We do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.

Notes: continued gushing of thanks for such interest in this (very long) story. References to the teens below and their 'story' is borrowed from an actual newspaper report of the same ilk.

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Something made him wait instead of fleeing to the safety of his room. But the minutes passed by and no one came for him. Not a soul and Danny swallowed hard, bewildered and not a small bit alarmed. He edged back to the window and felt his heart inexplicably drop to the floor when he found that the police cruiser was gone from the curbside.

Steve had come and then had left without asking to see him ... and Danny had no right to be upset because it's what he'd wanted. Right?

"Danny?" His head flew up, eyes wide at the query, his confusing conflict of disappointment and relief at a distinct war when he saw only one person. Agnes was back and holding a bag out to him to take. "The Commander was here and he left this for you. I was going to come for you, but he didn't want to disturb you if you didn't feel up to his visit. He left a note inside for you to read."

"Oh," Danny breathed out, his hand shaking as he took the bag's handles and peered inside. There was a white box tied with thin brown string and what looked like a sealed envelope. A gift and a letter then; and Danny felt himself relax. This was good ... this made sense and yet he couldn't stop shaking.

"Are you all right?" Agnes asked.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks, Agnes, I'll be in my room," he said distractedly as he left, ignorant of Agnes' pleased smile as his entire demeanor softened.

In the privacy of his room, Danny opened the box first, trying not laugh when he smelled the surprise. Malasadas. Enough for an army. The sweet smell from the bakery was soothing and for the first time in a long time, Danny's stomach rumbled in hunger. Two dozen were indeed enough malasadas for an army!

"Navy, Danno," he kidded himself, genuinely smiling at the thoughtful gesture. Almost laughing then as he popped one and then a second into his mouth. Under that was yet another box he hadn't noticed, plus what looked like a get well card, and he wiped the sugar on his slacks, leaving light streaks of buttery grease across the material before diving back into the bag.

"Ah, Steve!" Danny hummed happily at the unexpected second find: his iPod, with charger and headphones. Music.

Pausing only for a third malasada, Danny ripped the first envelope open, grinning from ear to ear when he quickly identified Grace's handiwork. She still enjoyed making home-made cards of any kind and Danny simply couldn't appreciate that talent more than he did that very moment. But then, the special gift was made ten times more precious as a new photograph dropped neatly into his lap.

Danny harrumphed happily under his breath as he held the photo, inhaling Grace's latest school picture. She was growing up, yet still was maintaining the same sweet-natured personality which so clearly sparkled though. He wracked his brain for what what he might have to put it in, but came up empty. He'd need to run out and buy a new frame as soon as he could and he stuck that task at the top of his new to do list once he got home.

Smiling broadly, Danny carefully put the card and photo off to the side, now going after the one remaining envelope. He knew without a doubt the note inside would be from Steve. He ripped it open, the stationary from the clinic itself, catching a small piece of paper in his lap which he ignored in favor of the handwritten note. Eyes alight, he read the first few lines and then paused mid-chew. His brow crinkled and his chin jutted out pensively.

Hey, Danno. Try not to eat all the malasadas in one sitting. I'll be here until Tuesday, so call me anytime. I'll come back over. In the meantime, enjoy the malasadas and music. Sorry about the Camaro, buddy. I wanted to tell you in person. Maybe this was a bad idea because you sure as hell might not want to call me now. It wasn't my fault though ... honest. It was parked ... just parked in the driveway! So - anyway - I just wanted to say that I need ya back ... soon.

"My car?" Danny's eyes widened when he realized what the small piece of paper was in his lap. It was a cash register receipt. Detailed from the preferred HPD auto-body mechanic and Danny gasped out loud, words now tumbling from his mouth without a filter.

"Two thousand dollars in damages? Two thousand! You animal! What the hell happened to my car!? Damn straight you're coming back here!"

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Steve glanced often at his cell phone as he drove, wondering if he might hear from his friend within the hour ... or possibly not at all. He'd taken a chance on adding the Camaro to the note. Danny's sleek ride was - after all - Danny's pride and joy. For all of their ongoing teasing and what sounded like a battle of wills, the Camaro was wholly Danny's from its front splitter to its rear spoiler. But what had happened had been a freak accident. And, on any other day, if it had happened to any other person that is, completely entertaining.

"Come on, Danno," he sighed sadly, drawing to a halt at a red light near to his hotel. "Call me, D. Just for a few minutes." He'd been cleared to travel, was back at work and felt relatively good with only a minor twinge of abdominal pain should he move too quickly or over-do his activity. But he was desperate to see Danny and talk to him. He understood that Danny had essentially lost that first week in the clinic. He'd done nothing but sleep and rest for an entire seven days before anything more substantial with Doctor Forbes. Evidently this was normal and expected for many in Danny's circumstances, however the time was grueling for Steve and weighing heavily on his mind.

The decision to visit the Big Island was an easy one to make, yet it hadn't been taken lightly. Steve knew he could very well be denied his visit and so, was diligently prepared for that very event on every level except emotionally. Therefore, he was incredibly disappointed to have his call declined and had forced himself to not even request an audience once he'd dropped the small gift bag off at the front desk. He'd maintained his cool, stuck to his plan B and respectfully walked away.

And that was one of the hardest things he'd ever done. He needed to see Danny with his own two eyes. See him. Talk to him. One on one. Make him smile and maybe even laugh.

"Call me. Call me ... call me," Steve chanted under his breath as he checked into the hotel. He repeated it as an endless loop in the elevator, as he shoved his room card key into the slot and slid the heavy curtains wide open to his view of a stunningly gorgeous green valley. It was then that his cell phone did ring and Steve bobbled the device, a grin splitting his face wide when Danny's number flashed across the screen.

"Danno!" Steve gushed happily, completely unable to even wonder if he should have more carefully couched his answer. But he was fine based on Danny's first words and then, Steve did laugh.

"You Neanderthal throw-back to prehistoric times! What the hell did you do to my car, Steven?! My car! Mine! And who the hell said you could even drive the damned thing!"

"Hey Danno," Steve replied fondly, any other words completely cut off as Danny interrupted him, his rant gaining ground at a startling rate. Steve's grin knew no bounds as he embraced the verbal tongue-lashing. But then he realized he was being pelleted with questions. Questions he was suddenly expected to answer.

"Danno? Hey ... DANNO? Are you serious, Steven?! Is that all you have to say to me about two thousand dollars worth of body work?"

Standing on the high balcony of his hotel room, Steve gazed out across the green expanse of valley, but his attention was solely focused on the voice in his ear. The one that soon demanded that he definitely return to the clinic the very next day and explain himself, after Danny's mid-morning session with Doctor Forbes. Steve didn't care what he was required to do as long as he got to see his partner. Until Danny pushed for more information right then and there.

"Details, Steven." Danny insisted. "I want details about what happened to my car! What the hell happened? Can't I leave you alone for more than five whole minutes? Now ... tell me what happened."

"Umm, well. Now? You want me to go into it now?" Steve visibly winced as he tried to find the right words to say. "It would be better if I explained in person, D, because you really aren't going to believe it." The story was truly unbelievable. Incredible actually and a total farce created by two inebriated, sex-starved teens. Mix two kids on a date under the light of a full moon, add a touch of alcohol and libidos on over-drive, and what do you get? Yes, an accident waiting to happen in some cases. But then this particular story got so much better. Take those ingredients all one step further by adding a real live UFO. At least according to the teens who had both been admittedly babbling in fear by the time Steve had managed to get them out of their own car; relieved neither had so much as a scratch despite their airbags having been deployed.

"Try me," Danny goaded from the other side of the connection. He waited a hairs-breadth and then pushed again. "I'm waiting, Steve ... this should be good ... so try me."

"Well, yeah ...okay," Steve replied, the wince becoming a painful grimace as he fought to edit those very same details. "Just ... ah ... two kids out for a joy-ride. Jumped the curb and wound up in my driveway. Sort of ... landing ...on top of the Camaro."

"On ... top?" Danny wheezed loudly. "Two kids? On top of my car? How the hell did that happen - pray tell - in a residential neighborhood? How fast were they going in a 15 mile per hour zone? Mach 10?"

"Hmm, sort of on top," Steve hummed pensively, his eyes blinking wildly as he mentally tried to edit the aftermath of what he saw against what the kids had claimed. "And yeah ... fast enough." He stammered, stuttered and lost his train of thought entirely. The silence was deafening, yet Steve didn't know what to say based on what the teens claimed happened.

That a UFO pursued them down the street, picked them up and literally deposited them ... right on top of the Camaro. If he didn't know better himself ... he'd almost be on their side ... the damage was rather ... strange. Weird even.

Steve coughed and then groaned, his hand now viciously scrubbing his hair to make it stand on end. He hadn't anticipated being grilled over the phone so intensely. Yet for all of that, he couldn't wipe the shit-eating grin off his face. He'd missed this ... the verbal sparring ... the acid-tongued battle ... and he simply couldn't stop the chuckle that escaped his lips.

"Steven?" Danny's annoyance jarred him back to the present. "Did you just laugh? Are you seriously laughing at me ... at what happened to my car? I fail to see how any of this is amusing!"

"I'll explain more when I see you," Steve offered hopefully, needing to bite his lip to maintain some semblance of seriousness. "Over lunch? Can I ... we ... just talk over lunch? Please ... Danno ... today? Tomorrow?"

"Fine," Danny muttered disgustedly, finally relenting. There was a pause now on his side. One that reeked of a new indecision and Steve held his breath, worried that he'd gone too far and that Danny had changed his mind. A moment later though Danny recovered, his voice softer and decidedly more subdued. "Tomorrow. I see Doctor Forbes at eleven in the morning - come for lunch and bring something edible, Steven. Edible ... as in real food. Not this organic green stuff that I'm being subjected to."

"You bet, D.," Steve agreed quickly. "I can do that. Edible ... not green. I'll see you around Noon."

The connection ended to the sound of an unintelligible mumble of disgust and Steve grinned. He was truly happy. Beyond relieved, however a moment of melancholy snuck in just under the surface as he replayed his earlier promises. The conversation had been better than good, nonetheless he was still worried and very nervous about what the next day might bring.

"Always. Forever," Steve whispered just under his breath before he turned away from the view, his eyes now on the small bar which the room boasted. He needed a drink ... he needed to boldly make a toast to this unconditional vow to see his partner heal.

~ to be continued ~