I kind of liked where the episode E Malama left off with cordial relations among Danny, Stan and Rachel. This story takes place around that time.
I don't own anything to do with Hawaii Five-0. I'd be nicer to them if I did.
A Complicated Family
Chapter 1: A Family Trip
The Edwards family drove into the small, private airport on a quiet Sunday afternoon. Their private jet was waiting on the sleepy runway, and someone else.
"Look, there's Daddy!" Grace Williams said excitedly.
"Danny?" Her mother craned her neck to see her ex-husband, arms folded and relaxed in the sunshine, leaning against the fender of his sleek silver Camaro. He stood straight as the Mercedes sedan pulled up near the plane.
The driver of the car, Stan Edwards' personal assistant, started. "Who, the cop, where?" Ernest Fleming had heard some stories about Danny Williams' volatile temper and didn't want to get anywhere near him.
Stan Edwards patted his assistant's shoulder. "He's not here to make trouble," he soothed.
"How did he find us?" the man said nervously.
"I was wondering the same thing," Rachel said with deceptive mildness.
Her current husband cleared his throat. "He called me and asked. Politely," Stan Edwards added, when Rachel frowned. Relations were not always polite between the exes, but at the moment they were amicable and Stan didn't want to start any fights just before they went on vacation. "I figured I might as well tell him. He's a detective. He could probably find out anyway."
"True."
"He only wants to say goodbye to Gracie," Stan said mildly.
The 8-year-old was bouncing up and down, happy at the unexpected meeting with her beloved father.
Rachel's tense expression eased. Danny had given up one of his weekends with Grace to allow her to visit her grandmother in England. He begrudged every second away from his daughter, but he had been tolerably reasonable about this trip. A chance to say goodbye was only fair.
Grace scooted out of the car and ran to throw herself into her father's arms.
"Hi, monkey," Danny said affectionately. "I came to say have a good time in England."
"I wish you were coming, too," the girl pouted.
Danny laughed and met Rachel's eyes over his daughter's shoulder. "I don't think your mother and step-Stan would enjoy that so much, and your grandmother would not be happy at all."
Grace sighed acceptance. "But I'll miss you," she said, hugging him again.
"I'll miss you more," Danny responded, and meant every word. "And someday we'll go on a trip together, just you and me."
"Disneyland!"
"As soon as I save the money," Danny promised.
"We'd better go, Grace," Rachel said. "We don't want to keep the pilot waiting." She took her daughter's hand and led her toward the plane.
The uniformed pilot had opened the step-up door when the Mercedes approached.
"Thank you for coming, Danny," Rachel said as he followed them toward the plane. "It means a lot to Grace."
"It means a lot to me," Danny answered. "Thank you for telling me the flight time," he added to Stan.
"No problem," the executive said and added tentatively, "We're family."
"A complicated family," Danny said with a chuckle. He gestured at Fleming. "Is this one of our cousins?" he joked, thinking of cousins Chin Ho Kelly and Kono Kalakaua and their extensive family.
"This is Ernie Fleming. He's my go-to guy. Makes all my travel arrangements," Stan said with appreciation.
"Pleased to meet you, Ernie," Danny said.
Fleming shied away, as if Danny had brandished a gun instead of extending a hand. He was sweating more profusely than the balmy afternoon seemed to call for.
"You OK?" Danny asked.
"People who carry guns make me nervous," Ernie said, mopping his face.
"A rational fear," Danny acknowledged. "But I wasn't planning on shooting anyone this afternoon."
"I think he's heard too much about those anger management issues," Stan joked.
"I said I was working on them," Danny protested, amazed he was having a friendly conversation with Stan.
The detective glanced at the pilot coming down the steps to greet his passengers. Danny's gaze sharpened.
The sleeves of the pilot's dark blue uniform coat revealed a solid two inches of white shirt cuff and strained tightly around the sole fastened button. The pant legs revealed a glimpse of red socks and scuffed, unpolished shoes.
"Stan, you know this guy?" Danny asked quietly.
The businessman was surprised. "No, I use this company all the time, but I don't know this pilot."
Rachel and Grace stepped toward the pilot. Danny's spidey-sense tingled like a thumped funny bone. (Super SEAL Steve McGarrett wasn't the only one with super powers.)
"Rachel, get away from that guy!" Danny ordered, as he drew his gun. Ernie squawked in alarm. Stan took a step backwards. Rachel rolled her eyes.
"Daniel!"
Danny ignored his contentious ex and called his daughter in the tone of a parent who sees his child about to run into a busy street. "Grace, come here now!" he snapped.
Grace obeyed the voice of command instantly, automatically, ducking behind her father. Rachel followed to retrieve her daughter. That suited Danny, because it drew her farther from the pilot whose grim — grim, not surprised — expression told Danny that his suspicions were correct.
Rachel walked stiffly back to her ex scolding him for trying to spoil their trip.
"Rachel," Danny said just as tightly. "Have you ever seen me draw my weapon in front of Grace?"
Rachel was suddenly uncertain. She joined her daughter behind Danny and looked back at the pilot, who had not said a word.
"What are you doing?" Ernie protested weakly. He started to walk past Danny, but Stan caught his arm.
"Don't get in his way," Stan warned.
"Look at him," Danny ordered, gesturing at the man by the plane. "Ever see such an ill-fitting uniform on a pilot? Look at his face. He's not surprised, not protesting his innocence." He addressed the "pilot." "You, get down on the ground. Spread your hands. Do it!"
The man didn't move. Instead, Danny saw movement inside the plane. Two gunmen sprang to the door and began firing. Then the pilot did drop to the ground, pulling a weapon from beneath his ill-fitting jacket as he did so.
Danny fired back, hitting one of the men in the plane, causing the other to pull back and the pilot to duck behind the steps.
A Porsche sped from behind a hangar. Reinforcements and not for him, Danny realized. He glanced at his Camaro, but it was farther away and the coupe would be harder to enter than the four-door Mercedes.
"Into the Mercedes!" Danny ordered. "You three in the back," he gestured at the adults. "Grace, get in the front," he said, as he ran for the driver's door.
Ernie was gobbling in fearful protest. Stan shoved him forcefully into the back seat all the way to the far side so Rachel could jump in beside them.
Danny floored it.
The Mercedes was new, a replacement for the carjacked vehicle that Rachel couldn't bring herself to enter again. It had a powerful engine, but also a lot of weight to move, especially with five people inside and a trunk full of luggage. Danny found himself bobbing, as if his urging could make the car move faster.
As the Mercedes roared toward the airport exit, the Porsche skidded to a halt to let the phony pilot and the surviving gunman plunge in. Danny thought the delay might give him enough time to escape, but a second car, a black BMW tried to block his exit.
Danny swerved around it and cut right on the road outside. Left was the way Danny had come. Right was unknown territory. Now he was running blind, running scared, with his daughter clutching the door handle beside him and three civilians bouncing off each other in the back seat.
After the carjacking, Stan had traded in that Mercedes for a larger, sturdier model that seemed safer to his traumatized family. But it wasn't fast, especially when it was loaded down with five people and a trunk full of luggage.
Shots peppered the rear of the sedan. Danny and his passengers all ducked automatically and Danny was suddenly glad for the trunk full of bullet barricades.
"Keep your heads down," Danny ordered. The back window shattered, reinforcing his warning. Ernie whimpered.
"Daddy." The quaver in Grace's voice made Danny mad.
"Hang on!" Danny tapped the brakes. Suddenly the nose of the pursuing BMW was level with the Mercedes' bullet-riddled trunk. The shooter saw a perfect chance to take out the driver. Hanging out the window, he brought his gun to bear as Danny brought his whole car to bear on the gunman. The Mercedes slammed into the passenger side of the BMW.
The crunch of metal on metal totally drowned the scream of agony as the gunman's arm was pulverized between the crashing cars.
The mass of the Mercedes sent the lighter BMW spinning out of control and forced the Porsche to brake hard to avoid its cohort.
The Mercedes roared away, making the most of its head start. But the sports cars recovered quickly and zoomed in pursuit.
"That's one scumbag who won't shoot at anyone else's daughter," Danny muttered in satisfaction as he fumbled for his cell phone and handed it to Grace.
"Call Steve," he ordered. "Please don't be in the water," Danny prayed under his breath.
On the beach, planning a long swim before dinner, Steve McGarrett was about to step out of his cargo pants when the pocket began to vibrate. He pulled the pants back over his swim trunks so he could fish out the phone that was flashing his partner's name.
"So, Grace get off OK?" he asked, and heard gunfire for an answer.
To be continued