"So, they think the kid is gonna make it," Danny said, glancing sideways at Steve as they drove back to the palace. "The trade company felt so bad for the family that they worked with the DA. The only charges filed will be possession of a weapon without a permit. And they're starting a Go Fund Me to help the family with the medical bills."
"Good, that's good, Danny," Steve said nodding.
Danny looked at Jax in the rearview mirror.
"Fantastic," Jax agreed.
"Yeah, all of that got worked out while I waited for you to come down from the roof," Danny said, narrowing his eyes suspiciously at Steve.
"Had to, you know, shut down the helo," Steve mumbled, trying to hide a smirk.
"There was . . . medical stuff. I had to clean up the gauze and stuff," Jax supplied helpfully from the back seat.
"Ummhmm," Danny replied skeptically. "Well, since I have you both as captive audience for a few minutes, I have a favor to ask."
"Yeah? What is it, Danny?" Steve asked.
"The lawyers delivered the paperwork today. Rachael and Stan's divorce is final. We want to get married, you know, before the baby," Danny said.
"Yeah? That's awesome, Danny," Jax said.
"We don't want anything fancy, just a brief service," Danny continued, "and Gracie wants an excuse to wear a dress. We were wondering if we could have something at your house? Invite just the team, Jerry, Max . . . you know."
"It's fine with me," Steve said, "I'm honored to host. Jax, you up for it?"
"Of course," Jax said, grinning broadly. "It's been too long since we've had a team gathering, anyway."
"Is your family coming, Danny?" Steve asked.
"No, they're going to wait and come when the baby comes . . . they've already been to one wedding for me and Rachel, it makes sense," Danny said.
"What about a honeymoon?" Steve asked, grinning broadly.
"It won't be as romantic as the roof of Queens hospital," Danny teased. "We have a certificate for two nights at the Hilton, thank you, courtesy of Chin, Kono, and Grover, that we are going to put to good use."
"Why . . .?" Steve looked at Danny in confusion. "I didn't miss a birthday, did I? Or a promotion?"
Danny laughed. "Nah, you and Jax were having a really rough couple days and . . . I dunno, I guess they thought I needed a break or something."
"Danny, I'm sorry," Jax said quietly, leaning forward. "Dealing with . . . all of our shit . . ."
"Hey," Danny said, smiling at her in the rear view mirror. "It's a tough job, kid, but I wouldn't give it up for a million bucks."
"We don't say thank you enough, Danny," Steve said quietly. "I hope you know how much we appreciate you."
"You started therapy, both of you," Danny said. "I know how much that took. And I know you did it in large part for me, and for Gracie. So, yeah, I know."
"Well, letting us make a beautiful wedding for you and Rachel will give us an opportunity to say thanks," Steve said, smiling back at Jax in the rearview.
Danny beamed, his eyes crinkling in a smile. "Do either of you know the first thing about weddings?"
"Um, no?" Steve said, looking back to Jax, who shrugged and shook her head.
Danny laughed as they pulled into the parking lot at the palace. "I'm sure Rachel and Grace will give you marching orders. And before we go inside, Steve, you should know that your pants are still mostly unbuttoned."
Jax got out of the car, snickering.
Danny turned to her. "And your t-shirt is hitched all the way up inside your tac vest," he added.
Kono stood in front of the windows, looking out over the parking lot.
"Hey, they're back," she called to Chin. "And doing some sort of . . . okay, Jax is spinning around in circles trying to reach something on her back, and Steve is doing some sort of weird little hopping thing and grabbing at his crotch."
Chin sighed. "And what is Danny doing?"
"Danny is standing there with his hands over his eyes, shaking his head. Weird, hunh?" Kono asked, wishing she had her binocs handy.
"Honestly?" Chin said, steadfastly refusing to look out the window. "I'm learning not to ask."
#*#*#*#*#
They had decided on a Saturday evening wedding, fingers crossed and HPD on notice that ideally, Five-O would be unilaterally off-duty until Tuesday.
Steve stepped out onto the lanai and admired the view in front of him: Jax, perched on a ladder, stretching to wrap a string of fairy lights around the railing. He tilted his head appreciatively at the curve of her hips, conveniently at eye level.
"You're going to fall," he said, grinning.
"Then you, with the tallness and the ridiculous arm span, get up here and help," she laughed, coming down the ladder. He stopped her on the last rung, wrapping his arms around her and nuzzling into her neck.
"Okay," he said, agreeably.
"Except, you're not helping," she pointed out. "You're distract- oh - distracting me."
"Sorry," he mumbled against her collarbone.
"An hour," she said sternly. "We have an hour before everyone gets here. And Kamekona will be here in thirty minutes to set up the food. And we have to go get dressed."
He grumbled good-naturedly as he headed up the ladder, until she contributed a playful smack to his backside.
"Now who's distracting who?" he demanded.
"I don't want to know," Chin said, as he and Kono stepped onto the lanai, their arms full of flowers.
"I do, and I want video," Kono chimed in.
#*#*#*#*#
"Now that was a creative wedding," Grover observed, sipping a Longboard contentedly, watching several couples dancing barefoot in the sand as soft music played in the background. Gracie had been tasked with creating a playlist, and the first Disney selection had already prompted a round of laughter and applause from the small group.
"It really was," Chin agreed. "Who knew that Max was ordained and could perform wedding ceremonies?"
"I'm not sure how I feel about that, to be honest," Malia laughed. "Chin, sweetheart, dance with Mary. She looks a bit at loose ends."
Chin kissed Malia on the cheek. "You're amazing," he whispered. "And you're right, she does look a little lost." He made his way to Mary, who stood looking wistfully at the couples slow dancing.
"May I?" he asked, smiling at her and holding out his hand.
She grinned up at him and stepped willingly into his arms. "I remember one time, when I was really little, mom and dad had an anniversary party. There were lights, and fizzy drinks . . . they made Steve dance with me, and he hated it. But I loved it. I felt so special and so grown up."
"You are certainly special and grown-up now," Chin said fondly. "Your dad would be proud, Mary."
"I still feel like the little girl who can't get her act together," Mary said.
"Things are coming together for you, Mary," Chin insisted. "Steve said you're taking classes again?"
"Paralegal," Mary confirmed. "I seem to have a knack for it."
"Well, there you go," Chin said. "That's getting your act together. Mary, we all love you for who you are. Don't ever doubt that."
Chin felt a tap on his shoulder and turned to see Steve smiling. "Can I cut in and dance with my beautiful sister?"
"Of course," Chin said, bowing formally.
"Hey," Steve said, tucking Mary's hair back and smiling down at her. "Danny and Rachel are so happy that you came. So am I. You look good, Mare."
"I'm doing good, Steve, I really am," she said.
"Do you remember that party mom and dad had?" he asked.
Mary laughed. "I was just telling Chin. They made you dance with me."
"You were so stinking cute," Steve said fondly.
"I thought you hated it," Mary said, looking up at him in confusion.
"Nah, I hated that I had to miss football practice for it. Didn't mind dancing with you. It was better than dancing with the middle age HPD wives."
Mary threw back her head and laughed. "You do realize that now you're middle-aged, right?"
"Shut up, brat," Steve said, and he twirled her and dipped her, making her laugh even harder.
"But you have someone really special to dance with now," she added, as he pulled her back up.
"Or I would, if she could dance," he stage whispered.
Mary laughed again. "There's something she's not good at?"
"Terrible. She's truly terrible," Steve said, grinning. "You have no idea. It's remarkable, really."
"And you don't care one bit," Mary said.
"Not a bit," he agreed.
Danny and Rachel spun past them.
"Now those two have some moves," Mary noted.
The music went to another Disney song, and everyone laughed as they drifted back toward the food and small tables set up on the lanai and grass. Steve and Jax had hung hundreds of fairy lights, and Kono had decorated the tables with simple bouquets of flowers.
"It's absolutely perfect," Rachel whispered to Jax, squeezing her hand. "I can't possibly thank you enough."
"We just hung up lights," Jax said. "Kamekona did the food, and Kono did the flowers . . ."
"It's more lovely than our first wedding," Rachel said, "because it means more. Danny's friends . . . accepting me, us . . . it means a great deal to me."
"It's the ohana thing they're so big on here. It freaked me out at first," Jax whispered. "It's actually kind of awesome once you get used to it."
The evening continued to pass in quiet laughter and conversation. Gracie, Samantha, and Will cavorted in the sand and at the edge of the water, and Steve and Caviness grabbed a football and joined them.
"Gracie is throwing a perfect spiral," Jax said, as she and Kono sat, sipping margaritas and watching their antics.
"Brian is throwing a perfect . . . I have no idea what he's throwing but it's damn perfect," Kono purred.
Jax snickered.
"What's so funny?" Danny asked, throwing an arm around Jax's shoulders.
"Oh, Danny, we wouldn't want to offend your delicate sensibilities," Jax said.
"Yeah, pretty sure Steve and Jax broke you when they came down off the top of Queens helipad the other week," Kono said cheerfully. And loudly.
"How about we switch you to iced tea, cuz?" Chin called from the other side of the lanai.
"Please," Danny said. "How about a dance with the groom, Jax? We're barefoot, you can't do but so much damage, and it's a slow song."
Jax smacked Danny on the arm but let him lead her to the sand.
"You look beautiful, kiddo," he said, smiling at her. "I like the dress." He managed to spin her around, the soft folds of her simple lavender sundress flaring out gently.
"You cleaned up pretty nice yourself, Danno," Jax said, "and your bride is absolutely stunning."
"Rach is gorgeous all of the time but especially when she's expecting," Danny said. "Five months already. It's going so fast. The baby will be here before we know it."
"You love being a dad, don't you?" Jax asked, looking at Steve playing with Gracie.
"I do," Danny said, "and I see you watching Steve with my beautiful baby girl. And yes, he's going to make a great dad, someday, and you'll make a great mom. When you're ready, and it's what you want, it will work out the way it's meant to."
"Danny's Law?" Jax asked, teasing.
"Damn straight. Danno's one hundred percent guarantee," he said emphatically.
#*#*#*#*#
The group of friends gathered along the front walkway and showered Danny and Rachel with flower petals as they left, laughing as they ran to the Camaro. Steve had somehow managed to pilfer Danny's keys yet again, and stood grinning as Danny patted down his pockets.
"You animal," Danny groused, laughing, as Steve twirled the keys on his finger before handing them over. "So," he added quietly, so that only Steve could hear, "an undercover wedding, a wedding in your backyard . . . and don't think I didn't see the goofy look on your face when I was dancing with Jax tonight. It made you think, didn't it, big guy?"
"I can neither confirm nor deny," Steve mumbled, smiling down at Danny.
Kono whooped and catcalled inappropriately until Brian silenced her with a kiss, while Grover and Renee playfully covered the children's eyes. Gracie waved excitedly at her parents.
"Bye, monkey, you be good for the Grovers," Danny called and waved, as they pulled out of the driveway.
Lou and Renee left next, bundling three exhausted but happy children into the back of their SUV. The remaining guests made short work of cleanup, and soon there was nothing left but several bags of trash and recycling.
"These won't fit in your regular bins, boss," Kono called over her shoulder, stacking bags next to the small bins. "I don't think your city pick-up is equipped for task force weddings."
Steve laughed. "I'll take them to the center first thing Monday morning when it opens. Thanks, Kono."
Chin started to take down the lights, but Mary stopped him. "Hey, Steve?" she called, poking her head out from under the ladder and shouting in his general direction. "Can we leave the lights up for a while? Please?"
"Sure, Mare," Steve said. "Any particular reason?"
Chin smiled as he climbed back down the ladder.
Mary shrugged self-consciously. "I kinda like the house all lit up. And full of people. It's . . . it makes it feel like home again."
Steve wrapped her in a hug, tucking her head under his chin and stroking her hair. "It is home, Mary. It's your home. Always."
She nodded, then tilted her head back and looked up at him, her eyes sparkling. "Yeah, and if I have anything to do with it, you and Jax are going to get your bedroom painted this weekend. It's creepy. You still have mom and dad's stuff in there. Seriously, dude. It gives me the heebie jeebies."
Chin grabbed Malia's hand. "We're going to exit before we get in the middle of a family spat . . . or roped into helping paint."
#*#*#*#*#
"Thank you, Danny, for suggesting a small wedding at Steve's," Rachel said, as they lounged contentedly in their suite. "It really was quite lovely, and Gracie was so happy."
"And you? Are you happy, Mrs. Williams?" Danny asked, rubbing her feet.
"Blissfully so, Mr. Williams."
#*#*#*#*#
"Mary, you're great at this," Jax said, impressed, as they stood in the checkout line. "What are you doing?" she added, as Steve pulled her close and took a selfie of them, next to the cart with two gallons of paint and a comforter set.
"I'm sending a picture to Sam Hanna," Steve said. "He said he could win some sort of bet with Callen . . ."
#*#*#*#*#
By early evening, the bedroom was a close approximation of the shade of paint that Steve and Jax had admired.
"Tell me again," Mary asked, slouching in one of the old chairs by the water, "what made you think of the pale aqua color?"
"It was a vacant house," Jax answered, stretching and rolling her neck to work out the soreness. "Who know that rolling paint was such a good workout?"
"Vacant house?" Mary asked, looking at them skeptically.
"We were on a stakeout," Steve explained, rubbing Jax's shoulders. She sighed happily, the sound that he had quickly grown addicted to in her first weeks on the island.
Mary laughed. "Only the two of you would choose a paint color on a stakeout," she said. "It's perfect. It's very you."
"Well, you helped us narrow down the right shade," Steve said. "And, you know, the other stuff," he waved his hand vaguely. "You're right. It's nice to have a fresh start."
"Can I do something about the kitchen curtains the next time I come?" Mary asked hopefully.
#*#*#*#*#
Jax snuggled contentedly next to Steve, her slim leg tossed over his, as he tangled his fingers absently in her hair.
"It is really pretty," she said, looking around at the room.
"And Mary was right," Steve murmured, stroking her shoulder, "the higher thread count makes for sheets that feel really nice."
"It was only right that we test them thoroughly," Jax said, her fingers tracing over his abs, smiling when his breath hitched.
"Very, very thoroughly," Steve agreed. "We'll tell Mary tomorrow how right she was."
"I'm thinking she already knows," Jax whispered.
#*#*#*#*#
"Rrrrrrrrph," Pupule grumbled, as he flumped down at the foot of Mary's bed.
"I know, fella," Mary said. "I don't know how you stand it, I really don't."
#*#*#*#*#
"I'll probably go into the office after I drop off the recycling," Steve said, brushing his foot against Jax's leg as he sipped his coffee. "You mind?"
"Of course not," she said. "You want me to come in?"
"Nah, not unless we get a case. The team has the day off. Spend some time with Mary. I just . . . while the office is quiet, I thought I could go over the evidence from that Champs box," he said quietly.
Jax put down her coffee and looked at him intently. "You have something?"
"No, nothing new," he said. "I thought it would be good to look at everything with fresh eyes, now that we know that Novak and Hesse crossed paths at some point."
Jax nodded. "Good idea. But you'll call if you need help? I'll come in. Any of us would, you know that."
"I know, ku'uipo," he smiled, kissing her head as he stood to leave. "I'll let you know when I'm headed home, okay?"
"Rowwr," Pupule agreed, stalking into the kitchen for his breakfast. He looked at Steve disapprovingly. "Rrrrrrph."
#*#*#*#*#
She thought it was her imagination at first, the scraping sound at the back of the house. But it persisted, and her instincts were screaming at her. She instinctively grabbed her SIG out of its secure spot in Steve's office.
"Jax?" Mary asked uncertainly, coming down the hall.
"I hear . . . just stay here," Jax said, pointing at the hallway.
Mary went back to her room, searching for her phone. Jax crept into the kitchen and tried to look out the back window, but she couldn't get an angle. She slipped into the laundry room in time to see a figure clad in a cable tv repair uniform clipping the phone and internet.
"Shit," she muttered, quietly slipping back out of the laundry room. Mary was coming back down the hallway, and Jax made a snap decision.
"Mary," she said urgently. "Hand me your phone. You're going to get in this safe room under the stairs. Lock the door. You know about getting under the house?"
Mary nodded, her eyes huge. "My phone isn't working. I tried to call Steve but there's no signal."
"You're going to stay quiet and stay hidden no matter what you hear. When you can, you get to a neighbor and call Steve and call 911. Got it?"
Mary nodded again, her eyes filling with tears. "Jax," she whispered.
"You tell Steve to track your phone," Jax said, shoving her feet into a pair of short boots and shoving Mary's phone into a boot. She put her own phone in the pocket of her cut-off shorts. "Your phone, got it? They'll take my phone. You tell Steve to track your phone. He'll find me, Mary, but you need to hide. I can take care of myself, but I can't take care of both of us."
"Steve will -" Mary protested, as Jax pushed her toward the stairs. The sound of breaking glass came from the kitchen. Pupule dashed up the stairs and under the bed.
"Steve will need you to call him," Jax insisted. "You have to call Steve if I can't deal with these guys by myself. Go."
Satisfied that Mary was hidden away and following instructions, Jax racked the slide on her SIG and positioned herself behind Steve's desk. She looked at her phone, hoping against hope, but . . . no signal. Still, she could hold off a number of attackers. She could hold her own, and maybe a neighbor would be home, would notice something . . .
She hadn't counted on the canister of tear gas that came crashing through the front window.
#*#*#*#*#