***It has been a while since I wrote anything. I am currently in love with the Hawaii Five-O fandom. I just love the Danny/Steve relationship. It can be an amazingly close bromance or romance. This is just a short little story that takes place after the last episode of season 6. Obviously, if you haven't watched the episode there are some pretty big spoilers in this. In the end, Steve is pretty OC but I thought with all he is going to have to go through that I can imagine he will have his out of character moments in the future especially with his BFF. If you are wearing your slash goggles this can probably pass for pre-slash or just two loving friends. I am not a hundred percent sure being a recipient of a liver will disqualify you as a SEAL but in my world, it will. I hope you enjoy this little story. ****
It has only been a month since the Danny donated part of his liver to Steve. He spent a few weeks with Steve at his house so their Ohana could easily take care of them both. About week three post hospital neither men need assistance anymore, so Danny moved back to his house.
The Friday after Danny moved back to his own house Steve got a visit from his Commander in the reserves. Commander Mitchum had a long history with Steve, he witnessed Steve go from a hot-headed, fresh out of college officer struggling to find his place to the confident warrior who led many seal teams through seemingly impossible situations. Steve had become the ideal for every Seal coming up through the ranks and now Mitchum had to tell this man that from no fault of his own that he can no longer be the thing that defined the man for the last 20 years.
Steve heard the doorbell from the lanai and opened the door with a huge smile on his face, "Captain Mitchum, wow this is a surprise how are you doing sir?"
"I am doing well son, do you mind if I come in and chat, I figure you can't drink beer, but I brought some cocoa puffs with me, I remember those are your favorite."
"Yes sir, you know you are always welcome and the cocoa puffs well those are a bonus."
The two men settled on the lanai there was a pregnant silence when Steve took a huge breath and broke the silence, "Listen, sir, I know why you're here and I appreciate you coming to tell me in person. I know that this new liver means a second chance at life for me, but I know my life as a seal commander died in that airplane."
Mitchum sighed and hung his head, "I am so sorry Steve, I wish to God that there was a way around this son, but even if you are physically fit you will always have to take medication to keep from rejecting the liver and that means that it would make you a liability in the field. Listen though you do have options. You have an outstanding reputation with Naval intelligence and they would love to have you helping from Hickem and then there is a Seal trainer at Pearl. It would be a treasure to have share your lifetime of wisdom with a new generation."
"You forgot the last option, sir, I can retire, I have 20 in. To be honest sir, I don't know what I want to do. At this point I can't even run to the mailbox without feeling it. I just don't know what my future holds. I honestly don't even know if I will be well enough to go back to Five-O"
"Listen, son, you are absolutely right. You do not have to make a decision now. I am able to give you six months of sick leave and you have another four built up in vacation so you have a lot of time to weigh every option. You have so much to offer, no matter what you choose. Know that I will stand by you no what you decide."
Steve smiled and nodded his head in appreciation for his captain's words. The two men visited for a while longer and reminiscing over old times. Captain Mitchum got the full story behind his injuries and his prognosis.
"You mean to tell me that your partner in Five-O who doesn't know how to fly, landed your plane on the beach, even when it was more risk to his life to do so just so you would not drown, then he
went and found the drug ring that attacked you and led an assault taking them down and then came back to the hospital and donated half his liver to you?"
"Yep pretty much"
"Damn Steve, did your bad ass wear off on him or was he a bad ass on his own?"
Steve laughed, "Danny is pretty special he is a detective from New Jersey, he came to Hawaii to be with his daughter after his ex-wife moved out here. He is fiercely loyal but scrappy as hell. He wears a tie in Hawaii so he is pretty uptight about some things always reminding me about proper police procedure, but then we had one case where he strapped a guy on top of the roof of his car and drove him around town at breakneck speed.
You see him and think this guy is little he but don't ever underestimate him because of size. And like I said he has a bigger heart than most men twice his side. He also has two of the most amazing kids. Grace just turned 14 and is every bit a teenage girl but she is a lot like her daddy she can open up a can of whoop-ass if she needs to, she has a killer right cross. Then there is Charlie his son.
This little boy is a mini version of Danny. He is so sweet and so much fun. He calls me Unca Steve and he tells me his favorite thing in the whole world is to play Joe's with me."
"Sounds like you two boys are pretty close?"
Steve smiled, "Yes sir, we hated each other when we first met but it didn't take long for us to become friends. Then best friends. You know he went to Afghanistan and got the seal team to launch a rescue when I was captured by the Taliban. The year before that he got a team together and rescued me from North Korea. Even before the liver thing I owe the man my life many times over."
Capt. Mitchum laid a hand on Steve's shoulder, "I am so glad to know that you have people like him watching your back. You know that you will always have friends who will help watch your back in the Navy no matter what the future holds."
"Yes sir, that goes for me to you as well sir. I may or may not stay in the reserves, but you all will
always be Ohana."
Steve spent the rest of the weekend thinking about his future and by Monday, he found himself getting depressed. No matter what he chose to do his life would never be the same.
Monday morning Steve was sitting on his Lanai deep in thought about his life and how things are going to change for him with a liver transplant. His phone ringing startled him from his thoughts,
he answered his phone without even looking at the screen to find out who it was. "McGarret"
"Unca Steve, is dat you Unca Steve?"
A huge smile broke out on his face, "HEY Charlie! How are you today? Is everything okay buddy?"
"Yeah, silly everything is ok. Daddy said I could call you and ask you if I can come play with you while Daddy and Gracie go do cheerleading stuff?"
"You want to come play at my house? Sure does Daddy need me to come and get you?"
"Nope hold on heres Daddy"
"Hey Steve, are you sure it's okay for Charlie to come play? He could not stop talking about Uncle Steve all weekend. You sure you feel up to a rambunctious 4-year-old coming over?"
"Absolutely bring him by and we will have some fun while you guys do yucky girly cheerleading stuff"
"Yucky girly cheerleading stuff, really Steven are you sure you aren't 4? I will be by soon.
Listen, one of my stops is the store if you need anything make me a list and I will pick it up for you
while we are there?"
"Thanks, D, I will make a list. See you soon."
Within the hour, Steve's quiet morning was long forgotten in favor of one very excited four-year-old and a pile of GI Joes and Steve's old collection of dump trucks.
The quiet beach behind the house was now playing host to the Joe's assault on Drug Dealer Ken's hide out. Steve looked through a box of his old stuff and even found his Camo he wore when he went as GI Joe for Halloween.
Charlie LOVED the Camo pants and had Steve get into his camo pants. So now both Steve and Charlie were in full Camo with face paint and everything flat on their stomachs while the Joe's took Drug Dealer Ken with no losses on the Joe side.
After the assault by the Joe's Steve and Charlie cleaned up and went inside to eat. Steve intended to clean both of them up before Danny got home, but Steve laid down on the sofa with Charlie on his legs, watching a cartoon when both of them fell fast asleep.
Danny and Grace came home a little while later. Danny didn't even spare a look into the living room on his way to the kitchen to put Steve's groceries away. He had just put the milk and juice away when Grace came into the kitchen with the biggest smile on her face, looking at something on her phone.
"Danno, you have got to go in the living room and look at Steve and Charlie" Danny went into the living room ready to rant at what shenanigans Steve got Charlie into.
He wasn't prepared for the adorable scene in front of him. His son dressed as Super seal Jr.
Danno looked back at Grace, "Please tell me you have tons of pictures of this?" Grace just smiled shaking her head yes. "I will send them to you Danno"
Danno and Grace talking woke Steve and Charlie up, "Daddy, your home! Me and Unca Steve played Joe's. The Joe's stormed the beach to take out Ken the evil drug dealer and then.." Before he could finish Steve had woken up enough to put his hand over Charlie's mouth,
"What Charlie means to say is we had fun on the beach and we should go clean up before Rachel gets here to pick them up" Charlie's eyes were smiling and he shook his head yes.
Danny just smiled at the antics of the two as they both ran upstairs to get changed. He turned to Grace, "You know I think hanging out with Charlie has brought Steve back to his childhood."
Grace smiled, "Aw Danno, its cute. I remember when I was little Steve would let me paint his toes and he would wear a crown and a feather boa. He is a good Uncle. With Charlie, he gets to more boy things"
Danny smiled at his daughter, "Your right babe, I love seeing Steve with you guys. He always told me he didn't know how to deal with kids, but he never had any problems with you and now with Charlie, I think he is embracing his inner 4-year-old again. Don't worry babe I am not upset; I think it's cute."
Steve and Charlie came down in the same shorts and t-shirts they had when Danny left them that morning. As soon as they hit the bottom of the stairs the doorbell rang. Danny walked over to open the door for Rachel to come in the adults exchanged some tense pleasantries and with lots of hugs and kisses from Charlie and Grace soon Steve and Danny were left on their own.
After Danny shut the door He turned to Steve, "Thank you for today, I mean it really, Charlie had the time of his life." "My pleasure Danno, he is so much like you. It is so much fun to hang out
with Mini Danno."
"Whoa partner, look at these, if Charlie is mini anyone it would be Mini super seal"
When the word seal came out of Danny's mouth Steve's face fell, Danny of course noticed.
"Hey, babe come sit on the couch with me and tell me what is going through that thick head of yours."
Steve sat next to Danny and thought long and hard whether to blow his concerns off or to actually open up. Danny nudged the larger mans shoulder. Steve laid back and put his feet on the coffee table, "Well Danno, you might not realize, but with the liver transplant, it closes some doors for me professionally."
"Woe Steve, the Governor talked to your doctor he doesn't think that with time you won't be able to come back to Five-O."
With a deep sigh, "I know the Denning told me, right now I don't know how I will physically be able to come back but the doc promised that will change as time goes by. I am not talking about Five-O. I am talking about the seals; my career in the seals died in that airplane. My CO came to visit on Friday and told me that I have about ten months to make a final choice. I can go back to naval
intelligence, I can teach baby seals at Pearl or I can retire. I know this shouldn't be a huge deal and I know I should be grateful to be alive and I am, but damn it Danny I have been a Seal for half my life. I feel like a part of what makes me me is gone. I don't expect you to understand and
honestly, I don't really understand it myself, but I have been all messed up since he left. I knew it was coming, but to actually hear it was so hard." By the time he was done with his rant he was sitting up with his head in his hands struggling to keep his emotions in check.
Danny didn't know what to do or say so he did the only thing he could think of, he pulled Steve into a hug, tucking his face into his shoulder. One hand gently rubbing fingers through his hair and the other hand gently rubbing circles into his back. "Let it out babe, Danno is here, Danno will
always be here for you babe"
It was about ten minutes before Steve could get his breath under control. Steve calmed a little,but never tried to move he melted into the other mans embrace. Danny just kept his ministrations up whispering every few minutes, "Danno loves you" It took about a half hour but Steve fell asleep in Danny's arms. Danny maneuvered them so they both could lay down on the couch never
breaking his grip on the larger man. Both men rested comfortably in each others arms. Danny swore to himself that he would double his efforts to make sure that Steve knew he was not alone. Danny smiled as he fell to sleep with his face buried in the taller mans hair.
Tomorrow was a new day.