The Long Journey Home (PG) Chap 3- Challenge 140

[darkstarrising]

Dearest Readers,

This is the third chapter (of nine) in my answer to the challenge for a Moonlight Crossover story, challenge 140. Originally, this was supposed to be a relatively short story, but the muse cackled wickedly and off we went. For me the challenge (initially) was getting inside the head of a character I wasn't overly sympathetic (Mary Ann McGarrett) with and change that perception.

A/N 1 - It should be noted that several of the characters in this story periodically fell victim to the muse's warped sense of humor, Danny Williams in particular.

A/N 2- Part of this story involves the tattoos that we see on Steve McGarrett's shoulders, but were hidden from view when Alex played Mick St. John. I don't have a flaming clue what those ornate designs mean (if anything), but that's never stopped the muse before.

I hope you enjoy.

The usual disclaimers apply. I mean no copyright infringement on any of the characters described herein. This is all for fun, nothing more.

The Long Journey Home

Chapter 3

In the days since he’d first laid eyes on Steve and Mary McGarrett, Josef had learned what he could on the siblings, discreetly, of course. Josef found Steve’s uncanny resemblance to Mick just a little too coincidental in light of the attack on McGarrett’s sister, and more than a little disconcerting. Distant relative, perhaps? Hopefully not. As far as Josef was concerned, with the exception of Beth, the fewer ties Mick had with the human world, the better. Furthermore, in his long experience, coincidences were often anything but and never as innocuous than they first appeared.

The family’s history was certainly tragic, but Steve McGarrett had apparently channeled tragedy into an impressive string of accomplishments – Navy SEAL, Naval Intelligence officer and leader of some black ops that took Ryder more than a little effort to access. Mary Ann, however, seemed to have done just the opposite, drifting in and out of trouble and from one dead-end job to another. Of the two, the brother was someone to be commended while the sister was more to be pitied.

The ‘artwork’ adorning McGarrett’s shoulders had Josef intrigued. No matter how long he stared at them, the colorful designs wouldn’t fully reveal their secrets. Josef had seen something similar a century ago on one of his early visits to the Far East. The intricate patterns were not of Hawaiian design, as one might assume, but were rather ancient Japanese in origin. Furthermore, they weren’t just works of art; they were a message, one that added another and potentially dangerous dimension to McGarrett. The being depicted in one design especially gave Josef pause, its presence conveying that the wearer was somehow protected.

Protected from what? That was something Josef hadn’t been able to decipher. On the second shoulder, the design was a little more disturbing, indicating that the wearer was an avenger of some kind.

With McGarrett’s family history, ‘avenger’ definitely seemed appropriate. Yet from what Josef understood, the mother’s death was an unfortunate car accident. By the time the father, John, was murdered, the ink was already in place. So what act was the son to avenge?

Then again, it was possible that McGarrett didn’t even know the meaning of the artwork his body bore. Perhaps as a young kid in the Navy, he just thought the colorful designs made him look cool. He wouldn’t be the first young man to do so and certainly not the last. Still, the being depicted on the one shoulder wasn’t one casually worn and if bestowed, it meant McGarrett was indeed a force to be reckoned with.

With discreet inquiry yielding only tantalizing bits of information, Josef decided it was time for a more direct approach. Contacting an old friend on the other side of the Pacific, Josef learned a little of the reason McGarrett was protected, but more importantly, by whom. The act he was to avenge was also made clear, but should McGarrett succeed, the repercussions could affect both vampire and human communities alike.

*************************************************************************************

Danny hadn’t set foot on the mainland in nearly a year, and his reaction arriving at LA’s busy airport wasn’t what he expected. LA wasn’t Jersey, but it was a few thousand miles closer than Oahu. Still, the palm trees lining the streets looked out of place and the sky didn’t look quite as blue as the Hawaiian one. Sighing, Danny flagged the nearest taxi, and headed for downtown LA. The aloha feeling of the islands was nowhere to be found in the hustle of LAX.

Hell will freeze before I’ll admit it, but the islands are growing on me, and not like a fungus. Besides, wherever my little girl Grace is, that’s my home.

One benefit of being a cop is the connections you developed, people you could plug into when you needed information not easily obtained otherwise. After hearing Mary McGarrett mention the ‘other things’ she might have imagined during her attack, Danny grew curious. He knew Steve was planning to connect with St. John at some point, but Danny decided someone a little more emotionally removed from the situation, not to mention more stable, might be a better idea. Without telling Steve, Danny decided he’d do his friend a favor and find out what this PI could tell him. Besides, seeing Mick St. John in the flesh would allow Danny to kill the proverbial two birds with one stone; find out more about the guy who attacked Mary while satisfying his own curiosity about the man who looked so much like his best friend. There had been so many unpleasant surprises in Steve McGarrett’s life that Danny wanted to make sure St. John wasn’t another one.

Danny had done some background on the PI before he left the islands. The guy had a good reputation for finding and dealing with criminals the cops weren’t able to. While most police departments viewed private detectives with disdain, the LAPD seemed to have a pretty decent working relationship with St. John, at least some of the time. The turning point seems to have been St. John’s unsuccessful efforts to save the life of an assistant district attorney. The poor bastard was prosecuting a member of the Salvadoran drug cartel, and for his trouble, had been kidnapped and shot in broad daylight in front of the ADA’s girlfriend and St. John.

The PI’s efforts to save the ADA seemed commendable, at least on the surface. Digging deeper, his personal history seemed a little thin, with the added surprise being the late ADA’s girlfriend was now St. John’s wife, something Danny found particularly disturbing. Was St. John was the hero Mary believed him to be or something else? Or was he an opportunist, letting the ADA die to get his girl? What happened to Mary’s attacker if he wasn’t arrested? Having the attacker ‘dealt with’ as Mary described it, smacked of vigilantism. If that’s what St. John was into, the LAPD might want to know about it, assuming they didn’t already. If Steve were here, he might just shake St. John’s hand, compare interrogation techniques and buy the guy a beer.

When the cab pulled up to the address Danny had been given, it was clear that PIs in LA lived a whole lot better than the ones in Jersey, or himself for that matter. Or maybe they didn’t and there was something special about St. John. Finding the PI’s office on the penthouse floor only increased Danny’s misgivings.

Danny had purposely arrived without an appointment, hoping to catch his host off guard. In his experience, how someone reacted when hit cold was revealing, even if it was only that they were good liars. Getting off the elevator, Danny approached the door that indicated St. John’s office and knocked.

*************************************************************************************

Three heads turned almost simultaneously toward the security monitor showing a thirty-something man outside the office door.

Beth was the first to recover. “Were you expecting someone, Mick?”

“No, but it’s a good thing we hadn’t started ‘cocktails’ yet. Let me see what this guy wants and I’ll get rid of him. For all I know, he’s lost.”

Josef hesitated only momentarily before warning Mick about his visitor. In his research on Steve McGarrett, the name and image of Danny Williams was often associated with McGarrett’s.

“He’s not lost, Mick. He works with Steve McGarrett and likely wants to talk with you about your knight-in-shining armor encounter with McGarrett’s sister. Humor me and bring him in here instead of your office. Not that I doubt your ability to handle this guy, but three-on-one are always better odds.”

As Mick rose to let his guest in, a not-so-subtle look passed between the two men. Beth had been around both men long enough to recognize that Josef knew more than he was letting on, something Mick recognized as well and was just a little pissed about.

Introductions were made as Danny was led into the great room. The detective was initially puzzled about St. John inviting him in to what turned out to be his eclectically decorated and positively freezing home. Seeing the security monitor, Danny realized that instead of catching St. John off guard, he was the one off balance; Danny had been prepared for a private one-on-one conversation, not an audience.

Including the PI’s wife in the discussion, however, might actually work to his advantage, as she had spent the most time with Mary after her assault. Her picture hadn’t done her justice, though; the missus was definitely a babe. This other guy, Kostan? Something about him made the hairs on the back of Danny’s neck stand up and from past experience, Danny had learned that that was never a good sign.

“Hey, I’m really sorry to barge in on you like this, but I was in LA and I thought I’d stop by to offer my thanks for helping Mary McGarrett the way you did. Her brother, Steve, is a colleague, but more important, a close friend, and I can tell you that had anything happened to his sister, it would have killed him. Literally, killed him.”

Beth offered their visitor a seat. “We’re glad we were able to help her in any way we could. Join us in a glass of wine, won’t you?”

Looking into Beth’s brilliant blue eyes, Danny found he couldn’t refuse. Wine wasn’t his thing, but hey, when in Rome. “For you, pretty lady, anything.”

A growling noise had Danny looking around. “You guys have a dog? A wolf maybe?”

Kostan looked amused, St. John, not so much. Beth smiled as she answered, “No, it’s the ventilation system. This building is old and sometimes, old things make strange and unnecessary noises.”

Her reply only made Kostan chuckle, but St. John seemed to relax a bit.

“Maybe it’s working too hard, you know, keeping it so cold. You hang meat in here or what?”

Kostan countered. “You’re just used to Hawaii’s gentle warmth and sea breezes, Detective. LA can get oppressively hot this time of year and a cool environment is a welcome relief. If you’re staying a while, you may find just how hot LA can be.”

Danny knew a veiled threat when he heard one; while Kostan’s tone was genial, his eyes were anything but. “Actually, I was planning on staying just one more day. While I was here, I was wondering if there was anything more you could tell me about the man who attacked Mary. She doesn’t remember too much about him.”

Before Josef could antagonize the detective any further, Mick replied. “I’ll tell you what I know. Asian male, about 5’ 9”, fake passport, some interesting tattoos, bad breath and an overactive libido.” Mick’s voice grew menacing. “I have a thing about men who attack women the way he was about to. He won’t do it again.”

“Believe me, I share your feeling about guys like that, and again, thank you for saving Mary. But why didn’t you hand him over to the cops?”

“I knew she’d been doing drugs that night. If I got the cops involved, she’d have ended up in jail. Mary deserved better than that. She deserved a second chance.”

“OK, again, I can’t say I disagree with you, but for Steve’s peace of mind, what exactly did you do with this schmuck? Off the record, of course.”

Mick’s eyes narrowed. “I beat the crap out of him, then handed him over to some friends of mine. They drove him a few miles into the desert and turned him loose. Naked. On the slight chance the jackals didn’t get him, he’ll steer clear of LA. Trust me, he’ll never bother Mary again.”

The PI’s description of events was consistent with what Mary had relayed about some of St. John’s buddies ‘dealing with’ her attacker. Still, Danny felt there was something St. John wasn’t telling him.

“Is there something else I can help you with, Detective?”

Danny shook his head, smiling as he rose and extended his hand. “I’ll be honest. I had an ulterior motive in coming to see you. You’re aware of the strong, actually spooky resemblance between you and Mary’s brother, Steve, right?”

“Yeah. So?”

“There are more similarities between the two of you, my friend, than meets the eye. Except for the hair, which by the way, is impressive, your similarities are more than skin deep. Not that I’m criticizing, but you seem to have a common flair for creatively, albeit illegally, dealing with scumbags that crawl out from under rocks to prey on the rest of mankind. If you ever find yourself in Hawaii, you and Steve have got to get together. Maybe he’ll show you his shark cage or the two of you can play Rambo in the jungle. If you’re really lucky, you guys might find someone to hang off a roof.”

Mick withdrew his hand, puzzled. “Anything else?”

“No. Thanks. I got what I came for.”

After Danny left, Beth seemed relieved. “He seemed happy enough with what you told him. But what was with the shark cage and the rest of it?”

“No idea, but it sounds like this McGarrett is someone I could get to like.” Turning to Josef, Mick asked. “What’s your take on Williams?”

“I’d like to think his odd behavior is due to inhaling all those hair spray fumes, but I think there’s more to our unorthodox detective than meets the eye. He’s like a magician – diverting you with his comical behavior and hand waving while he ferrets out what he wants.”

“Just when were you going to tell me that Williams was looking into me?”

“That’s why I came over. Ryder informed me that Williams was doing a little digging on you. I recognized his name from my research on McGarrett. By the way, you failed to mention the tattoos on our Asian friend when we spoke earlier.”

Mick’s eyes narrowed. “And you’re wondering if they were similar to McGarrett’s. Not as ornate, but similar enough to possibly link the two. Just why were you looking into McGarrett in the first place?”

“It’s my job, Mick. Bad enough that an outsider’s stupid behavior could have drawn unwelcome attention to us…”

“Which I took care of.”

“True. Nice touch, by the way, about leaving the attacker naked in the desert. I’ll have to remember that.” Josef grew serious. “But don’t you think it’s just a little strange that the brother of that woman you rescued looks so much like you?”

“Not as strange as why Williams came to LA looking for info. If it’s McGarrett’s peace of mind we’re talking about, why didn’t he come?”

“Good question. I’ll have a few of my guys keep an eye on Williams. Just do me a favor. Watch your back while he’s in town.”

And pray that McGarrett doesn’t come to LA.

“What aren’t you telling me, Josef? Why are the tattoos so important?”

“I don’t have the whole story, Mick, but I should know more tomorrow. A friend of mine is arriving from Japan to help us understand the mess we’ve possibly just been tossed into. He’s the one to best answer your questions. And mine.”

As Danny rode the elevator to the garage, he flexed the fingers of his right hand. St. John had a really strong grip. He’d held on to the PI’s hand as long as possible, tying to make sure he was feeling what he thought he was. St. John’s hand was ice cold, something he had in common with Mary’s attacker, but that could be attributed to the frigid conditions of his apartment. The lack of a pulse, however, was something entirely different.

[r1015bill]

Oh dear....

This is not looking good.

Very good call on Danny being a magician and misdirecting attention! Sort of "Columbo-esque". And of course Danny would love Mick's hair!

Wonderful story!

[jen]

DSR

Fabulous chapter.

Loved the Josef-snark about Danny inhaling hair spray fumes. That is just classic!

Danny is nosey--occupational characteristic, and while he may be telling himself that he is just checking this out 'for Steve' I think it more likely he is nosing around for Danny and while he is a formadible detective, I wouldn't bet on him in a throw down with Josef Kostan or Mick St. John.

Which brings me to another great line when Beth says something about the odd and unnecessary noises old things make after Mick growls at Danny's Beth-directed flattery.

That tattoo subplot is fascinating. Looking forward to the next chapter!!!!

Thank you!

Jenna

[allegrita]

Oooooh... very very cool chapter (and I'm not referring to the air conditioning in Mick's loft). I like the tattoo angle. But I've gotta say, Danny is creeping me out. How would he know to even feel for a pulse?! Does he know about vampires?!

I'm looking forward to meeting the guy from Japan. What is he going to tell Josef and Mick? And what do those tattoos actually mean...?

I've always been fascinated by the dichotomy of Alex's two shoulder tattoos. One seems so serene and metaphysical, the other so mechanistic and cerebral. I'm looking forward to their meaning in the context of this story. And I'm looking forward very much to more Josef and Danny snark. I've always loved the way you do Josef, and you have Danny nailed.

You hang meat in here or what?

Loved the little touches, like Beth dismissing the growling sound AND the reason for the growling sound in one nifty turn of phrase... and Josef's perfect description of Danny as a magician-type. That's just how he works, and it is a very effective technique. Mick had better stay on his toes!

I'm really loving this story.

[moonlightlover60]

Uh oh, how could Danny be so sure Mick didn't have a pulse was he holding his fingers over Mick's wrist? Damn it Danno you're putting your nose into something you shouldn't. I am loving this story and am very curious what the tattoo's are all about, what connection if any is there to Steve and Mick? Loved our Josef's crack about the hair spray and Danny's hair. And yes Danny, Mick's hair is very impressive!
Thanks DSR

[darkstarrising]

Oh dear....

This is not looking good.

Very good call on Danny being a magician and misdirecting attention! Sort of "Columbo-esque". And of course Danny would love Mick's hair!

Wonderful story!

Thanks, Rhonda I'm picking on Danny and his 'do just a little. Only someone as fastidious about his own hair would comment on Mick's. I hadn't thought if it, but yes, Danny's 'schtick' is very much like Colombo's - 'just one more thing'

Unlike Columbo, however, Danny is questioning people with 'teeth'

DSR

Fabulous chapter.

Loved the Josef-snark about Danny inhaling hair spray fumes. That is just classic!

Danny is nosey--occupational characteristic, and while he may be telling himself that he is just checking this out 'for Steve' I think it more likely he is nosing around for Danny and while he is a formadible detective, I wouldn't bet on him in a throw down with Josef Kostan or Mick St. John.

Which brings me to another great line when Beth says something about the odd and unnecessary noises old things make after Mick growls at Danny's Beth-directed flattery.

That tattoo subplot is fascinating. Looking forward to the next chapter!!!!

Thank you!

Jenna

Thanks, Jenna I wouldn't bet on Danny - both Mick and Josef have him at a slight disadvantage. I couldn't resist the snark about the hairspray fumes. Danny must have stock in some hair product companies.

As for the tattoos, more about them in them in Chapter 6!!

Oooooh... very very cool chapter (and I'm not referring to the air conditioning in Mick's loft). I like the tattoo angle. But I've gotta say, Danny is creeping me out. How would he know to even feel for a pulse?! Does he know about vampires?!

I'm looking forward to meeting the guy from Japan. What is he going to tell Josef and Mick? And what do those tattoos actually mean...?

I've always been fascinated by the dichotomy of Alex's two shoulder tattoos. One seems so serene and metaphysical, the other so mechanistic and cerebral. I'm looking forward to their meaning in the context of this story. And I'm looking forward very much to more Josef and Danny snark. I've always loved the way you do Josef, and you have Danny nailed.

You hang meat in here or what?

Loved the little touches, like Beth dismissing the growling sound AND the reason for the growling sound in one nifty turn of phrase... and Josef's perfect description of Danny as a magician-type. That's just how he works, and it is a very effective technique. Mick had better stay on his toes!

I'm really loving this story.

Thanks, alle Seriously, I've always found Alex's tattoos fascinating, primarily from the perspective of their vibrancy and intricacy of design. As I said, I really don't have any idea what the shoulder tats mean , but I was able to get a closeup shot of each which helped me weave them into the story. Hopefully, the way I interpreted them fits believably with the story. More about them in Chapter 6, with a little added fun in chapter 7.

The muse just had a blast with Danny - such an easy target and while he knows nothing of vampires, he's curious about why everything is so cold, and in Mick's case, seemingly without a pulse. Just how far will he go to satisfy his curiosity? Maybe just a little too far.

Uh oh, how could Danny be so sure Mick didn't have a pulse was he holding his fingers over Mick's wrist? Damn it Danno you're putting your nose into something you shouldn't. I am loving this story and am very curious what the tattoo's are all about, what connection if any is there to Steve and Mick? Loved our Josef's crack about the hair spray and Danny's hair. And yes Danny, Mick's hair is very impressive!
Thanks DSR

Thanks, moonlightlover60 and you're very welcome. I've always been impressed by Mick's hair and who better than Danny to comment on it? Danny thinks he's doing Steve a favor by trying to learn more about Mary's attack, but he may be doing more harm than good and definitely getting involved in something he shouldn't. As for the tats, whatever is in this story is complete fabrication on the muse's part, but hopefully, it will make sense.

[Marigold]

Having the attacker ‘dealt with’ as Mary described it, smacked of vigilantism. If that’s what St. John was into, the LAPD might want to know about it, assuming they didn’t already. If Steve were here, he might just shake St. John’s hand, compare interrogation techniques and buy the guy a beer.

I love that!

I really enjoyed this three-versus-one showdown. Your characterization of Danny is fantastic!

Well done, DSR! I'm looking forward to the next chapter!

[darkstarrising]

Having the attacker ‘dealt with’ as Mary described it, smacked of vigilantism. If that’s what St. John was into, the LAPD might want to know about it, assuming they didn’t already. If Steve were here, he might just shake St. John’s hand, compare interrogation techniques and buy the guy a beer.

I love that!

I really enjoyed this three-versus-one showdown. Your characterization of Danny is fantastic!

Well done, DSR! I'm looking forward to the next chapter!

Thanks, Marigold It's shameless, I know, but I'm just having way too much fun at Danny's expense. But he is right about how Steve and Mick might just get along.

[jen]

Chapter 6!

Chapter 7!!

I'm happy!!

Jenna

[r1015bill]

Chapter 6!

Chapter 7!!

I'm happy!!

Jenna

Actually, I'll be happy with Chapter 4.

[darkstarrising]

Chapter 6!

Chapter 7!!

I'm happy!!

Jenna

Actually, I'll be happy with Chapter 4.

And tomorrow, I'll try to make you happy.

[AussieJo]

A great chapter DSR! Danny showed them he wasn't going to be messed around with.
You are very clever witth words, m'lady.

[darkstarrising]

A great chapter DSR! Danny showed them he wasn't going to be messed around with.
You are very clever witth words, m'lady.

Thanks, AussieJo At least for now...but Danny's not on his home turf and has no idea who he's really dealing with.

[nutmegger911]

Excellent chapter.

The backstory on the tattoos sounds interesting, and mysterious. You've got a good ear for Danny. Oh, and the snark is wonderful.

[darkstarrising]

Excellent chapter.

The backstory on the tattoos sounds interesting, and mysterious. You've got a good ear for Danny. Oh, and the snark is wonderful.

Thanks, NM Near the end of the story, Danny (and his snark) really come into play.