Note: Well here we go again, more whump for poor Danny. Another story completed. As usual I will post daily. Thanks as always to Wenwalke.
Disclaimer: I do not own H50.
Chapter one.
"Please Danno, pleeeease!" Grace pleaded, as they prepared dinner together.
"Babe, I really don't think it's a good idea." Danny answered back trying his best to ignore his daughters big brown eyes and fluttering eyelashes, that usually had him agreeing to most things. She certainly had him wrapped around her little finger. Of course it had always been that way. The second she was born she had melted his heart and he knew he was going to find it very hard to say no to her.
"But Danno, it will be fun. Please, you can ask Uncle Steve to come too and we can take marshmallows." She begged trying to make it sound more appealing.
"You really think a camping trip is a good idea?" Danny asked his daughter. "After what happened on our last camp out? Have you forgotten about the whole getting jacked bit, and oh yes, me getting shot."
Danny couldn't help but think it was a bad idea when Grace asked him if next weekend, they could take the tent, and hike in the Manoa Valley Rainforest. The last time he and Steve had gone camping with Grace and the Aloha girls, he had ended up shot and locked in a storage shed, while Steve traipsed around the forest at gun point looking for diamonds. After that experience, he had no desire to try it again.
"How about we set the tent up in the back garden? We could invite your friends around?" Danny suggested hoping to appease her.
"No Danno. I want to see the rain forest. I want Uncle Steve to come too. Pleeeease! Come on, what are the chances of you getting shot again, Danno?" Grace whined.
"Maybe not shot, but if Uncle Steve is there, I'll probably end up mauled by a bear. The guy is a trouble magnet."
"Danno, there are no bears in Hawaii." Grace laughed.
"You sure about that? Did Maddie tell you that?" Danny asked thinking back to his conversation with the troop leader.
"No Danno. It's just fact." Grace deadpanned as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Please Danno. You said I could do anything I wanted next weekend."
Danny sighed. "I guess I don't have any choice then do I? I'll ask Uncle Steve if he can join us, ok?"
"Yes!" Grace shrieked running and hugging her dad. "Thank you Danno, you're the best."
5-0-5-0-5-0-5-0
Danny entered Steve's office and sat down on the couch. He had been putting off asking Steve all day. He still didn't really want to do the trip. He just had a bad feeling about it. However he had told Grace yes now and was probably just paranoid, so he finally decided to ask Steve.
Steve had seen him enter and had picked up on the fact that Danny had something on his mind all day. He sat waiting for Danny to speak.
"Do you have any plans for next weekend?" Danny asked desperately hoping Steve would say he had some reserve duty or something similar.
"Next weekend? No. I don't think so, why?"
"Damn" Danny thought to himself. "Grace wants to go camping in Manoa Valley, and she wants you to come."
"You agreed to go?" Steve asked shocked, knowing that Danny hated camping.
"Yes. Yes I did. Grace really wanted to go, and you know I'd do anything to make my baby girl happy. Even if that means traipsing around the jungle all day."
"Rainforest Danny, it's a rainforest. Not a jungle." Steve corrected.
"Rainforest, jungle. Do I care? All I care about is not dying out there."
Steve laughed. "You're not gonna die out there, ok. It will be good. I know a trail a bit off the beaten track, away from the tourists, that we can take. And a great camping spot that has views to die for."
Danny groaned. "That's what I'm afraid of."
"Will you stop worrying." Steve said throwing a paper ball at Danny. "It's an easy trail. A days walk, and fairly easy going for Grace. Come on, let's call it a day. We can sort the details out over a beer."
"Fine." Danny said wearily as he followed Steve out of the office. "But I'm in charge of food. I am not living off one of your packet meals, or worse grubs, and god knows what other insects you find under a rock."
"You know they can be very nutritious."
"I'm sure they can be, after all they are designed to feed soldiers, but I'd rather have a proper meal." Danny replied handing Steve the keys to the Camaro before he could steal them.
Steve shrugged and unlocked the car. "I was actually talking about the bugs." He said starting the engine.
5-0-5-0-5-0-5-0
Steve pulled up outside the Williams house, the next Saturday, early in the morning. They were taking Steve's truck as there was more room for their bags, and it would handle the roads to the parking area better. Grace ran out to greet him, while Danny brought out their stuff. Truck loaded, they headed off. Arriving at the parking area, Steve and Danny divided all their gear between them, leaving Grace with a small back pack to manage. They had a great day trekking through the rainforest. Steve spent a lot of time pointing out species of plants, and to Danny's disgust insects, and Grace was lapping up every minute of the learning experience.
They stopped briefly for lunch and ate the sandwiches Danny had prepared. Later in the afternoon they were blessed with being able to watch a family of small Indian mongooses, foraging for food. Danny was surprised to find he was actually having a good time, and seeing Grace's face light up when Steve pointed something out to them, made him grateful he had decided to agree to the trip.
They arrived at the site Steve had planned for their over night stay and dropped their packs to the ground. Steve took a second to drink some water then ushered Danny and Grace forward towards the edge of the cliff. The rainforest lay in front of them for what seemed like miles. The view was breathtaking.
"Wow, Uncle Steve. It's beautiful. Grace said raising her hand to block out the sun so she could see better.
"Yeah Steve. This is something special." Danny added.
They stood there for a few minutes longer, enjoying the view. Then, Steve turned to start making camp. Danny pulled Grace into a hug. He was really glad she had talked him into doing this. They really had, had a great day. He was glad that he had ignored that nagging feeling that the trip would be disastrous. After all, he was just being paranoid, wasn't he?
TBC