Disclaimer: I do not own Hawaii 5-0 or any of the characters.

A/N 1: This is just another fluff story. No action, just a little Christmas story about our two favourite guys. This sort of follows on from Ice but it's not absolutely necessary to have read it but sure if you're at a loose end…!

A/N 2: This is a two shot; I'll put the second chapter up on Tuesday, just in time for Santa. This is dedicated to all those of you who have taken the time to review, follow and favour my other stories. Mahalo and Mele Kalikimaka!

-x-x-x-x-

"Danno?"

"Yes Gracie?"

"Mom said to tell you that you're to come into the house when you drop me home later. She wants to talk to you about something."

"What?" Danny asked. The plan for Christmas had been that Grace would spend Christmas Eve with him and that he would drop her back to Rachel by 10a.m. on Christmas Day. She better not be going to change her mind. He had lots of plans made, they would decorate the tiny artificial tree he had bought the previous year, they would watch a Christmas movie, make cookies, drink hot chocolate and Grace would be allowed stay up until midnight. It was going to be great, just the two of them. Then Steve had invited them over for breakfast on Christmas Day. And now he was sure Rachel was going to spoil it all with some damn trip somewhere with Step-Stan.

"I don't know. She just said she wanted to talk to you. Can we ring Uncle Steve and see does he want to come to the mall with us?" Grace pleaded.

"I don't think our SuperSEAL would have any interest in going shopping with us now," Danny replied.

"Well you won't know if you don't ask," Grace said. Taking out her own phone before Danny could do anything, she had Steve's number dialled immediately. Well he was on speed dial 3 and lot higher than Step-Stan. "Hi Uncle Steve. Danno and I are going to the Mall to do the last of our Christmas shopping. Would you like to come? We might even stop for hot chocolate….Mmm hmm…one second. Danno, what time will we be there at?"

Danny looked at his watch figuring out between traffic etc. that it would be another half hour before they were at the mall.

"Here, just give me the phone…Steve are you sure you want to come shopping again, you know what happened that last time you came shopping with Gracie…mmm hmm… no I know that…look we'll swing by your place in about a half hour…no you can't drive…two casts, remember. Alright pal, see you shortly." He handed the phone back to Grace.

"And you said he wouldn't want to come shopping." Shaking her head Grace continued eating the last of her pancakes.

Danny just chuckled. Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett, Navy SEAL badass, could not say no to his honorary niece. She didn't even have to turn on the charm anymore. It was unbelievable.

Thirty five minutes later they pulled into Steve's drive, "You are late," he called from the front door looking at his watch.

"Don't start on me Steven," came the clipped reply.

The two Williams and the Commander spent a nice afternoon wandering around the mall. They finished their own Christmas shopping quickly so they could just relax and enjoy looking at all the Christmas lights and listening to the music playing throughout the mall.

Back at the Camaro, Grace had already got into the back seat, when Danny stopped Steve from getting in. "Rachel wants to talk to me when I drop Gracie home, eh, would you mind coming along for the ride. I think she wants to change the Christmas plans and I, eh…I may need you to talk me off the ledge."

"Not a problem Danny, I'm there for you buddy."

"Thanks."

Pulling up at the Edwards mansion, Danny turned to Steve, "Hopefully I won't be long, I just want to get this over with. I can't believe she's not going to let me see my own daughter Christmas Eve."

Steve looked startled, "You don't know what she wants you for, don't jump the gun."

Ten minutes later the front door opened and Danny all but skipped down the drive to his waiting partner.

"Well?" Steve said looking at the goofy grin on Danny.

"Not what I was expecting," Danny admitted. "Rachel's cousin back in England has moved up the date of her wedding because her father is quite ill and she wants him there for her big day. And Rachel is one of the bridesmaids. It's only going to be a quiet affair so Rachel decided that rather than dragging Grace with her, she could stay here with me and just Step-Stan and Charlie will travel with her. I have my Monkey for three whole weeks…all to myself." Danny was beaming by this stage.

"That's fantastic news Danny. I'm delighted for you. You deserve it."

"They are leaving the day after tomorrow. It's an evening flight to Atlanta and then a stopover there and then another overnight flight to London. I have to pick up Grace at 3pm. I have so much to organise," Danny said in a rush.

The next two days were hectic for Danny as he raced around trying to get everything done before he had to pick up Grace. He also had paper work to do for his job, but he didn't even mind. It was strange but even the criminals seemed too busy to commit any crimes.

At 2:55 pm on Tuesday, Danny parked outside Step-Stan's mansion and walked up to the door. He heard the squeal from instead as Grace bolted to the door. She ran back and hugged and kissed her mother good bye and then leaned down to her little brother and kissed him too. She then grabbed her school bag and her travel bag and pulled open the door as she saw her father just about to knock.

"Danno!"

"Hey Monkey, you ready to have some fun?" he asked. Turning to his ex-wife he mouthed "Thank you."

"Yup ready, willing and able," Grace replied in a very official voice.

"Well let's go."

After dropping Grace to school the next morning, Danny headed to HQ. He had offered to pick Steve up but he was adamant that he was fine to drive.

Danny was sitting in his office at 10a.m. when his cell phone rang. Steve could see the instant everything changed and he sauntered over and loitered close to the door until Danny waved him to come on in.

"But sir, it's a ten hour flight and it's Christmas next week…how long?...uh huh…uh huh…well if you're sure I'll be back…yes sir I understand…yes it's just arrived…ok well I'll see you in the morning."

Slamming down his phone, Danny laid his head on the desk.

"What's up? Who are you going to see in the morning? What's just arrived? How long?"

"Geez Steven, take a breath," Danny said with a slight smirk as he lifted his head off the desk.

"What's going on Danny?"

"That was my old boss back in Jersey. Seems they have finally tracked down this no good, scum sucking, evil bastard that went on a killing spree just before I transferred here and they need me to give evidence against him…tomorrow afternoon…back in Jersey."

"You're kidding me. Why? Can't they do a video link or something?"

"No, seems that the judge has said I've got to be in his court room by 3pm or no dice!"

"So when will you get to come back?"

"I just don't know. If it goes long tomorrow, they want me to stay over till Friday. Look I hate to do this but could Gracie, maybe, stay with you till I get back?"

"Sure thing Danno, but maybe she'd be better staying at a friend's house. I mean I've minded her before but that was only for a few hours, this would be a few days," Steve said feeling very unsure of himself.

"Hey, if it's an inconvenience," Danny started to shrug.

"No Danny, that's not what I mean. I, eh, I just think she'd probably have more fun with one of her friends; rather than hanging out with "old" Uncle Steve with the two broken wrists."

"You can be so thick sometimes, you know that? She will be so happy when she finds out. She's always going on about staying over in your house and how cool her Uncle Steve is. Babe, she loves you so much. I get the feeling sometimes that she'd sell her own mother and me as well just to stay at your place, with the beach right outside and Bestest Navy SEAL there ever was to hang out with. Her words, not mine."

Steve looked embarrassed by all his partner had just said. "Well, if you think she'll be ok."

"Brilliant, that's settled. If it's ok with you I better go get sorted out. I've a few things to get. I think I'll go collect Grace from school early and then go get some groceries. I doubt if you are anyway stocked up at home."

"Excuse me, what's that supposed to mean," Steve asked indignantly.

"Hey correct me if I'm wrong but you haven't had a ten year old girl stay over recently have you? No? Well then there are certain things that Grace is accustomed to, so I shall go buy some bits and pieces so that it limits the amount of time you spend on the road with those two damn casts," Danny said once again with a slight smirk.

"Do you need me to do anything?" asked Steve.

"Nope, I'll sort everything. I just hope that the island criminals take a long, well-earned break and stay quiet for the next week."

"Amen to that brah," Steve said as he slapped his hand on Danny's shoulder.

-x-x-x-x-x-

Several hours later, at home, Steve was roused from his reverie by the sound of Grace and her father walking through the front door.

"Uncle Steve, I coming to stay with you for a few days cos Danno has to go back to Jersey and put a really bad guy in jail," Grace called as she walked straight past him into the kitchen with a bag of groceries in one hand and her own travel bag in the other.

Passing by him again, she was still chatting away; really not bothered that no-one was answering her.

Steve stood watching her, with a lob sided grin plasters on his face.

"Apple doesn't fall far, Danno," he laughed as Danny walked into the front room and watched his daughter chat away to no one in particular.

Within the hour, Danny had all the bags emptied and was saying good bye to his daughter. He decided that he would drive himself to the airport so that he wouldn't have to wait around when he got back from Jersey.

"Ok Monkey, time for Danno to go," he called into the dining room where Grace had her homework spread out on the table.

"I'm going to miss you Danno. You won't be gone too long, will you?"

"Ah I'll miss you too. Hopefully I'll be on a flight back by Saturday at the latest and we'll still have two weeks before your mom comes hope. Now be extra good for Uncle Steve and do everything he tells you. Make sure you help him if he needs anything done ok? Danno loves you," said Danny as he swept Grace up into a hug.

"Please be good and be careful," Danny said as he walked out the door.

"Don't worry Danny, of course she'll be good," Steve said, a little mystified as to why Danny would even need to remind his daughter to be good.

"I wasn't talking to her," came the smart answer.

"Get outta here. The sooner you get going the sooner you'll get back," answered Steve. "And be sure to keep me in the loop, ok pal?"

"Will do Superman."

-x-x-x-x-x-

Arriving in Jersey at 7am Thursday morning, Danny was taken straight to the precinct to be brought up to speed on the case. He spent several hours there with his former captain and some of the other officers and detectives involved in the case. Then at 2pm they headed to the court house.

Unfortunately, Danny wasn't called to the stand that day and was ordered to return the following morning. Friday pretty much went the same. He had a flight booked from Newark leaving Saturday morning at 10 am to arrive back in Honolulu international at 3pm local time.

However, the judge was not yet finished with Danny and a police officer arrived at his hotel room at 7am while he was packing to head back to his daughter. He was once again ordered to return to the court at 9am. There was no way he was going to make his flight.

Forgetting about the time difference he dialled his partner's number to let him know that he wasn't going to make it back to Oahu that day and was looking into flights returning on Sunday.

"McGarrett," Steve croaked into the phone.

"Hey Steve, what are you doing still asleep. It's 7:10 in the morning!"

Clearing his throat a little and looking at the clock on his night stand, he couldn't help but smirk, "It's 2:10 here Daniel…different time zone…remember."

Danny palmed his forehead, not too gently, "oops, sorry man, totally forgot. How's Gracie?"

"She's fine, missing her Danno, but I'm keeping her occupied. Might bring her to the range later."

Steve was met with silence at the other end of the phone line but could just picture his friend's face as it reddened up to start an epic rant.

"Steven J McGarrett, I…you better not…I swear…" Danny started, and then heard the laughter down the phone. "I hate you, you know that don't you.

"You didn't just call to tell me that, you could have waited till this afternoon for that."

"Yeah about that, I'm not gonna make it back today. Got called back again this morning for one finally meeting with the judge. Clearly he doesn't have any kids," Danny added in a mutter.

"Ah man, I'm sorry. Don't worry about Grace, she'd fine here. You just get sorted there and come home as soon as you can. Ok pal?"

"Will do my best. Tell Grace, Danno loves her. Sorry I woke you up, go back to sleep, sweet dreams," he chuckled.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah talk to you later," Steve answered and put the phone back on the night stand and fell straight back to sleep.

Once again the gods did not smile on Daniel Williams. No matter what airline he tried he couldn't get on a flight back to Oahu from Newark before Christmas Day. So in the end he had to settle with a flight to Atlanta Saturday evening, stay there over night, then another flight to LA where he would just have to go on standby with the hope of getting a flight to Honolulu before Tuesday.

Once he reached the airport, he put a call through to Steve.

"Hey, how's Grace?" he said as soon as he heard his partners voice.

"Hey. She's good, still missing you. She's watching a movie at the moment. What's happening?"

"I'm just heading to the boarding gate now, flying to Atlanta tonight, then on to LA tomorrow and then just wait and see. Give Gracie a hug and kiss for me. I'll be home as soon as I can."

"Did you just say home?" Steve grinned.

"Yeah yeah…shut up. See you soon," Danny retorted.

To be continued…