Fic: Malasada's H5Obigbang chapter 4
CHAPTER 4: Fresh Stunts From Old Tricks
==================================================================================
Three days before what would have been his fathers sixtieth birthday a storm rolled in and hip checked the sun right out of the picture. It wasn’t a severe storm, it barely rated as a tropical depression, but it was still throwing around enough wind and storm surge to make going outside an exercise in frustration and the idea of surfing stupid. It didn’t stop Steve, Kono, or Chin from gazing out at the darkened sky and feeling decidedly depressed. No surfing, no fishing, and most importantly, no swimming. Steve had really, really needed a long, hard swim that morning to help keep his head clear and focused. Instead he’d had to settle for a run on his treadmill and in the end that really didn’t help; all that moving and not going anywhere made him feel caged even as it worked up a sweat. So needless to say it hadn’t been a good few days.
Plus, to top it off, when Danny looked out the window he actually smiled. Smiled. The man was insane, there wasn’t any question about it. When the sun was shining you couldn’t get him to shut up about it but when it was overcast to the point where it wouldn’t be wrong to conclude the sun had thrown the hat in, he was a grinning, happy, calm little man and that was just plain disturbing.
Even now, parked in a chair in the conference room while they went over the histories of a couple shady dignitaries, half a sandwich in hand and his shoulders still soaked through from his sprint from the car to the buildings front doors, he still looked cheerful.
“You are unreal,” Chin muttered, obviously having developed the ability to project Steve’s thoughts because he was watching Danny with a half amused half puzzled look, as though Danny were a creature he liked having around but sometimes had difficulty remembering why. Danny, in his disgustingly chipper mood, swiveled in his seat to face Chin and waved a hand about in feigned (or not so feigned, it was sometimes difficult to tell even after all their time together) exasperation.
“I am unreal? Me? Clearly you have forgotten what it was like outside a mere two days ago,” he pointed out the window with the sandwich and Steve relaxed a little more in his seat. “Or maybe all the humidity and happy, happy sunshine finally cooked your brain because stepping outside at that time was not unlike stepping into an overenthusiastic steam room and don’t even think of trying to deny it.” He cut a dark look at Steve, who had only been shifting in his seat at a particularly loud rumble of thunder. “If the air became any thicker I would have needed to sprout gills just to walk down the road and while I’m aware that the three of you probably already have them, I do not need any more complications in my life,” he finished with dramatically clasping his hands together and shaking them in faux prayer that was emphasized by a flash of lightning and the lights flickering for a very brief half-second.
“Hey, it looks like Sanchez has travelled from Hawai’i to Nova Scotia four times in the last six months but has no record of family or acquaintances there. If that doesn’t scream suspicious then I don’t understand the meaning of the word.” Kono kept her eyes very studiously on the table screen she was examining as she announced her findings and Danny flopped back in his seat and shook his head in disgust.
“Sometimes it’s like I’m not even here,” he groaned and Steve grinned, finally sitting forward and reaching for his own lunch and no, he was not blind to his partner cutting him a quick glance or how Chin very deliberately did not look up from his work and wondered, not for the first time, how he had managed to end up with this group. Because half the time he really didn’t think he deserved them and the other half the time he was pretty certain he’d drown the islands if someone tried to take them away.
“You say something, Danny?” Kono glanced over with a serious face and glittering eyes and Chin snorted indelicately but still did not look away from his work.
“As a matter of fact I was about to suggest that you-”
“DANNO!” The very loud, very distressed and very unexpected cry had the entire team jerking around in their chairs. Steve’s heart rate double-timed as he turned to see a sopping wet and tearful little girl race into the room and torpedo right to her father. Danny had dropped his lunch and stood so suddenly that his chair had wheeled halfway across the room as he reached out to his little girl and lifted her into his arms without missing a beat. She clung to him for all she was worth, tucking her face into his neck and then just stilling, clearly exactly where she wanted to be.
Steve had one very selfish moment of trying to remember ever getting hugged like that by his own father, even from before his mother died, and then promptly shoved the thought away as Rachel entered the room.
She was clearly a little stressed right now, a closed umbrella hanging from her hand and her hair slightly damp and disheveled, but she still moved with the elegant confidence that Steve remembered from first meeting her. Most importantly she did not look like the world was about to be torn out from under their feet and the slightly uncomfortable, apologetic look she was sending everyone went a long way in making Steve back off from first alarm to third alarm.
“Hey, hey,” Danny muttered softly into Grace’s hair, bouncing her a little in his arms even though she was kind of too big to really do that with. “What’s wrong munchkin? What’s going on?” The last question was calmly directed at Rachel when Grace appeared unready to answer and Rachel shook her head sadly.
“I’m sorry to have interrupted your work,” she started which Steve, Chin and Kono waved away immediately. As far as any of them were concerned there was always time for family, and more pointedly there was always time for Grace, even if the entrance was unexpected.
“Don’t worry about it,” Danny rested a cheek along Grace’s hair and focused his sharp blue eyes on Rachel, imploring that she explain his daughter’s distress right the hell now and Rachel smiled sadly, tucking a stray bang behind her ear.
“There was an accident at school today. One of Grace’s friends was coming back from having lunch at home and didn’t look both ways before crossing the road. Grace was watching for her at the classroom window and saw it happen.” Nobody missed how Danny’s arms tightened a fraction more around his baby.
“Her friend going to be all right?” Steve asked and Rachel broke her gaze from father and daughter to look at him and he noticed the worry lines around her eyes.
“We’re not sure yet. The driver was actually following the posted limit and had enough time to mostly stop and as far as anyone could tell from what the paramedics said on scene she’s suffering from a few broken bones and a great deal of bruising, but they were optimistic. The teachers felt it best if some of the students went home for the day to deal with the shock and Grace insisted on stopping here first,” she explained and that seemed to be the cue for Grace to loosen her death grip around Danny’s neck and squirm until he put her back down on the floor and then kneeled before her.
Steve didn’t miss the way he rested more heavily on his good knee and went to grab the wayward chair, pushing it towards his partner, who promptly ignored it.
“She looked really hurt Danno,” she declared, tears threatening to spill from her eyes and Steve felt something clench inside him and resisted the urge to join Danny on the floor to comfort his girl. Because it wasn’t Steve’s job…unless Danny wasn’t actually in the room…or if it looked like Danny needed help (yeah, that was never an issue with Grace), which right now he didn’t. Steve stayed on his feet, hovering behind them and drifting between watching them and watching Rachel, who still looked awkward and apologetic about being here. Steve realized with a start that this was the first time she’d been up to the offices. Normally Danny would meet her down by the building entrance if she needed to drop Grace off and Steve could appreciate that she probably felt out of place being here.
“Did you see her after she was hit by the car?” Danny asked softly and she nodded jerkily, clearly trying to not add to the tear tracks already on her flushed cheeks.
“She was just lying there in the road and the driver was shouting for help and then there were too many people to see around and Mrs. Kaiwi wouldn’t let me watch anymore but I heard the paramedics come and then leave and mom says that Ewa was hurt badly but she’ll maybe be okay but she was really still Danno and I thought--” she hiccupped and looked about ready to break into sobs, “and I thought that maybe you could heal her,” she ended in a whimper.
Several things happened at once that Steve would not truly understand until a later, but he would never be sure if things would have turned out differently had he known.
First Rachel’s eyes went really, almost comically, wide and a hand flew to press against her mouth before she schooled her features into a very carefully blank mask and waited to see how Danny would react.
Danny’s shoulders squared off, almost defensively and only for a very brief moment, but it was enough for Steve to notice and file away for future contemplation. Danny’s eyes never lost their warmth though, focused intently on Grace even as he took a deep, steadying breath.
Grace’s gathering tears grew twice as fat and finally rolled down her cheeks and she looked scared and nervous and determined all at once. It was a look Steve had more than a passing experience with from her father. It was the look that usually said shit had just gone really, horribly, wrong but he was going to go down fighting (and most likely arguing because it was Danny) even if it was the last thing he did.
It was a little disconcerting to see the look on Grace, but it was hidden very quickly as Danny pulled her back into his body and she latched her arms around his neck again.
“’M sorry,” she sobbed into his shoulder. “’M sorry,” Danny shushed her instantly and Steve, having no idea what she was apologizing for, shared a confused look with Chin just to confirm that he wasn’t the only one not following her thought processes.
“It’s okay munchkin, it’s okay,” Danny crooned and took a noticeable moment to collect himself and Steve wondered how he was going to handle this, because while Steve knew Grace worshiped the ground her dad walked on (which Danny could be surprisingly blind about sometimes) those were some high expectations she had just set. Steve couldn’t see Danny’s face, but beyond them Rachel had a decidedly uneasy stance and her schooled features were almost doll like in the rooms bright lights; plastic and shiny and locked in place. Outside a loud crack of thunder made her jump.
“I know Ewa got hurt really badly this morning, but the paramedics and the doctors will do everything they can to make sure she’s okay,” Danny explained softly.
“But we don’t know if they can help her and she’d be better if you--”
“I’m not a doctor, honey,” Danny said softly but firmly and pushed her back so that he could look seriously into her eyes.
“But you fix me all the time,” she warbled, her bottom lip trembling and Steve could tell that Danny was having a rare, difficult moment trying to determine the best way to respond.
“This is a little different Gracie, I can’t just put a bandaid over it and kiss it better.”
“But-”
“We’ve talked about this munchkin,” he said firmly and gently squeezed her shoulders and, much to everyone’s surprise as they had expected her to protest more, she nodded her head in silent agreement. The tears kept coming though, and Danny kind of crumpled a little as he pulled her back to him for another hug. “But maybe I can stop by the hospital after work and just check that she’s okay.” As far as Grace seemed concerned that was all she wanted to hear and she hugged her dad with a new zest.
“Can I come too?” She asked, the tears gone from her voice and Danny sighed.
“We’ll see,” he answered vaguely, and Steve understood that Danny wouldn’t take her unless her friend was actually okay and he had permission from their parents and the doctors to visit. They stayed frozen like that for a long minute, neither Williams making any move to end the embrace until Rachel cleared her throat, looking decidedly uncomfortable, and Grace reluctantly pulled away.
“We should get going,” Rachel announced, her soft British accent made the order sound like more of a suggestion and Grace bounced back to her, suddenly all rainbows and sunshine. “I am sorry for interrupting your work, please understand that this will not become a common occurrence,” she explained to Steve more than Danny, and Steve accepted that with a nod. There was a reason they didn’t just drop by unannounced, why Danny always met them at the front door, because their job was not an easy one and sometimes there were pictures of the destruction human beings could cause lying around that no child should be exposed to.
“I have to go to the bathroom,” Grace announced, tears finally beginning to dry on her blotchy red cheeks and Kono stepped up with a friendly smile and held out her hand.
“It can be a bit tricky to find,” she explained to Rachel who gave her a soft smile and watched as the two ladies disappeared out the door. Chin took that as his cue to go check something in his office, which left Steve standing there with the awkwardly ex-married couple. He could make his own excuse to leave, probably should, but he didn’t feel like it. Danny was still slightly tense after the scare of having his daughter run into his arms crying and Steve had never been good at leaving him alone when he had that rigid set to his shoulders.
Also, as much as Danny was trying and mostly succeeding in rebuilding an amicable relationship with Rachel he had once told Steve, after a few too many beers, that while they might be able to be friends again one day he wasn’t sure if he could ever truly forgive her for taking his daughter to the other side of the country. Anger and broken emotions could garner sympathy from the man but he had once compared his ex-wife’s move to legal kidnapping. After that Steve had taken to having his partner’s back whenever he could when Rachel was around despite how nice she was. Right now was no exception.
Danny sighed and rubbed briefly at his forehead before giving Rachel a look.
“Do you have any objections to me taking her to see her friend if she’s okay?”
“None. I’d be glad for it truthfully, it would help settle Grace’s mind to see her tonight.”
“Yeah well, no guarantees,” he frowned, and then the frown deepened. “Who let’s their ten year old kid walk back to school without supervision anyway? In this weather? I don’t know this Ewa girl, do I need to look into the family life?”
“No, don’t do that Daniel,” Rachel quickly rejected the idea with a pained look. “Her mother was with her, Ewa just took off at the last second and she couldn’t grab her in time. Sometimes…sometimes these things just happen,” she shrugged helplessly and there was a flash of terror that crossed over Danny’s face before it was locked away and the three of them stood there for a moment in awkward silence. Steve absently scratched his elbow, his attention drifting briefly to the window as a gust of wind pelted it with rain before Rachel cleared her throat.
“Stan told me the date for Hoffman’s preliminary hearing was set,” she announced and the pained look came right back to Danny’s face, though he kept it rather muted. Steve frowned and looked to Rachel. “Have you been presented with the summons yet?”
“The housing commissioner? This is the guy who hired people to carjack you right?” Steve cut in, looking between them. Danny hadn’t told him much about the case beyond the fact that Stan had gotten in over his head and that things had been taken care of. Honestly he’d put it out of his mind, because if Danny said it was dealt with then he trusted it to be dealt with. Now Rachel’s obvious unease about it was peaking his interest. Danny apparently wasn’t as concerned as he gave Steve an irritated little glare before pointedly turning to Rachel.
“Yes, I have and yes,” he looked to Steve, “this is the man who hired armed thugs to attack Grace and Rachel and later searched their home and I have already placed an official request to be dismissed from the office for the date. You need to remember that date because on that date you will make sure you don’t drag me into a helicopter chase or some deep sea terrorist slamdown because I am telling you right now you will be on your own.”
“I would never,” he protested, “I don’t have a license to fly.”
“Right, and what fun would a helicopter chase be if you weren’t the one flying,” he deadpanned before pointing firmly at him, “and don’t think I don’t know that wouldn’t stop you,” he scoffed, but he had a funny little look on his face that Steve couldn’t interpret and Rachel was looking between them with slight alarm. Before anyone could think of something else to say Grace and Kono were back and Rachel left with her daughter only moments later.
They got back to work.
A short time later Danny disappeared into his office and Steve could see him making a few phone calls, the tiny crows feet at the corner of his eyes scrunching as though he had a headache. By the time Steve was willing to call it a day the storm outside was clearing up and the first rays of sunlight were straining to break through the heavy clouds and Danny was kind of tense.
“Hey?” Steve called out just before his partner slipped out for the night and Danny turned to face him a little quicker than usual, arching his brow in question. “You find anything out about Grace’s friend?” It was hard not to be concerned even as a fifth party, and Danny tensed up a little more.
“Made a few calls. Looks like she was hurt pretty badly, some severe breaks. They’re worried about spinal damage. Don’t think I’ll take Grace to see her today.”
“That sucks man,” he sighed and Danny nodded in response. There wasn’t anything else they could really say about it.
“See you tomorrow,” gave a little half wave and took off. The unease that had been stirring in his chest on and off for weeks now roused again as he watched Danny walk away, hot and uneasy in his chest and for some unexplainable reason he wanted to follow the man, make sure he was safe. Just as fast as the unreasonable urge arose it dissipated, leaving Steve to shake his head at himself and head back into his office and shut down his computer for the night.
If he had a nightmare in the early morning hours where he passed Grace at a crosswalk to stand beside his father, who had a bullet hole masquerading as a third eye on his forehead, and watched while a APC ran her down; well, he didn’t mention it to anyone the next morning, least of all her father. Instead he swam two extra miles and bought half a dozen vegan blueberry muffins for the office and made sure his most charming grin was firmly in place.
===================================================================
It was ridiculously late, or early depending on whom you were asking, when Danny slipped quietly into the intensive care unit at Queens. The young nurse who was manning the front desk watched him approach with a sharp eye. ICU visiting rules were different from the rest of the hospital; usually they were more flexible in deference to people trying to be with their loved ones in what could be their last hours. That was for immediate family and people relegated to a very short guest list.
Danny was not on a guest list.
He adopted a stern, but apologetic look and flashed his badge, saying he needed to check on a patient briefly and would be out of their hair in no time. She had pretty much lost interest in him the moment he pulled his badge.
A quick glance at the white board told him which room Ewa was in and he moved quietly down the hall before coming upon the glass walls. His heart stuttered in his chest when he took in the sight of the little girl, both arms in temporary casts, a neck brace wrapped securely around her throat, a tube breathing for her and a drain pipe sticking out from a heavy bandage on the right side of her chest.
Jesus, she was in bad shape. He looked at her sleeping (unconscious?) face and imagined that this could be his Grace and his heart double-timed it until he took a few deep breaths and forced it to calm.
Ewa’s father sat in a chair on the opposite side of the bed, his hand gently holding hers and his head pillowed on the mattress, out cold.
Danny took a breath and moved into the room, so intent on the little girl that he didn’t notice her mother sitting against the far wall until he had already laid his hand, ever so gently, on her forehead. He felt more than saw the woman shift and his eyes snapped over to find her watching him steadily. He waited for her to tell him to back away from her child, to remove his hand, to demand to know who he was. When she remained silent, just watching him, he took that as permission to stay where he was and he looked back down at the little girl who could so easily be his, and leaned down to her ear.
“You’re going to get better real quick,” he told her softly, his fingertips tingling and the familiar heat of energy flowing into her. “You’re gonna go home and play with your dolls and learn how to surf, and grow up to make your parents proud.” He didn’t know why he said anything, it just felt right, and after another moment he pulled gently away.
He hadn’t done much; he couldn’t risk healing her completely when it could so easily be traced back to him, but he did what he thought would help most. He fixed the swelling around her cervical vertebrae, she would not be paralyzed; he mended the small tear in her shoulder that may or may not have been picked up on the scans; he dug deep into the bones and gave them a kick start, so to speak, in the healing process, putting her days ahead of where she should be; and he finished by ordering her entire body to mend faster then was normal and gave her a reserve of energy to draw from to make it happen.
Healing like that, with such direct targets, wasn’t something he was practiced with, but it wasn’t something he was completely unfamiliar with. It didn’t stop him stumbling slightly over his feet as he stepped away from the bed, his vision blurring a brief moment before the world righted itself and, other than a heavy tiredness, he felt just fine. He swallowed thickly and looked back to the mother who was still watching him steadily. There was no way she could know what he had done, but there was some kind of deep, instinctive trust in her eyes that made him instantly uneasy.
He left without a word and slipped back into the world outside, hidden in the shadows cast by an ambulance’s flashing lights. Ewa would be fine, with time. He didn’t know what to think of the mother, he hoped she hadn’t recognized him, hoped she wouldn’t make a fuss over his ridiculously late visit, but something told him that she wouldn’t. He felt safe, despite the near exposure, safer than he ever had back in Jersey. Back in Jersey he never would have pulled a stunt like this.
Back in Jersey he never would have pulled a lot of the ‘stunts’ he’s pulled here.
Maybe, in the morning, he’d think about this new boldness more thoroughly, assess what it meant and then give himself a stern lecture about being an idiot.
For now, he was going to ride the contact high of doing the right thing.
=====================================================================================
Chapter 5
Masterpost