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.

Family Christmas, Part 2

December 2020

It turned out to be an early night for the McGarrett-Williams family, at least until shortly after 2 a.m. when the thunderstorm moved in. The lightning woke Steve up; the scream of terror after the first loud clap of thunder woke Danny and Jack up.

Steve was out of the bed and down the hall in ten seconds flat. He knew exactly who screamed and why. Danny was right behind him; he was a little disoriented and not sure what the emergency was. He just knew that he was Steve's back-up, both at work and at home.

Jack was already comforting Jesse when Steve walked into their bedrooms. Although the beds could be made into bunk beds, they decided that they would rather position the beds side-by-side with a nightstand in between them. Jesse didn't care either way; he was thrilled to share the room with his new brother. Jack originally wanted bunk beds, but he decided it would be easier to keep an eye on Jesse if both beds were on the floor. He could just turn on his side to check on Jesse. More than once the first few days, Jack would crawl in with Jesse to soothe him during a bad dream.

The terror on Jesse's face was something new. Jack knew he was in over his head, but he also knew his dads would be there shortly. He was so relieved to see them come through the door. Steve covered the distance in three strides and picked both boys up.

"Wow, did you hear that thunder? It woke Danno and me up too. Are you boys okay?" Steve guessed that Jesse would be embarrassed by waking the household.

"Daddy, Jesse was having another bad dream. I guess this was worse than the rest." Jack wasn't tattling on Jesse. He was seriously concerned about this dream, and he realized that he should have told his dads about the other bad dream.

"Guys, it's a little cool here for those of us not in our warm pajamas. Why don't we adjourn this to our room?" Danny finally put the pieces of the puzzle together and figured out what happened. He also thought that the warm security of their bed might make the next few minutes easier. He remembered how Grace hated showing what she considered weakness in front of Steve even though Steve never thought of it that way.

They each carried a son back to their room and tucked the boys between them. Steve was next to Jesse, gently rubbing his tummy. He remembered how Jack told them that Jesse's tummy hurt when he was upset about his parents' fighting. "Jesse, the thunder sounded like a gunshot, didn't it?" He waited for Jesse to nod his head.

"I had the same problem sometimes when I came back from a long mission. My first 4th of July back on the island, someone was shooting fireworks off after I went to bed. I woke up shaking under the bed. I still have bad dreams, but not as often. Before Danno and I got together, I would stay up the rest of the night because I didn't want the dream to come back. Now, Danno holds me like this until I go back to sleep. He keeps the bad dream from coming back."

"Jack gets in bed with me to keep the dreams away. I'm sorry I woke everyone up. Mommy and Daddy were always mad at me when I woke them up."

"Jesse, you can come in here any time you need us. We're your family. I never get upset when Daddy wakes me. What happened to him is part of who he is, just like what happened to you will always be a part of you." Danny ruffled Jesse's hair to put him at ease. "And Jack, we're proud of you for helping Jesse. But we should know if Jesse is having bad dreams. If we all put our heads together, we might find a way to keep them from coming back as often."

"I know Danno, but sometimes Jesse didn't even know he was having a bad dream. I didn't want to tattle."

"Jack, it's not tattling if one of us is in trouble and needs our help. If you saw Daddy being sick and he asked you not to tell, would you?"

Jack was quiet for a minute, trying to decide what he should say. "Like when I see you holding your knee, should I tell Daddy?"

Steve snorted before he could help it. "Yeah Danno, should Jack tell me? Never mind, it's not about us. Listen, we're the parents here and it's our job to help you when you're having a problem. Are we clear on this?"

"Yes Daddy." The boys answered in unison.

"Okay guys, we still have a full day ahead of us. Can we go back to sleep now?" Danny knew they needed to get back to sleep soon before it turned into an all night slumber party. Soon Steve would be in the kitchen making hot chocolate.

"Yeah guys, we need to quiet down. Danno needs his beauty sleep."

The boys giggled the way Steve knew that they would. Steve and Danny hugged their sons and settled in for the rest of the night. The bed was a little crowded, but at least the boys didn't toss and turn the way the Grace did.

They woke up a little after 7 a.m., at least Jack and Steve did. Father and son often spent the early morning hours on the weekend together while Danno and Jesse slept in. Sometimes they would swim, although Steve shortened his swim to something doable for Jack. Sometimes they would just walk on the beach. Other times, Danny and Jack worked in the kitchen making one of the Williams' family recipes while Steve was on a run.

Now that their family included another son, both dads did their best to find special time with Jesse. One morning, Steve noticed that Jesse was solving the cryptogram puzzle from the morning paper. That was one of Steve's specialties, and he knew that the daily puzzles were a notch above beginner level. Some nights when chores and homework were done, Steve would construct a puzzle with Scrabble tiles and coach Jesse through the solution.

Danny discovered that Jesse shared his appreciation for music, particularly opera. Music was always present in his parents' home, but his father loved opera. Danny shared that love with his dad, and now shared it with his son. Although he wasn't fluent in Italian, he could tell Jesse what each song was about. Jesse was fascinated by the stories and happy to have a dad who appreciated the music too.

On this Saturday morning, Steve and Jack were content to stay in bed with the rest of their family. Both dozed a little but woke when Jesse and Danny stirred. Steve was pleased to see that Jesse looked well-rested. He knew all too well how a nightmare could leave you exhausted mentally and physically the next day.

"Good morning boys. Are you three going to let me sleep a little longer, or are you going to drag me out of bed at crack of dawn on a Saturday?" Danny's voice was a little gravelly from sleep, and he tried to sound irritated. In truth, he was grateful that they were able to get back to sleep and sleep in as long as they did. He was pretty sure that Steve would have a retort that would having Jack and Jesse laughing, and he was hoping to alleviate any awkwardness Jesse might have after last night.

"Come on boys, I think our cartoons are on. There's a GI Joe marathon on this morning. We can let Sleeping Beauty get his beauty rest."

"Steven, you will not have our sons watching GI Joe cartoons all morning. Just because you were in the Army…"

"It was the Navy, Danno."

Danny heard the boys giggling and was pleased that his plan worked. "Yeah, whatever. If we're going to have to eat hot dogs or pizza with ham and pineapple for lunch at this party, I demand a nutritious breakfast. I was bacon, real pig meat. Don't think you can put the turkey stuff in front of me. And I want two eggs over easy to go with the bacon."

"Danny, if you want eggs, I can scramble some for us."

"No, you'll use the fake eggs. I want eggs that can look back at me. That way I know that they're the real thing."

"Danny, fried eggs aren't good for you. First there's the cholesterol in the eggs, and then there's the butter to fry them."

"Steven, you're not listening. I don't want them fried. I want to gently cook them on one side, and then gently turn them on the other side. Hence, they're eggs over easy. If your Neanderthal brain can't process that, I'll make my own. Who else wants eggs with me?"

There was a chorus of I do's from Jack and Jesse. Steve sighed as if he had failed his last mission. "Well, if you going to cook them, I guess that I could choke down a couple. I always…" The rest of Steve's sentence trailed off so the family couldn't hear it.

"What's that Steve? I don't think Jesse or Jack heard you."

"I always break the yoke. There, are you satisfied?" Steve pretended to be very put out at Danny.

"Yep, I'm good. Okay boys, hit the head before you go downstairs. And make your beds too." Danny shooed the boys off before turning to Steve. He pulled his husband close for a kiss.

"Hey, I'm not sure that I want to do this with you now after the way that you talked to me. You made me confess my yoke disability to our sons." Steve sniffed in mock distress.

"You did good babe. Our sons left with smiles on their faces."

"Yeah, after all these years together, we have the arguing down pretty good." Steve kissed Danny back because he had been waiting all morning to do so. They made their bed and took turns in the bathroom.

Danny was down first to start the bacon. When it was almost finished, Steve took over so that Danny could fix the eggs. The coffee was ready, juice was on the table, and bread was ready in the toaster. Steve and Danny also made an awesome pair in the kitchen.

While they were eating breakfast, Steve filled Jesse in on the party they were attending today. It was a tradition started that first Christmas they were together. Grace helped them that year. Once Jack was born, he also went to the party with them.

"Jesse, the enlisted men don't make a lot of money. It's not fair because they serve their country and protect us from those who don't like the U.S. It's hard on their families especially during the holidays. We're part of a service group who raise funds to help the families, and this Christmas party is a time when can make their holiday a little brighter. For some of them, their mother or father won't be home with them."

Danny took over the explanation so Steve could finish his breakfast. "Today, Santa will visit the party. Each child will receive a gift from Santa and have a chance to visit with him. They will have their pictures taken so they can show their parents. There will be lunch served and games. Expect to see Daddy rolling around with the kids. They're all about the same age. The families will also receive gift cards so they can have a nice Christmas dinner and a few things for under their tree."

"Danno plays Santa." Jack was always excited about this part. He loved knowing that one of his dads was under the Santa beard and suit. Jack was sure that his dads were responsible for most of the gifts under the tree, but he never questioned the existence of a Santa Claus. Last year when he got curious, Danno told him what his mother told him. "Kids who don't believe in Santa get underwear for Christmas." Jack had all the underwear he needed.

Now that Steve had the opportunity to finish his eggs (which were perfectly done), he finished the rest of the explanation. "It's a really nice day. You and Jack can help with some of the younger kids. You'll have a chance to eat, and then you just play with the kids. I'll be around if you need anything, and Danno will be free once Santa leaves. We'll come home after the party so that we can get cleaned up. Danno will need a shower because the suit is hot. Then we'll go out for a nice dinner. Any questions?"

The boys shook their heads 'no' and asked to be excused. When Danny gave the okay, they cleared their dishes and put the juice away. Steve had time for a quick run while Danny called his parents. He was checking to see if they had everything planned for their visit to Jersey. Danny was so excited to have the opportunity to visit his family again. The week in the summer was great, but there was always something special about being home during the holidays.

The boys were discussing their Christmas gift for their dads. With their Aunt Rachel's help, they had their picture made together. She helped them pick out the perfect frames, one for the photo gallery on the wall at home and two smaller frames for Steve and Danny's desk at work. Jesse and Jack earned the money doing extra chores at home. They also had a framed picture for Nana and Poppa.

Jesse was really looking forward to Christmas with his new family. The holidays were never observed much at his house. There was a tree but no other decorations. Jesse loved the lights outside and all the ornaments on the tree. He particularly loved the shiny gold ornament with his name on it. It was on the branch next to Jack's ornament. Jesse didn't care if anything was under the tree for him. He was so happy with his new family.

Jesse had been a little scared when he woke up this morning and realized he was sandwiched in between Jack and Daddy. It was the first time he spent the night in bed with a parent, and he was sure his dads would be a little annoyed or even mad at him. Instead, he was treated to the 'Daddy and Danno show', as he thought of it, and had his favorite breakfast. He liked to dip the bacon and toast into the egg yolk. He called them 'dippy' eggs. Danno called them 'dunking' eggs. His mommy usually broke the yolk, but Danno made them perfect. It occurred to him that maybe Danno demanded his eggs this morning because he knew that it was Jesse's favorite. Yeah, he was one lucky kid.

When Steve finished his run, they all went upstairs to dress for the party. Everyone wore red polo shirts, jeans, and sneakers. They arrived at the base early enough to help with the setup. The kids were fed first; the kids would be too wired after Santa to eat. After the food was put away, Santa made his arrival. Danny was a big hit with the kids; he loved playing Santa even if it was hard on his knee. He knew Steve would give him some TLC after the boys went to bed.

Sure enough, Steve ended up on the lawn in front of the hall where the party was being held. He started by kicking the soccer ball around with them. Before long, he was deep into horseplay and ended up buried under a pile of kids. He knew that he would be sore tonight, but it was worth it to hear the laughter of the kids.

Over dinner that night, Jack and Jesse told their dads about their favorite parts of the party. Jack liked watching the little kids with Santa. He thought that Danno was probably the best Santa in the world. Jesse liked watching the moms and dads. They looked so tired when they came in and much happier when they left. Jesse liked knowing that his family was a part of making it a little easier for them.

After the boys were tucked into bed, Steve and Danny took a soak in the tub followed by some ice for Danny's knee. They were exhausted from their day and were happy to fall asleep curled around each other. Thankfully, both boys slept through the night. Tomorrow they would attend church and the afternoon children's party there.

They were in the countdown for the Christmas Day. The last couple of weeks at the end of the year were always quiet, and there was an office luncheon provided by Steve and Danny on Christmas. Then they were off until after New Year's. For now, the McGarrett-Williams home was quiet.