"If anyone asks, I'll deny I ever said this," Danny grinned as he closed the passenger side door of the Silverado and looked at the surfboards strapped into the bed at the back, "But that was actually a lot of fun."

He had kept his promise to Kono, even though it had been practically forced out of him, and Danny, Steve, Grace and Nahele had all spent their Saturday surfing with her in one of her favourite spots. He had also finally been able to fulfil part three of Steve's birthday gift, even if it was a couple of weeks late, and they had eaten malasadas on the beach, leaning against one another in peaceful companionship. He was tired but happy, and seeing the kids enjoy their leisure time had been wonderful.

The wake for Maggie Cho the previous day had gone as well as it could have, and they had also received news from Australia that another child had been tracked down and would be reunited with their real family within a matter of days. All in all, Danny was in a very good mood.

Steve chuckled. "I'll find a way to get you to repeat it, probably under pain of torture."

He watched Danny tug their surf gear from the back seat. His hair was still fluffy after the ocean had washed any trace of product from it, and his open-collared flannel shirt and tight fitting jeans made him look absolutely edible.

"Good luck with that," the blonde snickered and swung their bag over his shoulder. As they approached the front porch, he noticed two boxes hidden to one side. "Hey, you order something babe?"

Steve's eyes widened with excitement, and he grabbed up the boxes to take them inside. "I know exactly what these are," he said cryptically.

Danny unlocked the door and threw his keys into the bowl, and his fiancé walked through to the kitchen to place the parcels on the table while the cop dropped the bag in the living room and followed him.

"I told you not to order car parts online, Steve..." he warned, guessing that was what they must be.

As he looked over his shoulder, he got a glimpse of the packaging; one had a postmark from LA and had a hand-written address for them, which Steve slid to one side, and the other with a printed label had an unidentifiable company logo on it.

"They're not for the car. Hand me a knife, baby?" Steve asked, and Danny went to the drawer to grab something for him to cut the tape open with.

"What is it, then?" Danny focused on the one Steve was currently tackling, his curiosity getting the better of him as he watched his lover excitedly slit the box open.

"I got you a present," Steve grinned devilishly, "I think you're gonna like it..."

The cop had warned him against online shopping on multiple occasions, but there was no way Steve was venturing into a store to buy one of these in person. He had been browsing a reputable website when he'd come across this particular item, and there was no way he could resist purchasing it. He was pretty sure Danny would get a kick out of it; he was already getting hard thinking about it himself.

Danny leaned in to try and get a better look, but his fiancé folded the box shut again. "You got me a gift I'm not allowed to see?" he raised his eyebrows at Steve, "That's doesn't seem fair..."

"Oh, you'll get your gift..." Steve purred, moving his body to insert it in between Danny and the table, "But I just need you to do something for me first."

"What's that?" the detective licked his lips when Steve's hand ran up his thigh. His lover looked delicious in his jeans, and the dark blue t-shirt that stretched over his shoulders and pecs, and now he had an intriguing sparkle in his eyes which was making Danny's stomach do funny things. His excitement about what might be in the box was growing, making blood rush south.

Steve slipped his fingers under Danny's chin and tilted his face up a little further. "Go into the bedroom and strip down for me," he said, sensual voice practically a whisper, "I'll be through in a minute."

He leaned in and kissed Danny delicately on the lips, enjoying the tiny happy noise the blonde emitted, and when he leaned back his lover still had his eyes closed.

"I promise it will be worth the wait," he added.

"Hmm... okay," Danny eventually opened his eyes and looked up at Steve, "Don't keep me waiting too long," he grinned.

Steve watched him walk away, and then went back to opening the parcel. He unwrapped the gift from its protective tissue paper and slipped it through his fingers, making sure he understood how it fit, and then headed for the bedroom.

He peeked through the open doorway to see his lover sitting on the bed, undressed aside from his boxers and leaning back on his hands with his ankles crossed. He would look wonderfully relaxed if it weren't for the way he was wiggling his toes to expend his pent up energy.

Danny was never still for a second – he even twitched and mumbled when he was asleep – so this wasn't unusual. In fact, the only times he was completely inactive was when he was fucked out and high on endorphins and sex, and Steve was more than happy to arrange that right now.

"Close your eyes and stand up," he said, holding the item behind his back and out of view as he entered the room.

Danny did as he was told, anticipation dancing through his veins. His lover enjoyed keeping him on his toes, but unexpected surprises like this made things even more special.

"You've already given me a fantastic birthday present two months ago, if you remember, babe," he said, shutting his eyes and listening to Steve cross the room, feeling one of his fiancé's hands gently turn him to the side, "What's with this, huh?"

"It doesn't have to be someone's birthday to do something special," Steve said smoothly, standing behind him, "And I wasn't going to wait until Christmas to try this out when I saw it..."

Danny felt a wide leather cuff slide around one of his wrists, metal clips fastening it in place with enough pressure to be solid but still comfortable. Steve kissed him softly on the back of his neck, making him hum as his hands were brought to the small of his back where the other wrist was given the same treatment, and the two were clipped together to be held in place crossed at his back with his shoulders drawn back slightly.

Cuffs were nothing new; he'd been tied to the headboard in various positions before now, had his hands free-cuffed in front of him, behind him, above his head. So Steve had got him some fancy new ones, that was nice... but why was his fiancé finding these ones extra sexy? What was so special about this present?

He was about to ask as much when his unspoken question was answered. Steve lifted Danny's chin, and another wide, padded leather strap slipped around his throat and was buckled in place. Something was locked on to the cuffs, and his wrists were pulled a little further up his back while he heard a click at the back of his neck.

"Oh Jesus..." he whispered, every nerve ending in his body tingling as the collar was adjusted slightly.

Steve's breath on the shell of his ear made him shudder and whine, and the brunette's wet tongue traced the edge gently.

The ex-con let go of the strap that now ran down Danny's spine, taking away what little support he'd been supplying, and sighed at the way the weight of the cop's arms pulled on the leather connecting them to his collar and forced his lover's head back, making him grunt against the strain. Danny shifted his shoulders and lifted his wrists to give himself the slack again, but it made his back naturally arch to cope with the short strap and thrust his chest and ass out.

The position it put him in was slightly uncomfortable for Danny physically, but not enough to detract from any potential fun. Plus, it gave him the firm impression that he was now very much under Steve's control, and his already-hard cock twitched with eagerness.

He swallowed past the thick collar, giving it an experimental tug with his arms, and his voice quivered slightly when he spoke. "Okay, this is new..."

"Do you like it, baby?" Steve's voice was practically dripping with heat, and it sent a shudder down Danny's spine.

In reality, he knew that if he said no that Steve would take it off him straight away; if he was unhappy with this level of helplessness or if the binds hurt him, he could say the safe word and they'd be off in an instant... but the filthy, deviant parts of his brain that needed to be used and abused told him that he could struggle all he liked, scream and fight and try to escape, and he wouldn't be able to. He was at Steve's mercy, his bitch, something for him to play with... and god, those thoughts felt unbelievably erotic.

There was no way he was saying the safe word today. He wanted to be his master's slave, and this new toy made him feel the part even more so than usual. Just the knowledge that he couldn't do anything but submit was a huge turn on, and he knew he was leaking precum without even being touched.

He loved it when Steve held him by the throat, and this collar meant his lover could do exactly that without even touching him. Somehow that made Steve so much more powerful in Danny's eyes, made him want to kneel and worship his god, and holy shit did that work for him.

All those thoughts rushed through his brain, but the only verbal answer he could manage to Steve's question was a broken, needy moan.

"I'll take that as a 'yes', shall I?" Steve chuckled, running the flat of his tongue over Danny's bare shoulder and raising goosebumps.

His fiancé's skin still tasted of the ocean from their morning of surfing, and that made him even more delicious than usual.

Steve moved around in front of Danny, gazing down his body and taking in every inch of him, his erection straining against the fabric of his tight black boxers. The mechanic felt his own cock do the same, pressing at the tight restriction of his jeans.

"Look at you," he breathed out, praising the man in front of him who gave himself willingly, "God you're beautiful, and you're all mine..."

Danny whimpered and squeezed his eyes shut, and Steve could practically feel the need rolling off the detective. Danny was loving this, his muscles trembling with exhilaration, and that made the brunette lick his lips and hum happily. He leaned in to Danny and ran a single fingertip down from his lips, over his collared throat and chest, his stomach and navel, to stop just above the waistband of his underwear.

"All mine," he whispered roughly, and Danny's knees almost buckled under him.

"Yes, fuck yes..."

Steve groaned and couldn't resist licking the skin under the hinge of Danny's jaw, just above where the collar covered him. The way the device pulled him to attention was magnificent, and Steve kicked the blonde's ankles apart a little more and stepped back to take in the view.

"Holy fuck, you're gorgeous," he sighed. He was all wide chest and taut abs, and he'd never looked so tempting. He was aware he was repeating himself, but Steve just couldn't get over how this toy accentuated every perfect element of his man. "I could just stare at you all day..."

Danny lifted his arms again so he could lower his head enough to gaze at his lover. "That would be a bit of a waste of your time when you could be fucking me," he bit his lip, and the raw need shone through in those baby blue eyes, "How about you put me to good use?"

Steve felt like he was going to choke on his own excitement, releasing a frustrated whine of his own. "Oh god Danny, do you even know what it does to me when you say things like that?"

He stepped right up close to Danny again, letting his lips hover less than an inch from the detective's but forcing himself to hold back from taking what was his, punishing them both while his fingers ghosted down Danny's hips.

"I know exactly what it does to you," Danny whispered seductively, "And I also know that I get punished when I misbehave..."

With that, the blonde stepped forward and took Steve's mouth with his own, biting down on the ex-con's lower lip with the blatant intention of pushing him to the limits of what he would allow.

Steve gripped his lover's hips hard, crushing their erections together and grinding against Danny while he indulged in the kiss. Then he stepped up his game, let the kiss become harsh and sharp and full of danger, and he tugged his lip from between Danny's teeth to bite at the cop's with vicious passion.

Danny managed to turn his face away, only for Steve to nip at the sensitive skin under his ear, and the taller man reached around his back to yank hard on the strap and pull his head right back. The Jersey man let out a sound that was half gasp and half moan, and it made Steve grin wolfishly.

"Bad boy," he growled against the leather, sending vibrations through his captive's body to twist in his gut.

Danny was suddenly dragged around, and he lost his footing and grunted as he was thrown to the mattress on his front, his boxers yanked from his body. The bedside drawer was ripped open and he heard the lube bottle cap snap open before his cheeks were pulled apart and the cool liquid was squirted directly onto his hole.

He fought against the cuffs, but they only pulled his head back, and Steve's finger pushed roughly inside him before he could even try to move away. He cried out, loving the ferocity of his lover's actions. The mechanic's other hand clasped over his mouth tightly as he straddled Danny's thighs on the bed and leaned down over him.

"Shut up," Steve hissed in Danny's ear, "If you make too much noise I'll just fuck you until I come and leave you here wanting, you understand?"

He didn't mean a word of it, not really, but the menace in his voice was hot enough in itself.

Danny's answer was to open his mouth and take one of Steve's fingers inside, sucking on it hard.

Steve's eyes rolled back in his head at the sensual feeling – one finger in Danny's mouth and one opening his ass up ready – and his body ached to be naked and fucking Danny right that second.

He pushed two fingers into his ass, pumping carefully, and when his fiancé bit down on the one in his mouth Steve ducked down to dig his teeth into Danny's shoulder in retaliation. The blonde gasped and released his hand, so Steve raised himself up and pressed down on his lover's lower back to restrict his squirming while he graduated to three fingers.

He loved it when Danny misbehaved and battled against him, it made his eventual victory all the sweeter. It was exactly why they had a safe word, so they could be as volatile as they liked when the mood took them – pushing and fighting, biting flesh and pulling hair, being physically at war with one another while inside loving every second of the vicious intimacy – and know that they weren't really going beyond one another's limits.

He would never actually hurt Danny, never go beyond the pain threshold of his lover, however high it may be, because for them it was all about trust. He knew the cop would tell him if he was going too far, and Danny knew Steve would stop in an instant if asked.

Danny bit down on the sheets to stifle his filthy groans and pressed his ass up towards Steve as best he could. His movements were restricted by the bonds and the other man's weight on his back and legs, so all he could do was twist his shoulders and try to stay quiet.

He was ready for Steve to take him, but his man obviously wanted to take his time preparing him. That was torture in itself, and he whimpered into the mattress and screwed his eyes shut. He couldn't stay quiet any longer.

"Steve, god... please..."

Steve thought about telling Danny to shut up again, keep that level of control over his behaviour, but hearing him beg was so much better than forcing his silence, sparking the carnal beast within him to life.

He had made Danny stay quiet before, once when they'd gone out for lunch together and he'd dragged the detective down a back alley to fuck him against the wall. Steve had challenged him not to make a sound, and the strain of holding his tongue even in the moment of orgasm had exhausted Danny and caused him to bite the inside of his lip so hard it bled.

Danny had loved it; the ownership, the achievement of gaining so much respect from Steve for his unbelievable self control, and the way it had reminded him of their experiences in Halawa when he'd had to keep quiet for fear of the guards discovering their night time activities. Steve had celebrated every second of the hot back alley encounter, just knowing that Danny loved him that much to give himself so wholly and follow his commands to the letter.

There would be no silence today though, not when he could plead in that broken voice and set a fire in Steve's belly that threatened to envelop him in flames.

He pulled his fingers out and crouched down over his lover, laying a soft kiss on his cheek before nestling his face into the crook of Danny's neck and breathing in deep. The smell of ocean salt and leather and the gorgeous, familiar scent of his fiancé all intermingled in his lungs and made his head swim.

He allowed himself a moment to absorb this new tempting combination, until Danny groaned and wriggled impatiently under him.

"Mmm, you're hungry for me, aren't you?" he purred, "You can't wait for me to fuck you raw, huh?"

Danny closed his eyes and moaned indecently at just the thought of his man taking him in this position.

"Well that's not how this is gonna happen, baby, 'cause you've disobeyed me and I need to teach you a lesson..." Steve's laugh had an evil edge to it, and Danny thought he might come just from the threat of danger it held.

His lover was unpredictable, and his heart rate soared just knowing he wasn't able to do a thing about the punishment Steve decided to lay out for him.

Steve took hold of the collar and cuffs, and Danny was hauled to his knees on the bed. He was shoved and manhandled until Steve was leaning against the headboard and Danny was part way down the mattress and straddling the ex-con's thighs. He was facing away from Steve so his lover would be able to watch his ass taking his cock as Danny rode him.

Steve took hold of his dick with one hand, and the strap joining the collar and cuffs with the other, using it to guide Danny back and downward until the mechanic's cock was pressed to his slick entrance. He moved the first hand to massage the blonde's ass cheek roughly, and hummed happily, leaning forward to lick a wet line up over Danny's shoulder blade.

"This is a view I could get used to," he sighed, admiring the masterpiece before him; his lover, bound and helpless, the curve of his back and the way his ass jutted out just asking to be fucked, his muscles straining against the leather straps that held him.

He pulled down firmly on the strap, and sank Danny down onto his achingly hard cock.

Danny cried out wordlessly as Steve's dick filled him, just slowly enough to be classed as torture. He finally bottomed out inside him, and the brunette released the toy so he could run his hands over Danny's curves and observe him lustfully.

He felt so tight and hot around Steve's cock, and the ex-con knew this punishment was going to be heaven and hell in equal measure, for both of them.

Steve took hold of the strap again but didn't tug on it, he just wanted to have the ability to wrest control at a moment's notice.

"Fuck yourself on me," he growled.

Danny groaned at the command, his insides twisting with arousal, and he used his thighs to lift himself up and rocked his pelvis, beginning a slow and steady pace. Steve's dick sliding in and out of his hole felt glorious, and he was just starting to enjoy having his autonomy and the ability to decide the depth and speed when suddenly he was forced down by Steve's grip on the collar.

He took his fiancé's cock deep, gasping at the sharp movement, but when he tried to raise up again he was held in place.

"No. You do as I tell you," Steve hissed ominously, and yanked hard on the collar until the cop stopped his struggles. Danny riding him had felt amazing, but this was all about showing his lover who was boss, so he held him down and forced his head back even further. "You're gonna ride me slowly, you know how I like it."

Danny whimpered and pulled against the restraints again, but had to force himself to relax in the knowledge he wouldn't win this. Steve's grip loosened a little on the strap, and when he was free to move he lifted himself carefully.

His movements were gradual and drawn out, and he made sure to roll his hips on every downward drive so Steve's cock would slip over his prostate and send forked lighting up his spine. It wasn't enough to bring him to orgasm, it never was at this speed, but it created a tight feeling of desperation in his belly which he both hated and relished, knowing that it would feel so much better when he could take what he needed.

The mechanic bit down on his lip as he watched Danny's ass move on his cock. It was a glorious sight; his gorgeous, rounded buttocks, his tight hole swallowing his dick over and over, the sheen of sweat that prickled across his skin with the effort of having to restrict himself, and the undulations of his spine as he pleasured his lover. He was tantalizing, mouth-watering, and the lewd, sensual gasps and moans that were drawn from Danny's mouth as he threw all his effort into tormenting himself at the pace Steve desired.

He let him go on for as long as he could stand it himself, his own finish aching for attention in his belly.

"You're so fucking beautiful," Steve sighed, gazing from under lowered eyelashes, "You were made for me to fuck you..."

He used his free hand to lace into those soft, blonde locks and tug lightly.

Danny couldn't take much more of this. The long, drawn out torture, the dirty words dripping from Steve's lips, it was too much to take.

"Steve, god... please... I can't..." He clenched his jaw and strained at the leather cuffs until they dug into his forearms, "I need you..."

There was no way Steve could resist that begging, and he roughly released his grip with both of his hands and spanked Danny's ass sharply. The cop took in a sudden breath and moaned in relief, knowing that that was his signal to take what he needed.

Danny knelt up again, rolling his pelvis and plunging back down onto his fiancé's cock. They both moaned as he picked up a hard and fast rhythm, sweat beginning to pour down his spine as Danny worked them both into a frenzy. His thighs burned with the effort, unable to support himself with his hands bound and his neck pulled back, gasping in deep gulps of oxygen.

"Oh fuck, Danny…" Steve moaned, running his nails down his slick back, "Baby, you feel so good…"

The Jersey man could only groan in reply, feeling lightheaded now that he was free to throw himself into the delicious sensations, working himself hard in reaction to the almost-constant strain of fighting his body's needs before. He could feel his release building inside him after being on a low simmer for so long, and his movements became jerky and he chased his orgasm frantically, ragged breathing reaching the point of hyperventilation.

The feeling of Danny sliding up and down his cock so vigorously was bringing Steve to his climax quicker that he'd thought, and he wanted his lover to come before him. He encircled his arm around Danny's waist, putting all his strength into halting his movements and pushing up into him until he was buried within his channel.

Danny let out a desperate cry as he was restricted again, bowing his spine fiercely in response to the denial of his completion. Steve licked his palm and wrapped his free hand around Danny's neglected cock, his calloused fingers, lubricated by precum, sending sparks of ecstasy through the Jersey man's body, and Danny shouted his lover's name as he thrust forward through his closed fist with what little leeway he had.

Steve clamped his teeth down on his fiancé's shoulder and pumped his straining dick, holding Danny tightly to him and denying himself the stimulation as well as his lover.

"Steve… Steve, fuck… I'm gonna… I'm gonna come… baby…" Danny's wretched, destroyed voice came out between pants as he laboured to obtain any sort of movement on Steve's cock, and just hearing him break that way brought Steve even closer to the edge.

The ex-con grunted against the pressure and squeezed his eyes shut, biting harder and stroking faster.

The detective felt like he would burst, his nerve endings sizzling with electricity with every drag of Steve's palm against his over-sensitive skin. His climax coiled at the base of his spine, growing exponentially tighter until it finally completely enveloped his body, his world falling away.

Danny came hard, going off like a grenade in Steve's arms, his name torn from his lips in an explosive shout. The way he flexed and contracted around Steve's cock ripped the brunette's orgasm from him, euphoria crashing over him in a wave as he spilled his heat deep inside his lover, yelling out his name.

When he came back to himself, Steve slid his hands gently up Danny's arms, one going into his hair as he lay back limp against his chest.

"Oh god, baby… that was fucking fantastic," he panted, "I love you so much…"

Danny's head lolled against his cheek, and when he didn't respond Steve squeezed his arm.

"Baby? Danny?"

Danny sat with his back to the headboard, head in his hands trying to combat the dizziness, only lifting it when Steve pressed the cool glass of water against his fingers. His lover had released the strap securing his bonds together before propping him up and dashing off to get the water.

"Here, drink this," he sat next to him on the mattress and ran a loving, concerned hand through his lover's messy hair, "You need to rehydrate. Can't have you fainting on me again…"

Danny took a deep gulp of water before wiping his mouth and glaring at Steve.

"Passed out," he repeated, "I passed out… don't call it fainting, makes me sound like some wilting flower."

Steve snorted. "I'm sorry baby," he smiled indulgently, eyes twinkling, "I'm sorry I screwed you so hard you passed out."

"I should have known you'd see that as some sort of victory," Danny grouched, finishing the rest of the water and putting the glass down, "You tortured me until I collapsed, are you proud of yourself?"

He tried to look angry, but he could feel the corner of his lips tugging upward in spite of himself.

Steve stood and held out a hand, pulling Danny up and steadying him against his solid frame.

"Yes, actually," he teased, kissing the blonde's forehead, "You need me to carry you through to the living room, or can you cope with that yourself?"

"Fuck off," Danny pushed away from his chest and heading for the door, grabbing his robe off the hook along the way, "I'm fine."

He wasn't mad really, just a little embarrassed at the episode, and hoped to distract Steve from any further mocking. He'd been pushed to the point of desperation during that sex session, and when his orgasm had finally hit he had experienced a moment of complete delirious bliss before he had briefly lost consciousness. If that wasn't enough to make him feel like an idiot, he didn't know what was.

The required diversion came in the form of the other parcel, which was still on the kitchen table next to the opened box.

"You gonna show me what this is?" He picked it up and shook it, and something heavy inside shifted slightly.

Steve took it off him and held it to his chest protectively, having slipped his own robe on. "Go sit down on the couch, I'll show you," he smiled, looking excited.

"Is this something else you're going to use to try and kill me?" Danny grumbled, curling his legs under himself on the cushions and loosening the leather cuffs on his wrists until he could slip them off and drop them on the coffee table. Steve put the package down momentarily so he could unbuckle the collar still around his lover's throat and throw it to land with the cuffs before ripping into the tape holding the box shut.

"No," he grinned, pulling out two photo albums from the bubble wrap inside, "C'mere, I wanna show you something. Mary sent these over, they're photos of my family."

Danny flashed him a smile. "That's great babe, do you think she'll come see us? And your Aunt Deb?" He knew how important making up with his family had become to Steve, and seeing that happiness sparkle across his handsome features made the Jersey man's heart beat harder in celebration.

The mechanic nodded. "It's early days, but it looks promising," he said, hopefully.

Steve opened the larger album and flipped over a page or two until he found what he was looking for. It was a page filled with a large photo of a boy and a man, standing either side of the Marquis in a large garage.

He slid it across his lap so that Danny could see it better. "Here, look. This is me when I was about thirteen. And that's my dad, John McGarrett."

Danny stared at the image, open-mouthed and heart in his throat. He was beginning to feel a little faint again.

Steve was immediately recognisable, even so young, but that man… His mind flashed back to three weeks beforehand.

"It's not for sale," the older man said firmly, running his hand over the hood of the Marquis, "She's been with me for a long time, and I don't want to give her up…"

The Jersey man's mouth twisted in displeasure. He'd come a long way with Chin, whom he'd asked to hang back in the Camaro so the potential seller didn't feel threatened by two men showing up unannounced on his doorstep, and it would be so disappointing if he came away with nothing for it. Especially when they'd managed to track the car down, and he'd invested his hopes in getting hold of it for Steve.

They would have called ahead to ask about buying it, but the couple who owned it were apparently very much off-grid, with no phone to speak of.

"About twenty years, right?" Danny gave him an understanding smile, but only received a suspicious glare in return. He sighed, running his hands through his hair. "Listen, the reason I'm looking for a Marquis… this Marquis specifically, in fact… it's for my fiancé whose dad used to own this exact car. You see, the guy you bought it off, he purchased it in an estate auction, and he only owned it for a couple of months before selling it on… that auction was to sell off items from a couple who died…"

The other man cocked his head to one side, his hazel eyes softening as he listened to the blonde's explanation. "And they were your girlfriend's parents?" he asked.

"Uh, boyfriend…" Danny corrected gently.

"Oh," the car's owner looked a little surprised, maybe not realising Danny had a male partner, "Oh, I see."

Danny plowed ahead. "And yeah, Steve used to work on it with his dad, and I just know it would mean so much to him if he could finish the work they started."

The man crossed his arms over his chest, looking to be deep in thought while he pressed his lips together and gazed at his car. At least he was considering things and not just kicking the detective off his property. Finally, he spoke.

"Your partner… he'll look after her? Fix her up?"

Danny nodded, hopeful. "He owns a garage, loves to work on cars. He's got a great talent with these things, and this car would get extra special attention," he chuckled, "He'd look after her."

The guy walked around the car slowly, fingers tracing a large dent on the wheel arch. When he reached the other side of the vehicle he looked up and locked eyes with the cop.

"Alright," he nodded, "You can have her… but on one condition."

Danny brightened hesitantly. "What's that?"

The owner looked down at the Marquis fondly.

"Just make sure that when he works on her… that he thinks about his family, and he does it with love…"

Danny swallowed hard, tentative finger sliding across the protective film over the photo until it reached the taller figure.

"That's… that's your father?"

Steve gave him a confused look. "Yeah, that's what I said… why?" He had felt his lover tense up, and now he was acting very strangely.

"Steve…" he murmured, feeling light-headed, "That's… that's the guy I bought it off…"