Disclaimer: I don't own Hawaii Five-0 or anything affiliated with the show.
Author's note: I am amazed by the response this story has gotten, which has led me into adding another chapter so that this story will have 5 chapters. I hope that you guys love this chapter as much as the others and please don't hesitate to let me know what you really think.
Sitting outside the Honolulu International Airport, Steve McGarrett was the epitome of what the Hawaiian mentality was as he leaned against his truck in slippahs, cargos, tight fitting t-shirt, and shades. No one thought anything of him more than his being here to pick someone up. No one paid any mind to the way that Steve's fists were balled underneath his folded arms and the hard way his eyes watched the doors waiting for any sign of his target, Stan Edwards. His plane was due to arrive at any time and Steve was prepared to wait as long as possible because he and Stan had some things to discuss and Steve was way past being nice now, not after what Mr. Edwards and his wife had pulled the other day.
Flashback
Steve sat on the beach watching Grace play in the low waves. Danny had left only minutes before having to run to his apartment to check his mail and grab more clothes for Grace. It was slightly weird to be hanging out on the beach watching Grace without Danny, it was felt as if part of him was missing. Sure it had been only a couple of days, two in fact, but still Danny's been such a staple in Steve's everyday routine that any time spent without him doesn't sit right with Steve.
"Uncle Steve! Uncle Steve! Look at the cool shell I just found!" Grace exclaimed rushing up to Steve excitedly holding a shell out in front of her. Steve smiled at her, her happiness and relaxed state washing over him.
"Wow Grace, that is a cool shell." Grace smiled even wider happy that Steve agreed with her.
"Do you think Daddy will like it?" Grace asked wanting to give her father something that would make him smile.
"I'm sure he'll treasure it forever." Grace nodded and ran off leaving the shell behind on her towel so she didn't lose it setting off to find even more shells for her Danno. They stayed on the beach for awhile longer before Grace complained she was hungry and thirsty. "You really are your father's daughter." Steve joked at the mini rant Grace had given him about her hunger and thirst. Hoisting her up onto his shoulders Steve set off towards the house.
"Daddy!" Grace exclaimed spotting Danny standing right inside the kitchen. Bouncing until Steve let her down she ran towards Danny excitedly showing him all the shells she had collected. "Look at what I found for you Danno. I thought you would like this because they're cool." Danny smiled softly, albeit forced, at her and knelt down looking at the sea shells in her hand.
"That's great Monkey. I love them. Why don't you go put them in your room so we don't lose them okay?" Grace nodded taking off up the stairs leaving the two men alone.
"What's wrong Danny?" Steve asked noticing the defeated look settled in Danny's blue eyes. Danny looked up at him holding a piece of paper out in front of him. Confused Steve looked between the paper and Danny's face. "Danny, what is this?" Danny's reply was to shove the paper into Steve's stomach turning and going to the fridge and pulling out a beer. Looking down at the paper Steve unfolded it his heart dropping as he read the court produced papers in his hand. "Danny." Steve whispered looking up at Danny who was slumped against the fridge. Before Steve could comfort Danny Grace came flying down the stairs firing off question after question about what they were having for lunch. Without a moment's thought Steve and Danny easily slipped back into 'everything's fine' mode and set out making an awesome lunch for Grace. As they sat and ate their lunch Danny and Steve locked eyes, Danny's eyes pleading for them to wait and discuss his bombshell after Grace had gone to bed. The paper was left sitting in the middle of the kitchen table as Steve and Danny tried to distract them and keep Grace completely unaware as to what was swirling around them.
Once Grace was asleep later on that night, Steve walked down the stairs a sudden sense of doom and anger falling over him. He had a vague idea of what the paper sitting on the table was, but he wasn't able to fully read the words. He knew without a doubt that the paper was not a good thing to receive and judging by the way in which Danny was willingly sitting out by the beach far away from the papers told Steve that he too was not going to like it at all. Grabbing the six-pack of beers sitting in the fridge and the offending stack of papers Steve made his way towards Danny.
"Here, I think you need this." Steve said holding one of the beers out to Danny.
"Thanks babe." Danny replied smiling softly as he grabbed the beer giving Steve's hand a slight squeeze. "Have you read them?" Danny asked motioning with his open beer to the papers Steve held in his hand.
"I glanced at them when you handed them to me but other than that no I haven't read them." Danny nodded his gaze shifting back to the waves that are steadily rolling in and out. "Do you want to give me the cliff notes version or do you want to give me five minutes to read them?" Steve asked sitting in the chair next to Danny's an open beer in his left hand, his right resting close to Danny's empty left one.
"She wants full custody; she's claiming my job makes me an unfit parent." Danny whispered his left hand subconsciously, on it's on accord Danny will argue if pressed, moving over and resting on Steve's right.
"She's not getting it without a fight. I don't think she took my threat seriously." Steve replied his anger for Danny's ex-wife flaring up again. She was really trying to push Steve to launching a full scale attack against her.
"I'm pretty sure that this came fully from Stan." Danny replied smirking slightly at the thoughts that were most likely going through his partner's head.
"Doesn't matter who came up with the idea, those two are not going to take Grace away from us Danny." Steve replied slightly put off by Danny's defense of Rachel. How could he defend a woman that had broken his heart twice, made him believe her unborn child was his, and had even taken him from home?
"Us?" Danny asked his eyebrow raised a light tone in his voice.
"Well yeah Danny, I thought we went over this ya know when I kissed you? Didn't you get what I was trying to say?" Steve asked concerned that they weren't exactly on the same page as he thought they were.
"Yeah babe, I read you loud and clear with that mind blowing kiss outside my apartment. But ya know it's nice to actually hear the words coming from your mouth and don't think that we are not having a conversation about this relationship thing going on after we've settled this dispute with the Edwards." Danny warned lifting his now empty beer bottle and pointing it towards Steven, much like he would do with his finger.
"Yeah Danno, we'll sit down and you can use all your words to outline what I already know." Steve chuckled at the flash of shock and slight outrage that passed through Danny's eyes.
"You're lucky I like you mister because sometimes I just want to beat you." Steve smiled nodding his head in agreement.
"I know I'm lucky Danno, you don't have to tell me." Steve sweetly replied smirking at the slight blush that rose over Danny's cheeks. Steve leaned forward and lightly kissed Danny before switching back into serious mode. "So we'll set up a meeting with an attorney tomorrow?" Danny nodded grabbing another beer and taking a long drag from it.
"Yeah Super SEAL, we'll go see your high-priced attorney." Steve shook his head at Danny's blatant hint to drop the subject with his 'insult' and settled back in his chair letting the calming effect of the waves wash over them while a certain ex-Navy SEAL was planning on seeing a certain Stan Edwards. No one messed with Danny and got away with it.
End of Flashback
Leaning against his truck Steve stood up abruptly when he saw Stan coming out of the doors looking around for his car. Steve walked towards him putting on his most polite smile. "Stan Edwards?" Steve asked removing his sunglasses as he reached the subject of all Steve's hatred.
"Can I help you?" Stan asked looking around Steve for his car.
"I'm Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett from Five-0. I was wondering if I could have a few words with you, maybe offer you a lift home?" Steve managed with a clenched jaw and a controlled voice.
"What about Lieutenant?" Stan asked clearly not wanting to be around Steve and just wanting to go home.
"Mr. Edwards you really don't have a choice so either get in the car or I'll put you in the car." Steve snarled leaning into Stan's personal space.
"Alright fine." Stan replied Steve already leading him towards the truck. Once he was in the truck Stan turned towards Steve his confident cocky smirk already in place. "You do realize that you just gave me a hand full of witnesses seeing you kidnap me correct?" Steve turned toward Stan for a moment before laughing.
"Stan, people know me on this island. I highly doubt they think you're in any danger, they probably think you're in trouble since ya know I'm Five-0."
"What did you need to talk about then commander?" Stan asks after a few moments of silence pass between them.
"We need to discuss why you have such deep hatred for Danny and why you think you can bash on him in front of his daughter. Before you even open your mouth Stan you might like to know that I can hurt you without even taking my eyes off the road." Steve warned spying the sick smile that spread across his face as Steve mentioned Danny's name.
"Why do you care about Danny? He's a sad pathetic excuse of a man, who couldn't find any woman to sleep with him so he conned Rachel, when she was emotional and irrational, back into his bed. He's always been jealous of the wealth and success I have so of course he'd do anything to try and get Rachel back." Stan replied watching Steve grip the wheel tightly.
"Oh Stan you really are a stupid son of a bitch aren't you? Let me tell you something as someone who watched the affair transpire, Rachel went on her own accord. She had no problems admitting that she wasn't happy with you anymore. It's sad really how delusional you are Stan."
"Steve I love my wife and work hard to give her the luxurious lifestyle was meant to have and she's much happier with me than she ever was with Danny. Plus I have give Grace everything she could want and need. So really Grace doesn't need Danny in her life anymore, she has everything she needs and wants with Rachel and I. She's better off without the toxicity of Danny in her life." Stan replied already thinking how this little kidnapping from the airport was going to serve well in Stan's case for full custody. How could Danny allow someone like this man to be around his daughter? Stan thought as Steve suddenly turned the car onto a deserted side street and slamming on the breaks causing Stan to jerk forward almost hitting his head on the dash.
"Listen to me very closely Stan. You will not succeed in taking Grace away from Danny, you may think that you have this whole case wrapped up nicely and you may even use my little stunt as a ploy to show just how unfit Danny is as a father. But what you have failed to realize is just how much power I have over you Stan." Steve snarled grabbing Stan by the lapels of his suit jacket. "I am a Navy SEAL who has more connection in the government than you could possibly realize and can easily check up on everything you've done in your life. If you've so much as had a speeding ticket I'll find out about it. And trust me I have a feeling that I'm going to find something I'm not supposed to. So wipe that smirk off your face and realize that I'm coming for you. I will not rest until I've uncovered just how dirty you are." Steve replied roughly letting Stan go causing him to slam back against the seat. "You've chosen the wrong man to mess with Stan." Steve warned quickly flipping the truck back into drive and taking off down the street ready to have the son of bitch out of his sight before he actually did beat the shit out of him and if Steve knew it wouldn't look poorly on Danny's case for joint custody Steve could gladly get a boxing workout with Stan's face.
Pulling up the Edward's house Steve stopped the car and turned towards Stan. "I want you to remember Stan, if you don't want me digging into every detail of your life and possibly ruining both yours and Rachel's lives, I would drop the custody case and lay off the Danny bashing. Because trust me the longer this goes on the worse it's going to get. You will not mess with people I love and care about without a little retaliation."
"I'm not afraid of anything commander." Steve shook his head chuckling darkly and smirking at Stan as he unlocked the doors.
"I thought you would say that. I'll see you in court Mr. Edwards." Steve replied waiting just enough time for Stan to slam the door shut before peeling out of the driveway and going to pick up Danny they had a lawyer to meet with and Steve had calls to make.
A/N 2: So I struggled for quite some time with the altercation between Steve and Stan, but this is just a teaser for what is to come. I'm not sure if I'm going to have Steve find anything bad when he goes digging through Stan's life, what do you guys think? Feedback and suggestions would be awesome! I hope that you guys stay tuned for the final part of this story. ~thatredheadgirl~