It had been two weeks. Danny had managed to hide the crutches from Steve and he'd yet to find them. He was using his cane quite happily, even using it as a weapon when Steve annoyed him.
He'd been back to work for a few days, with the Docs at the Guide wing at King's finally deciding he was okay. Sure, he'd had a few wobbles waking up from nightmares, but Steve had been there for him the whole time.
Cath had been put on babysitting duty along with Chin, while Steve returned to work. Chin had a few days around Malia's funeral that he'd spent with Danny. They'd both seemed to benefit from the time together. Chin hadn't been lying about feeling better because they'd saved Danny from Delano; it was clear in his actions that he wanted Danny to get well sooner and he didn't take any of Danny's crap.
Steve was happier when Cath was around so that there was a Sentinel on hand in case anything happened. He trusted her to look after Danny. At first, Danny had been stubborn about the situation, knowing that this was Steve's compromise in letting him out of his own sight, but in the end, he and Cath had fun. She'd surfed while he exercised on the beach, getting himself fit for his return to work. They'd watched some bad TV, made a few messes in the kitchen and, upon finding out which football team she supported, he'd spent an entire afternoon winding her up. Mostly with ridiculing emails that clogged her inbox.
She'd also been on hand to drive him to Grace's school every day. Since he wasn't working that week, Rachel had allowed them more time together. It made sense and Grace wanted her Danno to pick her up rather than the driver Rachel had. She wanted to take care of her father in a way that seemed to signal a possible guiding manifestation in her future.
The relationship with Rachel was uneasy, but with Danny's injuries they'd been civil. There was still the issue of her wanting to move to Vegas, but she'd calmed down a little once Steve had mentioned the Institute. But with their pairing up in the air, they weren't sure how much they could follow through on that threat and Rachel knew it too. She wasn't scared, in fact, she seemed to think she had the best case and was practically letting Danny have this time with Grace because she thought Danny wouldn't have the access for much longer.
Danny was still going to fight, though. Grace and Steve were the reasons he was on this Island. They were the reasons he had stayed, and why he had survived against Frank Delano. He needed them both here. It was selfish, he knew that, but he wanted his life to be good now. He felt he deserved it.
Now Danny was back at work. His fitness was better, though he had to be careful of his knees for another few weeks. He had opted to wear the sleeves of his shirts lower until his burns weren't quite so noticeable, but that would take a while. He was getting used to them, and knew that sooner or later he'd have to suck it up and turn up his sleeves again, whether because of the hawaiian sun or because the damned things were too long on him anyway.
Doctor Forrest had been popping into the house to see them occasionally, but he'd told them he was mostly interested in their working relationship. Danny had begun to ease back into work unofficially by going over files at home when Steve brought things with him at the end of the day. Forrest had been there one evening when Danny had hit on a lead that later broke the case. And all because the dates on accounting forms didn't match up with those on licensing forms. Sometimes it was the little things that got criminals, it wasn't always about intimidating confessions out of them in darkened rooms.
The good Doctor rode along with them on Danny's second day back. They tried to be good. In other words, they tried to be something they weren't. And it lasted all of two hours, at best. Then Danny got annoyed at Steve for tearing off after a suspect and 'accidentally' toppling the guy into the back of a garbage truck when he took him down. Mainly he was annoyed because it meant having to interview him while he stunk the place up and luckily, they'd used an HPD cruiser and not the Camaro to get him back to headquarters.
By the next day, the case had been solved, the kidnapped wife was back with her husband. Even though he might be going to jail for the reason she was kidnapped in the first place, it was a happy ending. While the team celebrated another win, Forrest walked in the door.
Steve sidled closer to Danny but no one called him out for it.
"Maybe we should have a word in your office," Forrest began after pleasantries.
"Whatever you want to say can be done in front of everyone," Steve stated, his demeanor changed to one much more wary and predatory.
"I submitted my final report to the Institute last night. Told them they'd be crazy to try and separate you. Not just because it's not pleasant to release a bond so deep rooted, but because you would fight them all the way on it. It's just not in their best interests."
"That's good news," Kono said. "We should celebrate. And Danny's allowed to drink alcohol again."
"No tequila shots," Chin warned her. "Not after last time."
"Wait," Danny interrupted before they could get carried away. "I don't think he's done."
They all looked at Forrest again. "Can't hide anything from a high level Guide," he moaned. "As much as you get results, their concern now is still that Danny doesn't have the training normally required for a Guide of such natural ability. They think the whole thing with Delano highlighted that."
"He fought Delano all the way, we got him back in time," Steve argued.
"That's just it. You got him back in time. As in, real damage was easily around the corner, Detective Williams admitted that himself." He turned back to Danny. "They want you to go on a few training courses. They're liaising with the Center over them. Think of it like night classes at a college."
"I can't go to Cascade. And I'm not going to fly up every so often even for short term stays. My life is here, Steve needs me, Grace."
"I'm going with you," Steve said, matter-of-factly.
"Neither of you are going to Cascade. They're going to set it up as partly on online based system and anything needing done in person will be done at the Center's facility on Maui. This is good news guys, it's the best you were always going to get from them."
Danny leaned against the door of Steve's office once he closed it behind them. They'd talked for longer with Forrest, had a drink with him and the team and only now could they retreat into their own bubble by coming in here.
Steve moved around the desk, sorting a few things out and putting down both of their beers before looking up and seeing Danny still standing by the door.
"What are you doing?" he asked.
"Just taking a moment, letting the relief sink in."
Steve smiled, came back around the desk and headed straight for his Guide, placing his hands on Danny's biceps. "I told you they'd see it my way in the end."
"You act like you had some actual say in the matter."
"I didn't?" Steve's face was too innocent and Danny frowned, wondering if Steve did have influence higher up the chain of command in the Institute that helped them out or...
"Did you bribe your old buddy for a good report?"
"Of course not," Steve snorted.
"Then what did you do? Please tell me it's not illegal."
"What do you take me for? I just leaned on a few people I know from Annapolis and the Navy, found out who was involved more directly in our case and made a point of telling them where they could shove themselves if they thought separating us would do them any good. That and Forrest and I go back far enough that I always had faith that he'd be good to us. You watch out for each other in the SEALs. If he needed me, I'd do it for him too."
"You are something else, you know that, right?"
"I do," Steve smirked.
"I didn't mean that in a nice way."
"Yeah, you did," Steve leaned down and kissed him, both of them smiling into it.
That was when Steve's phone rang and he reluctantly pulled back to answer it.
"McGarrett… okay… we're on our way," he shrugged his shoulders as he hung up.
"A case? Now? We just solved one," Danny grumbled, shoulders slumping. So much for the celebrations.
"I think you'll like this one," Steve answered, opening the door and shoving Danny back out of it.
"What makes you say that?"
"Because it's drugs related, it's a beautiful day and there's a shark cage crying out to have a scumbag thrown into it."
Steve moved ahead of Danny, keys to the Camaro dangling from his fingertips as he motioned for Kono and Chin to fall in with them. He was smiling, clearly enjoying thoughts of his promised free pass.
Danny stopped for a moment. "You do realize I was still sick when I said about all that, yeah? McGarrett? Steven?"
"Let's go, Danno!"