Detective Danielle Williams doesn't like Hawaii. No, rectify, hate Hawaii. She has fantasized about the islands, of course. Most of the world has done it at some point. She has been curious, picked up a brochure at a travel agency, thought about roasting in the sun without having to worry about anything else. The point is that they were just that, fantasies. In the end she had thrown away the brochure and had continued with her life without poolside vacation.
First she and Richard were newlyweds and she had a police salary, he an office worker one, they couldn't have afforded it. Then they had Grace, and their summer breaks became a family affair when they could get their schedules to match. Without beaches and daiquiris for them. Well for her. Surely he had had enough of both during his congresses when he started moving up in the company.
She had seen more of Disney World than wanted or needed.
So Hawaii was a vague, shapeless dream, somewhat relaxing and a bit aspirational though impossible. Then she had to go live there and her opinion about the stupid archipelago changed.
Everyone said:
"You're going to paradise, Danny." "Smile a little, Danny" "I wish I could go to Hawaii". Jerks. Even her own family of traitors.
Those comments had made her hate it even more, she would have killed for changing with any of her sisters. She probably would have had to hate it before had to exile herself to that aquatic prison against her will. It was hot, she always had sand on her shoes even though didn't go to the beach and the pizza had pineapple. Pineapple. She didn't know that she could hate so much a fruit but if anyone was going to do it would certainly be her.
Whoever had named that pile of volcanic stones in the middle of the ocean, lost from the hand of God, paradise was stupid. Paradise shouldn't have so many damn insects. For Danny, paradise would be her Jersey house, with that old and threadbare couch with stains that would never come out. With Grace and some silly cartoon movie. Paradise was her mother's home cooking and arguing with Stella and Bridget.
And if it were for her, that would be her life. She would never have set foot on that island and would be much happier. But when has she got what she wants?
For Richard it was easy. Most of his family was in England, his friends, well he would make new friends. Either way, neither of them had much time for that kind of relationship. But Danny's world was in Jersey. Her parents, her siblings, her nephews. The house she grew up in, the family dinners on Sunday.
He just had to get rid of his old life, most of what they had shared, and start again. A new house, a new state, a new woman. A new all.
If they didn't have Grace in the middle, half of him and half of her, Danny might have tried to do the same. But with her daughter at stake, she had only been able to follow them around the world.
That story only ended in two ways and she had decided a long time ago, when they finally had the courage to end a long-overdue marriage, that she would not risk her daughter in custody battles that she could never win. If leaving her family had ripped out a piece of her heart, losing Grace would have killed her. The mere possibility made her heart shrink.
And she didn't want her to lose her father either. For all his failures in all other respects Richard had always been a good father. Mediocre husband, hateful ex, great father. But he was tall, handsome, and had an british accent, he had to have some fault or it wouldn't be fair to the rest of the mortals. She used to joke about it with him.
Danielle was not stupid. The laws favor the mother in most cases, but she was a police officer. She had been injured while on duty, she had been in dangerous situations, she would be again. Richard was a real estate developer, she wasn't even sure what the hell that meant, his life was stable. A fixed schedule, a regular and safe job without risks of ending up dead. He and Stacey were the perfect couple, the perfect parents and everything Danny couldn't be. The six-figure salary and the best lawyers also helped.
But for everything Danny hated Hawaii, the stupid island hated her just the same. Or perhaps it was the universe, some cosmic force delighting in her suffering. The thing is, her life was a mess.
Danny stopped the car in front of his ex's new house. The camaro was her only whim, the only non-mom thing she allowed herself to have. She had bought it because her sister had provoked her long after the divorce and she had liked it enough to have it brought to the island. It was always fun to see people's faces when she didn't fit the image they'd made of the driver, especially the PTA moms and the department jerks.
She hated going to drop Grace, but also resented having to go pick her up. That residential neighborhood with houses that were valued at more zeros than she could ever imagine always made her feel guilty. As if she was failing her daughter for not being able to provide that to her all the time.
She already spent most of her time with her father, four days a week plus a weekend a month, and sometimes Danny had the feeling that when she was with her missed the things that had with her father. The pool, the country club and everything in between. She didn't even have a garden in her apartment.
Grace had never complained, her girl was too nice for that, but it did not erase that feeling.
It also made her think about when her life had changed so much. She couldn't find out what the exact moment had been, it had been gradual, little by little. Maybe he had changed and she hadn't, maybe both had and she hadn't seen it until everything imploded.
Danny got out of the car, ringing the phone next to the grand entrance a couple of times. In the passenger seat was carrying a large rabbit plush covered in fluffy pink fur. She had stopped to buy it last night after work so Grace had something to show on her class animal day. She had been obsessed with bunnies, bunny hair clips, bunny pajamas, bunny glasses, bunny dolls, anything she could put her hands on for weeks. She was going to love it.
The automatic gate opened and Grace left the house, laden with her oversized pink backpack. She had hair darker than hers, which she had got from her father, tied back in two ponytails that her stepmother had undoubtedly combed. She wasn't crazy about Stacey but Grace liked her and that had to be enough for her.
She waved at Richard. It amused her that he was in a full suit, as Danny he was not used to the casual style they preferred on the island. It was one of the few things they had lately agreed upon. Meka had informed her that no one wore a suit in Hawaii and she had never seen him in a jacket, nor had seen any of her colleagues as they were there, but she had the rules of her old police station well etched in her brain. No matter how much they laughed at her, she hadn't gotten rid of his uniform consisting of a sensible neutral-colored suit and a shirt button-down almost to the neck.
Grace couldn't resist running the last few feets that separated her from her mother, so she noticed the cage the girl was carrying. Inside was a small cotton ball with a pink nose and long ears. The little beast wrinkled its nose, looking at her with its dark eyes.
"And what do we have there?" She asked, pointing to the cage.
"It's Mr. Hoppy," Grace replied, holding it up so Danny could see its contents well. "Dad gave it to me to take to class."
"Daddy gave it to you," she repeated, luckily for her Grace didn't notice the annoyance in her voice. "How kind of him. Have you thanked him?"
The girl nodded vigorously, pigtails bouncing behind her. She was incredibly happy and if she hadn't been she would have gladly come to the house to yell at Richard for buying their daughter a new pet without consulting her first. It was that kind of thing that they had to talk about. Perhaps he was still resentful that she get Buddy in the split. He was the only thing, other than Gracie, she had wanted.
She felt a little pretentious to have gotten the dog and it had bothered him a lot, even more than the house.
"Very well, let's go. You don't want Mr. Hoppy to be late for his first day of school, do you?" Then she noticed the furry pink stuffed animal she had in the car. There was no way she could give it to Grace now. "Say goodbye to dad."
She took advantage of her distraction moment to push the stuffed animal to the back seat, where Grace would not see it. She would yell at Richard another time, when Grace didn't hear them and wasn't going to be late for school.
Grace went to a nearby school. Private and with a waiting list for admissions that matched a transplant one. It was silly in her opinion. Grace used to go to a public school, they had gone to a public school and they had done well, they had good lives and good jobs. His better than her lately, but that wasn't the point.
She had given in at the end because she had become very insistent and the school location was good, halfway between their houses. In addition Grace had seen a pamphlet with extracurricular activities and had fallen in love with the riding camp they had in the summer.
Richard had paid for the tuition, activities, and uniform. She had taken care of the school supplies because she couldn't stand him taking care of everything.
The entrance was full of suburban mothers, only instead of minivans they drove lexus and mercedes and wear Louboutins. She avoided them like the plague, although knew that Richard and Stacey were friends of some parents.
"Bye, Danno," with just a brief stop to kiss her, Grace ran out. Ready to introduce Mr. Hoppy to all her friends.
"Be careful with Mr. Hoppy." Has time to scream, although Grace is probably not paying attention to her mother. There is nothing she can do but expect her to be careful and avoid shaking the cage. Grace is usually a pretty caring girl but she's still a little girl and often got sloppy when she was excited.
She was the only thing worth all that nightmare. Her little monkey was surprisingly adaptable, she had hardly noticed the changes, had simply made new friends and discovered new things that she liked. She had begun to insist that let her take surf lessons, something she would do about her dead body, and loved the food, the hula classes and the language, even if she didn't understand a thing.
Grace was the only thing that kept her from going totally insane.
After taking her daughter to school, she had to go back to work. Since she had gone to Hawaii her hours were more irregular. She was at the bottom of the food chain, worked when needed and couldn't complain. If someone needs to stay extra hours to do surveillance or paperwork she is the first to volunteer against her will. In Jersey she had earned the respect of her peers through hard work, everyone knew she was good at what she did. Now she had to start from scratch, like a rookie out of the academy.
Her only bit of routine was the days with Grace. Pick her up on Friday morning to take her to school and then pick her up in the afternoon from her extracurricular activities, all her weekend together before taking her back to her father's house. And then four days in a row without seeing her. It was a nightmare and the only thing keeping her sane on that pineapple-infested island at the same time.
She hopes that over time she can also beat her new teammates, but in six months nothing has worked. She is no less a stranger than the day she arrived.
She is a good detective, she has an above average rate of arrests and convictions but that was quite unimportant for her colleagues and superiors. She was frustrated, so much so that she had come to think that it would be better to give up on that and try to do something else. It was just that she wouldn't know what else to do.
Danny had always wanted to be a police officer. Since was a little girl, thief catching games were her favorites. Drove crazy her siblings, who could never hide anything from her, also her parents. She was ridiculously young when discovered the truth behind Santa and the Tooth Fairy.
So she had stayed and endured everything that had been thrown at her, even the worst cases.
She almost wondered if the Captain had purposely given her the John McGarrett case just to screw her up, but it seemed impossible. McGarrett was practically a hero around there and everyone wanted to catch his killer as soon as possible. Everyone wanted answers, she just couldn't give any.
Not when all he had was the name of Victor Hesse. Which would be very useful, having witnesses used to be very good even if were the victim's son by a phone at thousands of kilometers, as long as the murderer did not fade as if were a ghost.
Hesse was not a petty thug, he was an experienced assassin and knew what was doing and how to cover his few tracks. There was little chance of finding him if he didn't poke the head out of his burrow.
It was frustrating to know for sure who was to blame but to be unable to do anything. She was no stranger to that feeling, had had difficult cases before; those that spanned weeks and months, those that never closed. The ones that kept her awake at night. It did not become easier with time to know that there was a murderer loose because she had not managed to catch them.
Sometimes she thinks about it for hours, remembering each case, she cannot forget it even if tries. It is much more difficult after having Grace. With all the death she has seen, it is very difficult not to become a bit paranoid.
That is good at times, it makes her pay more attention, notice the small details and wonder why they are out of place. The other half of the time they can only drive her crazy thinking about all the horrible possibilities, all the disasters that could happen to her little girl.
Stop at one of their favorite coffee shops. It is close to Grace's school, in a very good area, so it is more expensive than what she usually spend on coffee, but like the pastries very much. Malasadas could be the only good thing on the island. They are like donuts but better because they have no hole, more to eat.
Grabbing a large coffee and a couple of these delicious buns, her mother doesn't have to know that she's already breaking her promise to cut down on caffeine, she starts driving. She finds it relaxing and the sugar improves her mood a little.
She does not have the method of revisiting the crime scenes that investigates if she should not, some police officers she meets are inspired when they do it but she finds it sinister. However it is right where is going, to John McGarrett house.
It's weird about crime scenes. She has seen everything, but they never cease to amaze her. One thinks that, if someone is going to have their brains blown out, it will be in a sinister alley, behind some seedy bar or in an abandoned warehouse. A weird, dark and humid place, in the company of rats. Not in your house, the place where you should feel most safe.
And especially John McGarrett's house didn't seem like the place where bad things could happen. It spoke of tranquility, of family gatherings and children playing. With the garden and the porch, even the beach in the back. Grace would love such a house, surely the children of Sergeant McGarrett had also enjoyed it very much.
The police tape on the door is out of place, as is the car in front of the house, although for different reasons. The house is a little remote and it seems very strange that a neighbor has parked there.
It's never good to find someone at a crime scene when they are not part of the police. It's almost as bad as the open door. She is sure that they had closed it when the technicians had finished analyzing the house.
With the gun drawn she entered the house, going from room to room looking for something strange but there seems to be nothing out of place. None of the objects in the house have disappeared or are moved. That is often the main concern when someone invades a crime scene, trying to steal or destroy evidence.
It is still an active scene so they cannot even send a cleaning crew, no one should be there and everything is like the last time she had seen it. The blood stains in the Sergeant's office are a terrible reminder from multiple shattered lives.
She is about to go up to the second floor when notice the open door of the garage. She pushes her lightly so can sneak through the opening, luckily in silence. The suspect is backwards, bowed over a work table. She is sure he is not from the police. Tall, over six feets, dark hair. He has a weapon on his belt.
"Hands up!"
He turns faster than she expected, unsheathing the weapon in a practiced movement, clearly ignoring her order.
"Drop the gun," he says again, trying to stay calm. It does not seem that he intends to do so and he tells him clearly.
"Who you are?"
"Drop the gun and put your hands behind your head."
"Who are you and what are you doing in my house?"
Danny briefly records what he just said about his house, but she does not lower the gun.
"Who are you and what are you doing here? This is a crime scene, you can't be here."
"I asked first" and the way he says it makes her want to answer something scathing, but it is not the best situation to get smart.
"I'm Detective Danny Williams, here is my ID." She brought her hand to the hip very slowly, pulling the jacket away and removing the badge from belt. He nods almost imperceptibly but does not lower the gun.
"Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett" reaches into his pocket and she stiffens, but all he does is take out an ID. A legitimate looking Navy ID.
The two lower the guns very slowly, almost waiting for the other to make a false move and have a reason to shoot.
Once she no longer have to worry that is going to get shoot, have a chance to take a look. She has seen pictures of him during the investigation but looks different without the military uniform. Still there is a clear similarity to his father. None of that responds to what he does there.
"Commander…"
"Detective" interrupts her but says nothing more. She hates that, hates being cut and above all being cut for no reason, like at the time. It almost seems like he's doing it to annoy her.
"Commander McGarrett, I am very sorry about your father. I am the detective who is investigating his case. I assure you that we will do everything in our power …"
"Are you seriously the detective investigating the my father's murder?"
He seems to sincerely doubt it, which annoys her more than if he was purposely trying to insult her. It is the same expression that her colleagues have when they are forced to work with her and she is able to contribute something useful. Like she was a puppy doing something funny or something. She should be used to it but no.
"Yes, seriously. As I'm also sure you can't be here. We will notify you when you can return."
He ignores her instructions to leave, asking questions that he surely knows she cannot answer.
"Commander, I cannot speak of an active case. You have to leave the place."
"Okay," she sees that he is going to do something only in his gaze. Seeing him grab a toolbox from the table doesn't even surprise her.
"Commander, you can't take that. It is a proof and you know it."
Look at the box with almost legitimate confusion, he's a good actor "I brought this myself."
"You know that's not true."
He doesn't give up. Circling around the subject while making sure doesn't drop the box and incidentally teasing her a about her threatening of arresting him. And then call the governor to swear a charge over the phone.
"Now this is my crime scene," he said. "Get out of here."
She is angry. It is inevitable after the unpleasant encounter with McGarrett. What happened in that garage is against all possible protocol. For god's sake the number one rule of the manual is that if you are emotionally compromised you have to drop the case. And the Commander is up to his neck.
She wasn't going to blame him for wanting to be on the front line. If there were someone she loved, she thinks about her father and how many times he had walked out the door for work without his family knowing if he was going to come back while she was growing up, se would want to be there. If something happened to him she would want to be there. But the rules were for a reason. They protected them all, the suspects, the victims and also the police. Honestly, that guy was on a slight provocation from having a seizure and smashing someone's face. Or worse.
So she did have a right to be pissed off, and she was, for getting her in trouble with her Captain.
The news that the new special unit of the governor had taken away the case and specifically that had been the victim's son had reached her captain ears before she could report. Or do something to soften the blow. And it had been Governor Jameson herself who had done it.
Her boss had not taken it very well. Rather, he had considered it a personal attack on the police department and a direct consequence of her uselessness. Now the Governor had the special unit she wanted so much, McGarrett was free to act as a vigilant and she would spend the rest of her life sitting at her table, doing paperwork as punishment.
"Come on, Williams, what were you going to do?" Meka tries to cheer her up but doesn't make her feel less pathetic.
Shoot him, she thinks, but doesn't say it. She would have had to file a lengthy report but it would have saved her some trouble.
He had also invited her and Grace to dinner but Danny excuses herself, probably a bad excuse too. Because even that part of her life, the only normal part in that pineapple hell, is cracking. She doesn't know what happens to Meka but since they are no longer partners, and she doesn't get an answer as to the reason for that, they have become hopelessly estranged.
She's tired of being lied to, she's pretty sure Meka knows more than she tells her too, but doesn't want to fight him either. He and Amy are the only friends she has on the island. She need at least one adult that don't hate so don't go crazy. She really don't have the patience or stamina to navigate the complicated waters of that relationship right now.
After school Grace has a swimming class, it is another of the things that Richard insists, activities and more activities so that she does not have even a free minute. Now they seem funny but Danny fears that at some point they will start suffocating her. Doesn't complain because both she and Richard both have busy schedules, and she still doesn't really like Stacey staying with Gracie, even after all this time. She can't help it, sometimes feels like she's occupying every aspect of her life, invading all of Danny's roles.
She is her girl, her baby, and she has always been there for all aspects of her life. She is the one who makes her pigtails, the one who reads her story before going to sleep, the one who looks for monsters in her closet and reminds her to take her stuffed toy before going to bed and suddenly can no longer be there for everything that. There's a schedule, a programmed time, and Danny hates it more than anything in the world.
She has found that not having Richard is a relief. At some point before their relationship completely imploded it had gone so bad that she couldn't even recognize it. Not having to tiptoe in her own house to avoid exploding a fight is a relief. At some point began he to do more hours at work, to arrive later so as not to see her and she to pretend to be asleep so as not to have to talk to him. And that is not a marriage, it is not even coexistence.
It's not just Richard's fault, Danny knows it. It was both of them. They killed what they had.
She hopes that he and Stacey do better, that they never have to see with how their relationship falls apart without being able to do anything to fix it like she and Richard did. If only for Grace.
Danny picks her up from swimming at the school gate and stays with her until Monday afternoon. Two and a half days is still very little but take as much advantage as she can.
"Have you left Mr. Hoppy with Dad?" She needs to distract Grace as soon as he gets into the car so that he stops harassing her with the surfing thing.
It seems all the kids in her class do it and Grace needs to learn too. Both seem exaggerated claims to her, but what will she know of the things that are fashionable among Hawaii children.
Every time she ask Danny's standard answer is "We'll see," followed by "Dad and I have to talk." Which in the language of the parents unequivocally means that their girl will never set foot in a surf table while she is still alive.
That seems to be one of the few things she and Richard agree on. A polished plank of wood is not an acceptable or safe way to be in the water. Unfortunately Gracie is insistent on the subject and neither of them wants to be the one to say no. Danny knows it will end up being her and probably soon, before Stacey convinces him that it's a totally acceptable hobby, but it's a conversation she can put off for now.
"Yes. Daddy says I can buy him a bigger cage with a little house and I can choose the little house" she immediately goes on to talk about Mr. Hoppy's future residence and all the different types of rabbit sawdust out there and a lot more information that no normal seven-year-old girl should know.
"Really? Wow, that's great." She doesn't care in the least about the rabbit's residence as long as she doesn't have to clean it up but everything that thrills Grace ends up thrilling her as well.
"Yes! Do you think there will be a pink one?"
"Sure yes, monkey." Because, why not.
She only stopped talking about the rabbit when Buddy greeted them upon arrival at the house. A dog with a ball could be the best playmate for a child, even when could only throw it a mere ten feets down the hall.
The rubber ball bounced off the wall.
"Slower Grace, the house is rented" and she was not enough to pay for repairs or argue again with the next door neighbors.
At least they were better than the ones above and their constant fights that were followed by non-fighting noises. Love was as annoying as hate. Luckily her daughter was still young enough to believe her when she said they were jumping on the bed. God, she feels dirty.
"Yes mommy."
Dinner was being made and the fact that she was without a case suddenly meant that she had free time after putting Grace to bed. She could take care of the laundry that had been piling up for a week. She was two pairs away from running out of panties. She could also spoil her daughter a little, let her go to bed a little later than normal, and watch a movie with her. That would compensate for Mr. Hoppy. Ice Cream and Tiana might not be as cool as a new pet but it was something.
Although seeing her with Buddy it occurred to her that he was much better than a rabbit. You couldn't play anything with a rabbit, rabbits were boring. They were the worst. She wouldn't say that to her daughter until the obsession was over.
"Go wash your hands and then set the table." She ignored the girl's slight pout and began to put things on the counter so that Gracie didn't have to climb back through the cabinets to get the dishes. Danny had almost had a heart attack seeing her do it. Buddy wagged her tail around, waiting for something she was cooking to drop. "Go eat your own food."
There is a knock on the door. Insistently. Even impatiently. She hopes it's not someone selling something, again, because she has no patience for that.
She wants to curse a little bit but then he remembers that she has Gracie at home and that has to keep the G language around her. So she's going to open the door.
"You have to be ..." The curse does not end.
On her landing is Commander Steven McGarrett, he could be worse than door-to-door salesmen. It occurs to her that she might turn around, if she doesn't make a noise he doesn't have to know she's home but he've probably heard her call Grace thirty seconds earlier and seems impatient. She's not sure that a man who dares try to steal evidence in front of a policewoman won't try to break down her door if keeps him waiting too long. She'd rather avoid trauma for Grace if can.
"What are you doing here?" She didn't mean to sound as outraged as she does, perhaps angrier.
He blinks confusedly, frowning and looking at her as if he doesn't recognize her. Danny takes a look around, just to make sure her clothes don't have any rips somewhere inappropriate but everything is normal. Sweatpants and a T-shirt, which she wears at home when she is with her daughter. Well their socks are different distinct from each other. The left pink stripes and the right flamingos.
She makes a false coughing noise, waiting for him to explain himself.
"Can I come in?" He says instead, making his way inside the apartment before she has a chance to say no. "You are not wearing a suit. Not even her hair up. It suits you."
"I haven't invited you!" She deliberately ignored his comments about her appearance.
He ignores her annoyance too, studying her home with the same mixture of curiosity and surprise with which he has looked at her. Even scratches the dog behind the ears. And the idiot lets himself be cuddled, wagging his tail and hanging his tongue happily. Danny glares at him but he doesn't flinch. Not that she expected him to act like a watchdog, he's always been ridiculously friendly and it's one of the reasons they love him so much, but a little mistrust of strangers would be fine.
"You've put surveillance on a guy named Fred Doran." He doesn't say it as a question so Danny doesn't feel the need to answer. He's still petting the dog. "Tell me why." And again it's not a question. Annoying.
"Hey, GI Joe, that's no longer my case and I don't know if you noticed but my shift is over. Next time call to make an appointment."
She's sure he's going to face her again when Grace comes out of the bathroom. She has been there for a long time with the water running, more than necessary to wash her hands. Danny hopes he doesn't find an impromptu foam party again.
"I'm ready, Danno."
Then see McGarrett and freezes in the middle of the way, looking worriedly at the stranger in her house. She get it, he's all height, tattoos and an annoying expression, can be very intimidating. But his expression softens noticeably as soon as he sees the little girl.
"Hey" he says, in a surprisingly soft voice. "What's your name, little one?"
"Grace."
Sha takes small steps until she's close enough to hide behind Danny, looking at McGarrett from her safe place, her face pressed against her mother's waist. It is not usual for her to be so shy, she is normally a friendly and outgoing girl, even with strange adults. As a mother It is terrifying.
"Hello, Grace. I'm Steve, I work with your mother." He reaches out his hand and Grace shakes it after a moment, even without letting go of her mother's shirt. He holds her hand carefully and Grace's seems even smaller next to his.
Danny tries not to think about how many people will have killed these hands. It's something that started to cross her mind when Grace was a baby and hugged her, always unable to stop imagining all the people he had shot before hugging her baby. It is strange and difficult to reconcile the two possibilities.
"Are you a policeman?" The girl suddenly feels curious. She is still at that age where her mother's job is cool and fascinating rather than scary.
"Something like this." Cost her not to roll her eyes at the implication that he is something like a policeman. Crazy Marine, it is what it is.
"Gracie, honey, have you set the table?" She know haven't.
The girl jumps suddenly, remembering her unfinished task. Shook her head effusively and runs off to do it.
Danny takes the opportunity to drag McGarrett to the living room by the sleeve of the shirt. Not that it's too far from the kitchen, but it seems better than arguing about the case than the hallway.
"Danno?"
She ignores his surprised comment.
"Doran is an arms dealer. They are investigating him for another homicide." She wants to get rid of it soon and thinks it's easier to answer his questions. Better than he calling her boss to complain about her lack of collaboration or something.
He doesn't seem to be paying attention, more interested in the family photos and toys tossed around the room, but she's pretty sure he's good at multitasking and isn't missing a thing. Buddy is still chasing him, hoping to get some more scratching.
"And what does it have to do with my father's case?"
"The gun was never found. When I made the ballistic comparison of the one Hesse used the connection appeared. I think it was Doran who gave him the gun."
"Then maybe he knows where Hese is. We have to talk to him."
-Sorry?
Danny is wearing the socially acceptable equivalent of pajamas, with her young daughter in the next room and, above all, he had stolen her case only that morning. But McGarrett doesn't seem to consider any of those things a drawback.
"I don't work on the case anymore. Remember?" Thanks to you, she refrains from adding.
"The governor has given me authority," he said simply, as if it were the most normal thing in the world. Who doesn't have the Hawaii governor's number on speed dial to help them stole other people's work.
Danny wants to remove that smug expression from his face.
"I talked to your Captain. He told me that for a couple of weeks you have been without a partner" it is a painful point, she has not got any explanation of what is happening with Meka. "I need a partner. You will be my partner."
She blinks. Looks at him and opens her mouth trying to find what to say but nothing comes out. Danny is never speechless.
"Excuse me?"
She is forming a good tirade, perhaps a few screams,s he has still built up her anger at Richard over Mr. Hoppy, but the mission is aborted when Grace appears out the door of the living room, skidding on her furry socks. Danny has told her a million times to stop doing it before she hurts himself, but the girl always forgets it. She has even bought her some of those socks with rubber parts on the sole so that she does not slip, but somehow always ends up leaving them at his father's house. Coincidence, she says. Sure.
Wants to know if Mommy's friend is going to stay for dinner and she's probably thinking about Meka and Amy who come from time to time but can't imagine Commander McGarrett chatting animatedly about the children's activities and all those things that parents inevitably end up gravitating to. Nor enduring Gracie's relentless talk about SpongeBob or Avatar. Luckily he excuses himself before she has to say no.
"I'm sorry, princess, but I have to go."
And somehow she ends up agreeing to go with him to find Doran for questioning. She's not even sure how he convinces her because Danny doesn't work when has Grace. Her time with her daughter is sacred.
So to compensate she doesn't complain a bit when Grace chooses to see the Little Mermaid again for the millionth time or when she asks for caramel with her ice cream. And she probably has the worst parenting style ever, but who cares, Richard and Stacey spoil her the most and she's tired of being the bad one.
Danny hates, hates, Steve McGarrett. Okay, Doran's situation had gotten a little out of control and neither of them had been to blame, not even the crazy marine. The smuggler had realized they were after him, courtesy of his girlfriend, and the bite still hurt her, and had fled. Then he had taken a hostage and she had done what she was trained for, had saved that woman's life.
He had been shot and killed, it was a disgrace because Danny was a human being and not a psychopath who gloated over anyone's death. But there was little more she could do.
Perhaps could have fired slightly to the side, somewhere less deadly than the center of the chest, perhaps. Maybe that had been her mistake. But she was more concerned with the innocent woman her criminal kept at gunpoint than with the exact spot where she was shooting.
So maybe she could have done things a little differently but Steve, Steve , shouldn't have shot her. Okay, it had been an accident and then she had punched him, but he hadn't even apologized! It was the least he could do after a bullet pierced her shoulder. It was the most basic of human society, even her seven year old daughter knew it, if you do something wrong you apologize. How hard could that be to understand?
A lot, because the caveman did not understand it.
"How is your arm?"
"I do not want to talk."
It hurt like a bitch. In her entire career at the police she had only been shot once before, in a heist earlier in her work. Once. One day with that animal and they did it again. If this was how they work started she didn't like it one bit.
"Of your arm or ...?"
"In general" she snaps. "With you. Of anything. Never."
He has the gall to look amused by the situation, as if the sling on her arm, the bandage covering her wound, and the bullet that has been removed from her body, a bullet , was nothing at all. And it probably wasn't for him. The stupid ninja who didn't know the meaning of the word reinforcements. One person were not acceptable reinforcements, no matter how good Danny was at her job.
"You are a little sensitive," he says.
"Sensitive!?" The reaction probably wasn't helping her refute the claim, but she was too angry to worry. Furthermore, every man in the world knows that he should never, under any circumstances, called a woman sensitive. Never. It was basic. He had probably been too busy jumping from helicopters and camping in the jungle to learn to relate with normal humans. "When exactly have I been sensitive? When did you shoot me? When did you force me to accompany you to this crazy mission? Or maybe when you took the case from me and humiliated me in front of the entire police department?"
When she had to go to that stupid island, maybe. Or when her husband left her after almost eight years of marriage or when he had replaced her with a newer and brighter model.
"You're exaggerating a little," he shrugged. "The bullet just brushed you and now you can work on the case, right?"
"It just brushed me!?" she laughs hysterically. "You shot me! I don't know if you understand, but normal people don't shoot their partners. It is not done. And if you do, although you shouldn't, the normal thing is to apologize. You have not apologized!"
"I…"
"You don't have to wait for a special occasion, you just ask for forgiveness."
"I am sorry."
"It is a sign of civilization. It is what differentiates us from animals!"
"I get it, okay. Sorry, sorry I shot you. It's what I was trying to tell you."
So he apologizes and she doesn't accept it at the moment. Always a bit spiteful, she blames it on growing up with three siblings. Always teasing, picking up her things and gossiping, she had spent half her life kicking them out of her room and trying to keep them from scaring off her boyfriends. Stella, especially, had been difficult to bear. Probably because she was the oldest and she wasn't intimidated as easily as Matty and Bridget.
It also didn't help that she had stopped growing at fourteen and no one, from her friends to her workmates, took her seriously at first. When someone looked at Danielle, they were not thinking "Whoa, what a competent police officer" but "I wonder if her mother knows where she is."
She had to be this way. Spiteful and noisy, of bad character. It's what she's used to.
However, he doesn't seem to be bothered a bit. She doesn't expect to scare him, but her reactions don't annoy him either. He doesn't back down when she screams or takes offense at her sarcasm. Steve remains calm, without raising his voice even once, and responds to her . Pushing all her buttons. Annoying her even more in his tranquility.
It is surely part of his SEAL training. Interrogation Techniques 101, Chapter Twenty-Three: Frustrate the enemy until they tells you what you want. Or something like that.
The worst thing is that she does not think can get any other reaction from him. It seems that their fights are becoming a thing and others are amused. The others are Chin Ho Kelly and Kono Kalakaua, cousins. A police officer expelled from the force, something that happened before she arrived on the island and about what she wants to ask but ultimately does not, thinking that she should trust Steve about it, and a young rookie who has not even graduated.
They all are a strange, disorganized group, still not quite understanding what they are getting into with the special team, but somehow they work well. McGarrett has his military strategies and his utter lack of fear of death, Kono her fresh eyes and almost childish courage, she and Chin the experience of the job.
And somehow, with that curious mixture of abilities and the cousins deep knowledge of the island, a case that seemed to come to a standstill begins to revive. And, well, if she and Steve have to suffer the indignity of wearing yellow T-shirts with the face of a former criminal on them, and that Danny could personally wear as a nightgown, to get a good clue of Chin Ho's friend can do it.
She also finds a new home for the cuddly toy that Mr. Hoppy could never have equaled and that has been in the back of her car for two days.
"You are good with kids" Steve says when he sees the girl who bothered them with the huge pink teddy. It is nice to see someone enjoy it.
It is not so easy to send Kono to the wolf's lair, inexperienced and unarmed. Danny knows very well what it is to be young and full of hope, ready to prove yourself and demonstrate your worth. She knows how easy it is to get burn with that attitude. Kono is so brave, so daring and enthusiastic that scares her.
Luckily the girl knows how to defend herself. The poor idiot Sang Min doesn't have a single chance against the rookie.
So, well, in the twenty-four hours after meeting Danny, it is clear to her that Steve McGarrett is crazy. She has no doubt of that fact. She doesn't know if it is the product of his military training, the secondary effect of the multiple blows and explosions to which she is sure he has been subjected throughout his life or if it came from the factory. The point is that it is not normal.
And yet she prefers to put up with his madness than dealing with her his ex-husband. Something that probably says more about her and the bitter end of her marriage than about the ex she hasn't seen in person in two months or the crazy man who has hijacked her car.
She avoids him like the plague and he corresponds to it in the same way because if they spend more than fifteen seconds in the same room they end up screaming. Which is not good for Grace. So she has never crossed the fence of his house, like an uninvited vampire.
Enduring a call from your ex and your crazy partner seems more than any human being should be forced to endure. It is more than she can bear.
"Now is not the time, Richard." He replied too her, biting and polite in equal parts, an innate talent of him and she hisses in response. An enclosed space with a recent known person is not the best ideal for one of your ex-marital fights. "No. I have said no. Just ... just tell Grace that Danno loves her, please."
At least he'll do that because loves their little daughter as much as she does, and as much as she hates the way he's rationing their relationship, she doesn't think he has the heart to completely deprive Grace of her love. Just hope that Danno loves you is not the last thing her monkey knows about her. It's what expect every time she walk out the door to work.
Ignore McGarrett's gaze for about fifteen seconds, but he's insistent. Some army mind control technique has to be involved.
"Grace was three years old," she has no idea why he is explaining that to him "she tried to say my name but it didn't come out. She could only say Danno so it stayed. That's it, that's all.!
He makes a small gesture with his mouth that irritates her.
"What?"
"Nothing," he says quietly. "It's cute, that's all."
It's so annoying.
"No."
-Why can't I think it's cute?
"It's between my daughter and me, okay? It is private" she says, without addressing the fact that she herself has just explained the origin of the nickname.
He leaves the matter alone and ten minutes later is landing her car on the deck of a Chinese freighter, something that is likely to cause an international incident. Then a bunch of thugs are shooting at them and it's good Danny don't know about the ones that get paralyzed by the pressure because it's clear that Steve is going to do that a lot. Break down the door, land the car or whatever, and start shooting before asking questions. It is not crazy to assume that they will be shot back.
She knocks down a couple of guys while covering the psychopath's back, he shoots Hesse and they are soon handcuffing everyone who still stands.
"Book 'em, Danno." Only from the way he says it does she know that will become a thing, another, but it doesn't bother her as much as it would have the day before.
She complains anyway, just to remind him "What did I tell you about that?"
So, well, Steve is definitely nuts, but she decides that doesn't hate him. It is a surprising revelation, especially for herself and she is not sure that it is not a product of the loss of blood and blows to which she has been subjected lately, but for the moment she maintains her decision.
She likes him a little, even if he is a madman who crashes her car on boats and does not respect police processes. He is also smart and wanted to do justice, not just for his father, even more than many of the police she knew. Not being well adapted to civilized society was a disadvantage, but she couldn't blame him too much. Surely war did that to people. It was almost like a stray cat that someone had decided to adopt and that did not stop hunting the birds in the garden, attacking the legs of its owner and destroying the furniture. Danny hoped he could keep it under control just enough to avoid receiving more shots.
But, above all, and that was the main reason to trust him, his face had softened when he saw Gracie. She hadn't thought much of it at the time other than dismissing him as a potential threat to her daughter. She was too pissed off, not just at him, to do it. But then, calm and able to analyze the situation carefully, she had recalled the scene over and over again.
He had squatted down when talking to Grace to make up for the difference in height and his expression was different, his voice more friendly and calm. He was tired and a angry. It had been less than a day since he had buried his father and was looking for the murderer, but when he saw Grace, his smile had been sincere. And suddenly there was a Steve McGarrett in front of her who was having trouble fitting in with the man from the file she had read or the one who had pointed his gun at her in the garage. But perhaps it was a little more like the one he had come to know during the case. Maybe that was the real Steve, the one who wasn't hurt and in mourning.
And then he showed up at her house three nights after solving the case to inform her that had gotten her two nights at a hotel that she knew was too expensive for her to go with Grace. With a pool for swimming with dolphins. She wasn't even surprised.
"To make up for the weekend you missed," he responds when sees her expression. "Take her, let her pet the dolphins and don't worry about making dinner."
Danny smiled at him because he was an idiot, but he was an idiot who was going to make her daughter very happy and, well, if he put so much effort into a girl he didn't even know, couldn't be that bad. Even if made her going hysterical.
Grace loves dolphins that seem be super smart and even cooler than rabbits. It was probably the birth of a new obsession but that also made her smile.
So yeah, She may like Steve a little.
"We need a name."
It is Kono who says it, of course. She has not known them for a long time but is already getting them all, it is her job to analyze people. Kono still has that rookie illusion of those big expectant eyes and it's a little painful because at some point the job will stop being just exciting. There will be a case that will hit her where it really hurts and it will never be that easy again.
"We need a name," she repeats, when the rest are surprised at her suggestion. "We are a team and we need a team name. It would be cool."
"I have it. A'ohe hana nui ka alu'ia."
She is lost in the second word, luckily the others laugh too.
"What? What are you laughing at? It means: No task is too big when done together." Bur Chin himself laughs too and Steve suggests they keep looking and she thinks she is starting to like that too. That feeling, that camaraderie, those laughs.
Maybe Danny don't hate everything about Hawaii anymore.
I've been obsessed with genderbend, not just Danny, and here is the result. English is not my native language, so there is probably some grammatical error, so any correction is appreciated.