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.
Everyone slept in a little on Saturday. Danny was first to wake up. Steve was curled on his left side facing Danny. Steve was a belly sleeper mostly, and he was usually the first to stir. Watching Steve sleep peacefully like this was a treat for Danny. He thought Steve looked so much younger on rare moments like these.
"What did you want to talk to me about?" Steve swore that he could hear Danny think sometimes.
Danny was a little startled; he was sure that Steve was sleeping. "It's nothing bad, but it is serious in a good way." Danny paused to steal a kiss. Well technically it's not stealing if the other person gives it freely. He wasn't sure how to start.
"Rachel and I had a conversation a couple of days ago. You and Stan have become so important in Grace's life. She loves you very much, and I know that she is your daughter, in every way except DNA. Rachel and I want to formalize an agreement so that you would keep joint custody in case something happened to me. The same would apply to Stan. Rachel and I think that the way we have bonded as sort of co-joined families has been good for Grace. We want her to know that we will continue no matter happens."
Steve was speechless. It had crossed his mind on occasion that his relationship with Grace was dependent on Danny. If he lost Danny, he would lose them both. That would probably kill him even if he kept breathing and his heart still beat. Some tragedies are just too great to overcome especially when someone has lost so many before.
"Babe, are you still with me?" Danny was concerned that Steve hadn't responded. He stroked Steve's face trying to read his expression. There was no name for the face, and Danny had named several of Steve's faces.
"Danno, I don't know what to say. It kills me to think about losing you, but we both know it's a risk. The idea that I would lose Grace too has occurred to me. It means a lot that you and Rachel would trust Grace with me. You're right: I love her more than I thought possible. Thank you." Steve kissed Danny very softly. The second kiss wasn't so soft.
"You're quite welcome. We'll talk to the lawyers when we get back from our honeymoon. Rachel and Stan will be back, and we can sign the papers together. I think I hear Grace in the hall. I don't want to say anything to Grace for now. We can tell her after the paperwork is done." Danny kissed Steve one more time before he heard the tap on the door.
"Monkey, come on in. We were waiting for you." Danny and Steve parted to give Grace a spot between them.
"Morning Danno. Morning Daddy." Grace scrambled up the bed and took her usual place between her dads. She loved this special time with them. Grace did her morning assessment on both Steve and Danny. She thought they both looked rested and happy. Daddy didn't show any signs of his lingering illness other than he didn't get up early for his morning fitness routine.
"Did you sleep well Grace? Danno and I sure did. The evening swim was so relaxing; so was the hot chocolate. What do you want for breakfast?" Steve was feeling really great now. It was a relief to know that Grace would always be a part of his life. His interlude with Danny last night helped relieve some of his frustration with his illness. He thought maybe he was back to ninety percent strength; his lab work on Monday would determine if he could return to unrestricted duty.
"Yes I did. What are we doing today?" Grace always wanted to know the day's agenda.
"We have some Christmas shopping to do. First, the Kelly cousins are coming over to do the yard work, and then they're going to help us with the Christmas lights. We can put the Nativity set out as soon as the front yard is cut."
Grace was onboard with the plan. She loved to shop and Christmas shopping was the best. The Williams family drew names for a gift exchange. It was their way of simplifying some of the holiday preparation so they could focus on joy of the season. The family decided to wait until they were in Hawaii to exchange gifts this year. The names had been drawn before Thanksgiving. Grace needed a gift for one of Danny's nephews, Danny drew one of the brothers-in-law, and Steve was shopping for Mom.
Steve wanted to get Mary something special. It was their first year to exchange gifts. He found a box of photos in the closet; Steve thought that he would put them in an album for Mary. He wanted to put an album together to keep too. He wanted to show Danny and Grace his family; pictures were all he had left.
They decided that they would buy gifts for Grace jointly. Steve was still deciding what to get for Danny. Danny was equally uncertain what to get for Steve. They also wanted to buy something special for their 5-0 family. Then there was a matter of a wedding gift for Chin and Malia.
Steve heard a truck in the driveway followed by the sound of a mower starting. "I think our help is here starting on the lawn. We'd better get up and get some breakfast."
Steve and Danny dressed quickly and met Grace downstairs. They were dressed to work outside. Danny fixed some eggs and toast while Steve opened the boxes for the Nativity set. Steve took a break when the food was ready and helped with the cleanup. By the time that Steve, Danny, and Grace went out to work, the front yard was neatly mowed.
Steve and Danny set up the Nativity set in front of the porch so the power cords could be safely hidden. Their helpers were ready to work on the lights by the time that the set was up. It took them almost three hours to put the lights up in both front and back. Steve and Grace were so excited; they could hardly wait until sunset to turn on the lights.
Steve ordered pizza for everyone, and they sat on the lanai enjoying the meal. The cousins were thrilled to have extra money for the holidays; Steve arranged to have them return weekly to care for the yard. Danny and Grace watched Steve closely to make sure he didn't overdo, but Steve seemed to be doing well. He went for a moderate swim and enjoyed reclaiming part of his normal routine back. Grace worked on the little bit of homework she hadn't finished while Danny surfed the internet looking for ideas for Steve's gift.
It was mid-afternoon when the trio drove to the shopping district. Shopping for the Williams family was simple. Each person included a wish list and any other pertinent details. Grace's cousin wanted a video game, and the brother-in-law collected unusual beer steins. Mom loved wearing jewelry, earrings and bracelets in particular. Steve steered Danny and Grace toward a small specialty shop that featured jewelry designed by one of the locals. The designer was an old friend of Steve's. He found Mom's earrings quickly, but he had another reason for visiting his friend.
Steve was shopping for rings for their ceremony. He wanted something in brushed gold so it wouldn't reflect the light. Steve found a sample ring that was perfect, simple yet elegant. He wanted the words 'No Kau a Kau' engraved on the inside of both rings. The translation is 'For Eternity'. Danny loved the idea. They were sized for rings and moved on to the next item on their list.
"Danno, can we eat? I'm getting hungry." Grace was enjoying her afternoon out with her family, but she was ready to eat.
"I don't know; I could eat something. What do you think, Steve?" Danny liked the idea. It was almost six o'clock, and the local eateries fill up fast on the weekend.
"I would like a nice juicy steak. I think my appetite is back. I could eat half a cow." Steve's mouth watered at the thought. He knew just the place. They dropped their purchases off at the car, and Steve directed them to a small bistro. "This place has the best rib-eye steaks on the island. The salad bar is great too, and they're famous for their bread pudding. It's homemade and it comes ala mode with vanilla bean ice cream."
"Steve, I do believe you're drooling. Oh, now I'm drooling." Danny got a whiff of grilled meat and his stomach growled.
They snagged one of the few available tables and placed their drink order. On Steve's advice, Danny ordered the rib-eye steak but opted for the beer cheese soup instead of the salad bar. Grace ordered a hamburger from the children's menu and a cup of clam chowder.
The food was as good as Steve promised. They were pleased with their progress on the shopping and decided to enjoy the remainder of the day as a family date. Grace updated Steve on the events at school last week when Steve had been too ill to keep track of events. Danny entertained them with a story about Lori and Kono who seemed to have bonded as the team's only women. The restaurant filled up quickly, but no one rushed them out the door. They shared the bread pudding before settling up the bill.
Steve, Danny, and Grace walked around the waterfront for a while. The whole area was lit up with Christmas lights. Steve and Danny walked with Grace in between them, holding hands to as they took in the sights and the sounds.
"I love this Danny. I haven't Christmas shopped in years. I forgot what it is to be in the holiday spirit. Do you want to go to church again in the morning?" Steve wasn't sure where the question came from. He was thinking about how it started last weekend when Mom and Dad were in town. He remembered how he enjoyed attending church with his family and how they spent the afternoon decorating the tree.
Danny thought about Steve's question. He had only recently regained his faith, and he wasn't sure how he felt about weekly church attendance. "I don't know. Do you want to make it a regular thing?"
"I don't know either. I found the service to be inspirational. This year we have so much to be thankful for. I think it's good for us to remember that. I can't say that I'll want to go every week, or that I'll want to go to this particular church. I think that I would like to go tomorrow. Do you mind?" Steve was not going to push Danny on this.
Grace wanted to give her input. "Danno, I liked it there."
"We can go if you want to. I don't mind. We'd better head home if we're getting up early tomorrow. Besides, I want to see the house with all the lights on." Steve had set the lights on a timer. They were anxious to see how everything looked.
They could see the glow from the house a half block away. They stood in front of the house and just stared. "I don't think our house has ever looked like this. I need to give the cousins a Christmas bonus. They seriously did a great job."
Grace's eyes reflected the myriad of lights. "It's the best house on the island. I wish Nana and Poppa could see it."
"They will, Monkey. We'll keep them up until after the wedding. We'll have a second Christmas when everyone gets here." Danny scooped Grace up for a hug. "It's amazing, isn't it?"
They opted for a long reading session tonight. Everyone was dressed in their pajamas or what passed for pajamas for the men. They read Christmas short stories for over an hour sitting on the couch in front of the tree. By popular decision, they voted to spend the day baking Christmas cookies and pastries. Steve found a pot roast in the freezer and put it into the fridge to thaw for supper tomorrow.
After tucking Grace into bed, they adjourned to their room. Steve wanted to make amends for last night's quick performance. He was sure that he could improve on his longevity. Much to Danny's delight, he did. It had been a really great day, and they had accomplished much. Steve and Danny slept well and woke refreshed.