Disclaimer: Ideas are fictional; not making any money on this. Hawaii 5-0 belongs to CBS. That's okay because none of this would work on TV.

I guess that my writer's block is gone. I couldn't resist a follow-up to the story about Grace's graduation.

Family Reunion

June 2020

It was the last Saturday in June, and Grace's graduation party was in full swing. Actually, it was officially a family reunion for the Williams family, and Danny's aunts, uncles, and cousins turned out in record numbers. There were over 200 people present at the pavilion at the local park. There were two dozen picnic tables spread around the pavilion and under nearby trees. Volleyball net was set up on one side, and a field on the other side was set up for an afternoon softball game.

Danny's sisters, Jackie and Paula, were spectators at the volleyball game where children, teenagers, and adults played a crazy game. Steve was captain on one side while Danny led the other team. Both stripped their shirts off when the day heated up. Years of working with Steve had worn off on Danny. He was shirtless almost as often as his Neanderthal partner.

"I don't get it. Bill has gained maybe forty pounds since we first met. Why does Danny get to have the still-hot husband?" Paula was trying to discretely ogle Steve as he lifted one of the smaller kids so she could block Danny's shot.

"I don't get it either. I wish Mark had only gained forty pounds. I can't complain because I struggle with my weight. Danny looks damn good too, even if he is our brother." Jackie was as frustrated as Paula, maybe even more so. Her kids refused to attend the reunion until they heard that Uncle Steve and Uncle Danny would be there. Even as teenagers, they vied for their uncles' attention.

The little girl Steve was assisting was perched on Steve's shoulders now. With Steve's help, she was blocking most of the shots that came her way. She clearly had a huge crush on Steve. Danny decided that he needed a secret weapon and recruited a couple of his taller second cousins into service.

"Megan and Griffin, get in here. I need you on the front line to offset my freaky husbank here." Danny directed Megan, who was 6 feet tall, to stand across the net from Steve. Griffin, who was two years younger and 3 inches tall than his sister, stood at the other end of the net.

The game grew more outrageous with every serve, drawing quite a crowd. After each team won a game, Steve called for some of the spectators to take over the court. He noticed that Danny was favoring his weak knee, and he knew that Danny wouldn't leave the game unless he did.

Jack brought his daddies water from the cooler. Steve was tempted to pour his over his head. He was used to the heat, but there was normally a nice ocean breeze when they played volleyball at home. That thought was interrupted by a blast of water from a 'Super Soaker' squirt gun. Steve turned around to take the second blast in the face.

"Oops! Sorry Dad, you looked like you could use a cool down." Grace giggled at the look on Steve's face, and Steve was reminded of the first time he met her at the football game.

"Thanks Grace. I think Danno looks a little overheated too." He nodded toward Danny who was sprawled out under a tree.

"No, he's fine. He's the one who suggested that I should help you out a little."

Before Steve could confiscate the water gun, Mom called for everyone to come to lunch. Two long tables held platters of ham and turkey, salads, veggies, chips and dip, and desserts. All the local families pitched in with the food assisted by the visiting relatives who were bunking out in spare rooms and living room couches.

This was the first time that Steve met the southern cousins (as he thought of them). Although Danny's parents and sisters welcomed him into the family, Steve was a little apprehensive about meeting the extended family. As far as he knew, they were the only same-sex couple in the Williams family.

Steve caught some curious stares earlier in the day, but otherwise everyone was friendly enough. Steve was pleased to meet so many of the people Danny spoke of over the years. There was Jason, only son of Aunt Diane of Hawaiian wedding cake and homemade biscuit fame. Jason spoke with a distinctive Tennessee drawl, so much so that it took Steve some time to translate in his head.

There was Mary Lou, another fantastic southern cook. Ordinarily, Steve would have been careful to limit his intake of high fat/high calorie foods. But today, he was sure that anything he ate would melt off in the heat. He knew that he would be called in to play softball this afternoon, Danny's revenge for his nonsense during the volleyball game. Steve didn't mind playing, but he knew how hopeless he was at batting. His young son was better at batting than Steve was.

Steve cooled off enough to put his shirt back on, but he was still pretty wet from the water gun when he put the shirt on. Now he felt like a refugee from a wet t-shirt contest.

"So where did y'all get those tattoos?"

Steve looked up from his plate to see Jason sitting across the table from him. Jason was built similarly to Danny, short and muscular. Steve was surprised to hear that Jason was a fireman for a small town north of Nashville.

"I got this one in California when I finished SEAL training." Steve pointed to his left bicep. "I got this one overseas after my last mission as a SEAL." Steve pointed to his other bicep. "How do you like being a fireman?"

"I like it fine. I was an EMT for a while until I qualified for fireman. I worked at a car dealership running parts when I first graduated from high school, but all the guys there told me that I was wasting my time. I guess it took a while for me to get there." Jason thought about how hard his last year of high school was after his mom died just weeks before the holidays. His parents had divorced a couple of years earlier, and his dad was busy with his new wife and step-daughters. Then he remembered hearing that Steve's mother was killed in an explosion when Steve was only sixteen.

"Hey, it only matters that you got there eventually. Do you get up to New Jersey often? I don't think that we've met before."

"Nope, I like to spend most of my time off hanging around at the lake. That's what we used to do when I was young and my mom and dad were still together. I remember when Danny came down to visit when we were both kids. We used to make fun of his accent, sort of like y'all do when I come up here."

"Danny likes to think that he doesn't have an accent. Sometimes I hear it when our son, Jack, gets excited."

"I was talking to Jack while y'all were playing volleyball. He wanted to know about some of the fires we put out this summer. It's so dry where we are that there is a burn ban in effect. He tells me that it rains almost every day where y'all live. What's that like?"

Before they knew it, Steve and Jason were engaged in a general discussion of Tennessee versus Hawaii. What was it like to live in a year-round warm weather environment? What was the biggest fire danger? Were gangs a problem, and what was the major crime rate? Their plates were empty by the time they finished their conversation. By that time, others joined them at the table and in the discussion.

Danny took Steve a piece of chocolate cake and a fresh cup of iced tea. "Here babe, I know it's your favorite. I see you've met the southern contingency."

Steve scooted over enough so that Danny could sit on the end of the bench. He scanned the area where the younger children were playing games and saw that Jack was paired with a younger boy for the spoon race. Satisfied that Jack was safe, Steve turned his attention back to the table.

Questions soon turned to some of Five-0's more notable cases. Through the miracle of modern technology, it was possible to follow Hawaiian news from anywhere. Several of the cousins kept track of the team over the internet.

Steve did his best to downplay some of the more sensational aspects, but Danny soon chimed in. "Steven, you left out the part where you dropped the tear gas down the chimney. And don't forget to mention the hand grenades either." Soon, the family was exposed to the Steve-and-Danny show, as Chin and Kono called it when the men weren't around. Only the call for softball players saved them from revealing anything too embarrassing.

Steve was relieved when Danny was appointed coach of Team One. He wouldn't have to worry about more stress on Danny's knee. His relief was short-lived when he was assigned to Danny's team. Any hope Steve had of being first-base coach was gone.

"Steve, you can play third base, and you'll be batting at the bottom of the order." Well, at least Steve could field and throw well enough. There were enough players that Steve could hope that he would be benched before he could bat.

It was a tight game. The Williams were a competitive group who took their games seriously. Steve was called to bat during the third inning. There was a runner on second base; Steve was relieved that the runner didn't need to advance. He had been the cause of too many double plays in his life. No one was more surprised when Steve connected with a low pitch that soared over the head of the right fielder.

It would have been a triple if Steve hadn't been so slow to run the bases. It was the first big hit that Steve ever remembered making. The runner on second base scored to Danny's delight. He owed Steve big-time for the run.

Fresh players took the field for the fourth inning, giving Steve a break. Jack was waiting with fresh bottle of water. "You hit it Dad! Did you see how far it went?"

"Thanks Jack. I guess I was overdue for a hit. Do you want to sit with me and watch the rest of the game?" They sat on the grass together, father and son, until the game was called after six innings. Danny's team was ahead by two runs, giving them bragging rights until the next reunion.

Steve looked over to see that Jack was dozing off. He was still struggling a little with jet lag, and he was up early this morning. Steve found him in an earnest conversation with his Nana when he came down for his first cup of coffee. Jack loved his Nana and Poppa dearly and eagerly looked forward to their annual visit to New Jersey. Strangely enough, he always begged to go into Manhattan. Steve wasn't sure if the skyscrapers or crowds were the big attraction. He couldn't imagine any two places being more different than Honolulu and New York City.

Supper was called late in the afternoon. Leftovers from lunch, plus some fresh cold cuts and hot dogs, filled the tables. Families drifted home as soon as the meal was cleaned up. Steve and Danny stayed until the pavilion was put in order and all the equipment was packed up. Jack was yawning by the time they pulled in the driveway at Mom and Dad's house.

"Come on little man. Let's get our shower so you can get to bed." Steve picked Jack up and climbed the stairs. Jack sometimes joined one of his dad's in the shower at home. It was about the only way he would accept help with his bathing, not that he usually needed it. Only when he was very tired did the finer points of soap and water elude him.

Danny was waiting for Jack with a dry towel when Steve finished helping Jack. Jack had his pajamas on by the time that Steve stepped out of the shower. He quickly finished drying off and dressed in sleep pants and a t-shirt. The shower revived Jack long enough to stay awake while Danny showered. He went downstairs to kiss his grandparents goodnight before climbing into bed.

"Daddy, I had a really good time today. I like having a lot of family. Do you think Grandma and Grandpa McGarrett would love me if they were alive?"

Steve was used to how sometimes Jack popped an odd question into their discussions. "Jack, they love you so much. Just because you can't see them doesn't mean that they can't see you from where they are."

"You mean that they can still see us even though they're dead?"

"Yes Jack, that's exactly what I mean. Sometimes they used to visit me when I was asleep, and I could talk to them. But I'm sure that they are watching you and Grace and Danno and me. And I'm very sure that they love you very much."

Jack yawned and seemed to be satisfied with Steve's reply. "Okay Daddy. Love you. Love you Danno."

Steve and Danny hugged Jack and tucked him in. Just before Jack drifted off to sleep, he whispered, "Love you too Grandma and Grandpa."

Now you've met my freakishly tall niece and nephew as well my vertically-challenged nephew. I can empathize with him; I'm only 5'2". And yes, Jason really does talk like that. I do too when I get tired.