Notes: Hopping back in time briefly to finish up the Operation Influenza trilogy. Thank you everyone for your wonderful comments and reviews on the first two OIs and on all the REAL World stories. They are so heart-warming and very much appreciated!
Mari and Sammy – Each day is more fun and more rewarding than the last and that's absolutely down to the two of you. Thank you for being two of my favorite people in the world!
Esther – I can never thank you enough for always being willing to look over drafts, no matter how short the notice is! You are a rock star and beyond for that and for being my friend.
Enjoy!
Operation Influenza: Danno's Turn (A McRoll in the REAL World Story)
Steve stood in the pharmacy aisle at Foodland with his phone pressed between his shoulder and ear, two boxes of cold and flu medication in one hand, and a slip of paper in the other.
He examined the backs of the boxes as he spoke. "Why are there so many different kinds? Don't they all do basically the same thing?"
"I thought he wrote out a list," Catherine said.
"He did, but I can barely read his handwriting. I think he did it on purpose." Steve heard the tone announcing an incoming text. "Hang on, Cath, that's probably him now."
He shifted the paper and boxes into one hand so he could look at the phone screen and read the message:
What's the hold up? I'm dying here.
"God, he's impatient," Steve said as he put the phone back to his ear. "More than usual."
"Cut him some slack, he's sick," Catherine said, and he could hear the smile in her voice. "Swing back by the house after you've got everything. Grace and I made Nonna's pastina with chicken broth you can take him."
"And you know what, I'm just going to give him the stuff he bought for you," Steve said, putting the boxes back on the shelf. "We didn't use it."
"That's a good idea. I'll grab it from upstairs."
"All right, I'll be there in fifteen."
Half an hour later, Steve let himself into Danny's house to find his partner lying on the couch under a blanket, crumpled tissues strewn around the floor.
"Finally," Danny said, sitting up and leaning back against the arm of the couch.
"You know, you wouldn't have had to wait if you had planned ahead," Steve said and shut the door behind him.
"Well, excuse me for not being prepared," Danny said, sniffing. "I'm not the boy scout you are."
"I'm just saying, you kept insisting you were going to get sick. You could have stocked up." He put one of the bags on the back of the couch so he could open it. "Cath sent you a couple things."
"Yeah, and I bet she did it without grumbling."
Steve ignored him and handed him the DVD of The Notebook.
"Thanks, I'll pass," Danny said, tossing it onto the love seat. "She's got a sense of humor, your girlfriend."
Steve's lip quirked up in a smile.
"The flu meds you bought when she got sick," he said as he held up the box.
"That's not even opened."
"Told you she wouldn't take 'em."
"Well, give 'em here," Danny said. He began opening the box. "Unlike you two, I'm perfectly willing to take any and all medications. Like a normal person."
Steve held up a container.
"You want this now?" he asked. "It's still warm."
Danny's eyes widened. "Is that . . .?"
"Yeah. Cath and Grace just made it."
"Oh, that is excellent. You should have led with that, I wouldn't have been nearly as annoyed with you."
"Here." Steve handed Danny the container. "I'll get you a spoon, then put the rest of this stuff away."
Fifteen minutes later, Steve re-entered the room as Danny was finishing his pastina. He looked around and said, "Okay, you should be good. You need anything else?"
"Could use some more water," Danny said, holding up his nearly empty bottle.
"Sure," Steve said and took it. He disappeared and returned moments later with a full bottle and a box of tissue..
"Thanks," Danny said as he took the bottle back.
Steve handed him the tissue box and said, "Here, looks like you're running through these quick."
"Yeah," Danny agreed, and blew his nose as if to make the point.
Steve moved toward the door and said, "All right, call if you need anything."
He put his hand on the doorknob.
"Can you get me a popsicle?" Danny asked.
Steve turned back to him in confusion. "Popsicle? You just had pastina."
"My throat hurts."
Steve sighed and said, "Fine. You want pineapple-orange or pineapple-banana?"
"Why would you get–" he stopped upon seeing Steve's smirk. "You're not nearly as funny as you think you are," he called after Steve's retreating form as he disappeared into the kitchen.
"I'm exactly as funny as I think I am," Steve said as he came back out and tossed the popsicle in Danny's lap. "And you're even grumpier when you're sick, you know that?"
"I don't know what you're complaining about," Danny said, wiping his nose. "You're the reason I'm sick."
"I'm not the . . ." Steve groaned. "I mean, if you want to get technical, it was really Catherine who . . ."
"Seriously?" Danny started, incredulous. "Seriously? You're really gonna blame Catherine?"
"Not 'blame.' It's just she's the one who . . ."
Danny threw his hand in the air and said, "You are unbelievable."
"And you are a great big baby. Do you need anything else before I go, Danny?"
"No. You go," he said and waved a hand. "Have fun with my delightful daughter while I'm lying here suffering."
"You're not suffering . . ."
"You don't know that."
"I can see that you're not. You've got the sniffles," he said, motioning to the used tissues on the floor.
"I've got more than the sniffles, but I don't expect you to be sympathetic, even if it is your fault."
"It's not my–" Steve took a deep breath. "Fine. I'm sorry we got you sick, Danny. Are you happy?"
"No, I'm not happy. But thank you for admitting it. Sort of. "
Steve opened the door and turned back.
"Get some rest, Danno," he said sincerely. "We need you back on your feet."
Danny nodded once, and Steve left the house.
After dinner, Steve, Catherine, and Grace were sitting at the table out on the lanai.
"Do you think Danno had enough for dinner?" asked Grace, her concern obvious on her face.
"I'm sure he did," Steve said. "He had lots of that great pastina you and Catherine made."
"But what if he's not eating enough? There's no one there to make sure he does."
"He's fine, Gracie," Steve assured her. "He's on the couch resting. That's the best thing for him."
Grace looked down, her shoulders slumped helplessly. "I just wish he would have let me stay so I could take care of him."
Catherine rubbed her shoulder and said, "He didn't want you to get sick, too, hon."
"I know." She looked up at Catherine. "I just don't think he should be alone."
"You're right, Grace," Catherine said. "He shouldn't be alone," she finished and looked over at Steve.
Grace followed Catherine's gaze and looked at Steve as well. He paused as both raised their eyebrows expectantly.
Sighing, Steve dropped his chin to his chest and rubbed his head. "Okay, okay," he said. "I will go stay with him."
Catherine smiled as Grace jumped up from her chair and hugged him.
"Oh, thank you, Uncle Steve."
He couldn't help but smile as he returned her hug.
"Grace and I will clean up while you pack a bag," Catherine said as she stood.
Ten minutes later, Steve came down the stairs with a duffel bag over his shoulder. Cammie was waiting for him at the base of the stairs, and he paused to rub her head as Grace and Catherine came out of the kitchen.
Steve dropped his bag to the ground before he kissed Grace's head and hugged her. "You ladies have fun. Don't do anything I wouldn't do."
Grace giggled in response.
"No promises," Catherine said and stepped closer. "In fact, I think I can pretty much guarantee we're going to do several things you wouldn't do." She said with a smile as she raised her hands to his cheeks and kissed him.
"I'll look forward to seeing the manicures tomorrow," Steve said, a half smile on his face.
Grace beamed, bouncing on the balls of her feet.
Steve sighed heavily as he picked up his bag and turned back to them.
Catherine kissed him again. "You're a good friend, Steve." The corner of her mouth twitched. "Little less grumbling would make you even better."
He rolled his eyes slightly but he was smiling. Opening the front door, he glanced back at them once more before leaving.
Danny cracked open his eyes when he heard the door opening. His eyebrows narrowed in confusion.
"What are you doing back here?" he asked as Steve came in.
"Apparently you shouldn't be alone."
"I don't need a nurse. Especially not you."
"Well, you got me," Steve said and locked the door behind him.
He walked around the couch and down the hall to deposit his bag in the guest room.
When Steve returned, Danny said, "I have a feeling your bedside manner is gonna to be a little lacking."
"I have a feeling you're gonna be right. Did you eat anything after I left?"
Danny shrugged. "I had some crackers."
"You want some more of that pastina?"
"Yeah, I could eat."
"All right," Steve said, heading for the kitchen.
Catherine and Grace knelt on opposite sides of the coffee table with Cammie lying on the floor beside Grace. Catherine was applying a second coat of purple polish to Grace's nails.
"I'm sorry you got sick, Auntie Cath," Grace said. "But I'm glad you got better before the Aloha Girls Sleepover."
"Me, too. I can't wait." Catherine smiled at her and winked. "Got my Donald Duck pjs ready to go."
"Did you show them to Uncle Steve? What did he think?"
"Uh . . ." Catherine paused, her smile growing as she remembered Steve's reaction when she'd showed him the pajamas. "Yes, I did. He was a little . . . surprised, but he liked them just fine."
Grace nodded knowingly and said, "I figured he would. Donald's a sailor, too."
"Right," Catherine said with a nod, fighting a grin. She returned her focus to Grace's nails.
"But Uncle Steve's your favorite sailor, right?"
Catherine chuckled and said, "Yes, he is."
She and Grace shared a smile.
Finishing the last nail, Catherine capped the bottle and Grace looked at her fingers with a smile. Her expression dropped suddenly and she sighed.
"What is it, Grace?" Catherine asked, concerned.
"I hope Danno's okay."
Catherine smiled. "Your dad's tough. A little flu isn't going to keep him down for long."
Grace nodded, but she didn't look convinced.
"If you want, we could call and check on him," Catherine suggested, already reaching for her phone.
"Could we?" Grace asked hopefully.
"Of course. Hang on."
Steve felt the vibration of his phone and took it out of his pocket. Glancing at the screen, he accepted the call and brought the phone to his ear.
"Hey, what's going on?" he asked. "Everything okay?"
"Yeah, everything's fine." Catherine answered. "Grace just wanted to check on Danny, but I didn't want to call him directly in case he was sleeping."
"No, he's awake. Hang on, I'll put it on speaker."
He tapped the screen and motioned to Danny before he set the phone on the ottoman. Danny straightened on the couch and leaned forward as Grace's voice came over the line.
"Danno?" she said.
"Grace. Hey, Monkey."
"How are you feeling?"
"I'm . . ." his voice faded as he noticed Steve putting on evidence gloves. "Hang on a second, Grace." He looked at Steve and held out his hands. "What are you doing?"
"What?" Steve asked.
"What's with the gloves? You're not at a crime scene."
"No, it's worse," Steve said as he picked up the trash bin in one hand and began throwing the used tissues in it.
"That's very funny."
"You could at least try to aim for the trash," Steve said.
"Danno?" Grace's confused voice cut in.
"Sorry, Grace, your Uncle Steve is trying to be funny again."
Steve made a face at him.
"How are you feeling?" Grace asked again. "Did you like the pastina?"
"It was delicious, Grace. Just like Nonna makes. She'd be so proud."
"Did it make you feel better?"
Danny smiled and said, "It really did."
"I wish I could be there to take care of you."
"I know, Monkey, I wish you were here taking care of me, too. Your Uncle Steve is no kind of nurse."
Steve rolled his eyes, throwing another tissue into the trash.
"That's not what Auntie Cath says," Grace sing-songed.
"Well, Auntie Cath is a little biased," Danny said.
Steve smirked and acknowledged the point with a small nod as he picked up the last of the tissue.
"Okay," Grace continued, "I just wanted to check on you. You should go to sleep now."
Danny chuckled lightly at her matter-of-fact tone. "Okay. I will. Have fun with Auntie Cath and Cammie."
"I will," she said and the smile in her voice was clear. "Night, Danno. I love you."
"I love you, too, Grace."
When the call ended, Steve reached over and picked up his phone. Pocketing it, he looked at Danny and said, "That's a thoughtful daughter you've got there."
"That's a thoughtful girlfriend you've got there," Danny returned. "And a thoughtful friend I've got."
Steve nodded his agreement with a small smile.
"You cold?" Steve asked from his seat as he watched Danny burrow deeper under the blanket on the couch. "I don't know why you don't just go to bed."
"Because when you're sick, you rest on the couch," Danny said. "That is what you do. You stay on the couch and you eat pastina and you feel better. But since you never get sick, I wouldn't expect you to know that," he said testily.
"Well, you look cold."
"I am cold."
"All right, this is ridiculous. Hang on."
Steve stood and walked down the hall to Danny's bedroom. He returned with a blue afghan.
"This looks like Nonna's handiwork," he said, handing it to Danny.
"Thank you," Danny said as he took it. "It is. She made that for me when I told her I was moving here. It's supposed to match my eyes."
Steve smiled and said, "That sounds like Nonna."
He sat again as Danny spread the afghan over himself.
"Now what?" Danny asked.
"What do you mean, 'now what?' Now you go to sleep."
"Ahh," Danny groaned. "I've been sleeping all day."
He took a tissue and blew his nose. He started to toss it on the floor but Steve straightened and raised his eyebrows incredulously. Danny rolled his eyes and dropped the tissue in the trash bin that Steve had moved close to the couch.
Steve relaxed back onto the love seat and folded his arms. "Well, what do you want to do?"
"I don't know. What do you want to do?"
Steve noticed Danny's gaze drift down to the love seat cushion, and he glanced down to see the DVD of The Notebook that was beside him.
Cringing in anticipation, Steve asked, "You don't actually want to watch that movie, do you?"
"What?! No! God, no. Of course not. Why would you–"
"I don't know, you looked at it, I thought maybe in your feverish state . . ."
"No. No way." He paused and glanced at Steve. "I mean, unless you . . ."
"Absolutely not. I sat through that again for Catherine's sake, but there's gotta be something better on. Anything."
"I don't really want to watch TV."
Steve sighed and looked around the room as he thought.
Finally, he looked at Danny and said, "Gin rummy?"
Later that night, Catherine was sitting in bed reading when there was a knock at the bedroom door. She glanced up and Cammie raised her head from her spot on her bed in the corner.
"Auntie Cath?" Grace's voice came through the door. "Are you still awake?"
"Yes, Grace, come in," Catherine said, putting her book on the bedside table.
Grace opened the door slowly and took a hesitant step into the room.
"What is it, hon?" Catherine asked, concerned by Grace's uncharacteristic demeanor. "Are you okay?"
"I'm okay. I just wanted to ask you something."
Catherine slid over to Steve's side of the bed and patted the warm spot she had just vacated. Grace climbed onto the bed and sat cross-legged. Catherine turned to face her and mirrored her position.
"What's on your mind?" she asked. "You know you can ask me anything."
"And you won't tell anyone else?"
Catherine put her hand on Grace's arm and gave it a light squeeze. "Of course not. Whatever you tell me in confidence stays between us. Unless someone is hurting you. I promise." She tilted her head and regarded Grace who was plucking at the edge of the sheet. "You know that, too. What's going on?"
"I know, I just . . ." Grace looked up at her. "Auntie Cath, how do you know if you like a boy? Like, like him."
Catherine raised her eyebrows. "Well . . ." she began.
"Because there's this boy," Grace continued before Catherine could say more. "Ryan. He's really nice, and he's so good at math. And he's funny but never in a mean way. You know? And I saw him once at the dog park when I was playing with Scout, and he has this really nice golden retriever. But I don't think he saw me, and my dad was there anyway so I didn't go talk to him. But he was playing with his dog for like an hour and he didn't get tired, but that wasn't really a surprise because he plays soccer and he's really good at it. He's like the star of the team." She paused to take a breath.
"Anything else?" Catherine asked with a smile.
"He always gets chocolate milk at lunch, and I like the way his hair falls in his eyes so he has to brush it out of his way when he's in class."
Catherine wrinkled her nose and smiled. "Sounds to me like you might like him."
Grace threw up her hands in a gesture reminiscent of her father. "But I don't know if he likes me. I mean, we've never really talked, even though we have a couple classes together. His last name is Andrews so we always end up at different ends of the seating chart. But I saw him at Open House last week, and he did kind of smile at me . . . at least I think it was at me." She looked at Catherine and sighed. "I don't know what to do."
Catherine regarded her for a moment and then gave her a small smile.
"You want to know what I'd do?"
"What?" Grace asked.
"Be his friend. Get to know him better." She shrugged. "Then maybe you see if you want to be anything else."
Grace twisted her lips as she seemed to think about Catherine's advice.
Finally, she said, "You're not just saying that because I'm only twelve, are you?"
Catherine smiled. "No, I'm not just saying that because you're twelve. I'm saying that, because I think it's good to get to know somebody as a friend first."
"Is that what you and Uncle Steve did?"
"Well . . . yes, actually. We did. I mean, we were a lot older than you when we met. And we were both really focused on our education and training. But, yes, we became really close friends." She leaned forward a little. "And you know something else?"
Grace leaned forward as well. "What?"
"We still are. Because that's really important."
Grace smiled and nodded. "I'll remember that."
Catherine returned her smile and, after a comfortable pause, she sat back and said, "All right, it's late."
Grace leaned over and hugged her. "Thanks, Auntie Cath."
"You're welcome," Catherine said, returning her hug.
Grace got out of the bed and headed for the door. She paused in the doorway and turned back.
"Auntie Cath . . . ?"
Catherine raised her eyebrows in question.
"But you liked Uncle Steve," Grace started. "Like, liked him, all along, didn't you? Even when you were just friends?"
Catherine smiled slowly and said, "Yeah, I did."
Grace smiled knowingly. "I bet he liked you, too."
Catherine's gaze drifted as she thought of an evening years ago in Annapolis.
Catherine and Steve stood outside the restaurant and watched as a cab drove away. Catherine put a hand on Steve's arm and asked, "Are you okay?"
Steve was silent for a moment, and then he nodded once. "Thanks for coming tonight, Cath," he said quietly.
"Of course," she said. "I wouldn't be anywhere else."
Steve turned his head to look at her, and she held his gaze for a long moment. Turning fully, he leaned in and pressed his lips to hers. Without hesitation, she raised her hands to his cheeks and returned the kiss.
When he pulled away, he leaned his forehead on hers. "Wanted to do that for a long time," he said, his voice still quiet.
"Yeah," she said, her tone matching his. "Me, too."
He lifted his arms to pull her closer and kissed her again.
Catherine smiled softly at the memory and refocused on Grace in the doorway.
"You may be right about that, Grace."
The next morning, Steve opened Danny's door to reveal Catherine holding up a white bag in one hand and a drink carrier in the other.
"House-call," she said with a smile.
"Hey," Steve said, returning her smile.
He took the drink carrier and leaned over to kiss her briefly.
"Hey, if you're here, where's my kid?" Danny asked from his spot on the couch.
Catherine stepped into the house to reveal Grace behind her in a surgical gown, gloves, cap, and mask.
"Wow, Gracie," Steve said with a chuckle.
"Max hooked us up so we could deliver breakfast," Catherine explained.
"He said to tell you he sends his 'sincerest wishes for an accelerated recovery,' " Grace said in her best impression of Max.
"Well, you are definitely a sight for sore eyes," Danny said, smiling broadly. "What I can see of you anyway. Especially after only having that guy for company last night," he said, waving a hand at Steve.
"Hey, you weren't exactly stellar company yourself," Steve retorted before going into the kitchen with the food and drinks.
Grace came around the couch and sat on the ottoman facing Danny as Steve came back into the room and stood beside Catherine.
"So what'd you two get up to last night?" Danny asked. He covered his mouth as he coughed. "Lot of girl talk?"
Grace looked over at Catherine and smiled. "It's classified," she said.
Steve and Catherine laughed. Steve leaned over the couch to fist bump Grace as Danny groaned.
"Oh, now I know you've been hanging around these two way too much," he said, but he was smiling.
"Oh, come on, Danny," Catherine said with a smile. "You have sisters. You know girl talk is always classified."
"And for that I am eternally grateful," he said.
"What did you guys do?" Grace said, looking at Danny and Steve.
"Do?" Steve asked. He shrugged. "Not much."
"Oh!" Grace exclaimed as she saw the DVD on the love seat. "Did you watch The Notebook?"
"No!" Danny and Steve said in unison.
"No," Steve repeated emphatically.
"Absolutely not," Danny said.
"You can admit it if you did," Catherine said, trying to smother her grin. "We won't judge."
"We didn't," Steve insisted. He looked at Grace. "I wiped the floor with your dad at gin rummy."
"Those cards were marked," Danny said sourly.
"It was your deck," Steve said incredulously. "I'm just a better player."
Catherine smiled at him and said, "Grandma Ang would be so proud."
He returned her smile. "She's a very good teacher."
Danny folded his arms and said, "Couldn't even let me win while I'm sick."
"What kind of victory would that have been if I'd let you win?" Steve asked.
"It's just a card game," Danny said.
"I have to agree with Steve on this one," Catherine said.
Danny rolled his eyes. "That's because you're as competitive as he is."
"And if you think I'm good . . ." Steve said, motioning at Catherine who shrugged.
"Grandma Ang had me playing at six. I've had a lot of practice."
"Will you teach me?" Grace asked.
"Absolutely. How about after we play outside with Cammie?"
Grace nodded, bouncing in place enthusiastically. Danny grinned at her excitement.
"And then you'll come back and beat me, too," he said. He waved a hand. "Well, don't let me get in the way. Go on. Have fun learning how to be a card shark."
Grace giggled. She stood and moved to hug him. Danny held up his hands.
"Ah ah, sorry, Monkey. Even with your uh . . ." he motioned at her ensemble, "your protective gear, I'd rather play it safe."
Grace sighed but nodded. She blew him a kiss through her mask, and he mimed catching it.
"I love you, Danno. Feel better."
"I feel a ton better just seeing you. I love you, too, Monkey."
Grace walked around the couch and joined Catherine and Steve by the door.
"Bye, Uncle Steve."
"Bye, Grace," he said. "I'll see you later, okay?"
"Okay," she said and opened the door.
Catherine leaned up and kissed Steve briefly. "Bye," she said.
"Bye. I'll be back for lunch."
"Mm," she smiled. "Just in time to lose at rummy."
"We'll see about that, Rollins."
Catherine looked over at the couch. "Bye, Danny. Feel better."
"Thanks, Cath," Danny said. "And thanks for the pastina. It's just like Nonna makes."
Catherine beamed. "You're very welcome." She turned toward the door.
Grace waved and then she and Catherine left. Steve shut the door behind them.
Danny sighed. "Well, I, for one, am ready for this whole flu thing to be over."
"You and me both," Steve agreed. "I heard from Chin earlier. He's fine and so is Kono, so I think we're clear."
"That is excellent news. Now, go see what they brought us to eat. I'm starved."
Steve chuckled. "Someone's feeling better," he said and started for the kitchen.
"Hey, Steve?"
Steve stopped and looked over at Danny. "Yeah?"
"Thanks."
Steve gave him a half smile. "Don't mention it."
Notes: And I am officially done with the flu! Hope you enjoyed. It's been a fun series of stories. Stay tuned for the Aloha Girls Sleepover on Friday from Mari!
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