A/N: I think I thanked everyone personally for their reviews this time. If I missed anyone, sorry and thank you. Thank you to the guest reviewer who I can't message directly. And thank you to everyone for reading. This is a slightly shorter chapter, but hopefully you'll enjoy it.
Disclaimer: I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any of the characters.
Chapter Four
At first sight, Danny and his girlfriend looked to be playing some bizarre version of Twister. Both hunched over awkwardly under the Smart Table. But it didn't take more than a nanosecond for the Ex-Navy SEAL's brain to catch up. Instinctively he went for his gun. His team following his lead. They all now stood poised to take down an unknown assailant.
"Danny." Steve's brow creased when his partner failed to look up. "Hey, partner, talk to me."
"Drop the weapons." An unfamiliar voice from nowhere broke the silence. "Do it or they both die."
"Danny." Steve was now on the verge of pleading.
His partner slowly lifted his head to meet his gaze. Steve sucked in a deep breath. His temper flared at the sight of his friend's bruised face. The cut to his cheek. Blood matted hair. The duct tape. He tried to ignore it all, and focused solely on those blue eyes. Only they didn't convey the kick ass anger with a touch of fiery Jersey attitude he expected. In their all too brief exchange, Steve only saw remorse and guilt. But for what? He raised his hands above his head and then made a show of lowering his weapon to the floor, never taking his eyes off Danny, who had again buried his face in Jennifer's hair.
"Put your weapons down, guys." Steve cautiously stood up to full height.
"You sure about this, McGarrett?" Lou continued to scan the area with his gun still raised.
"Yeah, Lou. I'm sure."
Lou's Warrior sidearm barely touched the floor when the office doors flew open. Jildas Moreau and Reese Cunningham didn't waste any time kicking the team's weapons out of reach.
"Kneel." Jildas yelled. Moving around to face them. "Interlace your fingers behind your heads and cross your ankles."
"You really haven't thought this through." Chin knelt down.
"Seriously. You're taking on the Governor's task force?" Lou laughed out loud. "Take my advice. Cut your losses. Stop this now before you end up dead."
"Shut the fuck up, old man." Reese jabbed his weapon into the small of Lou's back.
"Hey, who you callin an old man?" Lou grunted.
"You realize who that is, right?" Kono cocked her head in Danny's direction before glancing across to Steve. "Our ohana. You made a lousy choice, guys."
"You're a real cutie, but I preferred you when you kept your mouth shut." Jildas planted the end of his rifle under her chin to raise her head up.
Kono glared back at him defiantly. Leaning to the side to avoid the weapon shoved in her face. "It's your funeral."
"Easy, Kono." Chin tried to calm the situation.
"You know the quicker we get this done, the better for your friend over there." Jildas looked at his watch. "How long's he been holding onto that grenade?"
"I'd say a good thirty minutes." Reese grinned.
Steve had blocked out the others in the room. Their voices played in the background while he studied what he could see of his partner and girlfriend. He'd learnt a lot in the five years he'd worked with Danny. "It's the little details, Steve. Look for those first." And there were plenty right in front of him.
Jennifer looked completely unharmed. Not a hair out of place.
He could never recall seeing a victim involved in an armed standoff looking so calm. Jennifer seemed too composed - like she knew something they didn't.
Why give the trained law enforcement officer the grenade when you had a vulnerable female civilian to exploit?
Why wasn't she cuffed to the table or her boyfriend?
Why? That was the million dollar question he'd been asking himself for the past six months.
/././
"I'm just saying, Danny. Why'd she pick you? I was standing right next to you."
"Unbelievable." Danny turned in the passenger seat of his car and stared open mouthed at his partner.
"What?" Steve shrugged his shoulders as they pulled up at a stop light.
"You are something else. I forgot you are Hawaii's most desirable male. Maybe the Governor can get you on the front of next month's GQ."
"Danny, that's not what I meant and you know it." Steve scowled across the short distance between them.
"Eyes on the road." Danny ended the sentence with a loud huff.
Steve rolled his eyes before continuing. "We're not in high school, Danno."
"No we're not, and you already know I did a background check. So what is it with you and the constant questions?"
"You've been practically living in each other's pockets since you met."
"You're jealous?"
"Concerned, Danny." Steve slammed his hand down on the steering wheel.
"Concerned. Is that what you call it? It's not that you all don't like her?" Danny looked dejectedly out of the side window.
"No one said they disliked her. We're simply looking out for you. We don't want to see you get hurt."
"Go on. Say it." Danny looked back at his friend.
"What?" Steve frowned.
"Again. Hurt again."
Steve parked the Camaro outside the Palace. Killing the engine. He grabbed hold of Danny's arm. "Wait."
"She's not Melissa, okay." Danny looked down at Steve's fingers digging into his bicep. "Not going anywhere. You can let go of me now."
"Sorry." Steve pulled his hand away. "Just hear me out. Then I promise not to mention it again."
Danny sat silently for a few seconds before speaking. "It won't change anything."
"Maybe not, but I'm gonna say it anyway. You don't find it strange that you have so much in common?"
"And that makes her a stalker or a high security risk, huh? What is it? Her dislike of surfing? She follows the Yankees? Her appreciation of good music? She hates cats? Wait. I got it. It's the no pineapple on pizza thing. And no - I don't find it strange."
"You've barely known her a month, and you have her going on days out with Grace and Charlie. What happened to taking it slow and protecting your kids?"
"You think I don't put my kids first?" Danny spat the words. His face flushing with anger.
"Exactly right. You put your kids first, or you did. Grace is old enough to understand, but Charlie." Steve shook his head. "I don't know what else to say, Danny. This is not you. Not the Danny I know."
"You had plenty to say when Melissa came on the scene. Or have you forgotten?"
"Yeah, well, maybe that's why I'm looking out for my best friend this time."
Danny deflated at Steve's declaration.
"Honestly, I appreciate everyone's concern, but I think I'm owed some good luck. For once, I've found someone not young enough to be my daughter. Someone who loves what I do. And you." Danny jammed a finger at his partner. "You come along and piss all over my chips."
Steve laughed out loud. "Fine. I get it. But please, Danno. Take it slow."
"Duly noted. Now can we get back to work, babe?"
/././
It hit Steve then like a ton of bricks. The reason his partner couldn't look any one of them in the eye - they'd been right.
It wasn't that they didn't like Jennifer. Hell, there was nothing to dislike. She was like a breath of fresh air. Vivacious, compassionate, perceptive, and above all loud. Her laugh was infectious. God, she was infectious - a female version of Danny.
But she was too much like him. Opposites attract - or so the saying went. That definitely wasn't the case with these two, and there lay the problem.
Of course he'd checked her out, even though Danny had assured him he'd run her background himself. And Danny knew he would - he was, after all, the head of Five-0. They all keenly knew how vulnerable they could be, working in law enforcement. People took advantage. Everyone had to be vetted.
Jennifer had passed the test. She was a kindergarten teacher. Lived alone. Never been married. No kids. She'd moved to the island over ten years ago. She appeared to be very normal.
He should have dug deeper. That had been his mistake, but then hindsight is a wonderful thing.
Steve prayed to God he'd gotten it wrong, that some of his partner's paranoia had rubbed off on him. He hung on to that hope, right up until the very moment the guy, who'd been shouting the orders, dropped a key and pin down next to Jennifer.
"Jennifer…no." Kono exclaimed with a shaky voice.
~ to be continued ~