Chapter 67 "Brothers"

A/N: (5 August 2017) Omigosh, thank you so much for the touching and heartfelt reviews for Ch. 66! I half thought I'd get lynched, so this is so much better! So much caring for these two brothers / partners – I was so touched by what you all said! Thank you!

There was literally nothing else I could name this chapter. It took forever to write, so I hope it works. Let me know if it doesn't! Or if it does! I hope it does!

CBS owns Hawaii Five-0.

Chapter 67 "Brothers"

(Thursday, 12 January 2017, 9:30 a.m.)

The curtain was open, and the sun was shining half-heartedly through the sheers, sending pale shadows across the room that told the occupant of the bed that it was way past the time he usually awakened and got up. Danny had opened his aching eyes and looked around, disoriented, until he realized he was in Steve's room. In Steve's bed.

He didn't know how he got there, but he could guess. Angel was with him, sitting on his sternum, reaching out to pat his chin and purr fondly at him. He untangled an arm from the blanket and ran his hand down her back, and she arched in pleasure. But between pets, she still patted Danny's chin. That meant she was hungry.

Danny knew he had to get up and feed her. Which would mean facing the man who had taken such thoughtful care of him after his breakdown.

He felt a little embarrassed. Maybe a lot embarrassed. Or maybe embarrassed wasn't the right word. He wasn't sure which it was.

He remembered breaking down. The closet he'd been trying so hard to keep closed even if it was crammed full of things had blown apart and he could not stop the words, the emotions pouring from him. Fears, old and maybe not so old, new ones, too. Hurts. Regrets, horrors. His aching head and ribs were proof of crying harder than he had before, ever. His paper dry eyes and outraged sinuses told him he had crumbled completely before his brother, Steve, the only person he could do that in front of. He still wasn't sure about the others in his life, except one, and that was his doctor. And he remembered how Steve held him up and then kept him from falling down, how he gave him water to drink, listening, taking care of him, while Angel leaned against him, alternately purring and meowing her little heart out.

He couldn't stop looking at the heavy curtain pulled back, and the pale blue sheers letting in that light. Steve had done that for him, so he wouldn't feel claustrophobic in the dark room when he awakened. Because Steve always slept in a dark room, and often as not didn't open the curtains at all, not in this room. The rest of the house would be bathed in light, but this sleeping room would be dark, unless the light was on.

But Steve knew Danny needed to see the space around him, that he kept the curtains open, and if he could, the windows too, to let in air and sound.

Danny rubbed his moistening eyes, praying he wasn't going to cry again, but glad to ease that bone-dry feeling. He truly had someone who knew him and cared about him looking out for him, even in the small ways most people would never have thought of. Angel harrumphed and he gave her back some more pets, using both hands, to thank her for being his non-human someone who cared about him and knew him. "I'll get your breakfast, Little Angel. What do you want today? Chicken?" No reaction. "Beef?" A look of disgust. "Or tuna?" Purrs so big they needed neon lights!

"Or salmon?" asked Steve, carrying in Angel's food bowl amongst all the other things on the bed tray he was holding. The little white kitten had just caught a whiff and was wrapping around Steve's ankles faster than Danny could see her jump off the bed and greet the Carrier of The Bowl of Wonderfulness.

Steve put down the bowl in the corner, and petted Angel while she tucked in with great enthusiasm.

"Did you just steal my cat?" Danny asked, smiling sheepishly, his heart pounding because he wasn't sure if Steve would feel comfortable with him after his emotional purge.

Steve smiled, entirely himself, and something extra Danny wasn't sure he had a word for yet. His face looked relaxed and open, and … understanding. He had a whole tray with him, and he approached the bed. "I think even God would have trouble stealing Angel from you." He appraised Danny's almost shy countenance, and said, "So, I sent the kids off to school, Hannah came and got them. Everyone says they love you. But Hannah loves me more. I made you pancakes. Us, actually. Do you mind if I eat with you?"

"No," answered Danny, and he finally figured out what it was in Steve's mannerisms, his actions. He didn't find any weakness in what Danny had done.

Danny swung his legs out from under the blanket and pushed himself to sit, unwittingly grimacing from the aching after-effects of his breakdown. He didn't have a muscle that didn't hurt, and some downright felt strained, especially across his abdomen and forehead.

"Here," said Steve in that caring voice he wasn't faking as he held out two tablets and a glass of water. "I brought you Tylenol and water and juice, and the meds Dr. Cornett said you should have with breakfast."

"Oh." Danny could tell by looking at the tablets on the napkin next to his plate of pancakes that he would be taking a 5mg diazepam, a10 mg propranolol, an antihistamine that would not make him drowsy or bouncing off the walls, and some vitamins and mineral supplements.

He didn't argue. But he took the Tylenol first, realizing as soon as he sipped the water that he was immensely thirsty. "You knew just what I needed." The words came out like a tender new leaf testing out a new world, the one where Danny and Steve both knew they were brothers. He remembered how Steve had held him, skin to skin, their liver transplant scars nearly becoming one scar. The thought made his throat tighten and eyes glisten. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," said Steve, his eyes showing that he understood between the lines of what Danny was saying. It made Danny want to cry again, except that crying was absolutely the last thing in the world he wanted to do with his head pounding the way it was. So he cleared his throat, and took the other pills before Steve glanced at them, because he knew Steve would do that sooner or later, while yet not saying a word. As loud as Danny had occasionally been accused of being, Steve could be that quiet, yet still heard.

Pancakes with syrup and strawberry jam were savored, along with orange juice, fresh pineapple slices, crispy bacon and perfectly scrambled eggs. Danny made appreciative sounds while he ate, and he left nothing on his plate. He knew he had told Steve about how he had stopped eating anywhere near properly, and was letting him know he had started eating right again. He was determined to recover.

"Where's the cabbage?" Danny asked just as Steve took a drink of his own orange juice. Steve sprayed the tray, Danny, and the bed.

"With pancakes? Danny! How gross!"

Danny chuckled and wiped orange juice droplets off his chest. "Seriously, Steve, thanks. This was really good."

Steve nodded. "You're welcome." He settled the tray over on his dresser, and sat down on the bed, leaning against the headboard. "So, I called Dr. C, and he wants to see you this afternoon. At 2 o'clock."

"But my therapy …."

"Dr. C thought you might want to go over who is available to replace your former therapist. She's history, Danny. If she doesn't see you as a person, she isn't right for you, you are right about that. So he's looking over some, and I thought if you don't mind that I could come along as moral support. I can stay out of the way, or help you two out, whatever you want. Oh, and Doc wants to give you a little checkup. And Becca is working today, which I know you already know, but she's free after 3:30 p.m., which is when Hannah will be by if we all wanted to do something fun. She's picking up the kids from school, and we could all head for the water park, or something. Get burgers after, or whatever sounds good!"

Danny was relieved about the therapist, and … everything. "I'd like that. I don't …." He cleared his throat. "I don't think I could have stomached seeing that therapist again, not after … last night. I dreaded it every day."

"From what you said, I would've too." He gave Danny a pat on the shoulder. "Okay, I gotta wash some bedding, you wanna take care of the dishes? Angel just discovered there was bacon up here somewhere."

"Still is." He grinned slyly as he slipped the end of a slice out of his napkin, and fed it to his overjoyed kitten who crunched it and then chased all the little bits to wherever they had landed, leaving the bed bacon-less and her tummy very happy. Danny scooped up his kitten, gave her pets and kisses, and felt pretty darn good about the world. "Steve, you haven't had your swim, yet, right?"

"Not yet."

"You start on your required 48 miles and I will start the laundry and the dishes. Then maybe I can swim a little with you as you finish up."

Steve beamed, his sea colored eyes catching a ray of sunlight from the window. "Okay. You're sure you feel up to it?"

"I don't feel up to 48 miles, but a couple, maybe three. Yeah. Waterproof your cast."

"Yeah. I will." There was nothing but comfort between the two men.

H50 H50 H50 H50

Danny gathered the bedclothes while Angel frisked out to the living room to search out one of her toys. She picked out the one that looked like a weird combination of bird and something with a long fluffy tail. It had a tiny rattle inside, which drove her insane while she batted it all over the place. Danny heard her battle sounds and that little rattle while he started the washing machine, and then did the dishes, feeling more relaxed than he had in possibly even a year or two. He did not analyze the feeling beyond that.

After the dishes, he went to Charlie's room, where one dresser held his own clothes. He changed into his pale blue with the brick red drawstring waist board shorts, pulling them on over a black speedo since Charlie had done something with his jock strap and he couldn't find it. Charlie thought it was a sling shot, and he used it to shoot his clothes and socks especially all over his room, which embarrassed the hell out of Danny because Grace knew what it was, and even hiding it on the shelf in the closet hadn't stopped Charlie: there was a chair by the desk, and on it he could reach the shelf. The explanation that it was part of Daddy's underwear hadn't phased Charlie for a second. "It doesn't look like boxers or undiepants to me!" he had chortled, and even Steve wasn't quite up to the task of explaining the purpose of the jock strap to the little boy.

But almost worse than that was that Angel had a tendency to find it and pull it out when Becca and /or Hannah were over, because she thought it was a toy, too, and as a kitten she was very capable of hiding it in the strangest, most embarrassing places. Once she had left it on the front Welcome mat. Lou Grover had stopped by for a visit, and he entered the house twirling the thing around his right index finger, looking a combination of startled and on the verge of a belly laugh.

Danny scowled as he did every time he caught his reflection in the mirror. His hair was looking half electrocuted, half flat. He could not wait for it to grow back so he would see himself. He decided not to shave, since he'd be taking a shower after swimming, and he could shave then. He didn't bother with sunblock since it would be such a short swim.

Angel had worn herself out playing and was napping in a sunbeam by the window, sprawled out, showing her tummy to the world. Danny grabbed his phone and took a photo of her. His phone was now full of pictures of his kids, his cat, and Becca, all the Cornetts, and Steve. Chin, Abby and Kono were seldom around since their cousin had been moved to a hospital in San Francisco that specialized in stroke after care. Abby went with Chin, since she was familiar with San Francisco and had family that provided them with temporary housing whenever they needed it. But it also meant there was strain between Kono and Adam, since he could not accompany her. He still did not have a job, and had to stay on Oahu to be close to his parole officer. Because of the financial strain, Adam and Kono were having to move into a small apartment rented to them by yet another relative, because of Adam's still fairly recent stint in Halawa Correctional Facility. Most apartment complexes would not even read their application, despite Kono being a member of the Five-0 task force.

Danny had not been told any of this directly. He had overheard a snippet of conversation here or there, and added it up in his mind. He did hope to maybe get to speak to either Chin or Kono about what he had realized during his emotional breakdown. And he also knew he would be writing about this and the events of the night before. His journal would take up his evening, once things quieted down.

He put the thoughts about that out of his mind. He felt good, though tired. He felt a lighter load on his shoulders than he had in such a long time.

He put his phone on the table by the backdoor, then out Danny went, closing the door behind him. He walked across the soft grass in his bare feet and approached the gate, experiencing a small surge of nervousness. Was Mrs. Benson nearby, waiting to ambush him? He looked around, and did not see her. But he saw Steve, out in the water, talking to someone in a boat which had been anchored a mile or so offshore in their vicinity for a few days. Someone fishing, or visiting one of their neighbors? He saw that the boat had a covered cabin overhang and an inflated small Zodiac floating behind it. It was a very common sight all around the islands.

Just as Danny opened the gate, Steve turned toward his house and then waved at Danny, and began to swim back to his house after saying goodbye to the guy on the boat. Danny decided to swim out and meet Steve, then swim the rest of the way back. He felt tired, but was looking forward to the exercise.

Danny met up with Steve a third of a mile off shore, and they talked a little, mostly enjoying the water and working their muscles. Danny asked about the guy in the boat, and Steve laughed and splashed him with water. "He's visiting from the East Coast, and has relatives here. He is not a fisherman, I can tell you that. Ed Lee. He leaves tonight. He is trying to catch a tuna."

"Here? This close to shore?"

"Like I said, he is not a fisherman. But he's enjoying Hawaii."

"Let's do that too." Danny began swimming parallel to the coast, and Steve felt into easy strokes next to him, and the two men swam in peaceful rhythm for about half an hour until Danny stopped and pointed back toward the house.

Steve turned, and they began to swim in rhythm again, until they were maybe a third of a mile from Steve's beach. "Race ya!" called out Steve, already hitting his propellers. Danny put on his own burst of speed, and only lost by a body length. They were laughing as they came out of the water. "Cheater," said Danny, with absolutely no rancor. They grabbed up towels and dried off.

"No," said Steve, grinning his contentment. "I swam maybe 8 miles, and didn't even go at top speed during the race. I didn't want you to lose by much."

"Hahaha," was Danny's smiling response. "I could have gone faster, but I know how you pout when you don't win, so consider yourself paid back for the pancake breakfast."

"Oh, so you are saying you let me win?"

"Yes, Steve, that is what I am saying."

"Then we have to do this tomorrow, and make it a real race."

"Let us do that. Now why don't you get your shower, and turn into an acceptably clean human being, and I will sit here and consider my strategy and get my shower after you." Danny lightly popped Steve with his towel.

"Oh, he's asking for it," laughed Steve. "Mr. Williams is going to lose by a quarter of a mile tomorrow, in a mile long race."

"Nuh uh," called Danny as he popped the towel again, against Steve's retreating backside.

"You are in so much trouble!"

"I know. Leave me some hot water."

Steve actually chortled. "Maybe I will, and maybe I won't."

H50 H50 H50 H50

Danny could not stop smiling as he finished drying off. He noticed the boat was turning, and heading for Steve's beach. He sat in a chair, feeling relaxed. The sun was high and the clouds were way off in the distance. He wished he had brought his journal with him, because for once he had some good things to write about. But he still would in the evening.

He literally felt like he had opened a boil that needed lancing, and now he could feel a little better, and begin to heal. The poison was out, and he could work on his problems, instead of the knot they had made in his life, and of his life.

Finally, healing could begin.

He noticed the man on the boat, who had anchored in water just deep enough to take his boat. He was gesturing to him, so Danny got up and went through the gate, slinging the towel over his shoulder. "Do you need help?" he asked, when he crossed the sand. The man was swimming toward him in a wetsuit, of all things.

"I was going to go skin-diving, but I can't get this tank to work," the man said, and added, "I'm Ed."

"Danny," said Danny, and shook the man's hand. He started to add, "I'm not a diver, but Steve won't be too long. He knows all about -"

He was punched hard on the jaw before he ever saw the fist coming. It spun him around, and he landed on his stomach on the sand, a knee in his back, holding him down. He felt cuffs joining his wrists behind his back before he could even begin to react.

"What the hell are you doing?" he demanded, even as he was flipped over onto his back, and another punch landed, slamming him from the other side of his jaw. He saw stars, and by the time he didn't, his ankles were wrapped in rope, and the man was sitting on his stomach, forcing him to open his mouth, pills bursting into bitter, terrible tastes on his tongue and water poured down his throat, making him swallow again and again before he had enough presence of mind to try to evade the wide piece of duck tape about to seal his mouth shut. "Why? Who the hell are you?" he tried to shout, but it came out arguing with the waves for audibility.

But the man had heard him.

"Bradley Edwards, Stan's brother. Why? Because of you, he's dead. And because of that, you're dead."

Danny froze, eyes wide. The tape was pressed firmly against his lips, two more pieces added for good measure. Then Stan's brother hit Danny on the side of his head with his oxygen tank. Danny was knocked out cold immediately. The towel flew out and lay flat on the sand. He never felt himself being pulled through sand and water and hoisted into the Zodiac, just big enough to hold him laid out slightly on his side, wrists and ankles tied to eyebolts in the inflatable. The motor of the larger boat roared to life, and Danny lay unconscious in the boat tethered behind, following meekly as the larger boat gained deeper water, sped up, and hurtled through small waves to get as far away from Steve's beach until it arced directly into the prevailing wind and kept going.

H50 H50 H50 H50

Mrs. Benson pressed herself into the foliage beside the fence, shaking with fear and alarm. She saw the man hurt Steve, and take him away.

She knew she had to do something, so she approached the gate of the fence, and it was open, so she hurried with her trembling little dog, Teacup, to the back door of the house. She banged on the door with increasing desperation, yelling, "John! John! The man took your boy! John!"

.H50.

A/N: There was a mention in the episode where Rachel gave birth to Charlie that she had a sister-in-law, and we never knew if it was Stan's brother's wife, or her own brother's wife. The show never told us. So I always felt it was Stan's brother, since I thought Danny would have known the name of Rachel's brother's wife, and this person remained nameless.

A/N: Thank you so much for reading. Reviews are so very deeply appreciated.