Authors Note: Rewatching the end of season one and the beginning of season two, a few things struck me. The first was that Danny gets to drive his car with Steve in it in a couple of the early season two episodes. The close second was that Danny stops wearing a tie. There had to a good story behind both those things. And then I started filling in some of the missing scenes, including one with Rachel that surprised me when I wrote it. Rachel had far more to say than I thought she would.
Our story picks up in the middle of the season 1 finale after Danny learns Steve has broken into the Governor's residence.
This is my first foray into writing Hawaii Five-0 fanfic - and my first story in some time. It's good to be back writing, so thanks for reading.
Spoilers for end of season 1 and beginning of season 2. Usual disclaimers apply - characters etc are not mine; I'm just taking them out to play for a little while.
Unpacking
Steve closed Laura Hills' date book. He dropped his head and said again, "It's my fault."
"You didn't steal your father's toolbox, you didn't ask Laura to work for the governor, and you didn't plant that bomb. None of this is your fault." Danny caught Steve's arm, giving it a gentle shake.
Steve looked up and at his partner. "Maybe not directly, but whatever this is, I got too close and she paid the price."
"And we will get her justice, but breaking into the governor's house might not have been the best way to do that, babe." Danny stepped back and crossed his arms.
Steve raised his eyebrows. "You think full immunity and means won't get me out of this one?" he asked dryly.
Danny barked in laughter. "I think I'm staying here tonight to keep you out of trouble. And just in case she comes looking for you. You gotta take a breath here, Steven. We will figure this out, but you can't go off on your own like that." He held his hand out. "Let me take a look at the pictures again."
Steve handed him the phone and watched Danny swipe through them, then realized he didn't know why Danny was there. "What'd you come over for any way?" Steve asked.
Danny hmmed an answer, still thinking on the bombshell of the governor ordering a hit on one of her own. He finally realized Steve was staring at him. "What?" Steve waved a hand in the direction of the two six-packs on the coffee table. "Oh." Danny handed him back the phone and grinned. "I have news that, in what I'm sure will come as a great shock, is actually good." He stuck his hands in his pockets and waited.
Steve raised an eyebrow. "You gonna keep me in suspense?"
Danny's grin got bigger. "I'm going to be a father."
Steve started to say, you already are, and then he got it. He knew Danny had been in a better mood over the past few weeks, but Steve hadn't seen him this outwardly happy since the hospital room with Rachel after the sarin exposure. In spite of everything that was going wrong at the moment, Steve couldn't help but grin back at his best friend. "Gracie's getting a younger sibling?"
"She is indeed."
"She's going to be a great big sister."
"The best big sister." One hand slipped out of his pocket to punctuate the words as he almost bounced on his feet.
"And you and Rachel…"
"Rachel is telling Stan tomorrow that it's over." Danny held one hand up. "Which on one hand, I uniquely feel for the guy, but on the other, well…" He dropped his hand. "I don't intend to waste the second chance."
Steve nodded sagely. "Tropical paradises are good at inspiring romance. You just needed a little Hawaiian magic to bring the two of you back together."
Danny held up a hand, palm out, as if to protest, then turned into an open-handed shrug. "Okay. I'll give you that. Hawaii actually did us good."
Steve stared, stunned. Had Danny actually said something nice about Hawaii? Danny grinned and bounced on his feet again, saying, "Close your mouth, Steven. You'll catch flies that way."
Steve shook his head and snapped his jaw shut. He reached out. "Come here, you giddy goof." The two men embraced with plenty of back slapping. Danny laughed, free and happy. "Hey, that's my name for you."
"No, I'm the big goof." Steve pointed a finger at his friend. "You're the giddy one."
"Giddy, huh." He laughed again. "Okay, yeah. Giddy works."
"So that's what the beer is for."
"That's what half the beer is for." Danny walked over to the table and grabbed two of the bottles. "Come on, let's open these so you can toast my impending fatherhood and relationship status."
Steve grabbed the rest of the beer and followed him into the kitchen, putting one of the packs in the refrigerator. Danny opened the bottles and handed Steve one. Steve held his up. "To second chances and second children." Danny clinked his bottle against Steve's and then took a long drink. The two stood there in companionable silence, side by side leaning against the kitchen counter, until Danny threw his head back and laughed again for sheer joy.
"It's going to take a few of these to calm you down, isn't it?" Steve bumped his shoulder.
"Probably. But I figured we'd drink our way through the other part of the news, too." He looked at Steve, blue eyes happy but serious, and Steve suddenly knew what was coming. But he'd let Danny get to it in his own time. Things were unraveling and twisting and changing, but for the next little bit he could pretend that everything was good and right with the world. He bumped Danny's shoulder again. "Beach or lanai?"