Mari & Ilna-Your friendship means more to me than I could possibly express in words. I'm enjoying every moment of this journey and I'm as excited about it now as I was over a year ago when we started. Onward and Upward!
Sandy-thanks for just getting me.
REAL Worlders-I need to take a minute to thank you guys again for the amazing outpouring of enthusiasm and support you've shown us right from the beginning. I am absolutely terrible about responding to reviews but PLEASE know it isn't that I don't appreciate and treasure every single one. It's simply a matter of not enough hours in the day. I can't count the number of times I've been moved to laughter by your words. And also to tears. I thank you for taking time out of your day to share your thoughts and stories. You guys are the best and I want you to know how much it means to me, and to all of us, that you've invested in this universe and also in our original characters. And to that end I don't think I'll run afoul of Mari and Ilna by sharing a little spoiler with you. We've gotten lots of concerned inquiries and I want to reassure everyone—nothing is going to happen to Jenna. We promise.
Meeting Expectations (1/1)
"So is that kid Gracie likes coming? The one with the hair?" Steve asked as he and Danny finished filling a cooler with soft drinks and ice from the garage refrigerator.
"Ryan?" Danny asked as they each grabbed a handle and headed for the deck. "Yea, he's coming. Hair and all."
"I haven't heard much about him since the Halloween party," Steve stated. "Not that that's a bad thing. Gracie is too young to have a serious boyfriend anyway."
"I beg you not to say the words Grace and serious boyfriend in the same sentence," Danny grimaced. "I am nowhere near ready for that."
"Me either," Steve commiserated.
"Fortunately … I don't think we need to worry about that particular issue right now anyway … at least not where Ryan A. is concerned. As far as I can tell Grace doesn't like him anymore."
Steve perked up. "Since when?"
"It's tough to say exactly." Danny stepped outside and pulled the garage door closed behind them. "All I know is I don't hear his name as much these days and when I ask about him I get a shrug … and sometimes an eyeroll."
"If she doesn't like him anymore why is he invited to the party? Won't that be awkward?" Steve's eyebrows were knit together in confusion.
"Oh … no ... it's nothing like that. She still likes him as a friend," Danny clarified. "I just don't think she … you know … like likes him anymore."
"Ahh," Steve replied. "Well I can't say I'm disappointed. I mean he was nice enough but he seemed kinda smooth for a kid his age. He has potential playa written all over him."
Danny nodded in agreement.
"Still … I wonder why Grace doesn't like like him now. You don't think he said something to upset her, do you? Because if he … "
"No," Danny waved his free hand dismissively, "If that had happened I would have heard about it. I just know that there are certain … expectations … a crush is expected to meet … where they sit at lunch, who waits for whom after school … apparently Ryan A. wasn't meeting those expectations."
"That certainly wasn't very smart on his part. He should have thanked his lucky stars someone like Gracie was willing to give him the time of day."
Danny couldn't help but smile at Steve's stalwart defense of his favorite niece. "Well there's also the fact that she's thirteen … crushes come and go fast at that age."
Steve scoffed. "No big deal. He wasn't good enough for her anyway. Anyone new on the horizon I should keep my eye on?"
"Not specifically … at least as far as I know … but I do know there was a lot of discussion among the girls about which boys to invite. You know what … it's probably best to just watch them all," Danny decided as they made their way onto the deck and placed the cooler alongside an identical one they filled with ice and bottled water earlier.
"Behave, you two," Catherine warned in a low voice as she and Gabby placed recyclable plastic plates and silverware on each of the tables. She and Steve had gone back and forth on whether to set out a buffet or serve family style and in the end decided family style was the way to go.
The custom table Kamekona's friend Kekipi built was separated into its three pieces which were then spaced out along the back of the deck towards the house. A large banquet table that could accommodate all twelve teenagers expected to attend stood opposite them. Several additional card tables were placed around to be used for desserts and to hold extra serving dishes and platters.
On the outdoor kitchen's counter there was a large acrylic dispenser of homemade lemonade with a block of ice and several dozen wedges of lemon floating on top.
Even with everything in place, including chairs and benches, there was plenty of room for guests to move around freely making Steve and Catherine both happy they'd decided to go with the larger deck design.
"You didn't even hear the entire conversation," Danny said defensively.
"I didn't have to," Catherine crossed to stand in front of them. "I know you both. Any boy even smiles at Grace and you guys go on high alert."
"Not just any random boy that smiles," Steve contended.
"We're not that bad," Danny scoffed.
Catherine pinned them with a skeptical glare.
"I'm not … I don't … you know what?" Steve crossed his arms over his chest. "You can never be too careful. I won't apologize for looking out for Gracie."
"And you shouldn't," Catherine smiled as she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "But you can't treat every boy who talks to her … or even who she likes … as if they're up to no good."
Steve pondered for a second then dropped his arms and wrapped Catherine in a quick hug. "I can't make any promises but I'll do my best."
"That's all I ask," she smiled as she returned his hug.
"But you have to remember, Catherine," Danny pointed out. "Steve and I know what thirteen year boys are like. We know how they think … and what they think with."
"That might be true," Catherine acknowledged. "But what I know is that you raised a strong, smart daughter who isn't afraid to stand up for herself. She can handle things."
"You definitely have a point there," Danny conceded.
"Thanks again for letting us move the party here, Uncle Steve," Grace bubbled excitedly. She was too busy attaching red, white and blue crepe paper to the deck railing to pay attention to what the adults were talking about. "I really appreciate it. We all do. And I promise I'll help clean up. I'll take all the decorations down myself. I used string to attach the streamers so I didn't damage the wood on the new deck … "
"Whoa, slow down, Gracie. You're very welcome." Steve smiled as she tied the last knot and turned to face him with a beaming smile. "We told you it's no trouble at all."
"I think everything looks really pretty." She could hardly contain her enthusiasm as she took in the festive decorations that adorned every corner of the deck. "Oh, wait, I almost forgot, Gabby and I made some centerpieces for the tables. They're in the trunk of Danno's car."
Suddenly she looked stricken.
"We did remember to put them in the trunk last night, didn't we?" Her voice was tinged with panic.
"Yes," Gabby said calmly. "We did. Remember we even double-checked this morning."
"That's right," Grace exhaled a sigh of relief. "I'll go get them."
"Do you …" Catherine started to ask but her words were lost as Grace dashed off the deck and around the corner of the house, "need any help," she finished with a smile.
"She's a little excited," Danny chuckled.
Within minutes the sound of high-pitched squealing coming from the vicinity of the front yard indicated that some of the teenage guests, most likely female ones, had arrived. Seconds later Grace reappeared around the corner of the house with Linda and Ally in tow. They were all talking a mile a minute and carrying sparkly centerpieces consisting of paper Uncle Sam hats, red, white and blue tissue paper flowers and Mylar sparklers.
As they approached the deck the girls erupted into a fit of giggles. The adults watched them with unconcealed amusement for a few seconds then finally Danny spoke.
"Hi, Ally," he said. "How's your Mom?"
"Hi, Detective Williams," Ally responded, fighting to get her giggles under control. "She's pretty good. She said she's already tired of the crutches though."
"I'll bet," Danny nodded sympathetically. "It's good your Grandma could come and help."
"I know," Ally's face brightened, "She made macadamia nut cookies last night and we had homemade blueberry waffles for breakfast this morning." Ally's voice lowered to just above a whisper. "With whip cream!"
Danny snorted. "Yep … that sounds like Grace's grandma. Tell your mom I hope she feels better."
"I will. Thanks." Ally turned to Steve. "My mom also said to be sure to thank you and Lieutenant Rollins again for letting us move the party here."
"Tell her she's welcome," Steve smiled. "We were happy to do it."
"If she needs any help with anything until she's getting around better tell her to give me a call," Catherine added.
"I will," Ally nodded, readjusting her grip on the centerpieces.
"Let's put these where they belong," Grace said excitedly as she dropped one of the sparkly centerpieces on the table closest to her, "then go out front and wait for everybody else to get here."
The three girls made quick work of arranging the table decorations, sharing whispers and giggles the entire time, then tore off for the front porch to wait for their friends to arrive.
"Anything I can do for you before the rest of the guests get here?" Danny asked Catherine as he surveyed the deck.
"Everything is pretty much under control," she answered, taking another look around to be sure she hadn't forgotten anything. "I put chips, pretzels and some other snacks in plastic bowls so the kids can take them right down to the beach if they want. The coolers are full of drinks. The lemonade is all set. The burgers patties are ready to go. The side dishes are all done and in the refrigerator."
"Sounds like you've got it covered … as usual," Danny observed. "However … I feel bad you guys got stuck doing so much for this party."
"Nonsense," Catherine caught Steve's eye and smiled. "We've done so many of these things, at this point we work like a well-oiled machine."
"And not just when it comes to barbecues," Gabby grinned.
"Oh, wait … I know," Catherine suddenly remembered. "The fruit kabobs are in the frig in the garage. They're already on platters and ready to go. You can grab those if you want."
"I'm on it." Danny said. "Wanna give me a hand, Gabby?"
"Sure, I'd love to."
"No making out or getting handsy in the garage," Steve directed as they walked away. "Remember, the Marquis is in there."
"Oh, like that Marquis hasn't seen worse," Danny muttered as he and Gabby stepped off the deck.
"Everything looks perfect," Steve smiled softly as he moved to stand in front of Catherine. "You did an amazing job as always."
He looked around quickly to make sure they were alone then pulled her in for a passionate kiss.
"Mmmm, thanks." she responded when he pulled back and smiled. "But it's not like I did it alone. You helped. And Grace."
Steve smiled and dipped his head in for another kiss.
"Unfortunately," she sighed as she pulled away, "we have guests arriving any minute and we're gonna need to put a pin in this until later."
Steve groaned as he pulled back. "Would they really miss us if we disappeared for a few minutes?"
"It's never just a few minutes." Catherine smiled saucily as she gave him a quick peck on the lips. "Just remember where we were and we'll pick it up later."
"I'm gonna hold you to that," he growled and looked up just in time to see Carrie and John coming out the back door.
"There's a gaggle of giggling teenage girls on your front porch," John joked. "It was a little hard to understand with all the high-pitched squealing but I'm pretty sure they told us to come on back."
"That's just the tip of the iceberg," Steve laughed. "There are more on the way. Maybe you should've brought earplugs."
"You were very brave offering to host the party here." John shook Steve's hand then gave Catherine a quick peck on the cheek. "That's a lot of teenage hormones in one place."
"Don't listen to him," Carrie said as she hugged Steve, "It's gonna be fun."
"Still ... being as the kids are gonna have us seriously outnumbered today we decided to stick with just water, soft drinks and lemonade." Steve indicated the coolers and the lemonade container. "Help yourselves."
"Sounds like a wise idea," John nodded. "Lemonade ok, Car?"
"Perfect." Carrie nodded then turned back to Steve. "I heard all about the Halloween party, McGarrett. What are Cath and I gonna have to do to make sure you cavemen let the kids have some actual fun today?"
"I'm not sure what you heard about that party," Steve responded incredulously, "but you should have seen the games Catherine and Kono wanted to let them play. There was an awful lot of … touching."
Catherine rolled her eyes and looked at Carrie. "They were harmless pre-teen party games. Steve and Danny wanted them to play Go Fish."
"That sounds like a perfectly good game for a boy/girl party to me," John chimed in as he handed Carrie a plastic tumbler of lemonade. "It's hard for hands to start wandering when they're full of cards."
"You're not helping, honey," Carrie sighed then looked at Catherine. "We have our work cut out for us."
Danny and Gabby returned from the garage carrying two large serving platters of fruit kabobs and placed them under the table umbrella where Catherine already had a chilling tray waiting.
"Those look delicious, Cath," John gushed as he examined the kabobs.
"Thanks. I got the fruit yesterday at the farmer's market." Catherine opened the small refrigerator in the outdoor kitchen, retrieved several medium sized covered containers and removed the lids. "I made a couple of dipping sauces for them. Chocolate Fudge, Pina Colada and Vanilla Crème."
"Let me help you with those." Carrie picked up the bowls, grabbed three serving spoons and headed towards the kabobs.
"You just want to taste the Chocolate Fudge before anyone else," Catherine accused with a smile.
"I resent that implication." Carrie pretended to take offense but couldn't keep a straight face for more than few seconds. "I want to try all three before anyone else," she smirked.
As John and Carrie sampled the kabobs the back door of the house opened just a crack and Jacob's voice rang out, "Lieutenant Catherine, Commander Steve, can Cammie come outside?"
"Yes," Catherine chuckled. "She can come out."
The door opened the rest of the way and Cammie trotted happily onto the deck followed by Jenna and the younger Allen children. She made her way from person to person, investigating all the visitors and accepting head scratches and kisses from everyone.
"She was pacing back and forth in the living room," Jenna explained. "She looked like she was afraid she might be missing something."
Catherine smiled. "She does like to be where the action is. Steve took her for a nice long swim this morning and she was napping upstairs but the sound of people arriving must have woke her up."
"I'm pretty sure the sound of that squealing could wake up dogs on the other side of the island," John said.
"Oh hush, they're having fun," Catherine laughed. "I'll put Cammie on her leash so she can relax in her house and keep an eye on things. Can you grab her Kong from the railing over there please, Jacob?"
Jacob eagerly grabbed the red toy, which Catherine had already filled with Cammie's favorite boiled chicken, and brought it to Casa Cammie.
"Cody and Jadon are parking the car," Jenna explained. "I drove here but Cody told me he still needs more practice parking and asked if he could do it."
"He's getting really good," Steve smiled proudly.
"I hope you're right because I'm pretty sure he's parking beside your truck," Jenna chuckled.
Two minutes later Cody and Jadon emerged onto the deck.
"I'm jus' sayin' I know what it means when a group of ladies, no matter what age, giggle and whisper," Jadon said as he strutted along beside his best friend.
Cody rolled his eyes. "They were probably talking about Big Time Rush or 5SOS or some guy on a show about vampires."
Jadon stopped in his tracks and gaped at his friend. "Boy bands … vampire shows … it's scary how much you know about this stuff."
"I have two sisters," Cody reminded him.
As Catherine was getting the dog settled, Jenna and the kids said hi to everyone and Steve told them to help themselves to drinks and snacks.
"I was sorry your Mom and brothers couldn't make it, Jadon," he said sincerely.
"Yeah, them too," Jadon shrugged. "But they already had tickets to hit the water park with my mama's church group so, whatcha gonna do?"
"You didn't want to go to the water park?" Danny asked.
"Naw … it was mostly younger kids that were goin'. That's cool … but hangin' out in the kiddie section all day isn't my idea of fun. But it's all good because my schedule was clear when I got a chance to come hang with you, D-Dawg," he grinned.
"Cody, what should I have?" Jacob asked breathlessly as he finished helping Catherine and ran to his brother's side. He peered seriously into the icy cooler.
"We got Sprite," Steve told the little boy.
"Yes!" Jacob pumped his fist. "My favorite! Can I have Sprite, Mom?"
"Yes," Jenna smiled indulgently, "but you have to put it here on the table next to me so it doesn't get spilled."
"Ok." Jacob took the bottle Cody handed him and started running towards his mother.
"Don't shake the …," Cody said, but it was too late.
"Luckily I have experience with this," Jenna laughed as she twisted the top a little and gave the pressure a chance to escape so they didn't end up taking a Sprite shower.
Jacob climbed up next to his mother just as Grace and her friends came around to the back of the house.
"Everyone's here." Grace made quick introductions then said, "We're gonna head down to the beach, ok?"
"Ok," Danny nodded. "But no one goes in the water without coming up and telling us first."
"Okay," the teens replied in unison.
"Grab some drinks and snacks on the way." Catherine pointed to the coolers and the plastic bowls lined up on the railing. There was a chorus of 'Thank you' as the kids dug in.
Kaitlyn smiled shyly and waved at Grace who smiled back. "Hi, Kaitlyn."
"Hi, Grace."
Jenna explained to Kaitlyn and the other children on the way over that Grace was having a party with her school friends and she wouldn't be able to hang out with them today like she usually does. Kaitlyn was disappointed but assured her mother she understood. She hadn't even been expecting to see Grace at all on the holiday until they got Steve and Catherine's somewhat last minute invitation.
As Grace and her friends headed down to the beach Catherine turned to the youngest Allen girl.
"Kaitlyn, I was showing Carrie the bracelet you made me and she loves it. She said she'd like to have one herself someday if you have time."
"Really?" Kaitlyn looked from Catherine to Carrie.
"Absolutely," Carried nodded. "I've never seen anything like it. It's so pretty."
"I just got some new rubber bands," Kaitlyn said shyly. "And Mom said it was okay for me to bring my loom." She patted the tote bag on the bench beside her and bit her bottom lip nervously.
"Can you show me how you make them?" Carrie asked eagerly.
Kaitlyn's face broke into a huge smile. "Sure. Come sit by me. What's your favorite color?"
Jenna smiled as Carrie took the seat between Kaitlyn and Casey and prepared for a lesson in bracelet making. "Do you have any green?"
"We're getting ready to fire the grill up here a little later," Steve said. "Do you remember everything I taught you last time, Cody?"
"I think so," Cody smiled confidently.
He'd come a long way in his relationship with Steve since that inaugural deck barbecue.
"Are we having any hotdogs, Commander Steve? Lieutenant Catherine and me both love hotdogs. You like them too. Remember you had two when we went go-kart racing?"
"I remember," Steve nodded. "And yes we're having hotdogs too. Cody mastered hamburgers last time; this time we'll branch out to hotdogs."
"I've known you five years … I'm still not allowed to help with the grilling," Danny groused good-naturedly.
"Cody's a quick study," Steve smirked. "Plus he listens when I talk."
"Did SuperSEAL ever let you drive his truck, D-Dawg?" Jadon asked. "Because he lets the Code-man drive it all the time."
Danny shot Jadon a 'what do you think' look and Jadon shook his head ruefully.
Suddenly his head popped up and he snapped his fingers.
"Hey, you know how you could teach him a lesson?"
"How?" Danny played along.
"You could let me drive that fine lookin' Camaro out front that I have it on good authority belongs to you."
"You think that'd teach him a lesson?" Danny asked doubtfully.
Jadon's eyes sparkled. "Only one way to find out."
"Oh you two are so peas in a pod," Gabby chuckled as she dropped down in the chair beside Danny's.
"Lieutenant Catherine, can I help you?" Jacob asked as he stood on the bench beside his mother. "I'm a good helper."
"I know you are," Catherine smiled. "Let me think … oh I know, you can put the cookies and brownies on plates for me. Do you think you can handle that?"
"Yep," Jacob said confidently. "Dylan, do you wanna help too?"
"Sure, why not," Dylan replied agreeably.
Catherine led them to the table at the far end of the deck where the desserts sat in boxes next to a short stack of paper plates. "Here you go." Catherine opened the first box. "I want to make plates for each table. So how many plates do we need?"
Jacob's face became a mask of concentration. "The big table too?"
"Yes," Catherine smiled. "I think we need two for the big table. And we'll leave one on this table too."
"Ok." Jacob pointed to each table as he counted. "One … two … three … four … five …'cuz we want two for the big table, and this one makes six. Six?" he asked.
"Yes, very good. Six." Catherine held out her hand for a high five.
"We need six, Dylan," Jacob said excitedly as he slapped Catherine's hand. "Six like me!"
"Let me know if you have any questions," Catherine told them as she helped Jacob get seated.
As she turned around Grace stepped purposefully onto the deck followed by five other girls. "Auntie Catherine," she said softly, "Can I ask you something …" she indicated an unoccupied corner of the deck with her eyes.
"Sure, Grace," Catherine moved out of earshot of the others. "What do you need?"
"It's not me … it's Ally. Her … well it's … you know … that time. And she wasn't expecting it." Grace shot a reassuring smile over her shoulder at her friends who gathered right behind her.
"Ah," Catherine nodded. "Well, we can take care of that."
"It wasn't supposed to start for a few days … " Ally said apologetically.
"It's fine, sweetheart," Catherine said soothingly. "Sometimes when there's been a lot going on, like with your mom, and you've been really emotional, it comes a little early. Grace keeps some extra supplies here so she can show you where everything is."
"I have cramps, too," Ally added as she shifted from foot to foot. "I texted my mom and she said to show you this." She held up her phone and Catherine read a text confirming it was ok to give Ally Tylenol.
"Ok," Catherine smiled softly. "Let's head upstairs and get this all taken care of."
"We'll be right back," she said reassuringly to Steve and Danny who were beginning to look concerned.
She turned and entered the house and all six girls followed closely behind.
"They look like little ducklings following their mother," Carrie laughed as the last of the girls disappeared out of sight.
Steve smiled softly. "Catherine's good with the ducklings. But is there something wrong there I should be worried about? Should I offer to help?"
"I'm neither a lip reader nor a psychic but I feel pretty confident they don't need your help," Carrie assured him and Gabby and Jenna smiled knowingly.
"Maybe I should just double check," Steve said. "They looked pretty upset."
"Steve," Carrie said, trying not to laugh. "They don't need your help."
"How can you be so sure?" Danny asked.
"I'm pretty sure it's a," Carrie looked around then lowered her voice, "girl problem."
"She looked a little teary. If she's upset about something or if she hurt herself in some way …" Steve started.
"A girl problem," Carrie reiterated then spoke again very slowly. "Girl … problem."
"What are you … oh … oh…" Steve sputtered.
"Theeere you go," Carrie smiled.
"Well then … that's Catherine's department." Steve sat down beside Danny and tried to put the thought of what was happening in the house out of his mind.
Fifteen minutes later the girls emerged from the house, smiles firmly back in place. Catherine went to check on Cammie and the girls started for the beach. Halfway across the deck Grace stopped.
"Are you guys making bracelets?" she asked.
"They're showing me how it works and then Kaitlyn is gonna make me one," Carrie answered. When Grace hesitated and didn't move Carrie asked, "Why?"
"Well Ally wants to sit for a while and just be scorekeeper so I was wondering if maybe you want to take her place, Casey? And maybe Kaitlyn could help keep score and be a substitute when someone needs a break."
"Really?" Both girls turned and looked at their mother hopefully. "Can we?"
"Are you sure, Grace?" Jenna asked. "I know these are your school friends and this party is something you've planned for a long time."
Grace shrugged. "Kaitlyn and Casey are my friends too."
The matter-of-factness with which Grace said those simple yet powerful words made Danny beam with pride.
"Ok then," Jenna smiled at her daughters. "Go ahead."
Kaitlyn looked at Carrie questioningly.
"We can finish this later. Go have fun," Carrie told her with a smile.
Both girls jumped up excitedly and headed for the beach with Grace.
As the girls took off, Catherine glanced across the deck and saw Jacob, with a chocolate covered face, happily arranging brownies with Dylan.
"Jacob," she said as she approached them. "Are you arranging the brownies or eating them?"
Jacob grinned and pointed at his brother. "Dylan had one too."
Dylan tried to look sorry but failed. "I did."
Catherine chuckled.
"No more until after we eat," Jenna told her two youngest sons.
"Ok," Jacob agreed happily as he popped another piece of brownie in his mouth.
"Jacob," Jenna said exasperatedly. "I said no more."
He looked at her with wide eyes. "I had to eat the rest of that one. I already took a bite out of it."
Jenna couldn't help but laugh.
As Cody turned to talk to Steve a soccer ball came whizzing towards his head. He reached up and knocked it out of the air with one hand.
"Sorry," Ryan A. said as he approached. "It got away from me."
"No problem," Cody said as he picked the ball up and tossed it back.
"Hey … is Casey your sister?" Ryan asked.
"Yeah. Why?" Cody responded.
"She's really good," Ryan said genuinely.
"She is," Cody smiled as Ryan turned and headed back towards the beach.
A few minutes later the soccer ball came flying towards them again.
This time it was Jadon who grabbed it.
He turned to find a wide-eyed Ally standing five feet away.
"Sorry," she giggled.
" 's all right," Jadon smiled. "Here you go."
He tossed her the ball.
"Thanks." She stared for a second longer then turned and headed back to the beach. When she got there she huddled with the other girls and the giggling could be heard clearly on the deck.
Catherine looked at Carrie and smiled a knowing smile. When she looked around she saw the same smile on Gabby and Jenna's faces.
The girls were starting to notice the older boys.
She looked at Steve who was deep in conversation with Danny and John and was thankful they hadn't yet noticed what was happening.
"Cody, can we practice with the quarter? Pleeeeease!?" Jacob pleaded.
Cody had been teaching his brothers how to flip a coin for the last several days and while Dylan had pretty much mastered the skill Jacob still hit himself in the face with the quarter more often than not.
Cody removed a coin from his pocket but before he could toss it in the air the soccer ball whizzed past again and landed at his feet.
This time he turned to find Linda standing just off the edge of the deck.
"Sorry," she giggled.
Jadon picked up the ball and tossed it back in her direction.
"Do you guys play soccer?" she asked as she caught it.
"Sometimes," both boys shrugged.
"I bet you're good at it," Linda responded, finger twisting in her hair.
"Very good if I do say so myself," Jadon responded, and Cody rolled his eyes.
Linda giggled and headed back to her waiting friends.
"Apparently we found your game," Cody snorted. "It's strong with thirteen year olds."
Jadon smirked, then caught Steve and Danny glaring at him. "Oh hey … naw … no way … I'm just playin'. I know they're way too young," he said steadfastly.
"Good boy," Danny said.
"But at least my game is showin' signs of life."
"You keep telling yourself that," Danny laughed. "And in the meantime aim your game elsewhere."
"I wasn't even lookin' at 'em," Jadon defended himself.
"Ignore him," Catherine smiled. "You didn't do anything wrong. Just keep in mind that older boys can be very appealing to young teenage girls. You gotta be careful about that. Not just today but every day. That kind of thing can get you in big trouble."
Jadon held up his hands. "You don't have to say nothin' else. My mama's already been real clear with me about this."
"That's good," Steve nodded. "But if you ever need a reminder …" He stopped when he saw Casey and Grace approaching out of the corner of his eye. "What's up, ladies?"
Casey looked at her older brother and sighed. "They," she pointed backwards towards the beach, "want to know if you guys want to come down and play."
Cody looked surprised but Jadon jumped in immediately. "They can't get enough of old All Day J, huh?"
Casey rolled her eyes and let out an exasperated sigh. "Something like that I guess."
Jadon flexed his biceps. "Can't say I blame 'em really."
"Oh please," Casey huffed as Ally came up behind her, eager to see what the older boys were going to do. "Do you guys want to play or not?"
"I was helping Jacob … " Cody hesitated, not wanting to leave his two younger brothers in a lurch.
"Jacob and Dylan can play too," Grace said. "Like Danno and Uncle Steve always say, the more the merrier. Right, Uncle Steve?"
"Right, Gracie," Steve smiled.
"Are you sure?" Jenna asked. "Jacob's a lot smaller than the rest of you and … " Jenna looked into Jacob's hopeful face and hated the thought of disappointing him.
"I have a little brother younger than Jacob," Grace assured her. "I'll keep an eye on him."
"I have three younger brothers," Ally chimed in. "He'll be fine."
Jacob clasped his hands under his chin and looked pleadingly at his mother.
"Ok," she said. "But you behave and don't get in the way and …" she trailed off as Jacob grabbed Cody's hand and began pulling him towards the beach.
"Oh, before I forget," Carrie looked at Catherine as the sound of the kids' excited squeals faded slightly as they made their way down near the water, "Did you see in the latest update email that Wendy Thompson had another baby? Is that four now?"
"Five," Catherine wrinkled her nose.
"Who's Wendy Thompson?" Danny asked, intrigued by Catherine's reaction to the baby announcement. She wasn't the type to be anything but happy about news of a new arrival.
"You mean they never told you about Wendy?" Carrie smirked. "How is that possible? She went to the Academy with us and she is very … well … let's go with memorable."
"She sounds fascinating." Danny sat forward in his seat. "And yet … they never mentioned her. This is why I like having you around Carrie. Spill."
"Well, Wendy lived across the hall from me and Cath and she looooved her some Steve McGarrett," Carrie laughed. "She stalked him like a pro. She was bound and determined to marry him. Had their whole lives planned out. They were going to be the king and queen of career naval service."
"Go on," Danny chuckled as he glanced at Steve.
John laughed. "I can't believe you guys never told Danny about Wendy."
"She must have slipped my mind," Steve said unconvincingly.
"She did anything and everything she could think of to get his attention," Carrie continued as she shared a sly smile with her husband. "Every time he stopped by to see Cath she was convinced he was inventing excuses and that he really wanted to see her. But of course he barely knew she existed. He was a one woman man from the first time he saw Cath."
"Oblivious even then," Danny shook his head.
"When he graduated and headed to his first posting she was devastated," Carrie said. "All her expectations for the future were gone … just like that. She ended up marrying Stuart Thompson who was practically last in the class. Took him till the final day every term to pass the physical requirements."
"And they did not become the king and queen of career naval service," Catherine snorted.
"What happened to them," Gabby asked.
"He washed out after five years with chronic vertigo and she left the Navy to have kids," Carrie reported. "He's some kind of salesman now. Cars I think?"
"Carpet," Catherine corrected her.
"Really?"
"Yes, really," Catherine grinned. "Not that I'm keeping track."
"So Carrie, John, exactly how many stories about these two do you guys have in your arsenal?" Danny leaned forward in his seat and rested his elbows on his knees.
"Enough to last for many picnics and barbecues to come," Carrie promised.
Two hours later, after finishing with soccer, playing a game of fetch with Cammie and jumping in the water to cool off, the kids needed a break. Luckily the hotdogs were cooked to perfection and the burgers were ready to come off the grill. The tables were filled with bowls of coleslaw, potato salad, baked beans, watermelon and child-friendly jello salad.
Not to mention fresh buns and every condiment and burger topping a picnic-goer could ever want.
"You need any help?" Cody asked as he came up behind Steve at the grill.
"You can grab those platters if you want," Steve pointed to the counter. "These are just about ready to come off. Maybe another minute or two."
Cody placed the platters beside the grill. "I think that kid Ryan … with the hair … has a crush on Grace."
"What makes you say that?" Steve smirked.
"It's just a feeling I guess. He gave me a couple of hard fouls during the soccer game that I'm pretty sure were meant to impress her. He looked right at her after each one and smiled."
"They have a history," Steve snickered.
Cody chuckled. "A history? They're thirteen."
"Grace liked him back around Halloween but apparently he wasn't a very attentive crush so now she's noticed there are other fish in the sea."
"Ahh. Gotcha," Cody nodded. "Tough break, Ryan."
"That's why I told you not to put off contacting Jess any longer." Steve pointed the spatula playfully at Cody.
"Other fish?" Cody guessed.
"Exactly." Steve turned his attention back to the burgers. "Speaking of Jess … "
"She messaged me back," Cody smiled. "Like an hour later. We're gonna hang out. We haven't made . . . like . . . definite plans yet because we have to see what my work schedule is but … she said she wants to hang out."
"That's good," Steve smiled. "Really good."
Just as Steve and Cody finished taking a load of burgers off the grill and Catherine delivered dinner and a bowl of fresh, cold water to Casa Cammie, Adam, Kono, Chin and Leilani arrived.
"I hope we didn't miss the food," Kono said hungrily as they came around the back of the house and onto the deck.
"Nope. It's just coming off the grill now," Catherine said. "Grab something to drink and dig in."
"No food at your family thing?" Danny asked as Chin pulled four waters out of the cooler.
"The Auntie that normally takes care of the food wanted a break this year so she left some cousins in charge," Chin explained.
"She picked the wrong cousins," Kono said disgustedly. "What wasn't burned was raw. I hardly ate any breakfast because I was expecting to get a big lunch and I ended up eating two plain rolls and half a can of black olives. I'm starved."
"There was talk of calling out for pizza as we were leaving," Adam smiled.
"Well we've got plenty here," Steve said as he and Cody carried platters of burgers and hot dogs to their waiting friends, "so let's eat."
After a loud, boisterous meal where every hamburger and hotdog cooked was eaten and Catherine had to retrieve refills for all the side dishes from the refrigerator in the kitchen, and after six plates of brownies and cookies almost completely disappeared, the kids decided to head back down to the beach for a game of Frisbee football.
"You comin'?" Ryan asked Cody with a raised eyebrow.
"Yeah, I'm in." Cody accepted the unspoken challenge then turned to Steve. "Wanna play?"
"Really?" Steve held Cody's gaze. "You think you're ready for that?"
"I'm sure I am." Steve could tell Cody was putting on the bravado just for fun and to get a reaction. "I taught the young guys a lesson earlier now I'm ready to take on the old guys."
Steve clasped his hand over his heart. "Those are fightin' words, young man."
"Ok then," Cody compromised, "how about if you and me are on the same team and we let the other guys be the old guys?"
"Much better," Steve said with pride in his eyes.
After a short discussion it was decided Steve, Adam, John and Cody would be on one team with three of the teen boys, Grace, Linda, Ally, Casey and Jacob. The other team would consist of Danny, Chin, Jadon, Dylan, Kaitlyn and the remaining teens.
"It's gonna be paintball all over again," Jadon shook his head sorrowfully. "You can't put the Code-man and SuperSEAL on the same team and expect them not to dominate."
"We can take 'em," Ryan said cockily.
"I like your swagger," Jadon said as Ryan attempted to stare down Cody from across the deck. "I still think we gonna get killed … but I like your swagger."
"Are you ladies gonna join us?" Steve asked Catherine, Carrie, Jenna, Gabby, Kono & Leilani.
"No, I think we'll just sit here and get the ice packs and ace bandages ready," Carrie said.
"Very funny," Steve scoffed. "Do I look worried?"
"Some of these kids are … a third your age, McGarrett. Keep that in mind."
Steve smirked at her and walked away.
Forty-five minutes later the game was still going strong.
"It's kinda hard to tell who's winning," Kono said. "Every play ends up with a big pile of bodies and everyone laughing."
"And that's exactly how it should be," Catherine smiled.
As the next play was "snapped" Steve tossed the Frisbee a few feet to Jacob, who, as much to his surprise as anyone else's, caught it. As he stood there stunned, eyes wide, tacklers approaching, Steve scooped him up and headed for the end zone.
When he reached the designated goal line he put Jacob down and the youngster immediately broke into a touchdown dance.
"Cody, did you see? I got a touchdown!" he squealed excitedly.
"I saw." Cody high-fived him. "Good job."
"Mom," he screamed towards the deck. "Did you see? I got a touchdown."
"I saw!"
"Lt. Catherine! Were you watching? I got a touchdown."
"Great job, Jacob."
The game continued for another hour till everyone was exhausted and the sun was beginning to set. The game was declared a tie and Catherine called everyone up on the deck where she had laid out a build your own sundae bar.
"Are you kidding me?" Ryan A. said disbelievingly. "Your family is the best, Grace."
"They totally are," Linda agreed. "Not just because of this though. But still ... I've never seen so many ice cream toppings in one place in my whole life."
"I think we should have all our parties here from now on," one of the boys suggested.
Cody lifted Jacob up so he could get a better view of all the sweets. The youngsters eyes widened and his hands flew to his mouth. "This is my best day ever," he gasped, his voice filled with awe.
After the sundaes were finished and the ice cream was put away Steve and Catherine assembled the movie screen while the kids huddled to pick out a movie.
Carrie, Gabby and Jenna spread blankets out on the beach while the other adults dragged the coolers and a table full of snacks down from the deck.
Once everything was in place Carrie and John put Cammie on her leash and brought her down to the beach then settled with her on a blanket near the back. Gabby and Danny chose the one next to them which was directly behind Jenna and Jacob.
"Grace," Jenna called as the huddle of teens broke up and they made their way to their blankets. "Can I talk to you for just a second?"
"Sure." Grace turned to Ally and Linda. "Go ahead. Save me a seat. I'll be right there," she said before walking over to where Jenna was sitting.
"Sweetheart, I just wanted to say … it was very nice of you to include my kids today but I know this is your party with your school friends and I hope you didn't feel like you had to."
"I didn't," Grace assured her. "I like Cody and Casey and Kaitlyn and Dylan and Jacob. I asked them to play because I wanted to. And all my school friends really like them too."
Jenna smiled at her. "You're a very sweet girl. I just didn't want you to think I expected you to invite them to join you."
"I didn't," Grace smiled. "No one has to expect me to include everyone, or to do the right thing, I expect it of myself."
"That's … " Jenna's voice was choked with emotion. "You're a very good girl, Grace. Thank you."
"You're welcome," she said with a smile then turned to re-join her friends.
"That's an awesome daughter you have there," Jenna said to Danny. "I don't think she even realizes how amazing she is. A lot of teenagers wouldn't have done what she did today. I mean … I hope mine would have … and I think they would have … but as parents we never really know until they're in the situation, do we?"
"No, we don't," Danny agreed. "I've always known Grace has an amazingly big heart but I never heard her talk about her expectations for herself before. I wish I could say she learned that from me but I can't take credit for it. That's …" he swallowed around a lump in his throat, "the first time I've ever heard her say that."
"Maybe she heard it in school," Gabby suggested.
"I don't think that's it," Carrie smiled softly as she looked up the beach at Catherine who was completing the final preparations for the movie.
Danny followed her eyes. "Catherine?"
"I remember freshman year at the Academy," Carrie said, "I considered myself a good kid but still, even at a place as structured as Annapolis there are temptations that come along with being away from home for the first time. I'll admit I'll almost gave in a couple of times but not Catherine. She always seemed completely unphased."
Danny watched as Catherine said something to Steve that made him throw his head back and laugh.
"I asked her one day how she did it," Carrie continued, "Was she afraid of disappointing her parents? Her teachers? The Navy? And she said it wasn't about disappointing anyone else, it was about not disappointing herself. She had high expectations for what kind of person she wanted to be and when temptation came along it was easier to deal with because the person she would be letting down if she gave in was herself."
Danny smiled as the opening credits of the movie began to play and Steve and Catherine headed for the empty blanket beside Jenna and Jacob. He thanked his lucky stars, not for the first time, that his daughter had such amazing role models in her life.
Just as Steve and Catherine took their seats on their blanket Jacob realized what movie had been chosen.
He jumped up and thrust his hands in the air. "MINIONS!"
"Yes," Catherine smiled as he hurled himself into her arms. "Despicable Me."
"I love this movie!" Jacob said as he plopped down happily between Catherine and Steve to watch.
Twenty minutes later the adults looked on in amazement as the teenagers began to filter over and grab snacks off the table.
"Where are they putting it all?" Gabby asked. "I couldn't eat another bite."
"Me either," Catherine agreed.
"I'm getting nauseous just thinking about it." Carrie shook her head.
An hour later as the movie was winding down and Jacob was back on Jenna's lap, Steve leaned over and whispered to Catherine. "Carrie was right. I think I might have pulled something playing Frisbee football."
"Oh poor baby," Catherine said softly. "Where does it hurt?"
He dropped his arm around her shoulders and chuckled, "A bunch of different places."
"That sounds serious," she said with mock gravity. "Later on you'll have to point out every single one so I can kiss them and make them all better."
"That sounds promising, Lieutenant."
"I'll do my best to meet your expectations, Commander."
"I'm sure you'll exceed them," he smiled as he kissed her on the cheek. "You always do."
THE END
If you are not on the REALMcRoll email list and would like to be, drop us an email at realmcroll at yahoo dot com with "Add me, please!" in the subject line. You'll get updates, contests, and fun McRoller games.
Looking for links to all the REAL World McRoll stories in one place? Check out our Tumblr page mcrollintherealworld dot tumblr dot com.
In addition, one of our AWESOME REAL Worlders, katydid13, has created a community on here onfanfiction dot net that brings all of the REAL World stories, and all of Mari, Sammy & Ilna's pre-universe stories in one place. You can find it at
community/McRoll-in-the-Real-World