I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.

NOTE: guess what? Birthday time! I guess I will eventually need to get back to the Cartel …. But that will be a fast forward of sorts. The boys have to heal and get better for THAT to happen. Until then, let's have some fun.

H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O*

Chapter Fourteen

"That doesn't leave us much time, but we can do it. Thank you. And please .. if you both can come too, I'm sure he'd appreciate it." Kono hung up the phone quickly in her office and groaned.

"Well, okay then. Time to pull off a miracle." Calling for Chin as she pushed away from her desk, a smile slowly spread across her face.

"Hey Chin! Ellen Ramirez just called. Steve's coming home to – mor - row."

There was a small crash in the main room as Chin dropped a box and then banged his head on the smart table. "Oww! What?"

Wrapping paper littered the war room floor and the smart table, along with various ribbons and bows, but Chin's stunned expression said it all as he stammered. "Tomorrow? How are we going to pull this off?"

"Kamekona. Of course. And I already had called about the cake and the bakery said they could do it again with a day's notice." Returning to her office, Kono made calls first to the bakery and arranged for direct delivery, and then placed a call to Kamekona.

"We're on for tomorrow at Steve's …` afternoon I'd say." Hesitating for a moment as the big man spoke, Kono giggled. "Yeah. We can make it fit in the driveway!"

Danny had actually come up with the idea just a little over a week ago. At least that's what he said. But Kono had a suspicion that he had been stewing on it for some time.

And then he hadn't actually called it breaking and entering, after all Danny did have a spare key. That same key was happily pushed into Kono's hand one afternoon at the hospital. But stealing back the original birthday presents from the quiet house had felt like theft and re-wrapping them now at headquarters simply felt wrong.

"It's all for a good cause." Danny had laughed, absolutely proud of himself to have come up with the idea. "The beauty of it is that we don't even have to buy anything."

Chin liked it too and then smirked as he dryly remarked. "Yeah, brah. This brings re-gifting to a whole new level." The two had gotten a huge laugh together but Kono had been rendered speechless.

At first appalled, she threw her hands up in the air. "It's rude. You two are awful."

But she'd eventually gone along and she herself had pillaged Steve's house to collect back all the original birthday presents. Embarrassed when she found her own gift in a touching place of honor in the main room and hung high over the mantel, she couldn't bring herself to take it.

"Sorry boys. I'm drawing the line." She had said out loud in the silence with tears in her eyes.

Now, grabbing up her keys, it was now nearing four in the afternoon and she'd make other calls from the car on her way to the hospital. With Steve being released tomorrow after lunch, Danny would stay the night at his house and be able to set things up. His help would free her and Chin to actually get some work done early in the day, and then one could pick up Steve in the afternoon for the grand surprise.

While not identical to the first surprise party, it would be close and Danny's somber ulterior motives of jogging Steve's memory back into to place would be tested.

H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O*

"Do I need to stay here to make sure you don't over-do it?" Kono threatened when she dropped Danny off at Steve's later than evening. Bringing in the various paper products from the car, she glared at him in warning.

"All you need to do is wait for the bakery to deliver the cake. It's already paid for. Kamekona will be here around Noon. He can do everything else once he gets here."

Busying herself in the kitchen, Kono laid out the paper cups, plastic wear, paper plates in various sizes and finally piles of napkins. And then she went back out for the re-wrapped gifts that had been stowed in the truck of her small red car. Leaving the various bags in the living room, she couldn't help continuing her lecture.

"Really, Danny. Everything's done." Worried now about the party being too soon for Steve to handle on his first day, Kono softened as she changed the subject. "Do you think it will exhaust him?"

Hands on her hips, Kono followed Danny as he limped back into the living room and settled himself on the sofa. Seeing something else that needed to be done, Kono didn't give him a chance to answer. Pointing at him to stay, she then ran upstairs to find spare bedding which she plunked on the chair.

"By the way. No stairs either."

"You're as bossy as your cousin." He chafed under her unyielding stare and then realized that she was finally waiting for him to say something – in fact to swear that he would do everything that she demanded.

"Yes, Kono. I heard every word that you said. And I promise that I will not do too much."

Catching her eye, Danny smiled reassuringly. "And no, it's not too soon. Ellen would have said something. Frankly, it will lift his spirits and Kamekona probably can't wait to spoon feed every one of his special recipes onto his plate."

"Ha, that's true." Kono said with a more relaxed chuckle. When she picked up Danny from the hospital, Steve was virtually on cloud nine and hadn't even questioned them when they left together. Looking forward to his release the next day, his only concern was who was going to pick him up and when.

In fact so sure that Steve would object, Danny had almost been offended at the cheery "see you tomorrow" when Kono confirmed she'd be swinging back over. He'd even practiced a few sarcastic and mouthy reasons for needing to go home that night - none of which needed to be voiced.

So now as she made sure Danny had everything within reach, Kono finished by lining up his medicines on the small table near the sofa.

"One more thing." She included before closing the front door and then knew he had heard her from the resentful groan.

"Doctor Ramirez and Ellen are also swinging by at some point. So if you do something you shouldn't … someone will make darn sure that Adler hears about it."

H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O*

"Why is that parked in my driveway?" Steve said in total disbelief when he saw the shrimp wagon spewing smoke into his quiet neighborhood.

Biting her tongue, Kono decided that ignorance would be best. "I really have no idea, Steve."

As she pulled in, Kamekona reached the passenger door first and panicked. Saying the first and most inane thing he could think of when he saw Steve disapproving face, he blurted out.

"Blondie wanted take-out, brah. Figured I'd deliver."

It was such a silly thing to say, that Kono had to sit in the car to wipe the smile off her face and then the tears from her eyes. But it gave time for Kamekona to lean forward and allow Steve to take his arm and figure out his own way to rock out of the car without hurting himself.

"I've got some good eats for you too. I heard and now I see that you need some proper nutrition."

"I don't believe I'm seeing this." Shaking his head, Steve's eyes were smiling as he walked past the steaming truck. "There's bound to be all types of health codes about this."

"Yeah, but I know me a few good cops .." Kamekona lisped out nonchalantly. "No worries there for me."

And Danny was standing at the front door as Steve walked up. Effectively blocking him from entering, Danny measured his mood and stamina. "Glad to be home?"

With his left arm in a sling to prevent an uncomfortable pull on the healing scar, Steve's face had good color and his eyes were twinkling. Though he was still quite gaunt, he was definitely much improved and it was undeniable that the change of scenery was already working.

Steve's mildly amused retort of, "Yes, but take-out?" was met with a laugh and a blunt statement of complete agreement.

"Take-out. But I didn't ask for the truck. However, we wound up with the very best."

And as Danny moved aside for him to enter, Steve found himself the guest of honor on a receiving line of well wishers and friends that extended from the front door and back out through the Lanai. At the last minute, Chin and Kono had decided that a boisterous and rousing welcome would simply prove to be too overwhelming for the recovering man.

Escorting Steve forward, Kono and Chin kept him moving steadily so that he could greet everyone but also eventually be seated comfortably on the Lanai. And Kamekona was immediately in his element as he busily made sure that Steve first, and then all his guests had plenty of food. If a few business cards were accidently tucked under a plate or two, Kamekona could only smile in his winning way and offer a plateful of steaming seconds.

Hours later, people were still milling about and Steve was opening the last of his "re-gifts"; though admittedly, many presents were new and truly never before seen.

Feeling more than guilty about Steve's enthusiastic and honest response to those that had been re-wrapped, she leaned over to Chin. "We are going to have to tell him later. This is almost sad!"

"Yup. I think that I may agree with you." Chin replied. What had started out as good fun was also making him feel guilty. And Danny's mental ploy hadn't yet worked. In fact, looking over to Danny, Chin could tell he was disappointed that everything was still so very new to their friend.

Chin spoke just under his breath. "And plan b failed. He was so sure this would work."

"Hmm." Kono replied, but she was distracted. Ramirez was currently speaking to Danny and nodding covertly towards Steve who was still talking gamely, but now listing to the side in fatigue.

"I think it's time to gracefully end this shin-dig." Getting up Kono started to spread the word and began a quiet cleanup. Chin ran gentle interference with Ramirez to ensure Steve did as little as possible as the party group broke up discreetly.

What wasn't very inconspicuous was Kamekona's brightly colored shrimp truck as it started up loudly, belched dark smoke from the exhaust, and then lumbered out of the driveway.

Wincing directly at Danny as he heard the large vehicle slowly leave, Steve shook his head again and laughed.

"What? It wasn't me!" Danny said holding his cane up in the air dramatically and then had to laugh too. "I didn't ask for Kamekona to bring the damn truck!"

Soon after, only the core Five-0 team remained in the house along with Ellen and Doctor Ramirez. A goofy smile was still plastered on Steve's face even as Ramirez sat him on the sofa. He couldn't resist checking the bandages before leaving and making sure that his patient was indeed resting for the night. And the pre-arrangement for Danny to stay was simply an understood part of the deal.

But Steve was emotional as his final small group broke and could barely find what he thought were the right words. "That was some birthday party. Mahalo."

"And you are very welcome. But sit. Before you fall over." Chin said quietly when Steve tried to get up again to say goodnight to him and to Kono. "We'll see you two sometime tomorrow."

And as Danny puttered now alone in the kitchen, Steve was more than content as he sat quietly in the silence of the house.

"Mahalo." He whispered again but this time to himself as he mentally toasted his close friends. He had never expected to find such family and friendship – true Ohana - when he had taken Governor Jamieson up on her offer to lead the Five-0 task force. In fact, he had only done it that day almost in an anger to prove a powerful point to the brash and obnoxious Haole he had just confronted.

Leaning his head back on the sofa, he smiled at his unexpected birthday party – no it was a homecoming - and then blinked a few times. Taking a deep shuddering breath Steve finally noticed what hung above his mantel. Familiar and yet not familiar at the same time; he slowly struggled back to his feet for a closer look.

"Oh my god." He whispered. Still not over the surprise of seeing Kamekona's shrimp wagon parked – parked mind you – in his driveway when Kono brought him home. He'd been then dumbfounded and purposefully shuttled through the people in his house and out to the Lanai. He simply hadn't seen this particular gift until that moment.

Now he stood totally still in front of the over-sized shadow boxed football jersey that had a floppy red bow fastened to it in the upper right hand corner. HIS 5-0 jersey from when he played quarterback at Kukui High School.

Perfectly framed and with an additional eight inches of white professional border around the four edges, a multitude of different handwritten birthday wishes in various colors and scripts had been embellished there for a lifetime.

"Kono had Mary dig out your old jersey over a year ago when she had this idea. It took her all that time to pull off. She had the white border sent separately to Mary first and then on to Catherine at the Enterprise." Danny softly said from the doorway.

"Cath got it back to us … Joe even stepped in .. and … well .. HPD too .. and .. there you have it." Becoming emotional himself, Danny had to stop speaking as he allowed Steve to take it all in.

"This is what you meant?" Steve completely failed at holding back his tears as he whispered. "That's amazing. She's .. incredible. Everyone signed this?"

Danny grinned at his own memory from Steve's first original birthday party as he came forward to stand near him while he studied all the names. Something like this could never ever get old and Danny wished Kono had still been there to witness the repeat. It was like an eerie version of an automatic rewind but all done in real-time.

Understanding why Kono couldn't touch it, he had asked Kamekona to at least reach up and put the gaudy red bow in one corner.

"Yeah, you said the exact same thing back then too. You and I hung it here a few days after your first birthday party. Kono's thrilled that you love it so much."

"No kidding." Steve breathed out. "That's an understatement."

Pausing, he couldn't help grinning and then adding with a very gentle nudge into Steve's good shoulder.

"But I'm not going to throw my arms around your neck and give you a kiss."

~ to be continued ~