I Did It My Way
For the rest of the week, Danny spent most of his time on the phone, either with his 'soon to be former lawyer' or Rachel. Sometimes one of them called during a seminar and as he moved out of the room, sympathetic eyes followed him. Other cops understood the problem of ex-wives and their lawyers, and they were more than willing to help support him if they could, in the universal way of cops.
If the cops from the mainland were willing to support Danny, then his 5-0 team, family, more so. Chin and Kono kept Danny occupied with the convention, comparing procedures in Jersey to those in Hawaii. Steve listened to Danny when he started in about his lawyer, Rachel, Rachel's lawyer, and the entire thing in general. He bantered and picked on Danny like he normally did, which helped.
After each day of the convention, Danny would drop Steve off at home before going to the Palace. Steve didn't know what Danny did there every night. For all he knew, Danny was perfecting his murder plans for his lawyer.
Steve was sure that Danny wasn't doing that. But, just to be on the safe side...
Steve waited about thirty minutes before he got in his Silverado and headed for the Palace. He parked next to Danny's Camero, headed straight for his partners office.
There were low level lights on for cleaning crews and subsequently anyone walking through or working late. In the 5-0 bullpen, a lamp in Danny's office was the only real light there. Steve slowed down to watch Danny a minute. His partner was leaning back in his chair, reading a file and absently chewing the cap of a pen. For a second, Steve was confused. Danny was coming here, dealing with the situation by reading case files? It didn't make sense.
He didn't knock before entering and he didn't wait for permission. Danny looked up and went back to the file.
"I am very busy right now. Go away."
As a Danny rant, it was very lacking. Regardless, Steve didn't go away; instead, he sat on the edge of the desk and leaned over to look at the other files on the top.
"What're you doing," Steve asked.
"Reading. Get off my desk."
"What're you reading?"
"A file. Would you get off my desk?"
Ah-ha, a voice rise and fall in irritation. Progress.
"What kind of file?"
"A dossier." Danny could no longer stand it. He slapped the file down on top of the pile, tossed the pen with it, and began gesturing. "What, is something wrong with your hearing? Huh? No I didn't think so. I've told you twice already to get off my desk, now do it. See, that's the third time. What is it with you and a blantant disregard for other people's property, huh? You drive my car, invade my home-"
"That's you, not me," Steve interjected quickly.
"-and sit on my desk," Danny continued like he hadn't heard Steve. He probably hadn't. "I have two perfectly good chairs here, do you have some kind of aversion to chairs or something? Or are my chairs just not good enough for you? You're still on the desk, why are you still-?"
One of Danny's hands flopped to the armrests, one across his eyes.
Steve watched him. "Feel better Danno?"
"No I do no feel better." The hand across his eyes flew to the side. "I'm telling you off the desk and you're not listening to me."
"This surprises you?" McGarrett quirked an eyebrow.
Danny's lips twitched into a smile. "No, it doesn't."
Steve decided to get back to the matter at hand. His chin jerked to the files. "Whose dossiers are ou reading?"
Danny popped some Advil before asnwering. "Lawyers here in Hawaii. I asked kamekona for some help and he gave me these."
"Is this what you've been doing every night?"
Danny shrugged, waved a hand. "I need a new lawyer."
"Huh. Pick one yet?"
Danny pushed the one he'd been reading toward him. "Got one in mind."
Steve picked it up and started reading. Kailani Jameson, born in Hawaii on the Big Island, moved to New York with her father and younger sister, worked NYPD practically straight out of high school before she became a lawyer. She had a liscense to practice in New York, New Jersey, and Hawaii. Steve flipped through the pages, noting everything from high school grades to solve rates to convictions.
Steve put it back down. "Why her?"
Danny looked at it. "Why not her? She's here in Oahu, she's lived on the mainland, she know the law for three different states. Mostly, 'cause she was a cop."
"That's it?" Danny nodded. Steve's eyebrows cocked up. "Really? Because she was a cop? From New York no less!"
"I hate Hawaii but I don't hold it against Chin and Kono that they're cops here. A cop is a cop. Besides, she'll get it."
No need to ask what she'd get-Steve knew. Steve got it too, like he got Danny's struggles as a single dad, Grace's struggles as the kid of a cop. If Danny thought Kailani Jameson would be good based on that, Steve would support it. He's support nearly anything for Danny, except things that took him away from Gracie.
"I'm gonna talk to her in a few days," Danny said as he began to put things away, straighten up. He turned off the lamp and they headed out.
Before they got in their respective vehicles, Danny looked over at Steve, shifting a second before looking him in the eye.
"Thanks," he said simply.
Steve didn't ask what for. He knew. He smiled and said, "Anytime partner."
Black-Angel-001: finally an update! the next one will be on my next off day whenever that is...
