In Our Own Time (4/?)
"And Steve, he wants to be part of this and that’s something else entirely which Danny will need to think on at a later time. For now, he has a scoundrel to dispatch. "
Previous Parts:
(Link to Part One)
(Link to Part Two)
(Link to Part Three)
“Ew, ew get it away from me!” Grace screams, giggling as she flicks the fish eyeball back at her dad.
“And you say I am like a child,” Steve shakes his head in mock disapproval.
“Childish,” Danny corrects, wrapping the offending projectile in a napkin and putting it on his plate. “I say you are childish, not childlike. If children had grenades and C4 instead of playdough.”
“What’s C4?”
“Um…”
Steve snorts loudly. “Nice one, Danno. Grace, it is a special kind of explosive that the military use. It’s dangerous and Danno shouldn’t be making jokes about it.”
“Hey!”
Grace snickers at her chastised father and jumps up, excited. “I have an idea!” She runs into the house and disappears around the living room door.
“Should we be worried?” Steve asks.
Danny nods, smiling. “Definitely.”
Moments later, Grace reappears, a length of dowel in each hand. “Let’s play Knights and the Princess! Uncle Steve, you can be the bad Knight, and Daddy, you are the good knight. I am the Princess who went on a cru… uh…”
“Crucade,” Steve prompts.
“Right. A crucade to stop the dragon from stealing all the sheep.”
“Did your mom let you watch ‘How To Train Your Dragon’ again, Grace? She knows how you got last time you saw it.” Danny shakes his head yet starts clearing the table and Steve stacks the chairs to one side of the lanai.
“Nope, just got the idea from Uncle Steve’s story about swords and it will be fun! Come on, Danno.”
“Yeah, come on, Danno” Steve imitates, earning himself a swat to the arm. “You’re just afraid I will beat you.”
“Pfft no. You’ve already admitted to your track record, babe. I’m not worried at all.”
“Then prove it.”
Danny sighs and holds a hand out for one of the dowels. Grace cheers and give the other to Steve.
“Uncle Steve, remember, you’re Bad, okay? I am going to get some rope to tie the dragon up when we catch it.” She disappears back inside and returns with a curtain tieback. “Ok, we’re ready. Uncle Steve, hide behind that… big leafy plant in the corner and jump out when Danno walks past, okay?”
Steve tucks his ‘sword’ into his belt loop and takes up his position and waits, crouching behind the Bird of Paradise, which isn’t currently flowering. He watches for Danny, who is walking casually, talking to himself in a creepily accurate English accent. He makes sure to be loud enough for Grace to hear from her position across the yard.
“It is such a lovely day in the kingdom today. I am glad that the brave Princess and her band of dragon catchers were able to find the dragon. I know they will be coming down the road any minute now and I just hope there are no nefarious characters about who will try to release the dragon.”
Steve takes this as his cue and jumps up, drawing the sword from it’s holster and holding it out towards Danny. “Halt, Knight. I hear you and I do intend to release the dragon, as I need its thievery to continue in order to steal sheep myself. For who shall know what has been taken by me when they have a dragon to fear?”
Danny spins and hold up his own sword, taking the defensive position he vaguely remembers from a term of high-school fencing. “Drop your weapon, Bad Knight, or I shall be forced to take you on.”
Steve grins. “Do your worst, Danno.” He lifts his sword and makes to slice at his enemy’s arm but Danny quickly raises his sword to block the attempt. Steve swings back around and comes in from the other side, realising that Danny’s reflexes with his improvised weapon are every bit as good as his own. He knows that Danny will be able to block any strikes he makes so long as he makes it obvious first what he plans. “We doing this?” he asks Danny quietly so Grace doesn’t hear.
The responsible adult in him wants to say no, knows deep down that this is not a good idea. But at the same time, Danny realises that this is what he has left to offer his daughter which Step-Stan would never think to be part of. He secretly hopes Grace wouldn’t even ask him. But here, leftovers from Steve’s remodel become the tools in an elaborate game and Danny wants to be part of that. He can give her this simple thing because it is giving himself.
And Steve, he wants to be part of this and that’s something else entirely which Danny will need to think on at a later time. For now, he has a scoundrel to dispatch.
Danny nods in answer to Steve’s question, choosing his words carefully. “Yeah. Give our girl a good show, okay?” He doesn’t wait for Steve to process what he just said, but instead turns on the spot and aims for Steve’s feet. The SEAL jumps, easily avoiding the contact. In return, he grins widely and shouts “Is that the best you have, Knight?” as he raises his arms again and makes to bring the sword down on Danny’s arm. It’s easily twisted away from but Danny exaggerates the movement to make it look good for the Princess, who is now standing in her hiding spot and cheering.
The pair continue their battle for the next couple of minutes, each man twisting and ducking to avoid the fall of the other’s ‘sword’. The weapons may be fake but the sweat on Steve’s forehead is real and he is getting a good full-body workout. He grunts as he blocks another side swipe by Danny and runs back to the lanai to jump onto the table.
“Ha! I have the high ground now! You may as well surrender before you get hurt.”
“Don’t give up, Danno. You can do it!” Grace cheers from behind one of the wooden poles, her role as the ‘arriving’ Princess long forgotten in the excitement.
“Never, Princess Grace. I will defend the kingdom until the end!” Danny raises the dowel and swings with all his strength, aiming to bring it down on the table by Steve’s feet and make a great sound. Instead, it catches in the arm of one of the stacked chairs and snaps in two. Danny stumbles with the unexpected change in momentum and takes a moment to regain his balance.
“Uncle Steve!” Grace screams and Danny whips around to see his daughter dashing out from behind her pole to kneel by Steve.
Steve, who is currently lying on the ground by the table, curled in half and groaning.
“Steve? What happened? Where are you hurt? Grace, did you see what happened?” Danny’s remaining dowel clatters to the ground, forgotten as he rushes forward.
“The wood snapped in two and the end went flying across and hit Uncle Steve in the…” Grace stops. “In a not-so-good place,” she whispers. “And he fell off the table.”
“Damn. Grace, I need you to go inside and get my keys and wallet from the lounge room. We might need to take Steve to the doctor and I need you to help be get ready, okay?”
Grace nods and scurries inside.
With her suitably distracted, Danny kneels next to his partner and holds onto his arm. Steve’s eyes are closed but he is clearly conscious, clutching at his tender groin and mumbling to himself.
“Steve? Can you talk. How bad is it, babe?”
“Mmm, it’s,” he moans. “Fuck it hurts.” He tries to sit up but strong arms stop him, and he hears a familiar voice say to stay down and feels warm hands rubbing his back. It’s a nice distraction.
“Fuck, I’m so, so sorry. I got caught up in everything and I was going for the big shot.” Danny hangs his head but keeps rubbing soothing circles over Steve’s back and shoulders.
“Not your fault,” Steve grunts. “Were both… Too into it. Accident. As usual. Got carried away… too.”
“Yeah, okay. Look, do you want to go to the emergency room? Wait, let me rephrase that. If you were me and I were you, would you be making me go to the emergency room? Don’t try and be tough.”
Steve frowns, confused. “Emergency room?”
“Yeah, you know, the magical place with the morphine and doctors who can make all your pain go away.”
Steve shakes his head. “No. No magical potions. Just give me a few… minutes. And send someone to the stream for ice.”
“To the stream? What do you mean?” Danny forcefully lifts one of Steve’s eyelids and looks at his pupil, relieved when it quickly shrinks in the lanai’s overhead light.
Steve’s other eye opens. “You have always been better with the sword than I am. No matter how much I train, you’re always that little bit faster.”
“Uh… Thanks, I think,” Danny inwardly starts to panic, feeling around Steve’s head for signs of a bump. “Grace,” he calls out. “Hurry up with my things!” He hears sounds from inside and knows she heard him.
“But you’ll never be as good a shot as me,” Steve rolls onto his back but quickly shields his eyes. “God, that lantern is bright. Can you put it out?”
“Um, not just now, I need to see your eyes and make sure they’re responsive, okay, babe?”
Steve nods. “Okay. Damnit, this is more embarrassing than the time I tripped over that sapling and fell arse first into the brook. With half the village looking on.”
“Grace!” Danny yells.
“I’m here!” she scoots into place beside her father and holds out his keys and wallet. She’s also got his phone, badge and a bag of frozen peas from the freezer. “Uncle Steve doesn’t have ice packs,” she says disapprovingly.
“Can you carry everything? I’m gonna help Steve up. And, Grace, if he says anything weird while we’re driving, just play along, okay? I think he hit his head.”
Grace nods vigorously. “Sure, Daddy.”
Danny reaches out and between his strength and Steve’s sheer stubbornness, they get him on his feet and walking carefully through the house. Steve’s eyes are screwed shut against the pain, trusting his partner to guide him. They get him settled in the passenger seat and Grace climbs into the back. Danny flicks the lights and siren on and drives towards the hospital as fast as he can.
I don't own Hawaii Five-0, Once Upon A Time or Enchanted(Images).
As usual, comment, suggestions and your ideas are very welcome!