I Did It My Way
Black-Angel-001: thanks so much for your great reviews! yeah, i know, spelling isn't perfect but whatever. second chapter, where there's actually more for you to contemplate! i know it took a while getting here, but life has a way of taking plans and messing with them, ya know?
I Did It My Way
Every so often, cops from all over the US would get together in one agreed spot and discuss new techniques, new procedures, and other things that improve law enforcement. Mostly, it was sergeants, lieutenants, captains, or detectives from major city departments who attended, because they had the means to send two men wherever they had to go. It was as much a social networking as it was a proffessional one. It was a chance for the cops to realize all over again that they weren't the only ones out there. The hotel was putting up more than two thousand police officers from all fifty states. Various ball rooms were reserved for the different events and smeinars scheduled throughout the next two weeks.
Most of the officers were in jeans or dress slacks, with a polo shirt with the departments name and seal emblazened on it. They all milled about one of the great ball rooms, aqauinting themselves with each other.
5-0 stood a ways from everyone else, watching everything. Danny's eyes were glinting with excitment. The convention had just unofficialy gotten underway, and Danny could hardly wait to start talking and interacting. Chin and Kono were getting excited about it too, although they were more reserved about it than Danny. Steve wasn't quite sure about any of it yet. But he was willing to admit it was interesting.
Danny went up to a sergeant from L.A., introduced himself and Steve.
"Hi, I'm Det. Danny Williams. This is my partner Lt. Cmdr Steve McGarrett. Hawaii 5-0."
"5-0, huh?" He shook both their hands. "I'm Sgt Tom Wilkins, LAPD. This year should be good. Me and my partner for this trip, Lt. Bob Stratford, we've got some new techniques for busts, big operations, y'know?"
Danny chuckled and shifted his feet, gesturing with both hands. "And once again, LAPD has the new stuff."
Sgt. Wilkins grinned. "Got an image to keep up. Nice meeting you, see you later."
Danny nodded and moved off to a group of three men. Steve touched his arm and Danny paused before reaching the group, turning to him.
"What exactly are we doing," asked Steve.
"Meeting people. This is the essential part of this convention. Of anything really." At Steve's bland look, Danny faced him completely, hands already beginning to move and voice becoming patient. "Okay, look. If we meet people, made a memorable impression, even make a friend, that's a contact we can use. That's another database entirely that we have access to. And who knows? Maybe that connection will lead to more connection. And we're doing the same for them. Get me?"
Steve nodded once, expression totally solemn and serious. "Yes," he said. He waved a hand at the room in general. "All of this is for cops to gain their own personal, nationwide information network and database."
"What? Wha-no!" Danny half turned away and back again, ran a hand over his mouth, the other at his hip. "No. The information thing?" His hand cut horizontaly through the air. "That is just an unoffical professional bonus. All of this," he said while imitating Steve's earlier hand motion, "is for cops to gain more knowledge to make things safer and easier. Like the new techniques the sarge from LAPD was talking about."
Steve didn't look convinced. Danny's hand moved from his hip to his pocket, the other moving back and forth as he stepped closer.
"Half of the procedures in place in every department in the States, like SWAT, came from LAPD. The only reason those other departments have that knowledge is because of these sorts of things."
"Well I see Hawaii hasn't mellowed you any."
Danny spun around and his face broke into a grin.
"Mike! I didn't know you'd be coming."
The two men embraced in a half hug, half handshake.
"Of course I was coming, you nuts. Island of paradise, trip and room paid for by the department? Then there's seeing you, of course," Mike added like an afterthought, but he smiled to show he was joking.
Danny smiled at him and put both hands in his pockets. "Who came with you?"
"You won't believe it. Sgt. Greg Miller."
Danny's eyes widened and out came his hands, in motion. "You're kidding. Miller made sergeant? Dopey Greg Miller?"
While Mike laughed and nodded, Steve stepped up, confused. " 'Dopey Greg Miller'?"
Danny grimaced apologetically. "Sorry. Mike, this is my Lt. Cmdr Steve McGarrett. Steve, Det. Michael Hooper." He gestured between the two while they shook hands. "MIke was my partner after I made detective. As for Greg, everyone called him Dopey after the Disney character, 'cause he was simple, kind of clumsy. Great guy though." He looked back at Mike. "Sergeant?"
Mike shrugged. He turned to Steve, looking him up and down. Steve felt like he was being evaluated, and not in the 'how do you measure up as my old partner's new partner' kind of way. More like a threat assessment. But why would Mike need to do that?
"Lt. Cmdr, huh? HPD sure has a different ranking system."
"He's not part of Honolulu PD," Danny explained. "He's not even really a cop. He's a SEAL not really turned cop."
"SEAL?" Mike looked him up and down again. And again, Steve felt like it was a threat evaluation. "How does a SEAL not really turn into a cop?"
Steve frowned. "I am a cop," he protested.
Danny raised an eyebrow at him, gestured wildly. "You took a crash course."
"I can arresst people."
Danny shook his head and rolled his eyes. "Not helping your argument here, Steven." Looking at Mike he said, "We're part of a task force, take on high profile stuff. Call it Hawaii 5-0."
Mike whistled and nodded vigorously. "Not bad Danny. Moving up in the world, are ya?"
"Still the same crap pay, just deadlier. Got shot my first day."
While the two men talked about Danny getting shot and the other things that had happened so far, Steve looked around. Everyone was engrossed in some kind of conversation, even Chin and Kono. He began to feel like a bit of an outsider.
Okay, so a police acadamy crash course and the ability to arrest people didn't actually make him a cop. But, Steve figured he was getting there. After all, it took more than going to an acadamy to make a cop.
Steve looked at Danny as he laughed with Mike about one of their old cases. Then again, it also took more than a few high profile cases and only a few months of doing the work.
Every officer in that room had started as Kono had: a rookie. All of them had worked traffic violations as well as murders. All of them had learned over time what worked and what diding. They had all worked hard for every letter of commendation, every promotion.
Steve had done similiar things himself in the Nave: figured out the system, worked hard for each promotion. But it was different than working in a police department. In spite of all his experience in battle and his knack for figuring out the lead they needed on a case, Steve was more of a rookie than Kono.
"The only time I've seen Danny this happy and excited is when he's with Grace."
Steve turned. Chin and Kono were standing next to him watching their haole with amusement. Danny made the introductions and Steve felt his body tense when Det Hoopers eyes glinted with something that Steve couldn't really identify yet. He noticed how the man's hand stayed with Kono's just a few seconds more than what was appropriate. Chin must have realized it too, as Steve felt his father's former partner tense just a little.
Hopper kept most of his attention on Kono, dishing out compliments and falttery that made the young woman blush and smile.
"Hey Danny," Hooper said, finally turning his attention away from Kono, "when we've got some free time you could show me around."
"I don't know about that," interjected Steve before Danny could reply. "Danny doesn't know that much about the island."
"Sure I do," Danny protested. At Steve's disbelieving look he added matter of factly, "I've watched Lilo and Stitch with Grace before."
"Lilo and Stitch? You claim knowledge about this island based on a child's movie?" Steve's hands waved around in incredulity.
Danny shrugged. "Hey, I heard it's fairly accurate regarding the language and traditions."
"That's not the point!" Steve's hands waved around some more.
"You have a point," countered Danny with an arched eyebrow. "Really? You have a point? By all means, share with us this point you seem to have. I'm sure it will be highly enlightning." Danny crossed his arms and waited.
Before Steve could, one of the men in charge of the convention called the room to order and said it was time to begin the first seminar.
Black-Angel-001: ok so that's the second chapter. i'm hoping to have the next one up next sunday as well but don't hold me to it...
