A/N: Here's the next chapter! See, I promised that you wouldn't have to wait nearly as long now between chapters! Hope this is well worth the wait, otherwise :) I know I've been killing you all with the drama and angst I'm putting our favorite family through, and unfortunately it won't be getting better anytime soon, but I promise to put them all back together again!
Don't forget, reviewers get a special bonus scene sent to them! So let me know what you think, good, bad or otherwise!
Thanks as always to my wonderful beta jerseybelle for her suggestions and ability to calm down my crazy mind when it's worried it's gone in the completely wrong directiion. She rocks my world! Hope you enjoy :)
*Steve's POV*
Being away from his family hasn't been easy, has never been easy. And Steve would be damned if he ever admitted that it was harder now than it was before. Before Danny, before their marriage, before everything.
Steve knew how much Danny prided himself on being strong and able to handle being married to a SEAL. Even if he doesn't say, and Danny's not really a man of few words anyway, Steve knows that when they have a cookout or dinner with other SEALs and their wives, Danny basks in the knowledge that he is not a blubbering Navy wife (his words, not Steve's).
And, for the most part, Danny is spot on with his assessment. Steve would never be able to do his job and do it well if he didn't have the comfort in knowing that his family was being taken care of, that Danny would hold Five-0 together, and that when he got home, no matter what, his family would be there waiting for him.
But for the first time in a long time, Steve had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. It had started out as innocuous as possible, barely registering in his conscious mind. But as the mission wore on, and the months began to pass by and he hadn't been able to reach a computer or a phone, the sinking feeling became larger and deeper, invading his thoughts on a daily basis. He had never been one for superstition or any of that crap; he didn't believe in phantom pain or knowing when a loved one is hurting when you are halfway across the world. This feeling, though, had him thinking differently. It had him questioning, second-guessing that assumption. Was he connected to Danny at such an organic level that he could feel the detective's pain?
He didn't want to believe it, mainly because if he admitted it was true then that meant something was wrong with Danny. And if something was wrong with Danny that meant he was hurt or that something had happened to the girls.
When the feeling became too strong to ignore, Steve pushed his men to their breaking point, getting back to the secure rendezvous point where they would take a 48-hour respite. The small base had been set up with a couple of make-shift barracks and a tent of computers and phones. It wasn't much; just a few computers hooked up to dial-up internet and a landline phone they all had to fight over. But it was enough to get a call out and to check e-mail, something that, at this point, he needed desperately. He needed to know that this feeling, whatever it was, was just in his head; that it had nothing to do with Danny or his girls' well-being.
Hearing Danny's voice for the first time in over three months calmed his restless thoughts instantly. Doing the math in his head, he knew that it was nighttime in Hawaii, but just early evening; no way that Danny would be asleep. Not that the chance of Danny being asleep would have stopped Steve from calling anyway.
He needed the reassurance, needed to know that Danny was safe, that the girls were safe.
And although hearing his husband's voice, tired-sounding and thick, felt great, it didn't do much to appease his worry. Danny was being too quiet. He could tell something was wrong, but they only had ten minutes.
Ten fucking minutes and then he'd have to hang up. And who knew when he'd have this chance again. He pushed a little; it wouldn't be him if he didn't. And he almost broke the chair he was sitting on when Danny told him Avery had been sexually assaulted, his father-mode kicking on instantly, even though he'd been out of father mode for weeks.
He remembered an old Commander telling him that no matter how long you're in the trenches, and no matter how deep, you never shake that feeling, that feeling of being a dad. You can turn it on in an instant. Steve hadn't believed him at the time, it being his first deployment following Avery's birth and as the weeks had dragged on he was worried he wouldn't recognize his baby girl when he came home. But now, hearing the words assault and Avery in the same sentence had all the feelings, all the motions flowing back immediately.
As Steve hung up the phone, Danny assuring him, not in his usual brash manner, that things on the home front were fine, he couldn't shake the thought that this sinking feeling was a little more accurate than he wanted to believe.
Smiling to the sailor waiting behind him in line, he stood up and walked over to the computers. He needed to know what was going on at home. So, pulling up his inbox and calling upon every detective skill he had ever learned from Danny, he began to sift through the e-mails from his ohana.
Grace had sent e-mails about how upset she was concerning her failing relationship with Avery, some tidbits about life at home with Rachel (which made Steve rub a rough hand along his face, considering how much longer he really could keep these details from Danny), and finally a message that told him that her and Avery's relationship was on the mend.
But, it was the pure pleading he could sense in her voice as he read through her last e-mail that had him sucking in a gasping breath. Grace was so much like her father it was uncanny in certain moments, but she also had the poise and class that Rachel had instilled in her from the time she could walk. And ever since Grace hit her teenage years, she never begged because it was unbecoming of a lady, according to Rachel. But here was Grace not only begging, but pleading for Steve to come home, that she needed him. She needed his advice, his help, and above all else, she needed both her parents together.
And even though he unconsciously knew it, to see it written right there in words that he and Danny were a better parenting pair together, well that struck him hard.
Gracie,
It makes me so happy to hear that you and Avery are on better terms now. I know that things with your mom have been tough recently, and I hate that it doesn't seem to be getting any better. I wish I could be there for you Grace Face, to hold you and remind you that you are loved.
Because you are. I love you just the way you are, and neither Danno nor I ever want you to change. I know I'm far away, and that you aren't asking me to help you or save you, but I want to be there for you Grace, anyway I can, which means I'm going to encourage you, again, to talk to Danno.
I know that you are nervous and that you think he won't understand or will refuse to let you see your mom, but you're wrong. The only time he would ever prevent you from seeing your mom is if she ever hurt you physically. He's been put through so much and you know that he's not the type of person to exact revenge. If you tell him, honestly, what's going on at home and that living with us will make you happy, but that you also want to see your mom, he will make that happen.
We both just want you and Avery to be happy, to have the lives you girls deserve. And if living with Rachel and Stan is not giving you a life of happiness, Danno and I will do everything we can to give you that.
Grace Face, I love you to the moon and back again. And I've honored your wishes to let you tell Danno these things yourself, but you have to understand that you are asking me to lie to Danno, something we do not do. So, please, please talk to him because I don't think I can continue to hide from him what's really going on at Rachel's house.
If you need moral support then look to Avery. She's your best friend and your sister. I know that if you talk to her about things she will support you and help you talk to Danno. She's the best McGarrett I can wrangle up on such short notice :P In all seriousness, Gracie, you can always go to her, especially now that you girls have worked things out. Your relationship will last a lifetime, never forget that.
I've gotta go, but remember how much I love you, Gracie!
Talk to you soon,
Steve
Hitting send, Steve started to sift through e-mails from Avery, Danny, Chin, and Kono. Chin and Kono talked a lot about Five-0 and how Danny was missing him bad; he even took a page or two out of Steve's playbook and used empty threats of torture to get a few suspects to talk.
Steve didn't mind admitting that he was proud.
Their e-mails weren't particularly damning or gave any sort of indication to something really bad going down, but he got the air that they were holding something back. As he read through more and more e-mails from his entire ohana he started to notice that same vibe in many of the e-mails.
Steve knew, without a doubt, that something was happening. There was something big going on and Danny had somehow managed to convince every one of their friends and family to keep whatever it was a secret from Steve.
Sure, the e-mails seemed slightly devoid of their normal detail, like whole chunks of days needed to be redacted due to the 'classified' nature of whatever this secret was, but what tipped the scales in favor of full-on Steve-freak out mode was the fact that Avery hadn't sent him an e-mail for two weeks, and the e-mails he'd received prior to that weren't her normal style. They were more stilted, like she didn't want to give too much detail for fear of letting something slip.
Angry at whatever it was that was happening, Steve banged his fist on the desk beside the keyboard which brought a few raised eyebrows in his direction. He was so far beyond caring what anyone in the computer tent thought that he just went right back to banging out an e-mail to Danny on the keyboard.
Danno,
I know that you're not telling me something. I could tell from your voice when we talked, and now that I'm sitting here reading e-mails from our ohana I am even more confident in my assumption that there is something going on. And I do applaud you for being able to keep it a secret from me, and preventing anyone from saying anything.
But I've been married to a damn good detective for almost ten years and I know when someone isn't telling me something, and right now I know you aren't telling me something. Danny, I don't want to be upset and I don't want to be angry. You are far away and I'm here in this hellhole and I just want you in my arms. I don't want these words to be said in anger, but I can't, Danny.
We've talked about this so many times; I want the truth, no, I need the truth from you. I can't stand here and be okay with knowing that my husband, my children, and my closest friends are keeping something from me. I know you spout bullshit all the time about me worrying and getting killed, but not knowing, that's making it worse Danny.
I need to know that you and the girls are safe because my mind has thought up a thousand possible scenarios, each worse than the last, but I need to know the truth. I need to know my family is okay, because no matter what you say, Danny, if you are in danger then I will do everything in my power to come home to you.
I know you've never asked and I've never mentioned it, but Danny, if something was happening with our family I would get out in a heartbeat. My command, my career means nothing if the most important people in my life are hurting because I'm gone. I've done my twenty and I will come home to you and our family.
So, please, please Danny. Tell me what's going on. I need to know that everything is okay.
I love you forever and always, Danno,
Steve
He sighed, logging off and letting someone else use the computer as he headed back to his bunk.
He slept restlessly the whole night, waking up multiple times from dreams about crime lords and drug busts gone bad and Danny and his girls tied up in underground rooms with gags in their mouths. By the time the sun peeked through the blinds of the barrack, Steve was already in the shower trying to wake up enough for the day.
Admiral Wallace called him into his office later that morning and explained to him a side mission he needed Steve and his team to complete. He was aware that they had their own mission, but the daughter of an ambassador had been kidnapped and he had assured the ambassador and his wife that the very best the U.S. military had to offer would be on the ground saving his daughter.
The kidnappers had made demands, making it impossible to get another SEAL team to the North Korean border before the time was up. So, Steve took the small report from the Admiral and called his team to a conference room. Their game plan was mapped out within the hour, and by two in the afternoon they were geared up and ready to head out.
All thoughts about Grace, Avery, Danny, and the potential secrets they were keeping left his mind as he steeled himself for the upcoming mission.
Missions with teenage girls were never easy.
*H50*
The mission had been taxing, emotionally and physically. Seeing a young girl not much older than his daughters trapped, bound, and gagged in the basement of an abandoned building was an image that wouldn't be erased from his mind anytime soon, and definitely not an image that would leave until he saw both of his girls well, free, and smiling back at him.
He and his team arrived back at the base in South Korea just as the beginning vestiges of the early morning light peaked out from behind the horizon. The admiral had given them a mandatory 72-hour respite before continuing on with the mission they were set to complete; this had just been a side project, a stop along the way.
All Steve wanted was a bed and a shower and some food, and at this point he was so slap-happy and brain-dead that he couldn't decide which one he wanted more. Trudging into the barracks, he threw his duffel on his bunk and laid down, arm coming to rest over his eyes.
Realizing that the last thing he wanted after such a taxing two weeks in the North Korean jungle and slinking through villages without being seen was to wake up with a crust of earth and sweat stuck to his skin. So, he forced himself to get up and head to the shower. Scrubbing away all the dirt and grime, his body woke up enough that he thought he could manage a little food before passing out from exhaustion.
He woke up a few hours later, the sun streaming in through the windows, hot and blinding overhead. Scrubbing a hand over his still-tired face, he sat up and took stock of his situation. He never knew what to do during these mandatory respites while overseas. All he wanted to do was complete the mission and go home, and every break, every minute wasted was preventing him from reaching that goal.
Deciding that he could eat again, he made his way to the mess hall and sat down with his teammates who were also shoveling down food like it was going out of style.
"Glad to see you've rejoined the land of the living, McGarrett," Ripley jibed.
"Fuck off, Rip, you were snoring right alongside me." They all laughed, falling into a comfortable silence. Steve had to admit, he liked this team, for the most part. It was a team put together by someone else, which always made Steve anxious at the beginning that he didn't get to pick his squad, but it was expertly assigned. Gordon and Richards had been with him before; they had fought alongside each other on numerous missions, and he counted them among some of his closest friends. The other three members of their six-man unit were fresh-faced SEALs straight out of Coronado, something that had not made Steve happy when he learned of that fact; he wanted this mission to be completed as quickly and efficiently as possible, he wasn't in the mood to babysit newbies fresh off the boat.
But the higher-ups had assured him they were the best, and they were right. Ripley and Sandler were strong sailors, clearly some of the best to graduate from their class. They had fit right in under Steve's leadership, and had instantly formed a mentoring bond with the two older SEALs.
But it was their sixth member, Lawrence, who was causing them all problems. He was good, Steve was willing to admit that, but he was also a pompous ass who was too overly-confident and it had already fucked them over a few times. He took unnecessary risks and put their team's cover and lives in danger a few times already.
Steve had laid into him good after he almost threatened the life of the hostage they were saving on their most recent mission. The young SEAL at least had the decency to look abashed, and had run back towards his bunk with his tail between his legs, but Steve was under no impression that that would last all that long.
And it hadn't.
Because Lawrence was already sitting at the table spouting stories about their triumphs and the general level of bad-assery he (and the rest of the team) displayed as they saved the teenager from a terrible fate.
No one on the team liked him all that much, and Steve had begun to see the fractures forming, Lawrence being pushed further and further outside their ranks. And Steve knew this was dangerous territory, he knew that they all had to trust that every single person sitting at that table would have their back.
But, at this moment, even Steve wasn't sure if he could trust Lawrence and the team always followed the lead of their commander. If Steve was uncertain, so was everyone else.
"It was just, man, what a rush this is," Lawrence said to the table as he bit into a piece of chicken, "There's nothing I'd rather be doing with my life, you know, it gets your adrenaline pumping that's for sure."
"We see some terrible things," Richards pointed out, ever the voice of seasoned reason, "And it will get to you, over the years. You have to remember your training, compartmentalize those things if you don't want it to bleed into your personal life."
"How could this adrenaline rush affect my personal life? I feel like I could fuck eight girls, right now, into the mattress, sleep a few hours and do it again."
Steve winced, so did Richards. He had been in the Navy enough to know how sailors talked, respect for the fairer sex not always quite there, particularly in Special Forces because it was filled to the brim with cocky bastards who treated everyone like crap, especially women. But, it didn't stop Steve's muscles from coiling tightly and his teeth to start grinding. He had two girls and to listen to a fellow SEAL disrespect and talk about women like that. No, under his command it was not acceptable.
"Lawrence, shut your mouth. We are the best of the best; we represent the Navy and the United States and with that comes a fuck ton of responsibilities. One of those responsibilities is respecting people, including women. If I ever hear you talk like that again, I will not hesitate to report you. Do I make myself clear, sailor?"
"Yes, sir."
They ate the rest of their food in relative, slightly awkward silence. Lawrence was the first one out of his seat, heading towards the barracks without so much as a backward glance. Ripley and Sandler left soon after, saying goodbye to the three veterans.
"He's an ass," Gordon said once the younger men were out of sight, "and he's starting to mess with the team, Steve."
Steve may be the commanding officer, but he'd been with these guys since BUD/s and he considered them equals in most things, and he valued their opinion always.
"I know."
"You've got to do something, McGarrett," Richards added, "We've got to find someone else."
Steve didn't say anything, but knew both men were looking to him for answers, answers he didn't have. Well, he did have but wished they weren't true. He knew that the best thing to do for his team was to request a meeting with the Admiral and request a new team member. It would be pretty simple, and Steve had every right to re-evaluate the effectiveness of his team.
"I know it sucks man, but you know they're going to rip you a new one when they find out about the situation with Amanda."
Steve nodded. That was the problem. Steve knew it was only a matter of time before he was called into the Admiral's office himself for a verbal lashing. Lawrence may have been the one to put the hostage in added danger, but Steve was his CO and was therefore responsible for his actions.
"You've got to engage in a preemptive strike."
And, yeah, that was exactly what Steve had been thinking, but he held back. Maybe, just maybe, the verbal beating wouldn't be so bad, and he could continue on with the mission, making it clear that Lawrence was in the dog house. Because if he requested a new SEAL it would take at least two weeks to get him there, fill him in on their mission, and gear up to head back out again. And Steve didn't want to waste another minute if he didn't have to; he needed to be home with his family.
Because that god damn sinking feeling was back and he didn't fucking know what to do about it. He knew Danny was keeping a secret from him, knew that something was happening at home, something big.
"Steve," Richards pulled him from his thoughts.
"I know. You guys are right."
"Hey, man, what's going on?" Gordon was always the most perceptive of the bunch.
"It's nothing. I should probably go work on getting that meeting with the Admiral."
Steve went to move but Gordon grabbed his arm, "It's just us, man. You know that whatever you tell us doesn't leave here. You can't keep acting like we don't know you because we do. This is us; you can't hide from us like we haven't known you the past twenty years."
"Its home, something's happening but no one will tell me." Even though Steve had been resisting talking about it, it felt good to finally let it out. These men were like his brothers, he trusted them with his life.
"Have you asked Danny?"
"Yeah, and he says things are fine, well except for the fact that Avery was sexually assaulted like a month and a half ago after getting wasted at a house party. But, yeah, everything's all peachy according to him." Steve couldn't help the bitter sarcasm dripping from his words.
"What, Avery was assaulted," Gordon exclaimed, trying hard to keep his voice down since they were still sitting in the very public mess hall. Richards was glaring right next to him. It felt good to know that there were people who knew how to kill a man a hundred different ways and who were as equally protective of Avery as he was.
"Yeah, I mean, she defended herself and nothing happened, more of an attempt than anything, but Danny didn't tell me for weeks. And he said that he had every intention to and something came up. And, you know what, it sounds like such a crappy excuse for conveniently forgetting to tell me, but I actually believe him. I believe him because I know there's something else going on, something big enough that it's messing with his mind, making him forget these things. Because I know that Danny keeps some things from me while I'm deployed, and I understand why, but he's never kept something like that from me. I know there's a reason that he's not telling me."
"So it probably didn't help much when Lawrence was talking about fucking girls into mattresses, not that that is probably a pretty sight anyway," Richards tried to lighten the mood.
"No, it wasn't funny."
"And you hate the guy as much as we do, I can tell. But you've been reluctant since the get-go to say anything, and now it's got us into some deep shit."
"Yup."
"But why have you been reluctant to say anything? In all the years we've known each other I've never known you to back away from an uncomfortable situation, especially when the safety of your team is at risk," Gordon questioned.
Richards interrupted before Steve could speak, "It's because you don't want to take the extra time to get a new guy in here and up to speed. You want to get home."
Steve nodded, head hanging in defeat, "It's pathetic, right."
"Not pathetic," Richards assured. "It makes sense, okay, we both get it. You don't think I want to get home immediately when the wife calls and says one of the kids is having some troubles. I want to drop everything, go AWOL if I have to, just to be there with her. I get it. We both do. You don't think that we've had successful marriages through all of this without knowing that. But, you putting our team at risk because we've got a rogue member who won't listen to orders and is messing up our dynamic is going to put us in a more vulnerable position. One of us could get hurt or worse. You could be going home in a body bag, or one of us could be and then you'd have to wait for another man. And instead of waiting the two weeks now, you'd have to wait longer because it takes time and you'd be burying a fellow sailor. And that will eat at you more because I know you McGarrett and you've always put the safety of your team before yourself. And that, that is why you are such an amazing commander. And Danny gets that. Sure, he can be a loud-mouthed asshole at times, but he loves you and he gets that about you. And, you know what; it's one of the things he loves about you, no matter how many times he complains about your hero complex."
Steve laughed, knowing that Richards was right. Danny ranted his ear off about proper police procedure, the value of back-up, and not putting himself in dangerous situations when they weren't necessary. But Steve still saw the sparkle in Danny's eye when he'd be cuffing the bad guy or re-holstering his gun after wasting the criminals. He knew that behind the bluster and the words was a wave of pride.
"I need to get home to my family."
"And what good would it do if you're going home in a body bag? It's two more weeks to get the new guy here, two more weeks, but we all have a better chance of getting home safely."
Steve nodded in agreement, unable to say anything more. Richards and Gordon got up, both gripping his shoulder a moment before heading out of the mess hall. Steve sat there a few more minutes by himself getting his thoughts in order. They were right, of course. He needed to find a new team member, one that actually gelled with the team.
But that meeting could wait long enough for him to check his e-mail and maybe make a phone call home.
*H50*
Steve only had to wait twenty minutes for a computer this time, but the wait still seemed endless. He brought up his inbox, and sure enough, it was filled with e-mails from his ohana. He read through the ones from Chin, Kono, Kamekona, and even one from Max, first, and then he moved on to Grace's. Grace's e-mails were much lighter and happier than they were a few short weeks ago. Clearly her mended friendship with Avery was making a huge difference, and although she was still tight-lipped about her living situation, it was clear to Steve that she was at least doing better, and for him that was enough to keep her secret from Danny for a little while longer.
Danny's e-mails were more of the same; it was still very obvious that he was hiding something. Steve could feel his blood pressure rising past its boiling point, his anger bubbling beneath the surface. He wanted to rip Danny a new one.
This was not acceptable. Lying, hiding, pretending things were okay when they weren't. Steve couldn't begin to imagine a world in which Danny lied to him. It was one thing when they did it to protect one of the girl's, but it was another when the secret was clearly big enough that it required a gag order placed on everyone he loved.
Ugh, slamming the delete button on Danny's most recent e-mail, Steve opened the last e-mail in his inbox, the only message he had received from Avery in over a month – not a good sign in and of itself.
Hi, Dad,
I know that I haven't written in awhile but things have been pretty crazy here. I'm sure Danno and Grace have told you that Grace and I have finally made up, which is good. Summer practice is going well; I've gotten my personal best down by two seconds on the 100 breast. My coach even says he thinks I should be hearing from college recruiters soon! Can you believe that?
But I really wish you were here, Dad. I need you and our family needs you. I keep dreaming about you dying or leaving us here to deal with everything alone. I can't lose you and I can't lose Danno either. Dad, please, you need to come home so I don't lose my family. I know that you need to protect the world and all that, but we need you here. Why does it matter if you protect the world when we're falling apart right here?
And Danno will kill me when he finds out I'm writing this, but I just can't anymore, Dad. He's not doing well, we aren't doing well. We need you. We need you to come home and make things better, remind us that we can make it through anything.
I need you. I can't do this alone. I can't lose the only family I've ever known, leave the only place I've ever known.
Please, Daddy, please come home.
Aves
If Steve's anger had been boiling at the breaking point before he couldn't even quite name what he was feeling now. A few weeks ago he had to read a pleading e-mail from one daughter who needed him, and now he had an e-mail from his other daughter begging him to come home and fix whatever mess his family had found themselves in.
Avery's e-mail was still cryptic enough to keep him in the dark about whatever issue it was going on at home, but now at least Steve was certain something was happening. Something had Avery so distraught that she didn't send e-mails to him, and when she finally did, she was ranting, begging, and pleading for him to come home.
And that was something he'd never read in one of her emails before. Sure, Avery would sign messages saying 'hope to see you soon' or 'can't wait till you're home again,' but she'd never outwardly asked him to come home. She knew better than anyone what it meant, Steve being a SEAL. She knew that he couldn't come home until the mission was complete, and although she hated it sometimes, she never once asked him to come home. It was like an unspoken agreement between them.
So something bad had to have happened for Avery to be downright groveling at his feet for him to come home.
Anger seething in his mind, Steve got up and went to the nearest unoccupied phone line. He dialed a very familiar number, and had every intention of dialing it until someone on the other end picked up.
Thankfully for the individual on the other end and the U.S. Navy (Steve would not be responsible for what happened to the phone should Danny not pick up), Danny picked up on the third ring.
"Williams."
"Danny."
"Steve, oh god, it's so good to hear your voice. I didn't think we'd get another call for awhile-"
"Yeah, listen Danny," Steve cut him off, not in the mood for pretending things were okay, "I don't have a lot of time to talk and even if I did I know that I'd spend the whole time yelling because I don't know what the fuck is going on with you and at home but I'm tired of you keeping me in the fucking dark."
"Steven," and Steve knew that Danny was pinching the bridge of his nose, "I've already told you a million times that things here are fine. They aren't perfect, they aren't particularly great, but they're fine. And the only reason they aren't great or perfect is because you are not here, and it will not be great or perfect until you are."
"You're lying, Danny, and don't try and tell me you aren't. I know when you're lying, I can tell in your voice."
"In my voice, what are you fucking Nostradamus."
"Nostradamus was a psychic Danny, he could look into the future, I just recognize your tones."
"I do not have a tone."
"Danny, we've had this conversation a hundred times; you have a tone, just get over it and tell me what the fuck is going on."
"Steven, nothing is going on," Danny's voice was rising to meet Steve's whose was already on a level higher than acceptable.
"Then why the fuck did I just get an e-mail from Avery basically downright begging me to come home and fix the mess that's been made. Why is she talking about losing me, losing you, losing her home? What aren't you telling me Danny?"
"SuperSEAL, you know me. You know that if anything was happening that was threatening this family I would tell you."
"Yeah, I thought I knew you Danny, but I know that you are hiding something from me, so get on with it and tell me."
"Steve, Avery's been having a tough time with what happened at that party. She and Evelyn haven't been talking as much and I think she's just struggling. It's normal teenager angst stuff. I didn't tell you because I didn't want you to worry. She will be fine, and I've got it under control."
"That's really it, Danny?"
"Yeah, babe, that's really it."
"God and here I was imagining the apocalypse descending down over Oahu."
"No such thing happening here my friend. We do miss you though."
"Miss you too, Danno."
"I love you."
"Love you, too."
"You gotta go soon?"
"Yeah, got a meeting I've got to get to."
"And here I am thinking the only reason you stayed active in the SEALs was because it got you out of boring meetings."
"Nah, these are worse, they don't even let me bring my gun."
"Stay safe, Steve."
"Always, Danno."
And Steve hung up the phone thinking the sinking feeling would have gone away, finally knowing what was going on at home, but it didn't.
Steve knew the superstitious crap was bullshit, so he pushed the feeling aside and walked towards the command center, intent on getting a new SEAL out here ASAP so that the mission could be completed and he could go home and help Danny with the teenage meltdown he had on his hands.
And when the hell did Steve McGarrett decide that he'd rather face teenage meltdowns instead of Ak-47s? Well, he was certainly a family man now.