To New Beginnings
Fandom: Hawaii Five-O
Ship: Ranno
Characters (also mentioned): Danny Williams, Rachel Hollander, Grace Williams, Charlie Williams, Steve McGarrett, Stan Edwards, Five-O members.
Chapter 1: loaʻa nā kūlana
(Taking Chances)
The week that Grace was in hospital, it had brought Danny and Rachel even closer, Both of them sitting for hours on end at the hospital with Grace, talking to her, being with her and being with each other, and spending time with Charlie, letting their very concerned son be there for his sister the way that Grace had been there for Charlie when he had been stuck in the hospital after his bone marrow transplant.
Stan had come all the way from Vegas to visit with Grace and to apologize in person to Danny about the car. He hadn't been trying to play favorites, he had just felt guilty that he had chosen his home to be in Vegas and that he had missed out on so many things with his step children that he was over compensating by not being in their lives more often. Truth was, he had always been jealous of Danny having such a close bond with Grace and now even Charlie.
Danny had already apologized to Rachel in the hospital about how he had over reacted about the car and that he shouldn't have gotten angry and said what he had said. He was still hurt over the betrayal he had felt at losing the first few years of Charlie's life as his father but he was ready to let it all go and move on now. There had many many things which he had become painfully aware that life was short, but this had really opened his eyes to some things.
It felt more of a relief than anything when they were finally told they could take Grace home, and for reason he wouldn't yet understand, Rachel had insisted they go back home to his place rather then her place. What was waiting for them back home had put a smile on his face, his family, his own little or rather now big Ohana, complete with Charlie up on Adam's shoulders to the welcome home Grace banner.
This was what it was all about. Celebrating life and being alive and around family and those that you love and care about. Once everyone was starting to settle down to eat their food, Danny noticed Rachel sitting out on the outdoor table with a wine glass in her hand, so he grabbed her a plate of food and a plastic knife and fork and brought it out to her, "You hungry?", smiling softly at him, she nodded, 'Ohh thankyou, yes I am starving", was her answer, putting down the wine glass at the same time Danny set down the plate on the table.
Knowing that she was still getting used to being around so many supportive and caring people, he decided to sit down across from her to keep her company, he watched as she ate the Osso Buco, hoping that it would draw a reaction from her. It was the meal he cooked for her during their first date, and he couldn't help the way his heart sped up when she mentioned that she was having a moment of deja vu and that she thought he had made it for their first date.
The look on her face when he had asked her "Why do you think it's on the menu?", It was a start. It was a genuine reaction to a prelude into how he was really feeling about her. Melissa, his ex girlfriend had told him to "Tell her how you feel before it's too late", having no idea what she had meant at the time but now knowing exactly what she was talking about. He was still in love with his ex wife, the mother of his two incredible children and he didn't think he would ever totally fall out of love with her.
It was a conversation that he wanted to have with her, but not right now.. Not right here.. He wanted wait till everyone had left, and the the kids were tucked up in bed and asleep before he broached that topic with her. He wasn't sure how she felt about him, but that little smile and confused "Ohh come on", He was sure it meant something.. He wanted it to mean something.
It wasn't too long before they were reminiscing about that night, It might have been their first official date but having been giving her driving lessons for a few months and the occasional stopping off for coffee afterwards, he had realized in that moment when she had stood behind him at the sink, leaning her chin on his shoulder, her arms wrapping around his waist that he was falling for the beautiful English woman and there was nothing he could do about it.
Watching her fall back just as easily into conversation with him now, he was realizing the same thing, that he was falling in love with her all over again and that there was nothing he could do about it except hope she might be falling for him too. "Danny?", her hand resting on his in concern her brows furrowing when she was worried, noticing he had seemed to go somewhere else, "Are you okay?" Nodding his head as he came back to the present, he smiled softly, "I'm fine Rach.. I'm better then fine". Squeezing her hand, he tried to reassure her everything was fine when truth be told, he was a bundle of nerves with these new revelations and totally unsure how to even act on them or if he even should.
Author's Notes:
I wrote a story called Danno's little girl. I got some good feedback about continuing the story for Danny and Rachel, however as that story was just about that one moment at the hospital and focusing on mainly Danny, I decided to create a brand new story for the Ranno story to take place. It can be read as a companion though as it does follow on after Danno's little girl, however you don't have to read Danno's little girl to understand this one.