Out of Focus, a hawaii five-o fanfic

Disclaimer:"Hawaii Five-0" and its characters depicted here are not original to me. This story is written for the enjoyment of the show's fans and not for profit or material gain. The story idea, though, is original to me and is protected. LBH, 2016

Author's Note: This is an ATC to the 9th season "Hawaii Five-O" (1968-1980) episode, "Double Exposure".

OUT OF FOCUS

[1977]

"Hey."

Dan Williams looked up from the paperwork on his desk and gave a surprised wisp of a smile toward the lady standing at the opening to his office cubicle.

"Hey, yourself. What are you doing here?" he pleasantly replied.

Ann Waring swept into the office hurriedly. "You got a minute? I need to talk to you."

"Sure. You're lucky you caught me in the office. What's up?" He willingly gave her his complete attention, but in a relaxed, comfortable way that mostly described their relationship up to this point.

Ann was an established movie actress who 'retired' to Hawaii to dabble in photography. She and Danny had met more than six months ago on one of his few days off and immediately began a mutually agreeable romantic association that pleased them both. No strings—yet—and lots of easy, contented time together.

It was rare for her to show up at his office, though. She respected his work and knew he was a busy man, simply adapting to his frequent last-minute changes in their plans without complaint. Ann had her own independent nature that did not depend on someone else to fulfill her life.

"I don't have a lot of time, but I got a phone call this morning," Ann rushed through her explanation as she took a seat. Danny enjoyed her endearing habit of talking fast and stringing her thoughts together one after another without much time for breath in the middle. "It was my agent in L.A. He's gotten me a wonderful opportunity for a new film, and I don't even have to audition. The actress they had contracted with suddenly backed out, and they want me to take the part!"

Flustered and confused, Danny responded with forced amusement, "Wait a minute… What? A movie? What are you talking about? You gave that up, remember?" he pleaded in a joking manner.

"Yeah, I know, but I've been telling you that times are getting hard. My photography is not taking off like I thought it would, and a girl's gotta make a living. Besides, Hawaii's an expensive place to live, ya' know! This money's too good to pass up. And, it's nice that somebody in Hollywood is interested in my acting again."

Danny took a moment to silently take all this in and consider what his reaction should be. Ann seemed excited—he certainly didn't want to rain on her parade. He wanted to be happy for her but selfishly thought: what about us?

Ann had stopped talking to wait for Danny's reaction, but he hadn't verbalized anything as yet. "I know what you're thinking, Danny," she offered tenderly.

"Do you?" he managed to smile through his pointed question, pegging her with those ocean blue eyes that seemed to stare right into her heart.

"Yes. Don't you think I've considered the obvious—that this would mean you and I have to be apart?" Her own crystal clear grey-blue eyes mirrored his stare. "That's all I've thought about since I got the call this morning. I don't want to be without you. I'd miss you terribly, but I've got to think about this as an opportunity—an opportunity that I shouldn't pass up." She looked down to fiddle with her fingers and her purse, then turned to him, "I'm booked on a flight to LAX this afternoon."

"This afternoon? Today?" Her nod confirmed his understanding. "For how long?"

"Four months."

"Wow. That's a long time." Danny stood up to circle around his desk, raising his eyebrows in resignation while he ran his fingers nervously over his short curly hair. "So, I guess you came to say good-bye."

"No, no, no!" Ann exclaimed. "Not at all! I came to say… well, I came to ask… come with me!" She raised her hands in the air and smiled a huge, excited smile.

Danny's words sputtered out combined in a gasp and a laugh, "Come with you? You know I can't do that!" He hurried around her to pull up a chair so that they could speak more confidentially. It was not the first time he wished he had a door to close on his cubicle so he could have some privacy.

Ann was unperturbed at his quick refusal. "Yes you can! Don't you want to?" she pleaded.

"Shhhhhhh," he said, looking around at Jenny and the others in the outer Five-O offices. Quietly, he spoke to Ann. "Of course I'd love to fly away with you to … wherever…, but it's not practical. It's just not something I can do."

Begging, pleading, she continued, rushing through her pre-planned argument. "Look, I know you have responsibilities, and they're important responsibilities," she clarified, "but everybody needs a break now and then. A vacation…, an extended vacation…, a leave of absence…" she proposed. "Surely Steve would grant that, if you requested it. After all these years, you deserve it!"

In an earnest, calm voice, he replied, "Thank you for the validation of my work, but you really don't understand. There are ongoing investigations, trials where I have to testify, established connections on the street, and Steve's got to be away for a conference next month." More firmly than he wanted to, he found himself uttering, "I can't leave."

Ann wasn't giving up so easily. "Danny, I love you. Isn't this important for us?"

Frustrated, Danny easily thought of other considerations why he should not go. "Ann, what would I do in California? Wait around for you to come home from the set? Let you support me?"

"Why not? They'll be enough money for both of us, I promise…."

Still trying to talk quietly so as not to attract the attention of the rest of the staff, he went on, "That's not the point. I don't want to be 'provided for,' if you know what I mean. I would be bored stiff." He suddenly thought he sounded like he was getting carried away by impossible notions, so he shooed the idea away with a wave of his hand. "But anyway, this is all ridiculous."

Nonplussed, the lady was not taking 'no' for an answer. "But you'll at least take the time to consider it, won't you, Danny? I'll leave today, and we'll talk on the phone, and you can follow me out there when you're ready." She held her hand up to his cheek and smiled again as if it were all settled.

Danny covered her hand on his face with his own hand and held it. He focused in close to her and said, "Ann, listen to me. I CAN'T GO."

As if for the first time, Ann finally heard him. She pulled her hand gently to herself, and her smile slipped away. She pursed her lips and knew that this was his final word.

Suddenly, multiple phones started ringing off the hook in the Five-O office suite. Danny looked up from his intense conversation just in time to see Steve McGarrett sweep out of the big office and toward his cubicle. Quickly, he stood up to deflect Steve's attention from his visitor.

The boss spoke commandingly, as usual. "Danno, let's go. We've got a hostage situation at a bank in Waikiki. You'll need your rifle."

Gesturing toward the corner of his office, Danny said, "It's over here. I just cleaned it," as he rushed over behind his desk to grasp the powerful rifle with the scope. "My ammo is in the trunk of the car."

"Very well," Steve replied hurriedly then turned his attention briefly to Ann. "Miss Waring, good to see you. Sorry to take him away from you, but duty calls."

"Of course," she answered politely, sadly, resolutely as Steve headed toward the office suite's exit.

Danny hastily followed after Steve, then abruptly turned back to face Ann. He stood still just for a moment, bracing his rifle in front of him with both hands. "I'm sorry. I've got to go."

Ann's eyes blurred with tears as she looked at him. "Yeah." She sniffled and answered decisively, "So do I."

The two locked eyes for just a sad second knowing their paths from this moment on had to be separate, maybe for a short time, maybe forever.

PAU