Chapter Twelve

"This Means War"

Not a lot actually happens in this chapter except relationship building, which is another way of saying dialogue. I'm still open to ideas about future events for these characters, and thanks for those I've already received. The reviews are awesome, so keep 'em coming.

Danny didn't sleep well on Chin's couch. Around midnight he heard someone go into the kitchen. The footfalls were to loud for Grace who was sleeping in Kono's room. A few minutes later, Kono appeared in the doorway with a glass of water.

"You still awake?" she asked, leaning against the doorjamb.

"Yeah," Danny replied.

"Before she went to sleep, Grace told me all about her day."

Danny laughed. "You were with her for most of it."

Kono joined Danny on the couch. "She told me how she was really scared this morning, but she knew you would make everything all right."

Danny leaned forward and rubbed his face. "Lucky Hadley doesn't know a thing about me."

"What you did... well, I wouldn't have been able to."

"What are you talking about? You have."

"Not with my own kid. I wouldn't have kept my head."

"Yeah, you would have. You figure out the best way to keep them safe and you do it, no matter what. If you ever have kids, you'll understand."

"I still think I would freak out. I didn't do such a good job with today anyway."

"You probably saved our lives, and that's more than good enough."

Kono seemed to be thinking about that. "Is this how it always feels?"

"What?" Danny asked.

"Protecting your family. Does it always feel like you should have been better?"

Danny considered it for a moment. He remembered thinking of how he should have been able to protect Grace so much better, how Chin should never have gotten hurt. "Yes," he finally said. "You always feel responsible, even when you're not."

"Then we need to catch this guy... yesterday."

"I couldn't agree more."

H-5-O

McKenzie blinked several times, realizing that she had almost fallen asleep standing up. She noted with satisfaction that Steve's arms were still wrapped securely around her. The sun was nearing the horizon, but she didn't bother to wonder how long they had stood there in silence. The two of them were so relaxed that their breathing matched perfectly.

Then, McKenzie thought with some shock that she had over a very short time become very attached to the man behind her. This was not the shocking part though.

"I just realized," she said breaking the silence.

"What?" Steve asked.

"I would be really upset if you died."

Steve turned her around so he could look her in the eye. "Why would you say that?" he asked.

"You've told me over and over again how you'll protect me with your life."

"It won't come to that."

"You seem awfully certain."

"I am. My team is going to catch Hadley and he'll never bother us again."

"You have a lot of faith in them don't you?"

Steve nodded. "I put my life in their hands almost every day. Think of how you trust me. Well, that's how I trust them."

"I find that somewhat hard to believe, but only because I don't think you ever need to trust anyone like I trust you."

"You're probably right, but if it ever came to it, I would."

"There's nothing I can do about it anyway," McKenzie said, pulling herself closer to Steve.

"Actually..."

"What?"

"I was just wondering if you've ever fired a gun before."

McKenzie looked up at him with a glint in her eyes. "Once or twice."

"Really?"

"Yes. I know that's hard to believe, but my dad used to do a lot of hunting, so he taught me how to use a gun when I was a teenager."

"What kind?"

"Oh, you're very particular."

"Yes. I only have certain calibers and, as we've already established, you are very small."

"You probably don't have anything as small as I've used before. I did shoot a .357 once."

"I imagine that wasn't very comfortable."

"Not really."

"I might have something with a smaller grip so you can at least hold it and look scary."

"I thought you said I was scary?"

"Creepy, I think was the word. But you need to be scary in the eyes of a man who's killed seven people this week."

"No pressure."

"No, because it's never going to come to that."

"But on the off chance..."

"Exactly. I think I have a .45. Could you handle that?"

"Maybe. With two hands."

Steve finally released McKenzie and turned toward the door. "I'll get it for you."

"Now?"

"Yes. Is that all right?"

McKenzie nodded. "Sure. I'll start dinner." She rubbed her arms and started following him.

Steve stopped in the doorway, looking back at her. He could tell something was wrong. "How's your arm?" he asked.

McKenzie frowned. "It's fine."

"So what isn't?"

"What?"

"What isn't fine?"

"My life's been turned upside down this week. A lot of things aren't exactly fine."

McKenzie pushed her way inside and Steve didn't stop her. He wanted to follow her, to say something, but there was nothing to say. Something special had happened that afternoon, but something equally disturbing had followed. And Steve understood McKenzie's worry. What he didn't understand was why he wasn't able to make it better like all the times before.

So, he went to his room to find a weapon for McKenzie. It only took him a few seconds, but he stood there looking at it for a long time. He heard McKenzie's kitchen noises, which included clanking pans and soft singing. Steve hoped the singing meant she was feeling better, but in the time he'd spent with her, he noticed that she sang whenever she was doing something with her hands.

Steve joined McKenzie in the kitchen, setting the gun on the counter. She only briefly glanced at him before continuing what she had been doing. Steve knew something was very wrong, but he didn't know how to ask her what it was.

"It was something you said," McKenzie told him.

He looked at her in surprise. "Something I said?"

"Yes. You mentioned the man who killed seven people this week." McKenzie filled two plates with spaghetti. "It made me feel a little sick."

Steve pulled her into a hug and ran his hand through her hair. "That's a good thing," he said.

"I guess I'm sort of a wimp about that kind of thing."

"Stop."

"What?"

"You should feel sick about something like that. Just because I hide it doesn't mean I don't feel the same way."

McKenzie pulled away a little and nodded. "Okay," she said. "Dinner's ready."

H-5-O

Chin woke early to find Danny and Kono both asleep on the couch. He almost laughed when he thought of how uncomfortable they would be when they woke. He decided a large breakfast was in order and set to making it. A short time later, he heard small footsteps approaching.

"Good morning, Grace," he said without looking away from his pancake batter.

"Morning," Grace replied in a sleepy voice.

"How do you like your pancakes."

"With peanut butter," Grace said, pulling herself up onto one of the bar stools at the counter.

Chin smirked. "Me too."

"So, if Danno marries Kono, will you be my real uncle?"

Chin was at first surprised by the question. Then he smiled. "No, I would be your step first cousin once removed."

"You made that up."

"Did not. But you can say I'm your uncle anyway."

"Whew! Good. That other thing would take too long to say."

Chin laughed. He could get used to having Grace around. He really hoped that Danny and Kono made their relationship last. He knew it was early, but he already felt like Danny and Grace were family.

"What's so funny out here?"

Chin turned to see Danny standing in the doorway. Grace giggled.

"Nothing," she said with a mischievous look.

"Yeah, I believe that."

"How do you like your pancakes, Danno?" Chin asked.

"Oh, no. You don't call me that." Danny shook a finger at Chin.

"I think you're gonna have to get used to it," Grace said.

"The whole world is against me." Danny rubbed his forehead.

"No it's not," Kono said, coming up behind him. She put her arm around his shoulders and kissed his cheek.

"Eew!" Grace squealed and covered her eyes.

Then everyone laughed.

H-5-O

McKenzie didn't eat much at dinner. Steve always ate mechanically anyway, but he was nervous too. Not about Hadley. He was quite convinced he had nothing to worry about on that front, but he was concerned about McKenzie. He was worried because she would probably suffer the effects of what she witnessed for the rest of her life. She had done very well in the last couple of days, but there was no telling how long that would last.

So, Steve hardly noticed when they stopped eating and he started the dishes. McKenzie disappeared into her room for a while and when she came out, she was wearing her sweatshirt and slippers again.

"Are you cold?" Steve asked, coming out of the kitchen.

McKenzie looked over at him. Her sleeves were pulled over her hands and she was biting one of her nails. She nodded.

Steve came up beside her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Come here," he said, and started walking over to the couch. He sat down, pulling her with him and picked up her book.

"Are you going to read to me?" she asked quietly.

"Yes," Steve replied. He found their place and picked up where McKenzie had left off. The characters were arguing about whether to follow Lucy into the forest or not. This was one of McKenzie's favorite parts so she began to relax and sink into the story.

For someone who claimed to be not much of a reader, Steve did quite a good job. He gave different voices to the characters and read faster at the suspenseful parts.

It wasn't until Steve reached the end of the story that he noticed McKenzie was asleep. She had her head nestled on his shoulder and one arm across his stomach. He put the book down and pulled the blanket off the back of the couch. He draped it over both of them and soon fell asleep himself.