Sammy and Ilna,

Thank you again, forever and always. For everything.

Sammy, thank you for your input on this one and letting me bounce it back and forth. Ilna, thank you for the awesome zoologist exchange lines.

REALMcRollers and readers,

Thank you all, every day.

Three in One

Part 5 of Angie's Birthday Marathon

Danny took Angie from his best friend with a grin. "So, are you ready for your first adventure with Uncle Danno, sweetheart?" He kissed her cheek and she bounced in is arms.

"Daaa noooo."

"That's right. We're going to have lunch and then we're going to have fun at the Discovery Center…" He touched her nose with each statement, making her giggle. "And ohhh, then…" He looked between Steve and Catherine. "Than we're going pick out some fun toys to play with." He buckled her into her car seat and stood with one hand holding the door. "Say, bye, bye, Daddy, we'll be back soon," he prompted.

"Danny…" Steve began but Angie's "Dada!" and flappy wave had him focusing on his daughter.

"Have fun with Uncle Danno, baby girl, Daddy will see you later."

Catherine appeared at his side with a small cooler. "Here're the extra bottle and some watermelon for later today." She passed them to Danny and bent into the car to kiss Angie. "Have fun, sweetie."

As Danny rounded the car and sat in the driver's seat, he grinned at his friends.

"Don't go overboar…" Steve started, but his partner's bark laugh stopped him. "What?"

"Do you even hear yourself?" Danny snorted. "I've only just begun ... " He swivelled to see the baby contentedly playing with her plastic keys that were fastened to the car seat/carrier. "Where to first, Angie? What's that? Okay, lunch it is." He smirked at Steve and pulled out of the driveway.

Pancake House

"EEEEEEE!" Angie kicked in the high chair and waved both hands excitedly when Danny fed her a dollop of whipped cream. "Aahhh eeee baa daaa no"

"What did you say? 'That's really yummy, Uncle Danno, you have excellent taste in eating establishments?' " He smiled and guided her to try another taste with her spoon. "I thought so."

"Oooo bababa." She banged the utensil on the high chair tray and grabbed a piece of pancake and strawberry to shove in her mouth.

"It's tasty, hmmm?" Danny took the last bite of his taylor ham, egg and cheese on a bagel. "See, now if we were in Jersey, this would be on a roll. A hard roll. But this was pretty good." He watched Angie squish more whipped cream covered pancake between her fingers before eating it with a drooly grin. "You know, Grace loved pancakes with fruit and whipped cream when she was a baby." He shook his head. "Between you and me, I can't believe she's driving. And has a summer job."

"Baaahhhh eeee!"

"Exactly. She's a very good kid. I'm lucky." He lifted her out of the highchair and deftly wiped the little hands and face.

"Excuse me, all finished? Can I get that out of your way?" The waitress, Jodi, nodded at the remnants of breakfast.

"Yeah, thanks."

"Your daughter's adorable." She waved at Angie.

"Thanks again, but this beautiful creature is my goddaughter. My daughter defied my wishes and kept growing up." He chucked at his own joke. "She's sixteen."

Jodi wrote out the check. "Goes fast, doesn't it? My youngest is twenty four in August. My husband and I retired and relocated in June." She waved a hand over her uniform. "Well, semi-retired. But we followed our son here from Kansas. He's got a fellowship from the CDC."

Danny passed her a twenty and waved off her 'I'll get your change'. "It goes way too fast. Luckily Miss Angie here is giving me a chance to relive the fun. And not all the sleepless nights."

Jodi laughed. "True. You enjoy your day, beautiful girl." She nodded. "And you have fun."

He stood, slung the diaper bag over his shoulder and lifted Angie with the ease of an experienced parent. He kissed the baby's cheek and added, "We intend to."

5:00 p.m.

"There's Mommy's big girl!" Catherine clapped and Angie followed suit before reaching for her mother. Snuggling her and kissing the baby's cheek, she asked, "Did you have fun? I bet you had sooo much fun," as Danny placed the diaper bag on the deck table.

"Be right back, the rest of her stuff's in the car." He waved at Angie and went back through the house as Steve followed Cammie onto the deck from the yard.

"Dada!" Angie squealed and he took her from Catherine and kissed her cheek, making smacking noise until she giggled. "Where's Danny?" he asked with a grin, then turned back to the baby. "Did you ditch Uncle Danno and drive home yourself?"

"I heard that!" Danny's voice came from behind a parcel that obstructed their view of the doting godfather. "A little help here?"

"Danny! What …" He handed Angie back to Catherine as he grabbed a colorful box that contained 'The most complete Duplo set any kid will ever need' according to the writing on the side. "I told you not to go overboard."

"Pot-kettle, Steven." Danny placed another box on the table. That one featured a child holding a toddler-sized camping backpack, sitting by a pretend campfire. "That …" He clapped and gestured for Angie, who leaned towards him with open arms. "Is from Uncle Danno, her favorite uncle…" He tickled her and settled her on his hip.

"They're all from …" Steve fought to hold back a grin when his daughter patted his partner's always perfectly styled hair with both hands and he responded by taking her hand and blowing a raspberry on her palm without missing a beat.

"Ah ah ah, let me finish. Tell your father to let me finish, beautiful."

"Ah ahhh ahhh," Angie parroted and Danny laughed. "See, she said, 'let Uncle Danno finish.' "

Catherine grinned as Steve crossed his arms and shook his head. "Once you encourage him, you know your uncle will just keep talking…"

Danny waved his best friend off, unfazed. "Like I said, the Duplos are from Uncle Danno." He pointed. "The camping gear … which your child saw the demos of and grabbed onto in spite of my trying to explain how horrible the whole experience can be, is from her godfather. You know, she clearly has your genetic propensity for ignoring a perfectly comfortable hotel and sleeping in the woods where an untold number of discomforts await …"

"...and talking…" Steve gestured to make his point and the baby giggled as if she understood.

Danny continued, undeterred. "And when we were at the Discovery Center, where my brilliant goddaughter, who clearly has her mother's brains as well as good looks..." He smiled at Catherine, even as he busted his partner. "Decided she loved the life-sized, interactive Lite Bright thing and the reflection room that looked like old school fun house mirrors, we couldn't leave without …" He passed Angie to Steve and held up a finger. Steve and Catherine exchanged a look and she shrugged as Danny went just inside the lanai doors to where he'd left another item.

"EEEEEEEEEEE! Daaaa noooo! EEEEEEEEE!" Angie shrieked with joy and reached out with both hands as she kicked her legs.

Catherine's hand moved to cover her mouth and she barked a laugh. Knowing exactly what their friend was doing she said, "Oh, my … and let me guess, that's from her birthday buddy."

"Give the lady a cheroot! This…" he said as he put the six foot tall, plush giraffe rocking 'horse' down, "is because she spent half the time at the Discovery Center on it. And there may have been a tear or two when we had to leave, so we checked in the gift shop and…"

"And you bought my daughter a …" Steve's eyes scanned the toy as Catherine placed Angie on the seat and sat behind her. "A five foot eleven inch rocking … giraffe?"

Totally nonplussed, he waved a hand. "You may have a future zoologist on your hands, you don't want to stifle that, do you?"

"Zoologists don't ride giraffes, Danny."

He smirked. "One with McGarrett and Rollins genes probably would. Besides, Dolphin Encounter. La Mer. Man eating shark adventure." He looked at Catherine and gestured at the house. "There's a little booster thingy inside that attaches until she's big enough to rock on her own."

"Mamamamama!" Angie tilted back to look at Catherine, who was holding her securely as she rocked, a huge smile on her face. "EEEEEEEE Ohhh abababa!" She turned to Steve with bright, excited eyes. "Dada!"

"Danny …" Steve shook his head at his best friend.

He thought of the wonderful adventures he'd shared with Grace, and knew as much as his niece enjoyed them, they meant just as much, if not more to him.

He knew his daughter was in for a future of fun and bonding with the man he considered his brother. An uncle who was the kind of dad he fervently hoped he would be.

Danny was still grinning ear to ear. "What?" He raised his brows, knowing his partner was having as much fun watching Angie as she was rocking on her new toy.

"That's one gift from each role. Uncle, godfather, birthday buddy." He looked so pleased with his three in one rationale that Steve could barely hide a smile.

"Nothing." Steve scrubbed his face with both hands as Angie squealed with absolute glee. "Just …" his eyes flicked between the baby and Danny as she called, 'Daaaa no!' and giggled.

"Thanks."

# End. Thanks for reading!

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