Disclaimer – still don't own Hawaii Five -0 - just toying with their lives for a while. And my lawyer and psychiatrist both agree that I still don't own Steve. Dammit.

Ho'omainoino (Torture) – just another glimpse into the future, a sequel to Nightmare of Reality. I hope you enjoy!

"That's not how it happened."

"Will you please shut up?"

"I'm just trying to explain, Steven. You were not in the house with us those precious few milliseconds before the house exploded."

"Danny, it's a work of fiction."

"I just don't understand why Jenn didn't ask what was going on in my mind – thoughts of Grace, of Gabby. Believe it or not, thoughts of you…"

"Thoughts of me?"

"Yes, thoughts of you. You're my best friend. I was about to get your fiancée blown to smithereens and I felt bad about it, that I'd let you down."

"While I sincerely appreciate your utterly miniscule role in her not being blown up, she's giving us the stink eye, so shut up."

Danny crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back slightly in his chair. His eyes wandered around the bookstore he'd been dragged to by the McGarrett/White family for a special "Evening with the Author" as Jennifer read aloud from the spy novel she'd written after resigning from the CIA. It was very loosely based on her career in the agency and Steve's as a SEAL. The main characters, Nikki and Ben, were childhood sweethearts ripped apart by circumstance and thrust together again decades later. It follows their exploits as they try to solve the mystery of her father's abduction with the assistance of Ben's crack team of mercenaries. While one of the final scenes in the book does involve a house exploding, it doesn't end with Nikki and Ben marrying or having a child. That would hopefully play out many, many successful volumes later.

He fought an involuntary roll of his eyes as he watched men and women sitting literally on the edge of their seats, hanging on Jennifer's every word. He looked down at his watch and tapped his foot against the carpeted floor. "Bored?" Joe leaned up to whisper in his ear. Properly scolded, Danny scowled and settled further into the uncomfortable chair. He looked longingly over at the bar of wine and spirits that was being assembled in the bookstore's foyer.

"How did Kono manage to get out of this again?" Danny leaned in to ask Steve.

The Commander pressed his thumb and forefinger against the bridge of his nose and sighed. "She's on her honeymoon. Same place she's been for two weeks."

Danny nodded. "Chin and Malia?"

"Babysitting Jack."

"I could have done that."

"You didn't volunteer."

"I call dibs next time."

"I will volunteer you next time," Steve replied through gritted teeth.

"Me too," Joe added as the crowd rose to applaud the end of Jennifer's reading.

"Me three," Nancy added in the indignantly cross tone only a mother can master.

Danny quickly escaped the swarm of admirers crushing their way past him to get closer to Jennifer and beat his way over to the bar. He ordered a scotch and leaned against the bar, watching the scene play out in front of him. Jennifer shook hands and schmoozed like she'd been doing it her entire life, instead of the scant three months since the book had been published. Steve's eyes sparkled with pride, his hand never leaving his wife's hip. Joe and Nancy stood to the side – the ridiculously proud parents. He was happy for them, for Jenn, he really was. It was a good book. Scratch that, it was a great book, and they all had legitimate reason for their overwhelming, exasperating pride. Danny was just…over it.

He reflected back on the two years that had led to this night as he sipped his scotch and watched his family. The seemingly endless back and forth about whether or not to write the book…the writing, the re-writing, the countless trips to the office supply store for printer cartridges and paper. The months waiting for word from publishers and the months spent re-writing again. It seemed like when they weren't reading the book or talking about the book, they'd been thinking about the book.

As he turned to order another scotch, he sensed Jennifer approach behind him. He signaled the bartender and ordered a glass of her favorite wine as well. "Thank you," she said gratefully when he handed it to her. In her nude colored platform heels she was taller than him and she was eyeing him suspiciously – two things he didn't like at all. "What?" he asked irritably.

Jennifer's mouth broke into a grin. "I've come to a call a truce, Daniel."

"A truce?" Danny repeated incredulously. "I wasn't aware we were fighting."

"Oh we're not, but you were totally doing your passive-aggressive thing while I was reading earlier," she explained before taking a sip of her wine.

Danny's eyes went wide and he scoffed loudly. "I'm not passive-aggressive."

He frowned when she had the audacity to laugh. "Okay, Williams, here's my half of the truce. I promise no more talking my writing – past, present or future and no more dragging you to any more press events."

He nodded and swirled his scotch. "What do I have to do in return?"

"Stop acting like a petulant child."

"You really enjoy using all these big author-y words now, don't you?"

"Author-y isn't a word," she countered. "And ergo is your favorite word, so don't even start with me."

Danny considered this for a moment. "That's all I have to do?"

"For now…" Jennifer answered with a sly smile.

Danny snorted. "You're sneakier than your other half, you know that?"

Jennifer nodded. "I do, indeed. Now come on," she said, grabbing his arm. "There was a woman in the crowd who had her eye on you. Imagine her surprise when I volunteered to introduce her to my hot brother."

He groaned, but allowed himself to be led into the throng.

FIN.