Disclaimer: I don't own Hawaii Five-O or any of its characters.
Thanks to Tanith2011 for beta-reading this for me!
Home for the Holiday
Tired of Hawaii? How could anyone be tired of Hawaii? But everyone needs a change of scenery from time to time…
Each year as November approached, Steve McGarrett would tire of the tropics and long for the Thanksgiving celebrations of his childhood in New York – the crispness of the air, the fresh apples, the brilliantly colored leaves and sometimes even snow! In the early evenings, when alone in his office, he would stare at The Great Tea Race of 1866, his prized clipper ship painting and muse about the lives of New England sea captains of long ago:
It must have been a difficult life, but in some ways simpler than life in the modern twentieth century, especially when you're the head of Hawaii's state police. Hmm…Upstate New York, New England…isn't that what Thanksgiving is supposed to look like?
On one such evening when the case load was light, Steve leaned back in his leather chair and closed his eyes, permitting his mind to rest and his heart to drift back thirty years or so.
Ah, the sights and scents of the holidays of my youth: Mom and Dad, Mary Ann, turkey and stuffing, apple pie, the Macy's Day parade…
He was soon brought back to reality by a soft knock at the door.
"Come in," Steve responded, still partially adrift in his thoughts.
Danny Williams entered the office. His tie was loosened and the sleeves of his white dress shirt were rolled up, as was usual at the end of a long day. He immediately noticed Steve's far-away look.
"Thinking about New York?"
How does he do that? "You know me too well, Danno," Steve replied.
"Well, how about this," Danny began. "There's a police seminar in New York City the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. It covers applications of computers and other new technology in criminal investigations and forensics. My Aunt Clara has been bugging me to come back east and visit. We could fly into the city, attend the seminar, take the commuter train to Aunt Clara's house and stay for Thanksgiving and then return to Hawaii on Friday. Interested?"
"What about coverage here?" Steve asked, skeptically.
"Duke and Ben have agreed to cover the office on Thanksgiving Day, and Chin will be on call."
"So you've already figured this all out, haven't you?" Steve commented as he raised an eyebrow.
"That's right," Danny responded, looking rather pleased with himself. "Jenny has already ordered the plane tickets; she just needs to phone in the final confirmation."
"And what if I say no?" Steve asked in a challenging tone as was his nature.
"No harm done; Jenny can cancel the reservations with no penalty. I haven't said anything to Aunt Clara yet, so she won't be disappointed." Danny was standing firm against Steve's resistance. "But do you want to go?"
After considering this for a few moments, Steve's attitude softened and a tired smile replaced his usual stern expression. "Yeah, Danno, I think I do want to go, thanks. It might be good to get away for a while."
ooooo
By mid-afternoon on Monday, Steve and Danny had boarded the plane and were on their way to New York. They tried to sleep as much as possible during the twelve-hour trip to ward off the inescapable jet lag that came with crossing several time zones. They arrived on Tuesday morning at eight o'clock, New York time, just an hour before the beginning of the seminar. After a quick taxi ride to NYPD headquarters, they were seated in a large conference room with cops from several nearby states, enjoying coffee and bagels with cream cheese. Steve knew that it was going to take a whole lot of coffee to make it through this very long day!
The hours dragged on. Welcome, keynote presentation, hands-on demonstrations, break, new computer search algorithms based on MO, more coffee, the latest techniques for collecting and identifying fingerprints, lunch, faster methods for tracing phone calls and the chairs were getting harder by the minute. At one point, Steve elbowed Danny, whose head had begun to droop. By the end of the seminar, the two detectives had little energy left. They shook hands with their hosts and the colleagues who had been seated near them, then grabbed their bags and headed for the nearest train station.
ooooo
By Tuesday evening, Steve and Danny had arrived at Clara Williams' modest home, a center-chimney two bedroom Cape Cod in the countryside of upstate New York. There was a biting chill in the air as they stepped out of the taxi into the darkness, and they were greeted by the inviting smell of wood smoke from the fireplace and the sound of dried leaves crunching beneath their feet. Their eyes met briefly, and the same thought passed between them: We're not in Hawaii anymore!
They paid the driver, gathered their luggage and headed for the front door where a delighted Aunt Clara stood waiting for them, almost in tears with her joy.
"Oh, Danny!" exclaimed Clara as she hugged him so tightly he found it difficult to breathe. After all, he was like the son she never had and she loved him as such.
"It's great to see you, Aunt Clara!" Danny responded, a big smile on his face. "It's been too long."
Clara released Danny and gave Steve a more subdued hug. "Steve, I'm so glad you could come, too. We'll all have such a wonderful holiday together!"
Clara realized that her "boys" were greatly in need of sleep, so after a simple supper of homemade soup and bread, she sent them off to the guest room where she had already turned down the twin beds and put fresh towels in their private bath. The weary detectives fell asleep as soon as their heads hit their pillows.
ooooo
On Wednesday morning, Steve awoke to the wonderful aromas of cinnamon and freshly brewing coffee wafting up from the kitchen. He closed his eyes briefly to savor the moment. Then he sat up and glanced over at the bed next to his. Danny was still sleeping peacefully with the quilt and blankets pulled up to his chin. For a split second, Steve felt his gut tighten. He was puzzled by this reaction until he realized the probable cause – the sight of a prone, unconscious Danno usually took place in a hospital and meant a job-related injury. Steve shook that image out his head and relaxed, then quietly got up to shower, shave and dress.
When Steve finished in the bathroom, Danny was beginning to stir.
"Wake up, Danno," Steve said gently.
Danny yawned and stretched. "What time is it?"
"Eight-thirty," Steve responded. "Jet lag?"
"Yeah. I'd better get up. Aunt Clara is probably waiting breakfast for us."
Danny took his turn in the bathroom and emerged dressed in casual clothes for his first real day of vacation. Then the two off-duty cops went downstairs, greeted Clara in the kitchen and soon the three of them were enjoying a breakfast of hot oatmeal with cinnamon, cranberries and maple syrup, juice and coffee.
After breakfast, Clara cleared the table and started the washing up. Out of the corner of his eye, Steve caught sight of a pad of paper on the end of the breakfast table. He squinted, attempting to read the writing. Danny noticed this, and squirmed with guilt. It was Aunt Clara's dreaded chore list. Danny knew this was coming, he'd expected it, but hadn't told Steve about it.
"Uh, Steve?" Danny began, "I didn't tell you this, but Aunt Clara usually has a list of odd jobs with my name on it when I come to visit. I guess she didn't want you to feel left out."
"Then I guess we should get started," replied Steve in his serious, "office" tone of voice as he looked Danny straight in the eye.
ooooo
The two detectives spent the rest of the morning and most of the afternoon raking leaves, cleaning gutters, stacking firewood and installing the first floor storm windows. By four-thirty the sun was setting, the wind had picked up and the temperature was definitely dropping.
Steve stretched his back and winced as previously unused muscles made their presence known.
"You okay, Steve?" Danny asked.
"Yeah, Danno, just feeling my age," Steve replied, attempting a smile. "It's kind of nice to do some manual labor for a change. But I don't want to make it a habit."
Danny massaged his own sore shoulder. Yeah, I remember this from my last visit, he thought.
With the chores of the day finally finished, they returned to the inviting light and warmth of the house, blowing breath into their hands in an attempt to thaw out their freezing fingers.
Although Clara had spent her day with preparations for tomorrow's Thanksgiving feast, she had also managed to make a savory chicken pie for their dinner that night. After cleaning up from the days' work, they gathered at the table and enjoyed the delicious dinner. Outside, the wind continued to howl as they engaged in lively conversation in the snug little house.
Once the dirty dishes were attended to, Clara and her two guests settled into the comfortable chairs in front of the fireplace. Danny immersed himself in a thick novel while Steve worked on the New York Times crossword, and Clara's hands were busy with her latest knitting project.
ooooo
Steve's mind was still very active as he settled into sleep that night. Released from the tight control of his waking hours, the creative parts of his mind began to weave an interesting dream.
Captain McGarrett was on the bridge of the clipper ship the "Ariel", tightly gripping the ship's wheel and barking orders to his crew as they sailed through the icy waters of the north Atlantic. He shuddered as a large wave broke over the bow and soaked part of his thick wool coat. The sky was growing darker. The approaching storm would test the limits of his ship and her gallant men.
Danny shivered in his bed, debating whether he could tolerate the cold or if it was worth getting up to close the window. He finally convinced himself to get up, reasoning that while he was up, he could also get an extra blanket. As he closed the window between the twin beds, he noticed Steve shifting in his sleep and mumbling something unintelligible. Danny pulled the covers up over his boss's shoulders, figuring that if he was cold, Steve probably was as well.
Suddenly the "Ariel" was sailing in the warmer waters of the south Pacific. Most of the crew had peeled off their shirts, but the gentle trade winds that filled the sails made the heat tolerable. Captain McGarrett ordered the lookout to keep alert for signs of land. They would have to make port soon to stock up on drinking water and supplies. Soon the welcome call of "land ho" was heard and they dropped anchor, after which the captain led a landing party to shore. As they hit the beach, the captain spotted a native man approaching. He was bare-chested, his loins girded in a brightly printed cloth, and a crown of small shells circled his head. He wore a cloak of ti leaves and feathers and he carried a large spear in one hand. He also had silvery grey hair and wire-framed glasses. Much to the captain's surprise, the native walked right up to him and spoke to him in English:
"Steve, we've had a call from Chief Dann to review security plans for the governor for the Kamehameha Day activities. He wants you to call him back as soon as possible."
Steve was awakened by the sounds of movement in the room. Danny was pulling on his clothes. The room seemed unusually bright. Steve glanced out the window to see that the world outside had turned completely white. The ice-covered tree branches sparkled in the morning sun.
"Come on, Steve, we have more work to do," began Danny, trying to hide the mischievous look in his blue eyes. "The shovels are in the garage. Happy Thanksgiving!"
ooooo
Steve and Danny set about shoveling the driveway and sidewalk in front of the house. Fortunately, it was a light and fluffy snow, thus easy on their backs. Steve told Danny about his dream from the previous night.
"I don't know, Danno, I just have the feeling that there may be trouble back home. I'm going to call the office this afternoon, just to check in."
"Steve, it was just a dream. Kamehameha Day isn't until June. I'm sure that everything is fine," Danny began. "But you're the boss. If it will put your mind at ease, make the call."
ooooo
With the snow removal duties completed, they were pleased to find hot coffee and sweet rolls waiting for them in the kitchen. They were just in time to catch the Macy's Day parade on television. Aunt Clara never missed the Macy's parade. It was a tradition every year. Steve enjoyed watching the parade, but once that sixth sense of his kicked in, he just couldn't relax. He kept thinking about his dream and uneasy feeling that came with it. Danny noticed his boss's fidgeting and tried his best to look understanding. Steve kept glancing at the clock, mentally calculating the current time in Hawaii. He held out until one-thirty, and then placed the call.
"Lukela, Five-O"
Hearing Duke's voice worked wonders toward partially calming Steve's nerves.
"Hi, Duke, it's Steve. I'm just checking in. Is everything okay?"
"Sure, Steve, everything is quiet here this morning. We just got in," Duke began. After an uncomfortable pause, he continued. "We did have some excitement yesterday, though."
"What happened?" Steve replied, suddenly concerned.
Duke glanced over at Ben with a strained expression before he went on.
"The governor was in an accident, Steve. He was driving up to the North Shore on Kamehameha Highway and took a sharp curve too fast around Kualoa Park. Clean break of his left arm and a slight concussion. He should be released from Castle Memorial on Saturday. HPD is handling security at the hospital. Che Fong is going over the car just in case, but it looks like a simple accident."
"Why didn't you call me?" Steve asked sharply, more than a little bit peeved.
"The governor practically ordered us not to, Steve. He knows that you needed this vacation," Duke explained calmly. "I also think that he's a little embarrassed about the accident."
"Okay, Duke. We'll be on the first plane out of New York tomorrow morning. We're scheduled to arrive in Honolulu at three tomorrow afternoon."
"I'll make sure someone is there to pick you up. Anything else?" asked Duke.
'Yeah," said Steve more calmly, "Happy Thanksgiving!"
ooooo
By late afternoon, Steve, Danny and Aunt Clara were seated around a festive table that was laden with all kinds of wonderful food. Steve did the honors and carved the turkey, which had been basted with apple cider and maple syrup, turning the skin a deep brown and sealing in the juices. They gave thanks for the blessings of the year and included a prayer for Governor Jameson's recovery. Clara was most thankful to have her favorite nephew under her roof again along with the man who was surely as close to him as a brother. They ate their fill of the delicious meal, and afterward, the two men insisted that Clara sit by the fire while they washed all the dishes.
ooooo
Friday morning seemed to come very quickly, and Steve and Danny bid aloha to Aunt Clara and were off to the city and the airport. After checking their bags, boarding the plane and listening to the spiel about emergency procedures, they settled in for another twelve-hour trip. Danny slept off and on but Steve was restless and drummed his fingers on the fold-down tray.
"Relax, Steve, you can't make the plane go any faster," Danny said as he stifled a yawn.
"Sorry, Danno, did I wake you?"
"No, I was just thinking – I miss Hawaii," replied Danny as he ran a hand through his curly hair. "It will be good to be home again."
Steve smiled. "I feel the same way. It was wonderful to be in New York again. It brought back a lot of good memories, but Hawaii is home now. Guess I had to leave to really understand that."
ooooo
The plane arrived on schedule in Honolulu. When the detectives entered the terminal, they spotted a petite woman with auburn hair in a lime green sleeveless dress. She was carrying two plumeria leis.
"There's our ride," said Steve with a big smile on his face.
"Welcome home, Boss, Danny!" Jenny greeted enthusiastically. "We missed you!"
Jenny placed one of the leis around Danny's neck and hugged him.
"Mahalo, Jenny," Danny said sincerely. "It's great to be home."
Steve had to stoop low to receive his lei. He gave Jenny a quick kiss. "Aloha, Love!"
"Where to, Boss?" Jenny asked as they headed for the car.
"Castle Memorial," replied Steve, winking at Danny. "I need to remind the governor of who's really in charge of this rock!"
Pau