The surgeon general has determined that reading this while eating may constitute a choking hazard.
Sandcastles
It had been a particularly feisty week at Five-0 and Steve and Danny's competitiveness had worn on everyone's nerves. It even bothered them, but like two-year-olds on a crying jag, they couldn't seem to stop.
When it ran over onto Saturday on the beach at Steve's house, Chin declared a halt.
"We're going to settle this with a contest," he ordered with his arms crossed. "One hour. Best sandcastle wins."
Standing beside him, 9-year-old Grace solemnly held out two sand buckets with shovels.
For a moment, it seemed they might protest, but then their eyes met. Steve smirked. Danny grinned. And they both dove at Grace, snatching away the buckets and plunging for the sand.
"They just need to work off their excess energy," Grace told Kono wisely.
The police officer hid her amusement at the girl's grownup attitude. "You're absolutely right, Grace," she said. "Come on, let's get the salad ready."
While Danny and Steve delved in the damp sand, the others were left in peace to prepare dinner.
Kono cut up fruits and vegetables while Grace mixed the dressings for the two salads. Jenna de-shelled and deveined shrimp, while Chin fired up the charcoal grill.
"Why do the guys always get to play with fire and the girls are stuck in the kitchen?" Kono complained.
"Since you're holding a big knife right now, I'll be glad to switch places, cuz," Chin replied.
He formally traded his tongs for her knife and began slicing the rind off a pineapple.
Kono went out on the deck, enjoying the breeze in her face, even if it was accompanied with eye-stinging smoke. "Why don't you check on the boys?" she suggested when Grace came out to join her. Kono glanced at her watch. "Tell them ten more minutes."
Grace scampered off to admire the constructions. "Ten minutes, Daddy. Ten minutes, Uncle Steve."
"Thanks, monkey," Danny said, as he carefully lined his castle walls with shells that Grace had collected the previous weekend and then forgotten in a bucket under the steps.
"Thanks, Grace," Steve said as he carefully shaped sand on a tower now head-high. (And he had a high head!)
Steve had used his well-honed muscle to go big, with two tall, well-shaped spires and a moat around them. A scrap of cardboard from a discarded pastry wrapper served as the base for a sand-covered bridge over the moat. Carefully shaped cannons with little pyramids of cannonballs stood guard on either side of the castle entrance.
Remembering that three-quarters of the judges were female, Danny had emphasized decoration. His castle was smaller, but neat, with carefully squared off corners, scooped out windows and a crenellated wall festooned with shells and bedecked with flags that had been recycled from trash that had blown down the beach.
"Time's up, gentlemen!" Chin announced as Steve cautiously poured a bucket of water into his moat for the final touch.
The two partners stood back and, for the first time, studied each other's construction. Their friends came up to join them.
"Wow!" Jenna said, impressed.
The guys had brought the same intensity and drive to their sandcastle building as they did to investigating. Their works of gritty art were equally elaborate, but as different as, well, as Danny and Steve.
"All that in an hour!" Jenna exclaimed. "That's so, that's so you."
While the judges walked around the castles, conferring in low voices, the guys stepped back, pointing out things they liked about each other's work. They were still interested in winning, but the hard work had taken the edge off their competitiveness. Relaxed, they clinked a couple of beer bottles together and waited for the result.
The judges came together. Danny and Steve strained their ears to hear. Chin sternly gestured them away. "Secret ballot," he said firmly.
The judges huddled and debated quietly. Chin said something. Grace clapped her hands over a giggle and nodded emphatically. Solemn-faced, the judges approached their friends, the women arrayed behind Chin, the spokesman.
"I'm afraid it's a split decision," he said. "Two and two." Chin paused for a moment, to let the guys absorb that, then added. "So the award goes to Danny."
He ceremoniously placed a shell tied to a ribbon over Danny's head as if it was an Olympic medal. The detective was pleased, but puzzled.
"Wait, I thought you said it was a draw!" Steve protested.
"Right, it was a tie," Chin agreed. His face was expressionless but his eyes twinkled. "And ties go to Danny."