Chapter Ten "The Hardest Thing to Believe"

"This is so unnerving; I know you've never lied to me before, but the things you're telling me I can't yet believe, yet can't ignore... and the only thing that's left for me to do is to trust you. Put the emphasis on the evidence, begging for the proof. Sometimes the hardest thing to believe is the truth."~Relient K

Mary Ann was about ready to pull her hair out. Over the past few months, she had come to love her sister-in-law, but McKenzie could be exasperating sometimes.

"Just call her Jane!" Mary grumbled after yet another etymological discussion. She was completely over the novelty of name-meanings.

"But I don't like that name," McKenzie said.

"Okay, pick a name you like. Is that so hard?"

For a second, McKenzie seemed to zone out. It wasn't until Mary was asking if she was okay that she realized it.

"Huh?" she blinked rapidly. "Oh. Sorry. Um, your brother used to say that."

Mary nodded, pressing her lips together. She remembered. Whenever Steve had succeeded in convincing her to do something, like a new surfing trick he learned, or factoring, he would say that.

But McKenzie remembered like it was yesterday, sitting on the beach. Her beach. It was dark and the sound of the waves calmed her frayed nerves. She told him she loved him for the first time, and he said, "Was that so hard?"

The feelings were still acute. McKenzie knew someday she wouldn't feel this way, but just then, her heart beat faster at the thought. Sometimes in her mind, she could be back on that beach before everything fell apart.

H-5-O

Danny had two problems. One was telling the secret. The other was keeping it. He knew what he had to do, and at this point, telling three people was better than none. It just wasn't the three he would have chosen if it were his choice to make. Still, they were the best and only options. As much as Danny wanted McKenzie to know the truth, she couldn't help them.

There was the little matter of broaching the subject at all that had Danny worried. As tense as things had been, he wasn't sure what kind of reaction he would get.

So, he stared across the kitchen at Kono's back. He didn't know where to begin to tell her the truth.

"Hey," he said softly.

"Hey," she replied, not turning around.

"Do you think I don't know."

She didn't reply.

"I can tell," Danny continued. "But... I understand why you haven't said anything. You feel like everyone's been keeping secrets from you and you can't stand it. You want the truth. Believe me when I say, so do I."

"So, are you going to tell me?" Kono turned to face him, making eye contact for what seemed like the first time in forever.

"I will," Danny said. "Tomorrow. You'll get all the answers you want. It's been." Danny sighed. "Hell, keeping this from you. But everything will come out right in the end."

Kono bit the side of her lip. "I don't know what to think, what I should believe."

Danny crossed the small space and put his hands on her shoulders. "I love you," he said. "I... I don't know if you can forgive me, but I'm hoping tomorrow, you'll see why I had to do this."

Kono brought her hands up to rest inside his elbows, and leaned her forehead against his. "It's a boy," she said quietly.

Danny's sharp intake of breath was his only reply. He had a son.

H-5-O

When the morning came, Danny was actually sort of looking forward to his day. Yes, he was still afraid that he might not come out of it alive, but the relief of someone else knowing the truth was completely worth that risk.

Of course, there was the inevitable, "are we there yet"s from everyone else in the car as they drove toward the hideout.

"You guys are worse than children," Danny finally said. "Didn't I tell you, you'd find out?"

"Several times," Kono grumbled.

"You have the attention span of a gnat."

"Well, a gnat only lives for like a week anyway."

"Yeah? Well, I'd say you have about sixty more years in you."

"So you're implying that I should sit here in silence?"

"No. I think there might be something else you could talk about, because I'm not telling you where we're going."

"How long have they been married," Jenna asked from the backseat.

Chin smirked. "About four months," he said. "They just like arguing."

"It's more of an intellectual pursuit," Danny corrected.

"Like when C.S Lewis had to prove every statement he made to his professor," Kono said. Then she slapped her forehead. "I've been hanging out with McKenzie too much."

"She's a good influence." Danny grinned.

"I guess so, if my logic surpasses yours."

"But it doesn't."

"How's that?"

"You're argument was that a gnat only lives a week. That's pretty much irrelevant."

"Okay, but aren't you the one who's always complaining about your life expectancy?"

"Yes, but you don't believe that."

"Now you're telling me what I believe? What kind of argument is that."

Danny fought a smile. "Okay, you're getting it."

Danny then pulled onto a dirt road and in a few minutes he stopped in a large clearing.

"I take it we're not here for sightseeing?" Jenna said as the four of them got out of the car.

"Nope," Danny replied, leading the other three across the clearing to a place where the vegetation started to become thicker as it merged into the jungle around them. Suddenly, he stopped and started pulling back plants from the ground. Then the other three found themselves looking at a metal panel in the ground.

Danny got out his phone and called someone. "Hey, we're here," he said. "You wanna let us in?" There was a short pause and then Danny looked annoyed. "Password? Seriously? If you don't recognize my voice by now... Right. 'Beware the Ides of March'." Danny hung up and the others stared at him.

"Your password is 'Beware the Ides of March'?" Jenna asked, incredulously.

"Not my idea," Danny said.

Just then, the metal panel opened revealing a steep staircase with dim lights overhead aver few feet.

"Are you following me into the scary pit?" Danny asked, giving the others a sideways grin.

"When are you going to tell us what's down here?" Chin asked as they stared down.

"When we get there," Danny replied.

At the bottom of the stairs was a huge metal door with a keypad on it. Danny punched in the code and the door swung open. Inside was dark except for the countless computer monitors, but the three newcomers didn't really notice this. They were looking at the man standing at the head of a long table. He stood straight with his feet apart and hands behind his back. He was unmistakable.

There was a collective gasp. Then Kono smacked Danny's shoulder, hard. He would have a bruise later.

"I'd kill you two, but that would be counterproductive," she said. Then she hugged Steve, probably giving him bruises too.

"It's nice to see you too," he said, smiling.

She slapped the back of his head. "I'm not talking to you."