/ / / Aftermath \ \ \ Lizzie's POV

"Right," Lizzie said, ten minutes later when Eric was quiet on the couch watching television with his three brothers playing happily around him. She loved her first grandbaby dearly but he was a pain in the arse and she hoped that spending some time with Danny and Steve in Hawaii would at least knock some sense into him. All of her children went through their moments of rebellion and…stupid arse mistakes, but in the end most of them had found their way to being good people. She thought about her Matt for a second but the pain, sharp and hard in her chest, made her blink away the thoughts. "Who is helping me with dinner?"

"I am," Steve said.

Lizzie couldn't help but smile, he was so eager to help and to make sure they all liked him he hadn't seen that they already did. She had been so worried about her son when he went off to Hawaii, he was a swirling mess of anger and resentment and the only good thing in his entire world seemed to be Grace. Now, whenever she spoke to her son he sounded happy, talking about his family in Hawaii, about his Gracie and Steve.

"Thank you," Lizzie said. "We're making lasagne."

Steve nodded and walked past her into the kitchen so he could wash his hands.

"You want me to make some garlic bread, Ma?" Danny asked, the same way he always had – eager to be the best at something. It was good to have him back but she wanted to see him more. It wasn't right to have one of her sons so far away from her and having two gone was even worse.

"Of course I do." Lizzie said, coming over to kiss him on the head. "You make the best garlic bread."

"Suck up," Michael said, walking into the house. He was wearing one of his suits, he looked tired but so different to how he did at any other time and she always loved to see what he had made of himself.

"Ehh," Danny said with a shrug as he walked past his brother. "I figure you're just jealous that I'm Ma's favourite."

"I don't have favourites, Michael," she said. "I love you all just as much as your brothers and sisters."

She kissed Michael on the head and he smiled up at her. He looked even more tired up close and she thought about the fact he'd left for work before the sun came up, she needed to give him something to make him feel special too. Whoever said children eventually grew up and didn't need some mothering had never had children. "Would you like me to make a coconut cake for dessert?"

Michael smiled at her. "I would."

"Go up and have a shower," she said, pulling him down for another kiss on the cheek. Michael smiled at her and started up the stairs.

Lizzie turned for the kitchen, Hannah and Lily sitting with Molly and the boys sitting on the other side of the lounge room. At the very least when they were here they were having a break from one another. She turned to the kitchen to get cooking; she would have to get Danny to prepare all of the things for the lasagne if she was going to be making cake as well. She caught Steve stepping close into Danny's side as she was walking back to the kitchen.

"Why are you acting like a teenager?" Steve asked.

"He started it," Danny said, with a grin. Lizzie remembered those words well but she was so damned happy to have her son home she didn't care if he whined about every one of his siblings. Lizzie held back so that she could see and hear them while neither of them were paying attention to her.

Steve frowned down at Danny.

"Even you and Mary do this," Danny said with a little shrug. "We regress a little when we all see each other like this. Ma loves to take care of us all and she indulges us in this petty stuff."

"I am almost waiting for you to poke your tongue out at him," Steve said, hunching down until he was leaning into Danny.

"I don't let them get away with that sort of thing," Lizzie said, coming in behind them. She enjoyed watching them but she needed to get started on dinner if it was going to be ready in time to feed the boys.

"She really wouldn't," Danny said and reluctantly pulled back from Steve.

"I'm going to need your help, Danny." Lizzie said, looking at Danny.

"Anything, Ma. I miss watching you cook," Danny said, with a smile and a shrug.

Lizzie smiled at him. "You get everything ready for the lasagne while I make the cake."

"Ma," Hannah said walking into the kitchen. "We should get going."

"Nonsense," Lizzie said, waving her hand at her daughter. She wasn't letting Hannah go home yet; she wanted both her and Eric to have a break before they went back to being in a house together without other people to distract them. Lizzie knew the only answer was to lie. "I've already started cooking and there's enough for everyone."

Hannah looked at the clean kitchen, empty of any evidence of cooking except the coffee cake that was half eaten on the small table. "Ma. I should get Eric out of here."

"What are you planning on cooking for dinner?" Lizzie asked knowingly.

"Something."

"My lasagne?" Lizzie knew she had her – lasagne had always been Hannah's favourite. Each of her children had their weaknesses.

"Well…" Hannah started but then her eyes flicked from Lizzie to Steve and Lizzie understood that it wasn't really the scene earlier that Hannah was worried about but whatever had caused Chris to make sure Eric apologised to Steve.

"Stay," Danny said firmly, and Lizzie watched the silent look between her two children. Finally, Danny turned to his mother. "She's staying."

"Danny."

Danny huffed and turned to Steve. "Babe, what happened between you and Eric?"

Steve looked at them all silently for a moment. "He asked who I was to call him an idiot for making things worse for Hannah instead of helping her."

Lizzie watched the way Danny looked at Steve, it was a careful expression but Danny obviously didn't believe it was everything to the story. Then Danny turned to his sister and smiled, pretending. "See, nothing to worry about."

"Steve," Hannah said.

Steve looked at Danny and then back to Hannah. "You're thinking about leaving because of me?"

"He-"

Steve cut her off with a smile. "I said a lot worse when I was his age, it's forgotten. Lizzie, what do you need me to do?"

Hannah looked at Danny with confusion, Danny shrugged. "He means it, don't worry. You're staying for dinner."

"I…okay?"

"Good," Lizzie said. "Go and keep your nana occupied."

Hannah took a deep breath and nodded before she turned and walked back into the lounge room.

"I need you to do the cutting, Steve," Lizzie said and began hunting through her fridge and handing Steve the things she wanted him to cut. She had been impressed by the speed and neatness of everything he'd cut the night before and she was looking forward to seeing it again, no one else ever cut things as neatly as she did.

"What did he really say?" Danny asked.

"Exactly what I told Hannah."

"I will get it out of you."

Steve looked at Danny and then turned to begin washing and cutting vegetables. Danny huffed and moved to stand next to him and they began working together. Danny pulled the large pan out and started cooking the meat for the lasagne. She watched them for a few minutes and she began to wonder if they were even aware that they weren't standing in their own kitchen at home.

"Ma," Danny said, a few minutes later. "If you don't…you okay?"

"Of course," she said with a smile and turned away from them to collect everything she would need for the cake. "It's just nice to see you both working together so nicely."

Danny looked at her strangely. "Thanks, Ma."

"This one is going to work out."

Steve froze and then turned to look at her as well.

"Ma?"

Lizzie started to measure out flour as she explained. "You and Rachel never really worked together; you were always working against one another. But, you and Steve work together."

"I am fairly certain that you wouldn't say that if you'd ever been in a car with us at work," Steve said. "He complains to me, about me, at me, all the time."

Danny folded his arms and looked at Steve. "You got me shot."

"You hate sand."

"You won't let me drive my own car."

"You don't really know all the roads of Hawaii."

"I've been there for three years now."

"I've lived there my whole life."

"You mean they didn't change a single road while you were off being a Navy SEAL?"

Lizzie cleared her throat. Both men turned to her. "Done?"

Both of them had the good sense to look apologetic. Lizzie was immune to Danny's expression but something about Steve's made her want to go over and pull him into a hug. She steeled herself against it.

"Yes, I'm sure you are both more than capable of arguing, I know my son, and I have spoken to Grace."

Danny looked wounded. "Grace told on us?"

Steve smirked. "She can't lie to save herself."

"Danny couldn't when he was that age either. He always gave himself away."

"Really?" Steve asked, his eyes lighting. "How?"

"Don't say a thing," Danny said. "He doesn't need any more ammunition."

"I don't care if you two argue over little things or if you annoy each other I still like the way you work together and I know this marriage is going to last."

"Thanks, Ma."

Steve's entire face closed off like stone. "Thank you."

Danny turned to look at Steve sharply at the sound of his voice.

"Now," Lizzie said quickly. "Get back to cooking."

They both turned around and started working again and Lizzie noted the way they stood closely together.

She was right, they would last, and she felt a little better about him being so far away. She had suspected Danny had experimented at university but he hadn't said anything to her. She never really expected him to tell her he was gay…bisexual, she believed they called it now, and in a relationship with his partner. She had heard about Steve. She had heard the affection and feeling beneath what he was telling her. Grace talked about Steve. She wasn't so much surprised that he was in love with Steve as that he was willing to get into another relationship. He had been so hurt by Rachel that Lizzie wasn't sure if he would ever open himself up to the possibility again. It was a serious relationship; from the first mention of it Lizzie knew it was going to be very serious. She had been worried though. Words like stubborn and adrenaline junkie, mentions about some of Steve's habits and fears made her worried that her son might have picked badly a second time. Grace liked him though, and Steve called her to ask for her help. She had waited until they could get out there and she could meet him for herself and learn him. Lizzie looked up as she poured the batter into a hot pan and smiled at the way they were working together, she knew Danny had picked well this time.

It was about time her little worrier was happy.

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