Description: A short tag to episode 3x20. I was aching for some Steve/Danny interaction at the end, so I wrote a scene for them that follows the funeral. Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, no slash.
A/N: This is my second story for FanFiction! I'm studying English in college (it's my last semester!) so I'm hoping to stretch my wings a little on here. I've been binge watching some 5-0 since the holidays, so I've been very inspired recently to explore more about such great characters! Episode 3x20 was pretty emotional, so I wanted to explore what a conversation with Steve and Danny might be like following the funeral.
Disclaimer: I own nothing of Hawaii Five-0 or its characters. All credit goes to the wonderful staff, writers, and actors who have brought the show alive for us all.
Many thanks to Empress Akitla for the awesome beta, and to everyone who graciously supported my first work with such wonderful comments. Thank you!
The events of the memorial service had turned out pretty standard, but the general disposition of those who had gathered seemed subdued somehow; maybe because they had already grieved once for Freddie Hart, a man who had been killed in the line of duty three years prior. It had been a mission which unfolded off the records, one that Steve McGarrett had been selected personally to carry out. His friend's sacrifice had ensured the capture of Anton Hess, and thus the mission was deemed a success.
Though it had been anything but a success for McGarrett, who, in a matter of hours, managed to lose a close friend and his father in the fallout of the mission's triumph. It had ultimately set into motion a chain of events that would lead to the creation of 5-0. However, the gravity of the pain Steve had felt then, and the turmoil of those memories being rejuvenated, was not lost on Danny Williams.
Steve hadn't told him much before he'd left with Catherine; only that an arrangement had been made to recover the remains of a longtime friend who had fallen in combat. The details had been omitted, but he had told Danny that it was the mission which he had received the phone call from his father. Despite his own personal misgivings of the situation, considering what had happened the last time Steve had went to the Korean peninsula, Danny understood that it was something he needed to do to put the past to rest.
Danny was grateful that Chin and Kono had come along. He would have felt out of place standing at the rear of the service by himself, though that wouldn't have stopped him from coming. When his ex-partner had been killed, Steve had arrived to pay his respects:
"I appreciate you being here, I know you didn't know him."
"I know you," he stated simply.
That had been in the infancy of their newfound partnership, when 5-0 had been getting itself established. Danny had understood in that moment how profound a human being McGarrett was. When Steve had seen that they had come to the funeral today, his expression had been one of surprise and gratitude.
Chin and Kono didn't stay very long after the memorial service had ended. There was never a shortage of things to be done at HQ. With a fair amount of daylight remaining, a couple more hours at the office couldn't hurt, especially in lieu of their leader's absence. Danny had chosen to stay, of course, because he wanted to make sure he was close if Steve needed anything. Besides, he'd been worried about him, and being in his presence was relieving.
Now he stood, mostly surrounded by strangers. Joe White gave him a nod from across the room, which he acknowledged. His reappearance was somewhat of a surprise, since he had basically vanished after taking Steve to his mother. Regardless, Joe had been instrumental in Steve's rescue the first time, so Danny would always show him the gratitude and respect he deserved.
Catherine walked up to him and gave him a hug. He wasn't expecting it, but returned it just as warmly as she offered it. Maybe it was the morose setting which had prompted her, but somehow he felt comforted by it. He did think fondly of her, after all, not only because she was his best friend's girlfriend, but also for her assets as an officer and makeshift member of the team. Her skills had contributed to the success of more than one case. More than ten, actually.
"I'm so glad you guys came," she said.
"Well, Kamekona was too busy playing Evel Knieval in his helicopter to feed us any shrimp, so we figured we'd swing by until he lands."
She smiled. "I heard you lost that bet. You know, he did pass his piloting test, so technically…"
"Catherine," Danny stopped her, "he sells shrimp out of a truck. What is it about that profession that screams helicopter pilot to you?"
"You know you enjoyed playing Magnum P.I. for a day," she mused.
"I didn't even have that luxury, I got conned into playing Rick." Catherine broke out into quiet laughter, but suppressed it when she saw Danny glaring at her. "Are you done?"
"I'm sorry!" She said, still trying to hold it back.
"Sure you are," Danny said, waving his hand away. He glanced around the room. "Where's Steve?"
"He's around here someplace. Listen, do you mind running him home? It's been a long week, and I could use a bath and a bottle of wine."
"Couldn't we all," Danny mumbled. "Are you just taking his truck to his house to get your car?"
"Well yeah," she said, as though it were obvious.
Danny threw a hand up. "Unbelievable. He lets you drive his truck, but he won't even let me drive my own car."
She placed a hand on his shoulder and smiled. "Isn't married life great?"
"That's really funny, Catherine," he called to her as she was walking way. "It's all fun and games until he proposes to you one day."
Wherever Steve was hiding, she must have found him, because a few minutes later he noticed Steve's truck rolling away from the building. Danny grabbed a bottle of water from the kitchen and sat out of the way of the mourning members who were gathered. Immersed in his own thoughts, he lost track of time. An hour passed, or maybe it was two, when he heard Steve behind him.
"Hey. Cath said you were giving me a ride."
"Yeah. You ready to go?" He asked.
Steve nodded. "Yeah."
They walked to the silver Camaro, and Danny attempted to hand Steve the keys, more out of habit than anything else.
"No, it's ok, you can drive," he said flatly.
Danny looked at him, but Steve didn't hold his gaze. Danny looked down at the keys in his hand and considered saying something sarcastic about him actually letting him drive his own car, but decided against it. Instead, he got in the car quietly and they drove away.
The car ride was quiet for a while. Danny would occasionally glance over at his partner, whose head was turned and looking out the window. He wanted to say something to him, but what was there to say? He already knew that Danny felt bad for the events, and he already knew that Danny was here for him if he needed to talk about it.
He opted for a lighter approach. "Did Catherine tell you about the wings I promised you when you got back?"
"Yeah she did. I'm actually not that hungry right now, but thanks," he said without looking away from the window.
"Well we don't have to get wings now, we could just get a beer. Maybe catch a game while we're there."
"Look Danny, I appreciate the offer but I'm actually pretty drained. Between the trip and the funeral and the grieving I just want to go home and decompress a little." Before Danny could suggest a cookout, Steve anticipated and added, "Alone."
It was a fair request. He probably did need to rest. Surely he had jet lag or something. Danny had felt the same way many times, although that hadn't stopped Steve from showing up and dragging the doldrums out of him. He felt the need to do the same thing, but what Steve was experiencing was more than just a bad day; it was the closure of a whirlwind of events which had been very traumatic, events which had shaped him and would continue to shape him for the rest of his life. Danny knew better than to push too hard.
The remainder of the car ride was silent. They pulled into Steve's driveway and parked.
"Thanks for the ride," Steve said, still not able to look at him. "I'll talk to ya tomorrow."
He started to get out of the car, but Danny grabbed his arm. "Hey." Steve sighed, more out of exasperation than irritation. "Look, I understand that you need some time to process all this. I get it. But don't come back to work tomorrow and act like nothing happened."
Steve looked at him. "What is that supposed to mean?"
"It means you have an annoying habit of going through all of these insane events and then brushing it off before anyone realizes something is wrong."
"Are you wanting me to stay home for a week and mope?" Steve asked.
"No, although I'm shocked that super-SEAL even knows what that word means," Steve started to climb out again but Danny pulled him back in. "Hey, hey, listen. All I meant is that it wouldn't hurt for you to talk about this at some point."
"I don't need to talk Danny," Steve said. "I need to sleep this off and move on. I've done plenty of grieving." He paused. "I'm shocked you even know what talking to someone is."
"Hey," Danny said defensively, "I've gotten a hell of a lot better about letting my guard down these past couple of years, especially around you. Give me a little credit. And for your information, I'm well aware that you—in all your robotic goodness—know how to deal with loss. Maybe that's not why I wanted you to talk."
"Then what is it Danny? Huh?" Steve asked impatiently.
"Freddie played a big role in your life. I'm gonna assume that you guys went through a lot together. Probably had enough experiences to fill several lifetimes. Maybe I was just wanting to hear more about all that because I know how important he was to you. For once, it's something about your military life that isn't 'classified'. I just thought that it might be something you'd want to share."
Steve's expression softened immediately and he slumped back into his seat, looking him in the eyes. Understanding sank in. Danny merely wanted to be a part of his life. Clearly everything about the situation with Freddie had gotten the better of him. Dealing with people who were so deeply connected to his military past had caused him to repress feelings that he might otherwise have embraced, to some extent.
"Sorry, Danno," Steve said quietly. "I didn't realize that was what you meant. It's been a long week."
Danny put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Hey, nothing to be sorry about, babe. Go inside and take an evening to yourself. You'll feel better."
Steve shook his head. "Come have a beer. I'll tell you all the good stories while they're still fresh on my mind."
"You sure?"
He nodded. "This isn't stuff that I plan on bringing up again later. I want to put it to rest tonight." He paused. "It means a lot that you want to hear about him, Danny. I know he would appreciate it, too."
Danny nodded silently, turned the car off, and followed his partner inside.