I LOVED the season premiere! It was so good and had everything in it! How cool was it that they introduced four potential season long story arcs in just the last few minutes of the episode!? Well done writers!
However the only spoiler for the episode you might get is right here in this intro. To honor the premiere I've written a one shot loosely based on something that was said during Danny and Steve's "session" at right at the beginning.
Hope you enjoy!
Oz
Some mornings you just wake up and you feel good. You wake up and despite all odds even the most pessimistic angriest of people can open their eyes look at the golden sun set against a soulful blue sky and think to themselves that maybe the world isn't such a bad place.
Maybe, you woke up, ready to go to work and do the same thing you do every day but were surprised by a phone call from your precious baby girl who simply wanted to talk your ear off and want all the information she could in regards to a project she was working on. Would Danny Williams remember two weeks from now that his daughter needed to know everything about the State of New Jersey because her project was to write a report and do a presentation on one of the States of America? Who cared why she had to do it? Would he remember everything he told her about his beautiful childhood home? Doubtfully. Would he remember his daughter choosing, without his influence, to do a report on a place he knew and loved and more so to come to him and him alone to get information about it?
You're damn right he would and he would never let his parents, his sisters and brothers, cousins… hell anyone of the global village of New Jersey that had helped raise Grace ever forget it.
Which was why as the detective popped out of his Camaro and ambled up to his partner's front door he had no qualms in preparing a rant to defend the fact that he was over forty-five minutes late picking the man up. There was also the cherry that he was picking Steve up because the man was ordered by medical professionals not to drive for the next two and half weeks. Why? He'd gotten shot in the thigh and although it was a through and through it was still something that needed attention and care. Steve McGarrett was a bona-fide war machine but even machines could succumb to malfunctions.
The sun had risen, he'd had a genuinely heart-warming father daughter connection even if it was over the phone and Danny Williams was driving his own car come what may for the next short while. Needless to say the Jersey detective was in a damn good mood as he raised his hand to knock on his partner's front door.
His knuckles barely touched the wood however as the door was practically ripped off its hinges and all six-foot ridiculous Navy SEAL stood there with narrowed eyes leaning against his crutch.
"The hell have you been?" Steve snarled. Instantly Danny raised his hands in the air and raised an eyebrow as well as a smirk.
"I'm sorry; did you have some important paperwork to file? Or have you forgotten y'aint going anywhere on that bum leg of yours?" Danny smiled. When Steve's face grew even darker the Jersey native felt the need to go on. "Grace needed help on a school project," he continued. "Figured since we aren't exactly 100% right now that we could afford getting into the office at 8:30 in the morning and not seven am."
"It's 8:15 Danny," Steve hissed. "With traffic we'll be lucky to get there before nine! If you were going to be late you should have let me know and I would have gotten Chin or Kono to come get me!" At the man's uncharacteristic outbursts Danny's grin wavered a bit as he realized something was well and truly bothering his partner. What it was would have to be worked out on their way to work.
"Tone it down tough guy," he urged. "First of Chin is on the North Shore and Kono is in the other direction, even if you'd called her she'd still be on her way and a cab? Babe this ain't Jersey, a cab needs to be called a half hour at least ahead of time and even then they work on "island time"," he said as he made the appropriate air quotations.
"I still would have found a way," Steve snarled. "You're supposed to be my partner! You're supposed to have my back and now we're going to be stuck in traffic!" Finally Danny backed off a step or two and really looked at his partner. The man looked exhausted, he looked angry and he looked like he was ready to simply walk to the office. Even with the classic frustrated demeanor there was still something a little bit more that Danny couldn't quite put his finger on.
"Y'alright?" he couldn't help but ask.
Wrong question as it turned out; Steve's eyes darkened further still and the man shoved passed him slamming the front door and hobbling down the walk way.
"If we miss the Governor's meeting it's on you," the Navy SEAL spat angrily. "He was expecting us at 10."
"Which gives us plenty of time!" Danny exclaimed as his jogged back to the car. "What is the matter with you this morning?" The two men reached the vehicle only to find themselves both on the same time… the driver's side.
Danny looked at Steve with a raised eyebrow and the SEAL looked back; for a good solid 30 seconds neither man breathed a word. Danny finally pursed his lips, looked at the window and then back to his wounded partner.
"You really going to fight me about driving right now?" he asked. "Seriously?" One glance at the crutch accented by a pointed glare at the man's injured leg and Steve worked his jaw before silently hobbling around to the passenger side.
Danny curiously watched the man as he moved and tried to think of what exactly had made his partner so grumpy. Not being able to swim a country mile was top of the list, so was running twice that distance but Steve had been injured before and never before had he been this… well… militaristic in his timing. Particularly when it came to Grace and Danny's efforts to be a good father to her. If anything Danny expected Steve to smile at the reasoning for being late and retort with something along the lines of "she should have talked to me and chosen a State worth talking about."
But no, Steve curled himself into the passenger seat without a single worked and secured his seatbelt with a harder than necessary "click" before slumping back and staring out the window. Danny with much less drama climbed into the driver's seat and got himself ready before turning on the vehicle. He didn't pull out right away because something in his gut just wasn't sitting right so he turned to his partner.
"Seriously babe, I'm not going to have to take a side trip to the hospital am I?" he tried. "You're okay?"
"I'm fine," Steve practically snapped. A breath later and the man shook his head seeming to lighten up a bit as he turned to Danny with a tired smile that seemed more than a little forced. "Sorry, didn't get a whole lot of sleep last night," he explained. "I'm used to be active and with this…" he waved at his injured leg, "I feel like I'm being completely useless, like I can't do anything." Danny gave the man a chuckle before shaking his head and pulling onto the road.
"Even God had a day of rest, Steve," he chortled. "Though I am sure the mighty McGarrett is beyond even His reproach you're allowed to rest and you're allowed to not be useful."
"Oh thanks Danny," Steve growled sarcastically. "How does that make me feel better?"
"I'm just saying," Danny went on. "You'll be back punching terrorists in the nose and throwing grenades at spy planes soon enough but you've done enough service that you're allowed to just relax."
"Says you," Steve muttered. Then he sat up a little and even though Danny was focused on the road he could feel his partner's eyes drilling into the side of his head. "And I can relax; it's what I've been doing for weeks now! What I CAN'T do is sit here and watch you make a mockery of this car by driving a vehicle so powerful like you're 90." At that the detective actually laughed a hearty laugh.
"Really?" he snorted. "You're this upset because I'm driving my own car and you're riding shot-gun? Is that what this is? You're THAT possessive over always being in control that you can't give it up for more than a few-"
"DANNY WATCH OUT!"
It had only taken a second, the detective had glanced at his partner to enjoy the fact that the man was so upset by not being able to drive that he almost, ALMOST, didn't see that traffic had slowed to a crawl in front of them. With mere centimeters, Danny managed to jam on the brakes of his high performance vehicle and stop before he hit the lethargic slow-moving car in front of him.
Gathering his wits and taking a breath, the detective let out a nervous but relieved laugh and shook his head.
"See, this is why you shouldn't distract the driver," he joked. At least he'd meant it as a joke what he got in return nearly had him swallowing his tongue.
"You distract me ever time we ride with your big mouth Danny!" Steve spat in a sudden onslaught of words. "You talk and talk and talk while I drive and you never SHUT UP! Don't talk to me about distracting the driver, Warren if you're going to BE the driver because right now you could have gotten us blown up!"
Danny didn't know what to say, how to react, he'd never heard such venom or anger in his partner's voice so he decided instead to just knuckle down and focused on the road.
"Okay," he said quietly. "I get it no more talking."
Almost a half-hour later of slow-moving traffic and not a word had been spoken between the two men. Nor had a glance been spared; Danny didn't dare look at his partner for fear it would set the normally cool-headed man off again. He was just contemplating turning on the radio when he heard a heavy breath from the seat next to him. It wasn't a sigh, it wasn't a deep breath but it sounded like someone who'd been holding the life-sustaining effort of breathing for the entire time they'd been in the car.
"Danny you need to pull over," Steve said quite quietly at first. So quiet, the detective almost didn't hear it.
"What?"
"Pull over, Danny… Pull over NOW!" the Navy SEAL barked. Not one to deny the sharp commands of his boss, partner but more so friend, Danny flipped on his lights only and then quickly pulled to the shoulder of the road so that others could pass. No sooner had he done so did Steve shove open his passenger side door awkwardly drop out of it on his hands and have his stomach give up whatever the man had had for breakfast all over the grassy edge of the side of the road.
As quick and safely as Danny could he jumped out of the driver's seat and rounded the car kneeling next to his partner but making sure to be out of the line of fire should his dinner from the night before decide to follow his breakfast which was now all over the Hawaiian baked soil.
"Whoa eh, easy… you okay? How long have you been sick?" he asked figuring it had something to do with the man's injuries. Steve sucked in several breaths before he could reply, in through the nose and out through the mouth.
"M'not sick," he squeaked. "S'just car sickness… I told you I got car sick if I don't drive, that's all."
"Really?" Danny asked incredulously as he held his partner's upper body and grasped for a water bottle in the glove compartment. "Because the Emmy winning exorcist rendition you just gave me begs to differ."
"I'm fine Danny," Steve repeated quite quietly. He took the water bottle and cleaned his mouth before taking a swig and finally maneuvering himself back into a seated position with his eyes closed. For Danny's part, he just stayed where he'd crouched waiting for anything more to indicate if he either needed to get the Navy SEAL to a hospital or if they could continue to headquarters.
He didn't utter a word for several more minutes simply watching Steve take deep soothing breaths only to finally feel the silence needed to be broken.
"Steve," he said as serious as possible. "What's got your hamster spinning so hard it makes you that nauseous? That ain't no carsick I've ever seen… Christ am I that bad a driver?" Mercifully a small half-smile creased Steve's pale lips.
"No, you're actually not that bad D," he said quietly. Then after a pregnant pause he added, "I just suck being a passenger." Letting the aggravation and tension ease a bit Danny did a rerun of the recent events since they'd gotten in the car. Ever the trained detective, one small detail stuck out and he ventured to broach the subject.
"Who's Warren?" he asked quietly. Steve's head snapped up so hard Danny was concerned the man would hurt himself.
"What? Where did you get that name?" the Navy SEAL barked. Knowing his partner would never harm him, Danny continued on.
"Before… when you were yelling at me you called me Warren," he answered calmly. Steve closed his eyes and for a moment the Jersey detective wondered if he was even going to get an answer.
"He was the driver of the second Humvee of the convoy."
Danny tapped into all his professional skills to force himself not to tense up at that single sentence. He wasn't a fool and as much as he and Steve made fun of each other for their past dealings in their respective careers they would never EVER disrespect one another when it came to serious situations. Danny had a particular respect for a man whose national security clearance was primarily "top-secret" or "classified" that was now apparently so broken he forewent that loyalty to share a tiny piece of his soul.
Would Steve ever give up military secrets even to the best of friends? Not in a million years but every now and then the man could give just enough, would say just enough to help his friends know just what he had suffered through. It was a coping mechanism and when those very very rare moments reared their ugly head Danny, having demons of his own, was smart enough to just shut up and listen.
"What happened?" the detective asked quietly. Steve's eyes scrunched closed and he pinched the bridge of his nose while holding a hand to his chest.
"My team had just finished a recon," he replied. "We would have had to hoof it seventeen clicks back to base but we caught sight of a supply convoy and we thought…" The Navy SEAL swallowed hard, "We thought it'd be okay to catch a ride."
"No harm in hailing a cab even if you are the iron man," Danny helped. Steve gave a sad breathy laugh but still didn't open his eyes.
"My guys… I split them up so the numbers would even out," Steve explained. "Two in the front vehicle, myself and my 2IC in the second, two in the third and two in the fourth."
"Hey look at that, you Navy boys can divide by twos," Danny smirked. Most might think his commenting inappropriate but each time Danny spoke, he saw his partner's shoulders ease just a little more so he knew he was on the right track.
"We were just… we were going so slow," McGarrett continued with a heavy breath. "I didn't mind at the time, I was sitting next to Corporal Warren, a supply tech who thought me and my team was the coolest thing since Velcro. He just kept talking… and driving… and endless stream of talking as the lead Humvee barely crawled along back toward base…"
Danny gave his friend and himself for that matter another pause of reflection knowing they both needed it before the hard stuff came along. Cars whizzed pass on the other side of the Camaro reminding Danny that they were still on the shoulder of a major road and should probably get going soon lest they attract the unwanted attention of H.P.D.
"I'm guessing the trip didn't end well," the detective sighed full well knowing it didn't. Steve shook his head and finally blinked open his eyes staring forward for a moment before turning his gaze to Danny's.
"It was supposed to be a cleared road," the Navy SEAL replied. "But everything suddenly lit up, in front, beside, behind… it all blew up. I remember a punch to the gut and not being able to breathe. I turned right and Warren was… well he just wasn't anymore. I tried to crawl out and get my guys but… but I couldn't breathe and I thought I was going to die. I KNEW I was going to die, Danny that was supposed to be my last few minutes on earth."
Trying to quell the overwhelming emotion that he was being faced with from his friend and partner, Danny took a breath and shook his head.
"But it wasn't," he replied.
"No," Steve said shaking his head. "We got lucky; some Apache's escorting three Blackhawk's were close enough to hear the call for help. They got in there and they got us out. All I remember is everything going in slow motion, thinking I was going to die and then suddenly moving faster than ever toward safety."
"Damn," was all Danny could think to say.
"Yeah," Steve nodded. "I'd punctured a lung, a concussion, three broken ribs, a broken arm and more shrapnel then I'd care to guess but that helicopter came in fast and got us out fast." This time when the Navy SEAL stopped there was a bit more colour to his cheeks as if talking had helped him some and for that Danny was glad. A beat later and Steve snorted shaking his head, "Talk about borrowed time eh? I sound like a big baby don't I?" he laughed darkly. "Can't even handle riding in the passenger seat of a freaking car without puking."
"You sound like a man who's gone to war, babe," Danny replied immediately. Steve's gaze once again found his and damn it all if there wasn't a wee bit of guilt in his eyes.
"You're not a bad driver Danny," he stated as if he'd implied so before. "I just…"
"Need something instead of recalling old Mets line ups?" Danny asked. This time the smile that grew on Steve's face was not one that could be classified as anything but genuine relief.
"Yeah," he replied. Then he finally looked at the traffic that was starting to ease on the road next to them. It was still pretty heavy but not quite as "stop and go". "I hate rush hour," he said.
"Tomorrow I swear I pick you up early," Danny said holding his hand to his chest. "If the suns up before I get to your door then call Chin… seriously call him because that ungodly hour will suck so bad I'm willing to let him suffer for your greater good." Steve laughed a solid chuckle; his happiness wavered a little as he glanced from the traffic back to Danny again.
"And today?" he asked. Raising a hand silently ordering his partner to wait, the detective pulled out his phone and dialed; a beat later and a paranoid but intelligent voice answers so he put the phone on speaker.
With a prize-winning Jersey smile, Danny looked his partner in the eye as he spoke to the person on the other line;
"Jerry… how easy would it be to give us green lights all the way to the office?"
"Childs play," the conspiracy theorist responds. "Give me five minutes."
"Thanks," Danny grins. He hangs up the phone and then turned to Steve who's rolling his eyes despite the look of relief on his face.
"That's not only abuse of government property, I'm pretty sure it's not legal," he laughs.
"Did I not mention the meeting with the governor got pushed up and we need to be there in ten minutes?" Danny replied wincing at the small detail he may have neglected due to his over excitement with his daughter and then his troubled partner. He looked at his watch and winced, "So we can fill him in on our last case before he goes before a grand jury this afternoon?"
"What?!" Steve barked. Quickly Danny leapt to his feet and hopped back into the driver's seat turning the car on once more.
"Speeding tickets and/or reprimand are all on you babe," Danny grins. With a death glare and rubbing his wounded leg Steve just looked out the window before reaching down and flicking on the emergency lights and sirens allowing Danny to expertly pull into traffic and zip his way toward the office.
"Such an abuse of power," Steve muttered.
"Pot meet kettle," Danny replied happily as he navigated the car around a minivan. Oddly enough, Steve barks out a laugh before shaking his head and letting the last vestiges of his latest bout with war-time trauma ease from his whole body.
"Thanks Danny."
"Any time hero, any time."
Liked it? Hated it? I'd love some reviews or favorites. Can't wait to see how the new season goes!
Thanks,
Oz