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‘…It's close to midnight
And something evil's lurking in the dark
Under the moonlight
You see a sight that almost stops your heart
You try to scream
But terror takes the sound before you make it
You start to freeze
As horror looks you right between the eyes
You're paralyzed
'Cause this is thriller, thriller night
And no one's gonna save you from the beast about to strike
You know it's thriller, thriller night
You're fighting for your life inside a killer, thriller tonight, yeah….’“Gracie, just pick your costume out.” Danny Williams glanced at his watch and hoped his daughter did not catch him time watching. The truth was, though, that he had to get back to work and his moments with an 8 year old indecisive child were going to be rushed, whether he liked it or not. And he did not because Grace was his world and this? This rushing was short changing her.“I’m not sure, Danno. I want to be something scary but not too scary!” Grace frowned and looked through the rack of children’s costumes, pushing the hangers out of the way in exasperation.“What about a gremlin? They are cute and scary?” Danny suggested.“No thank you.” Grace gave Danny a withering look.“What’s.. what’s wrong with a gremlin? Remember how much damage that one guy did?” Danny inwardly sighed. He was preaching to the choir.“Naw. That’s kind of old fashioned. Oh look! I could be Harley Quinn!!!” Grace pulled out a rather skin tight mature costume and Danny was the one who pushed THAT one aside.“Absolutely not. You’re 8 years old not 25.”“Hey Gracie! Did you find your costume yet?”Danny groaned and maybe the sound was audible because his boss/partner Steve McGarrett, who had just sauntered over, looked askance.“I happened to be in the neighborhood,” the tall built like a GQ assassin drawled innocently but Danny knew better. He had left Steve in the H50 offices not more than 20 minutes ago.“No you weren’t,” Danny whispered, pulling the taller man aside so Grace would not hear him. “How’d you find me?”“Chin tracked you via your phone GPS then he dropped me off. I figured you needed some help in approving a costume for Gracie.” Steve left Danny to walk over to the side display and pull out a pink camouflage shirt and pants. The accessories were a fake plastic ammo belt, a cloth headband and some dark smudge paint for that ‘realistic jungle look.’ “You could be a GI soldier!”“Ooo pink! I like that!” Grave snatched the costume and pressed it possessively against her chest. “Please Danno? I want to be a soldier for Halloween!!”“I can fashion a fake knife for you,” Strvecssid said eagerly.“No! No no no no weapons allowed! This is Fourth Grade not any organized military coup!! No knives!” Danny said adamantly. He glared at Steve who did not even have the decency to act corrected.“But I can get this? Please Danno?” Grace batted her big lovely dark eyes at Danny who sighed and nodded. She knew how to play him but he would do anything to please his daughter.“Fine but if your mother asks, you can tell her I was definitely opposed to this get up.” He watched as Grace, still clutching the pink atrocity, skipped up to the register. Then there was the matter of the smug smiling Navy SEAL next to him, who Danny elbowed as he walked past, getting some satisfaction at the soft ‘oh’ from the contact. “Come on you. It’s only 11:30 in the morning and you’ve already created mayhem.”Once back in the car, (and how the hell had magician Steve procured the car keys?!) with Danny riding shotgun and Grace buckled securely in the back seat, they headed back to Stan’s and Rachel’s to drop off the child and her costume.“You know that I am definitely going to get an earful when she gets home,” Danny muttered. “Are you happy? You are! I see you smiling!!” Danny ran a hand over his hair and resisted the urge to punch Steve anywhere on that perfect body, but Steve had a point.“Didn’t you say Rachel could not take Grace costume shopping because she was hosting the garden party?” Steve pointed out. He glanced at Danny who was nodding. “So Grace can just take the costume to her room because her mom is busy. See how that works?”Danny didn’t like it, exactly, but what Steve said made sense. “Fine. But you’re still getting the blame once the hammer falls.”“We’re home!” Grace said happily. There were cars lining the driveway so Steve drove slowly around the circle until he was in front of the house. “Thank you for helping me, Uncle Steve!” She scooted up and gave him a little peck on his cheek then waited for Danny to get out and push the seat ahead and down. “Bye Danno! Thank you for taking me to get my costume!”As she hugged him, Danny’s reluctance about the pink camouflage melted away and he returned her hug.
“You have a good weekend! Danno loves you.”“Ok! Bye! Bye Uncle Steve!” Grace ran to the door, threw it open and was gone leaving an undefinable void in her wake.Danny sighed and returned to the car. “Did you say we caught a case?”Steve hesitated and side eyed his blonde partner, trying to suss Danny’s state of mind. Steve knew, even after only a few months of being around this extraordinary man, how much Grace meant and how precious time with her made Danny a happy man. So he did not press about the case or the fact that Chin had already texted him that it was the oddest case he’d ever seen and when would they get to the crime scene? No, instead he answered softly. “Yeah. But there was plenty of time for you to help your daughter.” And because Danny was still looking morose, and Steve was not sure what to say, he turned on the radio.The music of ‘Monster Mash’ filled the interior of the late model tricked out car and Danny snorted.“They just keep pushing holidays here as they did in Jersey. When I was a kid, Halloween music wasn’t thought of until like the day before but now, after July 4th it’s anyone’s game. ““Want me to get something else?” Steve’s thumb hovered the selection button on the steering wheel.“No leave it. I like this song.” Danny looked out the window, and Steve hated these times when Danny chose to close himself off. “What do we know of this case?”Steve, because it was better to talk about something rather than nothing, filled in what Chin had told him. “Two victims, one found in the yard in front of the house and the other found inside. There were two witnesses who happened to be riding bikes past the house. They called the police and it actually took a little while to coordinate efforts to get there. Once the team did, and discovered the.. bodies.. they called us in and the HazMat squad.”“Hazmat?” That had piqued Danny’s interest. He was all in now. “Why Hazmat?”“Chin only told me the bodies were unique. Ok, hold on. I’ll drive as far up as I can and the rest of it we will go by Quads.”“This just keeps getting better and better,” Danny scoffed. “Why can’t we get up to the house by driving?”“Because it’s an old plantation with seaport access and the old drive to the main road was washed away some time ago. Ok, there’s the boys with our rides. Come on.” Steve jumped out of the car and waited impatiently for Danny to walk around the hood to join him. The brunette was practically vibrating with excitement as he walked with giant strides towards the HPD boys who stood beside 2 single rider ATV’s. Danny knew one of them and did not care for the man as he’d given Danny no quarter when Danny had briefly joined HPD upon his arrival to Hawaii.“Be prepared because it’s pretty gruesome,” the other policeman said. Danny stared at the detective who had delighted in razzing Danny those months ago, and the asshole looked away. Well, Danny thought, whatever.“I’ll follow you,” Danny said, strapping on the helmet and adjusting his gun in the holster so he could comfortably ride the all terrain vehicle.“Right.”
Steve took off and led the way, over the remains of a ruined stone one time road and past what looked like cliffs on the other side. They followed a bend and came upon the first sight of the old house. Danny would have liked to study it a bit more but his total concentration was on the man ahead of him so he waited until they reached the command set up, which was just outside the house where the wide front porch bordered.Under a tarp, Max Bergman was examining a pile of something on the table while Kono and Chin walked towards them, leaving a group of 4 other detectives from the Police Department.“You made it!” Chin said although the mirth in his tone did not reach his eyes. Danny always hated it when Chin was sober-Uber-fixated because it usually meant big trouble, and big trouble was the last thing Danny wanted to have happen.“Nice little ride,” Steve said, long legs making getting off the ATV a thing of beauty while Danny kind of teetered off. Danny straightened his holster and pulled his shirt down under the TAC vest. It was a bit chilly by the sea but perhaps too it was the energy the house gave off. Not that Danny was a ‘believer.’ He was not sure about the next realm or the presence of something other than the world he existed in, the here and now. It wasn’t like he did not entertain thoughts about the hereafter; he was raised Catholic after all, but he just wasn’t sure any more.Still. He was cold and it was not because of the ambient temperature.“Ok, Chin, you and Kono fill us in. What’s going on?” Steve asked.Chin took a deep breath and explained that he and Kono had arrived just as they were interviewing the kids who had initially stumbled upon the scene. The two juveniles had been riding their BMX mountain bikes and almost ran over one of the bodies. They retreated to find a higher peak in which to call first their parents then the police.“So the bodies? What’s unusual about them?” Danny asked. They’d walked to where Max was examining the lump of … stuff… on the table.“Oh hello Commander. Detective Williams. This is a most unusual case.” He returned to separating a bit of a blob from another blob. “There are no bones left in the body; what you see is well a flesh bag I guess you’d call it.”“Max….” Danny flinched and turned his head away. It was one thing to look at a body of a person dispatched in a normal way but this was … almost stomach churning.“Forgive my colloquiums but for lack of a better word, that’s what we have. The skin is holding the organs inside and the face is.. blended into what is left of the body. My preliminary exam reveals no sign of entry to get the bones out. There does not appear to be any wound or opening. Highly unusual.” Max looked up, his expression a mixture of fascination and something else, akin to fear, Danny thought, which was odd since the genial ME was never ruffled.“Did something suck the bones out of these victims?” Steve asked incredulously. “Do we have an ID on them?”Kono, who had lagged behind as they walked over to Max, came running, her pony tail flipping in rhythm with her gait. She held up a piece of paper and gave it to Steve as she reached the tarp.
“I had to use the SAT phone but we have a match in the system.”“Kent Collins.” Steve frowned and looked up at the rest of his squad. “Tell me someone, why does that name sound familiar?”“Kent Collins is the late night dude who investigates haunted houses,” Danny answered. “He has a show where he goes ghost hunting” Danny did air quotes, “at spooky sites around Hawaii.” Danny paused as he saw that everyone was looking at him like they were waiting for the other shoe to drop. “What? I play the tv all night. I can’t help what comes on.”“I thought you didn’t believe, brah,” Kono teased.“Well I don’t but it makes sense as to why he was here. If he went inside the house that is.”“Oh he was in there alright. We found recording equipment and an elaborate electronics surveillance unit. The thing is, he or someone took down the No Trespassing signs and cut the fence open to gain access.” Chin shook his head. “I’m not sure he deserved this though. Wow.”“It makes sense that his companion, or the other uh body thing would be Maxine Roth. She helped him out on his quest for the parting of the veil.” Danny passed. “Ok ok so I might have watched a couple episodes. Maxine was kinda hot.”“She’s kinda not….” Kono looked at the other blob on the gurney.“Well not now anyways.”Steve started to walk towards the house and as he passed Danny, he pulled Danny by the hand. “Come on, Partner. Let’s go inside.”“Guess I don’t have a choice,” Danny pulled away as they passed some of the HPD boys. He actually liked the physical contact of Steve’s big hand holding his own but he did not need to add more fuel to the fire.The house was…. For lack of a better word.. hostile. Not only did Danny feel cold, but the hair on the back of his neck and his forearms felt like there was some kind of electrical force rubbing against him, much like rubbing a balloon. He looked at the equipment on the table and how the monitors were still hooked up to the generator which hummed in the background.“We need to run through these videos to see what we can see,” Steve said as he walked past the table and towards the back of the room.“Do we have to be here, Steve?” Danny asked. He smelled years of rot and disuse and something else that was sneakily hiding beneath those odours. “We can pull the equipment and take it back to HQ—-“ Danny paused just as a child’s striped ball rolled across the floor and bumped into a boot clad foot. “Steve? Steve!!”“Danny? What is it?” Steve asked breathily as he returned to where Danny was frozen.“Someone wants to play ball with me. Are you sure we’re alone?”“I think everyone is outside yes.” Steve stopped and picked up the ball with a gloved hand. He pulled out a plastic bag and deposited the ball inside.“Maybe we could just leave that?” Danny asked.
“I don’t think you’ll get any type of visible print from it.”“You never know.” Steve once again started to walk towards the back of the room and an entrance to a hallway. “Come on, Merlin. Let’s see what else is going on here.”“Ok, can I just ask a question here?” Danny said hurriedly as he scampered in front of Steve and grabbed the taller man by the forearms. “What if there IS some kind of a … I dunno.. crazy monster here that … turns bones to jelly and leaves flesh bags? Huh? I’m not sure I want to run into that … entity.”“Danny, if it makes you feel any better, I can ask Chin and Kono to take point.” Steve waited patiently for Danny’s answer. Still, the blonde knew if he said yes, he’d look ridiculous. Like he was scared. If he said no, he’d have to prove he was not scared by exploring the rest of the spooky house, just him and Steve.“No. We got this. Come on.” Danny followed Steve as they dodged the big ornate sofa at the edge of the room and ventured into the short hallway leading to the kitchen. Steve shone the flashlight around the dingy dusty kitchen and both he and Danny startled when the reflection of a cleaver blade danced on their faces. The wicked looking knife hung on a hook above the sink area.“Looks like this area hasn’t been used in a very long time,” Danny said. He looked at the counter and recoiled when a couple of rats ran across what was a bread board at one time. “So let me ask you about our killer, providing we have one who is flesh and blood.”“Go!” Steve answered. He examined a block of kitchen knives and noted that one was gone from the set.“How could he… or she… not being sexist here… take out all the bones without cutting into the uh body? Isn’t that like a taxidermist thing?”“I think a taxidermist does not actually use the dead body of the animal. Taxidermists preserve and prepare animal skins and parts to create lifelike animal replicas. Taxidermists prepare the underpadding and mounting to which the skin will be attached, looking at a photo of the dog or whatever it is they are cresting, and model the structure to resemble the animals body, and then attach appropriate coverings, such as skin, fur, or feathers. At least… that’s what I think.”“So tell me then. How did the bones leave those bodies?”“If I knew the answer to that, Danny, we’d have this case solved.” Steve led the way out of the kitchen and back down the hall to the living room. The bag with the ball was sticking out of the pocket of his hoodie and he really had not thought about it until it felt like someone tugged it out only to have it fall on the floor. Steve sighed and turned around, ready to address Danny, but there was no sign of either ball or the blonde. “Danny?!?! Danny!!”Thinking Danny might have gone back to the kitchen, Steve retraced his steps and looked frantically around but there was nobody in that room.Panicking now, which was not the norm for him, Steve did a quick Look around the living room and let his flashlight illuminate the stairway next to the main room but no signs of anyone.
“Danny!!! DANNY!!!” Steve yelled.
No answer.As Steve ran to the front doors, they began to close by themselves, the old wood creaking and groaning as the speed belied their appearance. By the time Steve reached the doorway, there was no way out, no exit and he was trapped inside the house with Danny wherever he was.
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…’In the end, it comes down to your thinkingAnd there's really nobody to blameWhen it feels like your ship is sinkingAnd you're too tired to play the gameNobody's going to help youYou've just got to stand up aloneAnd dig in your heels and see how it feelsTo raise a little hell of your ownRaise a little hell, raise a little hell, raise a little hellRaise a little hell, raise a little hell, raise a little hell….’The ambient temperature inside the house had changed from hot to freezing in those precious few seconds as Steve tried to open the doors and the cold enveloped him, seeping through his tee shirt. Steve shook it off and continued to pound on the door, hoping someone, anyone, would hear him. It was crazy to think that his team and a bunch of HPD officers would not hear his efforts and miss him and Danny but so far, no response.Steve pulled out his mobile, entered his code and waited but nothing happened. No connection, no response, no display. Nothing. He shoved the phone back into his cargo pants pocket and sighed, trying to think of what to do next. If this had been a regular crime scene, Steve would know exactly what to do but this was .. different. Danny had vanished. The house seemed intent on swallowing them up and there were two bodies without bones!“Happy Halloween to me,” Steve muttered.Frustrated due to the lack of action, Steve turned around and walked quickly back to the table of equipment as an idea brewed. He could use the monitors to scan for Danny! At least that was doing something instead of nothing. He did not relish wasting energy running around trying to find him if he could just pin point his whereabouts electronically. Using the keyboard, Steve brought up the cameras monitoring the areas from the kitchen, stairs, what looked like at least 2 bedrooms, a nursery and a creepy cobweb filled basement.Now. Where was Danny? Steve quickly scanned the rooms using the controls to do camera sweeps but there seemed to be no sign of his partner. Steve tamped down his impatience and worry and ignored his shaking hands to continue to look.*************It had been a hard fall and Danny was hurting a little bit from it. It did not help that he was lying prone on his stomach in a creepy dark room with boarded up windows and discarded furniture. Slowly, he tested his limbs to make sure nothing was broken; they passed the test so he sat up and flipped around so he was on his butt, legs stretched in front, and his back against the wall. For some reason, Danny registered that the wallpaper was old and smelled like neglect but he tried not to linger over that.He had so many questions, chief among them how had he been transported here when the last thing he was doing was walking with Steve? Oh God Steve? Where was Steve?!“Steve? Hey!! Steve!!! Hey!!!!” Danny yelled. He waited for a response but none came. All he heard was an eerie silence and the sound of his rapid heartbeat. “Fuck it.” Danny crouched to stand but stopped abruptly when the striped ball rolled across the floor and bumped into his boot clad foot. “Hello? Hello? Hey is there anyone here?”A child’s voice broke the silence. “Hello.”Ok, this was impossible. Not only impossible but so not possible! Danny swallowed against the panic he was feeling and tried to maintain a semblance of outward calm. Every fiber in his being just wanted to run out of this creepy room and equally as creepy house but the sadness in the tone of the voice made him pause.“Hello. Where are you? It’s dark and I can’t see you!” Danny thought he sounded pretty much in control with that but as he waited for a response, his skin crawled with goosebumps and though it was cold in the room, he was sweating.“I’m here.”When she appeared ten feet in front of Danny, he gasped because she or whatever it was, looked like a little girl, albeit from another time judging from her clothing. She held a hand out as if she expected Danny to take it, something he was totally reluctant to do. But when she looked up at him with big dark eyes, the father in him just took over so he shuffled over to her and with a quick moment of decision, slipped his hand over hers.To Danny’s complete shock, the little girl’s hand was not cold but warm and robust, and in fact warmer than Danny’s own.“What’s your name?” Danny asked.“Victoria Elizabeth. My Mommy calls me Vee because it’s hard to say all my name.” She giggled, then turned serious. “Will you help me find my Mommy?”“I can try,” Danny answered. It did not matter if the child was a ghost (because seriously, what else would she be?); she needed his help and that instinct to serve and protect, especially children, just oozed out of Danny’s pores. “Is she downstairs?” Providing I am upstairs, Danny thought as he really was not sure of where he was.“She don’t feel good so she’s resting. I’m not s’posed to bother her when she’s resting but maybe if you come with me she won’t mind.”“Maybe we should just let her rest,” Danny said but she was pulling him towards the door and the open hall.“He yells all the time. I don’t like him!” Suddenly, Vee stopped and began to cry, and as real tears rolled down her cheeks, Danny couldn’t help but reach out to her. She was a little girl and she was alone and hurting.“Come here. It’s ok. Just … tell me who he is. Your Daddy?” Danny whispered as he stroked her hair. She clung to him, feeling solid and warm just like a human. Danny knew though she wasn’t. Or maybe she was? At this point it did not matter.“Yes he’s my Daddy… he’s just… he hurts my Mommy. And sometimes.. he hurts me.”Danny froze. If there was anyone he despised, it was a woman beater. But above that, the pinnacle of douchebag behaviour, was a man or woman who hurt children.“You know what? You’re safe here. He’s not going to hurt you.” Danny held the little girl tightly in his arms, hating the man who hit her in anger. “Let’s go find your Mommy. Come on.” Danny hugged her gently and she settled into his arms just like Gracie used to at that age.Right at this moment, ghosts or haunted houses did not matter. Danny was protecting a child and that rose above everything else. His good heart could not just let it go. He walked towards the door at the end of the hall, his courage surrounding himself and the little girl.**************Impatiently, Steve looked from one tv monitor to the other. So far, he’d seen no trace of Danny and he was beyond worried. All he could think about were the two bone bags on the gurneys and how they’d been two real living people not long ago.Whatm had happened to his partner and friend????Just as he was ready to throw in the towel and try to find something to break down the doors, his phone buzzed. It did not ring. It did not chirp. It did not indicate the call with any number. It just rang with ‘incoming call’ on the display. He clicked ACCEPT and answered gruffly.What followed were a series of noises so loud and strange that Steve had to hold the phone away from his ear and grit his teeth to even listen. From maniacal laughter to screaming to something akin to a bell clanging to finally an eerie muffled voice saying ‘where’s my whore of a wife?’End call.“No!!!! No no no!!!” Steve tried to hit the call back feature but his phone went dead with the no battery warning on the display.“Enough of this shit,” Steve said out loud. “I’m gonna find him myself!” Steve stood up and walked with purpose towards the stairs. He aimed his flashlight at the bottom few and started up slowly. Every fiber of his being was on high alert but he had one end game— to find Danny and leave this house.***********Danny paused outside the door and raised his hand to knock when a sudden outburst made him literally jump back. Vee whimpered but he held her fast next to him and kissed her cheek.For the next few minutes, they stood and waited as a man on the other side of the door screamed and raged calling the woman he presumably was with (and Danny had no doubt that was Vee’s mother) every kind of horrible name. She begged for mercy and when Danny heard the sounds of a raised hand hitting skin, he gently placed Vee down so she stood on the floor. Suddenly inspired, Danny remembered he’d picked up a toy from the back seat of his car where Gracie had sat. He’d slipped it into his pocket when he’d seen it earlier so he pulled it out and gave it to Vee. It was a Polly Pocket dog groomer case with the tiny figures and little dogs inside. She accepted it eagerly, her little fingers already opening the latch.“Listen, Vee, you stay here and play with this. Ok? See, you can open up the case and play with what’s inside. I’ll be a minute but I don’t want you to come inside the room. Stay here no matter what you hear even though you should not be listening. Play with this.” Impulsively, Danny kissed her on the forehead and returned to the door where the sounds of a battle spilled out. Drawing a deep breath, he turned the knob and stepped inside.Instantly, a wave of vertigo hit him. He reeled from it, arms out by his sides, and feet trying to make sense of being upright. The smell of the room assaulted Danny’s nostrils, giving the illusion of burning because the odour was so strong and sharp. Nearby, the man yelled and the woman cried out. Danny finally willed himself to stop staggering and held fast to the edge of a dresser.Two figures by the window.Danny blinked and rubbed his eyes as he made out that one was indeed a woman and the other was a brutish looking man; he certainly seemed to be someone who enjoyed inflicting pain. Ignoring Danny, the man raised his hand again and that was all it took! Danny hurled himself at the attacker, using the bed to gain ground to the other side of the room and with as much force as he could muster, knocked the man over. He fell on the floor with a mighty thud, his breath ragged and foul.“You don’t hit women you disgusting piece of shit!” Danny yelled. He turned only so that he could see the woman and jerked his head towards the door. “Get out! Your daughter is in the hall. Take her and go outside to get help!”Danny turned back to the man who was looking like he was coming to his senses.Quickly, Danny stood and backed away, his service revolver in his hand and aimed at the man. “On your stomach !!!” When the man just looked at him, Danny said it again. “Lie down on your stomach hands above your head!!! If I have to say it again you won’t like what happens next!!!”“Mortal.” The man chuckled in a way that made Danny reconsider his actions for just the barest of moments, but then his compassion towards kids and women kicked back in and he took a step towards the man.“Yeah well I got six rounds in this clip that says I may be mortal but that’s not gonna stop me from doing my job. Get on your stomach!! Now!!!”“You interfere with us and you will pay the price.” The man reluctantly rolled over and Danny grabbed his arms to pull them behind his prone body. After he fastened the handcuffs, Danny moved away.“I’m not sure what the hell is going on in this house but there’s a little girl and her mother who you have been abusing. Hurting!!!! Causing pain!!!! You deserve everything and nothing, you worthless piece of shit.” Danny nudged the man with his booted toe. “Stand up. We’re going downstairs and my partner and I will decide on what exactly to do with you!”“That bitch is giving it away to any man who happens along!” The man said angrily.“Hey! Not one more word or I’ll forget that my safety is off. Caspico?” Danny shoved the man between the shoulder blades and followed him out of the bedroom. There wasn’t any sign of Vee or the woman and Danny was relieved at that.“I’ll break your bones and suck your insides out, you stupid human!” The man snarled as they reached the stairs.“Oh yeah? So you’re responsible for the two people in the body bags? I’d better read you your rights. I’m not letting you go on a technicality.”“DANNY!!!! ““Steve!” The second Danny saw Steve charging up the stairs, he felt relief wash over him. Oh thank God they had found one another and Steve could help him wrap up this case. The house felt like it was watching everything and there was something inherently evil about this man, besides the way he had beat on the woman.When Steve reached Danny, he paused like he wanted to hug but Danny shook his head with just the minutest of motion. Steve nodded and turned his attention to their prisoner.“What’s his deal?”“His deal,” Danny began, “includes assault, assault with a weapon, in this case his fist, and unlawful restraint. He has also admitted murdering those two who were in the house.”“What are we waiting for?” Steve gave the man a shove forward. “Go.”“You’ll be sorry. Nothing can stop me. I have the book, you fools!”“Oh yeah? Well it’s good you’re getting your reading quota in. Down the stairs! Go!!” Danny kept his gun out but the man began to descend to the lower level, talking to himself as he went. Neither Steve or Danny could make out the actual words but Steve realized with a lightning bolt of clarity that they should not let him talk.“Hey! Enough of that!” Steve grabbed the man by the back of the collar and practically escorted him until they were back at the hallway beside the tech set up room.“You’re gonna DIE with the others here!” The man yelled and before either Danny or Steve could respond, the smell of sulfur filled the air around them until they were choking on it.Danny and Steve covered mouth and nose by pulling up their shirts over the chin but the man did not seem affected. Oddly enough, he fell to his knees and bowed until his forehead touched the floor.“Get up!” Danny ordered and nudged the man with his foot. He wasn’t sure what was happening but whatever it was, Danny realized it was not good. Every bad 80’s horror movie flooded his head and he looked at Steve to gain some of his moxie back.“I’m going to try to break that window with a chair!” Steve explained as he grabbed the wooden chair beside the surveillance monitors and wound it up, aimed at the window. Danny closed his eyes, knowing it was not going to work, that the house was a monster house that he was going to die in it and never see Grace again but to his complete shock, the chair shattered the glass and flew through to the porch outside. There was a great commotion as Chin and Kono ran over and with guns drawn, crawled in through the shattered frame.“You guys ok? What’s that smell?” Kono sniffed and brought her hand to her mouth.“The Devil’s Cologne!” The man on the floor said gleefully.“I’ve had enough of your stupidity,” Danny said. “Shut. Up.” He watched as 2 members of HPD wrestled with the uncooperative man.“You’ll pay for this! Your bones are mere toothpicks for my Master! He will come for you! He will come for you!!!”“Get him out of here,” Steve ordered and walked over to the bank of monitors. Two were showing the little girl and her mother huddled upstairs in the room where Danny had first encountered Vee. “Danny! Check this out!”“I guess they don’t know it’s safe.” Danny headed to the stairs but stopped just as Vee and her mother came running down towards him, looking over their shoulders like something was following. Danny was just about to tell them to stop and to explain that the man was gone but as he reached out to Vee, he felt nothing tangible under his fingers, but just cold. Like a fog.Suddenly they were gone.“What just happened?” Steve asked.“I’m not sure,” Danny said slowly. “There has to be a logical explanation.”“You’d think there would be,” Steve agreed. “But … are they ghosts?”“Steven, I held that child in my arms. She was as real as you and me.”“But she wasn’t just now. She was NOT just now, Danny! She and her mother just… vanished.”Danny wrapped his arms around himself, something he did when he was nervous or felt embarrassed. “I don’t know. I can’t explain it. And yet our guy who we caught—-““Steve!! He’s gone!!” Duke raced over to where Steve, Danny, Chin and Kono stood. “He just… vanished. The hand cuffs fell off and everything!” The look on his face said it all.“Ok let’s figure out a rational explanation for this,” Steve said, pacing because he had to put the logic somewhere. “Maybe.. maybe we were meant to stop that man from beating on the wife and daughter… maybe.. because Danny did stop him… that cycle is broken.”“It’s called residual haunting,” Chin said. He noticed how everyone was now looking at him. “What? I read about it. It just means that a dramatic event that involved murder, suicide or is historical in nature is repeated in a haunted manner. Like soldiers during the Civil War. Or someone going over the Falls. Reports of phantoms and apparitions have been reported both places.”“So what I saw and experienced… was… they were ghosts?,” Danny spoke up.“Looks like it ,” Chin answered. Danny cringed, threw his hands up and started to pace. “ Here’s the thing,” Chin said. “Steve , you said the doors would not open at first and Danny had vanished right?”“Yes. That’s what happened but—““Hold on a minute, my mākuahine",” Chin continued. “Danny found the little girl, calmed her down then stopped the man from hitting the wife. Right?”“Yes, although I also cuffed the guy and we brought him down here to you guys.”“Bear with me. This is not the first time it happened. He’s probably hit the child and the mother numerous times. Kono did some digging on the house and can tell you what she found out. But from my point of view, the beating of the woman, that happened probably daily and if not daily then a good number of times during a week. The child was just collateral damage with those two.”“Ok guys!” Kono announced as she came through the window. “I found some interesting background about this place. In 1909, during the Territorial Period, a man named William Danvers commissioned this house to be built. He established a sugar cane plantation that flourished because of the sweat and labour of our own native Hawaiians.The family was not without tragedy however, as a trusted nanny died from a fall from the second floor balcony and two children never made it past infancy. His wife died from consumption and he remarried a woman named Greta Hathaway, a daughter of one of the American fleet captains. They had a daughter, Victoria Elizabeth, and were happy for a while until—““Wait wait wait a minute… Kono, what did you say the daughter’s name was?” Danny asked, though he knew the answer. His ears felt buzzy and he gripped Steve’s arm.“Victoria Elizabeth. When she was 5, she and her mother went for a picnic and never came home. There was a search but it turned up nothing. Word was they were secretly murdered as Danvers was known to have a temper fueled by the bottle. ““Victoria Elizabeth is the name the little girl told me… she said her mother called her Vee.” Danny started towards the window opening; he was breathing hard, trying not to think that the girl he’d held in his arms might have been a ghost.There was a huge gust of wind then and right before their frightened eyes, the window Steve had broken, that they’d all been using to go back and forth outside, rapidly boarded itself back up. When Chin took a step towards the window, something pushed him backwards and he collided with Duke who had been watching in horror.“Oh this is just great!!! How is this happening?” Danny yelled but deep down he knew the answer.The house, or someone inside, wanted them to solve the mystery in order for them to get out. Something disquieting too was the flesh bag thing. If they failed to do what they were supposed to do, would they end up like the 2 paranormal experts?“I guess it’s time to solve a mystery,” Steve said with a sigh. “Let’s spread out and investigate every room in this house. We can all go down in the basement when it’s time.. Nobody should go to that area alone.” He checked his watch. “15 minutes. Danny and I will take the upstairs. Chin, you, Kono and Duke take the downstairs. If you need help, holler. ““Good luck.” Chin set his watch and as the group broke into investigating units, they certainly had more questions than answers.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
…’From my laboratory in the Castle eastTo the master bedroom, where the vampires feastThe ghouls all came from their humble abodesTo get a jolt from my electrodesthey did the Monster Mash(The Monster Mash) it was a graveyard smash(They did the Mash) it caught on in a flash(They did the Mash) they did the Monster MashThe zombies were having funThe party had just begunThe guests included Wolf-Man, Dracula, and his son…’ As Danny and Steve ascended the stairs, the blonde glanced at Steve and for a second, he did not think about the house, the case or the potential fact that they could be walking into some sort of spooky trap. Instead, Danny was admiring how brave Steve always was, or maybe it was just foolhardy or the way the man was wired. Whatever it was, Steve was by his side and Danny was ever so grateful that he had Steve to help figure out this supernatural sloppy mess.“The thing is, Steve, when I carried Vee, she was as … I dunno.. human, flesh and blood, I don’t know but she was alive! She was warm! She was responsive! Would ghosts do that?”“I don’t know, Danny,” Steve answered honestly and shifted so his body was flat against the wall opposite the landing. He’d pulled Danny along and because Steve seemed to be spooked by whatever was ahead, Danny copied Steve’s stance—back flat against the wall, arms outstretched on either side like they were making stand up snow angels. “I have this hollow feeling in the pit of my stomach, like there’s something not right ahead of us.”It was true. Steve, with his experience as a trained military and ops man, had come to rely on his excellent senses, including an innate survival one that served him well. And now, he just KNEW if he and Danny kept going down that hallway they’d be in a world of trouble. Better to retreat then, which he conveyed by squeezing Danny’s arm and raising his chin towards the stairs. He mouthed ‘go’ and coiled his body, ready to spring into action.On my count, Danny, and he did not even have to say it because Danny, bless him, had tuned in and the second Steve dashed towards the stairs, Danny was right beside him. They made it to the first level and nearly ran into Chin who had come from the kitchen to see what they were up to.“That was a short investigation,” Chin said. He aimed the flashlight up the stairs and suddenly jumped back, nearly dropping the heavy implement. “I saw something,” he muttered.Danny knew they were in trouble then, for between Steve’s combat prowess and now the unflappable Chin who was rattled, the house was definitely winning.“Ok! Listen! Just let us go and you can keep your creepy assed book, ghosts and whatever else you seem to enjoy! All we want to do is go home!” Danny yelled. He paced around the living room and was about to say something to Steve when up from the floorboards came a pair of gnarled hands with thick yellow fingernails at the end of each digit. They wrapped around Danny’s ankles, pulled, and to the team’s astonishment, Danny simply vanished.“Nooooo!!” Steve rushed over to the spot but saw nothing. The dusty carpet looked undisturbed; everything was in its place. “Danny!!!” Steve looked frantically around; all he could imagine were the flesh bags on the gurney and that Danny would end up just like that.“Down to the cellar!” Steve jumped up and headed towards the kitchen with the other three following. “Duke, you wait in the living area and watch the monitors. If you see anything…. Well…” Steve did a quick visual of the decrepit kitchen but on the counter, there was a metal pan with a rolling pin next to it. “Bang this so we can hear you.” Steve gave the older man the implement to use then squared his shoulders. “Now let’s go find Danny.”The first thing he felt was a little pat on his cheek. Danny groaned and opened his eyes only to see Vee in front of him. She was on her knees.“Hey,” Danny said, his wits slowly coming back. He was more concerned for the child than for himself. “Are you ok? That man did not hurt you did he?” Danny asked as he scooched up to a more sitting position, back against the wall.“No he did not hurt me. Because of you. He’s mad though. He’s looking for you and the other man.” She held out her hand. “I can help you hide.”“You know,” Danny said softly, “all of this is very strange to me, Vee. I’m not used to being pulled up and down through the floors and … deposited somewhere else.”“The house wants you to help it. It won’t let you go until you do. Come with me.” She stood and kept her hand extended. Danny saw in her other hand was the Polly Pocket toy he’d given her.“Ok….” Danny made the appropriate groans as he stood and she giggled. “Hey, I’m old. I can’t help it.”“Do you have a family?” She asked as she held his hand and started to walk towards an archway.“I do. I have little girl named Grace who you remind me of, because you’re both smart and pretty.” Danny ducked under the archway and tried to adjust his eyes to the dim light in the room where they stood. In the corner was a large treasure chest like thing and he distinctively heard the sounds of water dripping from somewhere. The air also smelled very salty like the ocean.“I wish I was your daughter too. Grace and I could play dolls together.” She pointed to the chest. “You can sit there and wait til the house tells you what you need to do.”“Is the uh.. is the house talking to you?” Danny asked.“Yes but that’s ok. The house does not like Daddy.”“That makes two of us,” Danny muttered. He sat on the chest and was going to ask her something else when she just vanished. One second she was there and the next she was not. “Vee? Vee, Honey, where are you?” Danny rubbed his eyes and tried to focus in case he’d missed something.“Danny!!! Danny are you down here!!!”Steve!“Steve! Yes!!! I’m here!! I’m not sure where here is but follow the sound of my voice!!”“I got ya, buddy.” Steve aimed his flashlight at Danny who raised an arm to shield his eyes from the light.“Ok ok enough of that! Neanderthal.”“There’s my Boo Boo,” Steve teased. The relief was evident in his voice and as Kono and Chin joined him, they also patted his shoulder as if reassuring themselves that this version of Danny was real.“So here’s the thing. I somehow made it here … not sure how.. but Vee met me and told me the house won’t let us go until we help it. Whatever that means.”“Help it do what?” Kono asked softly. “Unless it’s to maybe .. break the cycle of the little girl and her mother being hurt by Danvers.”“You have a good theory,” Steve said. He was looking around the room, flashlight illuminating the unused and very cobwebby room. When he re-aimed the beam at Danny again, he noticed the chest. “Danny, stand up and let’s see what’s in there. Vee took you here for a reason.”“Ok. But if we find anything that resembles some kind of monster, it’s on you to know how to get rid of it.”“Danny, I don’t think you have to worry about that.” Steve threw the latch back and Chin joined him in trying to raise the lid while Danny and Kono held flashlights so the two men could see what they were doing.With a loud creak, the stubborn lid finally came loose and Chin and Steve threw it back in triumph. Immediately, they both tumbled back and away from the trunk, coughing and raising their hands to their mouths because of the smell of rot and decay. Kono stepped around them and aimed the light inside.“Oh Boss there are bones in here!!” She said and swallowed hard. The sight was not for the faint of heart and she gladly gave the flashlight to Steve so he could examine the contents. Chin looked over his shoulder while Danny, afraid of what he knew they’d find, paced in a tight circle.Two very decayed skeletons, though the salt water that had seeped in had helped to preserve them, were entwined with the bigger one holding on to the little one. “Looks like a skeleton holding a small skeleton,” and because it just hit him what they were seeing, Steve’s voice trailed off.“It’s Vee and her mother isn’t it? That’s why she brought me here and that’s why the… hands.. took me down. We found where Danvers put them after he killed them.” Danny felt anger at the man for killing an innocent child and her mother, and of course he thought about his own daughter. Had Vee been expecting the fatal blow? Had she trusted her father and he’d sneakily killed her? Or had both her mother and her died as Danvers threw a fit of rage?Danny thought it was the latter. He had, after all, witnessed the man’s violence against the woman. But how had the man been so… human like? Why wasn’t he an apparition?“We gotta find the book,” Danny muttered. “The man wasn’t a ghost until they tried to take him away from here.”“Which tells us that he’s somehow tied to the house and the violent act he committed is bound to be repeated until someone or something stops it!” Chin said. “We need to break the cycle so we can give these ghosts, particularly Vee, some closure and peace!”“THAT is what the house wants from us,”Steve finished. “The book is upstairs with Danvers. It has to be. Anyone have any idea on how to kill something that’s already dead?”“All we can do is try to figure it out,” Chin added.“Let’s go back to the monitors and see if Duke has seen anything,” Steve suggested. “Come on.”“Gladly. Anything to get out of this creepy ass basement,” Danny muttered.As they returned to the upper level from the basement, Steve stayed close to Danny. He knew that his partner was affected by the discovery of the little girl’s remains and Steve wanted Danny to know he was there for him. Danny was almost resigned, sad, the weight of responsibility on his shoulders.“Hey, Danno. We just need to put her to rest.”Danny looked at Steve, grateful to his partner’s empathy. Although Danny liked to tease Steve and say the SEAL was an animal, a Neanderthal, and a gun happy commando, Danny knew Steve had a huge heart and compassion for others. Steve was always so good with Grace and that kindness could never be faked.“I know, Steve. We gotta do what we gotta do.”When they returned to Duke, he was excited to see them and pointed out that he’d been watching a blob of something shimmery moving from room to room upstairs. When he replayed the video, the team could see that the shimmery mass seemed quite ominous and it moved like it was guarding something in the bedroom where Danny had seen Danvers beating his wife.“That’s Ground Zed,” Steve muttered. He ran a hand through his dark hair and took a deep breath. “If anyone knows any appropriate prayers now would be the time.”“I can help you out, Steve,” Duke said. He asked that they all join hands, including with him, and they stood in a circle, heads bowed. With a strong clear voice, Duke began.“Aloha to this house, as we still our fear. Please guide us wisely to help the departed souls who are still here. The end of one cycle and the beginning of a peaceful next, may our struggles to aid be abundantly blessed. Amen.”There were some hushed ‘amens’ in response.“Thanks, Duke. Again, pound on this thing if anything happens. The rest of us are going book hunting.” Steve squeezed the older man’s shoulder and then with a sweep of his arm, asked his team to follow.From the top step to the hallway, it felt like walking into a thick fog. Normal objects were distorted and fuzzy but despite it, they continued onwards. Maniacal laughter from the bedroom made them stop but after pausing, Steve kicked the door open and stood by, gun drawn. He was supported by Danny, Kono and Chin close behind and to his side.“I wondered how long it would take you to figure out what you needed to do but guess what? You’ll end up like those other two! Dead! Their bones sucked right out! That’s what this house does! That’s how it stays alive!!”The voice sent chills down Danny’s spine and he was sure others were feeling the same way. This was the same man he’d successfully captured but staring at him now, as they were from the safety of the hall, it was apparent that he had somehow grown stronger and much bigger. The edges of his body were blurry and his eyes blazed red.“Don’t look at his eyes!” Chin yelled and as if choreographed, all 4 of them looked down.“He’s holding the book, Steve,” Danny whispered.“Maybe that’s his power. We need to get it away from him and stop this madness,” Steve answered. He had no ideas though. If this was a true flesh and blood situation, he would have a plan and it would work. Ghosts, supernatural entities, ghouls with purpose… not so much. “We need a plan.”“I could distract him,” Danny offered. “He hates me anyways. Maybe you could rush him and grab it if he’s busy with me.”“Sounds as good of a plan as any. Chin and Kono back us up.” Steve waited for Danny to make a move, though he felt guilty about Danny being the sacrificial piece. Hopefully nothing would happen and they would be able to get the book and all would be right.Of course, nothing was going to go as planned.Danny took a deep breath and launched from where he stood in the hall to inside the bedroom. As he came closer to the thing, he felt like his balance was off and he fell, ankles just giving out on him. He was suddenly airborne, picked up like pickle in a jar, grabbed by the back of his shirt. As he was lifted, the thing that was once Danvers adjusted his grip, going from the shirt to an arm around Danny’s waist and Danny dangled, fingertips grazing the dusty carpet.“Put him down! Let him go!” Danny heard Steve yelling, and another commotion. Someone hit the wall beside Danny and in horror he saw Steve lay crumpled like a rag doll, his limbs askew. A little line of blood glistened on his lips down the side of his mouth. “You son of a bitch!!! Evil does not win over good!”“Looks like I’m winning!”Danny struggled to get free but the thing tightened his hold. Well there was only one thing left to do and Danny relied on his instincts as well as his strength. Fueled by the vision of Steve lying like a broken doll, Danny bent back the index fingers on each of the hands holding him around the waist. Danvers howled and let up on his hold and Danny made his move. He broke the grip and grabbed the book that Danvers had thrown on the bed. With the book clasped against his chest, Danny tried to roll away from Danvers and thankfully, Kono and Chin were right there! Kono took the book while Danny scrambled back over to face Danvers and protect Steve.“You cannot win! I’ll eat your bones!” Danvers screamed and somewhere, something heavy fell.“Fuck you! You’re all talk without the book!” Danny challenged and ignoring his own safety, crouched down next to Steve. Images of Thirteen Ghosts danced in his brain, serving up a volatile cocktail of blood and gruesome but he had Steve to worry about.As Danny tried to revive Steve, patting his face and shaking him, Danvers reached for Danny and wrapped strong fingers around Danny’s neck.The pressure felt like a vice, squeezing and choking the breath out of him. He struggled, trying to break the grip, Steve forgotten for now, as the basic will to live kicked in.“Stop it!! Stop hurting him!!”A ball of anger and courage plowed into Danvers and he staggered back against the window, stunned by Vee who was now clawing at the thing’s eyes. Danvers started making a high pitched keening noise at the same time as Steve started to come around.“There you are!” Danny said with relief. “Come on! We gotta go!”Steve grabbed Danny’s hand and the blonde pulled him up with Steve adding some leverage by pushing against the wall. Vee was still hitting on Danvers, releasing her fury.“This way.” Danny led the way past them and over to the other side of the room where Chin and Kono waited. The book was tucked firmly into Chin’s waistband and as a group they headed to the stairs. “You ok?” Danny asked Steve.“Yeah just a little dizzy.” Steve blinked a few times and took hold of Danny’s arm to steady himself. Chin got on the other side of Steve and they managed to make it down the stairs to where Duke was excitedly waiting.“Page 42 is the spell! Say the spell and light this candle!” Duke held out a black taper candle in an old fashioned pewter holder.“How do you even know that?” Kono asked.“There was a lady who told me but,” he looked around, “I don’t even know where she is now.”“Page 42 it is,” Steve said and just as he was finished speaking, the heavy chandelier fell onto the floor then disappeared like it was never there, absorbed in the floor.“Don’t look now but we got company!” Danny yelled. Vee had run down the stairs with Danvers in close pursuit. “Page 42! Light the candle and go!!”“I’m sorry, Danny. He hit me so I had to let him go,” Vee said through tears.“Honey, you saved our lives up there! Thank you!” Danny kissed her forehead and watched as Duke had somehow found some matches and lit the taper.Kono held the book in her two hands and started to read in a loud clear voice as more lights and beams hit the floors or sailed through the air. It was like the house was purging itself but none of them had any intention of being stuck there.“In shadow lurking, dangers rise,A magic spell, my shield and guise.With ancient craft, this house I wardAgainst all perils safely stored.With whispered words and magic swell,A spell weaves round a potent shell.No harm shall breach this hallowed groundFor love and faith are what I have found!As twilight’s nell embraced the landI stand with purpose, book in hand,The black candle flickers, casting shadows deep,To banish the demons, its secrets to keep!With careful intent, I swept in motion,Clockwise circles, devotion’s potionEach given arc, a cleansing spree,Removing the Darkness and setting this house free!!!”They heard the scream of a woman from far away and little Vee ran to Danny who embraced her and placed a hand on the back of her head as she burrowed her face into his shirt front.“The house is falling down around us but Danvers, your father, is slowly dissolving, melting before our eyes!” Danny whispered.“Good! Good!!” Vee said, her voice muffled.Chin and Duke ran over to the window which was now shaking free of the boards that had blocked it. Steve tried to grab Danny’s arm as Danvers screamed and clawed at his own eyes but he was like someone who had been doused with acid. His features dissolved as he flopped into a caustic puddle on the floor.“Vee? Come child. It’s time.”Danny closed his eyes and felt a tear trickle down his cheek. Vee gently kissed him right on the tear and smoothed his bangs away from his face.“Goodbye Danno. I have to go. But I’ll never forget you and your courage.”“You listen to your mom now,” Danny said and as she tried to give him back the Polly Pocket, he shook his head and wrapped his hand around her little hand. “Keep it.”“Thank you. Bye bye!” Vee gave him one final hug and ran over to where her mother stood.“Remember! Danno loves you!” Danny whispered and as he finished speaking, she and her mother simply vanished.“Now Danny!! Come on!!” Steve grabbed Danny from underneath his arms and pulled him across the floor, practically tossing him out the window just as a center beam fell on the spot Danny had just been. Steve and he exchanged looks then both dove out the window into the cool wet grass.“You guys ok?” Kono asked, as she and Chin helped Danny and Steve up and away from the collapsing house.Shingles and timbers cracked and bent, falling in and around the yard and the team joined the others behind a barricade that the Hazmat team had set up.“You’re supposed to go get checked out!” Max yelled over the din but nobody was moving. They were all transfixed on the house taking care of its business, folding up like it was something sort of haunted puzzle. The chimney was the last to topple and as the bricks piled up on the debris, there was a mighty growling from the earth and the house, rubble and all, fell into the open maw of the chasm. Just as suddenly, the ground expanded and covered the hole until there was not a sign of a building, just scorched blackened earth.“Wow.” Steve sighed and suddenly collapsed on to the ground, followed by Danny, Chin and Kono. Duke fared better but was still given an ambulance ride to King’s.**************2 Days LaterSteve finished stashing some beer in the fridge then set about reheating the food he’d bought from La Cucina Ristorante Italiano. He had just closed the oven door when he heard Danny, who was announcing his entrance by singing in Italian.“Quando la luna ti colpisce negli occhiCome una grande pizza, questo è amoreQuando il mondo sembra splendere comeSe tu avessi bevuto troppo vino, questo è amore….”“Hey buddy, in this house we sing in English!” Steve teased and Danny jumped up on the counter to sit, his expression a combination of fondness and bemusement.“So sorry. What’s for dinner?”“Italian. Salad. Beer. I got you uh something and they are in the freezer.” Steve pushed the silverware drawer shut with his hip and laid the silver on the dining room table.“Sounds decent. Have you uh… had any.. bad dreams. Not that I’m asking for myself. But I was just curious.” Danny jumped down, opened the freezer door and grinned when he saw the bag of chocolate covered peppermints. “You’re a good man, Steve McGarrett, no matter what people say.”“I uh don’t have any dreams,” Steve answered. He paused while getting out plates. “Do you?”“No no of course not. The whole thing you know feels kind of like a dream. Right? I mean, really.”Steve was quick to agree and sat down at the dining room table with Danny.“I looked up that house by the way,” he said. “In the historic registry. it was a beauty on its day. But knowing who was behind that… place…” Steve sighed. “I’m glad it’s gone.”“Yes.” Danny nodded. “Me too. There was a lot I did not fully understand but.. we came out ok.” Danny’s eyes met Steve’s and for a long second, they did not have to say a word. They were alive, and grateful and closer than before.“You might as well stay over night. I plan on finishing that bottle of wine I have in the bucket and starting on the beer afterwards.” Steve raised the wine bottle from the ice then put it back.“Well, I would certainly would not want a DUI. What would that look like?” Danny asked.“Really bad, yeah.” Steve set two wine glasses and the corkscrew on the table. “Let’s start with the salad. I’ll get it out while you pour the wine.”“I can do that. And hey? Steve?” Danny asked tentatively.“What is it?”“I think you owe me something from the house. Something I told you maybe then was not the appropriate time for it.” Danny stood up and looked at the floor. His ears were bright red with the blush.“Oh! Yeah!” Steve was on board and suddenly, they were hugging. It was almost automatic in that Steve knew just how low to bend while Danny breathed his face against Steve’s chest. They remained like that for a good 30 seconds, conveying what they could never say to each other out loud. They let go and stepped away; Steve grabbed the salad and pushed the tongs into the concoction. Danny poured the wine.“Tomorrow is Halloween. My daughter is going as a pink GI Jane.”“Could be worse,” Steve shrugged and stabbed a tomato slice with his fork. “She might have asked you to dress up too.”“I would wear an appropriate costume, not that stupid thing you showed my daughter,” Danny mumbled.The argument continued through dinner, with both men making ridiculous points. The more wine they drank, the more they laughed. By the time they’d made it out to the beach and their chairs and clinked bottles together, they were full and happy.“Here’s to Halloween and haunted houses,” Steve said.“Here’s to Halloween, good friends and little girls who need their daddies.”“Cheers!” They said in unison.