Tomorrow
By
Whoa Nelie
"Hey Boss,"
Lt Commander Steve McGarrett looked up from his files on his desk. "Hey Chin. What's up?"
"If there is nothing else, Kono and I are going to head out."
Steve glanced at his watch. It was later then he realised. He nodded in approval; he had nothing for either of them to do.
"So I'll see you tomorrow?" Chin asked.
Steve frowned. Tomorrow? Barring any incidents they weren't meant to be working.
"Tomorrow?" he questioned.
"Football," Chin told him. "At the old high school. You're coming right?"
"Ahh."
"Not coming to the game?" Kono exclaimed as she entered Steve's office. "You sure this guy is legit Cousin because I am starting to have my doubts."
Steve laughed at the ribbing. "Since coming back home I haven't..."
"Done much socialising," Chin finished.
Steve shook his head. "No I haven't really gotten back into the swing of things. Football sounds great."
"Good," Chin nodded. "I need someone to help me keep Kono in line."
"Hey," Kono complained.
"Don't hey me Cuz you nearly got arrested for kicking a ref in the head when he made a bad call."
Kono shrugged. "I was doing a high kick and he got in the way. It was an accident"
Chin nodded. "Yeah except you weren't a cheerleader."
Kono smiled and Steve laughed at the antics of his team.
"So we will see you tomorrow?" Kono asked as she walked out of his office her cousin following.
"Yeah," Steve told the pair as he followed them out. "I'll see you both tomorrow."
Out of the corner of his eye her saw Danny off to the side a file in his hands. He was looking at them with a slightly crestfallen look on his face.
"See ya Danny," Kono yelled as she walked past him.
Danny retuned his gaze back to his files as he sent her a wave and walked into his office. Steve watched as Danny threw himself into his chair and flicked through the file. He looked tired and bored.
"Hey Chin," Steve called out to the retreating man.
"Yeah?"
"Did you invite Danny to the game?"
Chin laughed and shook his head. "Nah Brah. I didn't think he would be interested. Besides doesn't he have his daughter tomorrow?"
Steve nodded. "Yeah he has Gracie. Might be good for the team to hang out you know."
Chin shrugged. "Hey the more the merrier. I'll text you tomorrow when we get there."
Steve turned his attention back to Danny. He was still going through the file looking unimpressed. They didn't have any active cases so there was no real reason for him to still be there working. Steve had expected Danny to start packing up his gear once he saw Chin and Kono leave. Instead he sat there feet propped up on the desk as if he were planning on spending a few hours there. Steve walked over to Danny's office and wrapped on the door frame.
"Hey closing time," he joked.
Danny didn't look up from the files just gave Steve a poor excuse for a wave goodbye. Steve walked into the office and perched on the edge of the desk next to Danny's perfectly shined shoes. Seriously was he trying to look up girls dresses with his super shiny shoes.
"I'm serious. Chin and Kono have gone home. We don't have a case. Go."
Danny shook his head. "Nah I'm good. I think I might go over a few files."
"Danny."
Danny looked up at him. "Don't worry Dad I'll lock the door behind me when I leave. I even promise not to talk to strangers on the way home."
Steve rolled his eyes at his partner. Dad! They were the same age.
"Okay fine. So what are you up to tomorrow?"
Danny laughed as a smile grew on his face. "It's my weekend with Grace. I'm going to spend my time soaking up the brilliance that is my daughter. You know she gets that from me right?"
Steve raised a brow at the man. He highly doubted that.
"Well Chin and Kono just told me about a football game at our old high school. You and Grace should come."
Danny lowered his feet to the floor. "Oh no no no no. I am keeping my daughter as far away from you as possible."
Steve frowned. "What? Why?"
Danny stood up. "Because violence follows you everywhere."
Steve shook his head. "It's a football game. It's a bunch of guys in pads hitting each other. That's about as violent as it will get.
Danny sighed. "And why would I want to go to a high school football game anyway?"
Steve shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe it's because that's what people do in Hawaii."
Danny shook his head. "No. It may be what you do in this pineapple infested hell hole but it isn't what I do."
Steve gritted his teeth. "You may not like it here but this pineapple infested hell hole is my home and its Gracie's now too. I know what it's like to be the new haole kid at school. How hard it was to fit in. I'd eat my lunch on my own and come home miserable. My mom just told me to keep on trying. Join clubs, go to school events, get involved in sports. Do things that other Hawaiians did. Soon it didn't matter where I was from only that I was there. You may not want to fit in here but it doesn't mean your daughter feels the same."
Danny was speechless which never happened. Was it possible for the man of steel to have a heart under his hard shell?
"Lock up if you're going to stay. I am leaving in a few," Steve got up and walked out of the office.
Danny looked at the photo on his desk. His daughter was smiling up at him. The truth was she was really enjoying living in Hawaii. She loved the beach and had lots of friends; at least he assumed she did. He was pretty sure she had mentioned a few kids names. Football? Maybe it wasn't such a bad idea. Grace had enjoyed watching baseball with him. Pulling out his cell he dialled his ex's number.
"Hello Daniel."
Danny sighed. He hated when she called him Daniel. With her English accent it sounded like he was being reprimanded by a boarding school headmaster. That was a turn on to some people but not him.
"Can I speak to Grace," he asked his ex. "Please," he added even though he shouldn't have to say please to speak to his daughter.
His ex didn't respond. He waited and waited until he heard his little angel on the phone.
"Hey Danno. I'm still seeing you tomorrow right."
"Yes Monkey. I can't wait. Do you have any requests on what we should do?"
"Can we go to the beach?" she asked excitably.
Danny closed his eyes. He still had sand in places he never knew existed thanks to their last visit to the beach.
"Well we can if that's what you want but that won't take up all our time."
"I just want to spend time with you, Daddy."
His heart clenched. He wanted to spend time with her to. That was why he had given up his home and job in Jersey to come to this Pineapple infes…No. He had to stop that. He had come to Hawaii. It was called Hawaii.
"Well Monkey some people at work are going to a football game and invited us to go with them. We don't have to go if you don't want to of course. It's our special time together."
"Do I finally get to meet Steve?" she asked with evident glee.
Danny frowned. He wasn't happy over how excited his daughter seemed to be over meeting his partner.
"Well yes Steve will be there as well as Chin and Kono."
"Okay,"
"Okay you want to go? Because we don't have to."
"No I want to," she told him. "The beach is open all the time."
Danny smiled. Yes it was.
"Okay well tell your mom to text me when and where to pick you up and I'll see you tomorrow. I love you Monkey."
"Love you Danno."
Danny ended his call and smiled. His daughter wanted to go to a football game. She was excited about it. When the doctor announced the screaming bundle in his hands was a little girl Danny couldn't have been happier. He was a Daddy. Boy, girl, it hadn't mattered. He was still going to teach his child the same things. Well peeing would have been different obviously but everything else... Now was his chance to teach his daughter about football. If Gracie turned out to be a jock and not a little princess his ex was going to kill him. He didn't see why his little girl couldn't be both. She could climb tress while wearing pink while wearing a tiara with a dirt covered face.
Danny looked from his daughter's photo to the files on his desk. He didn't really need to go over them right now. Picking them up he started packing them up when he saw Steve walk past his office. The man was obviously on his way out yet didn't even say goodbye. That pissed Danny off a bit but he supposed Steve was pissed too. Steve had offered and olive branch and he had stepped on it. Something he needed to rectify.
"Hey Steve, wait up."
"What is it Danny?" Steve huffed without turning around.
"I have changed my mind."
Steve turned and looked at him curiously. "About what exactly?"
Danny looked away. It wasn't easy to apologize. "Football. I spoke to Grace and she would love to go. Actually she was unusually excited about meeting you."
Steve smiled. "Well I look forward to meeting her too. She will have fun I promise. Fresh air, nachos, people yelling. It will be great."
Danny nodded. "I am sure she will enjoy herself. Thanks for thinking of her. I know I complain about how many changes I had to make in order to be here for her. I guess I forget it wasn't easy for her to come here either.
Steve shrugged. "Well it's only as hard as we make it. I haven't exactly been socialising much since I got back either. Maybe it's time we both made an effort.
Danny smiled. "Yeah Maybe."
"So I'll see you tomorrow."
Danny nodded. "Tomorrow."