A/N: Well I know the hockey season is drawing to a close but its time for Team Five-O to take to the ice. I hope you like this family fun chapter.
Enjoy!
Chapter 9: The Main Event
Steve pulled the Camaro to a stop just outside the wooden police barricades that had appeared in front of the Williams house. Panic cross his face, (Danny had been waiting for it), and the moment Danny started laughing hysterically caused his partner to pause.
"What's so funny?" Steve asked with a huff.
"We're going to have a street hockey tournament starting in a little less than and hour and with all the officers in the family don't you think we have all the city permits and precautions to ensure that the family and neighbourhood will be safe?" Danny asked as he got out of the car.
"I figured we'd just pick up the nets and yell 'car' if someone showed up on the scene."
"Most of our neighbours are part of the games," Danny smiled and waved as an elderly woman walked out of her house and down to the street with a large steaming pot in her hands. "We don't do anything half assed in the Williams family," Danny added as he walked across the street to greet the little woman.
"Hello Mrs. Pacino!" Danny smiled.
"The prodigal son has returned," Mrs. Pacino smiled, "take this to your mother dear, I have some other things to get ready for this afternoon, but I made your favorite when we found out you'd be here. It's so good to see you!" The old woman smiled and pinched Danny's cheeks as his hands were now full and he couldn't protest.
"It's good to see you too Mrs. Pacino," Danny smiled as the little woman turned and walked back up to her house on the opposite side of the street, "See, when we do something here in Jersey we do it right!" Danny laughed. "We shut down the whole cul-de-sac so that we don't have to yell 'car' and moved out of the way!" he added as he walked into the house with Steve following him.
"Hey Ma, Mrs. Pacino dropped this off." Danny called to his mother from the door and Mrs. Williams appeared from the kitchen.
"Wonderful!" Veronica smiled and took the pot and went back to the kitchen.
"So Pacino…" Steve asked with amusement.
"She's related to Al by marriage. Her husband's father was Al's great uncle." Danny explained.
"So have you met the man?" Steve asked as they walked together through the house and into the kitchen where it was a buzz of activity.
"No," Danny laughed.
Another hour of set up for the tournament and most of the family and the neighbours had arrived. As Danny had said the street was shut down and for the most part the kids and most of the adults were chomping at the bit to get stated. A large poster board with the tournament teams and times was posted on the Williams front lawn, while the street itself was divided into two playing surfaces with four goal nets and water based rink lines painted to give the playing surface dimension. On the other side of the street a double score board complete with electronic lights and timers was set up between the two rinks to monitor the progress of the games and on each sidewalk lines of simple wooden benches were arranged with lawn chairs and even the odd overturned bucket.
With twelve teams of five slated to play Patrick Williams and the men who had decided to retire out of playing themselves, donned the black and white stripes of the refereeing staff and called the players to order.
"Daniel you've got a target on your back," Pete mocked from one side of the street.
"There's nothing new in that," Danny countered.
"You seem awfully confident," Jean whispered as he passed the goalie stick between his hands, "with a Hawaiian and two children, you'd think you'd put one other scorer on the front line." He added with a pout.
"I like giving the kids a chance to play, unlike some people who like to steal the show. They aren't going to learn unless we give them a shot." Danny argued with his brother-in-law. "So go and stand in the net and block the puck and let the kids have fun."
"Well if you really want it to be a learning experience then I guess I should let a few goals in," Jean countered, "to teach them that winning isn't everything."
"Oh that won't happen. Jack and Grace are playing forward and Steve and I are the defense. So you won't have to do a thing because the pucks, like our fugitives, aren't likely to get passed us." Danny smirked just as Steve caught the end of the conversation.
"From what I hear, you're not going to need the back up Jean. Sounds like we've got the best goalie in the family," Steve stated trying to ease the tension for the sake of the children and to not ruin the sportsmanship of the day.
"Steve's a real team player," Danny stated rolling his eyes at his brother-in-law.
"At least someone is," Jean said and walked off to take his place in the goal.
"Are you trying to get him riled up?" Steve asked when Jean was out of ear shot.
"He started it!" Danny barked just before the first puck was dropped.
"And you clearly hate the man!" Steve sighed.
"We'll talk about it later. For now we have a game to win!" Danny stated as the whistled sounded and the puck was dropped.
A half hour later, with two games on the go, Steve, Danny and their team had found a good rhythm. Jean let in two goals out of spite and then gave up when Steve started blocking everything that came his way and Danny simply assisted the children or scored the goals himself. The only person on the team not having any fun ended up being Jean, and even his own children stopped cheering him on and got behind the team Steve, Danny and Grace had named Five-O for the day.
Their first game ended with a score of six to five. Grace scored two goals, assisted by her father. Jack scored three assisted by both Danny and Steve and in a flash of genius Danny scored the tie breaking goal late in their second period, (up until the finals the games would only consist of two period), effectively moving their team on to the next round but not before everyone had at least one chance to play. The game ended, unfortunately with Jean storming off after the moment of good sportsmanship and they didn't see him again for quite some time.
"Danno do you want chili or Auntie June Pacino's meat ball subs?" Grace asked as she shoved her hockey stick into a snow bank.
"I want a sub!" Danny smiled.
"How about you, Uncle Steve?" the little girl asked.
"I'll try grandma's chili," Steve answered, "do you need a hand?" he asked and moved to get up from the wooden bench that had appeared on the sidewalk.
"Nope, I got it!" Grace stated cheerfully and ran off.
"Here are your beers," Cousin Jack, (who was Auntie Anita Weber's grandson), said as he came back from another part of the yard with two ice cold beers with snow still on them.
"Thanks Jacky Boy," Danny smiled, brushed the snow off with his mittened hand and handed a bottle to Steve. "Nice shooting by the way," he said to the young man before him.
"Thanks, Uncle Danny, I got picked up this winter in the first round draft for the midget kings' team." Jack explained his success.
"Good for you," Danny stated proudly, "I knew we had a dream team!"
"We're going to take the tournament this year! Go Five-O!" Jack shouted excitedly as their team name was printed onto the tournament board for the next round, and then he took a placed to watch the next set of games.
Danny and Steve smiled at one another. They had managed a pretty awesome second Five-O on the mean, very competitive, streets of New Jersey.
"So why do you hate Jean so much?" Steve asked as he sipped his beer and watched the two games that were going on before him.
"He cheated on Elizabeth when they first started seeing each other. It broke her heart and I swore I'd kill him. Then he went back to Canada for four years, Lizzy was seeing other guys and getting really great marks in nursing school, and then he just popped back into her life. She got pregnant at twenty with Philippe and then Francois right after and finally she told the family she was pregnant with their third child and he decided he'd better marry her." Danny explained. "I threatened him real good just before the wedding and I really think he's more afraid of me than he is angry or vengeful, but I swear if he hurts my sister I'll break every last one of his fingers and he'll never play that god damn cello again. He's just so arrogant, like Lizzy is so lucky to have him in her life, when really, I'm sure she could get on without him. He's just a giant jerk and I'm one of the only people that will call him on it."
"That's a good reason to hate the man," Steve laughed as Grace brought out their food and sat down on the bench between her father and his partner.
"So what does the competition look like?" Grace asked after a big bite of her meatball sub.
"Auntie Elizabeth's team is slaughtering Uncle George's team on rink one and Cousin Mary and Cousin Xander are putting up a really good fight against team Montreal led by Philippe and Francois." Steve explained.
"You remember all their names already?" Grace asked in disbelief as she stared at Steve.
"What can I say; the navy taught me to be really good with names and faces." Steve laughed.
"And the tournament board is just over your shoulder, so it's nothing to check and make sure you have all the names right," Danny mocked.
"But I know who is who!" Steve countered.
"By the end of the night Uncle Steve will be able do a running commentary on all the games and players," Danny joked.
"That is if we don't end up in the finals," Grace smiled up at Steve.
"Mary passes to Xander; he shoots, he scores!" Steve cheered along with about fifty other spectators. "I can do the commentary already." He added with a shrug.
"He's having fun," Grace whispered to her father.
"I knew he would," Danny smiled back.
"How's the chili, Uncle Steve?" Grace asked.
"Amazing; I'm going to have to climb Koko Head every day for a year after this vacation," he answered jokingly.
Team Five-O's second game was played at 5pm, and Grace said it had to be a good omen. Jean came back to his team and took a more proactive role this time around, letting in only two of the many shots on net that came at him from Team Montreal and his sons.
In the end, Team Five-O won that game as well with Steve scoring his first goal of the tournament and Jack scoring the next two to win, three to two, moving Team Five-O to the third round slated to start at 7pm.
In the time between games Danny and Steve spent most of their time with the other spectators or drinking beers with the adults on the deck, or eating as food of all kinds just kept appeared. After the second or third beer time really started to fly and the games got really good as a light snow started to fall again.
"Danny, why are all these beers covered in snow?" Steve asked as another round was brought around and again Danny wiped away the snow with a mittened hand before passing it to Steve.
"We may, or may not, have a designated area to keep the beer chilled to perfection." Danny stated with a wave of his hand as he cheered on one of his many cousins.
"Really, in a snow bank?" Steve asked.
"Technically no," Danny stated, "snow bank would imply work, shoveling or plowing. This snow just happens to fall off the roof in such a way that it doesn't pack down too much and it's sheltered but it's not in the way, but it links the front yard with the back yard and you can take several cases and just stick all the bottles in to chill just right. We call it beer ally."
"And how much beer is in beer ally?" Steve smirked.
"Don't worry, we won't run out!"
Round three began the semi finals with three teams left to play out the rest of the day. The first two teams, Team Five-O and Team Verardo, (named because of the father and son power house), would face off first. The winning team would move on to the finals. The loosing team would play the third team in the round in hopes of redemption to move on to the finals as well.
"You're going down Five-O!" Pete stated mockingly with his son Matthew at his side, and William Weber, Uncle Paul Williams and Pria Williams as their back up. "You're going to regret ever leaving Jersey because now you're out of practice and I have a hockey super start right here!" Pete added and hugged his son proudly.
"We'll see," Danny stated, "we haven't lost yet."
"Neither have we!" Pete stated as Patrick Williams came to center 'ice'.
"This will be a two period, twenty minutes each, game. The team to win moves on to the finals," Patrick stated as Matthew and Grace faced off together.
The whistle sounded, the puck hit the asphalt and like a flash Matthew Verardo took the puck and dashed. Before anyone knew what had happened, Matthew faced off with Jean, a flick of the wrist and the puck was in before Jean could even blink.
"That's my boy!" Pete cheered proudly.
"Holy cow Matthew, when did you get so quick?" Danny asked shocked by the child's pace.
"Eight more years and I plan to play for New York or New Jersey in the NHL. You better watch out Uncle Danny!" Matthew stated proudly and headed back to center ice.
"I believe him." Steve stated just as shocked as Danny,
"If he makes it to the pros, I'm giving up football to watch hockey!" Danny said, shook his head to clear his mind, and waited for the next whistle.
Twenty minutes flew by and before they knew it Steve and Danny were completely winded and down three points, while Jean was swearing in French and Grace and Jack were trying to figure out how they were going to catch up. The five minute intermission just wasn't long enough and then the whistle sounded again to call the players back to the 'rink'
"Danno, you're going to have to take the forward position or we'll never get the goals." Grace sighed.
"But that's not fair to you Monkey."
"Let Jack face off with Matthew, and you cover Uncle Pete. I'll move back to defense with Uncle Steve and I'll just throw myself on the puck if I have to." Grace stated.
"It's a good plan Daniel." Jean stated before he left the huddle and moved back to his goal.
"What do you think Steve?" Danny asked.
"I've got your back. Go get em' partner." Steve smiled.
The whistle sounded just as the team took their place. Jack won the drop, passed to Danny and they were off. Another beautiful pass from Danny to Steve and back to Jack, and then puck flew right through Uncle Paul's legs.
"Looks like you've still got it D. if you're not scoring the goals you get your team to rally!" Pete stated proudly and then was back to the center line.
Another whistle, the slap of sticks on the ground echoed in the evening air and they were off again. For fifteen more grueling minutes Danny and his team fought to keep their heads up but Matthew, the Verardo star player, was quick on his feet and though Jean was quick with his glove and blocked well at the stick, he had one weakness. The 'five hole' was his weakness and Matthew had impeccable aim, every shot Matthew could manage in that direction seemed to go in and Jean got more and more fed up with his flaws. By the end Danny's team had to admit defeat, three to six and all they could do was hope to win the second round of the semi finals to face off once more with Team Verardo in the finals.
Between games Team Five-O did get a chance to rest, regroup and refuel, and surprisingly for Danny they did it as a team. Over bowls of chili they strategized, even Jean. They found the flaws in their techniques, shuffled around the players and decided that come hell or high water they were going to win to face off against Team Verardo once more.
"They are not taking the title two years in a row!" Cousin Jack stated. "Just you wait; I'll be on Matthew like an enforcer on Crosby. He won't score another goal so long as I'm around!"
"Kono!" Steve coughed as Jack took his stance at the red line.
"We'll win because we work as a team." Grace said as she smiled at her father.
"Chin!" Steve coughed again.
"This really is our team!" Danny laughed, "But where does Jean fit in?"
"Dennings!" Steve coughed again mockingly. "Well because he can't be Lori, she's not as vocally aggressive as he is and she'd only talk about being really good at something, when Jean is actually a decent player and I don't believe Lori as far as I could throw her."
"And Dennings is decent governor," Danny mocked, "and Jean is a decent enough team player…I guess…"
"I though you leaving all work on the island." Steve laughed.
"Next year I'm bringing the whole team!" Danny winked and turned his attention to the new team standing before him.
Another two grueling periods of fast paced, aggressive game play left the final semi final match tied two to two, and brought it down to a shoot out. Danny would take the puck for his team and would go up against his Uncle David in goal, while Hans when head to head against Jean in the battle of the brother-in-laws. The rest of the teams stood back as the whole street became dead silent. A coin toss made Hans run first. He stared Jean down for a long moment and then without warning he took off running. The crowed gasped, held their breaths and he shot.
"Save!" Patrick shouted and the crowd went wild for Jean.
Then it was Danny's turn. A sound like glitter fell as the light snow dusted the street. The crowd was silent and Danny found that zone he had known so many times on and off the job. He took his eyes off the puck, looked up at the goal net and the goalie and then took off running. A gasped arose from the crowd as he lifted his stick for the shot, saw the goalie twitch in response and then he faked out. Bringing his stick back to cradle the pick he dodged left and then shot right. Before the goalie had a chance to recover the puck was in.
"Score!" Patrick Williams yelled and the street erupted with cheers.
"You did it Danno! We made the finals!" Grace shouted as she flew into her father's arms.
"Nice shot partner," Steve smiled and clapped Danny on the back.
"You've still got it, Daniel!" Jean smiled as he came forward as well.
"Let's not get to ahead of ourselves; we still have one more game." Danny laughed as he team gathered around him to celebrate the win.
"Time for redemption!" Jack stated, "And we've got the strategy to win it!"
"And as always, we're the under dogs," Steve laughed.
Everything from cooking and chit chat, to snow ball fights and snow angels were put on hold for the final game of the Williams family tournament. All of the lights from the neighboring houses were turned on. The street lights gleamed in the brightness of the winter night as everyone gathered on benches and snow banks, on car trunks and along the curb to watch the event of the years end.
"This is going to be a three period game with twenty minutes a period." Patrick Williams announced to the players and the gathered crowd as he stood on the yellow line in the middle of the street.
Jack and Matthew faced off.
"I want a good clean game. No hitting, no tripping and no unsportsmanlike conduct." Patrick said to the two teams.
Both players nodded and nervously tapped their wooden sticks against the snow covered street. The whistle sounded, the puck was dropped and again Matthew rushed forward in an oddly familiar attempt. This time, however, he was met with a wall of a goalie, as the pads closed around the puck after his slap shot. Then it was Danny's turn. He won the face off, rushed forward and passed to Steve who had been just quicker than Jack. Peter and his son both rushed for Steve but before they could counter Steve passed the puck again and Grace intercepted. A flick of her wrist and Grace shot the puck at her Great Uncle Paul.
"Goal!" Patrick shouted.
"That's my baby girl!" Danny shouted proudly as he scooped her into his arms and the crowd went wild.
The great thing about family games, especially on a night when the entire world was celebrating, was that no matter who was playing the crowd was always on both sides. There were no booing spectators or jeering at the other team, just good old fashioned excitement held by all and for Team Five-O they finished the first period up by one.
Second period became a more aggressive game. Defensively Five-O was on fire but there was no stopping the offensive power house of Peter and Matthew Verardo. With more shots on goal then were though humanly possible, Jean was given a run for his money and even Steve was taking flying leaps to stop the pucks from hitting the back of the net, but with such odds and high energy something had to get through and by the end of the second period the score was tied two to two.
"I'm so tired," Grace sighed by the time the last five minute break had arrived.
"I think we all are," Danny said as he sat panting on one of the benches.
"We have to do that again for another twenty minutes? I know you like to call me Super SEAL, Danno, but they don't train you for this in the Navy."
"Maybe in the Canadian navy they do but I wouldn't know. I'm a musician," Jean sighed and tried to remove as much clothing as he possibly could to cool down under the heavy goalie pads.
"Alright team, dig deep. This is the end of the line and we can do this. Remember it doesn't matter if we win or lose its how you play the game and in one day we've become a pretty incredible team." Jack stated trying to get his team mates to rally. "I know I'm going to finish this year out there making memories and I hope you will too!"
"Man Jacky Boy, when did you become such a brilliant man?" Danny asked proudly, "It seems like only yesterday you were out here just toddling around and dreaming of playing this game. Now look at you."
"You've always been my inspiration Uncle Danny," Jack smiled, "now I just hope I can inspire you to be the best as well."
"I'm going to win this one for you kid," Danny smiled proudly, touched that a young man whom he'd know all his life and who was not actually a blood relative could be so important and connected to him. "Come on Five-O, let's do this!" Danny stated and broke their huddle.
"Danny, I totally get it!" Steve smiled as he walked back to his post.
"Get what Steven?" Danny asked as he came to face off with Pete.
"Ohana!"
Danny smiled to himself as the whistle sounded and the puck hit the ground again.
The crowd roared and hushed with every fast paced second. Everyone gave it everything they had and as hard as it was it was all in fun. Two more goals on each side kept the game tied and exciting until there were only minutes left and then all that was left were seconds. With every last ounce of what ever little energy they had left, the players poured their hearts into the game as the crowd began to count down the final second.
Ten; the puck was dropped and passed.
Nine; everyone scrambled toward the Verardo end of the street.
Eight; the puck disappeared into a tangle of sticks.
Seven; something hard hits the tip of Danny's hockey stick.
Six; he almost lost the puck in the shock of actually having it.
Five; he dodged forward.
Four; he shoots.
Three; time slows down to a near halt as someone yelled out that Danny had made a shot.
Two; the puck slips past Paul's outstretched glove.
One; the puck hits the back of the net.
"Score!" Patrick William yelled and the crowd went wild. Team Five-O had won the Williams Family Hockey Tournament.
