Beneath the surface
By
Landon Richardson and TealRose
Official Disclaimer
The character of Steve McGarrett, Chin Ho Kelly, Kono Kalakaua, Adam 'Toast' Charles and anyone else who sound familiar and is from the show do not belong to me in any shape or form. I am merely using them for my own entertainment purposes.
The character of Danni Williams, although originally based on male Danny Williams, can now be considered her own character as she has developed her own personality and different background. This of course directly affects Grace who is different than in the show as she lives with Danni full time and is raised by her. Danni and her ex-husband Duncan also have a civil relationship with each other which helps makes Grace more settled. I should also add that Grace's surname in the saga is Taylor and not Williams. Williams is Danni's maiden name which she reverted back to once her divorce is official. Taylor was her married name.
The character of Special Agent Jack O'Connor, Commander Riley King and Doctor Riley King belong to me. If you come across a character who you do not instantly recognise then the character belongs to me as well.
Author Note
Welcome to 'Beneath the surface'
This story is a rewrite of 'And then there was six'.
That story will be taken down very shortly so I suggest that if you were keeping a tab on that story then you instead follow this one as 'And then there was six' will not be updated again.
This story is likely to be fifteen chapters plus long so please keep that in mind. I will be updating on a regular schedule but I can't say for certain how often it will be. There may be times when I will update three or four times a week. Other times you may go a few weeks without an update. While I know this is frustrating for the reader I hope you'll stick with me and understand that sometimes but real life and my muse do not play ball with me.
Every story I begin though I will finish, that much I do promise.
The character of Commander Riley King is an interesting one because not only is he one of the only people who knows exactly what Steve has done on all his classified missions but also becomes the sixth member of 50. You won't see him in the main saga for a few more stories and when you do he won't be introduced this way, hence why it is safe to put this story up and why it's considered a part of the 'What if' saga.
I really hope you all love the character of Riley as much as I do and are willing to give him a chance, I think he brings a different aspect to not just 50 but to Steve as well.
This is set in season one for those of you who are curious and the picture attached is the actor I picked to portray Riley so if you need a visual then you now have it.
Anyway please enjoy.
Overall Summary
When Steve McGarrett's former second in Commander from his SEAL days arrives on the island, he thought that they would just have a few drinks and a catch up. He didn't expect to be dragged into a mission that puts everything he's been building in jeopardy. Now Steve is faced with a choice, stand by the man who always had his back or protect his Ohana and the woman he loves from the danger Riley brings. (McDanni, female Danni)
Chapter Summary
Steve's former second in command arrives in Hawaii.
Official Romance
Steven 'Steve' McGarrett / Danielle 'Danni' Williams (McDanni)
Riley King / Rosamund 'Rosie' Lange (Risie)
Others to be mentioned at a later date.
Chapter Romance
None
Other note
Please keep in mind that I don't have a Beta for this story so the odd mistake may creep in without me meaning it to. I have also never been to Hawaii so all locations are either from the show, google or made up in my own mind.
Chapter One
Five minutes
The plane was empty by the time the tall man walked off of it, his rucksack flung casually over one shoulder as he followed the other more boisterous service men and women who he had been forced to share his flight with towards the main terminal building. Men and women who had been away from home for a long time and were now excited to be back on American soil where their families, loved ones and friends were no doubt waiting to greet them.
They had tried to befriend him at the beginning of the eleven hour flight but had quickly realised who he was and that he was a man who should be left alone at all costs. He had felt their eyes on him throughout the flight and heard his codename whispered in awed tones but he had ignored it all, keeping his eyes closed and allowed sleep to take him.
Even after ten hours of uninterrupted sleep he still felt tired and drained, still plagued by the feeling of emptiness inside him which felt as though it was slowly trying to consume him.
It was a feeling he was more than used to now and one which he feared would leave him a mere fragment of the man who he used to be.
He had been immediately welcomed onto the base by an almost starry eyed Navy General who he had brushed aside as quickly as he could, promising to come back another day to chat to the service men and women who worked there, before he escaped into the nearest cab, asking the driver, a man in his early sixties, to take him to the nearest quiet bar which he could think of.
All he wanted was to be alone.
He wanted to, no that was wrong, he needed to be able to think clearly again.
He needed to rediscover where Archangel ended and the real Riley King began. Somewhere along the line the line between the two had blurred and he knew how dangerous that was, not just for himself but for the men and women he served with as well. He needed to take a long break from everything and face everything he had done in the name of his country.
If he didn't, then he would be lost for good.
"We're here Sir" A voice said from towards the front of the car attracting his attention away from his dark thoughts. He nodded at the driver who had shifted in his seat so he was looking directly at him. Riley nodded at him, his eyes flickering to the front of the cab where the payment meter was, He pulled his wallet out of his pocket and opened it, flipping through the notes until he found the right one, passing it to the cab driver before he pushed open the door and climbed out, shouldering his bag as he twisted out the way of the door and closed it.
Riley stood for a second on the pavement, his eyes fixed on the building in front of him. It was small and surprisingly cosy looking considering the fact it was a bar and exactly what he wanted. The area seemed remote, surrounded only by a few shops and buildings which he assumed housed office workers. Shaking his head, he glanced over his shoulder at the cabbie who was holding his change out to him, he shook his head again as he told the man to keep the change before he headed to the building, his mouth curling into a rare smile when he heard the other man call out a thank you in a surprised tone, clearly not used to being tipped so well.
Riley pushed the door open, stepping into the room and looked around him, scanning the faces of the other patrons and memorising their features in his mind, a habit his father had instilled in him and which the Navy had only encouraged and fostered.
He headed towards the counter, skirting past the tables before he took the free stool at the far end of the bar, a position which would allow him to see everything going on in the room. He dropped his bag to the side of him, keeping it within touching distance before he looked at the one member of staff, waiting for him to finish serving the old man at the bar.
Shifting in his seat slightly, Riley continued to scan the room, taking note of everyone in there. The majority of the patrons seems to be older natives who had probably retired from their jobs and now spent their time in the bar, either for company or because they were trying to escape their wives. One group caught his attention, four men who had to be in their twenties. Men who he recognised having a military bearing. He watched them for a moment before he shook his head wondering whether he had ever been that young and eager.
It was quiet in the bar except for the slight hum of hushed conversation, suiting his mood perfectly.
"What can I get you?"
Riley focused his attention on the bar man who now stood in front of him, staring at the other man until his eye lowered and he moved awkwardly on the spot before Riley spoke.
"A shot of whiskey, bring it over and leave the bottle when you do" he stated, pulling out his wallet again and held his credit card out to the bartender, raising an eyebrow when the other man shook his head.
"I'll take it at the end Sir, any preference with the whiskey brand?" He questioned.
"Something good" Riley replied, tilting his head back and looking at the television which was muted above him and playing an American football game. He watched it for a moment, his hand curling round the glass which the bartender placed in front of him, lifting it to his mouth and drained the glass. It looked as though it was the Seahawks vs the Giants and most likely a repeat considering the time of day.
He sat for a moment wondering when the last time he had done something as simple as sit down and watch a football game. It was probably on his last leave when he had decided to go home for once. Memories of that visit still haunted him, he could picture it so clearly. His mother cooking up a storm in the kitchen, helped by his sisters who had descended on the house once they had learned that he had returned for a visit. Riley had stayed in the living room with his Dad, both of them drinking a cold beer as they watched the game on the television, both making the odd comment about the play.
That had been the last time Riley had spent any time with his father, two months later he had returned from a mission to the news that his father had been killed in the line of duty by a gang who had decided that the best way of enhancing their street cred was to kill a couple of Detectives. If the culprits hadn't have already been behind bars then Riley would have found them himself and delivered his own kind of justice to them.
Reaching out, Riley poured himself another shot and downed it, trying to keep the memories at bay though his attempt failed. His father was gone and that was it. Riley would never again get to see him or spend time with him.
Breathing out, he twisted slightly in his seat, noticing that the group of four military personnel were gathering their things together and heading towards the door. One of them looked over his shoulder, meeting Riley's eyes before the boy looked away, hurrying his friends out of the door. The simple action caused Riley to smirk as he shook his head. He was far too used to that reaction now to be offended about it.
Time passed by slowly for him though he was aware of everything which happened behind him, every person who came in, every person who left. He overheard conversations, some of them private, some of them casual and discarded them all as unimportant. He would have to pay his tab and find the nearest hotel before he crashed but he couldn't seem to find the energy to do that.
Riley's gaze flickered to the side when the door opened, his eyes narrowing in the sudden bright light which flooded the room. There were six men, all in their thirties, all laughing loudly with each other in a way which made his teeth clench together. He turned, about to dismiss them as irrelevant when he paused. His gaze landed on the man at the back of the pack. He was tall with short dark hair, average looking and unremarkable but Riley would recognise him anywhere.
He was one of the people who Riley had hoped never to cross paths with again.
His hand tightened on the glass before he forced himself to loosen it and focus back on the game. It was in the third quarter now and nearly finished. He kept quiet knowing that the other man hadn't noticed him yet but he also knew that it was likely, with the way his luck had been recently, that he would soon see him and come over to interact with him.
The man, Thompson, was well known for getting his squadron into dangerous situations because he had never been able to curb his desire for an adrenaline rush. People like him were dangerous. People like him didn't deserve to wear the uniform which Riley was so proud of.
He took another sip of his drink making a silent bet with himself that Thompson's need for an adrenaline rush would get him into trouble again. He glanced consideringly at the large clock on the wall before nodding once to himself. He gave it ten minutes until something happened because of Thompson.
He was about to focus back on the game when the door opened again and another group came in, the members looking around, clearly looking for someone.
Riley sighed.
Make that five minutes.
Author Note
Thanks for taking the time to read. An especially big thank you if you have left us a review, made the story a favourite or decided to follow it.
We really appreciate it
LR and TR xxx
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