Someday My Prince

Rosemarie Magliulo was a wizened old woman who was known to everyone in the neighborhood as Nonna Rose. She always had cookies for the kids that used her yard to play Red Rover or Freeze Tag, which of course made hers the premier yard for all kinds of games. The grownups would whisper about her, half-joking comments about the Evil Eye and the Sight, but Nonna Rose received plenty of adult visitors as well. It was a poorly kept secret that if you were facing a major life decision, you'd go see her and not only would you get amazingly accurate advice about what to do, you'd also get fed.

Danny Williams was lucky enough to live next door to Nonna Rose. Sometimes when his parents went out she'd watch him and his sisters. He would always remember that she had a squeaky plastic cover over her upstairs sofa, and a crystal dish filled with peppermints on the hutch in the dining room. Nonna Rose kept a box of toys and books that had belonged to her own children for him to play with, things like wooden trains and picture books and blocks painted to look like buildings so he could make a city to race his Hot Wheels around in.

Whenever Nonna Rose had a visitor with questions she'd send Danny and his sisters down to the basement. There was a whole other living room there, the one used for entertaining because the upstairs room was fancy and just for show; there was no plastic on the furniture in the basement.

"Watch your brother," she'd tell the girls, but they never did. Tina would sprawl all over the couch and watch soap operas on the little TV set. Nancy would have her nose buried in some stupid romance novel. And Danny would sometimes sneak back to the top of the stairs and listen to Nonna Rose advise women on their love lives and men on job offers. He might only have been five years old, but he knew Nonna Rose was special; she knew things no-one else did.

She'd catch him, of course, and give him a wink as she showed her visitor to the door. Danny would always blush and run back down the stairs, returning to whatever game he'd been playing. One day, though, he stayed there on the top step, hands curled over the top of the half door.

"You have a question, Daniel?" Nonna Rose asked. Her face was wreathed in wrinkles but her eyes twinkled with amusement. Some of the other kids in the neighborhood were scared of her, but not Danny.

"Can you tell my future, Nonna?" he asked.

She leaned against the other side of the door and looked as if she was giving his request serious consideration. Nonna Rose never talked down to kids or made them feel as if their concerns were insignificant.

"Your future isn't set yet, caro mio," she replied. "You have many more choices to make."

"Will I find a handsome prince, like Ms. Bylicki?"

Nonna Rose laughed, and it always surprised Danny that such a loud sound could come from such a tiny woman. "You are very young to worry about finding amore, Daniel."

"But I will, right?" He was too old now to still carry around the desire to marry his mom, but he wanted to be someone's special someone. Oh, he knew his parents loved him, but they loved his sisters too, and the new baby that would be coming soon. Danny wanted the whole spotlight for himself.

Nonna Rose put one arthritic hand on his head and her eyes got a funny, faraway look in them. Danny held his breath.

"Sì," she said after a while. "There is a handsome prince waiting for you. You will know him by his broken heart and lonely soul. Accoramento."

"He sounds sad," Danny whispered.

"Sì, he is. But you will make him happy. You will fill the empty spaces inside each other."

Nonna Rose pulled her hand away, and it trembled just a little. Danny's eyes were wide and he felt like he'd been touched by magic; it tingled down the back of his neck.

"How will I find him?"

"You will have to wait many years, caro mio. You will first make a long journey of the heart and travel across the sea."

Danny was a little disappointed by that. He wanted to find his prince right now, and make him not be so sad. But Nonna Rose was calling his sisters and pulling out chicken cutlets for lunch, and the time for asking questions was over. He never forgot what she said, though. He never spoke of it, either, not even when Nonna Rose passed away six years later and so many people got up to speak about how she'd changed their lives.

Even as Danny grew older, putting down deeper roots and settling into a life in New Jersey not far from where he'd grown up, he never forgot Nonna's words. Some nights he'd dream of a shadowy figure with sad eyes, waiting for him somewhere far away. Every year he spent in Jersey, every year he tried to make a real life for himself with Rachel, he felt his prince getting further and further away; until finally he wondered if the decisions he'd made had changed that future for him irrevocably.

*o*o*o*

Hawaii was supposed to be a place to start over, to reinvent his life. It didn't matter that it wasn't his choice, and it didn't matter that he was leaving almost everything else behind. His family told him to make the best of it, despite their own sorrow at losing him and Grace. He was in such emotional turmoil that he didn't even register that part of Nonna's prediction was coming true – he was traveling across the sea.

So Danny made a new life that resembled his old life as much as possible. He still had Grace, though much less of her than he wanted, and he still had his career, but there was a gaping hole where his family used to be. An empty space that used to be full of Sunday dinners with his parents, football games with his brothers-in-law, and holidays when he'd dress up like Santa for the kids or spend all night hiding Easter eggs in his mother's garden.

Of course, after Steve McGarrett barreled into his life, stealing him from HPD after first stealing his case, Danny found himself nostalgic for the long, empty hours.

"Will you slow down, Speed Racer?" Danny clutched the door handle in a vain effort to keep from getting whipped into the passenger side window. "We won't catch this guy if we're a burning heap of twisted metal on the side of the road!"

"Relax, Danno." Steve deftly swerved around a tanker truck, narrowly missing a head-on collision with a minivan.

"Relax? Relax, he tells me." Danny really wanted to shoot a blistering glare at his partner but he was afraid to take his eyes off the road. "Let me guess. You had the top score in Pole Position?"

"Why are you so uptight?" Steve wasn't as concerned with watching the road, and looked over at Danny with an amused expression on his face. "I've never crashed us yet, have I?"

"Yet being the key word in that sentence. And face front! Are you trying to give me heart failure?"

"I know what I'm doing."

"Sure. Of course you do." Danny's foot stomped down on a non-existent brake as they very nearly clipped the fender of another car while Steve passed on the right. "I'm sure you took crazy derby driving courses in SEAL school, or whatever, but real people don't drive this way!"

"Unlike real people, I always get my man," Steve replied smugly. Then the car was in a nausea-inducing spin, the smell of burned rubber making Danny lament the shortened life span of his tires even as he squeezed his eyes shut and held on for dear life.

The car had barely screeched to a halt before Steve was out and running, gun drawn. Danny scrambled to follow, fighting with his seatbelt. He needn't have bothered; by the time he got out of the Camaro his partner already had their guy out of his vehicle and cuffed, and even made a token attempt at the Miranda rights.

"Told you."

"I hate you," Danny said passionately as he holstered his own weapon.

"No you don't," Steve grinned.

*o*o*o*

The truth of the matter was that Danny couldn't hate Steve, even though sometimes he really tried. McGarrett made him crazy, what with his penchant for blowing stuff up and diving in front of bullets. Worse, he involved Danny in these life-threatening activities and that was just unacceptable. Except…he knew he couldn't be anywhere else but at Steve's side to keep watch his back.

Danny's hollowed-out spaces were being filled now with Longboards shared out on the lanai, and team dinners at the Hilton, and surfing lessons with Kono. Steve had given him a new family, a new purpose, and a distraction from the crapstorm his personal life often was these days.

Still, it didn't click for Danny until the anniversary of John McGarrett's death rolled around. He'd been waiting for it, nervously eyeing the calendar a month ahead. He wasn't sure what to expect from his partner when the day finally arrived, but Steve strolled into HQ like it was just a regular day. Danny kept an eye on him throughout the day as they interviewed some witnesses and followed a couple of dead-end leads.

"Can we eat?" he asked well after the normal lunch hour. "I'm running on fumes here."

Steve shot him a look, then nodded. "Sure."

Danny bit his lip to keep from asking if his partner was okay, because it was a stupid question; he could see the tension in Steve's face, the tightness around his eyes. He wished he had something to say, some magical phrase that would take some of his hurt away.

"Diner okay?"

"Yeah, that's good. As long as they have food, it really doesn't make a difference." The diner was close and he really was hungry. He thought it wouldn't hurt Steve to get some food in him, either.

"After lunch we'll head back, see if Chin's been able to put anything together." Steve parked the car and Danny didn't say anything until they'd gone inside and ordered.

"You know, we could just call it a day. We've been running into nothing but brick walls. Maybe we'll have better luck tomorrow, with fresh eyes."

Steve frowned. "I'm not giving up yet."

"I'm not asking you to give up. Just…take the rest of the day off. You know, just…relax." And okay, he knew that wasn't going to fly as soon as he said it.

"Relax? In the middle of a case?" If anything, Steve's face got even more closed off. "This is about my dad, isn't it?"

"Of course this is about your dad!" Danny felt exasperated, and sorry he even brought this up. "It's okay to take some time, Steve. We all understand."

"I'm fine."

Danny snorted derisively. "I know you're like some superhuman machine, but it's okay to need some time to process your feelings."

"What are you, my shrink?" The words dripped with sarcasm, but Danny could see the truth in his eyes; grief and pain and heartbreak.

You will know him by his broken heart.

Danny jerked back from the words, startled at the clarity of Nonna Rose's voice in his head. He accidentally knocked into his water glass, tipping it over and sending all that water splashing right into Steve's lap.

"Jesus, Danny!" Steve jumped to his feet and started pulling napkins from the dispenser on the table, blotting ineffectually at his saturated cargo pants. "What the hell?"

Danny could only stare, at a loss for words for probably the first time in his life. Steve? Steve was the handsome prince he'd been waiting for since he was five? No way. And yet…his life had changed when they'd met. His own loneliness had faded away, but that was only half of the equation.

"Are you lonely?" he blurted out, fingers clutching the edge of the table.

Steve froze, staring at Danny like he was growing a second head. The waitress chose that moment to return with their meals and she stood there uncertainly, tray balanced on one hand.

"We'll need that to go," Steve said, never taking his eyes off Danny's mortified face.

"I'm…uh…" Danny fled; there was no other word for the way he pushed back from the table and practically ran to the car. Steve had the keys, of course, but he slid into the driver's seat anyway and adjusted it for his smaller stature. Then he repeatedly banged his head on the steering wheel.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid!" Why the hell couldn't he keep his mouth shut? Was he trying to ruin everything?

The passenger door opened and Steve slid in, setting two Styrofoam to-go containers on his water dampened lap. He held the keys out for Danny and they stared at each other for a long moment before Danny took them and started the car. He automatically drove in the direction of Steve's house.

The silence between them was uncomfortable and Danny didn't have the first clue what to say. He still couldn't get over the idea that his partner was his prince, but once he'd had that thought he knew it was right. Which meant, presumably, that Steve had feelings of some kind for him, unless the universe was feeling particularly cruel. True, there'd been some mutual flirting between them since the very first day, but sometimes even the straightest guys could come off really gay under the right circumstances. Danny didn't think that was the case this time, though.

"I mean, there's something there, right?"

"What?" Steve asked, startled.

"Thing is, she was never wrong. You know?" Danny took one hand off the wheel to gesture with. He was aware that he was babbling, and not very coherently, but once the words started to come there was no stopping them.

"She was right about the DeMauro triplets, and Mr. Hencricks taking the job at the smaller firm. I mean, no-one thought that would work and now he's like the CEO or COO or something else with three letters."

"Danny, are you okay? Did you hit your head or something?"

"Maybe this is punishment for the time I broke her lamp. Which was Skippy Detweiler's fault anyway. But why else would it be you? You're supposed to make my life better, not try to kill me every time we catch a case." Danny frowned. He should've kicked Skippy's ass when he had the chance.

"You're sounding a little crazy right now," Steve said carefully, his hand drifting to the door handle.

"What're you gonna do, jump out into traffic while the car is still moving?" Danny jabbed a finger in his partner's direction. "See, this? This is what I'm talking about. My prince shouldn't be able to consider jumping from a moving vehicle as a viable option. Or airplanes, for that matter."

"Wait, what? Prince?"

"Yes, prince. Soulmate. One true love." Danny pulled into Steve's driveway and turned off the engine. "You know, the perfect person for me, the one who…who…makes everything better."

Steve was making a face that was somewhere between wary and seriously alarmed. "And you think that's me?"

Danny shrugged. "I don't know. Nonna Rose thought so. Clearly she had a bigger sense of humor than I was aware of."

"Who the hell is Nonna Rose?"

"She was the old lady who lived next door to me when I was a kid. She could see the future." Danny waved his hand dismissively. "The point is, what do I do now?"

Steve was looking more concerned by the minute, and Danny would've laughed if the situation wasn't so serious. He just wasn't sure how to feel about all this, though he thought he might start leaning towards guardedly optimistic.

"She saw the future."

"The problem is, neither one of us has the best track record with relationships, right?" Danny leaned his head back against the seat and sighed. "Is it even worth the risk? I don't know what to do."

"Right." Steve pulled out his phone and made a call. "Chin? Yeah, Danny and I are taking the rest of the day. He had some bad clams or something. It's not pretty. Yeah, I'll let you know."

Danny struggled to get a grip on his thoughts, which were racing. Was he attracted to Steve? Well, even a blind person would be; he was incredibly handsome and beautifully put together, ridiculous cargo pants aside. He had a huge heart beneath that steely SEAL exterior, and an over-developed sense of responsibility that was sometimes quite disarming.

"Come on, Danno. Let's go inside."

They walked in together, Steve still carrying the to-go containers, but Danny kept right on going to the lanai when his partner stopped in the kitchen. He dropped into a chair and ran a hand through his hair. Steve joined him a few minutes later, having changed into dry pants and holding out a beer.

"You wanna tell me what's going on?"

Danny took a long swallow of his Longboard first, and then he told Steve all about Nanna Rose and her long ago prediction. He also mentioned two other occasions when he'd consulted with so-called fortune tellers, and how one of them also indicated this his one true love would be found across a large body of water. He could tell his partner found the whole thing pretty far-fetched, but to his credit he listened without comment until Danny was finished.

"So you think I'm your…ah…"

"Prince," Danny said helpfully.

Steve grinned. "Right. Prince."

Danny leaned forward, elbows on his knees. "The thing is, Steven, all I had going in my life was Grace until I met you. You gave me a reason to want to get out of bed in the morning, but more importantly you gave me a friend. I just wish I could give some of that to you."

Steve's expression softened and he reached out, putting his hand on Danny's arm. "I know I don't always show it but you help me a lot, Danno. Every day. You're my anchor."

"Is that a Navy thing?" Danny joked half-heartedly. He could read the truth in Steve's eyes and felt a wide smile spread on his own face. How could he ever have doubted Nonna Rose?

"It's a you and me thing," Steve corrected. His hand slid down Danny's forearm until he'd twisted their fingers together.

"I waited for you a long time."

"Sorry I was so late."

"I'm willing to let it slide," Danny said affably. He leaned back in the chair but didn't let go of Steve's hand. He felt completely at ease, and content in a way he'd never been before; he sent Nonna Rose a warm thank you. Grazie mille.

"I wish you could've met my dad," Steve murmured, his gaze on their clasped hands.

"Me too, babe. I'm so sorry."

"He would've liked you."

Silence grew between them but it wasn't uncomfortable this time. They drank their beers and listened to the surf, and took solace in each other. When Steve spoke again his voice was hushed.

"The answer to your question? It's no."

Danny looked over at him, confused. "What question?"

"I'm not lonely. I haven't been since the day you drew down on me in the garage."

"You stole evidence," Danny pointed out.

"I stole more than that, Danno."

"Yeah. You did." He squeezed Steve's hand, his thumb stroking little circles over one knuckle. "I'm glad you did."

"Me too."

"You think we can eat now?" Danny asked plaintively. Steve laughed, standing and pulling Danny up with him.

"Wouldn't want you to waste away, partner."

"You really don't," Danny agreed. He wrapped his arms around Steve, hugging him tightly, and pressed a kiss to the side of his neck.

"Come on, Commander. You can wine and dine me."

"Can we drink a toast to Nonna Rose?" Steve asked. He slung his arm across Danny's shoulders as they headed for the kitchen.

"All things considered, I feel like that would be an excellent idea."

You will fill the empty spaces inside each other.

AN: There I was, minding my own business and dutifully working on a rather lengthy fic, when smiles2go flung the following bunny at me:

he grew up beside the gypsy fortuneteller masquarading as a psychic. he'd sneak over over and hide on the back porch and listen in when she had sessions. She always knew and brought him cookies and ruffled his hair. "Your prince will come" she'd whisper theatrically. "You'll know him and he you, the moment your eyes meet." and of course he does. but his prince doesn't have a clue.

And I thought…eh. I'll write it down and file it away. Only it stayed filed for exactly one day and then my muse found it and took off running. This is the result, which seems a bit disjointed to me, but full of so much fluffy goodness I've decided to overlook that. The bunny didn't come with a fandom, but I thought it would be fun to work it into H50, though it might've been a more natural fit in the Sentinel verse.

Thanks for the inspiration, Smiles, but can you cut me some slack for a little while? I need to play with my own bunnies! LOL!