In These Arms

Chapter 1

Take a look into these eyes

They burn with a fire, just for you now

Until the end of time

Danny Williams was getting more and more agitated by the minute. He was sitting in a busy ER bed at the Queen's Medical Centre, holding a pressure bandage over the 4inch knife wound in his left forearm, which was starting to really ache.

Danny was going to kill Steve for this, he really was. Just because the big dope thought he was actually Superman, didn't mean Danny was invincible as well. He had a daughter who he would like to stay alive for and sometimes, just sometimes, he swore it was Steve's mission in life to torment him into an early coronary.

It wasn't enough for his asinine Super SEAL partner to just get Danny shot occasionally, now the criminals had started coming at him with knives as well. The nurse at the triage desk had told him 3 hours ago that someone was going to take a look at his arm but none had shown up yet.

Just as he jumped off the bed with every intention of yelling at someone, the curtains opened and a smiling nurse walked in.

"Hey, my name is Nurse Stevens and I'll be taking care of you today. I'm sorry Detective Williams that you had to wait this long, there was a six-car pile-up on the Pali Highway and we're swamped," the lady smiled at him, warm and apologetic.

She was young, probably in her mid-twenties. Her long chestnut brown hair was tied in a plait and she was dressed in hospital issue green scrubs. Her nametag read Tara Stevens, RN. She was beautiful, especially her eyes captivated him, and they were a startling shade of deep blue. Danny knew he had been staring too intently and looked away while clearing his throat, not wanting to creep her out. She probably had to deal with a lot of patients leering at her.

"Yeah, no problem. The arm is starting to hurt though, so would be nice if someone could stitch me up and send me on my way," Danny said, trying to keep his voice level, keeping in mind all the McGarrett lectures on how his voice had a certain whiny quality to it when he was restless.

"Of course Detective. Let me just take a look and we'll get you out of here real quick," she said, giving him a toothy smile, a smile that made her eyes appear almost violet in color. Something about the way she spoke reminded him of home. The girls he had dated during the endless summers at the Jersey Shore.

"I'm just going to take a quick look and see how bad it is." She sat down on the black backless stool next to the bed, started peeling off the bandage. Danny sucked in his breath as her fingers grazed the tender wound, which was still seeping blood.

"It's not very deep but you will need stitches. Let me clean it first and then I'll call an attending to stitch you up." She patted his arm reassuringly before she started to clean to wound with cotton swaps lazed with something that made him hiss from the pain.

"You don't have to tell me but I'm curious, where are you from? Your accent doesn't sound local," Danny asked conversationally, the searing pain in his arm making him in twitchy and uncomfortable.

"I don't mind. I'm from New Jersey. Born and raised in Hoboken and my folks still live there," she said, giving him another one of her dazzling, toothy smiles.

"I knew it. I'm a proud son of Jersey and I had just about given up on meeting anyone from the Garden State in this god-forsaken, pineapple infested volcanic rock." Danny was grinning wildly. He had been attracted to her from the get go but to learn she was a Jersey girl made him seriously contemplate asking her out on a date. He hadn't dated much here; there was the fiasco with Rachel and a few dates with Gabby that never seemed to go anywhere. He tended to spend most of his free time with Steve and that was rousing emotions in Danny that he didn't like to examine very closely. At least not, when his partner was dating a very pretty and not to mention female, naval officer.

"We Jersey folk need to stick together. We're an endangered species here in Hawaii," she laughed, her musical giggles warming something inside him.

"I know right. You can't even get a decent slice here without fruit on it," Danny said, falling back on his favourite Hawaii complaint, their irrational desire to desecrate the good name of pizza.

"Finally, someone gets me. I feel a lot less lonely right about now," she said, grinning.

"Hey, would you like to get coffee with me sometime. You know, we could form some sort of Jersey support group," Danny said as the nurse finished cleaning his wound. He had barely noticed her doing it, keeping his gaze firmly on her face and those mesmerizing eyes.

"I don't know if that's a good idea Detective. I'm not supposed to socialize with my patients," she stated regrettably, a frown evident on her pretty features.

"Call me Danny and I'm sure no one will mind you having coffee with me. It's just a beverage, not a marriage proposal," he said, touching her arm in a reassuring gesture.

"I suppose no one can begrudge a girl of having coffee with a nice guy. Tell you what, by the time the doctor's fixed your arm, I've finished my shift and we can go grab coffee if you'd like."

"I'd like that."

Baby I want you like the roses

Want the rain

You know I need you

It had taken an hour by the time he was ready to be discharged with twenty stitches on his arm. She was waiting for him at the nurses' station and had already changed out of her scrubs. She was clad in white jeans with a turquoise silk top that brought out her already out-of-this world eyes. Wearing white wedges, she was maybe an inch shorter than him, which made him irrationally happy. Everyone else around him was a freakishly tall mutant, especially his 6'4 giant of a partner, so it felt surprisingly good to be taller than someone again.

They ended up at a nearby coffee shop and within the hour, Danny had learned that Tara was 26-years old, her middle name was Kathleen, that she had graduated from NYU College of Nursing four years ago and had moved to Hawaii three years ago.

"I moved here to be closer to my daughter but what could possibly have made you leave the East Coast?" Danny asked, in between bites of his roast beef sandwich. He hadn't realized just how hungry he really was, until his senses were being assaulted by the delicious aroma of sandwiches and fresh pastries upon entering this quaint establishment two blocks away from the hospital.

"I moved because of my ex husband. He got stationed at the Pearl." She said, her voice heavier than before. "Our divorce was finalized 4 months ago, I guess I wasn't cut out to be a Navy wife." She voiced quietly, lost in thought for a moment.

"I'm sorry. Me, I've been divorced for over four years now. Another thing we have in common. Your ex is Navy huh? My partner, you know the one that tries to get me killed every day is a Navy guy. He used to be a SEAL, before he transferred to the reserves," Danny prattled on, hoping to fill the silence that was now becoming awkward.

"Heh, we certainly do seem to have lots in common. Brad, my ex, he's Naval Intelligence but don't ask me what he does for them. The phrase it's classified gets pretty darn tiresome after awhile," Tara said, her smile reaching her eyes this time.

"I hear you babe. That's Steve's favourite expression when he wants to get away with not telling me shit I need to know. I swear sometimes he does it just to piss me off, the big goof," Danny laughed, his hands flying everywhere animatedly.

"You and your partner, you're close?" She asks, stirring her coffee absentmindedly with a spoon.

"We're...we're good friends. He's actually my best friend, but don't tell him, there will no living with him if he hears that. Sure he drives me crazy but he's been a good, loyal friend," Danny said, a warm smile spreading on his face at the thought of his partner.

"Danny, do you miss home? Your parents, siblings?"

"I miss my ma's cooking. Best lasagne you'll ever eat. I miss my sisters, I have three of them. My brother...he's kinda out of my life. I miss the food, the skyscrapers and the fact that there are no jellyfish anywhere," Danny said with a laugh. In the last year, he had found himself to be less and less homesick and had started thinking of Hawaii as more than a temporary residence.

"There are days when I can't wait to get back home but between you and me, Hawaii in February is a hell of a lot better than February in Hoboken. I miss my brothers, I have four. My ma wasn't very happy with me getting divorced, so I don't really miss her lectures. I reckon she fears that my marital woes will lessen her chances at the pearly gates. She's real good at compartmentalizing, like if we don't talk about it, it doesn't exist. Kind of like we don't talk about uncle Anthony being a consigliere for the Bonnano crime family." Tara said, finally abandoning her half drunk cup of coffee that had gotten cold ages ago. They had been sitting at the cafe talking for several hours and it was already getting dark out.

"Geez, look at the time. Do you want me to drop you off somewhere? Are you going to work in the morning? Sorry if I've been keeping you from whatever you were supposed to do tonight," Danny asked when it finally dawned on him how long they had really been talking. Talking to Tara, had been mostly effortless, conversation flowed naturally. They came from similar backgrounds and there was a natural camaraderie there.

"That's alright, I mainly had very boring evening plans. Like eating ice cream straight out of the container and watching a Days of Our Lives rerun on SoapNet. Yes, my life is just that exiting," she said laughing earnestly this time and patted his arm affectionately. Danny felt a slight tinge form on his cheeks.

"Still, your plans beat mine. I was just going to go home and watch an old hockey game in my underwear. You at least planned on having ice cream," Danny teased, absentmindedly running his hand through his messy hair. This humid weather had really done a number on his hair tonight.

"Favourite team? Devils or the Rangers?" She asked out of nowhere, her lips curving into a predatory smile.

"Devils of course. Do I look like someone who would root for the Rangers?" Danny said like it was a foregone conclusion.

"Good man. I don't think I could continue seeing you if you had been a Rangers fan."

"Hey, would you like to come over and watch it with me? It's Devils vs Ducks, Stanley Cup final game 7 from 2003. Classic game," Danny asked suddenly when they were getting ready to leave. He didn't want the evening to end yet and man, it had been a long time since he's watched hockey with a fellow Devils fan.

"That's a very tempting offer. Who could say no to that? I think I will have to take you up on that since I'm not due at work until noon."

If you were in these arms tonight

I'd hold you

I'd need you

Danny was in a better mood than we had been in months, maybe even years. They had indeed crashed on his couch, had a few beers and watched the hockey game. He had kept stealing glances at the brunette as she was curled up next to him.

Danny had had every intention of being a gentleman, offering to drive her home and keeping his hands to himself. It wasn't until she kissed him, as the Devils were lifting the Stanley Cup, his resistance started to crumble. The kiss was gentle at first, just lips bruising chastely against each other. Her slender arms found their way around his neck, pulling him closer but it wasn't long until she was practically sitting in his lap the kiss became more and more heated. He started exploring her mouth with his tongue; she tasted like caramel and raisins, like the sticky buns from his favourite bakery in Jersey.

Danny had always been a stickler for rules and etiquette; no more than a good night kiss on the first date and absolutely no sex until the fourth date but something about Tara made him want to rethink his stance about that. She felt good in his arms, fitting perfectly. She was all curves and softness, his hands exploring her in earnest.

Danny sucked his breath in as her lips left his to explore his neck with warm, tantalizing kisses. A small moan left his lips when she found a particularly sensitive spot near his pulse point. Her fingers were expertly unbuttoning his light blue shirt and Danny was rapidly losing his ability to think straight.

"Babe…that feels incredible," Danny shuddered as she pushed his shirt off his shoulders and rested her hands on his lower back while her mouth was planting bruising kisses from his neck to his shoulder blade.

"Hmm, you're still able to form words. We will have to fix that," she laughed, her warm breath tickling him. Danny almost whined in protest as her body left his lap, pulling him off the couch as well.

"I like your couch but I'm sure I'll like your bed even more," Tara spoke raising her eyebrows suggestively, her voice hoarse and seductive. As Danny was trying to get his lust added brain to comprehend what she was saying, she discarded her top on the floor. Pretty much at that point, Danny stopped thinking altogether.

Tara was beautiful, young and she, for whatever reason, wanted him. Danny shuddered in anticipation as he pulled her closer and assaulted her mouth again with his lips. This kiss was not chaste. It was lusty, passionate and demanding. Her naked skin against his, they made their way to the bedroom.

If you were in these arms

I'd love you

I'd please you

He had woken up with Tara in his arms and it hadn't been awkward at all, like he had feared it would. They had had breakfast together, her lilting Jersey accent enveloping him in a warm cocoon of happiness he hadn't felt for a long time. She was as affectionate as he was, always touching and kissing and Danny hadn't felt this wanted since the first good years of his marriage to Rachel. He drove her home and she invited him over tonight, an offer he gladly accepted.

As Danny was waiting in line at Starbucks to get his favourite espresso macchiato, it dawned on him that he hadn't thought about Steve for more than 14 hours. Usually, Steve never left his thoughts. Steve, with his stupidly handsome face, his penchant for over the top property damage and that strong jaw line he had imagined exploring with his tongue a thousand times. Maybe he really could do this, be just friends with Steve while falling in love with someone else.

Besides, why should Danny spend his life pining for Steve who was straight and in a relationship with the female version of himself? Catherine was a permanent fixture in his partner's bed and Danny wasn't about fool himself into thinking he had a chance of usurping her place there.

Driving into work, Danny couldn't wipe the happy grin off his face. Maybe he had found his second shot at happily ever after. Instead of a bat-crap crazy Navy SEAL, his happiness had taken on the form a smiling, sunny Jersey nurse whom he had just had the best sex of his life. Maybe his life didn't really suck at all.

I'd get down on my knees for you

And make everything all right

Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett hadn't been looking forward to this particular Friday morning; he knew Danny was going to furious with him because of yesterday. He had offered to stay at the hospital while he was being checked out but the look on Danny's face had been that of white-hot fury so Steve had made a tactical retreat. Danny had barely spoken to him during the drive to the hospital and hadn't answered his phone later in the evening, making it apparent that Steve was now on his shit list. Steve knew he had his work cut out for him today to get back into Danny's good graces.

Steve had taken refuge in his office, meticulously filling out paperwork in triplicates while waiting for his partner to arrive. However, when Danny did show up, instead of a mighty rant, he wished Steve a good morning in a tone that was almost merry and whistled on his way to his office, carrying a cup of coffee with him. It was beyond strange and unlike Danny, so Steve had to get a closer look.

"You okay babe?" Steve asked, leaning against the doorframe of Danny's office, listening the shorter man humming something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like one of those Bon Jovi love songs he was always blaring out in the car.

"I am perfect my friend. It's a beautiful day, sun is shining and all is right in the world," Danny said, his face twisting to an impossibly bright grin that freaked the hell out of Steve.

"I'm sorry you are what? What's going on with you?" Steve asked, narrowing his eyes suspiciously. Danny was never this happy this early in the morning, especially not after injuring himself because Steve hadn't waited for backup.

"Can't a guy be happy around here? I am in such a good mood that I don't even care to yell at you for yesterday. You know you screwed up, I know you screwed up but you know what, I actually have to thank you. If you hadn't been an irresponsible idiot, I might have missed out on something great." Danny was twirling around in his chair, his smile reminding Steve vividly of the cat that ate the canary.

"What kind of drugs did they give you yesterday? Or are you running a fever?" Steve asked, suddenly concerned. He reached out to touch his partner's forehead and cupped his cheek with his other hand without even noticing he had done so.

"I am fine Steven, honestly. No fever, haven't taken any drugs and will you stop hovering like you were my ma," Danny said, raising an irritated eyebrow at his partner. They stared intently into each other's eyes until the ringing of Danny's phone interrupted them. The ring-tone was the Springsteen version of "Jersey Girl" and Steve raised a quizzical eyebrow at that. Who could possibly earn that ring tone from his partner?

"Hey. No, I'm not busy. I can talk," Danny said gently to whoever it was on the phone and gestured for Steve to give him some privacy. Steve reluctantly left the office but didn't close the door fully, so he could still stealthily eavesdrop in on the conversation.

"Hey boss. Whatcha doing?" Kono sing-songed as she noticed Steve hovering outside of Danny's office.

"What's wrong with Danny? He's freaking me out. He's unnecessarily cheerful for 9am and hasn't even yelled at me for yesterday." Steve kept his ears strained so he could catch bits and pieces of the conversation.

"I bet you twenty bucks Danny got laid yesterday." Kono said, her eyes gleaming wickedly as they both heard Danny call the person on the other end of the call 'honey'. Steve felt his heart do a nervous back flip that truly went against any kind anatomy lessons he had ever attended. He could feel Kono's dark eyes assessing his reaction but before he could come up with anything suitable to say, she spoke again.

"Good for him. Danny needs to have some fun, he's been particularly cranky lately." Kono said, before leaving Steve to his thoughts that were beginning to freak him out.

Why did it bother him so much that Danny was having sex with someone? Someone who was not Steve, his brain reminded him loudly. He and Danny weren't a couple, besides as far as Steve knew, Danny was straight. Why was he getting so worked up about this?

It was a slow day, there was no case and Steve spent most of it hiding in his office. He was trying to focus on his overdue paperwork but his concentration was off. He wasn't getting any work done. Steve pondered whether or not he could get away with running Danny's phone records while absentmindedly losing at Texas HoldEm on facebook.

He was so lost in thought that he didn't even notice Danny entering his office and sitting down on the sofa looking smug.

"Buddy, did you fall asleep with your eyes open again?" Danny finally asked, when he had finished laughing at Steve quietly under his breath.

"What? No, I'm trying to fill this form correctly," Steve said, clearing his throat and sitting up in his chair.

"Yeah, whatever. I'm calling it quits for the day. All my paperwork is filed, it's 4 pm on a Friday and lord knows we've all worked way too hard anyway recently."

"Are you coming over tonight? Pizza and beer are on me," Steve asked, hoping Danny would say yes. Danny hadn't stayed over for a few days now and his place felt a lot quieter for it.

"Sorry, not tonight. I have plans," Danny said ruefully while pulling out his car keys and fiddling with them. Hanging out with Steve was great, actually quite awesome but the more time he spent there, the harder it became to think of him as just a platonic friend. Besides, Tara had promised to make him her ma's famed carbonara and Danny had never in his life turned down a home cooked Italian meal.

"Do you have Grace tonight?" Steve asked, trying to fish for information. Okay, he knew Danny didn't get his daughter for another week but dammit, he needed to know who Danny was spending time with.

"No, it's not Grace and no, I'm not telling you. I'd like to keep my date in one piece tonight, thank you very much Steven, so butt out."

"What are you talking about? When have I ever interrupted your social life? We are friends, right and friends share stuff like this with each other," Steve said, sounding genuinely puzzled. Danny made it sound like he always intentionally sabotaged his dates, which he did not.

"Why do you need to know every last detail of my private life? What's it to you who I have plans with? Don't you and Catherine have plans to swim for 30 miles or sink an enemy warship or whatever it is that you Navy folk do for fun around here?"

"Now you are just being childish." Steve said, throwing his arms in the air in defeat.

"Steve, buddy, I'm in way too good of a mood to fight with you today. However, if you call and interrupt my weekend for any bullshit reason, I will reserve the right to change my mind. Only if the entire island of Oahu is sinking into the ocean in rapid speed are you allowed to call me. I'm not kidding Steven," Danny said squinting his eyes dangerously.

Ten minutes after Danny had strutted out of his office, Steve ran his phone records and found out the mystery callers name. The last 20 minutes he had spent googling Tara Stevens and Steve was certain he was going to pass out due to high blood pressure any time now.

He was examining her ID photo from the hospital database closely and admitted to himself begrudgingly that she was very pretty, that is if you happened to like petite brunettes with deep blue eyes. Then he might have accidentally hacked into her facebook account. She had 619 friends, which seemed a bit excessive to Steve. He only had 25 and mainly used his to play games and keep in touch with a SEAL buddy who moved to Australia last year.

There were also hundreds of pictures of her, which also puzzled him. How many times could you take a picture of yourself in front of the bathroom mirror without it being repetitive? Her profile picture was of her sipping a colourful drink wearing oversized sunglasses, which seemed like an exercise in futility. Why use a picture no one could actually recognize you from? Steve's profile picture was the same that was on his driver's licence.

She seemed chatty and social, always updating her profile with little titbits of her day. Her relationship status was still single, which Steve was unreasonably happy about. Maybe this thing between her and Danny was just a casual fling, kind of like what he had with Cath, although Danny wasn't usually the type to do casual.

Steve had tag teamed Danny with Grace to try to get him on facebook but was now wholly glad his partner had outright refused. He didn't think he could handle it if Danny changed his status officially to 'in a relationship' or started uploading mushy pictures of him and Tara.

He was feeling queasy and decided to go home. A long swim was just what he needed to clear his head. He also felt a headache coming on.

NOTES: I own nothing. Please don't sue. Song credit Bon Jovi, In These Arms. Should be roughly 5 chapters long. This is my first attempt at McDanno. Hope you like it, reviews are shiny and made out of gold.