A/N: Hat tip to Feli for the inside scoop on the Jersey Shore. ;-) I have the entire rest of this story planned out but real life is kicking my butt at the moment. (But my best writing seems to happen when I'm actually at my worst, so there's that. Yay! You should expect some good chapters in the near future, I'm thinking . . .) This is sort of an interlude chapter . . . it's kinda fluffy but I think some of you enjoy a bit of fluff.
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Gus eyed Jax suspiciously.
"That's the springiest your step has been since your unfortunate incarceration," she said, putting her hands on her hips and narrowing her eyes at Jax.
Jax snorted with laughter. While most of her co-workers at Tripler had spoken of her hostage ordeal in hushed tones, with worried eyes and overly sympathetic glances, Gus had borrowed a phrase from an old sitcom and plowed ahead, filling Jax's first shifts back at Tripler with comforting, reorienting routine. In just days, Jax was feeling like her feet were back underneath her.
"Well, things are getting back to normal," Jax said, trying to will her cheeks not to give her away.
"Hot damn, back to commandeering the commander, then, are we?" Gus asked loudly, causing two of the orderlies to snicker.
"You are a sexual harassment complaint waiting to happen," Dr. Marks commented mildly, as he handed Gus a stack of charts. "Would you please make follow-up calls to these patients?"
"Absolutely," Gus said, handing the charts to Jax without a second glance.
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"It is damn good to have everyone back in the office, back to normal," Steve said, smiling at the team gathered around the smart table. "We've got the weekend coming up - baring a new case, I want everyone to try to get the hell out of town. We've earned it. How's Malia doing?"
"She's settling back in," Chin said, smiling. "Steadfastly turned down every offer from the US Marshal Service to relocate her. The exposure seems almost non-existent. I, ah, deactivated our listening devices."
"Thank the Good Lord above," Grover muttered.
"Her one disappointment is that she really can't publish the paper that she wrote while she was in the safehouse," Chin continued. "The chief of surgery was truly impressed, but understands her situation. He was one of only two or three people vetted by WITSEC when she was placed at the hospital. He offered to publish her paper under his name. It's a shame . . . but she's content to let the paper speak for itself, and hopefully it will still benefit the medical community."
"Good, that's good," Steve said.
"How are you and Jax doing, boss?" Kono asked. "It's still weird, her not being here."
"She's back to work," Steve said. "We're doing okay, Kono. Not gonna lie - it took us the Thanksgiving holiday and then some to get back on our feet - Jax had to learn to sleep again, and I had a hard time letting her out of my sight - but . . . better. Things are better."
"What's the latest on your mom? And WoFat?" Danny asked. He tried to keep his tone carefully neutral. It wouldn't suit to look like a jealous middle schooler . . . even if that's a bit how he felt, with Steve spending so much of his time at Pearl Hickam, with Nick and Catherine. Sure, it was an honor to have been entrusted with managing the day-to-day operations of Five-O, but everyone knew: Five-O was hollow without Steve filling it.
Steve took a deep breath. "That's one of the reasons I wanted to talk to all of you, before we cleared out of here for the weekend. The hunt for WoFat was a joint Five-O and Naval Intel operation. And for a couple days there . . . I lost sight of that."
"It was a chaotic and stressful time, Steve," Chin said gently. "You'd put Kono and me on Malia's case. You and Danny . . . you weren't thinking about the Navy or Five-O - just about Jax. And Grover had his hands full just trying to keep everyone posted. No hard feelings, brah."
Everyone nodded in agreement.
"So, you know anything new?" Danny pressed.
"The Navy and the CIA will be turning over every stone looking for WoFat and my mom - Shelburne. That is, if they don't get too busy in a pissing match," Steve said, running a hand through his hair. "As far as Joe . . . he'll be facing certain court martial . . . we, ah, we are going to concentrate on finding the international arms dealer, I think."
"But if Joe comes around?" Kono asked quietly.
"It's been mentioned . . . he has worked closely with Five-O," Steve said slowly. "Could be, he was under the impression he was operating with . . . immunity and means."
"There's been times I certainly felt as if Joe was part of the task force," Grover said, his face impassive.
"Had some issues with Joe," Danny said thoughtfully. "DIdn't always follow protocol. Assumed he was taking direction from you . . . you know, as the leader of the task force. He sure felt like part of the team. I distinctly recall having witnessed him wearing Five-O issue kevlar on more than one occasion."
Steve shook his head and smiled at his friends. "Well. Interesting perspective, guys. Thanks. Now, go on, get out of here, before someone starts a crime spree."
"Don't have to tell me twice," Grover said. Chin grinned and shut down the smart table. Kono was already halfway to the elevator, cell phone in hand, checking the wave reports. Danny trailed after Steve, following him back to his office.
"Yes, Danny?" Steve drawled, as Danny lounged in the doorway.
"Oh, don't mind me," Danny said, waving his hand dismissively. "Just noticing the swagger is back in full force, along with the smirk. And you were whistling, Steven - whistling - when I came in this morning."
"I was making coffee," Steve said absently.
"Yes, yes you were, and why, when we all know Kono makes the best coffee?" Danny pressed.
"Maybe I wanted coffee," Steve said. "I got here early, I wanted coffee."
"Aha! You got here early," Danny said. "And yet, you were feeling a bit fatigued, thus necessitating an immediate supply of coffee."
"What the hell are you getting at, Danny?" Steve asked, exasperated. He leaned on his hands on his desk, glaring across it at Danny.
"You, my friend, got back into the Barry White," Danny said. He pointed at Steve. "Tell me I'm wrong."
Steve raised his hands in surrender. "Far be it from me to dispute your stellar detecting skills, Daniel," he said. "I mean, I had no idea you were so invested in my sex life with -"
"No, no, stop right there," Danny said quickly. "No, I do not need -"
"Hey, you brought it up," Steve said. "I mean, you know, you're the experienced father, you know how it is. Had to get a little creative, you know, with the pregnancy and everything -"
"Stop!" Danny yelled. "Stop, I beg you."
Steve smirked at him.
"I just . . . " Danny rubbed his eyes, refusing to look at Steve. "Okay, I definitely regret pursuing this line of conversation, I just . . . things are better? I just want to know . . . Jax, is she feeling better?"
"Oh, last I checked she was feeling fan-fucking-tastic," Steve said smugly. "Didn't get to chat much this morning, we thought we'd try showering together, you know, to save time, and -"
"Stop," Danny said weakly. "I think you've answered my question."
"She's doing okay, Danny," Steve said gently, sincerely. "She really is. Hey, she'll have tomorrow off. Why don't we take the Airstream out to the campsite, you bring Rachel and the kids."
"Yeah?" Danny asked, his eyes lighting up. "You're sure?"
"Absolutely," Steve said. "Jax and Mary will both love the idea. Come one, you know Gracie will be thrilled. Bring her board, I'll take her out in the water."
"She has been begging for more surfing," Danny said slowly. "We'll bring picnic lunch, enough for everyone."
"Deal," Steve said.
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"Best day ever!" Gracie shouted, as she balanced on her little surfboard. Steve body surfed the wave next to her, ready to grab her if she lost her balance with gravity, but she shifted her weight confidently and rode the wave until it dissolved into gentle foam. Steve threw up a fist in celebration, and then helped her paddle back out to catch another.
"Great," Danny muttered. "Now she'll be begging for surf lessons with Kono. And next thing you know, she'll be a teenager, wearing a skimpy piece of dental floss that masquerades as swimwear on this god-forsaken island." He gestured toward Mary, sprawled bonelessly in the sun on a beach towel, tanning in a tiny scrap of a bikini.
"We'll get her board shorts," Jax said. "And a rash guard."
Rachel snorted and shook her head. "You can try. I suspect she'll want to wear what the other girls wear."
Danny shook his head mournfully.
"Come on, Danny, you know it would have been the same in Jersey," Jax said. "I grew up going to the shore, remember? The boardwalk . . . "
"Yeah," Danny sighed, remembering. Most of his memories of the Jersey shore were happy ones, although losing his friend made even the happy memories bittersweet. "The boardwalk, the concerts . . . the food. Man."
"Billy would drive us," Jax said. "He had a Nissan then. Wasn't the fastest, but it had an amazing sound system. He'd turn on the radio and the girls would just swarm."
"Like flies to honey," Danny chuckled.
"It was the first summer he had his license . . . I hustled those poor high school boys at arcade games and made enough to cover our gas and food," Jax said. "It was epic. We didn't even wait for summer vacation . . . we'd head out Friday night and not even go home. Billy would sling the car into the school parking lot minutes before the bell rang on Monday. It was the best. Sand, sun, music . . . and then once I had my license . . . "
"I don't remember much of a racing scene at the shore," Danny said.
"Nah, at the shore it wasn't about speed," Jax said. "It was more about your sound system . . . smooth ride . . . one summer Billy had an old Mustang convertible. It was gorgeous. And then there was the vintage VW van, which -" she stopped short.
"VW van, man that - oh, jeez," Danny said, looking at her, mildly horrified. "Please tell me it was full of car parts and stuffed teddy bears."
Jax looked at him sympathetically. "Okay, sure, Danny." She watched Gracie splashing in the water. "You'll . . . you'll keep closer tabs on Gracie," she said softly. "Right?"
"Yeah, babe," Danny said. He studied the wistful expression on Jax's face. "Yeah, but hey - you turned out just fine. Look at you . . . happily married, expecting babies . . . the best auntie my kids could ask for. Maybe you sowed a few wild oats, back in the day. No harm."
"Okay," Jax said, uncertainly.
"Oh, definitely okay," Rachel said, winking at her. "We weren't raised in bloody convents."
Jax smiled, her face lighting up in relief.
"Mommy, Danno, did you see me?" Gracie yelled, as she came running out of the surf, her board tucked securely under her arm.
"We did, darling, you were marvelous," Rachel said.
"I'm hungry, and Uncle Steve said Danno is probably having a stroke about sunscreen, and also I want to make a sandcastle," Gracie said in a rush.
Danny raised an eyebrow at her.
"Please, may I have something to eat, and then may I please make a sandcastle?" Gracie amended. She struggled to prop her board upright in the sand, and Steve wrapped one strong hand around the edge of it, helping her plant it firmly.
"I believe Charlie is getting a big hungry, too," Rachel said, standing and propping the baby on her hip. "Let's go back up to the campsite for a bit, Grace, and we'll get you and Charlie sorted, then come back for sandcastles."
"Okay, mommy," Gracie said. She started to trot ahead of Rachel, then turned back and flung her arms around Steve. "Thank you, Uncle Steve," she said, her voice muffled at his waist. "That was the best surfing ever."
"You're doing awesome, Gracie," he said, his big hand wrapping around the back of her head. "Soon you'll need expert lessons, from Kono."
"Oh, great," Danny muttered, rolling his eyes. He stood, stretching languidly in the sun. "Babe, I'll go up with you and fix Grace-face a snack while you tend to Charlie. Bring you guys anything?"
"Beer," Mary mumbled contentedly from her towel. "Pretzels."
"I could go for a Longboard and a snack," Steve said, wiping his face. "Thanks, Danno."
"Lemonade, I guess," Jax said wistfully. Steve made a sound of commiseration and wrapped his arm around her, kissing the top of her head.
"Make mine a lemonade, too," he said.
"No," Jax protested. "You shouldn't have to -"
"Oh, he bloody well can go without. He's the one what put you in this predicament. You shouldn't suffer alone," Rachel contributed helpfully.
Steve's eyes widened.
"Oh, partner," Danny laughed. "Just wait. It gets better. That's mild compared to what Rachel had to say to me when she was in labor." He was still laughing as he swung Gracie up onto his shoulders and fell into step next to Rachel.
Mary had turned over on her towel and watched the entire exchange with amusement.
"They're adorable," she observed, before pulling her hat over her face and sinking back into her towel. "All four of them. Shit. You guys . . . you're going to, like, literally double the minute Jax pops out those babies. From two to four in one fell swoop. Sweet."
"And then we'll be adorable?" Steve asked, teasing.
"Nah. You'll still be badass," Mary said. "You're gonna have badass babies, I just know it."
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