Phantom

By

Landon Richardson

Official Disclaimer

The characters of Lieutenant Commander Steven 'Steve' McGarrett, Chin Ho Kelly, Officer Kono Kalakaua, Adam 'Toast' Charles, Detective Meka Hanamoa, Amy Hanamoa, Billy Hanamoa Mary McGarrett, John McGarrett, Steven McGarrett (Steve's grandfather/namesake), Freddie Hart and Doctor Max Bergman do not belong to me in any shape or form. I am merely using them for my own entertainment purposes.

The characters of Danielle 'Danni' Williams, although originally based on the male Danny Williams on the show, is probably different enough that she can be considered her own creation since she has a different background and different personality to her male counterpart. This also in turns changes Grace to an extent as Danni has full custody but also a civil relationship with Grace's father which reflects in the way Grace is. I should also add that Grace's surname is Taylor as Williams is Danni's maiden name which she reverted back to after her divorce was finalised.

The characters of Lily Williams, Doctor Rosamund 'Rosie' Lange, Lieutenant Colonel David Williams, Special Agent Jack O'Connor, Lieutenant commander Riley King and Lieutenant Louisa Palakiko-Cowan are mine as well. Any other character who might pop up who you don't instantly recognise will probably belong to me as well. I'll hopefully catch them in time to put above though.

Author Notes

Here's the second chapter for you all though technically it's the first chapter as the last one was a prologue!

There's a lot of questions which will arise from this chapter about Danni but you'll have to be patient with me, as Steve finds out things so will you.

Anyway please enjoy

Overall Summary

Danni Williams has always kept her secret close to her heart, guarding it preciously, determined to hide who and what she is but when that secret threatens her life and those around her she realises that some things aren't meant to be kept secret. Some secrets have to come out no matter what the consequences are. (McDanni saga, McDanni)

Chapter Summary

It had taken Danni exactly one hour after meeting Steve McGarrett to know that she was in trouble with a capital T.

Overall Romance

Steve McGarrett / Danni Williams (McDanni)

Chin Ho Kelly / Malia Waincroft (Chalia)

Kono Kalakaua / Charlie Fong (KoFo)

Mentions of past Duncan Taylor / Danni Williams (Dunni)

Mentions of past Steve McGarrett / Catherine Rollins (McRollins)

Chapter Romance

Steve McGarrett / Danni Williams (McDanni)

Mentions of past Duncan Taylor / Danni Williams (Dunni)

Other Note

~ Point one – Please be aware that nearly all of the locations which are used in this story are either from the internet (thank you Google!) or made up by me. I claim no knowledge of Hawaii having never been there before.

~ Point two – Although this story is technically part of the Danni and uses many characters from the universe, it is to be considered an A/U of the world and not one which is reflect or affect any of the other stories I write unless stated otherwise.

Chapter One

Leave me be

It had taken Danni exactly one hour after meeting Steve McGarrett to know that she was in trouble with a capital T.

Moving to Hawaii had been a difficult enough change for both her and Grace but they had survived it and were beginning to establish routines and build themselves a life there. A lot of which had been down to the fact that Danni had been partnered with Meka Hanamoa on her first day. A being who was the same as her though their abilities differed dramatically. They had gelled well together and Danni had been thankful that Meka hadn't made a big deal when he had found out who exactly she was.

Having him had been a blessing since the rest of the department had been normal humans and who had seemed to make it their life mission to treat her poorly. Whether their reaction was due to the fact that she was currently the only woman in the department and a five foot Ha'ole on top of that or because they could sense there was something different about her she wasn't sure but if she was being honest with herself then she didn't particularly care either.

Some humans were simply not worth the effort.

Her life had been moving along smoothly right until the day that Captain Hookano had thrown John McGarrett's Homicide file onto her desk and told her and Meka to solve it and to solve it fast.

That had been the moment when John McGarrett's son had landed in her life and everything changed.

She had felt drawn to him instantly which had automatically placed her on guard, all her defences slamming into place as she crossed her arms determined not to touch him. A strange feeling on fondness had comes over her even as he had taken away her crime scene with nothing more than a simply phone call and a smirk which had left her with the desire to kiss it off his stupidly handsome face rather than unleashing the Ice Queen side of her which she was well known for.

She had wanted to comfort him, to be there for him which was ridiculous because she knew nothing about him other than the small background she had read about him earlier.

She had left without another word to him, stopping only to pick up her bag, before leaving the house, the fond feeling leaving her the minute she was out of his presence. Something was wrong, she knew that, just like she knew the best thing to do would be to limit her contact with the man to nothing. Something which should have been easy to do now that she was off of his father's case. Captain Hookano had lectured her before sending her home for the day telling her to come back the day afterwards.

What she hadn't expected when she finally got home after lunch with a friend and a bit of shopping was to see McGarrett outside her house, waiting for her. She should have sent him away but instead she had invited him in, telling herself that it was merely because she didn't want to discuss anything job related on the porch and ignoring the warning voice in her head which was trying to warn her that a human was entering her sanctuary, something which was frowned upon in their laws.

She had given him the information he required, standing to show him towards the door when he had dropped his bombshell that she was now his partner, transferred to his team and that they would get along great.

Danni had stared after him but a quick call to her former Captain had confirmed McGarrett's story which meant that she would now be in his presence every day for hours on end. She had no choice in the matter but she could at least try and follow the rules and keep as much distance between them as possible. Just because they were partners it didn't mean that they had to touch and Steve, with his upright posture and underlying rage, didn't seem the type to touch anyone voluntarily. Though it had turned out that he didn't touch anyone but Danni voluntarily.

Within two hours of being partners Steve had decided to wrap his hand around her bare wrist and drag her towards a location he wanted them to go.

That had been when the shit had really hit the fan for her.

Danni still wasn't sure how her ability worked since all the old texts from the time the Death walkers had been present on the planet were vague but she had figured out herself pretty early that skin to skin contact was a must for anything to happen which would explain why she was suddenly surrounded by Steve's dead family and some people in Navy uniforms who she assumed were people who he was close to who he had lost in action. Even more awkward was the fact that she had found herself face to face with John McGarrett, the man who murder she was trying to solve.

Steve had immediately noticed the way she had tensed up but instead of letting her go, he had reeled her in closer so she was pressed against his side, his eyes moving around them with a deadly look which had caused her mouth to go dry, the fond feeling returning with a vengeance, growing when Steve had ducked his head down to ask if she was okay.

If the situation hadn't left her feeling so unbalanced then she would have probably have laughed that the man who had listened to his father be murdered over the phone and who was trying desperately to bring that killer to justice was concerned over her.

Danni had managed to focus his attention back on the case but she knew it was only a temporary fix.

She was nothing if not good at hiding what she knew but it was something which was becoming harder and harder, especially as Steve and the rest of their team were now a fixture in her life.

Six months they had been a team and still none of them knew her secret or that the world the lived in was an illusion and while a part of her wanted to tell them. She knew she couldn't, not if she wanted to keep them safe.

"You've got that look on your face again, the one which says you're troubled. Is it Steve again because you could just tell him everything? It's clear that you want to and what would be the harm really?" Danni sighed, closing her eyes for a moment as her hand tightened round her coffee mug before she forced them back open and looked towards the office door, unsurprised to see John McGarrett lounging against it, a grin coming to his face when he caught sight of her expression. "Look at me that way all you want Danielle, I've got nowhere else to be since you and Steve are here" He warned her with a shrug, a tone in his voice which she was already recognising as him digging his feet in.

Danni came to her feet, placing her mug on the coaster which her daughter Grace had made her and moved around her desk and across the room until she was in front of the glass. She reached out, pulling the blinds down and flashing a quick smile at Steve when she realised he was watching her with a slight frown on his face which meant he was concerned over something. Danni turned back to her desk, unsurprised to see that John had moved round her desk and was now staring at the picture which Steve had placed there three weeks previously with a grin and commented that if Danni had pictures of the rest of her family in her office then she needed one with him and Grace together in there as well.

She should have removed it or at least taken it home especially given how close they looked in it, as though they were a proper family, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. It was a good picture of them even though the fond, affectionate look on her face as she looked at Steve in it made her want to wince every time she saw it.

"You know that I can't do that John" She told him quietly as she retook her seat, straightening the picture and ignoring the icy chill which erupted over her skin when John reached out and patted her shoulder. It was a feeling she had grown used to over time

"You can but you're choosing not to" He corrected sternly. "Steve would understand if you just sat him down and explained everything to him. He would probably even understand why you waited six months to tell him. My boy is smart, he always has been and he always will be. Some may even say that he's perhaps too smart for his own good, god knows it's gotten him into enough trouble in the past." John stated, looking troubled for a moment before he visibly shook it off, his pale blue eyes focusing on her again.

"I think you're overestimating your son's ability John" She stated coolly, tapping her pen against the open file on the surface of her desk. "Steve is human and not only that but he's a scientific human, he isn't going to believe me if I told him the truth, he'd be more likely to send me on a long vacation and then off to an mental facility and we both know what would happen if he did that. It's not as though my kind has any problem in eliminating threats especially threats to their…" She stopped, shaking her head on a sigh, unable to complete the sentence. "Anyway even if I thought he would understand and take the news well I still can't tell him due to the laws. I have no desire in watching my Ohana disappear one by one because I couldn't keep quiet."

She leaned back in her chair, watching as John broke eye contact with her and instead ducked his head for a moment before he came to his feet and lowered himself into the chair opposite her with a graceful move which reminded her sharply of Steve. There was little visible similarities between the two of them other than the fact that Steve had seemingly inherited his father's dark hair until you started talking to either of them, then there were several mainly in their facial expressions.

"Danielle" John said suddenly, attracting her attention away from her thoughts. "You're letting your own happiness fly out of the window because of some laws which are centuries old and which aren't viable in today's society. Something which I know you are aware of. You love my son and you know you do. Who could blame you, he's quite the catch" He stated injecting some humour into his voice briefly before he became serious again. "You need him in your life and he definitely needs you. You are made for each other."

"I've lost track of how many times we've had this same conversation John. Whether or not you think your son is a good match for me doesn't matter. Steve doesn't belong in my world regardless of what I may feel. There are too many differences between us. I have to obey the laws John, I can't just decide which ones to keep and which ones not to."

"You broke them before" John accused.

"Yes I did and look what happened" Danni retorted. "If your reasons for refusing to move on are because you are waiting to see me and Steve married and having a family together then I suggest you save yourself the disappointment and move on, taking your father with you. Don't hold back for something which isn't going to happen" She told him gently, sighing when he stared at her blankly for a moment before he suddenly grinned leaving Danni wondering not for the first time whether death was something which turned you into the person who you were meant to be.

She had subtly questioned both Steve and Chin Ho Kelly about John McGarrett and neither of them had mentioned his sense of humour or his ability to suddenly grin at any situation. The more uncomfortable he made her, the more he grinned. If it wasn't such a nice smile which reminded her of Steve's rare one then she would probably have punched him by now and enjoyed it.

"We've been through this before Danielle, I'm not moving on until I've spoken to my son and my dad won't leave until I do so I'm afraid we're stuck in this situation. Of course you could just tell Steve about what you are and allow me to speak to him. That's the thing about being dead, you suddenly know everything, I know exactly who you are and what clan and bloodline you belong to and I know that you could bridge the gap and allow me to talk directly to Steve and for him to talk to me. That's all I want."

"Contact between the dead and a human is completely forbidden" She stated, glancing past John when there was a knock on her door before it was pushed open. "Steve, hi, is everything okay? Have we've got another case?" She queried, thankful for the distraction as she glanced towards her cell phone curious over whether she had missed something.

"Not unless you managed to find one yourself" Steve replied as he stepped into the room, looking around him with a frown. "I thought I heard you talking to someone in here" He stated, his blue eyes swinging round and focusing on her again in a way which made her heart skip a beat.

"Talking to someone" She repeated, her eyes flickering over to her bookcase where John was now leaning against, his eyes fixed on his son with a look of longing which made Danni pity him for a moment before she realised Steve was still looking at her clearly waiting for an answer. "No, I was just reading an email out loud that's all" She said, locking her computer screen quickly before smiling again at Steve. "I haven't found a case for us yet but considering the fact that we've just had four cases back to back with no rest, a couple of days catching up on paperwork would do us good." She pointed out, a soft laugh escaping her at the sudden constipated look which came to his face at her words. It was no secret that Steve hated having to deal with the aftermath of a case.

"Is something wrong Danno?" Steve questioned, a rare softness to his voice. She wanted to smack her head against her desk at just how much she loved the man opposite her, the only person in the world who she allows to call her Danno, a nickname which she thought was ridiculous considering she was female and yet one which made her heart swell every time he used it.

"Wrong?" She repeated, catching sight of the growing look of concern on his face.

"You seemed troubled and not yourself" Steve clarified, moving forward and perching himself on the side of her desk, his hand automatically coming out and wrapping lightly round her wrist. "Is there something you want to talk about because my door is always open to you" He told her.

Danni stared at him for a moment before her eyes flickered past him as Steve's grandfather and namesake appeared behind him. It was little surprise to see him wherever John was, Steven would soon follow. She was only surprised that she hadn't seen Freddie Hart yet but she guess that the day was still young. For a second she allowed herself to think of the implications of not seeing Steve's mother Doris again before she forced it away and instead focused on the problem at hand. "Seriously, I can tell something is wrong with you, can you just tell me so I can help you. That's what partners do right?"

"Put the kid out of his misery Danielle" Steve's grandfather stated as he moved forward peering into Steve's face before he shook his head. "He's head over heels in love with you, you can tell from his voice and his eyes. He looks at you like you're everything to him and that's a rare love to have. Trust me."

"I'm sorry Steve, I'm fine, I really am" Danni assured him as she ignored his grandfather, reaching out and placing her hand on his free hand, aware of his thumb stroking over her pulse. "I've just got a bit of a headache today and it's making me feel a bit slower than usual. Once I've slept I'll be fine." She waited until Steve looked away from her for a moment before glaring at his grandfather, hating both him and John for a moment. It was hard enough to be in love with a man who by law she shouldn't have without being told that the man in question was in love with her in return.

"How long have you had it for?" He asked sounding concerned as he let go of her wrist, his hand coming up and wrapping round the back of her neck, his fingertips massaging the tense muscle in a way which made her want to melt against him. "Have you taken anything for it yet?" He asked her, rolling his eyes when she shook her head in response. "Typical, you've got to take better care of yourself Danno, I need you firing on all cylinders. Stay here while I go and get you something for it and then when I get back we're going to have a talk about what's really bothering you." He told her as he let go of her and came to his feet.

Danni opened her mouth to say something but closed it when he turned and walked out of her office without another word to her.

"This is your fault" She stated turning to look at John and Steven, glaring at them when they simply grinned back with identical grins.

"It's time you told Steve the truth about the world he lives in. He needs to know what he is up against so he can be prepared for it."

"We'll leave you to it but if you don't tell Steve soon then we'll be paying you visits hour after hour until you do." John added, a serious look on his face before they both disappeared as though they had never been there.

Danni looked back towards her door in time to see Steve moving back towards her office holding a glass of water while his other hand was curled into a fist, not doubt protecting the tablets he was bringing her. She groaned shaking her head.

Just what was she meant to do?

Author Note

Thanks for taking the time to read. An especially big thank you if you have left me a review, favourite the story or decided to follow it.

I really appreciate it