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English
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Published:
2016-10-23
Updated:
2016-11-14
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6,257
Chapters:
2/6
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Chasing Freedom

Summary:

After Grace spends months begging for horseback riding lessons, Danny and Rachel finally relent. Danny is deemed the parent in charge of this activity, which he would be a lot more excited about if it weren’t so incredibly dangerous and if he didn't have to deal with giant animals that probably want to kill his daughter. And meeting her instructor, one Steve McGarrett, doesn’t really do a lot to ease his worries.

Notes:

(See the end of the work for notes.)

Chapter 1: Chapter One

Chapter Text

“Gracie, baby,” Danny said, taking his eyes off the road for a second to glance at his daughter, who was practically vibrating with excitement in the passenger seat. “You don’t have to do this, you know. You can still change your mind, we can just turn around and go home.”

“Dannooooo,” she whined, rolling her eyes, and Danny sighed. He was really hoping to avoid such blatant condescension until she was a teenager, at least, which was almost a year away. But he supposed that with he and Rachel for parents, they were pretty much doomed for the whole eye rolling thing. At least she was still calling him Danno. “Don’t be silly. I’ve been wanting to do this for years. And you and Mom finally agreed.”

“I know, I know,” he said, nodding as he reached up to loosen his tie a little. It wasn’t being a cop that was going to send him to an early death, no, it was Grace horseback riding. Lots of kids were obsessed with horses, Danny knew, but Grace had maintained her interest over the years, even as others had waned, and he and Rachel had finally agreed that she could have lessons. Rachel was conveniently allergic to horses, so that meant Danny was on lesson duty for the foreseeable future. Normally he would be so grateful for extra time with his baby girl—and he was, definitely—but he wished that it didn’t involve giant animals who probably wanted to kill his daughter. Oh god, he needed to breathe again.

“It’s a left here,” Grace said suddenly, and Danny pulled his attention back to the road, flipping his blinker on. They passed under a tasteful wrought iron and wood sign, proclaiming Five-0 Farms. The property seemed large from what he could tell, with green pastures on the right and the left stretching as far as his eye could see. There was a cul-de-sac at the end of the long road, and Danny parked behind an obnoxiously large blue pickup.

“You know who we’re supposed to be looking for, right?” Danny asked, and Grace nodded as she unbuckled her seatbelt.

“Yeah, her name is Cath.”

“Okay. Don’t forget your helmet,” he said, unnecessarily, since Grace had been holding in her lap for the entire drive. Danny didn’t really see how this helmet was different than a regular bike helmet, honestly, but Rachel had just glared at him when he mentioned it and hissed something about Grace looking “appropriate.” He didn’t want to know how much money Step-Stan spent on her new outfits, but even he could admit that Grace looked adorable in her cute pants and little boots.

He wasn’t exactly sure where to go, but he figured that the huge barn in front of them was probably a good place to start. There was another smaller barn off to the left, a cozy-looking house to the right, and a big structure in the back that he couldn’t really see. Danny stepped inside and blinked, trying to adjust to the sudden darkness. It was...really clean, actually, which was kinda surprising, and it didn’t smell anywhere near as bad as he had feared.

A dark-haired guy stepped out of what looked like an office and made a beeline straight for them. He was wearing ratty jeans and an ugly shirt with pineapples on it, of all things, and Danny didn’t trust him. “You must be Grace,” he said, smiling down at her and offering his hand. “I’m Steve.”

Grace giggled as she shook his hand. “Hi.”

Steve turned to Danny, who stuffed his hands in his pockets and rocked back on his heels. “You don’t look like a Cath.”

“Nope,” he said with a laugh. “Cath had to go out of town unexpectedly. I’m filling in today.”

Danny hummed and nodded slowly, spotting a perfect opportunity to get out of this. “Right. Well, if I know Grace’s mom—which I think I do—then she found the very best. Which would be Cath, apparently, not you. So I’m sure you’ll understand if we’d prefer to reschedule at a time when Cath will be here.”

Steve blinked. “I—what? You’re welcome to do that if you want, but I don’t really see the point when I’m already here.”

“What if you’re some kind of hack? I don’t know that you’re qualified to teach my daughter.”

Steve tilted his head and crossed his arms over his chest. “Excuse me? I’m not a hack.”

“And I’m just supposed to trust you on that?”

Steve pressed his lips together and looked like he was deciding whether to smile or scowl. He eventually grinned, though it was one of those grins that Danny hated, like he was missing out on some kind of joke. “Grace is in good hands, I promise. I am just as qualified as Cath.”

Danno,” Grace said, poking him in the side. “Stop being mean. I want to take my lesson with Steve.”

He sighed and nodded, recognizing a losing battle when he saw one. “Okay. I’m Danny,” he allowed. He reluctantly took Steve’s outstretched hand, which was pleasantly calloused, and dropped it quickly. He was tall and broad, probably about Danny’s age, and while it certainly didn’t escape his notice that this Steve guy was really attractive, he was trying not to think about that at all, really. Not important.

“Okay, Grace,” Steve said, propping his hands on his hips. “You ready?”

“Yes!” she said with a wide grin, and Steve smiled.

“Awesome. And what about you, Danno?”

Good god, this guy. “It’s Danny,” he said through gritted teeth.

“She called you Danno,” Steve said, gesturing to Grace, who just laughed, that traitor. “Anyway, you can come back to pick her up in about an hour if you want.”

Danny snorted. He was a fucking cop, thank you very much, there was no way in hell he was leaving his daughter with a man that he’d just met. “Uh, no. I’ll be staying, thank you.”

“Suit yourself,” he said, shrugging. “Grace, you want to go meet the horse that you’re going to be riding?”

She nodded, practically vibrating with excitement, and Danny piped in, “I’ll come, too.”

“You sure?” Steve asked, glancing warily at Danny’s shoes. “You’re wearing a tie.”

“And while your observation skills are impeccable, I don’t really see how that’s relevant. I gotta meet this, this beast who I’m going to trust with my daughter.”

Steve just laughed, that jerk. “Oh yeah, she’s a real beast, all right. Let’s go.”

Danny trailed behind as they walked back outside and toward the pastures. Grace was looking around wildly and peppering Steve with questions.

“How many horses live here?” she asked, and he tilted his head.

“Right now, 42.”

“You own 40 horses?” Grace said, her mouth agape as if that was the best reality she could possible imagine, and Steve laughed.

“No, they don’t all belong to me. Some people pay to keep their horses here.”

“That is so cool.”

Danny disagreed. He kept it to himself, though, and winced as he didn’t quite clear a mud puddle. They’d reached a fence edge, and a little horse came up to the gate when Steve whistled.

“Oh, look, it’s a redhead,” Danny said, and Steve sighed.

“Well, first of all, it is actually a she. And it’s called chestnut.”

“She’s so pretty!” Grace said, extending her arm over the fence to touch the horse’s nose. “What’s her name?”

“Hermione,” Steve said with a wink, and Grace laughed.

“So is this a pony?” Danny asked, taking a step back. His eyes were a little higher than the horse’s shoulders. “Or a baby horse or something? Are they the same thing?”

“Danno,” Grace said patiently, “a baby horse is called a foal. A pony is just a small horse.”

“That’s right, Grace,” Steve said, looking just a little surprised, and Danny puffed up a bit, never one to miss an opportunity to brag on his daughter.

“She’s done her research,” he said, and Steve nodded.

“Yeah, that’s what your wife said on the phone.”

“Oh, Mom and Danno are divorced,” Grace said, very matter-of-fact as she stroked Hermione on the nose, and Danny winced. It had been long enough that he was generally over it, and he knew Grace was okay, too, for the most part, but it still hurt to hear her say it.

Sorry, Steve mouthed to Danny, over Grace’s head, and he nodded.

Steve opened the gate and slipped something over the horse’s head, handing the attached line of rope to Grace. He dug in his pockets and fished out a few sugar cubes. “Here, hold it out like this,” he said to Grace, and she giggled as Hermione took it gently from her hand. “Danny? You want to?”

Danny raised his hands and took another careful step backward. “Um, no. Not really a fan of the horses, not so much for me.”

“Oh,” Steve said, his mouth stretching into a very annoying smirk. “Are you scared of horses?”

Danny huffed. “Excuse you, no. I just have a healthy amount of respect for a large beast of an animal that could kill me.”

“Danno likes to exaggerate,” Grace said solemnly, looking up at Steve, and he laughed.

“Yeah, I’m starting to see that. Let’s go. Stand here, Grace, on her left, next to her head.”

Danny gave Grace and the horse a wide berth as they headed back to the barn. “Okay,” he called out, from about 10 feet away, “how about for my sake, you give Grace a special lesson on how to be safe around horses?”

Steve gave him a knowing wink. “Okay, Grace, do you know about the fight or flight mechanism?”

“Yes!” she said proudly. “If they’re attacked, some animals fight back and others run away.”

“That’s exactly right. And horses are flight animals. That means no running, no sudden noises or movements, no approaching from directly behind or in front. Got it?”

She nodded, her serious face firmly set. Danny appreciated the advice, but he was planning to just stay as far away as possible, really.

“And watch their ears,” Steve continued. “Horses show a lot in their facial expressions and with their ears. How does Hermione look right now?”

“Um,” Grace said, twisting around to look at her. “Bored.”

Steve laughed. “That’s exactly right,” he said. “Now we’re gonna get her ready to ride, okay?”

“I want to learn everything,” Grace said solemnly, looking up at him, and he grinned at her.

“Well, that’s a very good start.”

Danny smiled—he couldn’t help it, his daughter was the best—and found a handy wall to lean against that was a safe distance away. Steve was showing her things, using lots of words that Danny didn’t understand, but Grace was soaking it all up with a sponge, looking up at Steve with clear adoration in her eyes.

The sound of clopping hooves came from the side entrance to the barn, and Danny looked over. It was a tall young woman, and when she took her helmet off, shaking out her hair, Danny’s eyes widened. Shit.

Her gaze swung around to him, and her eyes shone with recognition. “Danny! Hey.”

Danny gave an awkward wave and snuck a look at Grace, who was humming to herself and brushing Hermione. “Hey there Kono.”

Steve stepped closer and frowned, looking between them. “Do you two know each other?”

Danny opened his mouth to answer, but Kono cut him off. “Yeah, we’ve met before. Danny is Chin’s partner at HPD.”

Danny nodded, trying to smile while he prayed that she didn’t remember the extent of their interaction. “You know Chin?” he asked Steve, hoping to redirect the conversation.

“Yeah, we went to high school together. You’re a cop?”

He nodded again. Kono was grinning now, though, which meant he was probably shit out of luck. “Danny here,” she said, lowering her voice, “got a little drunk at a party last year and played with my hair and told me I was pretty.”

Yep, there it was. He groaned and scrubbed his hands over his face. “Oh, god, I was hoping you didn’t remember that. I’m so sorry. Chin wouldn’t even give me your number so I could apologize.”

“Oh, no apology necessary,” she said, laughing. “You were so polite, it was adorable. Definitely the sweetest of all the drunken come-ons I’ve experienced.”

Steve was still frowning—maybe he and Kono were together or something?—and Danny sighed. “No need to defend her honor, caveman. Chin already threatened to cut off my...arm,” he amended, after sneaking another look at Grace. He turned back to Kono. “Do you think we could maybe, you know, start over?”

Kono grinned and stuck out her hand. “Danny, was it? I’m Kono.”

“Lovely to meet you. You take lessons here, too?”

“She works here. With me,” Steve piped in.

“I’m gonna go grab lunch up at the house when I’m done,” she said, “you want anything, Steve?”

“No, I’m all good, thanks.”

Plastering himself against the wall, Danny nodded and smiled at her as she walked by with her horse.

Grace and Steve were almost done, and he trailed after them to the large structure he’d seen before, a covered arena behind the barn. Steve showed her how to hold the reins properly, and Danny winced as he helped Grace onto the horse’s back. Oh, god.

“So where’s the horn?” he asked.

Steve bit his lip, clearly fighting laugher, but Grace beat him to it. “That’s Western style riding, Danno, this is English style. Mom said it was more proper.”

“Of course she did,” Danny said with a sigh. “I’m surprised she’s not making you ride sidesaddle.”

“Do people even still do that?” she asked Steve, and he smiled.

“Yeah, but it’s more of a novelty thing now. Okay, Grace, let’s go.”

Sighing, Danny ran a hand through his hair and leaned his elbows against the fence. He couldn’t believe he was watching his daughter on a horse. He’d kind of hoped that this was a phase, hence the delay in actually allowing her to do this, but Grace was determined. And he was both proud of her and terrified for her in equal measure. So, fatherhood in a nutshell, basically.

“She’s gonna be fine, you know.”

He jerked at the sudden voice and turned to see Kono standing next to him, eating a burrito. “How could you tell I was nervous?” he asked wryly, and she laughed.

“Bossman is the best. Grace is in safe hands, I promise.”

“Wait, he’s your boss?” Danny asked, and Kono looked at him a little funny, tilting her head.

“Yeah, why do you look so surprised?”

“I just, uh, I didn’t know that.”

“Yeah, he’s the head honcho. Cath and I are the seconds-in-command, basically.”

“Oh,” he said, cursing himself even as he spoke because sometimes he can’t keep his damn mouth shut. “I thought you two were, uh—” He trailed off, waving his hand between them and hoping that was enough for her to get the gist. Kono laughed, her head tossed back, and Danny wished for a second that he hadn’t made such a terrible first impression. And that she was a little older. (Or that he was a little younger, actually. If he was wishing for things.)

“Oh, god no. I’m not really his type, anyway.”

Danny had nothing to say to that, so he just nodded. “How long have you been working here?”

“Since right after high school, pretty much. I rode horses and surfed growing up, and I couldn’t decide which I wanted to focus on. And then a nasty wave screwed up my knee and made that decision for me.”

Danny winced. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

“Can’t complain,” she said, her mouth quirking up, “everything turned out pretty well.”

He turned his attention back to Grace, who was trotting now. Didn’t that seem a little soon? “So you promise this is safe?”

Kono laughed. “As safe as can be,” she said, patting his arm. “I gotta go get ready for another student, but good luck.”

Danny gave her a little salute and dug his phone out of his pocket—he promised Rachel that he would take a couple of pictures, and Grace was admittedly adorable on that pony. He watched with his heart in his throat for the next half hour, and he exhaled heartily when they all walked over to the gate.

“Did you have fun, monkey?” he called out. “You looked great.”

Grace waved at him. Her face was pink under the brim of her helmet, and she was grinning. “So much fun! I already can’t wait til next week.”

“You did a great job, Grace, you’re a natural,” Steve said, patting Hermione on the neck. “Let me show you how to give her a little bath.”

Grace stumbled a little bit when she dismounted, and Danny automatically steadied her by the shoulder. “Did you watch, Danno?”

“I watched the whole time,” he said, shaking her gently by the helmet. “And I even took some pictures and sent them to your mom.”

“I can’t wait to tell her all about it. Hermione is the best,” she said, kissing the pony’s neck, and Steve laughed.

“She’s pretty great. C’mon, let’s go back in the barn.”

Steve showed Grace how to clean Hermione off, and as he passed the hose to her, he accidentally sprayed Danny. “Whoops,” he said mildly, and Danny scowled. This guy, seriously.

“She did great, really,” Steve said to him, and Danny nodded, always eager to accept praise for his daughter.

“Thanks. Lots of girls are obsessed with horses, you know, but she was really committed and did her research. Step-Stan,” he spat, curling his lip, “wanted to buy her a pony, for fuck’s sake, but I managed to wrangle it down to lessons, at least at first.”

Steve nodded. “That’s good. Owning a horse requires a lot of responsibility. Not that Grace isn’t responsible,” he added hurriedly, “because she really seems like she is. But it’s a really big commitment, and you need a lot of knowledge. Much better to start with lessons.”

“So you’re telling me that I was right.”

“Do you want me to write it down for you, or something?”

Danny rolled his eyes. “You, uh, you own this place, don’t you?” he asked, keeping his gaze straight forward and somehow managing to avoid actually scuffing the toe of his. Eventually he snuck a look at Steve, who was grinning widely.

“Yep.”

“So this is probably the place where I apologize for being an asshole, right?”

“Probably,” Steve said with a shrug. “Are you going to?”

Danny sighed. “I’m sorry,” he said slowly, through gritted teeth. “For calling you a hack.”

“How about once more like you really mean it?” he asked, grinning, and Danny sighed again—infuriating, that’s what this was.

“I’m sorry,” he said, enunciating obnoxiously, and Steve nodded.

“Your apology is noted, acceptance is pending.”

Jesus Christ, this guy.