A/N: Wonderful news! The Reviews page is up and running again. Thanks for all the great reviews guys. Now I can respond to your reviews like I'm supposed to. I'm really happy you're all enjoying the story. Here's the next chapter…hope you still enjoy it!
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Pride, Admiration and Respect
Chapter Four
The Camaro pulled up in front of the Hilton Hawaiian Village and rolled to a stop. Danny opened the passenger side door and held the front seat so Annie could climb out of the back. "Do you want to explain to me how you got the NYPD to pay for you to stay in this hotel?" he asked.
"Well," Annie replied, "NYPD isn't exactly paying for the hotel. My captain arranged for my temporary assignment with HPD so I'm getting my usual pay to be here but my accommodations are strictly on me. I didn't know how long I was going to be here and an apartment requires a lease commitment and, God, are things expensive here!"
"Yeah, tell me about it," Danny snickered.
Annie continued "so, since I only figured to be here a week or so, I just took a room here."
"Ummm, didn't you say you've been here over a month?" Steve asked "They must pay their officers better in New York then they do here."
"Yeah, well, no they don't actually."
They had made their way to Annie's room on the 7th floor as they talked. When they got to the door of her room, Danny noticed that it had been forced open, the door jab splintered and wood chips all over the floor. All three of them drew their weapons, advancing into the room.
Just as they suspected the room was trashed. Everything had been tossed, even the pictures on the walls were now on the floor. They proceeded to check out all the rooms. "Clear"... "Clear"... "Clear here"... rang out as they each checked in.
"So, I guess we can assume that whatever was on that flash drive weren't pictures of Cordoba's kid's birthday after all." Danny said. "Damn, now we got nothing."
"Maybe not." Annie said as she moved across the room toward the bathroom. Steve and Danny looked at each other and shook their heads. Women! Always heading to the bathroom at the most inopportune times. A few seconds later, Annie emerged with a sly grin on her face and the flash drive in her hand.
"You have it!" Danny said "They totally trashed this place. How could they not find it?"
"Because they didn't look in the one place men never look and the one place I always hide my most valuable things…. a box of tampons," Annie smugly replied.
Annie looked at Steve who had the most peculiar look on his face. "What made you think of that!?" Steve asked. "Saw it in a TV show once," she answered with a sideways glance. He smiled at her in a cute, knowing way and let it go. Danny was looking at the two of them like they were both crazy. Well, of course, he knew his partner was crazy and his sister had always driven him nuts. Now he was dealing with them both at the same time. How was this his life?
Steve hid his smile at Danny's exasperation. Danny exasperated was nothing new and, as usual, was quite entertaining. It was nice to know that he wasn't the only one who could get under Danny's skin. The way Annie handled her gun, entered, and cleared the room reminded him a lot of Danny. It was a little disconcerting but, yes, he could definitely start to like this girl.
"Ok," he said. "We need to get that flash drive back to Chin so he can crack the encryption and see what's on it. The next thing we have to do is get you out of here. Cordoba not only knows who you are and that you have that flash drive, he knows you're in Hawaii and that you're staying here. Obviously you can't just take another room."
They were making their way back to the Camaro. "Yeah, well, I was going to have to check out in the next day or so anyway," Annie said. "Because, no, NYPD does not pay any better than HPD and this room has been going on my credit card which has definitely hit its limit. So, I need to be out of here in any case."
Steve could see Danny was about to blow again. "Wait, you're telling me that you've maxed out your credit card and you're just now coming to the conclusion that you need to find another place to stay!? What the hell is the matter with you?! Do you know how hard it is to find a decent place to live on this miserable island that doesn't cost the gross national product of a small country?! Why did you wait so long?! I will never understand you Annie! Just like always, never planning ahead, going off without any idea…"
"Stop it, Danny," Annie snapped as they all stopped at the Camaro.
"I will not stop it! You do this all the time, never think ahead about what your actions might cause. You didn't have to do this alone, Annie! You come 5000 miles from home with no money and you max out your credit card on a high priced hotel and you never once, once, picked up the phone and let me know you were here! I could have helped you, I could have…"
"What? You could have what, Danny?" Annie raged right back. "Could have spent all your time telling me what I'm doing wrong, telling me how to run my investigation and telling me how I should have never left Jersey? Why do you think I didn't tell you I was here?!"
"Ok... ok..." Steve interrupted even though he was kind of enjoying the show. Watching someone else drive Danny crazy was very entertaining and Annie could certainly hold her own. The Williams household must have been one hell of a place growing up, he thought. "We need to figure out our next step, and to me, that means getting you somewhere safe. She can't stay with you Danny."
"She's my sister, Steven! Of course she can stay with me!"
"That's not what I meant" Steve said. "I mean, of course, she can stay with you but you only have the two bedrooms for you and Grace. And Gracie's bed is a single so she and Annie wouldn't be able to share.
Danny knew Steve was right but he wasn't ready to admit it as they drove back to HQ. Steve knew he had won this round but he also knew Danny wouldn't go down quietly even if he was currently sitting in the passenger seat staring out the window and not saying a word. Never a good sign.
Annie sat in the back seat and watched them curiously. Danny called home every week to talk to the folks and his sisters and he always spoke of the Neanderthal partner he'd gotten stuck with, how he was sure he wouldn't live to see his next birthday because of this guy, how he was always going off without backup and not following rules and on and on and on. He told them about big cases they'd been involved in and the number of times Steve had been hurt because he'd gone off on his own. He told them numerous times about how he'd been "forced" to sit by Steve's bedside while the pain-in-the-ass recovered from whatever latest disaster he'd gotten himself into.
They all knew Danny wasn't telling them everything but it was enough for them all to hear the bond that was forming between the two men. The more Danny ranted and complained the more Mom knew Danny had found a real true friend. The fact that Danny called him "Steven" the way he always called Matty "Matthew," and their sister Patty, "Patricia" showed the affection Danny felt for Steve. Now, after spending almost an entire day with them herself, she could see that Danny had found someone special in Steve and she could also tell that Danny knew it, too.
They arrived back at HQ to find Chin and Kono at the computer table pouring over all the intel they had managed to gather on Cordoba and the cartel so far. They still hadn't managed to get the other suspect to give them anything, probably because there wasn't anything for him to give. At this point it looked like he was just a flunky who didn't know anything except how to duck when the bullets began flying. Steve hoped the flash drive he handed over to Chin would prove more useful.
"What have we got guys?" Steve asked as he walked into HQ, Danny and Annie trailing behind.
"Well," said Chin "so far we have determined that Cordoba is in Hawaii. Obviously he doesn't care that we know he's here. TSA says he traveled under his own name and he's staying at one of the private villas at Kailua Beach, ostensibly on vacation. No need to hide that he's here. The dead perps from the warehouse, as well as our guest down the hall, all check out as Cordoba's men but there is no way to legally link their presence here with anything Cordoba is up to. The bank of lawyers he always has traveling with him will say it's just a coincidence they are all here in Hawaii on vacation."
Kono looked toward Annie as she continued the brief. "Even though everyone knows what Cordoba is into, there is no solid evidence to arrest him on any of it, as you well know, Annie. I have reached out to your Captain and he's forwarding all the information on the case from the NYPD file to us. Maybe that will help."
Annie nodded her head. "Well, hopefully between NYPD, HPD and Five-0, we can finally put an end to this slime ball."
Steve reached into his pocket and handed the flash drive to Chin. "Here, maybe this will help. Someone trashed Annie's room at the Hilton but they didn't manage to find this. Crack the encryption, Chin, and let's see if we can find what we need to shut this down."
"On it," Chin replied as he took the flash drive and inserted it into the Smart Table to work his magic, "but it may take some time depending on how many layers of encryption it has."
"Right." Steve answered. Then turning to Annie he said "Ok, what we need to do first off is find you a place to stay that is safe. Like we said, there is no way you can go back to the Hilton now and Danny's place really isn't an option."
"Yeah, I guess I'll have to look for a flop house or something." Annie said. "Do they even have flop houses in Hawaii?"
Steve laughed. "Probably but I have a better idea. For now, you can stay at my place."
"No… no way, Steven," Danny bellowed
Steve looked at Danny like he had two heads. "Why not? It's not like I don't have the extra rooms. She can sleep in Mary's old room. Beats the hell out of having to crash on your sofa. Cordoba doesn't know where it is or that she'd even be there. She could lay low while we try to figure out what's going on."
"I just don't like it, that's all. She's my sister Steven. I should be the one to take care of her," Danny said.
"Oh…. whoa…. wait a minute!" Annie bellowed. "I do not need to be "taken care of" Danny."
"No? Who got herself into this mess in the first place? I am your brother. I have the right to tell you you're being a reckless jackass and the last thing I need is for you to be hanging out with this one…" Danny said as he waved his thumb at Steve. "He's the most reckless of them all. Who the hell knows what you two will get yourselves into if left to your own devices?!"
"What's that supposed to mean?" Steve questioned.
"What's that supposed to mean? Are you serious? I am not leaving you two alone in that house of yours. Who knows what ideas you will come up with between you?" Danny actually blushed a bit as he said it.
"Oh my God, Danny, you can't be serious? She's your sister, for crying out loud!"
"And that means, what, exactly? I see how all the women look at you. There is no way in hell you don't see it too."
"You actually think I would….? Wow…."
"Do not "wow" me, Steven!"
Annie looked back and forth between the two men, getting increasingly angry as each moment passed. At one point she looked to Chin and Kono, who were smirking at the entire exchange.
"Are they always like this?" Annie asked.
Kono laughed as she flung an arm around Annie's shoulders. "You have no idea, sistah".
Finally, Annie couldn't stand it another second.
"Stop," she bellowed, "that's enough! Oh my God…Gertrude and Blanche at the Laundromat! Enough! First of all, You!" she said, poking her finger into her brother's chest. "I repeat… I do not need to be taken care of! I am a uniformed and currently undercover police officer with the New York City Police Department, for Christ's sake! I know how to take care of myself."
"And You!" she said swinging around to face Steve who literally backed away a few steps. "I don't care if half the female population of this island think you are sex on a stick…" she trailed off seeing the blush rising up from his neck. She'd made her point!
Steve cleared his throat "Look, I just thought you'd be more comfortable there. I mean, there is plenty of room, and it's right on the beach. But if you'd rather find somewhere else of your own choosing, that's fine too, as long as we can make sure it's secure."
Annie thought about it for a second. She was so angry at Danny at this moment the thought of taking Steve up on his offer just to piss Danny off was very appealing. Then one word Steve had said registered in her brain.
"Did you say beach?"
When a small smirk spread across Steve's face and he nodded, Annie made her decision.
"Well…. I suppose it's not such a bad idea after all," she said, smiling as she watched Danny throw his arms into the air in defeat.
"My stuff is still at the hotel in varying degrees of damage. I don't think I should go back there and get it, though."
"Don't worry about that" Kono said. "I can take a uniform with me and get your stuff. I'll bring it by Steve's place sometime later. Don't want anyone watching to see where I'm taking it, after all. Would blow the whole secrecy thing, ya know?"
Annie smiled. She could get to like hanging around these people. "Thanks, Kono," she smiled.
"Ok, well, that's settled." Steve said. "What do you say we call it a day and meet up at my place for a barbeque later tonight? Come on Annie. You can ride with me and Danny out to the house so you can get yourself settled in. Oh... Danno…. stop sulking. It's not the end of the world you know. I promise I'll behave myself," he added with a laugh.
"I hate you…you know that, right?"
"Not true…you love me and you know it!"
Annie just shook her head and tried to hide the smile that was spreading across her face. It was good to hear Danny ranting at a "brother" again. She had missed it. The next few days should prove to be very interesting.
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A/N: So, Annie hid the flash drive in a box of tampons. It was an idea she got from seeing it done in a TV show once. Can anyone tell me what TV show she saw it in?