting himself in the same way he had for months.

Except this time, Steve nearly jumped him as soon as he got through the door, pressing a gun against him before realizing it was Danny.

“What the hell is the matter with you?” Danny gave Steve an incredulous look, getting an annoyed one in response as Steve locked the door behind him.

“Would it kill you to knock on this door just once?”

“Knock on that door?” Danny echoed. “Why? What’s with the ambush? Why are you dressed like a ninja? What are you doing?” Danny felt the blood rush from his face. “No, no, no. Don’t answer.”

“Danny—”

“Tell me you didn’t break into the governor’s house, Steve!”

“The key fit, Danny.”

“Oh my god, do you hear yourself?” Danny ran a hand through his hair. “You’re going to get arrested.

Steve, as usual, ignored him. “This is what my father was working on before he was murdered, Danny. He was investigating the governor. Look at this.” Steve held out some pictures to Danny. “See for yourself. I found these in the drawer. That’s Laura Hills with one of those envelopes.”

Danny looked at the pictures, eyebrows raising when he noticed something. “Is that your truck?”

“That’s my truck,” Steve confirmed. “The governor found out Laura was sending me pieces of evidence from my father’s toolbox.”

“And you know what else, Danny?”

“That you’re going to give me a stress-induced heart attack?” Danny couldn’t help but snark.

Steve gave him a look. “Very funny. No, I think Laura was stealing the evidence from the governor.”

“That doesn’t make sense.”

“How does it not make sense?”

“Because it doesn’t!” Danny exclaimed. “Why would Laura do all of this? Why steal the evidence at all? And why would she send it to you piece by piece?”

“The box was full of different stuff,” Steve pointed out. “I’m sure she hoped the governor wouldn’t notice anything missing. Come here.” Danny obediently came to stand by Steve as he pointed. “This is Laura’s date book, okay? Now, for the last month, every Wednesday, I get something in an envelope from my father’s toolbox. Look at this.” Steve looked at Danny. “Every one of Laura’s Tuesday lunches is open.”

“So what?” Danny struggled to grasp the significance of Tuesday lunches being free. Lots of people had free Tuesday lunches. “What happens on Tuesday?”

“What happens on Tuesday?” Steve echoed, looking at Danny. “The governor has a standing lunch with the police chief at Turtle Bay, and Laura knew that.”

“So, wait a minute…” Danny needed to understand where Steve was going with this. If they were going after the governor, they had to be sure. “So, Laura used that time to slip into the governor’s office.”

“And steal us a piece of evidence,” Steve finished, his expression grim.

“And according to these photos in that bureau, the governor found out about it.” Danny let out a breath. “Wow.”

“She had Laura killed,” Steve shook his head in disgust. “Laura was trying to help me, Danny. It’s my fault she’s dead.”

“Hey, it is not your fault.” Danny wasn’t going to let Steve put this on himself. “You didn’t plant that bomb and kill her. And we will find a way to get justice for her, I promise you.”

Steve seemed unconvinced, but he gave Danny a slight nod. “Thank you.”

“Anytime, babe.”

Steve smirked, briefly meeting Danny’s eyes. The air between them suddenly felt thicker, and Danny swallowed, willing the blood away from his cheeks.

There was silence for a moment, until—

“Wait, why did you come over here?” Steve furrowed his brow. “If you didn’t know about the break-in, why did you come over?”

Danny froze. In all the excitement, he had nearly forgotten his reason for showing up.

“Oh, that’s not important now—”

“Danny.”

Danny sighed, figuring now was as good a time as any. “I’m leaving, Steve. I’m going back to New Jersey.”

Steve’s eyes widened. “You’re what? Why?”

“Rachel’s pregnant,” Danny told him, and Steve looked confused for a moment until he realized.

“So, you and she were—”

“Yeah, ” Danny sighed, dropping onto Steve’s couch. “I’m not exactly proud of it, as you can imagine.”

“Yeah.” Steve sat down next to him. “So was it your idea to move back or—”

“It was hers,” Danny chuckled. “She said she only moved her and Grace out here for Stan, and so there’s no reason to stay.”

“Is that how you feel?”

“What do you mean?”

Steve gave Danny a look. “Do you want to leave?”

Danny wrestled with that answer for a long moment before giving Steve a half-hearted shrug. “I have a chance to put my daughter’s family back together. I have to take it.”

“I can understand that.” Steve nodded. “So, when—”

“She and Grace leave for good tomorrow night. I’ll go with them and return to wrap up some cases.” Danny looked down. “I haven’t told Chin and Kono yet. I wanted to break that news in person.”

“That makes sense.” Steve put a hand on Danny’s shoulder. “We’re all going to miss you.”

Danny wished he could tell Steve he had changed his mind, that he wanted to stay, and that he wanted to be with him more than anything.

But he couldn’t. Grace deserved to have her family put back together, and Danny could give her that. He had to give her that.

So instead, Danny just smiled at Steve and hoped it looked sincere.

“Yeah, I’ll miss you guys too.”

Chapter 3:

Danny had barely packed before he had to stop Steve from trying to go after the governor.

Danny knew Steve was being framed, but going after the Governor of Hawaii for doing it wasn’t going to make anything better. He had to find Steve and stop him from making the biggest mistake of his life.

Danny cursed as yet another call went straight to voicemail.

The next moment, his phone rang, and Danny’s heart jumped into his throat.

“Steve,” he sighed in relief when he picked up the phone. “Where have you been?”

“Danny, it’s Rachel.”

“Hey, honey, listen, I-I-I can’t talk right now, okay?” Danny said distractedly, busy trying to figure out if he could stop Steve. “I’ll call you back.”

“I wanted to let you know we’re here.”

“You’re here?” Danny frowned. “You’re where?”

“The airport.” Rachel paused as Danny cursed to himself. He had forgotten about the flight. “Is everything all right?”

“Yes.” He tried to keep his voice calm. “Everything is fine.”

Rachel knew him better than that, though. “Danny, if you’re having second thoughts…”

“Listen to me. I love you.” Danny softly reassured her. “Everything is fine. I’ve got something to take care of, and I will meet you at the gate, okay? I promise.”

“Okay.” Rachel hung up the phone and Danny sped towards the governor’s mansion. He had to stop Steve now. There was no time to waste.

~~

When he got there, he could already tell that it was too late. HPD cruisers were outside, lights flashing, as Steve was being led from the house in cuffs.

Danny spotted a familiar face and raced towards him, desperately trying to figure out what was happening.

“Hey, hey, Chin!” Chin turned as Danny raced up to him, an unreadable look on his face.

“Danny.”

“What the hell are you doing?” Danny noticed Chin back in the HPD uniform. “What happened?”

“The governor’s dead,” Chin told him.

“What are you talking about?” Danny asked, refusing to believe what he was implying.

This was Steve he was talking about. There was no way Steve killed the governor.

Just then, Steve saw Danny, and he started to pull towards him, fighting the grip of the HPD officers as best he could.

“It was Wo Fat,” he shouted, a helpless look in his eyes. “You understand? It was Wo Fat, Danny.”

Danny nodded, believing his partner, and he turned back to Chin.

“Let him go!”

Chin shook his head, “He was the only one there. His gun had just been discharged. I can’t let him go.”

“Yes, you can,” Danny told him. “We have jurisdiction. We’re Five-O. Get him out.”

“You don’t understand, Danny.” Chin gave him a regretful look. “There is no Five-O anymore.”

Danny felt as if he’d been slapped across the face.

“What did you do, huh?” he challenged Chin. “What did you do?” Chin looked away from Danny, and Danny’s temper flared. “You went back to them after everything they did to you?”

Chin didn’t say a word. Danny waved him off in disgust and turned to Steve. Their eyes locked through the window of the cop car.

“Steve, don’t worry,” Danny insisted. “I’ll get you out of there. Hang in there. I’ll get this thing straightened out, okay?”

Steve looked at Danny with such faith in his eyes that Danny knew he couldn’t let him down.

As the cruiser pulled away, Danny checked his watch and realized he wouldn’t make it in time for the flight. But at that precise moment, he no longer cared.

He was going to help Steve, come hell or high water. He would not let his friend, his partner, rot in jail for a crime he didn’t commit.

He hoped Rachel would understand that he had to do this.

~~

Danny called Rachel as soon as her plane landed the following day.

“Rachel, I’m so sorry,” he rushed to say as she picked up the phone. “I was on my way to the airport, but Steve got arrested.”

“Is he all right?” Rachel sounded concerned.

“Yes and no.” Danny ran a hand through his hair, trying to figure out the best way to say this. “He’s accused of killing the governor.”

“Oh my god!”

“He didn’t do it,” Danny rushed to reassure her. “But I need to stay here and help him clear his name for a little while.”

“Okay. I understand,” she sighed. “I suppose you would have had to stay to finish your cases anyway.”

Danny paused. “Actually, the task force was shut down.”

There was silence on the line, and then Rachel spoke.

“They shut down the task force? So, there are no cases for you to finish?”

“I found out last night when Steve got arrested,” he admitted. “Which, on the bright side, means that once I finish helping Steve, nothing will keep me here.”

“Right,” Danny could hear an odd note in Rachel’s voice, and he frowned. “Well, I should let you get to it. We wouldn’t want Commander McGarrett languishing in prison for much longer.”

Danny laughed. “No, we would not. Thank you for understanding.”

They hung up soon after, and Danny sighed. Rachel was such an understanding woman. He was lucky to have found her again after all the years they spent apart..

Now, all he had to do was get Steve out of prison so he could go be with her and his daughter.

Simple, right?

~~

As it turns out, things were not as simple as he would have thought.

It took him nearly a week to see Steve, and when he finally did, he had Steve’s old commander tagging along.

In the meantime, Danny tried to find anything that could lead them to Wo Fat, but he kept coming up empty.

He would figure this out. He had to. Steve was depending on him.

Danny breathed a breath of relief when he finally got eyes on Steve again. He didn’t seem harmed, at least as far as Danny could see. He was starting to grow a beard, but other than that, he was the same old Steve that drove Danny crazy.

Except for one thing. He was smiling at him. Fondly. Danny may need to check whether or not Steve had brain damage.

“Why are you smiling at me?” Danny gave Steve an odd look.

“You’re not wearing a tie, it suits you,” Steve teased, his smile widening as he looked at Danny.

Danny tried to ignore the reaction Steve’s stare had on him.

“No, I’m not wearing a tie,” he finally answered. “As it turns out, there’s no dress code for an out-of-work cop. Bright side, it’s given me time to think about your problem.”

“You get any leads on Wo Fat?” Steve asked, his gaze sharpening.

“Uh, no. Nothing yet.” Danny told him. “I’m going to keep looking, though. He’s got to turn up eventually.”

Steve seemed to accept that as an answer.

“How’s your family?” he abruptly changed the subject. “How’s Rachel? Is she still not getting morning sickness yet?”

“Yeah, she’s, uh…She’s excellent,” Danny told him, trying not to think about the three missed calls from Rachel he had yet to return.

He’d call her as soon as he was out of here. He just needed to get through this meeting with Steve.

He hated seeing Steve behind bars. Seeing Steve behind bars was like seeing a tiger in the zoo. It wasn’t natural.

“Listen,” Danny started, Steve snapping to attention. “I know you don’t like visitors, but this guy wouldn’t take no for an answer, so…”

Danny got up, letting Joe White take his seat.

“Let me guess, the governor had it coming?” he heard the commander say before deciding to give them some privacy.

~~

Once he was out of the prison, he gave Rachel a call.

“Honey?” he asked worriedly. “Is everything okay?”

“Everything is fine,” he heard Rachel sniffle. “I wanted to tell you that Grace and I are returning to Hawaii.”

“What?” Danny couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “Why are you coming back?”

He heard her take a deep breath, and then–

“I’m getting back together with Stan.”

Danny froze, and Rachel continued speaking.

“I’m further along than I thought, and the timing doesn’t work for us. It’s Stan’s baby, without a doubt.”

“Rachel…” Danny finally found his voice again. “Please don’t do this. I don’t care if it’s not my baby, I want to be with you.”

“But I care,” Rachel asserted. “I’m having a baby with my husband. I owe it to him to work things out.”

Danny sighed, “Rachel–”

“I’m sorry, Daniel. Grace and I will be back in Hawaii by this time next week. You can pick up from there with the custody schedule.”

The line went dead, and Danny stared at the phone.

So that was that. His chance to be back with Rachel and have his family back together was gone.

This wasn’t what was supposed to happen. How could things have gone so wrong so quickly?

~~

The next day, when Danny was still in shock from Rachel’s news, he got another call that shook him to his core.

Steve had been stabbed in prison by Victor Hesse, and then had escaped the ambulance taking him to the hospital.

Danny cursed, grabbing his gun and making his way out the door of his apartment. This was just what he needed right now.

A few hours later, after teaming up with Chin, he got a call from Max to go to his apartment.

He didn’t know what the hell the HPD ME needed with him, but he could feel in his bones that it wasn’t going to be good.

And as the apartment door swung open to reveal Steve standing in Max’s living room, he knew he was right.

Danny went through a lot of emotions when he saw Steve alive and somewhat in one piece– Relief that he wasn’t dead. Fear that Steve had made things worse for himself.

And then finally, anger.

“What the hell is the matter with you, huh?” Danny started in as soon as the door closed behind him and Chin. “What is the matter with you?! Breaking outta jail, taking out a cop?! Have you lost your mind?”

“Why are you yelling at me?” Steve had the nerve to ask with that stupid hangdog expression.

“I’m not yelling at you!”

“You were expressing yourself in a very loud manner,” Max cut in.

“Hey, zip it, Kermit, okay?” Danny glared at Max, who wisely shut up.

He turned back to Steve. “Have you lost your mind?”

“What choice did I have, Danny?” Steve countered, and Danny saw red.

“What choice did you have?” Now, Danny was yelling. “What does that even mean?!”

Steve rushed forward to quiet Danny, who, while annoyed, understood that now wasn’t the time to yell. Not when Steve was a fugitive.

But once they cleared his name? Everyone in the vicinity would need earplugs, Danny could promise that.

“You all right?” Chin asked, like a traitor.

“Thank you for asking, Chin,” Steve quipped. “Yeah, I’m alright! Thanks to Max.”

Danny was going to throttle this asshole one of these days.

After Chin and Steve had managed to calm Danny down, Steve explained that this was all part of a plan.

Admittedly an idiotic plan, but a plan nonetheless.

Then Steve’s old commander called, saying he had something for him. Of course, they couldn’t send Steve off alone when the entire HPD was on the lookout for him.

Danny was stuck driving Steve away from Max’s apartment in what he could only assume was a car Max had bought from a circus fire sale. Max, on the other hand, got to drive Danny’s car, and Danny was quietly fearing what state his car would be in when he got it back.

Danny drove in silence, wondering how he got into this situation, how he constantly ended up in situations like this, and how it was possible for his life to fall apart so quickly.

“You know, I could be wrong; it’s rare, but you don’t look happy, ” Steve finally said from the backseat.

“Well, I’m happy on the inside,” Danny snarked. “I love spending my afternoon driving around a fugitive.”

“You’re a bad liar.” Steve started to push himself up, and Danny spotted the action in the mirror.

“What are you doing?” Danny hissed. “Get down. You’re supposed to be the invisible man. Would you get down?”

“Why are you changing the subject?” Steve argued.

“I’m not changing the subject.”

“You are changing the subject, Danny. What’s going on?” Steve started to poke his head up.

“Put your head down!” Danny barked before deciding to be honest with Steve. “Rachel is moving back to Hawaii, okay?”

There was a moment of silence in the car.

“You told me she was staying in Jersey, ” Steve asked. “Why is she moving back to Hawaii?”

Danny wished he could look down at his feet, but he didn’t want to crash the car. “She’s moving back in with Stan,” he said.

“Oh, man,” Steve sighed. “The baby’s his?”

Danny nodded, “Turns out she’s further along than she thought. And so she’s going to try to make it work with Stan for the kid’s sake.”

Steve didn’t seem to know what to say to that, and he started to push himself up again.

“Would you please get down?” Danny hissed at him again, and Steve listened for once.

“I’m sorry, Danny,” he finally said. “I wish it had turned out better for you.”

“I’m fine,” Danny pointedly kept his eyes on the road. “It didn’t work out the first time, so who’s to say this time would be any different, right?”

There was silence in the car.

“Please don’t look at me like that.” Danny could feel Steve’s eyes boring into the back of his head. “I said I’m fine. I’m asking you not to give me that look, okay?” Danny sighed, “I’m more worried about my car at the moment.”

“Okay,” Steve conceded.

Danny sighed again. “Thank you. Now let’s go and clear your name so I can get out of this car.”

He could feel Steve smirk. “Sounds like a plan, Danno.”

“I’m not above crashing this car, Steve.”

~~

And then, after all that time, it finally seemed to be over. After a standoff at Kamekona’s Shaved Ice shop, and Danny and Chin nearly getting arrested by the new governor for breaking into his office, they finally had the proof they needed to clear Steve’s name. After a talk with the governor, where he made it clear that things would not go the same way as they had, Steve was cleared, the task force was reinstated, and Danny could start to get his life back on track.

Things with work seemed to be going well, too, except for Kono not being allowed back on the team until after the IA investigation. Danny wasn’t thrilled about that. IA hadn’t helped him when Meka was accused of being a dirty cop. It hadn’t helped Chin when he was accused of stealing that money. Danny could only hope things had changed and Kono’s name could be cleared soon, so she could return to doing the work she was born to do.

In the meantime, the governor had taken it upon himself to make some changes to the task force. Agent Lori Weston, a DHS agent from the mainland, was assigned to the team to act as a profiler, and Danny was eager to learn from her. Detectives and profilers were more closely related than one might think, and Danny was always up for learning something that might give him an edge.

Lori fit in well with the rest of the team. When she was eventually reinstated to her rightful place, Kono was thrilled to have another girl around, and Chin seemed to appreciate the experience she brought to the table. Steve had even warmed to her over time. And maybe that was a part of the problem.

Rachel leaving Danny again forced him to confront his feelings for Steve once more. He was still determined to keep them to himself and never let on that he felt this way. It was better for the team, and Danny couldn’t risk losing one of the only friends he had made since coming to the island.

But he would be lying if he said thinking of Steve and Lori getting closer didn’t break his heart. He knew he had no right to feel this way; Steve wasn’t his and never would be. And yet, his traitorous heart clenched whenever he saw Steve and Lori together.

At least Grace was back, her and Rachel arriving back on the island shortly after Danny cleared Steve’s name. Even if things with Rachel were well and truly over, at least he could see his daughter again.

That was his only bright spot, really.

Chapter 4:

A few weeks later, things were finally getting to a new level of normal. Well, except for the possible pirate treasure they found during their latest case, which, to be fair, was kind of a normal occurrence for them.

“It’s amazing.”

“What is, Danno?”

Danny gave Steve a dirty look for the nickname and gestured above them to the giant blue whale hanging from the museum ceiling.

“I mean, one day, you are the king of the ocean, right?” Danny said, looking at Steve. “The next thing you know, you’re hanging from the ceiling in a museum, and children are looking at your private parts.”

“Yep, kind of puts things in perspective,” Steve nodded.

“Excuse me.” The two snapped to attention as a young woman hurried towards them. “Five-O, right? You called about the coins?”

“Yeah, I’m Steve McGarrett; this is Detective Williams,” Steve started, gesturing at Danny.

“Danny, please.” Danny held out his hand for the woman to shake, and she took it.

“Hi,” she smiled at him, her brown eyes sparkling in the light. “Dr. Gabrielle Asano. I’m the museum’s curator of historic and cultural affairs.”

“Nice to meet you,” Danny told her.

“Nice to meet you, too.” She held onto his hand for another moment before releasing it and turning to Steve.

“Very nice to meet you,” Steve responded before turning to Danny. “Danny, can you show her the coins?”

It took Danny a second to remember what Steve was talking about, and then he flushed, rustling away for the coins. “Oh, sorry.”

He eventually dug them out and he held them out for the doctor to examine them. She smiled as he did so, her eyes sparkling at him.

“Um…” Danny lost his train of thought again. “Have…” Danny cleared his throat, his mouth a little dry. “Have you ever seen anything like this?”

Gabrielle stared at the coins, something strange passing over her face.

“What’s the matter?” Steve asked, seeing the look on her face.

“As a matter of fact…” She finally stopped looking at the coins. “I have.”

Dr. Asano led them back to her lab before telling them what she knew.

“The Princesa Del Mar was a Spanish trade galleon lost at sea in 1682, after it came under cannon fire from English pirates,” she told them, looking at the coins. “These coins are from that wreck.”

“Spanish galleon?” Danny wrinkled his nose, wondering how a ship like that made it here.

“Could something like that have sunk in local waters?” Steve asked.

“Absolutely,” Gabby nodded, her eyes shining with excitement. “The galleon is believed to have diverted here for repairs after the pirate attack. Salvage divers have been looking for the wreck for years.”

“Right, so what you’re saying is, whoever recovered these coins may have found the Princesa?” Steve asked.

“Pirate ships and cannonballs and treasure…” Danny snorted, a grin on his face. “I thought this stuff only happened in movies.”

“I can assure you the treasure is real,” she told them both. “And very valuable.”

“Valuable? How, uh, how much are we talking about?” Danny asked.

“On the collectible market, the coins would fetch maybe a couple thousand… each,” she told them, Danny’s eyebrows shooting up in alarm. “And the Princesa was believed to be carrying several tons of them.”

“That’s a lot of money,” Danny said to Steve.

“That’s a lot of motive,” Steve corrected him, and Danny rolled his eyes.

“Yes, obviously.”

“Gentlemen, would you mind if I held on to these for a while?” Gabrielle asked, interrupting them. “On behalf of the museum, I’d like to authenticate them.”

“I’m sorry, but these coins are evidence in a murder investigation,” Steve said, shutting that down.

“Yeah, but…I think giving her one little coin won’t hurt.” Danny gave Steve a look before motioning for Gabrielle to take a coin. “Go ahead. It’s fine.”

“Thank you.” Gabrielle smiled at him, and Danny returned it.

~~

But it wasn’t fine; Steve made that perfectly clear when they got in the car.

“It’s one coin,” Danny groaned. “Why are you losing your mind?”

“I’m not losing my mind,” Steve argued.

“Okay, so what is your problem?” Danny asked.

“I just don’t think you should use evidence to get in good with her.”

“Get in good with her?” Danny echoed. “What does that even mean?”

“If you want to ask her out, ask her out,” Steve told Danny, Danny sputtering in response. “I’m just saying.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa,” Danny held up his hands. “Who said anything about asking her out?”

“Come on,” Steve said, giving Danny a look. “You left Dr. Asano a coin, so you have a reason to go back and see her. It’s fine.”

“Uh, that’s not true,” Danny bristled as he defended himself. “I left her a coin because she might be able to help with our investigation.”

“Really?” Steve raised an eyebrow at him. “Even though she already told us a lot about the coins and the shipwreck?”

“She is authenticating them,” Danny reminded Steve. “If the coins turn out to be fake, that could be another possible motive.”

Steve seemed to accept that, and there was silence in the car.

“You know what you should do?” Steve finally said. “You should ask her out for coffee.”

“I don’t want… I’m not…” Danny sputtered for a moment. “I’m not looking for a relationship.”

“Coffee’s not a relationship,” Steve argued, rolling his eyes at Danny. “It’s a beverage.”

“That’s not true,” Danny told Steve, waving his hands around. “Every single relationship starts with a cup of coffee. Then it’s dinner and a movie. Okay?” Steve nodded at that, and Danny kept going, building more steam. “Next thing you know, you’re divorced, and you’re moving to Hawaii so you can see your daughter every other weekend.”

There was silence in the car, and then–

“You need to talk to somebody professionally,” Steve finally said. “Okay?”

“I do. You,” Danny smirked at Steve. “And now the session’s over.”

“No, the session’s not over, Danny.” Steve, being the relentless asshole he was, refused to let this go. “You need to get back on the horse; a cup of coffee is a good place to start.”

Danny tried to ignore Steve and the pang in his heart when he heard Steve say that. When the man you loved said it was time to move on, it hurt. Even if Steve didn’t know that he was trying to move on from him.

Maybe Steve had a point, though.

Maybe it was time to leave the past behind and stop pretending there could be anything more between him and Steve.

At that moment, Danny made a decision. He could call Gabrielle after the case was over and ask her out. If nothing else, it could help him move on.

After all, he couldn’t pine after Steve for the rest of his life.

~~

You know what’s great with helping you get over being in love with your best friend?

Living with him.

That was the situation Danny found himself in.

The stupid motel he had moved into after finding out his apartment building was haunted turned out to be infested with black mold, leaving Danny in the proverbial cold.

He and Gabby were taking things slowly, so Danny didn’t even bother telling her about his plight.

So, he was stuck, with nowhere to go besides yet another crappy motel that was hopefully mold-free.

That is, until Danny’s best friend heard of his situation and had the good idea to invite him to stay with him until he found a new place.

Because, of course, Danny had to get a partner with a heart of gold willing to open his home to Danny in his time of need.

The fact that it was also the person he was in love with was just a stroke of bad luck on Danny’s part.

Living with Steve was proving to be a test of Danny’s self-control in more ways than one. If Danny wasn’t tossing and turning in a futile attempt to block the sound of the waves, which so many found idyllic, but Danny found to be auditory agony, he was waking up first thing in the morning, when Steve traipsed through the house in nothing but a pair of tight swim shorts. On more than one occasion, Danny had closed his eyes and pretended to be asleep as Steve walked past. He didn’t have another choice. Steve was attractive enough without his shirt off, but when the early morning light caused his wet skin to glisten like that? Danny had to do whatever he could to keep from drooling over his partner, for his own sanity if for no other reason.

Danny was glad the other man was so comfortable with his own body, and Danny had no right to tell Steve what he could and couldn’t do in the privacy of his own home, but Danny was getting a little tired of constantly having to take cold showers.

He needed to get out of here soon. He had to find a place before he lost all semblance of self-control and jumped Steve’s bones. Not only would that end very badly for him because Steve is a Navy SEAL who could absolutely kick Danny’s ass if he needed to, but it would make things awkward with the team. And Danny couldn’t let that happen.

~~

Danny was once again trying to use the noise of the television to block out the sound of the waves from the beach outside. If he had the TV on, with the covers over his head, he could almost tune them out.

“Are you a financial planner with clients interested in gold?” the infomercial said with a cheery voice. “Maybe you’d considered gold, but the commissions were too high.”

Danny burrowed into his blankets as the noise continued.

“Now is the time to buy gold again,” the perky voice said. “Gold savings accounts, gold investment accounts, gold IRA accounts. U.S. coins, international coins…”

The TV shut off, and Danny resisted the urge to groan.

“I was watching that.”

“Through the blanket?” Steve sounded annoyed, and Danny poked his head out.

“I was listening to it.”

“Yeah, I mean, because there’s nothing more soothing than the sound of somebody trying to sell you gold coins, right?” Steve gave Danny a look from where he was sitting in the chair next to the couch.

“You know, I need something to block out the sound of the ocean because the waves keep crashing over and over and over again, Steven,” Danny sighed.

“Some would say it’s a relaxing sound, Danny.”

“Some people would,” Danny agreed. “And other people, like myself, would say it’s Hawaiian water torture, okay?” He closed his eyes. “It’s been two weeks now; I can’t take it anymore.”

“Okay, you know I don’t mind you crashing with me till you find your own place, right?” Steve said.

“And I appreciate that,” Danny told him.

“Okay, but I can’t sleep with the TV on.”

“I can’t sleep with the TV off.”

“And we discussed that before you moved in.” Steve reminded him.

“Yeah, we did,” Danny said, pretending to recall the conversation. “I remember it’s McGarrett house rule number 32: No TV after midnight.”

Steve sighed. “I’m sorry the hotel didn’t work out for you.”

“Wait, wait, whoa, whoa.” Danny stopped him right there. “The hotel didn’t ‘not work out,’ okay? It became infested with black mold. There’s a difference. That’s a sign from God.”

“But…” Steve ignored him. “I have become accustomed to doing things a certain way.”

“Yeah, I know, and your way is completely insane,” Danny shot back, the lack of sleep making him more argumentative than usual. “It’s nuts. Who can take a shower in under three minutes?”

“Have you ever heard of a Navy shower, Danny? A Navy shower?” Steve demanded.

“No. Where would I have heard of something like a Navy shower?” Danny scoffed at Steve. “I’m not in the Navy.”

“Three minutes is a luxury in a Navy shower, Danny!”

Before they could really start arguing, which had become an art form with them at this point, Steve’s phone rang, and they had a case.

~~

Danny thought he could handle this. He thought he could handle staying on Steve’s couch for a few more days while finding a place.

But when Steve gave Danny those noise-canceling headphones so he could watch TV at night without keeping him up, Danny knew he had to leave.

It wasn’t even Steve’s fault: Steve was being kind. But Danny knew that if he didn’t leave now, if he wasn’t careful, he could lose Steve.

And Danny couldn’t bear to lose Steve.

So, he left, got himself a room at a less crappy hotel than the previous one, and moved on.

Besides, he was dating Gabby now. Pining over Steve was doing him no good.

~~

Danny had been dating Gabrielle for two months, and everything seemed to be going well. At least, that’s what he thought. Until one night at dinner, when she took his hand and told him they needed to talk.

“Sure, what do you want to talk about?” Danny asked, desperately trying to figure out what he had done wrong.

Gabrielle gave him a soft smile. “Danny, I enjoy spending time with you.”

“I enjoy spending time with you, too,” Danny said, wondering where she was going with this.

“But I think you need to be honest with yourself,” Gabby told him.

“About what?”

“The fact that you’re in love with someone else,” she said, squeezing his hand.

Danny’s first reaction was to vehemently deny it, but he knew that would do him no good. Because what she was saying? It was true. Even when they were together, he couldn’t stop thinking about Steve. He tried to hide it as best he could, but he knew he wasn’t being fair to her.

He sighed, and Gabrielle’s face softened even more. “Danny, it’s okay. I understand.”

Danny gave her a puzzled look. “I’m not sure how you’re being so understanding here.”

“How should I be acting?” she asked, laughing slightly.

“If I had to guess? Yelling, crying, throwing a drink in my face, and storming off are all solid moves.”

Gabby chuckled, letting his hand go. “Danny, it’s only been a few months. They’ve been excellent months, but…,” she trailed off. “We both know this relationship wasn’t going anywhere.”

“We do?”

Gabby gave him a look. “You never even thought about me meeting Grace, did you?”

Danny flushed under her knowing gaze.

“I had thought about it,” he admitted. “I was just…worried.”

“Which is understandable,” she told him. “But it’s more than that,” she sighed. “Even when you’re here, you aren’t here. It‘s like your mind is somewhere else.” She gave him another knowing look. “Or with someone else.”

Danny looked at her and sighed. “I’m so sorry, Gabby. I liked you, I swear I did.”

“I know,” she told him. But you and I both deserve more. There’s no shame in leaving something that isn’t working out, and that’s what we have to do here. And I hope you find what you’re looking for, Danny.”

She gave him a sad smile and got up from the table. “I’ll see you around, Detective Williams.”

And with that, Dr. Gabrielle Asano walked out of Danny’s life.

Chapter 5:

If Danny had to guess at exactly when things went to shit, it was probably around the same time Jenna Kaye came back into their lives.

She had some new leads on Wo Fat in North Korea, and Danny knew Steve wanted to go with her.

“I know you,” Danny told him. “I know you want to put on the cape, and you want to go save the day, but please keep in mind that this is not a puddle-jumper to Lana’i. Okay? This is North Korea.”

“I’m aware of that, thank you, Danny.”

“Okay,” Danny nodded. “So, what do you want to do?”

“What am I going to do?” Steve corrected him. “I have to help her. I’d do the same for you and anybody else here. You know?”

“Okay, whoa,” Danny put a hand up. “I’m assuming, whatever it is you’re about to do, you’ve done before, right?”

“It’s classified.”

“Of course.” Danny wanted to throw up his hands.

Do I…” A teasing grin broke out across Steve’s face. “Is that concern that I see?

Yeah, jerk,” Danny frowned at Steve. “I’m concerned. Big deal.”

“Wow, you do care.”

“Oh, shut up.”

Steve laughed. “I’ll be fine, all right? It’s North Korea. What could go wrong?”

Danny gave him a dirty look. “You jinxed yourself.”

Steve gave Danny a look. “No, I didn’t.”

“Yes, you did.” Danny took a step closer to Steve. “Do me a favor and watch yourself, huh?”

“I’ll think about you the whole time,” Steve said, his eyes locked onto Danny.

“Thanks,” Danny managed to say, unable to break away from Steve’s piercing stare.

Steve grinned and turned, leaving the room as Lori walked in.

“What did I miss?” she asked.

“Nothing,” Danny tried to brush it off. “He’s, uh, got to go help a friend. He’ll be gone for a couple of days.” He turned to her. “What’s up?”

“You don’t seem too happy about it,” Lori remarked. “Is it something dangerous?”

Sometimes, Danny hated having a profiler on the team.

“No,” he told her. “The guy’s a Navy SEAL, right? Everything’s fine.” He took a deep breath. “Nothing to worry about.”

If he said it often enough, he might start believing it.

The next day, Danny was done playing it cool. He was very, very worried.

Steve had not responded since he had touched down in North Korea, and Danny knew something was wrong; he could feel it.

As he and the rest of the team worked on the Bethany Morris murder, Danny’s mind kept going back to Steve. He wanted to know what was happening and if Steve was all right. But they didn’t even know where Steve had been going with Jenna.

And then Jenna called.

Danny asked Chin to trace it as he answered the phone.

“Hey, Jenna, it’s Danny. Where are you?”

“Danny… I’m sorry,” he heard her crying. “I screwed up. I’m so sorry.”

“It’s okay. It’s okay,” he tried to calm her down. “Just tell me, where is Steve?”

“It’s Wo Fat. It’s Wo Fat, Danny,” he could hear her panicking. “He has him, and I led Steve right to him.”

Danny felt sick to his stomach, but he pushed past it. “Is he alive?”

Jenna didn’t answer him. “We’re south of Kaesong– a town called…”

The line broke up.

“A town called what?” Danny tried to keep the panic out of his voice. “Jenna, you broke up.”

He could hear banging in the distance, and he knew he didn’t have much time.

“Repeat it. Where’s Steve?”

There was silence on the line.

“Jenna,” Danny tried to get her to respond. “Jenna! Jenna!”

Finally, he had to admit the truth; the line was dead, and their best chance of finding Steve was gone.

Chin shook his head when Danny looked at him, and Danny felt a pit in his stomach.

“Okay.” Danny pulled himself together. “I don’t care what we have to do, but we need to find Steve. We cannot leave him there.”

The rest of the team nodded, and Danny felt hope form in his chest.

There wasn’t a thing Five-0 couldn’t accomplish when they worked together.

Come hell or high water, they were bringing Steve home.

~~

After a long night of work, they finally found a single mention of a CIA operation that might lead them to Steve’s location.

Danny was on high alert as they made their way into the jungle. He only hoped they weren’t too late and that Steve was okay.

As they came across the convoy, Danny acted instinctively as he followed Chin and Joe into the fray. When the fight was over, he started to check the trucks. Steve had to be here. He had to be alive. Danny wasn’t going to allow himself to think of any other option.

Danny reached the last truck in the convoy, opened the back, and saw Steve slumped against the wall. Steve looked up, blinking in confusion as Danny stared at him.

“Hey, it’s Steve!” Danny called out. “I got Steve! He’s alive!”

Not bothering to wait for a response, Danny climbed into the truck to untie Steve. He saw the rope burns on Steve’s wrist and neck and had to resist the urge to hunt down the son of a bitch that hurt Steve.

“Danny,” Steve said, blinking quickly as Danny freed him. “You’re here.”

“Yeah, I’m here. First time I ever go to Asia, and it’s to save your ass.” Danny tried to act like he hadn’t been scared out of his mind the entire flight here.

“Where’s Wo Fat?” Steve asked as Danny groaned.

“Just shut up, would you?”

Joe came into the truck, helping Danny lift Steve out of it. Steve groaned as they moved. After all he’d been through, Danny would be surprised if he didn’t have broken ribs.

Gutches, one of the seals that helped them out, came running around the corner.

“I hate to break up this little family reunion, but we’ve got to go now.”

He helped them rush Steve to the chopper, Danny pulling Steve to sit in front of him. After everything, Danny wasn’t willing to have Steve away from him yet.

Steve looked up at Danny, and Danny knew what he was going to say. He could read it in his eyes, and he shook his head.

“No, don’t,” Danny told him. “You can thank me when we get back to Oahu.”

Steve gave him a weak smile. “Deal.”

“You can thank me by being the best man at my wedding.” Chin cut in. “I’m getting married.”

“Congratulations, man!” Steve grinned at Chin. “That’s awesome!”

“No, don’t do it!” Danny told Chin. “It’s a terrible idea!”

“Thank you,” Chin made a face. “I appreciate the support, Danny.”

“What did you expect from the divorced guy in the group?” Kono quipped, and Danny made a face at her.

“Seriously, don’t get married, “Danny told him. “Just find a woman you hate–.”

“And buy her a house,” everyone chorused, Danny laughing along with everyone else.

He kept a hand on Steve the entire flight back, even when they changed planes. He felt as if Steve would vanish into thin air if he let go, and Danny couldn’t handle that. Not with any of them, but especially not with Steve.

~~

When they returned to Oahu, Danny stayed on Steve’s couch for three nights, resisting the urge to check in with Steve throughout the night.

Danny didn’t even mind when Steve went for an early swim the morning of his last day there. Steve was there, and he was alive. Danny couldn’t ask for anything more than that.

~~

After Steve returned from North Korea, things seemed to be returning to normal.

Or at least as normal as things ever got with them.

Chin was getting married to Malia, and Danny couldn’t be happier for him. Chin was one of the best people he knew, and he hoped he would be happy.

When the wedding came around, Danny shed a tear or two, watching as Chin twirled his bride around the dance floor. He could only hope to be as lucky as Chin was if he ever got married again.

The next few weeks passed quickly, in some weird holding pattern.

Steve seemed essentially the same, if a bit preoccupied, but that was to be expected after everything he’d been through. The mystery of Shelbourne hung over his head like the sword of Damocles, and Danny knew not having the answer to that mystery was killing him.

Then there were the other odd things Steve did, like dropping the handcuff keys on the side of the balcony instead of giving them to Danny when he was trying to show Lori the jersey slip. Danny had to walk around with them on his wrist for an hour before Kamekona took pity on him and unlocked the remaining cuff.

Danny couldn’t stop thinking about how Steve had looked when he saw him and Lori handcuffed together– The odd gleam in his eye.

But Danny stopped himself every time he caught himself going down that road. Nothing good could come of imagining if things were different between him and Steve. He had to keep moving forward. And that’s what he did.

And then Danny got a call.

Rachel was in labor, and Stan was on a business trip. Danny knew what he had to do. It didn’t matter that Rachel wasn’t carrying his kid– he couldn’t abandon her to face this alone.

“Can’t believe the baby’s coming this early, Danny,” Rachel said, eyes wide with worry as she and Danny entered the hospital.

“Well, he must take after Stan because you are late for everything,” Danny couldn’t resist goading her as they approached the desk.

Rachel hit him on the shoulder, hard. “Did he get a flight yet?”

“Yes, but it only leaves tonight,” Danny told her. “It’s 16 hours from Beijing.”

“Let’s hope the labor doesn’t take that long,” Rachel winced. “What about Grace?”

“Grace is fine,” Danny soothed her. “The nanny’s picking her up. She’s bringing her here. It’s going to be beautiful. You’re beautiful. Breathe.”

They entered the hospital, and Danny brought them over to the desk.

“Okay. Hi,” he got the nurse’s attention. “Rachel Edwards. We called from the car.”

“Yes. We need you to sign her in,” the nurse said, and Danny reached for the paperwork.

“Danny, you didn’t have to do this,” Rachel told him, and he scoffed.

“Sure, I did,” he gave her a small smile. “Just because this isn’t my kid doesn’t mean I can’t be there to support you.”

Danny turned back to the paperwork, missing the look Rachel gave him.

~~

Danny was reading from Rachel‘s labor visualization exercise an hour later, fighting the urge to roll his eyes with every word.

“Your contractions are like ocean waves, coming to the shore,” he droned, wondering who the hell came up with this garbage. “Concentrate on your breath. Inhale through your eyes, and exhale through…” he blinked, wondering if he was reading the next word right. “…your vagina.”

He turned to Rachel, raising his eyebrows. “Can you do that?”

“Keep reading,” Rachel directed him, chuckling slightly.

“All I’m saying is that it’s impressive if you can,” Danny remarked before returning to the page. “Okay… ‘As another contraction builds, imagine… imagine your cervix is a… a soft-soft… softly glowing tunnel, stretching and expanding to welcome your baby.’”

Danny wrinkled his nose and closed the book. “Rachel, I’m out. I can’t. Come on.”

“Danny,” Rachael admonished, but Danny held firm.

“Please,” Danny shot her a look. “What are we doing with this hippie New Age garbage? Let’s mainline some drugs immediately.”

No,” Rachel immediately shook her head. “I didn’t need drugs with Grace, and I’m not having them now.”

“No, I needed drugs because you squeezed my hand so hard you almost broke my pinkie finger,” Danny reminded her, flexing the hand in question. “Hypnobirthing is for the birds, Rachel. I’m telling you.”

“My sister-in-law swears by it,” Rachel told him. “She recommended the class to us.”

“Us?” Danny asked.

“We went to it together.” Rachel lay her head back on the pillow. “I thought it would be a good way to involve Stan in the pregnancy. But…” she sighed. “I think it just gave us something to discuss so we didn’t have to address our real problems.”

Danny was sure he didn’t want to hear his ex-wife discussing her relationship problems with her new husband, but he also knew he had to be supportive.

“Pregnancy is a stress on any relationship,” he said, trying for a reassuring tone. “We know this, so let’s just… breathe through it and relax, and everything will be okay.”

Rachel gave him a soft smile, “Thank you, Danny. You’re a good friend.”

“Anytime,” Danny smiled back.

“Danny—” Rachel started to say before pausing and shaking her head.

“What is it?”

“Never mind, it’s nothing,” Rachel waved him off.

Danny frowned. He seemed like she was getting ready to say something.

Maybe he was overthinking it.

~~

“A hundred counterfeit passports?” Danny said in surprise as Steve recounted the case they were on. “Okay, that’s not an immigration scam. That’s a serious terrorist threat.”

“Tell me about it,” Steve agreed. “TSA and Homeland Security have already been put on alert.”

“Okay. All right,” Danny nodded, wishing he could do more to help. “Did we ID the buyer?”

“No, not yet,” Steve told him. “Chin and Kono have got a lead, though. It turns out Sang Min taught Nicky well. The guy was so paranoid about getting ripped off by his own crew that he rigged every inch of his warehouse with surveillance cameras.”

“Good, good,” Danny said, leaning against the wall. “Maybe he caught the buyer on tape.

“Exactly. Guys are going through the footage now.” Steve paused for a second. “What about you, buddy? Are you all right over there?”

“Sure, it’s good, you know. Grace took 36 hours. I don’t know.” Danny sighed. “Waiting’s the hardest part.”

“You know, I heard that the labor pains are the hardest part, Danny,” Steve snarked, and Danny glared at the phone.

“Please keep in mind that I’m helping my ex-wife deliver another man’s baby,” Danny said, barely able to keep from snapping at Steve. “So cut me some slack if you would, please, thank you.”

“Good point. I’m sorry.” The line went silent for a long moment. “Listen, I’ve got to take care of a thing over here, all right? So, you call me if anything changes.”

“Okay. All right,” Danny told him.

“I’ve got to go, bye.”

Danny turned back to the room as the line went dead and saw a frenzy of activity.

He rushed forward, catching the attention of a nearby nurse.

“Hey, what’s going on?”.

“You’re the husband, right?” she asked.

“Yeah… no. Yes, I used to be,” he finally said. “What’s going on?”

“Okay.” The nurse seemed to accept that as an answer. “Well, her blood pressure’s dropping and the baby’s showing signs of fetal distress.”

“What does that mean?” he asked worriedly.

“It means we’re prepping her for an emergency C-section.”

Danny took charge as best he could. He got Grace settled in the waiting room and rushed to the OR. He needed to be there for Rachel.

After a stressful emergency surgery, Rachel’s son was born.

The nurse tried to pass the baby to Danny, but before Danny could receive it, Rachel insisted that the child be passed to her instead. He thought that was a little strange, but he figured Rachel was feeling protective, as all new mothers are.

Danny felt his heart warm as he saw a mother and child bonding for the first time. This was a special moment, and he was grateful that he could be there to support her, even if part of him still wished that this was his child.

But he tried to push that part aside and put on a happy face.

Rachel needed him right now. Whatever he was feeling didn’t matter.

~~

After calling Steve to give him the news, Danny didn’t expect to hear from him again that night. He figured he would check in with him when it was time for work the next day. He didn’t expect Steve to show up at the hospital.

“Hey,” Danny said in surprise as Steve walked through the door. “What are you doing here?”

“I figured you could use the company, ” Steve shrugged. “I ran into Grace on the way out, and she said you were probably going to be here.”

Danny smiled. After Grace had met her baby brother and declared him to look somewhat like a potato, Rachel had the nanny pick her up and take her back home. Danny, on the other hand, decided to stay and check in on Baby Charlie one more time before leaving.

“Wow,” Steve walked closer to the glass, his eyes taking in the rows of babies. Which one is he?”

Danny pointed him out, and Steve grinned. “Will you look at that?”

Steve stayed silent for a moment, taking it all in.

“If you say he has my nose, I’ll bust yours,” Danny warned. After spending the day helping his ex-wife, the woman he’d pictured a future with, have another man’s baby, he was in no mood for jokes. Especially since seeing Charlie reminded Danny of what could’ve been with Rachel.

Steve chose not to comment, instead shooting Danny a smirk. “Good to see you’re holding up.”

Danny rolled his eyes as he walked around towards the glass. He picked up his phone and took a picture of Rachel’s son.

“What are you doing?” Steve asked.

“I’m sending Stanley a photo of his baby boy.” Danny gave the picture a sad smile before sending it. “Don’t think a father should ever miss this.”

Steve nodded and then clapped Danny on the shoulder.

“Why don’t we go grab a bite? My treat.”

“Your treat?” Danny raised his eyebrow. “So you actually have your wallet with you?”

“Yeah, I have my wallet with me. Now, do you want to get a bite or not?”

Danny laughed, following Steve out the door. “Maybe I need a picture to commemorate this.”

“Shut up, Danno.”

Chapter 6:

“I can’t believe you broke Lori,” Danny snorted as Steve drove.

Steve and Lori had been hanging out on their day off, and Lori had ended up in the emergency room. As much as Danny felt a pang in his heart at Steve getting along so well with Lori, he had to admit Steve screwing up like this was on brand for him. After all, he broke his wrist when they went to go see the petroglyphs.

Steve gave him a dirty look. “For the last time, I didn’t break Lori. She tripped while racing me.”

Danny smirked. “Just keep telling yourself that, babe.”

“You’re a little insufferable. Did anyone ever tell you that?” Steve asked. “Did any teachers in school ever say that on your report card?”

“All my teachers said I was a joy in class,” Danny smirked, Steve snorting.

Steve and Danny arrived at the tarmac, looking at the plane waiting for them.

“Well, I think this might be my first mobile crime scene,” Danny quipped, Steve rolling his eyes.

“Glad I could help broaden your horizons.”

Kono was waiting for them along with another man,

“Steve, this is Mark Dunkerly.” She introduced them. “He’s the president of Hawaiian Airlines.”

“Hey, nice to meet you.” Steve shook his hand, “How do you do?”

“We’re devastated,” Mark said, seeming like he was one move away from wringing his hands. “Something like this has never happened on one of our planes.”

“Mr. Dunkerly, we’re going to need your airline’s full support on this one,” Steve got right down to business.

“Absolutely. The man nodded. “Anything we can do, Commander.”

“All right, thank you,” Steve nodded.

“Thanks,” Danny added as the two moved past him onto the plane itself.

“After the flight attendant found the body in the bathroom, all the passengers were kept in their seats until HPD arrived,” Kono told them as she led them through the plane. “They’re sequestered in a hangar, and Chin’s with them now.”

“Who’s the victim?” Danny asked.

“A U.S. marshal,” she told him. “He was escorting a prisoner named Sal Painter, who is not among the passengers in the hangar.”

“Okay, which makes him our primary suspect, right?” Steve asked.

“Yeah, we also found a murder weapon, two plastic knives held together with a rubber band. HPD found it in the lavatory trash,” Kono told them.

At long last, they reached the lavatory where the body had been found.

Danny opened the door to the lavatory to find blood spattered all over the walls. As he looked towards the victim, his blood ran cold. He knew that face. He knew that man. How could this have happened? This was one person he hadn’t expected to see in this pineapple-infested hellhole. And he never expected to see him like this, his life snatched away from him.

Danny closed his eyes and cursed, sorrow emanating throughout his frame.

“Danny?” he heard Steve say, the man’s voice drawing nearer. “Do you know this guy?”

Danny took a deep breath, sighing as he opened his eyes. He could see Steve and Kono looking at him with concern. He wished he could tell him it was nothing, that he would be fine in a moment, but that would be a lie.

“Yeah,” he finally said, swallowing hard. “His name is Dave Collins. He, worked out of the U.S. Marshal field office in New Jersey.”

“I’m sorry,” Kono’s eyes were filled with sympathy, as were Steve’s.

When you were a cop, you knew there was a risk your brothers in arms would fall in the line of duty. Knowing that fact didn’t make it easier when it happened.

“He was a buddy of mine; we kept in touch.” Danny scrubbed a hand across his face. “He has three kids. The oldest used to play with Grace.”

Danny tried to put aside his feelings and focus on the job. Leaning into the lavatory, trying to push aside the fact that he was nearing the body of his fallen friend, Danny spied a cell phone on the ground.

Things moved quickly after that. Steve sent the cell phone off to get analyzed, and Chin let them know there was a missing passenger–Rick McGuire. The theory was that he helped Painter escape and ran off with him.

But then they got the surveillance footage back and realized that wasn’t the case, and the man in the footage couldn’t possibly be Rick McGuire.

The only way to solve this was to find Sal Painter and find out what he knew about his accomplice.

While the rest of the team tracked him down, Danny holed up in his office, dialing a number he used to call all the time.

“Hello?” a familiar voice said, and Danny shut his eyes.

“Karen, hi. It’s Detective Danny Williams. I don’t know if you remember me—”

“Danny, of course I do.” Her tone was warm, and Danny hated that he would be the one to change that. “Did Dave tell you he was coming out there? I told him to look you up for a drink or something.”

“No, actually, he didn’t,” Danny forced the words out around a lump in his throat. “Can we talk for a second? I have something I need to tell you.”

~~

Making that call was one of the hardest things he had ever done. Karen had always been friendly to him whenever he stopped by the house. Grace had played with her kids, she and Dave had checked on him during the divorce, and now Danny had to be the one to tell her that her husband was dead.

Steve offered to do it, but Danny knew this had to come from him.

Danny tried never to make promises to the victims’ families; he knew nothing was certain, and tomorrow wasn’t promised to anyone, but he made a promise to Karen. He promised that he was going to find the son of a bitch that killed Dave, and he was going to make him pay. As with God as his witness, Danny would keep that promise.

~~

After they caught up with Painter, it became clear he and Rick McGuire were not partners.

But one thing came out of the interrogation: the unearthing of a key belonging to the mystery passenger. It belonged to a mailbox in Diamond Head, and Danny checked it out.

“Paperwork says the box belongs to a Rick McGuire,” the mail clerk said.

“You got a billing address?” Danny asked.

“Oh, yeah.” The clerk checked the records. “It’s another private mailbox in New Jersey.”

“New Jersey, huh?” Danny considered the connection before walking over to the mailbox to examine the mail.

“Um, you know that tampering with the mail is a federal offense, right?” the clerk said as Danny went to open a letter.

“Yeah, of course I know that,” Danny told him. “I’m a cop.”

The clerk didn’t seem convinced, and Danny pointed over his shoulder. “You’ve got a customer over there. Go deal with her.”

The clerk gave Danny a suspicious look as he went to help the other customer, but Danny paid it no mind as he opened the letter.

And as luck would have it, his breaking of federal law was helpful after all. He found Rick McGuire’s home address and sent it to Steve.

With any luck, he would be there and Danny could get justice for his fallen friend.

Dave deserved that, if nothing else.

~~

Danny was returning from the mail office when Steve called him with news that sent his heart into his throat.

Rick McGuire, whoever he was, had been watching Danny. Pictures of him, Rachel, and Grace were all throughout the house.

Just as Danny was processing what that meant, he got a call from Rachel that made everything worse.

Someone had taken Grace from her tennis lesson by telling her that Danny had sent them.

He could feel his breath coming faster and faster as Rachel spoke.

Someone was targeting his family, and now Grace was missing.

Something told him those two things were not a coincidence.

As Rachel started to panic on the phone, Grace started to call him on the other line.

Quickly hanging up with Rachel, he picked up the phone.

“Grace?” he asked, a frantic note in his voice. “Baby, can you hear me? Where are you? Are you okay?”

There was no response other than a man’s laughter, and Danny felt a pit grow in his stomach.

“Grace?” he asked again.

“You know, I’m surprised,” a man’s voice answered, a vague note of amusement coming through. “I thought Manhattan was the only island you’d ever set foot on.”

Some part of Danny thought the voice was familiar, but he pushed it away.

“Listen to me, you son of a bitch,” he hissed. “Whoever this is, if you touch my daughter, if you lay a finger on her, I swear to God, I’ll kill you. You hear me?

“Hey, is that any way to talk to your training officer?” the man scoffed. “Why don’t you take it down a notch, D.”

Danny suddenly knew who he was talking to, and a chill ran down his spine.

“Rick Peterson…” he shook his head. He should have known. Dave was his friend around the time of the trial that sent Rick to prison. He would have known who he was when he saw him on the plane.

Rick ignored him, and he could hear him talking.

“Hey, sweetie, I want you to say hello to Daddy, okay?”

Danny swallowed around a lump in his throat.

“Danno?” Grace said. “The policeman said you were in the hospital, and we’re coming to see you.”

“Hey, monkey.” Danny tried to stay calm. “You okay? Can you look around and tell me where you are right now?”

Before Grace could answer, Rick was back on the line.

“Hey,” he told Danny. “Your phone is cloned. So any calls you make or any calls you receive, I’m going to know about.”

“Rick, just please… tell me what you want, Rick.” Danny tried to keep his voice calm. “I’ll do anything you tell me to do. Just tell me what you want.”

Just then, his phone rang and he could see it was Steve.

“Don’t answer that,” Rick told him, and Danny pressed ignore on the call.

Steve would be able to tell something was wrong. Danny knew that.

“Rick, if you got a beef with me, you can come and put a bullet right in my head,” Danny told him. “Just, please, I’m begging you, let my daughter go.”

Rick ignored him, “Listen, when I hang up the phone, you’re going to take your cell and your gun, and you’re going to throw them out the window. “And then, I want you to go to Halekauwila and head South.

“Okay.” Danny nodded.

“There’s a bus bench with a disposable phone taped underneath,” Rick told him. “You’re going to go there, you’re going to get it, and you’re going to wait for my phone call.”

“Okay,” Danny nodded helplessly. “I’ll do what you say. Just please don’t hurt my daughter, Rick. I’ll do anything.” He could feel tears well up in his eyes. “Just please, please don’t hurt her.”

“Oh, D,” Rick seemed to be enjoying himself. “Whatever happens to Grace, that’s on you, buddy. You act like a smart guy…you don’t do what I tell you to do… then sweet, beautiful little Gracie dies.” He paused to let that sink in. “Now, do we understand each other?”

“Yes. Yes,” Danny said, swallowing hard. “I understand perfectly.”

“Good.” A darker tone entered Rick’s voice. “Because we’re only going to play this one way, D. I’ve had a long, long time to think about how I was going to make you suffer like you did to me. So you better drive fast, kid, because you got 11 minutes.”

“All right,” Danny said as the line went dead.

Danny threw his gun and phone out the window without waiting another moment.

He knew he was throwing away the chance for Steve to find him, but he didn’t have a choice. There was no time to waste.

Besides, Steve was a super SEAL. He would find Danny. He was sure of it.

But right now, Danny had to drive.

~~

Danny drove faster than ever before, running every light and cutting every corner he could. He didn’t care. The only thing on his mind was a countdown. Eleven minutes. Grace was as good as dead if he wasn’t there in eleven minutes.

Danny couldn’t let that happen. He would rather die than let that happen.

He made it to the bus stop with seconds to spare, barely managing to unwrap the phone from the tape in time.

“Rick,” he picked up the phone, nearly breathless with fear. “I’m here. Please… don’t do anything stupid. Okay? Please don’t hurt her.”

Danny knew he was begging, but he didn’t care. This monster had his baby girl. Danny would do anything to keep her safe. “Okay? Please.”

“You sound a little winded, partner,” Rick taunted him. “Is island life making you soft?”

“Listen to me. Please, Rick,” Danny tried to talk him down. “I know-I can imagine what life in prison must have been like for a cop.”

“You know?” Rick echoed, a dark tone in his voice. “What do you know, D?”

“Listen to me, Rick,” Danny desperately tried to get through to him. “I did what I thought was right. Do you understand me? I did the only thing I could do.”

“Yeah, what you did… What you did was destroy every beautiful thing I had in my life. Every beautiful thing in my life, and I swear to God I’ll do the same to you.”

“She’s my little girl,” Danny pleaded, his eyes watering. “Please.”

“You don’t have any right to ask me to do anything,” Rick snapped. “Now tell me where you are.”

“I just crossed Punahou Street,” Danny said, his frame tense.

“All right,” Danny could hear the smirk in his old partner’s voice. “I want you to drive to the entrance of Diamond Head Crater. You’ve got 18 minutes.”

Danny frantically tried to figure out if he had enough time to make it there as Rick kept talking.

“And, D, you turn left instead of right, you stop anywhere, you try to call your Five-O buddies– your daughter dies. You got that?”

Danny sighed, knowing he had no other choice. He couldn’t risk it even if he had a way to contact Steve. He had to save Grace. “Yes.”

“Then you better get driving.”

The line went dead, and Danny swore. He didn’t have a choice. He had to get to Diamond Head if he wanted a chance to see Grace alive again.

He put the car in drive, praying to whoever was listening as it started to move.

Steve and the others were still working the case, Danny knew. He also knew they would eventually figure out what was going on.

Danny prayed they would find Grace before it was too late. He didn’t care if they found him alive, but he would give anything to ensure they found Grace.

~~

When he got to Diamond Head, he waited for the phone to ring, for any sign that this hellish ordeal was nearly over. He stashed his backup weapon from his ankle holster for easy access. He needed to be able to move at a moment’s notice. All he needed was a sign of Rick’s whereabouts. He needed that phone to ring one more time.

But the phone stayed silent, and Danny couldn’t resist the urge to fret about what that could mean.

Had Steve and everyone else found Rick? Was this over, and someone was rushing to tell him?

Or was Rick tired of playing this little game and instead moved to kill Grace?

Danny was so lost in his thoughts that he jumped when the car door opened. Turning to face the newcomer, his heart caught in his throat as he realized it was Rick.

His cold eyes, pale lips, and dark hair remained unchanged. He looked nearly the same as on the last day Danny had seen him– the day he’d sent Rick to prison.

“Hello, partner, ” Rick finally said in his seedy voice. You look good.” Rick’s eyes roved over Danny’s frame.

“Rick,” Danny started to say, his voice tense.

“Before we take a little walk down memory lane,” Rick cut him off. “I’ll take that gun.”

Danny tried to keep from tensing. If Rick got the gun, Danny’s ability to fight his way out of this went down.

“Where’s Grace?” he asked instead, hoping to distract him.

“Grace is safe.” Rick waved off his concern, and Danny bristled at his dismissive tone. “Now give me the gun.”

“I dumped the gun like you told me to,” Danny told him, only for Rick to scoff.

“I’m talking about the gun you took out of your ankle holster.” Danny tensed slightly, and Rick smirked. “Now, don’t be a wiseass. Give me the gun.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Danny tried telling him, and Rick shook his head.

“I know you don’t care what happens to you, but trust me– if you die, Gracie’s going to die. Now, give me the gun and stop playing around!” Danny’s eyes widened as Rick spoke, and he knew he had no choice. He had to do what Rick said.

“Listen to me, Rick,” Danny hissed. “I’m going to kill you. I swear to God that I’m going to kill you. You understand me?”

“Good. Good.” Rick seemed almost pleased to get a reaction out of Danny. “You stay angry, because if memory serves me correctly, you get real stupid when you get angry.” Rick leaned in close. “Now, give me the gun.”

Danny knew the game was up, so he pulled the gun from its hiding spot. He handed it to Rick, watching as he took away his last chance to get out of this.

“Attaboy,” Rick pointed the gun at Danny, the other man tensing. “Now take out your cuffs and cuff your right hand to the steering wheel.”

Danny did as he said, locking one end of the cuffs around his steering wheel and the other around his wrist. He hoped Rick wouldn’t notice that he’d left some give in the cuffs, but he should have known better.

“Tight,” Rick leaned over and tightened the cuff as far as he could, Danny fighting the urge to wince as the metal dug into his wrist.

“You don’t mind, do you?” Rick smirked at Danny, knowing he didn’t have a choice.

“Go ahead,” Danny said dryly, ignoring the pain in his wrist.

“Good. Now sit tight. I’ll be right back.”

Danny fought the urge to pull at the cuff as Rick closed the door and went to the trunk. Danny knew he would disable the GPS in the car, and he could kiss any hope of Steve or the rest of the team finding him goodbye. It was down to him to get out of this. Unfortunately, his options were limited in his current position. He had to play along for now and hope Rick didn’t do anything crazy.

Rick got back into the car, slamming the door behind him.

“Now it’s just you and me,” he smirked, sending chills down the other man’s spine.

“You disabled the GPS. Now what, Rick?”

Rick leaned back in his seat, staring out the window. “You know, after ten years in prison, you learn to value your privacy, you know what I’m saying?”

“Rick… you are free,” Danny kept his voice even, not wanting to anger him. He didn’t know if Rick was working with someone else and didn’t want to risk Grace’s life.

“Okay? You served your time. Why are you doing this?” he asked. “You’re going to screw everything up. Just give me my daughter, and you can walk.” Danny knew he was begging, but he didn’t care. This was for Grace. He would do anything for her, anything at all. “You can walk; you can have a life. Just give me Grace.”

Rick scoffed, his eyes filled with anger. “You want me to walk away? Just like you walked away, right?” he leaned in, his words coming out in an angry hiss. “And allowed me to rot in prison for a decade.”

“You stole money, and you stole drugs, and you got caught,” Danny said, a helpless note in his voice. “You got caught, Rick.”

“I’ll tell you what–” Rick started to say before Danny cut him off.

“How is any of that my fault?” Danny demanded.

“I’ll tell you what,” Rick pointed the gun at Danny. “Why don’t we go visit that judge and jury, and we’ll ask them? The ones you got to convict my ass, remember?”

“What did you want me to do?” Danny burst out. “I couldn’t lie for you, Rick. I was under a subpoena.”

“You could have refused to sell me out!”

“I didn’t have a choice, Rick!”

“You had a choice, ” Rick snapped. I was a good cop, D. I didn’t deserve what happened.”

“You weren’t a good cop, Rick. You were a dirty cop,” Danny couldn’t help but say.

“You betrayed me,” Rick spat out. “You were my partner, and you sold me out.” He ran his hand through his hair, his voice almost hysterical. “You were supposed to have my back!”

Danny took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. Getting into an argument with Rick about what happened or what he should have done would only rile him up. And Danny couldn’t risk that. Not with Grace’s life hanging in the balance.

“You have my daughter,” Danny finally spoke, his voice measured and even.

“Yeah, I got your daughter,” Rick smirked, clearly enjoying his power over Danny.

“You have my daughter,” Danny repeated, “What more do you want, huh?

“I want my life back, Danny,” Rick sneered. “I want Kim back. You know, she left me five years ago. She found somebody else.” Danny closed his eyes in anguish as Rick spoke, his every word filled with hatred.

“Can’t blame her, though, you know?” Rick scoffed. “Can’t wait forever. You know what that feels like, don’t you?”

Danny stiffened. Rick sounded like he knew what Danny went through with Rachel.

“And Cole…” Rick shook his head. “He graduated high school and doesn’t talk to me anymore. I’m dead to him.” Rick let out a wry chuckle. “Do you have any idea what that feels like, Danny? For your child to hate you?”

Danny tried to keep his voice even, not wanting to anger Rick. For all he knew, Rick had an accomplice with a gun pointed at his baby girl’s head.

“I wish things were different.” Danny finally said. “I do.”

There was silence for a moment, and then Rick sighed. “So do I.”

Danny didn’t have a chance to question what Rick meant before Rick spoke again.

“Uncuff yourself,” Rick ordered. Danny did as he said, the cuff leaving a red imprint.

As Danny followed Rick’s directions, Rick typed something into his phone before looking back at Danny.

“All right, drive,” he told him.

“What are you doing?” Danny was almost afraid to ask. He’d never seen that look in Rick’s eyes, but he knew it couldn’t mean anything good.

Rick let out a humorless chuckle. “I’m making things different. Now drive.”

~~

On the drive, Rick pointed a gun at Danny and forced him to tell Stan he needed to meet him right away at the park across from his offices. As he drove, Danny had a bad feeling start to grow in the pit of his stomach. Rick was on a revenge mission, and Danny was surer than ever that Rick would take him down with him.

When they finally parked in the parking lot, Rick gestured towards the park. “See that lonely little trash can there?” Rick pointed to the can in question. “There’s a gun taped inside.” Danny felt bile start to rise in his throat. “You go get it and then you meet Stan halfway up this path.”

“Rick, please,” Danny tried to reason with him, only for Rick to hit him in the temple with the gun.

Ears ringing from the pain, Danny tried to listen to what Rick had to say.

“Just listen to me for one second, okay? Stop whining; you look pathetic,” Rick spat at Danny. When you get out… You so much as look back at me, you start to run away, you deviate from anything I tell you to do, and I swear to God your little girl dies, and it’s going to be your fault.”

“Why are you doing this, Rick?” Danny asked, feeling blood starting to trickle down the side of his face. “Why are you doing this? This is about you, and this is about me. This isn’t about Grace or Stan. Why are you doing this?”

Rick ignored him, focused on giving his instructions.

“I want you to pull the trigger when you see him. I want three shots center mass,” he told Danny, a crazed grin spreading across his face. “I want him dead before he hits the ground.”

I’m not going to do it,” Danny shook his head. “I’m not going to kill an innocent guy. I’m not killing Stan, Rick.” Danny couldn’t keep the pleading note out of his voice any longer. “Come on, this is insane.”

“Come on, don’t tell me a little part of you doesn’t want to do this,” Rick sneered at him. “I’ve been keeping tabs on you. I heard everything.”

Danny looked down. His cheeks burned as Rick continued to goad him.

“You and Rachel had a shot once, didn’t you?” he laughed bitterly. “I heard you even went with her to the hospital when she had that little baby. Almost looked like that baby was yours for a moment.”

Danny ignored the twinge of pain he had every time he thought about Charlie. As much as he told Steve not to say the baby looked like him, Danny would be lying if he said he hadn’t looked for the faintest hint of resemblance between him and Charlie.

“What do you think this is going to do, Rick?” Danny asked. “What do you think this is going to do? You think I’m going to go to prison? Huh? You think I’m going to go to prison for murder under duress?”

“I don’t care if you go to prison,” Rick’s eyes glinted. “But I know Rachel’s not going to forgive you for this. So you’ll lose the only thing that means anything to you.”

A pit formed in Danny’s stomach. He knew Rick was right. Rachel would never forgive him for doing this. Even if he got Grace back, he would lose her anyway.

“You’ll lose your family,” Rick hissed, enjoying Danny’s anguish. “Now, I’ve had enough talking. Get out!”

“Please, just–” Danny started to plead.

“Get out of the car, D.” Rick pointed the gun at him. “Don’t make me ask you again.”

Danny had no choice. It was either do it or Grace would die. There was no reasoning with Rick anymore.

He exited the car slowly, his limbs feeling as if they weighed a thousand pounds. He went to the trash can, taking out the gun and putting it in his holster.

As he turned to walk up the path, he could see Stan walking towards him.

Fuck, he didn’t want to do this. Someone needed to stop him. Why were there no cops in this park?

“Hey, Danny, what’s going on?” Stan greeted him as he drew closer.

Danny didn’t say anything in response, and Stan’s eyebrows furrowed as he drew to a halt.

“Danny?” he asked, a worried tone entering his voice. “How’s Grace? Is she okay?”

“Stop, stop.” Danny could hear his voice tremble as he drew his gun. “Stan, listen to me…”

“What’s going on, Danny?” Stan’s eyes grew wide at the sight of the gun.

“There’s a man inside my car,” Danny tried to keep his voice even. “And he’s– he’s going to kill Grace… if I don’t kill you.

“Danny, what–” Stan started to shake his head and Danny cut him off.

“I don’t have a choice; do you understand me?” he was practically begging Stan to understand. “I don’t have a choice.”

“This is for Grace?” Danny saw something pass over Stan’s face as he squared his shoulders.

He wasn’t running. Why wasn’t Stan running?

“I don’t have a choice,” Danny desperately tried to explain, knowing his time was running out. “He’ll kill her.”

“I know. I understand.” Stan stayed as still as possible, Danny barely noticing the tremors wracking his frame. Danny felt bile rise inside his throat. He didn’t want to do this. He’d grown to like Stan. He didn’t want to hurt him. He didn’t want to kill him. But he had no choice. He had to save Grace.

“Danny!” Steve’s voice appeared behind him, making Danny jump.

“Steve, get out of here,” Danny’s voice shook. “You can’t be here.”

“It’s okay, Danny.” He could hear Steve moving closer. “It’s all going to be okay.”

“It’s not okay!” Danny snapped. “I have to do this. He’ll kill Grace.

“Danny!” Steve entered his line of sight. “Chin already got him. He’s in custody; he can’t hurt Grace.”

Danny felt his body sag in relief, his knees buckling as he lowered the gun. Steve caught him, supporting him as he caught his breath.

“I’m sorry,” Danny turned back to Stan when he was back on his feet. “I’m so sorry.”

“I get it,” Stan gave Danny a weak smile. “I’d have done the same thing.”

Danny turned to Steve. “Where’s Rick?”

Steve gestured back towards the parking lot, and Danny took off. He could hear Stan and Steve following as he entered the parking lot to see Rick on his knees. Chin gave Danny a relieved look as he came towards the car.

“I knew you wouldn’t be able to go through with it,” Rick sneered before looking at Steve. “It’s a wonder he could even testify at my trial with how weak he is. Not to mention letting that other man take his kid and raise him.” Rick laughed, the sound bitter and harsh. “I would have shot him for that.”

Losing his patience, Danny pulled out his gun, ignoring Chin and Steve moving back in shock.

“Listen to me, you son of a bitch,” he seethed, venom dripping from every word. “The next bullet I fire is going in your head… now tell me where my daughter is.” Danny leaned in and grabbed Rick’s collar, shaking the other man. “Huh?”

Danny saw a flicker of fear in Rick’s eyes for the first time all day.

~~

Steve insisted on driving to the storage unit. Danny almost fought him, but his mind was too consumed with fright to drive.

What if Grace was dead? What if Rick had already killed her, and this was all some sick and twisted plan to torture Danny?

When Steve got there, Danny barely waited for the car to stop before jumping out. Running to the storage unit door, he banged on it, calling her name.

“Grace! Grace, can you hear me?”

“Daddy!” he heard her respond, muffled though it was, and sighed in relief.

“Okay, baby, stay away from the door, okay?”

Danny shot the lock off, rushing inside with Steve hot on his heels. After tearing through a pile of boxes, he and Steve found her duct-taped to a chair.

“You okay, baby?” Danny knelt before her, thanking God that his baby girl was all right. “You hurt anywhere? Are you sure?” Grace shook her head, and he nearly cried in relief.

“One more second, sweetheart, we’ll have you out of here,” Steve said, giving Grace a concerned look as he cut her free.

“It’s okay,” Danny kept his hands on Grace’s shoulder, grounding her while Steve cut through the tape. “You’re going to be okay.”

“I want to go home,” Grace told Danny. His heart broke as he spotted tracks of tears down her cheeks. She must have been so scared.

“I know, baby, we’re going to go home right now, okay?” Danny clutched Grace as tightly as he could as Steve cut through the last of the duct tape. He could feel his heart thundering in his ears. He could have lost his baby girl. He nearly did.

Grace hugged him back, and Danny could feel her tiny body trembling. He knew she was trying to put on a brave face for him, and his heart broke that she felt that she had to.

“We’re going to go home, monkey, okay?” Danny pulled away, looking Grace in the eyes. A small smile crossed her face, and Danny felt tears spring to his eyes all over again. “Come on.”

Steve guided them back to the car and didn’t say a word as Danny climbed into the back with her. Danny held her the entire drive back to Rachel’s house, stroking her hair as he held her in his arms.

“I’m so sorry,” Danny kept repeating it, murmuring it into her hair. “I’m so sorry. So sorry.”

When they arrived at Rachel’s house, Rachel ran toward the car before it stopped.

“She’s okay. She’s alright, ” Danny reassured Rachel as he exited the car, still carrying Grace. Rachel looked to be near tears, the day’s stress overwhelming her.

“Thank God,” Rachel said, pulling Grace into her arms. Danny joined the hug. “Thank goodness you found her, Danny.”

Danny didn’t know what to say, staying silent and walking Rachel and Grace back to the house.

Stan was there, holding Charlie in his arms. Danny gave him a short nod, awkwardly pausing.

“Stan, about earlier—”

“It’s okay, Danny,” Stan nodded back. “I get it. You were scared of losing your kid.”

“Yeah, but that doesn’t change how sorry I am that you were in that position,” Danny told him, looking down at Charlie. “Hey, little man.”

Charlie gurgled at him and Danny gave him a small smile before turning back to Stan and Rachel.

“If Grace needs anything, let me know, okay?”

“We will, Daniel. Thank you,” Rachel gave him a small nod, and Danny turned back to the car, not seeing the considering look Stan shot Rachel as he turned away.

“Are you okay?” Steve asked, and Danny nodded. He suddenly felt exhausted, the adrenaline leaving his system in a rush.

Steve guided him back into the car, and it took Danny a moment to realize they were driving back to Steve’s place.

“Steve—”

“Just stay with me tonight, okay?” Steve’s voice was normal, but Danny could see his hands clenched tight on the wheel. “I don’t want you to be alone tonight. Not after all that happened today.”

Danny had to admit he didn’t want to be alone either. Even if he was back on the couch, spending the night with Steve sounded great to him.

“Okay, babe. No worries,”

Steve seemed to relax as Danny spoke. “Thank you.”

Chapter 7:

Three days later, Danny was almost back to normal. His hands had nearly stopped shaking every time he picked up his gun, and he could close his eyes at night without picturing some terrible fate befalling Grace.

God, he was so grateful his team had found him in time. He was so thankful he didn’t have to shoot Stan. He would do anything for his little girl, but he would be lying if he said he would have been okay with killing someone.

But that was all in the past. Things could finally get back to normal for him and Grace.

Which is, of course, why everything suddenly went to shit.

Because, of course, it did.

~~

Danny was walking back from the break room with Lori, having a spirited discussion about the many inaccuracies in law enforcement TV shows. Suddenly, Danny’s head snapped to the side as a blinding pain overtook the left side of his face.

The force of the blow knocked him to the floor, his head banging against the tile as bright spots filled his vision. Blinking them away, his vision cleared to see Steve, an animalistic fury taking over his features as he pressed an equally furious Stan against the wall.

Wait. That couldn’t be right. Why was Stan here?

“Stan?” Danny asked, standing up. Lori gave him a hand up, steadying him for a moment. “What the hell is going on?”

“He sucker-punched you,” Lori told him, glaring as she watched Steve put the cuffs on him.

“You’re under arrest for assaulting an officer,” Steve said, his tone dark with fury.

“Okay, hold on,” Danny moved forward, holding up a hand to stop Steve. “Stan, what the hell is the matter with you? Is this about what happened in the park?”

“Like hell it is,” Stan spat at Danny. “It’s about what you did with my wife.”

Danny froze. Stan’s words had only one possible meaning: They were about what happened with Rachel before Steve was arrested.

But Rachel said she’d told Stan about all of that when she left him. Why was this coming to the surface now?

“Stan,” Danny lowered his voice. “I’m confused. “I thought that was in the past.”

“How could it be in the past?” Stan said, his voice raising. “How can it be in the past when my son isn’t mine?”

Danny felt like he had just been punched in the gut.

“What are you talking about?” Danny tried to figure this out. “How is Charlie not yours?”

Stan seemed to deflate. “You didn’t know?”

“Know what?” Now it was Danny’s turn to raise his voice. “I still don’t know what’s going on!”

Stan took a deep breath, sagging in Steve’s hold. “After the kidnapping, I started to wonder about Charlie, so I got a paternity test.” Danny’s eyes widened as Stan spoke. “He isn’t my kid, Danny.”

Danny felt as if the room was swaying underneath his feet.

“He’s mine?” Danny asked. “But Rachel said–”

“Rachel lied,” Stan told him. “Or maybe she didn’t know. I decided to confront you before confronting her.”

“Can’t say I blame you for that,” Danny looked at Stan and sighed. “Steve, let him go.”

“What?” Steve stared at Danny. “Danny, he hit you.”

“And I slept with his wife,” Danny said dryly. “I’d say we’re even.”

Steve gave Danny a look but reluctantly unlocked the cuffs.

Stan rubbed his wrists before sighing and nodding at Danny.

“Thank you,” he said, an apparent reluctance wrapped around every word.

“For what it’s worth, I’m sorry.” Danny had never gotten the chance to say this before, and now might be the best time to say it. “I never should have gotten involved with Rachel back then. It didn’t matter that you guys were having problems; I should have stayed out of it. And I’m so sorry that my inability to do so is causing you so much pain now. That was never my intention.”

Stan clenched his jaw before giving a jerky nod, turning and leaving the room.

Danny turned around and sighed. Lori was still there, and he could feel Steve watching him.

“I’m going back to my office,” he said, escaping before anyone could stop him.

He slammed the door behind him, pulling the blinds closed.

Collapsing onto his couch, he stared blankly ahead.

Charlie, the child he had watched be born, was his child. He was a father again.

Danny wasn’t expecting this. He’d always wanted more kids and a large family like the one he grew up in, but after the divorce, he’d almost given up on that dream.

And now it was a nightmare.

He sighed, his mind swirling with questions he could never have imagined asking when he woke up that morning. Did Rachel know this entire time? Had she been lying to him when she got back together with Stan? Or was she in the dark about all this too?

Danny knew what it would take to get even a fraction of these answers. He had to talk to Rachel.

He just didn’t know if he could stand it right now.

~~

Steve only let Danny mope in his office for half an hour before opening the door.

“Steve, I’m not in the mood to talk about this,” Danny cautioned.

“Good thing I’m not here to talk,” Steve told him. “I’m here to take you to get checked out.”

Danny snorted. “Yeah, that’s not happening.”

“Yes, it is.”

“No, it’s not.” Danny glared at Steve. “I’m not going to the hospital because I got punched in the face.”

“Lori said your head hit the floor.”

“Lori is a lying snitch, and you shouldn’t trust a word she says.”

Steve chuckled. “You like Lori, and you know it. Don’t get mad at her for being worried about you.”

“I’m telling you, I’m fine.”

“And I’m telling you you’re getting checked out.” Steve crossed his arms over his chest, Danny making a valiant effort not to notice how that position accentuated his muscles. “As the leader of this task force, it is my responsibility to ensure all team members are in peak condition at all times.”

“Are you seriously pulling rank on me?”

“Yes.” Steve stared at him.

Steve could be stubborn when he set his mind to it. Unfortunately, so could Danny.

“Are you going to stand there all day until I agree to go get checked out?” Danny finally asked.

Steve leaned against the wall. “Yes.”

“Then I suggest getting comfortable.” Danny closed his eyes, determined to ignore Steve for as long as possible.

Unfortunately, Steve decided to stop giving him an option.

Before Danny realized what was happening, Steve had pushed his chair away from his desk, picked him up, and hauled him over his shoulder.

“Steve, what the hell is the matter with you!” Danny pounded on his back. “Put me down now, you Neanderthal animal.”

“Not until you get checked out.” Steve held him with one hand, not even pausing as Danny hit his back.

“I’m not going to the hospital, and you can’t possibly carry me the whole way there.”

“I’m not taking you to the hospital. Will you trust me?” Steve entered the elevator, Danny not seeing which floor he pressed.

Danny struggled for another minute before admitting defeat. “Fine.”

He didn’t even have to see Steve to know the bastard was smirking.

The elevator came to a stop, and Steve walked forward. Danny frowned in confusion as he realized they were in the basement, and then Steve entered an all-too-familiar lab.

“Hey, Doc, I brought your patient.” Steve finally put Danny down. Danny turned to see Max standing there.

“Have a seat, Detective Williams.”

Danny gave Steve an incredulous look. “You have got to be kidding me.”

“I’m completely serious, Danny.” Steve looked utterly nonplussed. “I knew you wouldn’t go to the hospital, but you need to get checked out by a doctor.”

Danny stared at Steve. “You want Max to check me out? He’s a medical examiner!”

“He’s a doctor!”

“All his patients are dead!”

“Detective Williams, I can assure you I have much experience in identifying the signs of head trauma. I see it quite often in my line of work.” Max paused for a moment. “And in many cases, it wasn’t even the cause of death.”

Danny shook his head. “Nope, I’m leaving.”

Steve grabbed his arm before he could get out the door. “Danny, let him check you out for my sake, if nothing else.”

Danny groaned. “Fine, but can we make this quick? I need to have an uncomfortable conversation with my ex-wife.”

“Deal.” Steve pushed Danny towards the chair. “Now sit down and let the ME tell you if you’re going to live.”

Danny gave Steve a dirty look, but he had to admit Steve had a point.

He sat in the chair, and Max got to work, shining a light in Danny’s eyes.

As Max was checking him over, Danny could feel Steve’s gaze burning a hole into the back of his neck.

“What is it, Steve?” Danny asked.

“Nothing,” Steve said, but Danny could tell that wasn’t true.

“You’re being quiet, out with it,” Danny told him, an edge in his voice.

Steve sighed, moving so Danny could see him.

“I guess I’m wondering what you’ll say to Rachel.”

Danny raised an eyebrow at Steve. “I’m not sure that’s any of your business, but fine, what do you think I should say to her?”

“Something along the lines of ‘How could you lie to me for months?’” Steve suggested.

Danny sighed. “Steve, we don’t know if she lied. For all I know, she thought Charlie was Stan’s kid too. Don’t I owe her the chance to explain before I pass judgment?”

Steve seemed to accept that, and there was silence while Max finished his examination.

Danny refused to believe Rachel had known all along. There was no way she could lie to him and Stan about something so monumental. Danny knew her, and the woman he married could never do anything so cruel. There had to be another explanation.

“Detective Williams, I’m confident you don’t have a concussion,” Max proclaimed, Danny nodding in thanks as he got up.

“Thanks, Max; see you later.”

He left the office and made his way to the elevator. Steve followed behind him like a particularly annoying shadow.

There was silence on the ride up to their offices, and then Steve turned to Danny before they left the elevator.

“Let me know if you need to talk about anything later, okay?” Steve said, his voice dripping with intensity as he stared at Danny.

“I will, promise,” Danny managed to say, looking away as he felt his face flame.

~~

Danny returned to his office and locked the door, drawing all the blinds and sitting in his desk chair for a long moment. For this call, he wanted as much privacy as he could get.

Finally, he decided to stop putting it off, and he picked up his phone. It was now or never.

Danny dialed Rachel about ten times until she picked up.

“Daniel, right now is not a good time. Is this an emergency?” Rachel asked, a harried note to her voice.

“I mean, Steve nearly arresting Stan might count as an emergency,” Danny told her, a shocked gasp emanating from the phone.

“What on earth happened?” Rachel asked, the shock in her voice seeming genuine.

“Well, Stan came to my office today and punched me in the face.” Danny didn’t let her react to that before pressing forward. “Funnily enough, he said he did it because of Charlie’s paternity test results. Would you know anything about that?”

There was silence on the line that seemed to last an eternity.

“Oh god,” Rachel whispered under her breath. “I didn’t even know he ran a test.”

Danny froze as the implications of what she said sank in.

“You’re surprised by the test but not the results?” Danny asked. “Rachel, you know Charlie was mine this whole time?”

“Danny–”

“Did you know?” Danny demanded, and the line was silent for a long moment.

“Yes,” Rachel finally admitted, her voice sounding impossibly small. “I knew. I knew all along.”

Danny slumped in his seat, his mind swirling.

He’d never thought Rachel had known. Even when Stan was yelling at him or when Steve brought up the possibility, he’d never thought Rachel was capable of this. That she could lie to him and keep his child away from him.

“How long have you known?” Danny finally asked, his voice low and even.

“…Since I told you I was coming back to Hawaii to be with Stan,” Rachel told him.

“This whole time?” Danny felt his anger rising, and he tried to keep hold of it. “You’ve known this whole time and were fine lying to everyone about it?”

Danny–”

“Why?” Danny asked, cutting her off. “I was leaving Hawaii to be with you. Why would you lie to me and go back to Stan?” Danny shook his head. “We could have been a family again. Why did you do this to us?”

“Daniel, it was never that simple,” Rachel told him. “It would never have worked out between us–”

“How can you say that?” Danny spat at her. “I was willing to give us another chance, I was coming to be with you–”

“But you weren’t!” Rachel burst out.

“Of course I was.”

“No, because every time I called, you were still helping Steve,” Rachel countered. “Every time, you kept saying you couldn’t leave yet.”

“Rachel, I couldn’t let him rot in jail when he was innocent, ” Danny told her. “I had to help him. It was the right thing to do.”

Rachel scoffed. “Daniel, I’m not naive. Please don’t pretend you stayed because it was the right thing to do. You stayed because you’re in love with Steve.”

Danny felt himself freeze, and he fought to keep his voice even.

“That is not true.”

“Of course it is,” Rachel scoffed. “How else could you explain it?”

“Rachel, none of this matters,” Danny tried to change the subject. “What matters now is that I know Charlie is mine, and I want to know how we move forward.”

“Daniel,” Rachel sighed. “We can’t move forward.”

The blood in his veins went cold. “What do you mean?”

“I mean Stan is my husband, and he loves Charlie,” Rachel told him. “I know I can work past this with him, and it’ll be better for Charlie not to be confused in the end.”

“Rachel, ” Danny clenched his teeth to keep from shouting. “He’s my son; you can’t keep me away from him.”

“I have to do what is best for my marriage, Daniel, ” Rachel told him. “I would never keep Grace from you, but Charlie doesn’t even know you. This is for the best.”

“Rachel–”

“I’m sorry, Danny, truly,” she told him. “I never wanted you to find out.”

The line went dead, and Danny resisted the urge to throw his phone across the room.

Just like that, Rachel had broken his heart twice over. Once by telling him she knew all along, and then by telling him she didn’t want his son to ever know him.

Danny sat at his desk for a long while, staring at his phone screen. He was so tempted to call Rachel back, but he knew he was too emotional.

He needed to cool off, calm down, and devise a plan. He needed to figure out how to handle this without jeopardizing his relationship with Grace.

He just didn’t know how.

~~

Danny was fortunate they hadn’t been called out for the rest of the day. He didn’t think he’d be able to handle any cases on top of everything else going on.

He knew Steve was waiting for him to come and talk to him, but Danny didn’t care. He would keep his head down, do his work, and then go to his hotel room and collapse into bed.

At least, that was the plan.

But when Danny left work at the end of the day, waiting until everyone else left before leaving his office, Steve was waiting for him next to his car.

“Steve, whatever you’re about to say–” Danny sighed as he approached the car.

“Come over tonight,” Steve told him.

Danny paused for a moment. “Excuse me?”

“Come over tonight,” Steve repeated. “We can order pizza, put on the game, and not think about anything else.”

Danny wasn’t stupid. He knew Steve would try to get him to open up eventually. This was right out of the cop playbook. Danny taught him this trick, for crying out loud.

At the same time, Danny didn’t want to be home alone for the rest of the night. Maybe some company would do him good.

“Yeah, okay.”

Danny followed Steve back to his house, Steve beating him there.

“I already ordered pizza, including a pepperoni for the pineapple hater,” Steve informed him as Danny walked through the door.

“Thank you.” Danny took one of the beers Steve offered him, taking a long drink.

“Tell me what’s on your mind,” Steve urged after a long moment.

Danny sighed, leaning forward and resting his forearms on his knees. “I never got to hold him.” Steve stayed silent, letting Danny speak. “When I was in the hospital with Rachel, she was acting so strange, like there was something she wanted to say, and when he was born, the nurse tried to hand him to me, and Rachel wouldn’t let her. I didn’t think anything of it then, but now–” Danny cut himself off, shaking his head. “She knew. She knew he was mine and wouldn’t let me hold him.”

“I’m so sorry, Danny,” Steve said, his voice soft.

“Did you know I named Grace?” Danny changed the subject, Steve shaking his head in response. “I had a partner at the Newark PD, Grace Tilwell. She died in front of me, shot by two gangsters on September 11, 2001.”

“Oh God.”

“Yeah,” Danny looked down. “After I got out of there, I saw the smoke on the skyline. I ran to help the NYPD, and her killers got away,” Danny sighed. “She was my best friend, and I named my daughter after her. Rachel agreed, and we got to pick a name together for our daughter.” Danny snorted. “But I didn’t get to do that for Charlie. She let me coach her through labor, but wouldn’t even let me hold my son. If she had her way, she never would have told me about him, and I can’t believe she could ever do something so cruel.”

“Did she say why?” Steve asked. “I know it’s not going to be a good enough reason, but did she at least give a reason?”

Danny stiffened. “We don’t need to get into that. Like you said, it’s not a good enough reason.”

He hoped that would be a good enough answer. He hoped Steve would let it go. He should have known he wouldn’t.

“Danny.” Steve put a hand on his shoulder, the touch burning like a brand. “What was the reason?”

Danny sighed. “She said she didn’t think I was committed to the relationship…” he trailed off before deciding to spit it out. “…because I stayed to help you when you got arrested.”

He could feel Steve freeze. “What?”

“Yeah.” Danny shook his head. “She said I would have left sooner if I were committed to the relationship. That’s why she got back with Stan and decided to pass Charlie off as his.”

“Fuck. Danny, I’m so sorry. If I had known—”

“Steve.” Danny turned to face him. “This isn’t on you. You’re my partner, I would have stayed even if I knew the consequences, you needed my help and I never would have forgiven myself if I had let you down. Okay?”

Danny could tell Steve wanted to argue, but he sighed. “Okay, but what are you going to do about Charlie?”

Danny sighed, taking another sip of beer. “I have no clue.”

Just then, the pizza arrived, and Steve went to the door. Danny was shocked to see the rarest of sights: Steve McGarrett reaching for his wallet.

Sitting on the couch, he swore to himself never to tell Steve that Rachel thought he was in love with Steve. Even though she was right, there was no reason to tell Steve and ruin their friendship. Not when there was no chance at all that he felt the same way.

That would stay his little secret.

Chapter 8:

That weekend, Danny called Rachel to arrange the pickup time for Grace and got a nasty surprise.

“What do you mean you don’t think it’s a good idea?”

Rachel sighed. “Daniel, be reasonable. After everything that happened, Stan and I both think Grace needs to stay home this weekend.”

“Rachel,” Danny pinched the bridge of his nose trying very hard not to get annoyed, “Stan doesn’t get an opinion on this. I get to have Grace two weekends a month. Now, unless Grace has said she doesn’t want to see me, I’m entitled to pick her up for our weekend together.”

“And what if she gets kidnapped again?” Rachel asked, and Danny hissed in a breath.

“You didn’t seriously say that.”

“Danny, she is my child—”

“She’s my child, too, and I would do anything to keep her safe!”

“Like nearly shooting my husband?”

Danny chose to ignore that, trying to remain calm. “Rachel, nobody knew Rick Peterson was a threat to anyone, let alone Grace. And that is never going to happen again.”

“I’m sorry, but I would feel better if she stayed home with me this weekend.”

Dany scoffed. “And this has nothing to do with me finding out about Charlie?”

There was silence for a moment, and then Rachel scoffed. “Of course not.”

Danny doubted that, but he gave her the benefit of the doubt. Maybe Rachel just wanted to keep her home this weekend.

“Okay, how about we switch weekends from this week to next week?” Danny wanted to find a solution.

“That won’t work, we have plans next weekend.”

“Okay, so do I get her for an extra weekend after my next one with her?”

Rachel paused, and Danny got a bad feeling about what she would say next. “Perhaps you could have one weekend a month with her for now.”

Danny took a deep breath. “Rachel, you can’t take away my time with Grace. We and the courts agreed on this schedule.”

“It’s not as though I’m saying you’ll never see her.”

“I already barely see her!” Danny tried hard not to raise his voice. “Rachel, please, don’t do this. You said you’d never keep her from me. Don’t let Charlie’s situation get in the way of me seeing Grace.”

“That’s not what’s happening,” Rachel argued.

“Could have fooled me.”

There was silence, and then Rachel spoke, her tone annoyed. “Daniel, this isn’t up for debate. As Grace’s primary parent. I have decided she needs to stay home this weekend.”

The phone went dead, and Danny resisted the urge to fling his phone at the wall.

~~

“She said that?” Steve asked in disbelief. “She said she’ll restrict your time with Grace moving forward?”

“Yeah, ” Danny paced along Steve’s lanai. “And she won’t even discuss me having a relationship with Charlie.” He let out a frustrated groan. “She pulled rank as Grace’s primary parent. She’s never done that before.”

“How dare she accuse you of endangering Grace?” Danny could see Steve getting worked up. “You’re an amazing father: Stan got Rachel and Grace carjacked last year!”

“Babe, I’m with you, but that doesn’t matter to Rachel,” Danny sighed. “And this isn’t really about Grace. She’s punishing me for not backing down on wanting to know my son.”

“And you shouldn’t back down.” Steve told him, “You deserve to get to know your son.”

“I know I do.”

“So, what’re you going to do?”

As much as Danny hated it, there was only one thing he could do—only one thing would get him the result he wanted, even if it would torpedo his current relationship with Rachel. Not that there was much of one anyway.

“I want to fight for custody,” Danny finally said. “I want joint custody of both my kids. I deserve to be a part of their lives, not just see them every other weekend.”

Steve’s eyes gleamed with pride. “Hell yeah, you do. I’m proud of you. And I’ll help whatever way I can, you know that.”

Danny sighed. “I appreciate that, but I don’t think a call from the governor will solve things this time.”

Even so.” Steve gave him a look. “I want to help. I’ve got your back, no matter what.”

Danny gave Steve a small smile. “Thank you.”

~~

A few days later, Danny found a lawyer who was willing to meet with him to discuss his case. Hopefully, she was good enough to help him win joint custody of his kids.

Danny wasn’t sure why Steve had insisted on coming with him to the lawyer’s office, but here they were.

“So, Mr. Williams,” Linda Johnson, the lawyer Danny hired, said as she let him and Steve into her office. “I have looked into the matter you described over the phone regarding your petition for joint custody of Grace and Charlie.”

“Yeah,” Danny nodded. “I recently found out about Charlie and would like to have at least partial custody of him. In the future when he’s a little older, that is. I know separating an infant from his mother is not something that can be accomplished.”

“I’m glad you understand that.” Linda looked at Steve, her brow furrowing. “And who are you?”

“I’m Steve McGarrett, Danny’s partner and head of the Five-O task force, ” Steve told her.

“He asked if he could come today, and I didn’t think it was a big deal.” Danny frowned. “Unless it is, in which case he can go.”

“Good to know you’re okay kicking me out of here.” Steve made a face at Danny, and Danny returned the gesture.

“It’s fine,” Linda told Danny. “If you’re okay with him being here, so am I.”

“Okay, good, ” Danny told her. “So, what’d you want to see me about today?”

“Well, I’ll start with the good news: your ex-wife has agreed to resume the normal visitation schedule for Grace, and you will be able to see her this weekend to make up for the missed time this past weekend.”

“That’s great!” Danny grinned at Steve.

“Indeed. However, I did hear back from your ex-wife’s attorney, and he said some troubling things we should address to have the best chance of fighting this in court,” Linda told him. “Such as the fact that you pointed a gun at her husband last week? And your daughter was kidnapped because of you?”

Danny stiffened. Rachel was using that against him? Stan got her and Grace carjacked last year, and Rachel was saying Danny was a danger to Grace? He loved Grace and did everything he could to protect her. How could Rachel not see that? How could she try to make him out to be an unfit parent?

Danny stayed silent for a long moment, and Steve jumped in headfirst.

“It’s inaccurate to say Grace was kidnapped because of Danny,” Steve told Linda. “It is because Danny is such an exceptional officer that we could get to Grace in time. He and Grace were both at the mercy of a dangerous criminal, someone who had already killed at least one person. Danny did what he could to get him and Grace out of that situation. The person holding Grace captive tried to force Danny to shoot Stan Edwards, and Detective Williams didn’t do so. He should be commended for keeping his daughter safe, not scorned.”

Looking at Steve’s profile as he spoke earnestly, Danny could once again understand how he was the commander of an entire SEAL team.

“And, for the record, I would argue there have been times that Grace has been safer because I’m a cop. In addition, there was an incident last year where Stan’s actions in his business dealings led to some disgruntled parties causing both Rachel and Grace to be the victims of a carjacking.” Danny told his attorney, waving his hand for emphasis. “It was a miracle neither of them was hurt.”

Danny saw Steve suppress a smirk out of the corner of his eye, and Danny preened a little.

“I see.” Linda shuffled some papers. “Your ex-wife also expressed some concern about your living conditions. She said your last apartment was infested with black mold, and you live in a hotel.”

Danny flushed a deep red. That wasn’t something that could be as easily explained.

“That’s no longer accurate,” Steve once again jumped in. “Danny is moving in with me. We’re getting his stuff from the hotel later today.”

Danny tried not to give Steve an alarmed look. Was Steve lying to his lawyer to make Danny look better? It would be sweet if it weren’t so mind-numbingly stupid.

“Oh. Really?” Linda gave Steve a surprised look.

“You seem a little shocked,” Danny said, trying to go along with Steve’s words.

“I suppose I am,” she nodded. “Not many coworkers move in together, especially when one has a kid who stays over once a week.”

“Well, I have a spare room Grace can stay in, so it all works out very well, ” Steve told her.

“While that’s all well and good, I’m not sure living with your coworker is the type of stable living arrangement that will help you in this matter.”

Danny deflated slightly and then stiffened when he heard the next words out of Steve’s mouth.

“Oh, did we forget to mention? I’m not just his coworker; I’m his fiancé.”

Danny fought the urge to stare at Steve in shock as silence descended.

“No, you didn’t mention that,” Linda finally said.

“Well, it is fairly new.” Steve turned to Danny. “Right, Danno?”

Danny managed to force a smile on his face and nod. “That’s right.”

“We haven’t even had time to go get rings yet. That’s next on our list after we go get Danny’s stuff from the hotel today.” Steve added. “We want to get married, but will settle for a civil ceremony until the State of Hawaii allows for gay marriage.”

Linda seemed unconvinced, but she sighed and made a few notes.

“I think I have enough to go on for now,” she said. “Mr. Williams and Mr. McGarrett, I’ll be in touch when I hear more about a possible hearing date.”

“Looking forward to hearing from you.” Steve shook her hand, and Danny did the same as they left the office, Danny’s head spinning.

~~

Danny was silent as they walked out of the office, silent when they walked to the car, and silent when Steve got behind the wheel of Danny’s car and started to drive.

It was only when they had traveled three blocks that he finally spoke.

“What were you thinking?” he asked, trying to stay calm even though every inch of his body vibrated with rage.

“Danny–”

“No.” Danny cut Steve off. “Don’t answer that because I can tell you what you were thinking. You weren’t! You weren’t thinking when you went in there and lied to my lawyer, ruining any chance I had of getting to know my kid.”

“Danny, she wasn’t convinced by your living in a hotel, and I could tell that was going to be an issue for you to get custody,” Steve told him. “I thought if I said we were living together, it might make it a little better.”

“But then you told her we were engaged!”

“I panicked!” Steve raised his voice, shocking Danny. “Is that what you want to hear? I didn’t think she’d ask any follow-up questions, and it came out. I’m sorry.”

Danny felt some of his anger deflate as Steve said that. He sighed, looking at Steve as the car was stopped at a light. “I know you thought you were trying to help, but this made everything much worse.”

“How? Steve asked.

Danny gave him an exasperated look. “You told her we’re engaged and I’m moving in. So when I show up to the next meeting, and I’m single and living in a hotel, it won’t look good for my hopes of getting to see my kids more.” Danny sighed, scrubbing a hand over his face. “And Rachel will love to hear I fucked up another relationship so quickly, even if it was never a relationship to begin with.”

“So don’t show up single,” Steve told Danny. “Let’s get engaged.”

Danny was glad he was in the passenger seat because if he had been driving, he would have crashed the car.

“That’s not funny, Steve.”

“I’m not joking, Danny.”

“I’m sorry, but when my straight best friend offers to get engaged to me, I’m taking that as a joke.”

“Danny-”

“You can’t offer to do that!” Danny cut Steve off again. “You can’t lie and say you’re not straight. You’ve been in the SEALs for years. You have to know if the Navy even thought you were gay, you’d get discharged.”

“One, I never said I was straight. Besides, Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell was repealed, and I’m in the reserves anyway, so I really doubt the Navy will care,” Steve told Danny, moving on from the bomb he’d dropped in Danny’s lap. “And two, of course, I wouldn’t joke about this. I want to help you, and this seems like the best way.”

“By pretending to be engaged and getting married?” Danny retorted. “And what do you mean you aren’t straight?”

Steve rolled his eyes. “I mean, I’m bisexual, Danny. I’m guessing so are you?”

Danny gave Steve a shocked look. “How could you possibly know that?”

No one had ever figured that out before. Danny wasn’t ashamed of liking men, but he always kept that part of himself to himself.

Steve gave Danny a slight smirk. “I didn’t until just now. But thanks for confirming it; it’ll make things more plausible.

“None of this is plausible!” Danny raised his voice. “Just because we both like men does not mean anyone is going to believe we’re in love with each other.”

“Sure, they will!” Steve argued back. “People make comments about us being a couple all the time. Lori even thought we were married when she joined the team.”

“So, we should get married because people assume we’re together?” Danny scoffed. “Nice deductive reasoning there, babe. I feel better about this already.”

“I’m not saying we marry each other,” Steve told him. “I’m just saying for the duration of the custody process, we should pretend to be engaged.”

Danny laughed as Steve pulled into the parking lot of Kamekona’s shrimp truck. “You say that like it’s not the craziest idea in the history of the world.”

“Why is it so crazy? Steve challenged Danny.

“It’s crazy in a million different ways.”

“Okay, so, pick one.”

“Oh, just one?” Danny asked.

“Yeah, why don’t you start with one good reason why we can’t do this?”

“Well, how are we going to pull this off? People don’t just stay engaged forever. People will assume we’re going to be planning a wedding.”

“We can say we got together recently and decided on a long engagement,” Steve explained. “A few months after the custody stuff is settled, we can break it off and say it didn’t work out. By then, you’ll have hopefully found a place, and you can move out.”

Danny had to admit it made sense, but he pushed on anyway.

“Second, how will you tell Catherine and Lori about this?”

“Catherine and I have a casual relationship; I can just break it off,” Steve told Danny before wrinkling his nose. “And why do I have to tell Lori anything about this?”

“Maybe because she’s got a thing for you, and you two went on a date last week?” Danny snarked at him.

Steve bristled, looking like a cat that had gotten too close to water. “I didn’t go on a date with Lori last week. That would be completely irresponsible, given that she is a subordinate. And it was just a hike.”

“She seemed to think otherwise,” Danny told him.

Steve gave him an unimpressed look. “If going on hikes with someone was considered a date, then you and I went on a date to see the petroglyphs last year. Which technically means you cheated on me with Gabby.”

Danny sputtered, trying to fight the blush that threatened to spread across his face. As much as he had wanted the time he spent alone with Steve to mean something, he knew it didn’t. He just wished his heart would stop beating so fast.

“So, it wouldn’t be okay for you to date Lori, but it’s okay for you to date me?” Danny challenged. “Aren’t I also a subordinate?”

“No, you’re my partner. And you’re Danno.”

Danny sputtered again. “What does that even mean?”

“It means you’re different.” Steve shot him an exasperated look.

“None of this is the point,” Danny disputed. “The fact of the matter is out of all the dumb things you have done, including using a grenade to blow open a door–”

“That was very smart, actually, and don’t think Chin didn’t tell me about your grenade stunt last week,” Steve interjected.

“-This is by far the dumbest,” Danny finished. “This is not going to work. There’s no way.”

“Danny, we are both competent, hugely trained professionals. We can act like an engaged couple for a few months and make it believable. No one ever has to know that it’s not.”

Danny sighed. “Look, I appreciate you’re willing to do this, but maybe it’s better if I call my lawyer and let her know you misspoke.” Danny reached for his phone, only for Steve to grab it from his hands and shove it in his pocket.

“Steve, give it back.” Danny tried to reach into the driver’s seat and grab it, but Steve grabbed his wrists and held him fast. Danny froze, looking up into Steve’s eyes.

“Danny,” Steve said, his voice soft. He was so close that Danny could feel Steve’s breath against his face. “I got us into this mess, and I’m sorry. But I’m not risking you losing out on access to your children because you saved my ass. I know how much you love Grace, and I know you’ll love Charlie too. I won’t be why you miss out on that chance. So please trust me; this can work. We can make everyone believe we’re together. Just trust me. Okay?”

“Have you ever spent time around a baby?” Danny asked as Steve let him go, latching onto something Steve surely hadn’t thought about. “Babies are a nightmare for the first two years. They piss, they shit, they throw up, and they cry about everything.”

“Since you complain about everything now, I didn’t think your kid would be any different,” Steve quipped, eliciting a dirty look from Danny.

“Steve, you have not thought this through. You might like Grace, but you’ve never had to spend any expected time with her. Having the kids and I around all the time?” Danny shook his head. “It’ll ruin your life, and I can’t make you do this.”

“You aren’t making me do anything, I’m offering,” Steve assured him. “And for the record, I don’t like Grace… I love her. Sure, it’ll all be a big adjustment, but I want to do this for you, Danny.”

“Why?” Danny asked point-blank. “Why are you so insistent about doing this for me?”

Steve sighed, “Because this is all my fault.”

Danny blinked. “How in the hell is this your fault?”

“Because if I hadn’t gone after the governor last year, Wo Fat wouldn’t have framed me, and you wouldn’t have missed your chance to be with Rachel.”

Danny blinked in shock, and Steve kept going. “I’m so grateful to you for staying and helping me, but I know I messed everything up for you. You should be getting to raise your kid, and instead, Rachel kept this from you. So please, Danny. Let me help you.”

Danny sighed. He knew Steve well enough to know he wouldn’t let this go. And maybe this wouldn’t be as bad as he thought. After all, they were professionals. They could do this for a while without anyone catching on. Maybe. Hopefully.

If he controlled his feelings for Steve, things might work out okay.

And to be honest, Danny didn’t have a better option.

“Okay.”

Now it was Steve’s turn to blink in surprise. “Okay?”

“Yeah, okay. Let’s do this.” Danny shook his head. “It’s a stupid plan, but it’s the best we got, so okay.”

Steve grinned, and Danny wished he could do the same.

Danny hated this. Lying wasn’t something he enjoyed, and he hated keeping things from the people closest to him. But if this would help him see Grace more and get to know his newest child, then this was a risk he had to take. He’d do anything for his kids—even pretend to be engaged to Steve.

The car was silent for a long moment, and then Steve spoke.

“So?” Danny turned to Steve, who raised an eyebrow at him. “Will you marry me, Danno?”

Danny couldn’t help it, scoffing and rolling his eyes before he answered. “Okay.”

“What?” Steve asked, reading the annoyance on his face. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

“Danny, I know you. What’s wrong?”

Danny sighed. “That was such a bad proposal.”

Steve stared at him. “Are you kidding me?”

“I’m just saying I put a lot of effort into proposing to Rachel. It was romantic, elegant, the whole nine yards.”

“And how’d that marriage work out?” Steve snarked, and Danny gave him an offended look.

“About as well as this one will turn out, ” Danny retorted, a pang in his heart. Being with Steve was all he’d wanted for a long time. And now, he had it. But it was fake, and it was already decided that it would end. And that just hurt.

Steve cleared his throat, turning to face Danny. “Danny Williams, you are the biggest pain in my ass–”

“Very romantic, babe,” Danny rolled his eyes.

“Not finished.” Steve gave Danny a look before continuing to speak. “You are my best friend and the one I can always rely on. You brighten my day just by being around, and my life would be infinitely worse without you. Will you marry me?”

The intensity in Steve’s eyes left Danny breathless, his blue hazel eyes seeming to stare deep into Danny’s soul.

“Damn,” Danny huffed a breath, looking away from Steve’s intense gaze. “Did the Army teach you to come up with that on the spot? Because that was very impressive.”

“It’s the Navy, and you know that. Now, are you going to say yes or not?”

Danny rolled his eyes. “Yes, I’ll marry you.”

Steve gave Danny a grin. “Good. Now, let’s grab some lunch. We can work out the particulars before we go to the hotel.”

“The hotel?”

“Yeah.” Steve looked back at Danny as he climbed out of the car. “You’re moving in, remember?”

Danny leaned back against his seat, questioning every decision that led him to think pretending to be engaged to his best friend to get joint custody of his kids was a good idea.

~~

“Okay, so when did we get together?” Steve asked as they sat outside at one of the tables, Danny picking at his food.

“We can’t say it was too long ago,” Danny responded thoughtfully. “That would make people wonder why we hadn’t brought it up before.”

“Yeah, and if it’s too recent, people will think this is fake.”

“Which it is,” Danny pointed out before sighing. “Not that we want people to know that.”

He racked his brain, and then it came to him.

“What about after we returned from Korea? ” Danny suggested. “We can say we kept quiet about it because we were still figuring everything out.”

Steve nodded. “That sounds good, and it makes a longer engagement a little more plausible, given we’ve only been dating for a few months.”

“None of this is even remotely plausible,” Danny couldn’t help but say. “Even if we somehow convince Rachel this is real, what happens if anyone from the team is asked about it? It’s not like we can tell them the truth in case they get questioned.”

“We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it,” Steve told him. “I bet they won’t even be surprised. Kono will wonder how she missed it, and Chin will say he’s happy for us.”

“And you think we’ll be able to fool Lori? The profiler?” Danny asked.

“I think we’ll be able to fool everyone.” Steve looked around and pushed his plate across the table, coming around to sit next to Danny on the bench.

“What are you doing?” Danny started to move away, but Steve slung his arm around his shoulders.

“Making us seem like a couple,” Steve told him. “It’ll be good to get the practice in.”

Danny had to admit Steve had a point.

“So, it shouldn’t take us too long to pack up your stuff from the hotel,” Steve smoothly changed the subject. “Which is good because we need to stop and get rings on the way back to the house.”

“We do?”

“We told your lawyer we were going to buy rings,” Steve told him.

“True,” Danny nodded as he took a bite of food. “I figure I’ll take Mary’s old room. I don’t have a lot of stuff, so it should all fit.”

“What are you talking about?” Steve gave Danny a confused look. “You’re going to move into my room.”

Danny froze. “I’m sorry, what?”

“Danny, engaged couples usually share a bedroom,” Steve spelled it out as if Danny were an idiot. “What would happen if Grace stayed the night and mentioned to Rachel that she saw you coming out of a different bedroom in the morning?”

“Okay, so I could just stay in your room when she’s around,” Danny told Steve, who shook his head.

“Your ex-wife seems resourceful, and she might decide to hire a private investigator to ensure we’re a couple.”

Danny wanted to argue, but Steve had a point. Rachel was resourceful, and she’d be the hardest to fool with this whole relationship.

“You know, we don’t have to do all this, ” Danny told him. “We could just act normally and tell people we’re engaged. It’s not like anyone would call us on it.”

Steve gave Danny an offended look. “I won’t phone this in just because you’re my fake fiancé.”

“But you could!”

“But I won’t, ” Steve told him, sighing. “I may never find someone willing to put up with me forever. This could be my only engagement.”

Danny blinked. He hadn’t expected Steve to say that. He always seemed so confident, and Danny saw how women looked at him whenever they went to a bar. How could Steve not think he’d find someone? Was this why he and Catherine kept things so casual?

“Besides, it’s not like we’ll be pressed for space. My bed is big enough for the two of us.” Steve took another bite of pineapple. “And then we can set up Mary’s old room for Grace.”

Danny fought the urge to smile. “You want to set up a room for Grace?”

“Yeah, of course, ” Steve told him, smiling gently. “I’d like her input on a few things, but we could set up a great room for her. And my old room could be good for Charlie when he’s old enough to stay over. That’s going to be a while off, though.”

“You realize that means you’ll have to get rid of your weapons hidden around the house, right?” Danny said, raising an eyebrow. “No more grenades in the glove compartment, no hunting knife behind the couch.”

Steve shrugged. “I guess some sacrifices will have to be made.”

Danny felt his heart warm as Steve casually discussed carving out space in his life for Danny and his kids. It was almost enough to make him forget about the pit in his stomach, reminding him that none of this was real. Steve was doing this temporarily, and Danny couldn’t keep this up forever. He couldn’t keep Steve forever.

Danny shook himself a little, trying to get back on track. “So, we’ve figured out the physical touch and bedroom situation. What’re we missing?”

Steve took another bite of food before he spoke. “Well, we’ll probably need to kiss.”

Danny nearly choked on his drink. “Excuse me?”

Steve looked down at Danny. “Engaged people kiss. We’ll probably need to kiss a few times in public to sell it. Nothing crazy, just a kiss on the lips or something.”

“I guess that makes sense.” Danny made a face, and Steve noticed it.

“Okay, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” Danny tried to wave it away, but Steve gave him a look. “It’s just going to be…weird. That’s all. Having you slobbering all over me.”

Danny snickered, and Steve looked offended as he pulled away to face him. “Excuse me?”

“I’m just saying.” Danny shrugged, fighting a smirk. “I happen to be an excellent kisser. Gabby and Rachel both said so.”

“Two people. How encouraging.”

“Well, Kono didn’t seem to mind when we had to kiss each other that time.” Danny clicked his teeth. “You, on the other hand…”

“I’ll have you know I’m a superb kisser.”

“I’ve seen how you eat, so I’m doubting that.”

Before Danny knew what was happening, Steve lifted his chin and kissed him, immediately deepening the kiss as he pressed against him on the bench. Danny froze for a second, his brain short-circuiting, until he started to respond to the kiss. He pushed against Steve, their mouths moving together for a long moment. Steve pushed back, taking control of the kiss as easily as he took control of Danny’s car keys.

Danny had thought about what it would be like to kiss Steve a thousand times. But everything he’d thought it would be like fell short of the real thing. Kissing Steve felt like being in a high-speed car chase: fast, exhilarating, and leaving him breathless.

All too soon, Steve pulled away, and the two of them sat in silence for a moment as they caught their breath.

“I think you’ll survive me having to do that from time to time,” Steve finally said, Danny looking over to see him sporting a smug grin.

Danny, not sure he would find the words to speak, nodded and then made a face.

“What is it?”

“Your mouth tastes like pineapple.” Danny took a sip of his drink to wash it down, and Steve rolled his eyes.

“And you say I’m not romantic?” Steve waved him off. “You’re utterly hopeless.”

“Right back at you, babe.”

Steve and Danny finished their meals and hopped back in the car.

“Okay, so hotel, and then ring shopping.” Steve started the engine.

“Where would we even go to get wedding rings?” Danny asked. “I haven’t needed jewelry shopping since I’ve been in Hawaii.”

Steve gave him an amused look. “I know a place.”

 

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