Phantom

By

Landon Richardson

Official Disclaimer

The characters of Lieutenant Commander Steven 'Steve' McGarrett, Chin Ho Kelly, Officer Kono Kalakaua, Adam 'Toast' Charles, Meka Hanamoa, Amy Hanamoa, Billy Hanamoa Mary McGarrett, John McGarrett, Steven McGarrett (Steve's grandfather/namesake), Lieutenant Catherine Rollins and Doctor Max Bergman do not belong to me in any shape or form. I am merely using them for my own entertainment purposes.

The characters of Danielle 'Danni' Williams, although originally based on the male Danny Williams on the show, is probably different enough that she can be considered her own creation since she has a different background and different personality to her male counterpart. This also in turns changes Grace to an extent as Danni has full custody but also a civil relationship with Grace's father which reflects in the way Grace is. I should also add that Grace's surname is Taylor as Williams is Danni's maiden name which she reverted back to after her divorce was finalised.

The characters of Lily Williams, Doctor Rosamund 'Rosie' Lange, Doctor Richard White, Lieutenant Colonel David Williams, Special Agent Jack O'Connor, Lieutenant commander Riley King, Lieutenant Louisa Palakiko-Cowan and Detective Liam Mead are mine as well. Any other character who might pop up who you don't instantly recognise will probably belong to me as well. I'll hopefully catch them in time to put above though.

Author Notes

Here's the next chapter for you all.

This chapter will begin to reveal some of the world which Danni lives in, its safe to say that Steve is a little out of his depth but I doubt that will hold him back for long, especially not when its something which concerns Danni.

Anyway please enjoy

Overall Summary

Danni Williams has always kept her secret close to her heart, guarding it preciously, determined to hide who and what she is but when that secret threatens her life and those around her she realises that some things aren't meant to be kept secret. Some secrets have to come out no matter what the consequences are. (McDanni saga, McDanni)

Chapter Summary

"Steve… son… look at you. It's so good to be able to see you, I can tell you right now that you're a sight for sore eyes, a sight I never thought I'd be able to interact with again." John said, his pale blue eyes moving over his son's face warmly, a searching look in them as though he was trying to make out every detail and change which he could see.

Overall Romance

Steve McGarrett / Danni Williams (McDanni)

Chin Ho Kelly / Malia Waincroft (Chalia)

Kono Kalakaua / Charlie Fong (KoFo)

Mentions of past Duncan Taylor / Danni Williams (Dunni)

Mentions of past Steve McGarrett / Catherine Rollins (McRollins)

Chapter Romance

Steve McGarrett / Danni Williams (McDanni)

Other Note

~ Point one – Please be aware that nearly all of the locations which are used in this story are either from the internet (thank you Google!) or made up by me. I claim no knowledge of Hawaii having never been there before.

~ Point two – Although this story is technically part of the Danni and uses many characters from the universe, it is to be considered an A/U of the world and not one which is reflect or affect any of the other stories I write unless stated otherwise.

Dictionary

Lumeneai – Fire Element

Waiaugavai – Water Element

Xeoaisa – Ice Element

Honuaterralagi = Earth Element

Kapasetoo – Death Walker


Chapter Six

What's going on?


"Steve… son… look at you. It's so good to be able to see you, I can tell you right now that you're a sight for sore eyes, a sight I never thought I'd be able to interact with again." John said, his pale blue eyes moving over his son's face warmly, a searching look in them as though he was trying to make out every detail and change which he could see.

Steve stared back at him silently, barely able to breathe through his shock.

There, standing in front of him, was his dad, looking as though he was alive. Steve wanted to reach out and touch him, to see whether he would be able to but he held himself back. While his father may look substantial his body was blurred and faint at the outline. Reminding him that he wasn't really there, or perhaps he was. The thoughts in Steve's head were jumbled up making it hard for him to think clearly.

Swallowing hard, Steve forced himself to look away from him and to instead scan the area behind him to see whether anyone was paying attention to them but there was nothing, he frowned, realising with a jolt that no one at the crime scene was moving. Each and every one of them appeared frozen in place as though they were living statues.

"What the hell?" He muttered to himself. "What is wrong with everyone?" His voice trailed off as he looked back around, his eyes landing on Danni who was still gripping his forearm in her small hand, her nails digging in as though she was anchoring herself to him. Her lips were moving as though she was speaking to someone but Steve couldn't hear any words leaving her. Her eyes had turned completely grey, the surrounding white and her pupils gone as though they had never existed giving her an inhuman appearance, making her words sink in about her not being human. Her usual fair skin was deadly white as though she was sick.

A part of his mind was screaming at him trying desperately to figure out what was happening but he ignored it, allowing his concern for Danni to take the forefront. "Danni? Danni are you okay? What is happening? Danni?" Steve questioned, the words spilling out of his mouth as he stepped closer towards her, reaching up and placing his hand on her neck, his frown growing when he felt how cool her skin was beneath his palm.

He looked to the side as John came to a stop next to Danni, a fond look coming to his face as he reached out with the hand that Danni wasn't holding and pushed her hair away from his face though she didn't seem to react to the touch. Steve shivered, Goosebumps erupting over his skin, as a wave of coldness swept over him. His dad seem to notice his reaction if the quick look he shot him as any indication for him to go by. He moved back away from him, as far as he could before he began to speak.

"What's happening is Danielle showing you that she's been telling you the truth this whole time. You were harsh on her son, it was a big thing for her to tell you exactly what she is. The only reason she told you is because she didn't want to lose you. That's how much she cares for you. I know you aren't afraid of the supernatural, you should have handled the situation better" John told him, a tone of disapproval coming to his voice which made Steve wince as he was suddenly struck with the feeling of being five again and being reprimanded for something which he had done.

"Jesus Christ Dad, what reaction did you expect me to have? My partner of six months suddenly reveals to me that she's something called a Death Walker and that she's not human, how was I meant to react? Don't pretend like you would have believed her if you were still alive." Steve snapped back.

John seemed to consider his comment for a moment before he nodded at him.

"Perhaps you're right but Danielle is your partner, she's had your back more times than I can count and trust me I've been around watching. She's always supported you even when you come up with your outrageous ideas. She deserves to have the same unwavering belief from you that she gives to you." John stated seriously.

Steve swallowed, looking away from his dad, his gaze moving around again. The unnatural quiet of the situation was getting to him, making him long for it to be over and to have Danni back with him but on the other hand he knew that it would mean the end of this conversation with his father. A conversation he had dreamed about having more times than he cared to count but one which he never actually expected to have.

"It seems to me that you know all the answers so how about you stop lecturing me like I'm a kid and instead tell me what is going on? Why is everyone else frozen? Are they just frozen here in this vicinity or is the entire island frozen? Is Danni doing this? What is wrong with her? Why won't she answer me?" Steve demanded, his hand tightening on the back of her neck, needing the contact with her to reassure him that she was still with him at least physically.

John sighed as he shook his head, his own eyes moving to Danni. Steve watched the fond expression which came to his father's face and found himself wondering just how well John knew his partner. She had said she was a death walker which would indicate that she could communicate with the dead, from the familiarity she had addressed John with it, it would indicate that they had been speaking for a while. Steve's mind wondered back to all the questions Danni had asked him about his father, questions he hadn't thought much of at the time but which made perfect sense now.

No wonder she wanted to know about him if he was talking to her.

Who else had Danni been talking to? Was it just Steve's dad or were there more?

"What's going on here Steve is a miracle" John stated attracting Steve's attention back to him, he shifted slightly under his son's laser focus before continuing to speak. "This is Danielle using her ability to give you and me this gift so we can speak to each other through the veil."

"How is she doing it? How does it work?" Steve questioned, needing to know the answers. The more he knew, the more knowledge he would have when it came to talking to Danni.

"She's acting as a conduit between the world of the living and the world of the dead. Just a small gap though I fear that if she ever chose to she could open a rip between the two, one large enough to effect everything. The physical hold she keeps on us is what is allowing us to be linked in this way. I haven't seen her do it before but from what I gather when she does tap into this side of her ability the effect is that everything within a certain area freezes into place. Time simple stops and will remain stopped until she lets go of us and the connection is broken."

"You seem to know a lot about it if you haven't seen it" Steve pointed out, his heart aching when his father simply shrugged at him in a movement which was familiar to him from his memories.

"I doubt I'll see it again. What is happening now is so rare Steve that it may never happen again."

"Why?" Steve demanded

"Because Danielle is the only death walker currently walking this earth and she doesn't like using this ability of hers. She uses all the others sides but not this one. Of course there are untapped parts of her abilities but that should evolve in time." John explained.

Steve licked his lip, his eyes flickering side to side as he tried to take it in. A part of him didn't want to believe it but he was experiencing it, seeing it with his own eyes and talking to his deceased father. There was no denying what was happening or the fact that Danni had told him the truth.

"Okay so I get all that but why the hell isn't Danni responding to me?" He stated, focusing on the part of the whole situation which was concerning him the most. He turned, staring into her blank grey eyes, his thumb stroking over her pulse thankful to feel the beat beneath it.

"Because I doubt Danielle is even with us now, her mind and spirit is no doubt elsewhere, doing whatever it is which she needs to do to make this happen" John replied, moving closer to the pair of them. "Look Steve, I know you're concerned over Danni but this will be the last time we get to speak. You need to focus and ask the questions you need to ask before our time is up." He told his son gently, his arm twitching at his side as though he was fighting the impulse to wrap his arm around Steve's shoulder.

Steve remained silent for a moment, his eyes drifting close as he took a few deep breaths before he spoke.

"You keep calling Danni a Death Walker and she referred to herself as it again. What is it exactly? What is she?" Steve asked twisting so he was facing his father head on, finally allow his hand to fall away from Danni's neck to rest at his side.

"Typical that the first question you ask me is one which I can't answer. To get those answers you need to go directly to the source" John said, nodding his head towards Danni to indicate who he meant. "Just don't be surprised if she reluctant to tell you anything further considering your reaction."

"That's why I need you to tell me Dad I need to know what I'm up against. Danni doesn't always take the best care of herself especially if she's worried about putting someone else in danger. I need to know what you know regardless of whether she wants me to know or not." Steve told him, meeting his eyes directly until John sighed and shook his head.

"You got this stubbornness from your grandmother" John muttered to himself, bringing his hand up and rubbing at his forehead before he spoke. "I'll tell you what I know but keep in mind these are the basics. Being dead gives me access to a lot of knowledge I didn't have when I was alive but there's still a limit especially when it comes to this." John warned him.

"I'll take what I can get" Steve responded, the comment causing John to smile at him before his face turned serious again.

"What Danielle told you just now is the truth though what she didn't tell you is that by informing you of what she is, she'll have to face a punishment from the Grand Council. I don't know what it is" John said quickly, forestalling Steve's question. "But I highly doubt it will be something as simple as a lecture. This rule they have of not telling humans about themselves is one of their prime laws and Danielle broke it for you. She'll have to face the repercussions of that decision."

"Danni's going to face repercussions because I made her tell me?" Steve asked, struck with a sudden desire to hit something hard when his father merely nodded at him. "Tell me about this world which she belongs to."

"Of course you would want answers to the hardest questions first" John grumbled before he fell silent, a thoughtful look on his face as he clearly tried to figure out the best way of telling Steve what he wanted to know. Steve gave him a couple of minutes before speaking.

"Dad, we don't have much time left remember" He prompted.

"I'm well aware of that" John responded before standing straight. "There are three groups of races on this planet. Human beings are what the others refer to as 'The Normal. Just everyday people like us who know nothing about nothing but assume we do. Just like we assume that we're on top of the food chain and the most evolved species which, again, we're not. The second group are what are known as The Latents who as far as I can gather are people who are born human and remain human until prolonged contact with the prime race changes them. Abilities which would have otherwise remained dormant begin to emerge"

"So Normals and Latents, I've got that" Steve said with a nod.

"Good, now Danielle is neither of those things. I'm not sure the exact word for what they are is within their own language but I know that the closest word we have for it is 'The Evolved or the Primes. They have their own language, their own separate culture and laws and are a different species. It's the Evolved who are on top of that food chain, not the normal."

"So when Danni told me that she wasn't human" Steve said quietly.

"It's because she isn't" John replied softly. "She's never been human and she never will be. She was born as one of the Evolved and she will die as one. There is something special about her but that truly is her tale to tell you and not mine."

"Danni's not human" Steve repeated, swallowing hard as he looked at her face again, a slight smile curving his mouth as he realised just how bad he had it. Even the fact that she wasn't human wasn't enough to dislodge the way he felt about her.

"Is there anything else you want to ask me Steve, about you and me or our family?" John prompted.

Steve nodded, turning to look at his father thoughtfully before he began to speak.

"I wanted to tell you that I'm so fucking sorry about everything which happened Dad. That you died because of me and the decisions I made. If I wasn't such a stubborn bastard then you would still be alive."

"See that's where you are wrong" John told him, reaching out with his hand as though to touch Steve before he stopped himself and lowered it instead. "What happened that day in the house wasn't anything to do with you. There is so much at play here then you know Steve and it kills me that I can't tell you what it all is. I wish I could but I can't. I need you to know that Victor Hesse would have killed me even if you hadn't taken his brother into custody. It never had anything to do with you regardless of what they may have tried to tell you. I died because of what I did, not what you did so you can let that weight fall from your back son. You already carry the weight of the world, don't carry this as well."

"What do you mean that you died because of something you did? What did you do Dad?" Steve demanded, giving him a sharp look, a wave of ice flowing through his veins at the thought that maybe he had missed something and his Ohana was in some sort of danger because of it.

"It means what it sounds like. My being murdered was never about you Steven, the fact that you were hunting them down merely gave them an opportunity to use when they realised we were related and they ran with it, using it as a convincing smoke screen" John stated with another shrug.

"But you can't tell me what you did to provoke them?" Steve said, trying to keep his voice calm and steady. "Something which I can use to actually help me?"

"I can't" John said simply, going on to explain when he caught sight of Steve's expression. "Keeping my knowledge back was the one promise I had to make to Danielle when I first approached her about speaking to you. She was terrified at the mere thought of us speaking in case I gave something away."

"Why would Danni be terrified about that?" Steve asked with a frown.

"Because Steven, the dead cannot under any circumstances interfere with the land of the living. I don't know what would happen if they did but whatever would happen is enough to terrify your partner and when I say terrified I meant almost paralysed with it. I won't be the one to put that look back on her face, not for a second time so I must abide by her rules." John stated. "I can tell you that you have some amazing instincts especially when it comes to investigating so perhaps you should follow them and see where they lead you."

"I can do that" Steve promised with a nod.

"Good, I know you will" John said before his voice lowered, becoming serious as he took another step forward. "Now that you know of this world things will change Steve. Your life will never be the same and you need to accept it, holding onto your old way of life now isn't an option. Danielle will need you more than ever and you must be there for her. I know you love her, probably more than you have ever loved anyone and you have to use that feeling to do what needs to be done and protect her. You must contact your sister as well and bring her over to Hawaii where she can be under Danielle's protection. She will now be a target, tell her as much as you can so she knows what you are up against."

"Mary? But Dad Mary is…"

"One of your greatest allies if you allow her to be." John interrupted sternly.

"Who will she be a target for? Why would they come after her?" Steve asked.

"Things have been set in motion today Steve that will shatter the world, you need to be prepared for what you need to do." John said cryptically.

"And what is that." Steve demanded, the comment causing his father to smile.

"What you've been doing since the day you met Danielle" John said. "That's all I can say on the matter Steve, I've probably said too much so perhaps keep that part of this conversation between the two of us. Danielle doesn't need any more problems on top of what she's already facing"

Steve breathed out in frustration, running his hand through his hair before his mind snagged on the one question which he had always wanted to ask but which he had never quite gotten round to asking his Dad.

"Dad" he began hesitantly. "Why did you send me to live with Uncle Mike and Mary to Aunt Debs to live with when mom died? Why couldn't we have stayed together?"

John remained silent for a moment before he sighed and spoke, suddenly looking decades older.

"Everything which I did Steve, I did because I had to do it" John stated, a trace of sadness to his voice. "Maybe one day when you're a father yourself you'll understand why I had to keep you and your sister safe from harm though it was the hardest decision I have ever had to make. I'm sure that by now you're well aware of the fact that this island only appears idyllic, there is a lot happening beneath the surface. Things which the normal part of the population would be able to grasp."

"But the Latent and Evolved population would?" Steve queried, frowning slightly when John nodded.

"There is something at play here son which is older and wiser than anyone alive knows. Danielle is here in Hawaii for a reason, her coming here was fate, probably prewritten thousands of years before she was born. There are things now in motion which can't be taken back or halted. I knew there was something happening even when I was alive and one of the normal but I didn't know what. All I knew was that I needed you and Mary off the island on the mainland where it was safe. I knew that Debs could take care of Mary and be able to channel her creative energy without destroying her spirit and I knew as well that you would thrive with Mike. Mikey has always been the most understanding of us and dare I say the kindest as well with qualities I knew I no longer possessed but which I knew I wanted you to have. Your upbringing with him was bad was it?" John queried, looking unsurprised when Steve instantly shook his head at him.

"No it wasn't" Steve said, glancing down for a moment towards the tarmac of the road before looking back up at him. "Mike treated me as though I was one of his own. It get it why if we couldn't come here again, why you couldn't have come to us. I know you and Mike had some sort of falling out but he would have forgiven you in a heartbeat."

"Yeah well, as I said Mikey was always the best of us" John responded. "As to why I didn't come, well there were two reasons." He admitted.

"Which were?" Steve asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Firstly I didn't want anyone here to know where you were, I never spoke about you and I made sure that I never spoke about my siblings in case someone put two and two together. I wanted you safe which meant keeping away from you." John admitted.

"And the second reason?" Steve prompted.

"Because you were both better off where you were. Mike and Debs gave you a life which I no longer could do. They did the one thing which I wanted and that was to raise you both so you learned the best qualities the McGarrett-Landon clan had to offer. I see you and your sister now and I'm just so incredibly proud of you both. I couldn't have asked for a better son than you Steve, you're everything I had ever hoped for and more. I may have raised you as a boy and given you a code of honour to follow but it as Mike you made you into a kind man with a level of understanding about the way the world worked which I could never have taught you. That kindness and understanding could very well be your salvation." John said.

"Dad I…"

"Protect Mary and protect Danielle. Speak to her, apologise for your attitude and what happened here and she'll understand and forgive you and Steve" he said, stopping until he had his son's full undivided attention. "Make sure you tell Danielle how you feel about her. Tell her that you love her while you can because take it from me when I say life is fleeting and that you should grasp it with both hands. The two of you are meant to be. I'll be proud to call her my daughter in law one day."

Steve opened his mouth to respond to the comment when he stopped noticing that his father was becoming hazier the longer the conversation continued.

"Dad? You can't leave now, I have other things I need to talk to you about" Steve said, his voice rising as a note of panic came to his voice.

"Our time is up son. Remember that I love you and that I'm proud of you. Tell your sister that I love her as well" John said, a warm smile coming to his face as he turned and nodded towards Danni, his eyes never leaving Steve's face. "It's time for you to step up and meet your destiny full on Steve. Your love needs you more than I do" John said.

Steve's head snapped round when he felt Danni suddenly let go of his arm as she staggered back from him, realising for the first that the part of his arm which she had been touching during Steve's conversation with his father felt cold instead of warm like it should have.

"Danni?" He demanded, taking a step towards her, watching as she blinked, shaking her head sluggishly as though she was trying to clear it.

She looked up at him, a lost, almost fragile look in her grey eyes which looked human again before they rolled backwards into her head, her legs giving way as she collapsed to the hard ground, as gracefully as a rag doll.


Author Note

Thanks for taking the time to read. An especially big thank you if you have left me a review, favourite the story or decided to follow it.

I really appreciate it