Chapter 53 "Preparing For Battle"
A/N: (27 April 2017) Your reviews are wonderful and so kind! Thank you! I love hearing your thoughts and comments!
I had a slowish week writing this chapter because I took a few days to celebrate my birthday and this chapter had to set up a lot of things so it took a bit of mulling. And I dreamed another story, which is probably going to be the next one.
Irene Claire, I am sorry I unwittingly annoyed you with every chapter I've ever written by writing a long A/N. I didn't know! Sorry.
CBS owns Hawaii Five-0.
Chapter 53 "Preparing For Battle"
(Tuesday, 27 December 2016, 7 p.m.)
Danny waited for Steve to ask him what his secrets were. He knew he would. But Steve didn't ask. He was looking at his cast, sadly. Danny intuited as easily as most people breathed that he felt bad that Danny had kept something from him.
"Steve."
His partner cleared his throat and looked up at him, the sadness not quite gone from his eyes. "Yeah?" He suddenly looked worried. "Do you need something? Should I call the nurse?"
"No, I'm fine. But I need your opinion."
"Oh! Sure!" Somewhere, a puppy was tentatively wagging its tail.
Danny sipped his ice water, which gave him a brief time to think. He knew Steve had grown up being excluded from so much, virtually walled in by secrets that persisted into the present. His dad had loved him dearly, but still had not told him important truths. His mother had outright lied to him so many times, he must wonder if anything she had ever told him was the truth. His most serious girlfriend –who Danny had really liked to see him with, and if not for Hannah, he would like to see him with—had told him lies and kept secrets, because that was what her work as an agent required. Even Steve's penchant for control and stubbornness and his own secretiveness was an offshoot of what he had grown up surrounded by. When he sensed a secret, he got sad, then mad, and expressed the anger by usually digging for answers with an industrial sized backhoe, when a simple garden shovel or non-backhoe question would do just fine.
It was a running thing between the two partners that Danny occasionally kept a secret from Steve. From everyone. Everyone had secrets, and Steve knew that. But he could not help reacting badly when he discovered that one existed, especially if it was one Danny was holding onto, even if only temporarily. (He made a mental note to tell this to Hannah, since it might surprise her if she ran into this Steve-idiosyncrasy.)
So Danny kept the walls down this time, and did not make Steve resort to the backhoe. Or even the shovel. "It's about this whole Rachel thing. My secrets. I don't know if they will have the desired effect on her. I think I've got some stuff she will react to, and back her off her vendetta. But after hearing that tape, I don't know. I trust your instincts, though."
Steve was listening intently. "Okay. Um, thanks." He was trying to act all casual and nonchalant, but Danny knew better. He also knew how to pretend not to notice.
"It wasn't long after we paired up, you and me. The partner-kidnapping thing, when we weren't friends yet. So I wouldn't have told you then, and afterwards, when we had become friends, it was past, and I didn't think about this. A lot of Rachel stuff is still in the vault, which is why I don't talk about it until I have to think about it, and then it gets brought up, like now."
Steve nodded, and Danny felt like he simply could not possibly have had more of Steve's attention. He no longer looked sad. In fact, he looked like a brother, listening to problems he had been asked to help with.
Danny continued. "Grace was only nine. Rachel and I were on very bad terms. Usually when I went to pick Grace up when it was my weekend, I had to wait in the car, because my presence in the house upset Rachel, even when it was just for five minutes. But they had a new housekeeper or maid or … whatever this lady was who let me in. So I waited in the foyer, out of sight, when they had that huge house at first. I kept out of sight so the housekeeper wouldn't get in trouble for letting me in. But I could see into the living room, where Grace had left her backpack she brings over when she stays with me. So I see the backpack, and then I see Rachel sneak –and I do mean 'sneak'; she was furtive, Steve—over to the backpack and zip open the pocket where Grace kept her money purse. And she pulls out $20 and replaces it with a fiver. Then she slips away, so I went in there and put back the twenty and took out the five."
Steve's face turned stormy, and his eyes were thunderclouds. "Rachel stole money from her own daughter? She had all the money she could want, but she stole from Grace?"
"Yes! I was the one who had given her that twenty dollars, because we had to go shopping later since Grace prefers not to shop with her mother. If Grace needs clothes or anything, really, it turns into a shopping trip for Rachel, with a little Grace thrown in, and Rachel watching the time. So Grace shops with me, and I pay attention to her, make it something she will remember with a smile. Anyway, this was not the only time I saw Rachel steal money from that backpack."
"And she never knew that you knew."
"Nope. But I didn't see all the times. A few times when I had Grace, we would be at some store, or getting a shave ice or something, and Grace made a big thing out of wanting to treat me. 'Danno,' she would say in her happiest voice, 'I get to pay!' So she would reach into her backpack and pull out her purse, and open it, and look stunned. And I knew what was wrong. Money was missing. She took to checking that purse before she made the offer, and was quiet even when all the money was there. So I think it's high time I threw that at Rachel. Good idea? Bad idea?"
"Good idea," said Steve, forcefully. "What would really be good was if you knew what she used the money for."
"Okay, here's where I need your advice again. I think I know what she used it for."
"Oh? What?"
"Weed."
"Weed! Did she use pot around the kids?"
Danny scowled. "I know she did once. Grace's hair smelled a little funny to me when she was dropped off, by Rachel. She also had an upset tummy and said Mommy's breath and the car smelled 'weird'. I think Rachel smoked at least one joint before picking Grace up at school. I had Grace get a bath and shampoo, then a nap until she felt better, and I washed her clothes in the sink,"
"How old was Grace?" asked Steve, fuming.
"Nine. I did confront Rachel about the smell of Grace's hair, didn't accuse her, but brought it up, and said it better not happen again. Rachel said she'd driven a friend home and she had smoked, made light of it, but I was firm. It never happened again, and the money stopped vanishing from Grace's purse."
Steve harrumphed forcefully. "What mother does that?"
"Pick an adjective that isn't polite," retorted Danny, and Steve nodded. It was good to have Steve's input on what he should do, but it was even better to see Steve feel included.
"Do you have any other secrets about Rachel?" asked Steve, fully invested now.
This time Danny grimaced, because it was still a sore spot. "You know how kids talk on their phones all the time, and they don't even realize someone just walked by? Well, Grace is at that age where she sometimes forgets I'm there. So, she's on her phone with one of her friends, and she says, 'Mom said I'm getting fat, and have to diet. She gave me laxatives, but I threw them away.' At least she had the sense to throw them away. I snuck back out, and had a fit Grace didn't have to witness, and am still convincing my beautiful daughter that she is so beautiful, she shouldn't change a thing. Her self-esteem took a hit, which she hopefully will get past."
"Danny," said Steve, equally upset. "Grace told me they were holding back her snacks while you were in the box. She told me she was starving. I know she was picking up on your condition, because I was too. But-"
"What?" Danny wheezed. "She was starving while I was in the box? What do you mean, picking up on my condition, and you were too?"
Steve came clean. "It's hard to explain, but we both felt that you were starving. Grace knew about Angel. I knew about your knee and thumb injury. I really can't explain it. But, without that, it would have taken longer to crack the case, because Grace said she was sneaking downstairs to get a snack when she saw Stan and Rachel looking at the pictures on Stan's phone, of you, drugged unconscious, with the shaved head, and Grace called me right away. We made sure she and Charlie were safe before we took Stan and Rachel into custody that night. That is what set into motion us finding you so fast. And we can definitely use Grace's hunger against Rachel."
Danny felt his eyes tearing up. Angel woke and tried to comfort him. Steve was apologetic and worried. But Danny used a Kleenex to mop his eyes and his voice was very rough and weak when he apologized to Steve, and promised himself he would apologize to Grace as well. "I knew me being gone so mysteriously would be hard on you, but I had no idea how hard. I'm sorry, Steve."
"You have nothing to apologize for. This is all on Rachel and Stan, and Stan is dead, and Rachel is looking at a long prison term no matter how she plays her cards."
Danny reached over and squeezed Steve's hand for a brief moment before turning to look at the stars outside his window. "I just hope she does the right thing."
Steve looked at the stars too. "I hope so too." He looked over at the other stack of cards, and snagged it. "Hey, we can go through some more of these. Or you can rest while I just slit them open for you, and you can read them later."
Danny ended up helping to slit for a while, but fell asleep holding a bright blue envelope and a urethral sound, which Steve took a photo of for posterity.
H50 H50 H50 H50
(Wednesday, 28 December 2016, 10 a.m.)
On Wednesday, Dr. Cornett put Danny on vocal rest to help heal his still damaged throat. It was the only way to keep Danny quiet when he had a lot of visitors stopping by. He was able to go on walks, which he did, and spent some time on the lanai whenever he passed it. It was nice, because he got to spend some alone time with each of his Five-0 ohana, Becca, and even Hannah, their first talk alone, and he had brought a writing pad and pencil, so he did indeed pass on the warning about Steve, secrets, sad puppies, and industrial sized backhoes. Most of their talk had been about Steve, and Danny had a twinkle in his eyes as he answered some of Hannah's more personal questions.
Danny and Becca walked arm in arm, and so Danny's spirits were soaring. They chatted via notes, and he eventually resorted to texting his answers while her lovely voice filled his brain with happy thoughts. The more he learned about her, the more time they spent together, the more he realized she was indeed his soulmate. The more soulmate she became, the more physically attracted to her he became until it was hard not to show it in ways her father would not have approved of. And she kept touching his hand, or shoulder, and once she brushed his rear unintentionally, and the reaction was immediate. They were out on the balcony, preparing to go back inside, and Becca had tweaked his gown to make sure it was closed in back, even though he was wearing hospital pants under it.
They both sucked in deep breaths after being jolted by electricity that had nothing at all to do with static electricity, which did not exist in Hawaii. They found a shady spot to really kiss, deeply and passionately. After that, they held each other, molding together, which meant that Becca knew that Danny wanted her.
"Danny," Becca whispered, stepping back just enough. She sounded worried, uncertain. "Danny, I'm a virgin. I want to please you, but I know you've had others, and I'm, I've, I never have, and please, I want you but I can't have you until … our wedding night. I'm so sorry to disappoint you."
Danny kissed her as passionately as before, with the difference that he kept his extended part from touching her. "How in creation could you disappoint me? You have principles, and I respect them, and want to survive your father, which means we 'no touchee de goods', if you know what I mean. You will be a virgin on our wedding night, and even after that I can wait as long as it takes until you are ready to not be a virgin anymore. This isn't about sex. This is about soulmate love. I love you more than I've ever loved anyone in my life."
"I only want to wait until we can be alone together after the wedding ceremony. I crave you, Danny. I love you," whispered Becca, who then kissed him with all the passion a man could ever hope to find in his soulmate. Becca broke off to say, "I wish you hadn't said 'long', I can't get close enough to you!" Their kiss dissolved into laughter, and Danny shifted. "Um, sorry?" before he held her against his nice and safe side and asked, lovingly, "How do you feel about having more kids?"
"If you are the father, let's have as many as God lets us."
Danny's blue eyes smiled and crinkled at the sides in delight. "Really?"
"Really! We already have Grace and Charlie, who I love like they were my own, and -"
They kissed like this was wedding night practice, and it could not strictly speaking be said that either of them refrained from touching the other's 'goods', even if it at least started out as accidental and things were covered in clothes. They stopped when a nurse came out onto the lanai, saw the oblivious pair, and shrieked, "No making babies on de lanai! Geez!" Becca climbed off Danny (both of them red-faced at being caught), straightened her nurse's uniform, gave Danny one more almost-asphyxiating kiss, and fled back to her work while Danny took some time for his heartrate and ability to not walk funny to return to normal.
H50 H50 H50
As soon as Danny got Steve alone, they began seriously texting, because this had to be kept unsaid. They were cleared to go see Rachel the next day, in the early afternoon, and so they made plans to sneak a little excursion to a jewelry store into the plans. It was time to buy engagement rings.
"Who driving us?" asked Steve via bad typing.
"Pua, also to see R first."
"K. New Yrs Eve will not end without a proposal to Hannah."
"Yup. Becca will get her ring first, then the floor is all yours. Make it good, you only do this once." He tapped Steve's arm, then typed hunt and peck, "Who is Stiff, why she call you that?"
"L8r." Steve grinned, though, and asked Danny if he was up for his kids visiting that evening. This worked as a distraction, and Dr. Cornett's entrance had perfect timing. Danny scribbled as fast as he could with his offhand, and held the paper up hopefully to his doc. "Kids? Talk?" read Cornett out loud, and smiled brightly. He replied that he could use his voice "sparingly." They would watch a movie on the TV, so talking would be kept to a minimum. "You don't know how Charlie watches movies," scrawled Danny, adding "Popcorn?" Unfortunately, he was not allowed to have popcorn because it was too scratchy for his throat. "But I know Grace is baking something you can have."
"?"
"I'm so sorry, Danny, I can't read your writing."
"&^%$#$ &^!"
"And he proves my point! Time for med tests! Steve, scram for a moment. Danny, be good and do everything I say."
"Growl."
Which Dr. Cornett laughed merrily at.
H50 H50 H50 H50
Becca and Hannah brought the kids to see Danny after dinner, and then Becca returned after some small talk and sparkling eye flirting to work, while Hannah pried Steve away from Danny's side in case the kids wanted to spend time alone with their father. As much as they loved their Uncle Steve, they still liked special time with Danno. Besides, Charlie was practicing using his newly adopted "Daddy" on his Daddy, and he took every chance he got to use the word.
Angel was getting used to the word "Daddy", and the kids (human versions of kittens?), especially Charlie. He tended to be a little grabby and squeezed a bit hard, but was already learning. Grace already was an expert on Angel-holding and petting, so the kitten spent some time in her lap, purring in bliss when Grace petted her just right under her chin. She did avoid Charlie, which was unnoticed because either Danny or Grace would pass her around him. Angel's favorite spot was still Danny's collarbone, but this time she climbed onto his far shoulder from wherever Charlie was, and had fun eating the two pieces of popcorn Danny gave her, and even considered shortbread cookie bits a very acceptable treat.
They brought popcorn, which Danny could not have, but Grace had baked shortbread cookies, of which Danny could now have three according to his doctor, which means he snuck another one. He praised Grace highly, and noticed she snuck a couple while Charlie completely pigged out on the popcorn. The movie was Toy Story, mostly to please Charlie. Grace didn't say much. She looked distracted, so Danny made up his mind to ask her about that later. Charlie usually fell fast asleep about halfway through a movie, and that would be a good time.
Sure enough, Danny had his chance to talk to Grace. As soon as Charlie fell asleep, Danny turned the volume down while Grace bundled her brother in a throw blanket and moved him over to a nest she had made of chairs and spare pillows. Then she came over and sat on the edge of Danny's bed.
"Danno?"
"Yes, Sweetheart? I've noticed how quiet you have been." His voice was no longer making dogs bark. It was still rough, but on the furry side, now heading into the lower range. "You want to talk?"
Grace nodded, but didn't start talking right away. She had a lot on her mind, and some of it was too old for her years, even though he would turn fifteen in just under three months. She finally said, "You almost died, didn't you?"
Danny was honest with his children, in age-appropriate ways. He did not like to lie to them, unless it really was in their best interests. But since Grace had brought up something that was clearly bothering her, he felt he should be truthful. "Yes, I did, Monkey. There was a mix-up in my medications, and I got the wrong one. But you know Dr. Cornett is a very good doctor, and he figured out what happened and fixed it."
"But we did almost …. Danno, Step-Stan died, and Mom is in jail because she helped … him … try to kill you, and then you had a medicine mix up. If Dr. Cornett had not figured it out, what would have happened to Charlie and me?"
Danny was not expecting this, but again he felt he needed to be honest. "I have a Will, and I have provided for you and Charlie. If something does happen to me, and your Mom and Step-Stan can't care for you for whatever reason, Uncle Steve steps in and loves you and takes care of you. Would that be okay?"
Grace nodded. "If it isn't you, Uncle Steve would be almost you. Except for how he drives." They both grinned, until Grace's faded and she hugged her Dad. "Just don't die, please. I need my Danno."
Danny decided Grace needed some good news. He asked her, "Do you like Becca?"
"My Nurse Practitioner? We're already best friends, and I know she really likes you. You two need to start dating!"
"You think so?" asked Danny, eyes starting to twinkle. "Well, you see, we've been talking and we thought we might do even more than date."
Grace hesitated. "Oh. Like, with Melissa?" She was fingering her own Promise ring.
Danny noticed and shook his head. "No, not like Melissa. You see, I'm sortof hoping you'd like Becca to be your step-mom, because she's crazy about you and Charlie, and we're crazy about each other."
"Okay, so Becca is going to start living with us?"
"Not yet. We have to get married first because she wouldn't be your step-mom unless we did that. I asked her and she said Yup!"
Grace finally understood the subtle meaning and her disappointment soared into pure joy. "Ohhhhh! Really? Oh wow, I'm so happy! OHmigosh, I love you!" She hugged her Danno, and Angel took strategic refuge on the top of the pillow behind the one Danny was resting against.
Grace decided to find Becca, who she called and asked to either come to Danny's room or stay put in her office. Becca had a report to finish dictating, so Grace went to her, and awhile later they returned to Danny's room, arms around each other's waists. "And I super respect you both," Grace was saying, and then hugged Becca.
Danny knew it was going to be the happiest he had ever been.
H50 H50 H50 H50
(Thursday, 29 December 2016, 10:30 a.m.)
The meeting with Rachel had to be moved up, because the media had gotten wind of the Go Fund Me page in Danny's honor, which was now over $25,000, and the bags of mail that kept pouring in to Tripler and the Five-0 offices on behalf of the recovering detective. Media outlets and camera crews were now trying to set up interviews or sneak in and get candids that way, and the hospital had been forced to tighten security to keep people not on Danny's list from making it to his floor. So Pua, their unexpected informant that they were going to be beset that afternoon, suggested they go when nobody expected them too.
Because Danny's clothier had come through with wardrobe choices, as promised, and Dr. Cornett had a baseball hat collection, Danny slipped out not looking like a patient. He was in khaki twills, a blue shirt, and a nondescript navy blue cap. He felt very self-conscious, slipping by the media which had indeed gathered outside Tripler's mountainside entrance, and met Steve in Pua's cruiser. Originally he had been supposed to use a wheelchair to reach the cruiser, but since that basically screamed "patient", he walked out the ER entrance and was picked up, and driven away, passing the collected media vans and reporters from a discreet distance.
Danny and Steve had both ducked down in the back seat, to not be seen. Pua gave the signal when they could pop back up and feel like normal passengers. "When we come back, I suggest the oceanside entrance, but we can scope out the scene first," said Officer Pua Kai. "There is a wheelchair waiting at the Women's Correctional Facility, for you, Danny, and I am under orders from your doctor to see that you use it until you reach Rachel's interrogation room. It's a long walk, and we still are on for the jeweler's after, right?"
"Right," said Steve.
Danny was silent, because he was now on his way to see Rachel, and the emotions he felt were not what he expected them to be. Steve noticed, and asked if he was feeling okay. At Danny's nod, Steve waited for words. With Danny, there were almost always words. But none were forthcoming.
"Danny?" Steve's voice was concerned, and it snapped Danny's silence.
"Voice. Resting. And I feel embarrassed about the hat and the reason for it."
"Oh."
"And I want to pick out the right ring."
"Ah. Yeah, me too."
"And I don't feel anything about going to talk to Rachel. Nothing, Steve. Zip. Nada. Isn't that odd?"
Steve wasn't sure, and said so. "It could be a good thing. But she may get you mad, so careful in there."
Danny obeyed Dr. Cornett's orders to use the wheelchair to go from the entrance of the facility to the interrogation room. He kept waiting to feel something, but nothing came except a kind of emotional weariness. He wanted to get this over with.
When he and Steve reached the room, Rachel was already inside, waiting for Danny. Danny got out of the wheelchair, and turned to Steve. "Do I look okay? The hat isn't stupid?"
"Not stupid. It hides your really short hair."
"Will Angel be okay with Kono for a few hours?"
"Of course."
"Why don't I feel anything?"
"You aren't in there yet. Just remember what I said. Be careful if she tries to make you mad."
Danny nodded. He turned and squared his shoulders, cleared his throat, and was let into the room.
Rachel was sitting there in her navy scrub shirt sticking out because of her pregnancy belly, and her handcuffs, and Danny's heart felt for the baby more than anything else. He sat down in the chair, but kept it back from the table.
"Hello, Danny," said Rachel.
"Hello, Rachel," said Danny.
And a silence descended.