This is my first fanfiction in quite a while and for Hawaii five-0. Even tough I have a lot of story ideas for the show. The idea for this came from a new McDonald's milkshake flavour here in the Netherlands. Namely: Pineapple. Well you know where that leads. The story wasn't meant to become this long, but stuff happens. There are some pre-slashy hint because McDanno stays my OTP. English is not my native language so I'm sorry for the mistakes.
Please review after reading. Reviews make me happy. I don't mind criticism, I can use it for getting better.
Disclaimer: nor the character nor the show Hawaii Five-0 belong to me. McDonalds also doesn't belong to me.
If there was one thing Danny had discovered during his stay in this pineapple infested hell hole named Hawaii (besides the fact that McGarrett was a complete lunatic), it was definitely the fact that in almost every shop or restaurant or food cart or anything like that a pineapple flavour is available. Literally in every god dammed shop. Even the pizza places, with their abomination. The only save places he managed to find on the whole island are the McDonald's and an Indian take-out. Danny can't say he exactly likes the greasy burgers or the french fries from the Mac, but he manages. Rather that then pineapple.
On weekends with Grace he sometimes goes to to the Mac. Then he can take the influence of the pineapples away from her for a little while. But thanks to those health classes his monkey pays close attention to what he eats, which means they rarely go to the Mac. He doesn't mind her meddling with his diet. It only shows him what a smart and caring girl she is. And what a great women she is going to become, even though that is a long long way from now.
Still when they go Grace loves it. What kid doesn't like fries? Plus, she loves the toys you get with a Happy Meal.
And that's why he finds himself here now. At the McDonald's. With Grace and Steve. Waiting in the frickin' lane for some food after a day at the zoo. And he is absolutely exhausted.
It was Grace's idea to come here. And Steve agreed, with a rather glum expression. Of course he would like coming here, his partner wasn't Danny's other dietician for nothing. Immediately worrying about the calories and fat and maybe it was better if they went somewhere else where they could get a healthy salad. But with some persuading Danny and Grace managed to convince him to go. And that's in luch seen as Danny really can use some calories. He burned way too many today.
At the beginning of the day, after buying the tickets, Grace decided to see all the animals and do the quiz. Which meant Danny, Steve and Grace had been up and going to whole day. Going from the Elephants to the Tortoises to the reptile house, Grace didn't really like that one, and from there to the Orangutans and the monkeys. Without a break. Grace had been bubbling with enthusiasm and pointed to everything. She had shown everything she saw to her Danno. And learned him all about the animals.
Steve often standing next to Danny with a small smile on his face. Grace often dragged him into the conversation. Which lead to the two partners discussing about something or another. A couple of times Steve had heard some people around them say that that little girl must be really lucky to them as daddies. It made him all happy inside to think that he could be a daddy for Grace. He had been so happy to be invited. Apparently it was Gracie's idea, she wanted her uncle Steve to come with them. She wouldn't have it any other Steve was really glad for that.
They had just bought ice cream when they reached the Monkeys. Grace bounding down the path all excitedly. Her pigtails bouncing up and down. The other two followed more slowly.
When they reached the cage Grace had pointed at a monkey and said: "Look Danno! That's you!". Said monkey was a female and was happily munching on some bananas. Steve could be barely hold his snickers and Danny looked like a fish. His mouth opening and closing.
"Tell me sweety. Why do you think I am the very female monkey sitting there?" was Danny's response.
"Because she has a little monkey too. Look. Just like I am your little monkey." And when he looked again he saw a little monkey sitting close to her. The mother monkey snatched him and started to search for flees. It didn't seem like the baby monkey really liked it. But watching the interaction between te two animals made the comment all right for the detective.
He couldn't help but smile at his monkey, who was currently trying to climb on the fence. He just wanted to grab her when superSEAL came in action. Grabbing her midriff and setting her on the fence, holding her in place. And Danny couldn't help a fond smile creeping on his face when the two most important persons smiled at each other. Steve still holding her and smiling down. Grace smiling up before looking at the monkeys again. It looked like the SEAL was watching the monkeys. But Danny knew he was watching Grace. Making sure she wouldn't fall. Looking out for her. Noticing he was staring Danny quickly looked away, back at the monkeys.
When another monkey came out of the bushes Grace let out a small 'ooh'. It was a fairly young male by the looks of it. The monkey started running and apparently wanted to jump on the baby monkey.
But before the mother monkey or the baby monkey could react a fourth monkey appeared seemingly out of nothing. This one was fairly big and went to stand in between the baby and it's harasser.
"And that's uncle Steve." When Danny looked at Grace he saw she was sporting a smile and was pointing at the fourth monkey. The monkeys were sitting together now, taking flees out of each others fur. "Because uncle Steve also cares a lot about us and will always protect us. Right uncle Steve?" She had turned to Steve now.
And Steve, honest to god, looked at loss. Really, Danny thought Steve would be getting better at handling these situations. But even after the past few months he still didn't know how to react to most things Grace says. He still needed to lock eyes with his partner. Looking for confirmation on what to say. Looking for support.
And when he finally gave Grace her answer, "Of course Gracie, always.", and Grace gave him the biggest smile she could manage, he got that big goofy grin on his face like always.
After watching the monkeys a while longer they went on to the next exhibit. At each exhibit there was a question is Grace's quiz, with multiple choice answers. The questions were sometimes hard. But she always got an answer thanks to uncle Steve. Since the scouting boy knew all the animal facts. If Grace had a question he always had an answer and additional information. Even information that Danny didn't even want to know. But Grace was all ears for everything Steve said. Wanting to know more. Asking question after question. Often Steve didn't answer directly. He let her puzzle for a while. Saying that it is important to think first and ask questions later. At that Danny had snorted and said:
"And what? You're going to be a role model for that? Mister jump-into-action-first-and-think-later?"
At the end of the trip in the zoo they were all exhausted from seeing all the animals, losing Steve at the tiger exhibit and Grace playing in the playground. Which was the most disastrous event of the day for Danny. First, he lost sight of her while discussing with Steve. Secondly, when looking for her he first had to stop Steve from calling whatever mighty powerful force he was going to call. Thirdly, he had to climb into the plaything to search for her. His knee would not forgive him on that one. And while he could reach almost every spot easily thanks to his heightSteve, like the monkey he is, jumped from bridge to ledge to rope. And scouting out the entire playground in less then 10 min. And lastly, when he finally found his little girl she was sitting in one of the towers with a boy. A boy. Her telling him she knew him from school didn't make it all right. He went into rant mode about how dangerous boys where and that grace really shouldn't hang around with them. Grace probably wasn't even listening just nodding along. When Steve managed to calm him down a bit they decided to leave.
And now here they were, in the way to busy, way to full and way to long line for food that wasn't even good. But Grace had really really wanted to go here. Apparently the Happy Meals had a new toy and Rachel and Step-Stand would never take her to this place, 'so could they please, please, please go here?'.
At the moment she was chatting with Steve about what drink she wanted. They were standing a little away from Danny as not to clutter the line. Danny was just standing and waiting. Feeling like he could fall over any moment now. His knee was acting up again. He was tired and hungry. And all around him where people. Not that he has a problem with people. But there were so many and they were so happy and chatty.
A hand came down on his shoulder, "Danno, why don't you find us a table. I will order the food." His partner apparently decided to control what he needed to do. Danny wanted to protest. But when he opened his mouth Steve immediately cut him off. "Ah ah ah! No buts. You are going to find us a nice place to sit and rest our legs, especially your knee." So Steve had noticed. Danny had tried to hide the flinches of pain. But Steve isn't a superSEAL for nothing.
He huffed. "Fine. I'll find us a table."
"Can I help uncle Steve with carrying?" Grace pulled on his arm and looked at him with those big brown eyes. There is no denying possible with those eyes.
"Of course you can monkey. Don't drop anything okay?" He petted her hair.
"I won't."
Danny turned around to look for a place. When he was several feet away he looked back to see Steve guide his daughter away from some bulky man. His hand on her back. The sight of Steve protecting her did something to him, although he didn't exactly know what. Correction deep down he knew what it did to him and what that meant. But he didn't wanted to admit to it, not yet anyway.
When he had scouted the whole floor and found no table he walked in the direction of the stairs. Downstairs should be a table free.
Once downstairs he soon found a place for four persons and went to sit on the bench. Stretching out his leg on the stool in front of him. He slouched in his seat and started waiting.
It seemed like it had took them ages to find him but they finally rejoined him. Grace bounding down the stairs with her happy meal. Steve following after her, watching her carefully and searching Danny with his eyes.
"Danno!" When Grace spotted her dad she waved at him before turning to Steve. "I found him! He's there!" Steve followed Grace's finger and was soon met with the sight of his partner. He followed Grace's lead and walked over to him.
When he arrived Grace was already sitting next to Danny and busy to talking to him about her new toy. Steve's partner was listening and stalling her food in front of her. The Navy SEAL sat down in front of Grace, his partners leg could still stretch that way. He set down his plate. Danny took a mayonnaise from Steve's tray and prepared it for Gracie's use.
"Which one is your milkshake monkey?"
"The lady said the one with the pink straw is strawberry and the one with the yellow straw is pineapple, right uncle Steve?" At Steve's nod she continued. "So one of the two with the yellow straw is for me. The other for uncle Steve. And the pink one is for Danno!" She said while handing the cups out.
"You choice pineapple flavoured milkshake?" Danny looked absolutely flabbergasted.
"Yep."
"Pineapple milkshake. Pineapple milkshake? Since when do they even have that? Why do they even have that? Isn't pineapple juice good enough? Apparently it isn't. No! We have to put pineapple in a perfectly fine milkshake. First the pizzas and now the milkshakes. What next the hamburgers?" Danny's arms were moving all around him. Steve could only watch as his partner went in rant mode about pineapples. "I swear to God, there is no safe place against pineapples on this rock in the ocean. They are everywhere. Literally everywhere. It is impossible to turn around a corner without seeing at least one pineapple related thing. I thought I was save here. But no, even the McDonald's has been corrupted. Even here is a desire to have pineapples. There is no save place against pineapples. I don't understand how you people can lif-"
A hand on his mouth stopped him from ranting any further. Steve had noticed they were getting quite a few stares from people around them and decided it was time to the rant to an end.
"It isn't that bad Danno." Grace said while sipping from her drink.
Prying of Steve's hand Danny started again. "Not that bad? Not that bad? My daughter drinks pineapple flavoured drinks." Raking his hand through his hair he looked at Steve. "I blame you for this. That probably was what you two were talking about just now. You were indoctrinating my daughter with wrong ideas on taste."
"It is not a wrong idea on taste. She just doesn't have the same taste as her father." Steve said "I don't blame Grace for liking it. It is really delicious isn't it Gracie?"
"Yeah it is Danno." She turned her sweetest smile on full force. "Uncle Steve isn't indoc-, indoctrinating me. I like the drink. It's really sweet." She tried to say the same word her father had said but her pronunciation was slightly off.
And really, how could Danny's tired mind even try to ignore the smile on her face. It was the kind of smile that gave him only one option: give in. With those big browns. And when he looked away he saw that Steve sported this goofy grin that was almost as irresistible. So really, who was Danny to give in with a few mumbles last words and saying that 'this was not over Steven. So could he please wipe the smug smile from his face. It didn't make him handsome.' Which of course made Steve say: "You don't find me handsome?". And the banter began, again..
Meanwhile Gracie was happily munching on her food and slurping from her milkshake. Kicking with her legs under the table. Listening to her Danno discuss with her uncle Steve. Thinking that she was really lucky to have her Danno and Steve.
