Title: Boone Pretzels, Honolulu, HI by BymagaJones

Pairings: Danny/Steve

Rating: starts off as T, for language. Eventually it moves to MA due to sexy sexy times.

Word Count: over 83,000 (how did this happen?!)

Author's Notes: As always, I need to thank my alpha/beta, SquidgiePDX. Not only do you improve my stories 1,000%, but your notes are also helping me to become a better writer.

The story is complete. I will post one chapter a day to give it a final look-though first.

Summary: AU – Danny Williams owns a Boone Pretzel Franchise in Hawaii and is working hard trying to make ends meet.

Disclaimer: The usual – I don't own the show or the characters from the show or the state of Hawaii or any pretzel restaurants. I have some original characters in here, but anyone who's watched the show should have no problem figuring out which is which.

Chapter 1

Hours before the sun rose Monday morning, Danny Williams, proud owner of the only Boone Pretzels franchise in Honolulu – actually, in all of Hawaii – stumbled down the stairs from his upstairs apartment into a small hallway, stepping directly onto a hard toy with lots of sharp edges. Cursing softly, he moved it aside and opened the door leading into the pretzel shop's kitchen. He turned on the lights and limped over to preheat the ovens before walking out to the front, starting the coffeemaker and leaning against the counter, eyes closed until the aroma started to wake him.

Even after all of these years of waking before the buttcrack of dawn, Danny still found it difficult to get out of bed without the sun. He pushed against his eyes with the palms of his hands, trying to gear up for his day, trying not to think of doing this same thing over and over, day after day, until he just up and keeled over the cash register – hopefully many years from now, after his girls were both grown and could take care of each other. He did what he always did, buried the thought deep down until all he could see ahead of him was the current day.

The last gasps of the coffeemaker told him that it had done its job, and he reached for a mug, filling it up and returning to the kitchen where he washed his hands. His body's muscle memory kicked in as he began automatically making fruit-stuffed pretzels.

This early morning stuff wasn't so bad with coffee, Danny reminded himself. It was pretty much the only time he had to himself, so he held it almost sacred. This was when he went over the details for the day, reminded himself of his responsibilities, of any special plans he needed to remember. Taking this time made it possible for him to make the most effective use of his time.

He mapped out the day in his mind, put the first wave of pretzels in the oven, set the timer, rinsed the dishes and put them in the large dishwasher, and refilled his coffee before returning upstairs for his shower. He suspected that the water heater had seen its best days during World War II, so he always made sure to be in and out in record time so there was enough hot water for his girls. Besides, he had things he needed to tick off his mental list before returning downstairs.

After dressing quickly and quietly, making sure he'd placed his tie clip properly, he took out two of the three bowls in the cabinet, grabbing two spoons on his way to the card table in the middle of the small kitchen. He set the table and pulled out the milk and cereal, making sure he got both cereal boxes. Pouring the two bowls of cereal, he returned the boxes on top of the fridge and grabbed his now-empty mug, sliding his feet back into his slippers and heading back downstairs.

He took out the first batches of pretzels, inserting the sheets onto the cooling racks, and put more in the oven, resetting the timer.

Refilling his mug, he headed to his "office", located in the small alcove beside the stairs. One of the first things he'd done when he'd bought the place was seal the apartment's separate entrance and create the door that led directly from the stairs into the kitchen so that the only way one could get into the apartment was through the shop. The front door had been blocked by a small bookshelf that he seemed to run into every time he backed up his chair from the small desk he'd also installed. The place was cramped, and because he despised paperwork, he spent as little time there as possible.

Of course he stepped on the stupid toy again with the same foot and tossed it up on the desk this time, cursing under his breath as he edged around the desk to reach the chair. He flipped on the floor lamp and leaned over the paperwork, glaring at the numbers as they told him what he already knew: he was in serious trouble. He'd known that a Haole opening up a shop in Hawaii was going to be a challenge, but he hadn't had a lot of choice in that area. He'd hoped, though, after almost two years, that things would've gotten easier. It didn't help that he was receiving absolutely no support from the corporate office.

To be fair, though, business was getting a little better. It was just that with an additional mouth to feed and clothe on an everyday basis, his money – and his time – was being stretched thin.

He sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. He'd figure out something. He didn't have a choice.

Hearing the timer, he headed back into the kitchen and pulled out the pretzels, adding them to the cooling rack.

Now was the time for what he called the breakfast pretzels: ham and cheese, western omelet, and his bestseller, peanut butter and jelly.

After putting a batch in the oven, he returned upstairs to find the two reasons for his existence already seated at the table, eating their cereal.

"Good morning, my angels," he said, making loud smacking noises as he kissed two clean foreheads.

"Morning, Danno," two high-pitched voices said.

Sitting down on the third chair, his hands clasped between his knees, he faced his daughters. "Monkey, you first today."

His youngest daughter, six year old Grace, stood and turned around slowly. Danny pulled down the shirt that was hitched up a little high up on her back and pulled her into a hug. "Brush your teeth?"

Yes, Danno."

"Wash your face?"

"Yes, Danno."

"Wash behind your ears?" He made a show of pulling one of her ears.

"I did that last night!"

"So you did," he exclaimed. "You ready for school?"

"Almost finished with my breakfast," she confirmed.

"Great job," he said, tickling her before he let her return to her cereal. He turned to his older daughter, Jenna. "Bear, it's your turn."

She slid out of her chair, already giggling, hands over her mouth.

"Turn around," Danny said, waving his finger in a circle.

Hands still covering her mouth, she turned around slowly. Her clothes were getting a little tight, and Danny sighed to himself, realizing that he was going to have to get her some new ones sooner than he'd hoped. "You look great too!" He pulled her close to him, just like he did her sister. "Brush your teeth and wash your face?"

She giggled and nodded.

"Good girl." He patted her on the butt. "Finish your breakfast."

He grabbed Grace's lunch bag from the fridge, putting it in her backpack by the door. Glancing at his watch, he said, "I'll be right back. Monkey, get your stuff; we have to leave in a few minutes." He jogged downstairs and into the store, turning off the alarm and unlocking the shop's front door.

"Morning, Boss!" Kono stepped inside, locking the door behind her and following him back into the kitchen.

"You're way too awake. Let me guess. You went surfing this morning."

Kono grinned, washing her hands beside him and grabbing some oven mitts to help him take the pretzels out of the oven. "I almost didn't come in today," she teased.

"Don't even joke," Danny said half seriously. As bad as things were, there was no way he would've even made it this far without Kono. She'd walked in a few days before the store's grand opening, and he'd learned that he'd hired her when she'd automatically picked Jenna up and set her on the counter to get her out of a workman's way. Normally, his daughter was extremely shy around strangers, but she'd taken one look at Kono and had fallen in love. As far as Danny was concerned, short of proof that she'd killed someone or was planning on stealing from him, Kono was hired. Everyday he maintained – loudly – that he regretted that choice, but they both knew that many times she was the only one helping him hold on to what sometimes only amounted to a tiny scrap of sanity. She was more than an employee and a friend. She'd become his family, his Gladys of the islands.

He didn't know what he was going to do when she left for the police academy in a few weeks. As always, when the fear and panic threatened to rise inside him, he forced it away and focused on what he needed to do in the next few minutes.

"I'll be back," he said, catching her nod as he took off his gloves and headed back upstairs.

"Monkey? Bus," he said, leaning against the doorframe as she carefully put her dishes in the sink and picked up her pink backpack. "Bear," he called, watching Jenna follow her sister's footsteps, her doll, Recording Rita, in her arms. "Good girls." He followed them down the stairs, through the kitchen, and into the front area.

"Morning!" Kono chirped as she set the cooled pretzels in the bake case.

"Morning, Kono!" The two girls said as Danny unlocked the door and ushered them outside.

Luckily, Grace's bus stop was at the corner on the end of the street, so Danny didn't have to leave Kono on her own for very long. The neighborhood was relatively safe, but even in paradise, Danny couldn't ignore the street smarts that'd helped him survive in Newark as a fairly good cop before he'd had to quit.

Danny had Grace practice her spelling words for the few minutes they waited for the bus, and she climbed on, waving to her father and sister before the doors closed.