Two Weeks
By
Landon Richardson and Tealrose
Disclaimer
The characters of Steve McGarrett, Chin Ho Kelly, Kono Kalakaua, Adam 'Toast' Charles, Mary McGarrett and anyone else who might sound familiar to the reader do not belong to me in any shape or form, I am merely using them for my own entertainment purposes
The character of Danni Williams is probably mine by now. Even though she was originally based on male Danny Williams I think it's probably safe to say that's she turned into her own individual character with her own set of beliefs and personality, especially since I've created a back ground for her which is different to male Danny's background in the show. This also affects Grace who is different from the show as well in ways.
The characters of Jack O'Connor, Riley King and Louisa Palakiko-Cowan most definitely belong to me though
I should also add that if a character is mentioned who you are not instantly aware of then that character belong to me as well
Author Note
So here's a story which has been co-written with the wonderful Tealrose, if you haven't done so then you should read her NCIS stories because they are great and were one of things which got me back into the NCIS fiction world!
I know I had said that I wouldn't put up any stories until some of my others were finished but this story is technically finished so it doesn't require any additional work from me other than reading through it and making sure that I didn't make any stupid mistakes. If I've missed anything then that is completely my fault and no one else's.
This story belongs in 'the what if 'story saga. It could be a part of the main saga (The beginning, family ect ect) but isn't. It's more a look at how some things could have happened but didn't so this is a way which Riley King could have joined 50 but it's not the official way he did. We just like experimenting and keeping the muse happy!
Anyway enough from me, please enjoy and have a wonderful new year.
Overall summary
Two weeks was all it took for everything to go wrong and now it was up to Steve McGarrett to fix things... the only problem was he wasn't sure he could. (Part of the 'What if' Danni saga)
Chapter Summary
Danni breathed out slowly as she placed a portion of pasta bake in front of Grace. Her eyes flickering up towards the kitchen door when she heard the familiar sound of keys in the front door lock indicating that Steve had arrived home from work. He was the only person other than Duncan who had a key to her home.
Overall romance
Steve McGarrett/Danni Williams
Eventual mentions of other romances as we go.
Chapter Romance
Steve McGarrett / Danni Williams
Chapter Four
Danni breathed out slowly as she placed a portion of pasta bake in front of Grace. Her eyes flickering up towards the kitchen door when she heard the familiar sound of keys in the front door lock indicating that Steve had arrived home from work. He was the only person other than Duncan who had a key to her home.
"Mamma? Is everything okay? You look upset over something, is this about the grown up stuff you mentioned earlier?" Grace asked her, fork in hand as she stared up at Danni with a look of concern in her dark eyes.
Danni smiled at her, leaning down and brushing a soft kiss over the top of Grace's dark hair before she pulled back and spoke.
"Everything is going to be fine Gracie, your Uncle Steve and I just had a difference of opinion over something at work which we need to talk about so once you've eaten would you mind going to your room and getting on with your homework? Once Steve and I have finished I'll come and get you and we can watch a movie before your bedtime. How does that sound?" Danni asked, thankful when the concerned look disappeared from Grace's expression as she nodded eagerly.
"Can I pick the movie?" She asked hopefully causing Danni to laugh.
"I'm pretty sure you picked the last three movies we watched Grace. I'm beginning to think that I need to set up a movie rota to make it fair" She remarked on a sigh, winking at Grace when the small girl laughed even as she shook her head at Danni's suggestion.
"No Mommy! If you do that than that means Steve gets to pick a movie and he always picks weird ones" Grace stated, her nose wrinkling up as she scooped some pasta on to her fork and popped it into her mouth, making a please sound. "This is yummy" she said through her mouthful, making the words muffled.
"I'm glad you like it, but no talking with your mouth full Gracie, you know the rules" Danni scolded lightly, looking up when the door opened and Steve walked into the room, his eyes moving around them both carefully as though trying to gauge what their reaction to him would be.
"Heyho Uncle Steve, Mamma's made pasta bake and it's really good" Grace stated happily, shooting Steve a smile over her shoulder before she began attacking her food in earnest.
"Well it's no surprise if you're mom made it then, she's one of the best cooks I know and I've tried a lot of food by a lot of different people." Steve responded, his eyes fixed on Danni who ignored the look as she pulled out the garlic bread from the oven, placing it on the counter top and grabbed the bread knife, cutting it into even pieces.
"She is the best" Grace corrected, a stubborn look on her face which caused Steve to laugh.
"Okay she's the best" He agreed.
"Thank you both for the praise, though I'm pretty sure that there are better cooks than me out there" Danni remarked coming to the table and placing two bowl full of pasta in front of the seats she and Steve normally took before she headed back and grabbed the garlic bread, bringing that over as well and holding it out to Grace who took two pieces from it with a smile. She took two for herself before passing Steve the bowl and taking her seat.
"So it looks like Riley is going to take a bit of work to get him out of the SEAL mentality. I think he's been in that mode so long that he doesn't realise he's even slipping into it. I just need to figure out a way of doing it. I also got another resume in today, someone who would be perfect to help you with the work needed after a case is wrapped up." Steve said, an undercurrent of eagerness to his voice as he met Danni's eyes.
"We'll talk about this later Steven, I don't want to talk about work at the dinner table tonight." Danni remarked, keeping her voice light. Her gaze flickering from Steve to Grace, noticing that the small girl was watching them with an unhappy look as she looked between them. Danni bit the inside of her lip, she always swore to herself that she wouldn't place her daughter in the middle of anything again and she was determined to keep that promise to herself. "So Gracie, when I was speaking to Amy earlier she was telling me how good the rehearsals for the school play was going and how great she thought you were going to be. There's not long to go until its show time, a couple of weeks or less I think if memory serves me right. Are you nervous Gracie?" She asked, thankful to see Grace's face light up like a Christmas tree as she nodded.
"I'm really nervous Mamma, like terrified but Auntie Amy says I'm going to be really good and nerves are normal and you're going to be there watching me right?" Grace asked pleadingly, biting on her lower lip anxiously.
"I'll make sure that she's there Grace, no matter what come up you have my word on that" Steve injected before Danni could respond. She looked up at him, taking in his earnest face as he looked at Grace. Danni looked down at her food, her mind whirling as she tried to figure out how Steve planned to keep that promise, was he going to bench her further? She had managed to get a lot of paperwork done today which had been a blessing but she wanted to be able to be out in the field. She glanced back up when Grace spoke again.
"You should come to the play as well Uncle Steve, we get four tickets for family; one for mamma, one for Daddy and you can have the last one." Grace informed him, with a smile, turning back to her food and missing the look that Steve shot her at her casual acceptance of Steve being part of her family.
"I wouldn't miss it Grace" He said huskily, swallowing hard, he turned and looked at Danni but she was focused on her meal as well though unlike her daughter, she seemed to be just pushing the pasta around the plate.
The rest of the meal passed in quiet talk, Danni directing the majority of her comments towards Grace who quickly cleared her plates and asked to excused, placing it on the side by the sink when Danni gave her permission and hurried from the room, closing the door behind her. Steve breathed out, opening his mouth to speak but Danni beat him to it.
"We'll talk in the living room Steve" She stated, her voice expressionless.
Steve nodded, his eyes widening when Danni stood up and headed towards the door, pulling it open and leaving the room without another word. He stared at the leftover food and dishes left on the table and realised with a sinking heart that Chin had been right when he had said that Danni was angry. He had never seen her leave the plates before. Getting to his feet, he followed her out of the room and into the living room, closing the door behind him, taking the seat opposite her, his heart sinking further when he saw that she had ignored the sofa where they normally sat together.
"Danni, about today… the Riley situation, I…" He stopped for a moment, trying to figure out the best way of phrasing it. "I'm sorry if I made you feel as though I was replacing you as my partner with Riley, I'm not, I want to make that clear to you. The only person who I want as my partner on this taskforce is the one I already have which is you. I don't want Riley, I don't want Chin or Jack or Kono and I definitely don't want Toast as my partner. I just want you. You're everything I need in a work partner okay?" He said, leaning forward in his chair, studying her face closely, catching the flash of relief in her eyes before they went blank.
"Right" She said with a single nod which placed Steve on edge.
"I handled this badly, I know that okay. Everyone has made their views on that perfectly clear. I was really happy when Riley accepted the job from the Governor. I hadn't planned it, it had actually been the Governor's idea to have Riley join. I thought I had told you about it but I'm guessing that I didn't which was my mistake. I should have spoken to you the minute the Governor called me about it."
"So why didn't you?" Danni asked quietly.
"I guess I was just thankful that we were getting someone else on the team. We've been so overworked at the moment that none of us are getting any downtime and we need it. You need it Danni, I know how tired you've been going from our cases to paperwork and back again. I know we all our share but you take on the brunt of the work that happens once the case is dealt with. That's why I brought the resume of that woman I told you about home today so you could look at it. Even the Governor is worried about us burning out. The more people we get, the more time off we can take, time off that we can spend together Danni without worrying about being called in." He told her, meeting her eyes when they came up to meet his. She searched them for a moment before she sighed, rubbing at her fore head for a second before she dropped it and spoke,
"How long have you been living here now Steve?" She queried, catching the look of confusion which came to his face at her question.
"Seven weeks now" He answered her.
"Seven weeks" She repeated with a nod. "And out of that seven weeks how long have you been sharing a bed with me because it helped keep your nightmares at bay"
"Five weeks" Steve said slower this time, clearly trying to figure out where Danni was going with this line and questioning.
"And we've been a couple for…"
"A week now" Steve said quietly.
"Exactly, so seven weeks now we've been living together and working together day after day, we've shared the same bed for five of those weeks and yet I had to find out from Toast of all people about you hiring Riley. Do you know how it felt getting all those pitying looks from the others today?" She demanded. "And in a way it worst that your reason for not telling me is that you forgot to tell me." She said shakily. "I am your second in command Steve and yet today you completely undermined me in front of our team, you made me look like an idiot and worse you made it look like you don't trust me."
Steve opened his mouth before he closed it, shaking his head.
"No Danni, that isn't what… I didn't mean to make you feel like that okay. I guess with everything going on it just slipped my mind and I know that excuse sucks I do, but it's the truth Danni, I would never hide something from you. All I could think about was us getting time off together and be able to actually spend some time with our families and with Grace and…" He stopped and swallowed, giving him a second to compose himself before he looked up at Danni. "If you want me to together my things together and go then I can do that. I can go and stay at a hotel."
Danni was quiet for a moment, waiting until he looked back at her before she shook her head at him.
"I'm pretty sure we said that we would keep our work and personal life separate as much as we could Steve, Me being pissed at you at work doesn't mean that I'm pissed at you at home. Am I angry at my work partner? Well yeah I'm furious at him, am I angry at my boss? Yeah I am" She stated, meeting his eyes and noticing his barely concealed flinch. "But am I mad at the man who I care about, the man who is becoming more important to me than anyone else other than Grace and my twin then the answer to that is no." She told him softly. "I know you did this for me. I know that and the girlfriend side of me appreciates that you care enough about my happiness to do this. There's a part of me which thinks is vaguely sweet but when we are at work Steve than I am just your work partner. I'm not your girlfriend when he step through the doors to 50. We agreed when we started this up that we wouldn't treat each other differently if we could help it. Putting my happiness above the good of the team is a recipe for disaster. You can't do it again. And yeah you messed up badly at work but that doesn't mean I'm going to throw you out of our home. I'm hoping that one day maybe in the future you'd consider moving in full time" She remarked, watching his reaction closely.
Steve's face brightened, a smile coming to his face before he sighed.
"I never wanted to hurt you Danni, please believe me. I wouldn't."
"I know you wouldn't, at least not on purpose" Danni agreed, leaning back in her chair and bringing her legs up, adjusting herself so they were wrapped beneath her.
"I'll speak to the team tomorrow as soon as everyone and explain to them what happened" He told her, his heart lightening when she finally smiled at him.
"That sounds like the best idea you've had today" She said, tilting her head to the side as she continued to speak. "So, tell me about Riley then. How is he doing?"
"I think he's going to be good eventually but it will take some work. You and Chin will need to work with him once the two weeks are up. I'll teach you the code words we have for each other. Use the word and it will bring him out of his zone if he goes into it." He said before he sighed. "But I told you that already haven't I? I guess even I'm feeling tired with all the work we have at the moment."
"We do need some downtime, our list of things to do is adding up. We still need to see that builder you wanted to see for your house, we've had to cancel the last two times." Danni commented, looking serious for a second before she suddenly smiled. "So the Governor is worried about us being overworked?"
"Yeah she is. In my last meeting with her, the one where she told me about Riley, she also told me that she wanted us to hire at least four more people and to get a move on with it and that she wanted them hired within two months. She also told me to get my head out of my ass and to take you away for a long weekend where we couldn't be reached by anyone, herself included." He remarked, smiling when he caught the look of surprise on Danni's face before she laughed in disbelief.
"She is way too blunt for a Governor." Danni commented with a shake of her head before she came to her feet. "I know you're sorry for what you did Steve and it will take a while for me to get over it but I will but things need to change. If you do something like this again then you won't need to worry about hurting my feelings because my request for a transfer would be on your desk and with the Governor before you could finish speaking." She told him seriously.
"Then I best make sure I don't mess up again because I need you on the team Danni. You're the one who keeps me focused and sane at times."
"Don't I know it" Danni agreed, bridging the gap between them and lowered herself onto Steve's lap, leaning forward and kissing him, feeling the tension ease out of him as he returned the kiss. She leaned back, meeting his eyes. "You're an idiot but you're my idiot. Just don't do it again and make sure that you speak to the team tomorrow and explain everything to them, especially to Toast and Kono. Those are two people who you do not want to be on the wrong side of." She stated.
"Understood" He said, nuzzling his face into her neck, kissing the skin.
"Good, so tell me about this new person who resume you have because you looked ready to burst over it earlier. She better be mine as well Steve. I'm a Detective, I'm meant to be out there doing what I'm good at. I'm not a girl meant to be contained in an office drowning in paperwork." She stated, a tone of longing to her voice which she couldn't hide.
"I know Danni and we'll get you out there again soon, you just need to be patient for a bit longer" He told her, bringing his hand up and cupping the back of her neck as he continued speaking "Her name is Louisa Palakiko-Cowan and I think you'll like her. She used to work with me in intelligence but she's looking for something less action packed because she's got a small family now who she wants to be with so she would be happy remaining in the office and dealing with the paperwork. I've worked with her several times before and she's really extremely good at what she does. I brought it home so you can have a look at it"
"That's music to my ear but later on, I promised Gracie we would watch a movie together once you and I had spoken" Danni remarked, leaning forward and kissing him again.
Steve held her tightly to him, his other hand moving up her back, each kiss becoming more heated than the last when his cell phone suddenly went off with a pop song that was so unlike Steve that it had him and Danni jerking apart to stare at each other in frank surprise before they turned as one to look at his cargo pant pocket where the noise was going from. He moved slightly, his arm wrapped around Danni to keep her steady as he forced the phone out, staring at the picture ID blankly.
"It's Mary" He stated, looking up at Danni who was watching him with an amused look.
"Are you going to answer the call or has a few kisses blown your mind?" She teased with a wink. He pulled a face at her before he answered it.
"Hey Mary, how you doing?" He asked, smiling when Mary responded brightly.
"Not bad big brother. I'm kind of missing the Hawaiian sunshine at the moment so I was thinking of coming over for a visit if that's okay?" She asked him.
"Yeah of course, is everything okay? You doing okay right?" He asked, frowning slightly when she sighed.
"Everything is fine Steve. I'm more stable than the last time we saw each other if that is what you're worried about. I just need a break from LA, maybe a new start would do me some good" She admitted. Steve glanced up when Danni cupped his face.
"She okay?" she mouthed at him.
"Don't know" he mouthed back. Danni nodded, leaning forward and kissing his forehead before she climbed off of his lap and headed out of the living room, leaving him alone in it.
"Steve are you still there?" Mary queried, an uncertain tone to her voice.
"Yeah I'm here Mare, look why wait to come over. If you don't have work at the moment then why don't you fly over now? We've got plenty of space here so you can come and stay with us while you get yourself sorted or if you'd rather stay somewhere else so I don't cramp your style then I can help you. It be good to see you" He told her.
"You mean it?" Mary asked.
"Yeah Mare I mean it, we're family and I've missed you" He admitted. He had been missing her and his Aunt and Uncle and cousins a great deal more now that he was settled in Hawaii with an actual home. "I think you would like Danni and Grace and the rest of my team. I…" He didn't get to finish his sentence as Mary interrupted.
"Danni? Who is Danni? Is she a girl? Man I am so coming over now as soon as I can get a fight"
"Danni is a girl who is my second command at work and my partner" He began, stopping again when she spoke over him.
"I am so hearing a but coming up here Steve"
"Well there would be one if you would let me finish a sentence Mary" He remarked, making sure he kept his voice amused so she wouldn't take offence before he carried on speaking. "But she's also my girlfriend and Grace is her eight year old daughter. I live with them at the moment while the house is fixed up. You remember I told you about it being involved in a gunfight? I figured that I might as well get the whole place updated and redecorated at the same time." He stated.
"I can't blame you for that. Dad always did keep things out of date for some reason. I'm guessing you have enough money for it all. I'm guessing if Danni is your girlfriend and you're living with her then she will be helping you pick out colour scheme. At least I hope she is, you're not exactly known for your DIY skills."
"That's classified Mary" Steve answered with a grin, ignoring his sister's sound of mock outrage. "Just get here as soon as you can okay. Let me know your fight and stuff when you book it. I'll pick you up from the airport."
"You got it Steve, bye"
"Bye Mare" Steve replied, hanging up the phone, he came to his feet, pushing the phone back into his pocket and headed into the kitchen, smiling when he saw Danni had already put the leftover in the Tupperware boxes she used and were now washing the dishes.
He moved behind her wrapping his arms around her waist.
"Everything okay with your sister?" Danni asked, glancing over her shoulder at him with a questioning look.
"She seems okay. She's coming out here for a visit but I think she may end up staying here. I don't think things are going great in LA. I want to keep a close eye on here and help her get back on the straight and narrow again." He told her, leaning down and resting his chin on her shoulder.
"Well you know she's welcome to stay here" Danni offered instantly, looking back at the plate she was washing.
"I appreciate the offer babe but I'm not sure if she will or not. You never know with Mary. It sounds like she's going through a lot, going from job to job, drinking and probably doing other stuff as well. She always seems to get out of any trouble she falls into but sometimes her decisions still kick her in the ass from time to time." He remarked with a frown.
"It sounds like she's searching for something, maybe if she comes here then she'll find it. We can work faster on your family home as well, she may want to stay there" Danni suggested, her comment causing Steve to smile when he heard the fact she was referring to them as a 'we'
Whatever happened, he had the feeling that they would deal with it together.
Author Note
Thanks for taking the time to read, an especially big thank you if you've taken the time to review, follow or favourite the story. I really appreciate it!