Liaison by Steven Hanna
Joe sees Steve and Danny as sons, so when his daughter moves to Hawaii, he expects one of them will be attracted to her, only it's not the one he thinks. Being around her might just get them all into trouble. Not that they wouldn't have anyway and she may just be able to help them out of it.
Pairings: Danny/OC, Steve/Catherine, Chin/Malia
author note: So this is the first thing I've decided to post of all the ideas I have. It's a little odd cause I'm pretty selective when it comes to OCs. I really like Joe though, and I wanted to do a story that included him more. So this all takes place before he leaves.
Chapter One "Match"
Morgan White stretched her long arms as the seatbelt light came on above her head. She couldn't stretch her legs and swore to herself this was the last time she flew coach. Hopefully, she'd never have to take a commercial flight again if everything worked out the way she wanted it to.
When she landed and left the terminal, she checked her phone and found a message from her ride. An emergency had come up at work and she would have to take a taxi to the address he gave her.
Morgan wasn't sure what kind of emergency one could run into training Navy SEALs. Actually, she could imagine, and it would have to be serious. She put it out of her head. She'd never worried much about him before, there was no need to start now.
The cab took her down the highway and into the heart of town. She memorized the streets because she knew she would have to come back this direction to get to work at the NCIS Hawaii Field Office at Pearl Harbor.
When she arrived, Morgan was suspicious. The building she'd been directed to was called 'Iolani Palace, and it looked like a museum from the outside. Inside, it seemed a little more like a law enforcement office, but why was she meeting him here?
As she climbed the stairs to the third floor, Morgan contemplated why he would be working with Five-0, whatever that was. It seemed to be some kind of police task force. Morgan wasn't all that interested except that it was interrupting her day.
The plan had been to drive over to Pearl and meet some people before relaxing on the beach for the afternoon. Morgan didn't start work until Monday, but she wanted to find a place to live before then, and she'd heard Hawaii was notorious for impossible housing.
Those plans were out the window for now, since someone had an "emergency." Morgan shook her head as she absently pulled open the glass door to Five-0 headquarters.
Inside was a large room with a smart table and computer monitors everywhere. It was quiet as a Hawaiian man and a blondish woman leaned over the table, deep in thought.
Morgan looked for any other signs of life, but found none. So she moved closer to the two, but not so close that they would think she was sneaking up on them.
"Excuse me?" she said.
Both of the whirled around, the woman's hair getting in her face. She looked a lot more surprised than the man did.
"Can we help you?" he asked.
Morgan nodded. "I'm looking for Joe White. He said to meet him here."
The man's eyebrows raised. "Are you a friend of his?" he sounded half amused.
"You could say that. Is he here?"
"No, but he should be back soon."
Morgan tried to act like she didn't care, but after spending the night in an airplane, she wasn't exactly on top of her game.
"Is something wrong?" the blondish woman asked with a smarmy sort of concern.
"No," Morgan hurriedly assured them. "I'll just call him." She hadn't wanted to do that because the two of them had a tendency to misunderstand each other when they couldn't read visual cues. They also frequently hung up on one another.
Morgan let out a breath and found his number. This really shouldn't be all that difficult. After a few rings, he answered.
"Morgan?" he sounded surprised.
"Yeah. I'm here, and you're not. You wanna tell me what's going on?"
"As soon as I get there. We're about two minutes away."
"We?"
"Long story. I guess I'll have to take you up to Pearl tomorrow, unless you want to go this afternoon."
"I want to spend the afternoon examining the sun through my eyelids, actually."
He gave a short laugh. "I think that can be arranged."
"See you soon then."
Morgan hung up the phone and looked back at the other two who were giving her curious expressions. Apparently, Joe had not told anyone she was coming. They probably didn't even know she existed. Of course, she couldn't be sure how well he actually knew these people. After all he was supposed to be training SEALs at Pearl Harbor.
At the sound of something like arguing, the two who were already in the office looked toward the stairs. Voices carried as if the building had been specifically designed so that all could hear these discussions.
"I still don't get why they just get the freakin' case because they do," the first voice was saying. He had an accent. East Coast. Interesting.
"Because they're NCIS," the second voice said. Deeper, less obvious.
That got Morgan's attention. They were having trouble with jurisdiction. She shook her head to herself. They wouldn't win this battle.
"That is not an answer Steven," the first voice said.
"Actually, it is," Joe's voice. The doors opened and the conversation became clearer.
"Why is that?" a young female asked.
"Because they're jerks, that's why," the first one said again.
Then there was shushing. Morgan turned to see the four newcomers. Joe was standing between the taller, calmer man and the young Hawaiian woman. The loud man was on the other side of the tall one. He was the first to speak.
"Hi?" he said.
"May want to watch what you say about NCIS from now on," Joe said, his eyes smiling. "Everyone, meet Morgan White."
The tall man seemed to be the least surprised. "You didn't say she was coming to visit," he said.
"She's not," Joe replied. "Morgan is here to stay. Working at the Hawaii Field Office."
Morgan crossed her arms, her eyes doing the same thing her father's were. "So am I just supposed to make up names for everyone, or what?"
"Sorry," Joe said. "You've met Steve McGarrett?"
"Not recently enough to remember the name of someone I saw once. Nice to see you again." She smiled to let him know she was joking.
Joe went on to introduce the others including the two who were already there when Morgan arrived. As she shook hands with everyone, she became more comfortable.
"I forgive you for the NCIS comment," she said as she shook hands with Danny.
"Guess I don't want those guys mad at me," he replied with a smile.
Morgan shrugged. "I won't let them get you. If you're nice."
Danny looked at Steve and then at Joe. "There's no end to your friends in high places, is there?"
"No," they said in unison.
Steve laughed. "Well, I guess we're not going to need your help today after all, Joe," he said. "Enjoy your afternoon." With that, he nodded at Morgan and disappeared into his office.
Joe raised his eyebrows and turned to Danny who was thoughtfully watching Steve go. "Is he okay?" Joe asked.
"I wonder every day," Danny said. "But seriously, I don't know. He's right though; you should enjoy yourselves."
Joe nodded toward Steve's office. "Why don't the two of you join us for lunch? You're not too busy."
Danny shrugged. "I'll ask."
He followed Steve to his office and closed the door behind him. Morgan watched all this with curiosity and some concern. It seemed as if there were something else going on under the surface of all this. She mentally shook if off and turned back to her father.
"It's good to see you again, Joe," she said in all sincerity despite the use of his first name.
He smiled. "You haven't changed at all since I last saw you."
"You been to an optometrist lately?" She smirked, her eyes crinkling the way they did whenever she teased someone.
Joe only smirked back. "The Navy makes us keep up on those things, you know."
Morgan laughed. "I've missed it."
"Really?" Joe looked surprised. "I thought you were glad to leave all that Lieutenant White business behind you."
"Well, that's what I said then. It turned out all right. Just a little nostalgia now and then."
"Are you gonna miss LA?"
"I suppose so. I was only there a few years, but you get close."
Joe nodded. "Kensi Blye was out here a while back."
"Yeah? I think I remember hearing something like that. I never heard why."
"You're not gonna hear why now either."
Morgan gave a wry smiled. "Guess I'm used to that."
H-5-O
Danny stood just inside the door of Steve's office watching his friend who seemed dead to the world, immersed in whatever was on his computer screen. As Danny walked around the desk, he saw that it was Steve's empty inbox. Odd.
"Tell me, what is so fascinating about this?" he asked.
Steve's head jerked up and he quickly logged out. "Nothing," he said, getting up and moving toward the door.
"Hang on a second," Danny said holding up his hands. "Something is going on with you. Spill."
Steve turned and faced Danny again. "Did you see the look Joe gave me a minute ago?"
"What look? No."
"No. Of course not. Your attention was elsewhere."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"Like I can't tell you find Morgan attractive? Anyone would be stupid not to, but that's not the point."
"Well could you get to that please?"
"It would take a lot of back story that I don't want to go into right now. Let's just say Joe has been, for lack of a better word, nagging me about something involving Morgan for a while now. Watch him at lunch and you'll see what I mean."
"Wait. How did you know he invited us to lunch?"
"You'll see."
Steve left the office and Danny was getting really tired of all this mental running around. At least he wasn't getting shot at. Yet.
It was starting to concern Danny how often everyone acted like nothing was wrong. Like Five-0 was exactly as it had always been, like Steve wasn't slowly going literally insane.
As they walked back out of Steve's office, Kono and Chin were good-naturedly arguing with Lori about something.
Good luck against those two, he thought.
Joe and Morgan were waiting by the stairs. Danny had to hurry to keep up with Steve as they left the building. Steve was quiet as Joe tried to instigate conversation. The little mystery Steve hinted at also had Danny in observation mode, so he wasn't as talkative as usual.
Morgan and Joe kept up their conversation though, as the four of them walked to a nearby restaurant. As they talked, Danny noted that Morgan called Joe by his first name, but their relationship didn't seem particularly strained.
As they walked into the restaurant, Steve held the door for everyone. It looked like he was just being polite, but Danny could tell he was hanging back, avoiding something. That wasn't normal, and it was beginning to worry Danny.
As they all sat down, Danny noted their positions. Steve was across from him, next to Joe, as far from Morgan as he could be. Danny wasn't exactly sure how he ended up sitting next to Morgan, but he didn't mind. Steve was right; he did find her attractive. Not that he would make that any more obvious in front of Joe. That was not a conversation he wanted to have.
The simple fact was that Morgan was his "type." She had dark hair. She was tall and thin. Her eyes were dark gray though and a little hard, like she would kill in an instant.
She was definitely hot by Danny's standards, long legs, smooth skin. He stopped himself there because he couldn't keep thinking of Joe's daughter like that or the scary Navy man would know and no one would ever find Danny's body.
They all ordered their food and the light conversation continued. Danny had ceased paying attention, still watching Steve and Joe, trying to figure out what was going on with those two. Then all of the sudden, everyone was looking at him.
"What?" Danny asked.
Steve nodded toward Morgan. Danny turned to look at her. Her mouth was half open, like she was in the middle of a sentence. She collected herself and smiled nervously.
"I was asking if you liked it here," she said. "Steve said you haven't been here long?"
"Oh," Danny replied. Then his mind shifted gears. "I personally don't enjoy water, sand, pineapples, and 90 degree Christmases, but you might."
Morgan's real smile returned. "There must be something you like," she said.
Danny made a face like he was thinking. "I'll get back to you on that," he said.
Joe laughed. "Maybe you should ask Steve to show you around," he said.
And then Danny realized what was going on. Steve stiffened a little, not that anyone but Danny would notice. It might have struck Danny as comical if it hadn't been so upsetting to Steve: Joe was playing matchmaker.