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Several people came and went, which Caterina paid little attention too. After sitting there for a while in her thoughts about her life with Dannya, Caterina realized that she was no longer alone in the room with just her husband and her friend Arms. She looked around to see Remington sitting quietly by the door reading something. Caterina noticed that the usual adversary conversation wasn’t going on between Arms and Remington. Then, she remembered there were times in the past that the two of them didn’t go for each other’s throats, which usually happened when her world had been turned upset down. Caterina knew when Dannya was awake and able to move, they would go at it once again. Caterina looked at her two long time friends, from two different worlds and yet she was the common ground on which they met. She thought to herself, friends are strange sometimes they know when to just listen, to be comforting, time to sit and wait, plus when they could just be themselves.

Caterina was remembering how the three of them met years ago when Amanak entered the room to check on her patients once again. She was mildly surprised to see Ionakana sitting in the room with Caterina. Amanak went over to her husband and gave him a kiss hello. “Hello Ionakana.”

After breaking their embrace, “Ionakana is everyone behaving themselves?” Amanak went over to Danny and checked his vital signs and chart to see if there was anything new noted on it.

Amanak looked up from the chart at Caterina and replied with smile, “That’s good.” In trying to keep the mood light Amanak joked with her friend, “Ionakana I’ve told you before that we need to get that throat of yours checked out, it’s sounding a like Catie’s again.” Amanak laughed and saw her husband smiling from the playing going on. Then she turned on Caterina with more a nurses concern, “But if we’re behaving ourselves then we would be in our own bed.” Amanak got the medication that was left for Caterina to take, but before handing the medication to Caterina, she doubled check to make sure it was the proper medication and that the chart had not been altered again. Then she walked over to Caterina to give them to her “Now take this.”

Caterina took the medication and the silence fall over the room once again, while Amanak took Caterina’s vital signs. Caterina couldn’t stand the silent any longer, “Remington did I tell you how both sets of twins loved campaigning with their father this past year?”

Remington looked up from the newspaper making sure Caterina could not see the headlines, “I believe we talked about it a couple of times.”

Caterina was looking at her husband and really not paying attention to his answer. “Not that they would openly admit they enjoyed themselves, but that’s teenagers for you. They say that they don’t need you, when they really do. One just has to stand by and watch them fall down and pick themselves up again or reach out a hand for your help. You know that yourself with your own kids.”

Remington had a look of disappointment on his face from the possibility of hearing the details of the campaign again. “You are right about our kids, eh.” She only told me almost every blow by blow, event by event, all year since Danny agreed to run for Governor. He looked at Caterina seeing a need to keep her mind occupied with Danny in his present condition and talking would help her get through this ordeal as it has in the past. Remington thought to himself as he watched his friend play with her husband’s hand talking softly to him. How many times Caterina have you sat through this waiting for Danny to wake up from his various injuries through the years. Personally, I’ve lost count. How do you do it? “Caterina you have told me a great deal about your life with Danny through the years, however, you have never told me how you met him.” This has to be better then the details of the past year’s campaign. He could see that Ionakana and Amanak silently agreed with him.

“How did we meet?” Such pleasant thoughts of the years past went through Caterina’s mind about their relationship, the day they met, the day they married, the births of their two sets of twins, etc. “Are you sure I’ve never told you how I fell in love with him the first time I saw him?” Caterina smiled to herself at the mention of those early days with Dannya.

“No Love, you never have. I came into your life after you had been shot and there was trouble in paradise.” Remington saw her reach for her knee where she had been shot years before. How many years ago was that anyway? A lifetime ago, he thought, before I became the famous Remington Steele.

Remington and Arms looked at each other when Catie spoke that name, “It’s been awhile since I’ve heard you called that name,” Arms stated.

Just at the moment Arms commented on Remington’s other name Laura came into the room and sat next to her husband. She looked at her husband with a look of ‘He Knows???’ Laura was aware that Catie knew the truth about Remington, now she wondered how many others in Hawaii knew the truth as well.

Caterina had missed this little exchange between her three visitors as she started to tell her tale about the first day she met Dannya. “Everyone called and still calls him Dan, Danny and/or Danno, with an occasional Daniel.”

When Caterina started to tell her tale there was a commotion at outside the door. Caterina and Arms rose to see what the fuss was about. When she stretched for just a moment a shooting pain came down the left shoulder and arm reminding her of her own injury from the shooting. As she got closer to the door, she recognized Steve’s voice. “What’s the problem Sergeant?”

“It’s Deacon, Lady Caterina, Commissioner.” Sgt. Deacon replies. “We have orders to let no one in unless they are on the approved visitor listing and show proper ID.”

“This is my cousin Steve McGarrett and he should be on that list.” Catie put out her hand, “Can I see the list?”

At the mention of the name of McGarrett, the officer recognized the former Chief of Five-O, a little older, with a full head of silver hair. He was still just as physically fit as he was the day he retired. Then Deacon remembered seeing his name on the list. “Sorry, Mr. McGarrett, we were just following orders, Sir.”

Steve was pleased that the security was tight around his cousin with the present growing circumstances. “That’s all right, you’re just doing your job.”

Deacon showed the list to Caterina and she pointed out Steve’s name on it. “I was double checking the list to make sure Mr. McGarrett had proper clearance and ID, Lady Caterina.”

“Well done, Sergeant.” Caterina thought a little to over protective but that Wise’s doing or was it because Arms was standing there?

Steve went pasted the Sergeant, entered the room giving Caterina a hug and asked, “How is Danno doing?” There was no need for a reply; he could see for himself as he looked towards the bed.

“He is still alive and stronger then he was.” Caterina returned her cousin’s hug. “Steve you remember the Steeles, Remington and Laura. We were just about to discuss how I met the Love Of My Life.” There was a pain in those words ‘Love of my life’ that anyone could hear.

“Don’t let me stop you, I wouldn’t mind hearing your version of what happen back then.” Steve always wanted to know the truth of how the relationship began but never liked to intrude on others’ personal lives, even his own cousin. He may have been her legal guardian since her eleventh birthday, but he gave her a great deal of structured freedom. Maybe that is why she fell in love with a cop. No, Danno is not just a cop he was always the best in the department.

Caterina was led back to her chair and helped to sit back down when she started her story over again. “Where was I, oh yeah, his name. With everyone calling him the same thing, I wanted to be different. When we were alone, I needed something different that no one else would be allowed to call him ever, also something that would not embarrass him in public. So, I started calling him ‘Dannya.’ At first, I only called him Dannya in private, but one day after we were seeing each other on a regular basis, I slipped and called him ‘Dannya’ in public. Thankfully, it never bothered him unless someone else called him ‘Dannya.’ I remember Dannya telling me that after I left the office that day I called him Dannya that Steve, Duke, Kono and Chin teased him a few times just for the fun of it but that was all. No one in the unit ever called him Dannya again.”

“The first time I saw him express no reaction to being called Dannya with a ‘you do not have the right to call me that. So don’t do it again.’ was with our first set of twins. They called him ‘Dannya’ before they called him ‘Daddy’ which was perfectly all right because the twins have always had his love. I remember that happy moment as if it was yesterday, when ‘Daddy Williams’ picked up DJ to gave him a huge hug and kiss for speaking his first word to him ‘Dannya’.” Caterina paused smiling at the memory of her first-born son DJ and Dannya just being so happy and playing together in the living room, the backyard or anywhere they were together. She could picture Dannya playing with all of his children and being the worlds perfect DADDY, loving, caring and protective.

“As far as for a first meeting. I fell in love with Dannya the first time I ever saw him. He looked so wonderful in his blue uniform with its tight fitting shirt with the short sleeves showing those muscular arms with strong hands.” Caterina was in her own little world talking about times with Dannya, she absent mindedly traced her hand up and down her husband arm, then moved it to his hand once again. “Back then his body was hard and firm from surfing along with all the other sporting activities that was part of his daily life. He has always loved tennis and coaching little league.” Caterina could still see him that way in her mind, younger, stronger, leaner and very fit body with an attitude about him that said ‘I’m going to conquer the world.’

“Where did I first see my Mr. Wonderful?” Caterina looked around the room to see the others watching her. She knew no one would know the answer, so she continued. “Honolulu High School auditorium, Officer Dan Williams of HPD was giving one of those recruitment speeches to the senior class. Standing on that stage, he looked taller then his five foot seven inches. It wasn’t until I saw him in the hallway that I could see he was on the shorter side of six feet tall. Up close, he was better looking then he was on the stage. There was a presence about him that I could not defined then or now.” Caterina voice was soft and pleasant. She was talking about one of her most favorite subjects in the world, her man. “I remember walking down the hallway past him when a friend pushed me right into his arms. There was something in his eyes and his smile that took me by surprise. I felt butterflies in my stomach from his touch.

“I remember his first words to me ‘Are you okay, Miss?’ He had this wonderfully inviting smile that was a little crooked but very pleasant.

“I looked into his beautiful blue eyes saying, ‘Yes, just fine.’ When Officer Williams let go of me, then he bent down to help me pick up the books that had fallen. ‘Sorry Officer Williams about that, my friends were joking around when they pushed me over here.’ We both looked over to my friends who were giggling.

“The school principal addressed me ‘McGarrett I suggest you get to your next class.’

‘Yes Mr. Stevenson.’ I replied when I remember noticing a look of recognition in Dannya eyes at my last name. ‘There you go, Miss McGarrett’ he said as he handed me my last book.

“I turned to rejoin my friends and he turned back to the other taller officer and Mr. Stevenson who he was with.

“I walked way with my girlfriends. We were all giggling as we turned the corner to go to my next class. Just as I was about to go around the corner, I wanted to get one last look at him only to find him standing there looking in my direction. He smiled when our eyes meet. At that point, I ran to catch up with my friends. I remember in my Algebra class, all I could think about was the way Dannya looked liked standing there after bumping into him.

“My first formal meeting with Dannya when we were properly introduced was when he was a rookie on the Five-O team. He worked on a few assignments for Five-O during the last of his rookie years on HPD. When Steve’s former Deputy Chief retired, Steve decided he wanted someone young, new, someone without built-in bad habits that wouldn’t clash with his, furthermore, Dannya was only twenty-six and just off probation from HPD when he joined Five-O.

“He had been working with the unit about a month or so on a permanent basis when Steve had all the guys over for a lasagna dinner on November 10, 1971. It was several days after my 16^th birthday; Steve had worked late on my birthday, which I assumed he had neglected like he did other events because of work.”

Remington inquired, “Wait a minute, how can you remember that date so clearly?”

Caterina looked at him “Men never remember the important dates that involve their Ladies. Laura, does Remington remember the date not the day but the date you first met?”

Laura thought about it, she could remember that date, along with all details of the day she could. “Yes he does, because I can remember the date as clearly as the events of October 1, 1982. Remington has various combinations of that date for security codes in our lives.” That is the security code on the alarm of our homeP that Remington set up figuring it would be easy for both us to remember and no would figure it out to easily unless then knew the day they met.

“I remember, because is November 10^th, the day my world of events began and moved around every since. I was engaged on November 10^th, I was married two years later on November 10^th, and I take an annual vacation with my husband around November 10^th. November 10^th is the circle in which the Dan Williams Family universe began.”

It finally hit Steve, he snipped his fingers and said, “That’s why you always requested the week that November 10^th fell in to take a vacation with Danno.”

“The great detective McGarrett finally figures it out after fifteen years of asking for and getting a couple of the days off around the 10^th of November every year. Even with talking him into watching the kids on the 10^th every year.” Caterina shook her finger at her cousin “I always knew that dates were your weak point when they were not part of case you were working on.” Everyone in the room laughed including Steve.

“In fact for several years Dannya thought my birthday was on the 10^th until someone corrected him, not mentioning any names, like my cousin Steven. For about five years, I had two birthdays, one with my cousin and friends and one private one with Dannya.

“The year is easy to remember because it was my 16^th birthday. That night Steve served his home made lasagna, the only thing that Steve’s cooks better then you Remington.” Caterina laughed a little and heard Remington joining her.

Laura commented, “Not everyone is as a good cook as Remington is. It has also been amazing what he can create from nothing. Heaven help me, I would poison our family if I did all the cooking at home.” Laura smiled then leaned over to give her husband a kiss on the lips.

“I remember that about Remington. I have been amazed at what he can do with very little in the kitchen. I remember a night long ago when he did just that.”

“All right ladies,” Remington holds up his hands, “I get it. When Danny wakes up, I’ll go back to your house Caterina an cook you one of my specialties of your choice, other then lasagna.” They all laughed at Remington statement of cooking dinner for everyone. Remington enjoyed cooking and really hated being baited into doing it, when all you had to do was ask.

Caterina turned around to look at her old friend, “Thanks Remington, it’s been a long time, but I …. Thanks.” She smiled a thankful smile and returned to her story. “After dinner Steve, Chin Ho, Kono, Duke and Dan started talking business, I couldn’t believe that my Cousin over there” Caterina stares at Steve with one of those looks, “was having a business meeting instead of a party. But I put the dishes in the dishwasher, and then disappeared to my bedroom unhappy that no one remembered my birthday.

“When I was out of sight Dannya and Duke left the apartment to pick up the surprise ice cream cake and get the gifts that were in Steve’s trunk. I was reading something while listening to ‘Barry Manilow’ on my stereo when Dannya knocked on my door while opening it the rest of the way. Then he asked if I would like to come out for some desert that they had picked up. I remember thinking how I didn’t want to join them for desert and sit listening to them discussing more case work. I started to reply ‘no’ when I looked up and saw Dannya came into my room and was standing by the side of my bed. He had a look of ‘come on and trust me’ on his expression, that I had to follow. He put his hand out to helped me off my bed and there was look in his eyes that have always been pleasant to see. When I was standing up, he gave me an affectionate hug and a kiss for my birthday, a real hug and a real kiss. It was my first kiss from someone who gave me butterflies that have never gone away. “

Caterina saw in Steve’s eyes a look of, if he had known he would of drop kick Danno off the lanai of his apartment for touching his cousin who was still a minor at the time.

Remington and Laura had a real look of surprise on their faces at the mention of the first kiss. “Your first kiss and hug???????” they said in unison.

“That’s right, my first kiss.” Caterina paused to remember that first kiss and touched her lips where Dannya placed that first kiss and smiled to herself while the others looked on. “Okay, okay” with a bushing smile on her face, “it’s not the kind of kiss and hug I get these days for my birthday, but it was still my first real birthday kiss and hug from a man other then my cousin and/or his long-time friends. For weeks after that, I could not forget the aroma of his after-shave and the feel of his hard body against mine. I fell totally in love with Dannya that night which was probably my first case of true puppy love that has lasted a lifetime. Dannya as you know is ten years older than I am and to him I was just a growing young woman or what my cousin would have called it ‘Jail Bait’.” Caterina laughed at the last statement thinking about how the age difference didn’t matter any longer.

“When I got out to the living room, everyone started to sing ‘Happy Birthday.’ Steve had one of the biggest smiles that said ‘Do you really think I would forget your Sweet 16^th birthday?’ Steve gave me my present of a set of car keys to a dark green Pinto with a half vinyl black roof, and Dannya gave me some perfume that I started to use and have loved using ever since. The best part of the party came when I received my first public kiss on the cheek and hug from Dannya.”

“For the next couple of years, I used any excuse I could to go over to The Palace to bug my Cousin for this or that, hoping to see or even better to physically bump into Dannya. He must have thought I was a little weird running into him all the time, but he didn’t seem to mind too much. Or at least he never let on that it bugged him.”

Caterina stopped talking because of the medication Amanak had given her a while ago was making her sleepy. She got comfortable in the chair holding on to Dannya’s hand and fell asleep dreaming of their life together.

Arms rose from his sit, went over to Caterina, and picked her up. With Amanak assistance, Danny’s hand was removed from Caterina’s tight grip. Arms carefully placed his dear friend in her own bed. “Sweet Dannya dreams Caterina. I wish you the most pleasants dreams.” Then he leaned over her and kissed on the forehead the way he had for years with his own and the Williams children.

One by one, everyone left the room when another police nurse came into the room to keep an eye on the Chief and Lady Williams.

P Covert Steele by Nancy Eddy – Fanfiction story at is a crossover between Hawaii Five-O and Remington Steele. Location of the story is http://members.xoom.com/remylover/casebookmulti.html