-What happened bro? A little girl kicked your butt?, Danny said laughing and patting my back. I glared at him as hard as I could. Told you this two were gonna be a nightmare for me. Jill got up as well and glared back at me.
-See? You shouldn’t be mad. You should be laughing like everyone else, she said folding her arms on her chest as my friend kept on laughing.
God, why did you put me in charge of two children? WHY?
-It’s not funny Daniel. I thought she was hurt, I told him trying to put him on my side, but I knew it’d take more than that to do so.
-Awww I see. You’re a gentleman after all, you don’t hurt women, he said trying to make me laugh, but I just stayed there looking at him. He coughed in discomfort and mumbled a sorry while looking away.
-Why you have to be such an a...?, Jill had started to say when I cut her off.
-A what Jillian, huh? C’mon tell me, I said getting really pissed off.
Not only she scared the hell out of me to take advantage in a stupid water fight, she was about to curse at me. Unbelievable.
-Nothing. Whatever, she mumbled under her breath.
The environment turned uncomfortable once it was invaded by a deep silence. All I could hear my fast breathing, the air coming in and out through my nose in an attempt to remain calmed. I’ve learned to deal with my own temper in the forces, where I’ve learned basically everything. I wished they’d have taught me how to handle a 13 years old sister in the middle of a tantrum.
Quickly that same silence was filled by Danny’s words.
-Ok. I see things are a little tense around here. Why don’t we all calm down a little bit and go to have an ice cream, huh?, he said wrapping Gracie in his arms.
Right: the good girl gets an ice cream for calling me an ass... almost. Better I cool off and let it slide. I can talk to her later about it.
-Sounds like a plan Danny, Jill said with a big smile on her face and then looked around to see my friend’s daughter practically hidden behind him, Come on out you there. Let’s be friends, yeah?
-Sure. You’d love to make a new friend, right monkey?, he said gently caressing her hair before prompting her to go with Jill.
They started to walk a few steps ahead us. I watched the lovely scene a little bit surprised, since my sister had never been the one for kids, but she seemed to like Gracie. I noticed Danny was staring at me for while, but I ignored him. Hopefully he wouldn’t open his mouth to piss me off again.
-Cool off dude, he said patting my back, She’s just a teenager you know, and if you ask me it was just an innocent joke. I actually find it very funny, he said with a smirk. I knew he was just trying to calm me down, but it truly wasn’t working.
-Oh really? You find it amusing right? What if it had been you instead of me, huh? If Gracie pretended to get hurt, would you find it funny?, I said stopping our walking to frown at my friend.
-But Gracie’s my daughter man, it’s different. I mean this is just... typical brother-sister kind of stuff, he said stopping his tracks as well and I sighed in realization.
Sometimes it’s hard for me to just act like a normal older brother around Jill, because I’ve never been just that. Not only because our important age difference, but because of our family situation. This situation we’re in right now.
-I didn’t mean to say it that way man, he said while sliding his hands into his blue jeans pockets. Only Danny wears jeans on the beach of Hawaii.
-Yeah I know I may have overreacted a bit, I said keeping my voice down enough so Jill couldn’t hear me, It’s just that I had an awful dream last night.
-You dreamed that she got hurt?, he told me with a knowledge that scared the hell out of me. I looked at him not really understanding what was happening.
-Kinda, yeah. How did you know?, I asked him.
-Well when Rachel had Gracie we were both relatively young, and every now and then we’d both dream that we couldn’t find her in the apartment. I don’t know, maybe it’s a freshman parents/guardians kind of thing. You’re just scared of something happening to her while she’s under your responsibility. Add to the mix that you’re extremely overprotective AND you find it hard to accept your own mistakes, he said bringing all this new information to my brain.
It was more than likely that everything Danny had just said to me was true, but I couldn’t believe it anyway. I’ve had tons of lives under my responsibility before, an entire squad in the army. How could it be I’m scared of looking after one teenager? Well she wasn’t any teenager, she was my sister and if something ever happened to her I don’t think I could never forgive myself.
-Well thank you Dr. Williams. How much do I owe you?, I told him joking and playfully punching his shoulder.
-A week of free cold beers, how about that?, he said rubbing his sore area. What a baby! I didn’t even touch him.
-You come to my house and drink my beer anyway, so..., I trailed off watching the girls walking a few feet away, making sure they wouldn’t go too far without us.
-I’ve been meaning to ask you man, how did your first day together end up?, Danny asked without raising his eyes from the ground.
-Well we had our first fight last night, I said looking at the horizon, She didn’t like the meal I’d made and she refused to eat it. She also sent me to hell.
My friend bursted in laughters so loudly that both Gracie and Jill dedicated us a curious look. I motioned my sister with my head for her to keep on walking and so she did. Once we were out of their hearing rank I intended to slap the back of my friend’s head, but he ducked.
-Unbelievable, for real?, he said between laughs and looked at me clearly mused. Umm dude, whose side are you on? Obviously hers.
-Tell me. I couldn’t believe it. So she’s grounded now, I concluded while looking away.
-And...?, he motioned with his hand for me to keep on with my story.
-Well I scolded her and made sure she realizes she’s not in Boston anymore, and that I’m not anything like mom so I... I-I gave her a spanking, I stuttered in the end still avoiding eye contact with my friend.
-Well done my friend. You put your pants on this time, he said patting my back and smiling.
Was he kidding me?! I looked at him even more confused than before. My friend seemed to sense my confusion and sighed.
-You see I particulary do not agree with your kind of strict discipline, but let’s face it. She desperately needs structure. She needs you man, he said finally meeting my eyes.
-Hurry up guys!, I heard Jill yelling for us, already standing right next to the ice cream shop that was near the beach.
-Yeah, what’s up with you two?, suddenly Gracie said imitating my sister’s sassy attitude.
After that I had Danno glaring daggers at me.
-Thank you very much Steven. You have associated my daughter with the devil itself, he said quite pissed off. I just smiled at him mockingly.
-Really? Well I find it very funny, I said feeling that amazing reward from the lord: payback.
**
-Are you still mad at me Stevie?, Jill asked me while I was carrying her on my back, heading back home. Her arms were wrapped around my neck, her legs around my waist. She looked like those capuchin monkeys. I wish Jill could be this way all the time. But I guess tantrums are part of the deal.
-Don’t you think I should?, I asked her turning my face to look at her face. I saw Jill biting her bottom lip and not saying a thing.
-Well I already apologized... but I understand why you’re mad Stevie, she said resting her cheek on my shoulder.
I rubbed her hand with my thumb. I wanted to let her know that everything was ok, yet she couldn’t do that to me again.
-I accept your apologies sis, but I don’t know if you understand me. I’d rather cut my own hand to hurt you, even your feelings, I said with a sigh.
-That doesn’t stop you from spanking me you know, she said with a giggle, And know that you won’t hurt me... ever.
She then planted a kiss on my cheek. I couldn’t help but smile to her. She’s so sweet sometimes.
-I’m glad you know it. Besides that, I’m never gonna allow someone to hurt you.
-Even mom? Sorry I shouldn’t have asked you that Steve, she blurted out when I cut her off.
-Yes, even mom. I’m not gonna let her take you away from me again, I said turning my head to meet her eyes. She looked really happy when I said that.
-For real? You promise?
-I promise, I said giving her a warm smile.
Well what can I say. After all, mom already gave me rights over Jill so I wasn’t gonna let her take her back so easy. She wrapped her arms tighter around me, bringing her lips to my blushed cheek again. A laughter escaped from her lips, a beautiful sound that I’ll keep in my memories forever. A sound that, unfortunately, was interrupted by my phone. Ugh, work.
-McGarrett, I answered quickly giving Danny a glance that said something was wrong, Yeah we’ll be there in a minute.
-What is it bro?, Danny asked me already putting Gracie into the car.
-We have a situation at the Hilton. They need us immediately, I said putting Jill down. She looked at me not completely understanding what was happening. She was going to get used to this.
-Ok. Hey, you can drop Jill with my wife if you want. I’m heading there before going to the Hilton, he suggested anticipating any questions of Jill’s. Better that way, otherwise we were gonna have a worse situation right here.
-That would be great. Thanks Danny, I said and then turned my face to Jill’s, Look Jill I have to attend a problem at work, so you’re gonna stay with Danny’s wife for the rest of the afternoon and I want you to behave yourself, ok?
-It’s always going to be like this, isn’t it?, she sighed and then rolling her eyes. Oh no, please not THAT attitude now.
-Jill please, I’m doing my best here. But I have an emergency at work...
-Ugh, whatever Steven. Just go, she said frowning and getting into Danny’s car.
I rubbed my face with both of my hands. This girl was gonna kill me. I looked at her and saw her eyes full of tears. I knew she felt really alone right now, but I couldn’t be 24/7 with her. People needed me. I walked towards the car and leant forward, looking right into her eyes.
-We’re gonna discuss this at home Jill, I said turning my body around to head into my car, but first I heard her saying.
-Yea, if you get home tonight at all.
-Hey Danny, please tell Rachel that I left Jill’s meal at home. She doesn’t want to miss it, I said looking at her with smirk. I saw her disgust look first, but then she rolled her eyes and looked away. Told her she was eating those veggies, like it or not.
-Sure men. No problem, just stop torturing your poor sister, he said getting into the car.
I did the same and went to the Hilton to find my other partners, Kono and Chin. Those two are cousins and practically brother and sister. They’re a great team.
It seemed like the kidnapping of a millionaire couple. The kidnappers didn’t contact the police or any other person so far, so probably they were looking for information, not money. We were at the central, trying to figure out all the information the lab gave us. We needed to find these people quickly and we was running out of time.