The Makani Kai helicopter was waiting, blades already whirling, by the time Chin got to their spot at the Honolulu International Airport. Danny was fine with the whole Steve-piloting-a-helicopter thing because after all, they'd gone after his sister Mary Ann in a helicopter and survived. Steve could do anything.
Pretty much.
He guessed.
It wasn't until the Traverse screeched to a stop…until Steve, Chin and Danny were out of the vehicle and running full-tilt toward the chopper with Steve's friend who owned Makani Kai waiting to speak briefly to him…until Steve was bent close to the man so he could hear what he was saying…that Danny's world suddenly felt like it was falling apart all over again.
Suddenly the Lunar x6 Moon Shuttle seemed to be spiraling wildly out of control.
He stopped so fast on the tarmac that he nearly tripped over his own feet.
Or was it Danny who was spiraling?
The whirling blades mesmerized him. Chop-choppa-chop-choppa they said, rhythmic and soothing…speaking, maybe.
He cried out and reached for Steve.
Danny felt his chest heave, felt himself begin to hyperventilate.
He felt his hands grab Steve's arm…
He swayed, eyes growing big and round. Chop-choppa-chop-choppa.
…then it was almost as if Steve just turned into a puff of smoke and disappeared right out from under Danny's grip.
"Oh, God, it's the helicopter!" he gasped, only then realizing both Chin and Steve were already on board. "No."
"Danny!" Steve yelled through the open pilot-side door. "Come on!" He gestured with his left arm even as he put on the headset.
There was no sound of human voices, only the sound of a loud, very high-pitched whine.
A high-pitched whine came out of Danny's wide-open mouth. He felt the sweltering hot tarmac scrape mercilessly against his bare forearms as he dropped hard to the ground.
"Danny!"
He could hear his cell phone ringing.
Why do birds suddenly appear
Every time you are near?
Chop-choppa-chop-choppa-chop-choppa-don't-do-it-don't-do-it-don't-do-it…
"Danny, are you okay?"
He heard the explosion happen…
He looked up, struggling to catch his breath.
"Steve!"
"Steve!"
Steve's wide eyes were right in front of him, hands gripping Danny's biceps, shaking him a little. "Danny, what is it?"
"Chin…"
Steve turned around to look at the helicopter. Looked back at Danny's ashen face. "Holy shit!" He hopped to his feet. "Chin! Chin get out of there now! Chin!"
High-pitched whine from the helicopter.
…only the sound of a loud, very high-pitched whine…
Just like me, they long to be
Close to you.
"Chin!"
Danny heard the explosion.
He squeezed his eyes closed, tears leaking out of them, even as Steve ran toward the burning mass, narrowly avoiding a blade whipping off and piercing the wall of a nearby hangar.
"Here! I'm here!"
Danny's eyes popped open. The sound of sirens, hollering voices, the charred helicopter burning out of control…it all faded into a background buzz as Danny watched Chin Ho run toward Steve, then the two of them turn and begin running toward him.
Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah Close to you
Chin and Steve were on their knees next to Danny quick as lightning. "You just saved Chin's life," Steve said, panting from exertion and adrenaline as he placed a hand on Danny's shoulder. "You saved all our lives, Danny."
Danny took a few deep breaths. "Maybe that's all," he replied. "Maybe it's finally over."
Steve winked at him. "Told you you could do it, partner."
"What?"
Steve looked at him. "What what?"
"You just said—"
Steve held his hands up in mock defense. "I said nothing."
"But you—"
"Danny, what, I didn't say anything!"
Steve looked perplexed.
"He didn't, brah," Chin confirmed.
Danny felt perplexed. What the…?
"Oh, God, Stan! What about Stan, what if he's on that island?" Danny asked, completely forgetting what he was sure Steve said that Steve had…hadn't…whatever.
"If that ring tone's any indication, Kono's trying to call you," Chin said with a nod at the pants pocket Danny's phone was hidden in. "Probably about something to do with one of them."
"Close to You by the Carpenters?" Steve asked, voice rising a notch. "You hate it when I play that song!"
Danny looked up at him. "That's 'cause you're not a five-foot-nine gorgeous kick-ass woman," he said with a smile.
Chin laughed heartily as Danny pulled his phone out, thumbed the line open and listened to Kono's words.
Stan was safe.
Rachel and Stan, Jr. were safe.
Grace, the nanny and the Edwards housekeeper were all safe.
And Virgil Gabbana, well…Kono claimed she wasn't sure how it was he got knocked unconscious, but it might've had something to do with him pulling a gun on her as she drove and threatening to shoot her if she didn't take him to the site where his team was secretly digging up all the gadolinium.
"Kono," Danny said as Steve pulled him to his feet, "you are a goddess and I will forever love you."
Her laugh in his ear made him smile so wide he could feel his eyes crinkling at the corners. "That means drinks are on you tonight, my man," she said.
"You've got yourself a deal…after I've gone and made my daughter some chicken soup," Danny replied.
"Can I help?" she asked.
"Sure," he said. "The whole team can. I don't think Stan and Rachel will mind us keeping their kitchen occupied."
"Doubt it," Kono agreed. "Especially once they find out what we've just finished doing." Danny was just about to end the call when Kono's voice came through again. "Oh, and Danny?"
"Yeah?" he said, putting the phone back to his ear.
"Change my ringtone or next time we go surfing I'll purposely drop in and wipe you the fuck out."
Suitably chastised, Danny nodded. "I'll get right on that."
But he wouldn't. Because the Aneurism+WTF+That's-MY-Goddamn-Song Face Steve was giving him was worth Kono getting in his way on the next wave he caught and making him go down nice and hard.
Steve scowled all the way back to headquarters.
Actually, he scowled the entire time they were there, too, getting the full story out of Virg Gabbana. Which was, of course, all about him and his construction crew absconding with the gadolinium, selling it to the dealer in Honolulu and disappearing to somewhere on Earth where they couldn't be found to live out the rest of their lives with more money than they'd ever be able to spend.
On Earth.
Danny sighed as he, Steve, Chin and Kono headed out of the palace. "What's the matter now?" Steve asked.
"I kind of miss the Moon," Danny lamented.
His teammates gave him a funny look.
"Edwards house in ninety minutes?" Chin asked, checking his watch as he tossed Steve the keys to his Traverse.
"Yeah, I've got to get cleaned up and we need to hit the grocery store to pick up chicken soup ingredients," Danny replied.
"We?" Steve repeated. "Why do I have to go to the grocery store with you?"
"You've got the car, Steven. What are you going to do, wait in it while I go in?"
"Well," Steve said, pouting as he got into the driver's seat, "yes."
Danny rolled his eyes.
Chin shook his head and Kono laughed as the cousins pulled away.
Then Danny's cell phone rang.
Why do birds suddenly appear?
Steve looked sidelong at him.
Danny pulled out the phone, thumbed the call open, and tried to say hello. But he didn't even get a squeak out when Kono's voice came through so loud even Steve could hear it as they pulled out of the palace's parking lot.
"I will drop you!" she menaced.
Danny very quickly changed the ringtone.
And sighed. Because maybe he would miss the Moon.
A little.
Everything except the Moondust, anyway.
EPILOGUE
They had just walked in the front door of Steve's house, where Danny had one clean change of clothes left and intended to use them.
"You going to be okay driving your car home later on tonight?" Steve asked as he headed for the staircase.
"What?"
"The Camaro. Because if you're not, you know…you're welcome to crash here again."
Danny smiled up at him, waved the suggestion away. "We've got a full day of paperwork and interviews and straightening this whole damn thing out tomorrow," he replied. "I'll need another clean set of clothes and everything, you know."
Steve nodded and started up the stairs. He stopped and turned. "Did we really live on the Moon?"
He remembered the tiny room's twin bed…the built-into-the-wall dresser…the smaller version of their bullpen. He remembered every detail of the transport and the stupid flash drive with Steve's mp3 god-awful music on it. The overly plush couch at Stan and Rachel's place. Steve telling him they had to go back to Hawaii. Eating one of the cookies Malia had had shipped all the way there from Honolulu.
"Naw," he huffed with a shake of his head and yet another dismissive wave in Steve's direction. "It was just dreams, man."
"You're gonna be okay, though."
"So long as you, partner o' mine, promise to never kiss the back of my hand."
Steve made a face that had Danny laughing out loud. Now that was one he'd have to name and soon.
"I won't play that song anymore if it bothers you so much," Steve offered.
"I kind of like it," Danny replied. It reminds me of us on the Moon…
Steve shrugged and disappeared up the steps.
Danny reached into his pants pocket to pull out his phone. When it emerged in his hand, he saw something on his fingertips that made him frown and look at them closely.
Real closely.
They were covered in something white. No, more gray-white.
"What the—?"
He put the phone down on the table next to Steve's front door and reached back into that same pocket. There was something soft and powdery in the bottom of it. He scooped it up and pulled his hand back out, raising it so it was eye-level.
"Oh, my God," he breathed.
Because no freaking way could it be…
"Moondust."
SHAMELESS SELF-PROMOTION ALERT!
It's coming out MAY 7TH at midnight, everyone - that's this Tuesday! What am I talking about? The second book in my "Takers" series...my original novels about a new kind of vampire! "Takers II: Family" will be hitting Amazon and Smashwords MONDAY MAY 7TH by midnight, so if you haven't checked out the first book yet, search either of those sites for Takers Chris Davis and download the first one to catch up before the second one hits the e-stores! You can also find out more on my blog about my original fiction and screenplays at authorcdavis DOT com.
Thank you for reading my Hawaii Five-0 fanfic!
