A/N: I'm now going to try and move forward to actually solve the case that I started with. I had to get all that Danny angst out of the way – he's still going to be angsty, but at the same time, at least Gloria is going to be all right.
Thank you again for your patience as I try to get through this funk I am in. More updates coming soon!
Chapter 14: Back on the Case
Once the house was released by the forensics team - it was really only the entrance hall and a portion of the front sitting room that was involved in the investigations - Danny was finally able to make his way into the house once more. He'd left the crime scene once Gloria was on the stretcher and being moved out to the ambulance and he hadn't been back inside since. He didn't want to see it like he'd seen it. He didn't want to remember Gloria lying on the floor bleeding. He wanted it to remain the safe pleasant place where he'd come to ride his horse, and where his friend had been safe and happy, but it was ruined now.
He moved quickly through the place where the shooting had happened and up the stairs to the second level - as Aaron took up his post as babysitter in the kitchen. The space was cleaned already. It smelled of industrial strength detergent and there wasn't even a trace of blood now. The shots had gone into the two victims and hadn't come out. The blood had spilled on their cloths and on the hardwood floor, but it wasn't there long enough to stain too badly. The floors would have to be refinished, but the sitting room and the entrance hall would one day be inviting again – just not to Danny.
The clean up was rushed for the investigations sake. Everything that had happened had been witness by Danny. There wasn't anything left to figure out – except who the man with the gun was. He had nothing to do with this house, or this crime scene, the house was just a formality, and Steve wanted it back under Five-O occupation as quickly as possible – for Danny's benefit. By the breaking of the dawn, the clean up was complete and the only traces were a warn patch in the floor's varnish and a smell of bleach and citrus.
Danny had every intention of staying awake, believing that he was fine and able to carry on with the investigations, as he seemed to have revived himself from his episode, but he lay down in the quiet room, just to think, and within moments he was asleep.
By the late morning, early afternoon, things had quieted even more. Danny awoke with a start - feeling like he'd only just fallen onto the bed and he bolted upright, feeling shocked to see the bright sunlight spilling in through the windows. He noticed that a change of his clothes had been laid out for him. The door was closed, when he was sure he'd left it open, and his gun and his badge were on the bed side table – not where he'd left them. Even his bullet proof vest was off. It lay in a corner of the room – stained with blood, but he hadn't taken it off.
Before changing he moved through the house. A quick glance in the sitting room showed him that Steve was sprawled out on the couch, fast asleep, and still in the same clothes from the night before. The windows were all open. The curtains pulled back, and the sun shown brightly across the space where the crime had occurred. The smell of bleach was nearly non existent as a breeze of sweet Hawaiian air circled through the screen door and into the house.
In the kitchen Catherine sat at the table, which had been transformed into a command centre - complete with computers and flashing lights – but Catherine was dressed in street clothes, or rather something she'd deemed appropriate for a farm. Truth be told, she looked more like Daisy Duke then her usual self. Kono was at the counter unpacking grocery bags and putting things away as she got to know the unfamiliar kitchen. It was quick work, and Gloria kept a very neat and organized kitchen.
"What's going on?" Danny asked as he looked around.
"Not much you need to be worried about," Kono stated and folded a fabric bag up before moving onto the next.
"Max is at the hospital visiting Gloria. He's on his break and will be heading back to the office to carry on with the bodies that keep coming his way. He says Gloria is in better spirits this afternoon and hopes that you will come and visit her." Catherine explained from her place at the table. "Chin and Kawika are in the barn with some of the Kapu members who are fixing the damage from the fire inside. They say it doesn't look too bad and all the horses have recovered nicely from the shock. They seem calm and are in their pens enjoying the day. George Snelling has his grand kids in the pens with the horses to feed and water them, and the neighbours have been around dropping off everything from feed to blankets and lumber – as well as food and flowers for Gloria." Catherine continued as she looked up and smiled. "Toast is still in the office running facial recognition and compiling evidence from the crime lab. He's content and has nested well enough that you wont move him until the case is over. Kono stopped at your house and got you a changes of clothes and picked up some groceries because she was sure that you boys were bound to get hungry and because Gloria ordered her to make sure you were well taken care of. Wade is still in the field with his SEALs, minus McGarrett, who is asleep on the couch, and Aaron and Rosie are heading to the hospital to take a shift with Gloria."
"It's been a busy night," Kono said from the fridge. "Are you hungry?" She asked and peeked around the door to look at Danny.
"I guess."
"All right, you go shower and change, brush your hair because it's a mess, and I'll make you up something to eat." Kono ordered.
"I'd do as she says, Gloria told her to kick your ass if you don't listen." Catherine stated and without responding Danny turned and left the room.
5-0
Twenty minutes later, Danny returned to the kitchen. There was a sandwich and some chips on a plate on the counter, Kono and Catherine were gone, but Steve was awake and waiting for him with his own plate of food.
"Where did the girls go?" Danny asked as he sat down next to Steve.
"Toast wanted to show them something," Steve answered. "We can do some stuff from here but some times you just need to be in the office. It's all good though, we have an armed guard here so the farm should be safe for us to get back to work on the case, and when we can be back here, we'll come back here."
"Did the two suspects give you anything?" Danny asked as he ate.
"I haven't questioned them yet. I was waiting for you and I left them in an interrogation room with no air conditioning." Steve said and stole a chip off Danny's plate. "I was hoping to bring the Lone Ranger with me back into the interrogation room, but you've gone and made yourself into a detective again, so I may have to change my approach."
Instinctively Danny slapped Steve's hand away from his food. "I could change back."
Steve smiled - it had all been a test to see if Danny would be all right to continue with the case. The normal routine went something like that, one half hearted slap, then a warning and Steve knew if he kept it up, he'd get an ear full from a hungry Danny - at least his appetite was back. That was a start to getting his partner back to normal.
"I think they can wait a little longer, and I think Kono might murder you if you put those bloody cloths back on. We can make a stop at the hospital to see how Gloria is doing - to put your mind at east – and then we can go back to your place and get you all costumed up."
"It's not a costume." Danny huffed.
"It's not your every day look either." Steve said with a smirk and snatched another chip off Danny's plate.
"Stop taking my food." Danny growled.
"Hungry?" Steve asked as he cast a sideways glance at his partner.
"I haven't eaten since yesterday," Danny retorted.
"Aside for hungry, how do you feel?" Steve asked more seriously this time.
"Numb," Danny answered with a sigh.
"Maybe you should call Grace before we head back into the city." Steve suggested and polished off his sandwich.
"I will when this is all over. I don't want to worry her. I'll tell her everything is all right, when it is." Danny stated and absently tossed a chip to one of the hounds that roamed in and out of Gloria's house.
"The dogs can have your chips but I can't?" Steve asked mockingly.
"Has anyone fed the dogs today?" Danny asked by way of retort.
"Catherine did this morning and cleared them up. I guess Remington was in the house last night when the shots were fired. He passed through the blood at some point and needed to be cleaned up. I found Smith and Wesson huddled together under Gloria's bed – poor things. They are used to guns - they are hunting dogs, but not like that. I coaxed them out with a bit of cheese I found in the fridge. The vet that came out to check on the horses checked the dogs too. She said they were a little traumatized but that they were physically okay, so Catherine washed them up and took them out for a walk around the farm with a pair of armed officers and then brought them back to the house." Steve explained as the other two dogs arrived in the kitchen to beg.
Absently Danny tossed the new comers scraps as well.
"Someone's got to stay on the farm and make sure that the animals are all right." Danny said as he looked at into the sad eyes that looked up at him.
"Someone will be here with them, but you need to get back on this case." Steve stated as he reached over and shook his partner slightly. "I don't need a traumatized partner to go with a pack of traumatized dogs. You need to get back in the saddle."
Danny nodded, took one last bite of his sandwich and split the crust into three pieces that he then fed to the dogs.
"You're right, I owe it to Gloria."
"You owe it to those people in that pit."
Danny nodded and stood. "All right, let's go."