I am re-updating this chapter because I found some problems with it. So, bear with me people, thanks for taking to time to read this chapter (And story), and I'm gonna go.
Bye...
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Danny…
Over the next few days, I kept an eye on Grace. I waited for her shell to reappear, kept expecting her to shut down again, but all I saw was her getting closer to McGarrett. Usually, I would have dragged her away from him, because no grown man should hang out with an eight-year-old girl, but it was Steve. The last time I checked, Steve didn't give off the creepy pedophile vibe. And I trusted him with Gracie.
So, on Friday, when Steve was heading out to get the part for his dad's car, and Grace asked if she could go I told her she could just as long as Steve didn't drive. Yes, I trusted Steve with my daughter, but I did not want him driving her around. I had a few phone calls to make, otherwise I would have gone. So, after about an hour of pointless arguing, Steve called Chin.
Once they were gone, the taillights disappearing around the corner, I headed back inside and pulled my phone out. My mother had called me seventeen times, left fifteen messages, all of which ranged from 'Danny, it's Mom call me' to 'Daniel, if you don't call me soon I am flying out there.' So, I opted to call before I got a surprise visit.
She answered on the first ring, "Daniel?"
"Yeah, Ma, it's me."
"Daniel, why haven't you called me? I called and called and called. You're home phone's been disconnected, and you aren't answering your cell. Are you having money trouble? Because your father and I will help…"
"Ma, ma I'm not having money trouble. I just… I'm not living in the apartment anymore," I said quickly. My mother, always jumping to conclusions. She also hated that me and my sisters moved away from her. Matty was the only one who stayed, and now that he's gone…
"Then where are you living?"
"McGarrett's place," I replied shrugging.
"Why?"
"Look, there was an altercation with Rachel's mother that was solved. And now Grace and I are staying with Steve until we find a bigger place." Simple, let it go mother. But she wouldn't.
"Well, did you ever think of coming home?" she asked hopefully. Like I said, she missed us kids.
"Ma that was the first thing I thought about. But when I called my old CO…" I trailed off sighing, running a hand through my hair. "He said they didn't have any available jobs. So, I opted to stick around where I knew I had a job."
"Dad can get you a job at the station…"
"Ma, I don't want to work at the station. I like being a cop." It was the same argument we had had when I first told her I wanted to be a cop. I think she had hoped I would grow out of it, but I guess my little boy's dream of helping people just never died.
"But you always complain about working with this McGarrett guy."
"Yeah, but I actually enjoy working with Steve. And Chin and Kono. I like this job." I did like my job. Five-0 challenged me while letting me do what I loved. But the prospect of going home, of seeing my old friends and my family, still gnawed away at me. "But believe me I would come home if I was guaranteed a job in Newark. But, like I said, I'm not."
"But we haven't seen Gracie or you in over a year. A year, Daniel."
"Yeah, I know. I miss you guys, too. But, like you told me when I left for Hawaii, you had to let your little Rabbit go." I smiled. It was her nickname for me growing up.
"I know, Danny." She was quiet for a second then she took a breath and said, "You will come visit sometime, though, right?"
"Yeah, Ma, I will."
"Good," she said and I could almost see her nod. "Well, Rabbit, I'm gonna have to let you go."
"Okay."
"Give our love to Grace."
"I will," I replied nodding.
"Love you."
"Love you, too, ma."
"And… Honey, I always loved Rachel. "
"Bye, ma."
"Danny, you've got to talk about this."
"I will visit as soon as I can," I talked over her.
"Fine, good-bye sweetie."
"Yep, bye ma." I hung up before she could say anything else. It's not that I was avoiding talking about Rachel. I was just… avoiding talking about Rachel. I had a lot on my mind. I just haven't had time to talk about her.
I sighed, running a hand down my face. I walked toward McGarrett's table, grabbing a stack of mail I had gotten from my P.O. Box earlier that day. I flicked through the envelopes, stopping on one with a familiar symbol in the corner.
I didn't want to make this phone call, but it was about Grace's school and I had to know what they wanted. So, I pulled the letter out, searching the contents for the number, and dialed.
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"But why would you need tuition this early?" I barked into the phone pacing back and forth, running a hand through my hair. "So, Stan didn't have her paid up for next year?" the lady on the other end started talking, her voice already driving me crazy. "Well, when is the cutoff date?" she told me. "Monday? I can't get…" I checked the letter, "That much in three days." The lady said something else. "Because I'm not rolling in the dough."
I sighed in frustration, "Look, I have been transferred six times. I've talked to seven different people. If you put me on hold one more time…" she put me on hold. I had been on the phone for almost an hour trying to figure out why this stupid school wanted tuition in March. Tuition, might I add that I couldn't pay.
I listened to the craptastic music, twelve seconds away from hanging up, when a new voice came over the line. Person number eight.
"Mr. Williams I'm Horace Li, Grace's headmaster."
"Headmaster Li, are you going to answer my questions?"
"Mr. Williams, we would love to set up a meeting…"
"No, no meetings. No face-to-face. Just tell me why you need tuition six months before the new school year. There's two months of this year left. You can't wait until the summer?"
"Mr. Williams we need tuition early so we can secure a spot for Grace. The earlier the better. Many kids apply to this school and only a select few can get in…"
"So, you're saying I either pay now or risk my kid losing her spot to some other kid?"
"That's exactly what I am saying."
I ran a hand across the back of my neck, wanting to punch something but refraining. I remembered Steve mentioning my 'tone', and tried to keep it even when I said, "Is there a way I can get an extension?"
Li was quiet for a second, probably checking his list of high society friends, and then said, "How does the end of next week sound?"
Lousy, I thought, but sighed and said "Fine."
"Great." He hung up a second later, no good-bye, no see ya. He just hung up. I ended the connection, tossing my phone on the table, and sank into a chair. I had a week to come up with 6000 dollars. Yeah, just let me check my phantom offshore account.
I laid my head on the table, feeling a headache coming on. I guess I could dip into Grace's trust fund. But Stan had set that up for Gracie when he married Rachel and it was supposed to go toward her college (Another thing I didn't want to think about). And the account Rachel's mother set up when Grace was born could only be opened by Grace when she was twenty-five. I could go to my folks, but I wasn't asking them for a six thousand dollar loan. And don't get me started on the bank. I'd probably get laughed at by everyone in the building.
I would think of something, I always did. Even if Gracie had to go to public school. Something I had no problem with, but she probably would. She had friends at this school, knew the teachers. Not that she wasn't capable of making friends anywhere, but I'd hate to yank her away from the ones she had.
My phone rang, catching my attention. I snatched it off the table, checked the I.D., saw Superman flashing back at me, and answered with what I hoped was a normal voice, "Yeah, Steve?"
"Danno, we're getting food. What do you want?" Grace asked curiously, her voice loud over several voices.
"Where are you getting food at?" I responded sitting up.
"Well, I wanted Denny's like we usually get. And Uncle Steve had said he had never eaten at a Denny's. And he's never had breakfast for dinner. So, I suggested we do that and…" she trailed off taking a breath. "Do you want what you usually get?"
"Yeah, Monkey, that'll be great."
"Two orders of waffles, Uncle Steve," I heard her say. She then said, "Pancakes are not better than waffles." Whatever Steve's reply had been Grace grumbled, "Danno would disagree with you. Yes he would. Stop shaking your head."
"Hey, you tell him waffles are better and to deal with it."
"Okay, Danno, I will," she said before relaying the message.
"Tell Danno they are the same thing just made into different shapes," I heard Steve's faint reply.
"Did you hear that, Daddy? He thinks pancakes are the same as waffles. He is so wrong." They continued to bicker for a few more seconds before I heard Chin say, "If you two don't hurry I am leaving without you."
"Wait, Uncle Chin," I heard Grace yell. She said into the phone, "We'll be there in about an hour or two. Your food'll be cold, but that's okay because…"
"…cold waffles are always better," I finished with her. She laughed and said, "Bye Danno."
"See ya soon, Monkey," I replied and hung up when she did. The nickname Danno would always be the greatest and the worst thing that could have happened to me…
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2003…
"Come on, Gracie. Say Daddy," I said leaning over her highchair. "Daddy." She stayed stubbornly quiet, picking at the carrots Rachel had given her. Even at a year she knew carrots were vile, orange things that mothers forced their kids to eat.
"Come on, Gracie. Daddy…"
"Daniel, you tried that every day this week. She'll say your name when she's ready," Rachel said coming up behind me. I straightened up to look her in the eyes.
"That stupid book you made me read said she should be saying mama and dada by now. I mean, she's got mama down. I just don't understand why she can't say dada."
"Because the book is a reference, not a manual you follow. Besides, I never actually thought you'd read it." I had read it, twice. I just wanted to be prepared, especially when my sister and mother kept talking about what to look out for when having a kid. They were turning me into a basket case and Gracie wasn't even a toddler yet.
"Look, Daniel, just let her decide when it's time to say your name. You can't force it. She's only one…"
"Danno," a small voice said just as a carrot pegged me in the ear.
"Did she just say…?" I glanced down at my daughter just as she said, "Danno, Danno, Danno," while smearing carrots all over the highchair's tray.
"There you go," Rachel said smiling. She pecked me on the nose and muttered, "You were all worried for nothing…"
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Present Day…
Steve…
When Monday rolled around, and Grace had to go back to school, I could tell Danny was iffy on that subject. He was also in a bad mood toward the school for some unfathomable reason. I didn't ask, but noticed him glare at the building as he pulled up.
"Okay, Gracie," he started composing himself so he could turn and look at her. "Bridgette's mom is picking you up today after school and I'll pick you up at her house around five." She merely nodded, looking as uncertain about school as Danny did.
"Don't worry," I said meeting her eyes. "Just remember…"
"Stop, take a deep breath, count to ten, and don't let anyone get to me," she said slowly and I nodded, ignoring the look Danny threw me.
"Have a good day, Monkey," Danny said looking at Grace. He kissed her forehead and I let her out.
"'Guess Who?' rematch tonight," she said pointing at me.
"You're on, Gracie," I replied smiling.
"And no cheating this time," she called and ran toward the building.
"I don't cheat," I called back before getting into the car.
"What was that deep breath crap?" Danny asked as he threw one last glare at the building before pulling back onto the road.
"It's just something that helped me through school after my mother," I replied shrugging. It was actually something Uncle Marty taught me…
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1992…
"Hey Steve, can you stop a second," I heard Uncle Marty say before I could walk out the door. I furrowed my eyebrows, hoping he didn't want to discuss my break down from yesterday, and headed into the kitchen.
"Yeah, Uncle Marty?" I asked tentatively.
"That kid still harassing you at school?" Marty asked curiously, leaning back in his chair.
"Not since I punched him," I replied shrugging, readjusting my bag on my shoulder.
"Any other kids bugging you?" he questioned.
"Not really, I mean I think they're afraid of me or something."
He nodded letting the front legs of his chair rest on the floor. He stood up and said, "You still feeling angry sometimes?" I didn't respond as I averted my eyes. "Thought so," he said nodding. "I'm going to let you in on a little advice, free of charge."
I met his eyes and said, "What?"
"You feel yourself getting angry just stop, take a deep breath, count to ten, and don't let anyone or anything get to you."
"Okay," I responded nodding once turning to leave. I, however, stopped, "Does that work?"
"Usually," Marty replied. "Have a good day.
"You, too, Uncle Marty…"
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Present Day…
I had actually followed that advice while I was a SEAL until I could totally shut off my emotions. Of course, that was before Hesse killed my father. Since then I have managed to partially get my control back. Recent events, however, had my wall slowly crumbling.
We made it to the palace a little after eight. As I suspected, when fellow officers tried to express their condolences Danny just brushed them off.
"You sure you're ready?" I asked him as we stepped off the elevators.
"If you ask me that one more time…" he trailed off when Kono headed toward us. Okay, so maybe I had asked him a few times, but don't judge me. He may not have ever admitted it, but he still loved Rachel. And it wasn't like him to keep things bottled up for long. I was just waiting for him to self-destruct. I just hoped it was in private and not at HPD.
"Boss, we've got a case," she said handing me the file in her hands. I flipped through the file. It was a standard missing persons. A simple case for Danny's first day back.
"How long has she been missing?" I asked as me and Danny followed Kono to the computer room.
"About a week. Husband came home from a business trip to find his kids with the wife's parents and her missing," Kono replied opening the door. Chin was already at the controls, sifting through pictures and evidence already collected.
"There were signs of a struggle, and her car was missing," Kono informed us nodding toward the screen. The living room popped up, revealing pieces of furniture scattered across the floor.
"HPD have any leads?" I asked curiously handing the file to Danny.
"One: Marla Oliver's ex-boyfriend Peter T'ak," Chin replied and a picture of Peter appeared on the big screen. It was a mug shot. Meaning he had a criminal record.
"How long has she and Peter been apart?" Danny questioned sitting the file on the table.
"Ten years."
"Let me guess, his whole prison sentence?" I met Chin's eyes. He nodded.
"And get this, he hasn't shown up for work in over a week," Kono pointed out.
"Okay, Kono head over to his work and see if he's been late before. Chin, see if HPD missed anything at the crime scene." They both nodded heading out to do what I asked.
"What about us?" Danny asked crossing his arms.
"We're going to check out Peter's place," I replied meeting his eyes. He nodded and followed me out of the room.
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T'ak lived in a small, gray bungalow a few miles from HPD. I parked against the curb and we got out of the Camaro. We headed toward the front door, I signaled Danny to keep an eye on the back. He nodded and headed toward the garage, reading to grab T'ak should he try running.
I intended to knock, call out my name, but stopped when Danny called, "Steve, c'mere."
"What?" I questioned heading toward him. When I was a few feet from the garage the stench assaulted my nostrils. I recognized the smell, sadly, and stopped next to the garage's doorway.
"That smells like…" Danny started.
"Yeah, I know," I responded pulling my outer shirt off. I wrapped it around my hand and grabbed the knob. I opened the door, the smell worse, and stepped inside. I groped around for a light switch, finding it in seconds. The garage was illuminated, a green Nova sitting under in the middle amongst clutter.
"What did the file say Marla drove?" I asked cautiously heading toward the car.
"A green Nova," Danny replied following me, his face twisted in disgust. I figured mine didn't look any better.
I opened the driver door, searching the interior of the car. I didn't find anything, opting to pull the trunk lever. As it popped open the stench grew worse. We headed toward the back, I used my covered hand to pull the trunk lid open and revealed a bound and gagged Marla Oliver. So much for missing persons…