I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.
Notes: thanks to Phoebe for the read-through. Any mistakes are my own. Hope you enjoy!
H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O
"You have everybody there, right? Inside? Safe and sound?" Lou asked. In the background, Steve could hear people talking. Tani. Junior. A not so distant siren. Lou was coming and coming in hot.
"Yeah of course," Steve said. He glanced uneasily towards the side door and the breezeway where Danny was supposed to be but already taking too long. In the living room, the TV was suddenly switched on much too loud and Steve grimaced, briefly distracted.
"Charlie! Turn that thing down!"
"We're picking out a movie Uncle Steve!" Charlie shouted over the din and Steve pinched the bridge of his nose as he tried to focus on what Lou was saying.
"Lou, sorry ... what's going on? What did you find out?"
"Well, you keep yours close," Lou said. "We got a problem. A big one. Emily Gardner is in the hospital in critical condition. I have Junior tracking down why the hell we weren't informed; and calling the hospital to get more information on her condition. Just as bad, there was a change State-side. Some snot-nosed kid replaced Warden Price two weeks ago. There was a shake-up and a few nuts got shook loose from the tree. Travers is one such nutcase. And I just found out his cell-mate. Some lolo by the name of Luke Kahale? He's missing too."
"What? What are you saying? Emily is sick ... hurt?" Steve asked as he started moving across the kitchen. "What do you mean we weren't informed! When the hell did this happen?"
In the background, Charlie was giggling and the TV was still on too loud. Steve blocked some of the noise just enough to be only aware of Charlie's laughter as he tried to entertain his brother. Two steps from the side door, the hair on the back of Steve's neck stood straight up. He stared at the mesh screen, taking a moment to ignore Lou in favor of listening harder to the too quiet sounds emanating in from the breeze-way.
"Car accident," Lou explained. "Nothing conclusive but there's no witnesses ... and with Travers on the loose? Ten to one you know he had a hand in it."
"Shit," Steve breathed out softly. Emily? He was shocked by the news. He'd never even considered that Emily Gardner could become a target. Not like this. He glanced towards the kitchen door again, worried and on edge. It was too quiet outside and Danny had been gone just a few seconds too long.
"Lou?" Steve said the name reflexively as a foul odor drifted in through the kitchen window. Acrid and sharp, it had a familiarity to it and Steve paused. "What the hell?" He muttered as an odd reddish flicker of light caught his eyes.
"Yeah. And guess what ..."
Steve zoned out on Lou's voice as he got moving closer to the door. The facts would matter later as Steve spied the glimmer of smokey flames from the direction of the old shed where his father's now very forgotten old car sat dying its slow rusty death. The fire would take the old structure quickly and Steve sent out a silent prayer that Travers hadn't somehow gotten his partner inside before he'd set the blaze. Both distractions were designed to get him out of the house - one or the other - and away from the boys and Steve's face hardened in anger as he backed up to shelter himself just inside the doorway.
"Lou, I need back up ... fire department ... and I need it now," Steve hissed between his teeth, interrupting whatever Lou was so eager to explain. "Right now."
He intended to get his hidden gun from the high cabinet above the refrigerator as he ended the connection with Lou. At least that much why he sketched a hasty plan on his mental map.
Get gun. Get the boys safe. Find Danny. Find ... kill ... destroy ...Travers.
Steve didn't care about the fire itself. At least not in the sense of the word.
He cared about Danny ... he cared about the boys ... he cared that Travers was wanting him distracted and out of the house. None of this was lost on Steve. How Travers had managed to neutralize Danny less than five steps from the side door without nary a sound, was downright terrifying. The boys would be next.
Travers might not even be alone. The felon wanted C.J. and was taking no prisoners. What Travers might not be counting on though was that Steve would be more than happy to play that very same game. By stepping foot on the island, he'd virtually signed his own execution orders.
Cursing under his breath about wanting to be in too many places at once as he lunged for the high cabinet, Steve tucked in his weapon into the rear of his waistband. Grim-faced, he jogged to the living room.
"Charlie? C.J.? I need you to do what I say," Steve both said and signed. "I need you to hide and stay very, very quiet. Not a sound." It wasn't lost on Steve that C.J. was instantly afraid. Always on high alert due to his hearing impairment, C.J. read body language and expressions in a much faster and more perceptive way than anyone Steve had ever run across. Steve was easily communicating his stress but he didn't have a choice as he motioned to the boys towards the rear of the staircase.
'Daddy?' C.J. signed, leaning against Steve's shoulder when he dropped to his knees in order to shove the small bookcase away from a small, hidden door. "Daddy?" C.J. voiced out loud this time as Steve opened the door and gestured for them to go inside the closet-sized room. Already decked out with blankets, big puffy floor pillows, toys and a battery-run camping lantern, it was more play-cave than closet. A fun spot in the house perfect for little boys on rainy days or, like now, an even better place for Steve to safely hide them away.
"Daddy?" C.J. shook his head not wanting to stay there, his chin trembling and Steve smiled soothingly, his heart aching with love as the boy spoke again.
"Now what did I tell you about crying?" Steve said as he swiped the tears away with his thumb. "I'm so proud of you, C.J. So, so proud. I promise, I'll be right back."
With a reluctant nod, C.J. went inside the space, lips still quivering. He turned around to face Steve, making the finger sign for 'Danno?' and Steve's stomach tightened in a knot. He paused long enough to lean forward and kiss the side of the boy's head.
'He's here ... he's bad,' C.J. signed.
"It's going to be okay. I promise," he soothed as he ran his fingers through C.J.'s hair. "Stay here with your brother."
"Uncle Steve? Where's Danno?" Charlie questioned out loud when he too realized that Danny was missing and that Steve was in a quiet rush, piloting both of them into their hideaway. Looking from C.J. to Steve, Charlie made a face. "I don't want to hide. Where's Danno?"
Steve looked at his two little men. Shoulder to shoulder, one far more afraid than the other and both yet so trusting, and he found another smile. He cupped Charlie's cheek and repeated his promise. "I'm going to go and find out, okay?" Steve said. "Everything is going to be fine. But I need you to hide and be very, very quiet. Turn on the camp lantern and don't make a sound; only come out for me, Danno or Uncle Lou. Okay? It's important, Charlie. I'm trusting you to do this for me. I need both of you to be really brave, okay?"
"Okay, Uncle Steve," Charlie whispered unhappily.
"C.J.? Can you be brave for me, buddy?" Steve said and signed slowly, waiting just a hairs-breadth for C.J. to nod, too.
"That's my boys," he whispered with a proud smile. Then he raised a finger to his lips, backed up, and slowly closed the door on two very solemn faces.
H5O* H5O
As soon as the door was clicked shut and Steve had left them, Charlie had the camp lantern turned on. The space was small but homey with all the blankets and toys, but C.J. didn't want to move from where he was. He stood rooted to the floor, just staring at the door with his fingers curled into two little tight fists.
This was so so bad and he was really very scared. Danno wasn't there and now his dad had left them. When Charlie moved to stand in front of him, C.J. made the sign for being afraid.
"It's okay. I don't like it either," Charlie whispered. "But Uncle Steve and Danno are on the job." He stood in front of C.J., talking slowly because he didn't know how to finger-sign all the words.
"They're on the job and will get that bad man. Don't be scared, C.J."
C.J. shook his head though. He knew better and he was really scared. He knew what his bad daddy could do and had already done. He had done terrible things and that was why he was supposed to be far away in jail. The man wasn't supposed to be here, in Hawaii. But he was and now C.J. was afraid for Danno and for his dad. He was also scared that he could be taken away.
His bad daddy had signed it - he'd meant it - and he could make it happen ... and just suppose he wanted Charlie, too?
'Daddy and Danno could get hurt,' C.J. signed, knowing that Charlie would understand these easy words. For a minute, Charlie looked scared too as he figured out what C.J. had signed because he hadn't thought about that happening. But then Charlie was taking C.J. by the hand and tugging him to sit down on one of the big pillows.
'No, they're smart,' Charlie signed. He tapped the side of his head with his finger. 'Smart and strong.'
He smiled as he put his arm around C.J.'s shoulders. Bending his head close so C.J. could read his lips, Charlie whispered very softly, "Uncle Steve and Danno can do anything, C.J. They're the best."
With a nod and a tentative smile, C.J. dropped his eyes to study his fingers as he sat next to his brother. He was still scared but he felt better being in the small room with Charlie. Charlie was right, too. Danno and Daddy were the best ... they could do anything and he needed to be brave.
Shoulder to shoulder, trying to be brave together, they sat there side by side. They sat there together just waiting for their fathers to come back.
~ to be continued ~
