Chapter 4b
They all regrouped for lunch and Danny was glad to see Mary Ann sit down next to her brother. There was still an awkwardness in the way they behaved and spoke to each other, but Steve caught Danny’s eye over his sister’s head and Danny saw how happy he really was.
Well, that was one reconciliation down. Only a zillion to go. Danny made a mental note to let Chin do something spectacularly badass on their mission so he’d have a good story for Malia.
Danny let the conversation wash over him. Kono was telling Mary some embarrassing story bout Steve (what kind of ninja flipped out because of a little mouse? Danny was going to have so much fun with that), which Steve was vehemently denying. Kamekona and Chin were watching the exchange with fond exasperation, which Danny knew by now was a typical reaction to prolonged exposure to one Steven J. McGarrett.
He watched Steve trying to convince his sister that he didn’t turn into a screaming twelve year old girl (albeit one with lethal kung fu fists) every time a sweet little field mouse showed up. Steve’s eyes were sparkling, looking almost green in this light. His hair was all over the place and just curling slightly, thanks to Kamekona’s “surprise” noogie when they had entered the room. Like Steve hadn’t seen it coming. Poor guy just craved affection, no matter how much it damaged his scalp.
Steve caught his eye again and they shared a smile. Danny felt the ache in his chest again, because their smiling time was limited. It wouldn’t be many more days until there was a giant Steve-sized hole in his life.
. . .
It was Vision Day for Grace. At least, that’s what Danno had told her in his letter yesterday. He said she would see something important today, and that she was supposed to tell him all about it.
She knew it was about the sword. She’d forced Stan to tell her when he lost to her at cards a few days before. She was supposed to see where the sword was, because she had a good heart.
This was really important. The sword was supposed to help Danno beat the monster. So, she figured if she had to find something important, she’d tail the most important person in the castle. After the Queen, who she wasn’t supposed to see yet, the highest ranking person was Stan. Now she just had to ditch Catherine long enough to get the information she needed.
She asked Cath if they could sit on the window seat for reading time, and when they were in position Grace pressed her hand to the window, signaling Tommy. He was waiting on the ground way below, ready to set off a bunch of firecrackers.
Suddenly, there was a series of loud bangs and a whole lot of yelling. Cath looked out the window and cursed under her breath.
“When is that Tommy going to learn that explosives aren’t toys?” she grumbled, running over to the door. “Grace, you sit tight. I’ll be back soon, okay?”
Grace just smiled at her.
She waited thirty seconds and slipped on her shoes, heading downstairs and into the center of the castle.
. . .
It didn’t take her long to find Stan. She caught sight of him just as he was heading down to the dungeons.
She kept far enough behind so that he wouldn’t see her and carried her shoes in her hand so they couldn’t echo on the stone floors. She wanted to work next to her daddy one day, and she’d been practicing her detective skills. Plus, she’d read almost all the Sherlock Holmes books. Danno said some guy named Pwaro was next.
Grace started to wonder when Stan was going to stop walking already. They’d gone down a gazillion stairs and it was starting to get really cold. Plus, the floor was slimy beneath her bare feet.
Finally, Stan stopped at the end of a corridor and just barely peeked his head out past the corner. It seemed like he was watching something, but all Grace could see beyond him was a huge stone chamber with just a few torches dotting the dripping walls.
“If you want to see, you’re going to have to come closer, dear,” he whispered.
Grace jumped at the sound of his voice. Maybe she wasn’t ready to work with her Danno just yet.
She walked up to Stan and he patted her shoulder.
“I only found you out because I’ve been doing this for too long. You did well, Grace. Taking your shoes off was a great idea. You can put them on now; I don’t want you to catch a chill down here.”
“What are you watching Stan?”
She was whispering too. People whispered in dungeons. It’s what you were supposed to do.
“I’m keeping an eye on the Queen. She comes down here to visit the JabberHesse.”
He pointed just past the corner of where they were standing. The Queen was standing on the opposite side of the chamber. When Grace saw the monster she couldn’t help but press in closer to Stan and hold his arm tight.
“Is that him?”
“Yes.”
The JabberHesse was horrible. It looked sort of like a dragon, but one that was rotting alive. And it had glowing red eyes the color of blood. They could smell it from where they were standing.
“Stan what if he sees us?”
She couldn’t help it: she was starting to shake.
“It’s okay Grace, he can’t. He’s feeding right now. The Queen is the only thing he can see right now.”
She looked up again, and saw that Stan was right. The Queen was facing the monster, with her arms wide open and her face tilted up towards it.
“Stan she looks just like my mommy,” Grace murmured.
His arms tightened around her and she clung to him. Playing detective wasn’t fun anymore; she wanted Danno to just come now and take her home.
“It’s okay Grace; it’s okay. Your mommy is home, remember? I’m sure she’s fine.”
Grace nodded against his shoulder and took a deep breath. She had to calm down; Danno needed her to be brave today, and she would do anything it took to help him.
She and Stan both jumped a little when the monster began to speak. His voice was so deep the walls shook, and he sounded like there were a bunch of rocks scraping against each other in his throat.
“He’ll come soon, my dear. I can feel it.”
“Yes.”
The Queen’s voice sounded hollow, and she swayed a little closer to the creature as she spoke.
“He wants the sword. He wants to take you from me. But we won’t let him, will we, pet?”
“No,” she replied, the word coming out more of a strangled groan than anything else.
Grace felt sick. Stan had told her that the Queen used to be a nice lady. She had a warm heart, and she loved her people. And now she was dying. Slowly and terribly. It had to be stopped.
“He must not get the sword.”
The Queen nodded.
The beast opened its mouth again and lowered something to the ground with its tongue.
Grace craned her neck to get a better view.
It was a dagger.
“If he gets too close, kill him.”
Thank goodness the JabberHesse couldn’t hear, because Grace couldn’t help the sob that escaped her.
They couldn’t hurt her daddy. She had to stop them, she had to warn Danno, she had-
She saw it then.
An old sword was suddenly right in front of her. The metal part was battered and chipped, and the part you held onto was dull and rusty.
It was… stuck in the back of a chair?
Grace saw the Queen sit in the chair.
So the sword was stuck in the throne then.
Helping Danno get it was not going to be easy.
“Grace! Grace, come on! Open your eyes!”
She came to with Stan shaking her.
“Oh thank the lord,” he breathed, holding her close.
Grace looked over his shoulder. They were back in her room. Stan must have run there with her when the monster was done with the Queen.
She pushed back from him.
“Stan, please get me Hermes. I need to tell Danno something.”
He looked like he wanted to argue with her, but she crossed her arms and stared him down until he left.
She looked across the room at Cath, who was very angry.
“Care to tell me what kind of stunt you just pulled?”
“I can’t. This is the part that only Danno’s supposed to know.”
Cath stopped looking so angry. Now she just looked worried.
. . .
Grace didn’t have to wait too long to get a reply from Danno:
Hey Monkey,
You did really good today. Daddy’s proud of you. I know it’s tough, and I would be scared too. But you were so brave, Grace. Just please promise me that you won’t wander off on your own anymore. You stay right where you are until I come get you. Please.
It’s gonna be fine Grace. I’m gonna see you soon, and then we can go home. I miss you baby.
Love,
Danno
Grace folded up the note and tucked it into her pocket. She hadn’t told Danno about the knife the JabberHesse had given the Queen. She was going to make sure he never had to know, because she was working on a plan.
. . .
“Fuck.”
Chin raised an eyebrow at Danny.
“I take it Grace let you know where the sword is? And… it’s not just going to be conveniently sticking out of a rock somewhere?”
Danny took a seat at the conference table.
“No Chin. I am very sorry to inform you that I cannot fulfill your Knights of the Round Table fantasy,” he huffed, scrubbing a hand down his face. “It’s in the back of the damn throne.”
Next to him, Steve swore.
Mary Ann swatted Steve on the back of the head.
“Unless you’re a sailor, kindly watch the language.”
“Last time I checked, I was the eldest.”
Mary Ann opened her mouth to retort and Danny sliced his hands through the air.
“Children! Back to the matter at hand, yes?”
Kono clapped her hands together.
“Looks like we have a party to crash guys.”
“You see, Kono, it is moments like these, where you get that scary gleam in your eye, when I know you have been spending too much time with Steve.”
Kono beamed at him.
Chin spread a scroll out onto the table. It was the schematic he had of the Red Castle. He tapped a finger on a room that was front and center, no doubt the throne room.
“Kamekona and I can maintain the distraction and keep an eyes on Grace while the rest of you deal with the sword.”
“I don’t want Grace anywhere near there.”
“We need her Danny; she’s the one who’s supposed to save the Queen.”
“And you know this Kamekona? You’re sure your little vision thingy isn’t on the fritz?”
“It has to be Grace.”
Steve squeezed Danny’s arm.
“Dan, I swear to you, Grace will be my number one priority. You just focus on getting that sword.”
Danny looked into Steve’s eyes. Steve held his gaze, confident and steady. Danny knew he could trust the other man as much as he trusted himself, so he nodded.
“Okay. So, Chin, while you and Kamekona are practicing your diversion skills, how are the rest of us going to get close enough to pull this thing off?”
Kono spoke up instead.
“I’ve got a plan. A good plan.”
They all leaned in as Kono began to elaborate.
. . .
It took hours, but at last everyone was sure of where they needed to be and what they were going to have to do.
Chin turned to Mary Ann then.
“Once we leave Mary, you establish as strong a shield as you can. Nothing gets in or out.”
“I still think it would be better if I came along. The spells should hold while I’m away, and I’d be able to protect Danny.”
“I need you to protect my people. Danny will have the best guard imaginable.”
“Just to be clear, I am not a damsel in distress,” Danny grumbled.
He turned to look at Mary Ann as well.
“Chin is right. Your work has been keeping the kingdom safe for a long time. You’re the best shot these people have if anything happens to us. And while I may not be as physically off-putting as Gigantor here-No, Steven, don’t pout, you do indeed tower over the rest of Fraggle Rock-I’ve been watching out for myself for a long time. And I do have a pretty badass team to back me up,” he finished, smiling.
“And the potion? Who’s gonna mix that if I’m not there?”
“I know how to do it,” Kamekona said.
“Hang on. Potion? What potion?”
“In order to get home, you’re going to have to drink a potion, Danny.”
“You’re gonna have to be a little more specific there, Chin. Are we talking NyQuil? Truth serum? Love Potion Number Nine?”
“Your people have numbers for your love potions?”
“No, Steve, babe, it’s this old song…”
“It’s going to come from the JabberHesse’s blood,” Chin said, speaking over Danny.
“Blood.”
“Yes.”
Chin took advantage of Danny’s rare moment of speechlessness and soldiered on.
“The blood has to be taken from the creature less than five minutes after death. After that window, it’s all just poison. It has to be mixed with spirit powder and hibiscus leaf, which Kamekona will be carrying with him. You and Grace also have just a few minutes to drink that.”
Danny’s head had sunk down to the table, where he was banging his forehead softly against the wooden surface. He was muttering “How is this my life” over and over.
Steve was rubbing soothing circles on his back.
“Just think Danny, it’s got to be better than the stew I tried to make the other day.”
Danny raised his head.
“Boiled tar would be preferable to that stew, my friend. We should not even besmirch the humble stew by assigning it as a name for that concoction. I love you, but I am offended for stews everywhere, Steve, really I am.”
He turned to face Chin, composure firmly back in place.
“So we drink and then what? We get beamed out of here?”
“I guess. Something like that. It should allow you to pass between worlds, taking you to whatever destination you’re focusing on. It’s how the JabberHesse was able to get here, and more than likely how he’s planning to escape.”
Nodding, Danny looked over at Kamekona.
“Just do me a favor, man, and don’t let Grace see how that stuff’s mixed. It’s bad enough that I know about it.”
“No problem, brah.”
Danny smiled his thanks.
He stood and clapped his hands together.
“Well, since we’re setting out tomorrow, and you all have been so great to me, I’m gonna make you a special Williams family dinner,” he said, his voice getting hoarse and finally cracking as he spoke.
He wiped his eyes with the back of a hand.
“I’m usually not too bad with words…”
“Understatement of the century.”
“Thank you, Steven. We all know I never shut up, but right now… I have no words. At least, none that are good enough.”
He looked around the table, holding each person’s eye for a moment.
“Thank you,” he said, voice thick.
There was a small hand in his.
He looked down.
Kono.
She gave him a squeeze.
“It’s the very least we can do, Danny,” she said, tears shining in her eyes too. “Ohana.”
“Ohana,” he agreed.
Danny cleared his throat.
“So, Kono, if you will follow me to the kitchens?”
She stood, still hanging on to his hand. Steve got up as well, but Danny forced him back down with a hand on his shoulder.
“Oh no babe. We’re making dinner. Not Molotov cocktails,” he said, kissing Steve’s forehead to soften the sarcasm.
. . .
Steve turned to Chin as soon as Danny and Kono left the room.
“Why didn’t you tell him Chin?”
“He’s going through enough Steve. Do you really want him to worry about forgetting us too?”
Chin stood and walked over to where Steve was sitting.
“I’m sorry Steve. I just think it’s best if he doesn’t know.”
“Best for who, Chin?” Steve growled. “Afraid he might get distracted from the mission? Is that it?”
Steve regretted the words as soon as they had left his mouth.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t really mean that.”
Chin put a hand on his shoulder and nodded.
“No worries brah. I know none of this is going to be easy for you either.”
Steve smiled grimly before rising out of his chair and leaving the room.
. . .
The stars were shining just a little too brightly in the sky for Steve’s taste. Where did they get off being so brilliant when he had seldom been so miserable?
He didn’t know what he was going to do without Danny. He knew he had his ohana, but Danny had become a vital part of it. He filled the empty corners of Steve’s life with the sort of love and warmth that he hadn’t known since his parents’ death.
Steve hadn’t realized how much he’d been craving that sort of connection, but now that it was his the idea that he would have to give it up soon left him in a panic, clutching at his chest and gasping for breath.
Danny’d made his house a true home again. Made Steve feel like a person again. And very soon Danny wouldn’t be able to remember any of that. Once that JabberHesse blood was in his system, all of his memories of Oahu were going to fade into nothing. At best, he might have the occasional fleeting dream of the place, but still, he wouldn’t be able to recognize Steve if he passed him on the street. Unlikely as that was.
Steve rubbed at his eyes with the heels of his hands.
As much as it hurt, he knew he was wasting his time moping. All he could do was savor the time he had left with Danny, painstakingly commit every detail of every moment to memory. It was up to him to treasure the remnants of their shared time.
He squared his shoulders and went back inside, heading for the kitchens. Danny might not let him cook, but Steve was more than content to watch.
. . .
Dinner went by in a blur of toasts and tears. Still, everyone did their best to enjoy the occasion and each other’s company. And if the laughter and jokes were just on this side of trying too hard, well, no one could be blamed for that.
Steve was a little too quiet though. He kept looking at Danny, and his hand never strayed far from where it was resting on Danny’s arm.
“Something wrong, babe?”
“I’m okay, Danny.”
“Are you sure? You haven’t even touched your lasagna. I thought you loved it.”
Steve looked down at his plate, startled. Danny could tell he hadn’t realized he was spending more time staring at Danny than eating.
“Shit, Danny I’m sorry, I…”
“It’s okay Steve. I know,” he soothed, running a hand up and down Steve’s arm. “If there was any way I could take you back with me…”
“I know Danno.”
Danny took Steve’s hand and squeezed it.
. . .
There were no words when they got back to their room that night.
Steve shed his clothes quickly but took his time undressing Danny, pressing kisses to every inch of skin as the cloth slowly slipped away.
Steve eased them both down onto the bed and mapped every part of Danny, first with his hands and then with his mouth.
Danny arched up against Steve, quietly insistent, but still Steve savored every bit of prepping Danny. They only had a few hours of privacy left, but that time was going to count.
When at last Steve took him, he kept his eyes trained on Danny’s, cataloguing every expression and filing away every sigh, breathing out Danny’s name like it was a prayer.