And so it begins. This is my Finale Fixit. I've been working on it since April. At times, I didn't think I'd share the story. It was more a purging for myself. An angry one. Had to say, I knew this end was coming. Even the cliché Catherine line that I will not repeat because it makes me want to vomit. Honestly, if Danny hadn't been left on the beach alone like he was, I wouldn't have cared about Catherine's appearance…as much. Most of the finale was fantastic. It was fan fiction material. Then, as with the S6 finale, Lenkov stuck his finger in the eye of every McDanno fan in the last few minutes of the episode. What a kick in the face. So this story was born. It's rough and raw. Depressing and funny. Heartbreaking in spots, I'm told. Don't worry, it's also got a happy ending. Mostly. Guys like Steve and Danny don't often get the fairytale. But I hope it comes close.


Steve pulled away from Catherine about ten minutes into the flight, letting go of her hand and straightening in his seat. A strange twinge tightened his chest. He smiled and ran his hand through his hair. She smiled back and then continued reading the inflight magazine, joking here and there about the items for sale.

"These things are always the same. Expensive tchotchkes. Who buys this stuff?"

She flipped the page, and he noticed her manicured fingernails. Then her makeup and teased hair. She'd prepped for this meeting. It wasn't an accident she was on this plane, sitting next to him. Who had told her?

Cole.

Steve couldn't be angry. The man didn't know any better. And Steve had waxed poetic about Catherine being the one who got away. Didn't mean she shouldn't stay that way. His body betrayed his common sense too many times to count when it came to her.

"Danny bought me a fancy BBQ thermometer once." Steve tapped her magazine. "From one of these."

"He would." She rolled her eyes and giggled.

Steve didn't quite hear her through his musing. "It was even named Maverick. That really made me laugh."

Meeting his eyes over the top of the page, she replied. "Like your call sign in that silly airplane race?"

"Silly?" Steve frowned. "You knew about that?"

"Sure." Catherine shrugged. Like it was no big deal she'd been keeping tabs on him from afar. Just like someone else.

He screwed his whole face up in a mix of surprise and something darker. A quick breath wasn't deep enough to chase away a shadow on his heart.

I just wish she'd realized all she had to do was get on an airplane and come home.

Steve stumbled with his next words. "But I didn't – you never – "

She grabbed his hand and squeezed, stopping his sentence. "It's sweet. Danny has always been good with gifts."

He knew she meant no harm but something stuck with him. A slight strain of resentment stained her mention of Danny. Just like his mother. He glanced at his phone sticking out of his bag. He hadn't answered Danny's text.

"He'll be alright, you know."

"What?" The word came out a little rough around the edges. Steve cleared his throat.

"Danny. He'll be alright. He's got the team. I bet no one leaves him alone for the next week. Maybe longer if he mopes around." She chuckled and flipped the magazine page.

They better not leave him alone. Steve thought.

He'd made it clear to Lou that someone needed to keep an eye on Danny for as long as it took. Make sure he went to his PT and doctor appointments. Since he wasn't there to do it. Steve wanted regular reports. He cursed himself for leaving, yet if he hadn't, he'd never know what had caused his pain. The islands and their damn memories or his terrible tendency to leave pain and destruction in his wake. He glanced at his phone again and a vision of Danny, bloody and hanging from those chains, flashed through his mind. He couldn't let that happen again. Distance felt like the only remedy.

With a twitch, he checked his watch. Steve tensed his jaw and forced himself to relax. He'd call Lou as soon as the flight landed.

Catherine sensed his discomfort. She grabbed his hand again and held on. This time, he accepted the gesture, allowing the familiarity to ground him. For better or worse.

/././

"We going to your place tonight?" Junior whispered, nibbling her earlobe.

Tani frowned, wrinkling her nose, as she turned in his embrace. She punched his bicep. "Seriously? Are you that dense?"

"Ow, why'd you hit me?" He rubbed his arm and scowled at her for a second before he asked in confusion. "What?

"Danny." She pushed away and glared at him like he'd lost his mind.

Junior squinted at her. "He said he's fine."

"You are an idiot." Tani rolled her eyes and shook her head, backing a step away to look him up and down, hands on her hips. "I am in love with an idiot. How did that happen?"

Her face melted from annoyed back to sad, and she resumed her vigil. Junior glanced toward the backyard. Danny hadn't moved for more than an hour. The sun hung low in the sky, and the water was calm. Even nature held its breath as it waited for Junior to get it.

He sighed after a minute, letting it sink in. "Oh."

"Yea. Oh." Tani hit him again.

Lou crept up beside them. "I got first watch if you two wanna scoot."

"Thanks, Lou but I'm staying." Tani started for the back door.

Lou stopped her. "Give him a minute."

Which sounded ridiculous because none of them had approached Danny except for Eddie since Steve left.

"He gonna be okay?" Junior looked suddenly lost, unsure. His voice cracked. Tani grabbed him and pulled him closer.

Lou sighed. "Eventually."

Tani nodded with an unsteady breath, on the edge of tears. Junior shoved his hands into his pockets rather than return her embrace.

Quinn joined them, bounce in her step. "Cole and I are going to Rick's. Wanna share a ride?"

"Nah thanks but I'll pass. I've got plans." Lou smiled, voice mellow and fatherly. "You go ahead. This old man can't stay up too late anymore. Beauty sleep."

"Yea me too." Tani smiled. "Raincheck?"

"Sure." Quinn was confused, an unasked question on her lips.

"I'm good, but thanks for the invite." Junior shrugged. He went where Tani did these days.

"Ok suit yourselves. Should I ask Danny?" Then it dawned on her. Quinn groaned softly. "Ugh. I didn't even- wow, I'm awful. I can stay."

"No. You go." Lou told her and added a quick wiggle of his eyebrows. "I know why you like that bar so much."

Quinn tried to play dumb, cheeks bright with a flash of embarrassment.

Tani laughed. "We get it. You just love the karaoke."

"Hey, I do not love… the karaoke." Her attempted defense was rather lame. "I love the atmosphere."

"Seriously?" Tani shook her head. "You're standing in front of a bunch of cops, dude."

"Ok, I admit it's growing on me. But it's too soon to call it love."

"Go on, get outta here. Have fun. We'll join you another time. We're gonna need the distraction. Just not tonight." Lou clapped her on the back and Quinn left, half stumbling away.

Junior frowned. "What did I just miss?"

Another eyeroll from Tani. "Like I said. You are so dense."

"No. You're just –" Junior huffed in frustration.

Lou shook his head and chortled. "Must be a SEAL thing."


There you go. The beginning of the ride. I have 15 chapters sketched out, and I plan to post every other day. Feel free to share your thoughts on my story and the show. Thanks, as always, for reading.