We last left off with Steve swimming around Danny and the kids in his seal form as he was just released back into the ocean after he had healed. As we move on in this next part of SEAL of Approval, Steve comes back to a very angry Danny. Will he tell Danny where he has been and how will Danny take it? if he does? Find out now.
Part 6
He sees Danny stare at him and then nod. “I think so, Charlie, but that doesn’t mean he’s safe to be around. He is still a wild animal.”
He continues to coax them out of the water.
“I think he just wants to be friends.” Charlie reaches out to him.
“Charlie!” Danny grabs his son’s hand and pulls into his arms. Moving quickly now, he walks out of the water and onto the sand, Grace right behind him.
“I think Charlie’s right, Dad. I don’t think he wants to hurt us.” Grace turns and looks at the seal.
He swims up to shore and wiggles his way onto the sand, staying just far enough away to remain acting like a normal seal. He tentatively reaches for Grace and then backs away when she reaches out.
“Grace, don’t. We don’t know what he wants.” Danny warns her.
“Look!” Charlie points out into the water. Danny looks up and sees several more seals, heads bobbing above the water.
Steve glances behind him, barking at the other seals.
“Lilly, what is going on? Why are the pups here?”
“I do not know, my love. You know I have no control over them. Maybe they are curious.” He can almost hear amusement in her voice.
“They need to leave. Danny does not trust me. I do not want any hurt.”
“He would not hurt any. He saved you. They will be fine, my love. Do not worry.”
Steve barks at them again, telling them to stay back. They continue to stare at the humans, their barks almost sounding like laughing.
“What are they doing, Danno?”
“I don’t know, Charlie. I’ve never seen this many at one time. But I think we should go. They seem to have claimed this beach as theirs.” He takes his son’s hand and leads him away from the water.
Grace reluctantly follows him, glancing back at Steve, wanting to approach and see if he is friendly. Steve nods his head, trying to let her know. He has a strong feeling that Grace will accept his secret without question. Charlie, too. It’s their father who might have some issues.
“““““““““““““““““““““““““
Steve waits until he’s sure Danny and the kids have left and retrieves his trunks, changing out at the sand bar and swimming back to the beach. Coming out of the water, he teeters a bit, not having his ‘land legs’. He’s been a seal for so long he’s almost forgotten how to walk. Making his way up to the back door, he finds the hidden key, that not even Danny knows about, and lets himself in.
Coming out of the shower, he looks at the new scar in the mirror. Running his fingers over it, he notices it is right below his ribcage, on his left side. Most definitely it would have cause major, if not terminal, damage if he’d remained human. He blesses the fact that seals heal much quicker than humans. Dressing, he prepares himself for what will be the biggest Danny-rant he’s ever experienced. Picking up the phone, he hits the speed dial for Danny and waits for him to pick up.
“Where the hell have you been? What the fuck is going on, Steven?” He hears yelled into the phone.
“Language, Daniel.”
“The kids aren’t with me. Now, you have a great deal of explaining to do. You call us over for a big secret and then disappear for over two weeks. The kids were very disappointed and the only thing that kept them from being mad was the injured seal we found. They think that’s the big surprise.”
Steve stops pacing, not sure what Danny means. “What do you mean?”
“They think you’ve been holding out on them and have been swimming with the seals. That you have a whole pod, or whatever they are called, living in your backyard and you were gonna share that with them. I almost believe that, considering the injured one showed up this morning while we were there, hoping you would make an appearance. So??”
“What?”
“Where the hell have you been? You know what? Nevermind. Where are you? I’m coming to you so I can see it on your face if your lying to me.”
“I wouldn’t lie to you, Daniel. I can’t tell you where I’ve been.”
“NO, NO, NO! Do not say it. Are you at home?”
“Uh, yeah.”
“Good. I’ll be there in ten. DO NOT LEAVE!” The line goes dead.
Steve chuckles to himself, wanting to leave, just to piss him off, but knowing if he did, Danny may never forgive him. Fixing himself some coffee, he sits down to wait. Sure enough, exactly ten minutes later, he hears the roar of the Camaro’s engine. Steeling himself for the inevitable rant, he goes to the front door.
Opening it, he sees Danny storming up the walk, anger infusing his face.
“All right, SuperSEAL, where have you been? Huh? You promised you would never just disappear again and here you did it. Don’t give me any of that classified shit, either. You tell me where you’ve been or I’m outa here. Yeah, you heard me. I will pack up me and the kids and take off to another part of the island, go back to HPD and never speak to you again. This is just too much, Steven. Bad enough you pull this on me, but to do this to my kids? NO, I won’t stand for that. They don’t deserve it. You’ve disappeared enough while Grace was little. You can’t do this to Charlie. He’s had enough in his young life. You need to be straight with me, and it better be good!” During this rant, he’d stormed into the house, walked across the main room and into the study. He now turns back to Steve, who’s still standing at the front door, his breathing fast and heavy and the anguish for his kids apparent on his face.
Steve, not realizing just how much this affects Danny, closes the door and walks over to him.
“Hey, buddy, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to cause all this. I had no choice. I literally had no choice but to go away.”
Danny, taking a deep breath, looks up into his partner’s eyes. “But where? Where did you go, Steve? Why did you have no choice? And why couldn’t you at least leave a note? Something to let us know you were okay? Hell, I didn’t know if you were dead or alive. And you know me. I have to choose the worst possible situation.”
Steve, touched by this confession, places his hands on Danny’s shoulders. “I should have, but I didn’t have time. You know I would have let you know everything if I had the chance. I just didn’t. I am truly sorry, buddy.”
Danny doesn’t move for a moment and then nods his head. Looking up into those hazel eyes, he grins. “You still haven’t answered my question. Where have you been?”
Steve, hoping to avoid it, lets go of the compact man, turning to the back door. Gazing out, he can see the pups are still in the water, maybe looking for him. “I can’t tell you, Danny.” He holds up his hand before Danny can speak again. “At least not yet. Will that do for now? I will tell you, just not now.”
He looks back at his friend, who slowly nods. “You know I won’t let this one go. I can’t. Charlie asks every day where his Uncle Steve is and when he’s gonna come home. And Grace? She knows about your past and seems to understand, but she was still hurt when you weren’t here.”
“That’s why I can’t tell you now. I want both of them here. I want to tell them I’m sorry and then tell you all where I’ve been and what’s been going on.”
Danny looks up him, not believing that this man can still surprise him. “You want them here when you tell me? Are you sure?”
“Yes, Danny. I’m sure. You all deserve an explanation. Do you think you could get them over here tomorrow morning? It’s Sunday.”
Danny thinks for a minute and nods. “Yeah. I don’t think Rachel will give me a hard time about it. She’s as upset as I am at how hurt the kids were. I think she’ll be okay with it.”
“Good. Have them here early. This might take some time.”
To Be Continued...
Story by P_Street_7609
Fan Art by Becoming_Bryna
