A/N I do not own the rights to Hawaii Five-0 or any of the characters.
A/N Oops, somehow I posted the wrong draft of the last chapter. So much for setting up future chapters. No worries, I'll make it work somehow. One thing that didn't make it to the posted draft, however, was that the "tip" was a two-parter. (Real life is making me rush. I hope it's better than not posting at all.) Many of you got part of it - the tricks Scott has taught his dog Dot to do. I'm kind of surprised that nobody got the other part. The other part of the tip of the hat to Scott was the dog's name "Spot". In the movie "The Dog Problem", written by (and directed by and co-starring) our multi-talented Scott Caan, the dog's name is Spot despite not having a spot on him. It was one of the quirky, hilarious moments of the movie when the name was revealed. I loved it and laughed so hard. Maybe I just get Scott's sense of humor.
A/N This was originally posted as Chapter 6, before I decided to flesh out the story due to so many heart warming, supportive reviews. See that chapter for a longer explanation if needed. Bottom line is that it now fits into the story chronologically. I did fix it and change it a little, but not much.
Always find things to be thankful for.
H50 H50 H50
Thanksgiving came just a few days after Danny was released from the hospital. It was his turn to have Grace, and Charlie was now part of the package. With only one functioning arm and him still being in considerable pain it was difficult/impossible for him to be a proper caregiver to them. However, on Thanksgiving he would be with his ohana so he would have plenty of help. So, Steve headed over to Danny's in the morning, picked him up and then the kids from Rachel's before heading to the field where they would play their 3rd annual Thanksgiving football game.
When they arrived at the field, Grace hopped out of the truck and quickly ran over to where Lou's daughter Samantha was standing. They hugged and chatted amiably after she had greeted the others. Steve was already around the truck and had Charlie unbuckled by the time Danny eased himself out of the front passenger seat, pain and fatigue making him take it very slow. Charlie slipped his little hand into Danny's much larger hand immediately and they all headed over to the already assembled group.
The whole gang was there. Some would go back to Steve's later for dinner but some had other plans. Eric, for example, was having dinner with his new girlfriend Tiffany, who he met when he was a student in Danny's class.
Having given Grace a hug, Kono left the crowd and trotted over to the rest of the newcomers, bubbling with excitement over finally meeting Charlie and seeing Danny up and around. "Hey you!" she said to Danny as she greeted him with a quick hug which he returned happily.
"What about me?" Steve said with a fake pout. "Don't I get one?"
"You are such a child, Steven," Danny joked as Kono hugged Steve. He then looked down at Charlie. "Hey Tiger. This is Auntie Kono. She's a friend of mine."
Charlie gave her a big smile, which looked so much like Danny's smile she couldn't believe it.
Kono smiled in return. "Hi Charlie. It's so nice to finally meet you. Your Dad has told me all about you."
"You're pretty," was Charlie's reply, causing the three adults to laugh. The little boy turned to Danny and Steve. Why were they laughing? "You don't think she's pretty?"
Steve cleared his throat. He'd leave this one to Danny who handled it very smoothly in Kono's opinion. "I think she's very pretty Charlie. You have good taste." He winked at Kono and she grinned in return.
Chin came next and extended his hand to Charlie who took it and looked Chin right in the eye. "Hi Charlie," Chin said. "I'm Uncle Chin. Your Dad is a good friend of mine."
"Do you catch bad guys with Danno?"
"Yes, I do."
"Grace says Danno's the best at catching the bad guys," Charlie said proudly.
"I think Grace is right," Chin agreed, looking up at Danny with a grin as he tousled the boy's blond hair.
Too impatient to wait, the rest of the gang came over now as a group. Lou and Renee and their son Will, Abby, who had come with Chin, Kono's husband Adam, Kamekona, Flippa, Max, Jerry, Duke, Pua, and several other HPD officers. Eric knew Charlie, they were cousins after all, but he brought Tiffany over and hung at the back of the crowd. The last time she had seen Danny he was Professor Jeffries and teaching criminal procedure, and he was not sporting a sling, stitches and a hole in his back.
Danny began to introduce Charlie to everybody and the little boy smiled sweetly, his small hand tucked into his father's larger one. They were all so excited to finally meet Danny's little boy.
However, Charlie quickly became overwhelmed with all the attention and turned his face into Danny's leg. "Danno!" he pleaded. Clinging tightly to Danny's hand, he tugged on it, begging to be picked up. With his right arm useless, and sporting numerous stitches in his chest and an open wound in his back, still relying on painkillers to get him through a day, there was no way Danny could pick him up.
"Sorry Tiger," Danny told him regretfully. "The doctors said I'm not allowed to pick you up."
But Charlie had a plan B and releasing Danny's hand he turned quickly to Danny's best friend. "Uncle Steve!" he now pleaded.
Steve was surprised but pleased. Charlie was so much like his Dad – talkative, funny and constantly moving, yet also subject to anxious moments it seemed. He scooped the little boy up in his arms like an old pro. In Steve's heart, Charlie and Grace were his nephew and niece, as dear to him as if they were his by blood, as dear to him as their father was.
"I got ya Tiger," Steve assured him as Danny smiled his approval and thanks. "These are all friends of Danno's."
"Danno has lots of friends," Charlie told Steve in awe. "I have a friend. His name is Wokoli. We play together."
"Well, this is Lou and his wife Renee…" Steve proceeded to tell Charlie the names of everybody there. The boy wouldn't remember but somehow it seemed to calm him to hear the names. From the safety of Steve's arms, the boy felt comfortable to speak to them, displaying his wit and way with words more than once.
As Steve and Charlie spoke to the ohana, Eric led his date around the group to Danny. "Tiffany, I'd like to introduce you to my Uncle Danny." He had told Tiffany everything after the attack. She had been surprised, of course, and very concerned about Danny's health. Eric was thrilled that she then agreed to go out with him.
"It's nice to officially meet you," Danny said, extending his left hand in greeting.
"Wow!" Tiffany exclaimed. "How are you feeling? Are you alright?" She had been shocked when Eric told her about the attack on Professor Jeffries and even more shocked that he had been undercover and was Eric's uncle.
"I'm doing okay, thanks to Eric," Danny replied. It was true that Eric had quite possibly saved his life and Danny was happy to make sure this beautiful young woman knew that. Eric looked truly happy since he met her and that made Danny happy. "He saved my life." He exchanged a brief look with Eric. They weren't big on goofy sentimental stuff but a man had to give credit where credit was due.
Tiffany looked at Eric and beamed. She really liked him and was just so proud of him right now. Eric blushed, but was saved from having to say something when he heard his name being shouted.
"And over there next to Danno is…"
"Eric." Charlie shouted out as if he was giving an answer.
"Hey buddy," Eric replied. "This is my friend Tiffany."
Charlie waved and Steve spoke to the young CSU tech. "Hey Eric, how'd you get here? Drive your uncle's car? Don't you love driving around in that cool black Camaro?" He was busting on Eric and Danny both.
"Everybody drives my car but me," Danny lamented to Tiffany. "Even before this." He pointed to the sling by way of explanation.
"It's a very nice car. Eric told me it was yours," she assured him, not wanting him to think that Eric had tried to deceive her. "We were all so shocked to hear what happened to you and equally as shocked to hear that you weren't really a professor. Everybody thought you gave an amazing lecture."
"Don't let it go to your head Danny. She's just trying to be nice," Steve said.
Danny thanked her anyway and then the conversation turned to picking teams for the football game. Lou's arthritic knees prevented him from playing so he said that he'd sit this one out. Renee wasn't particularly interested in playing either and she begged off as well.
The three watched as the game got under way, Charlie doing his best to help Uncle Steve throw and tackle. Soon, the little tyke tired of the game and came over to them and pointed to the playground on the other side of the large field. "Danno, Danno, will you take me to the playground? Please?" He loved going to the playground with Danno.
Danny looked towards the playground. To his exhausted body it looked so very far away, but it wasn't in him to deny his children something like this. He'd just grit it out.
Renee had other ideas. "I love the playground, Charlie. Would you like to go with me?"
Charlie looked at her, then at the playground, then at Danny. He didn't want to disappoint him. Danno liked the playground too.
"It's okay Tiger. You want to go with Mrs. Grover?"
"Yeah. Yeah!"
"You sure?" Danny asked Renee, gratitude evident in his expressive eyes.
"As long as I'm allowed to be Aunt Renee instead of Mrs. Grover," she said with a smile.
"Of course. Thank you."
"There are a couple chairs in the truck," Renee told Lou, giving him a goodbye kiss. "Your knees will thank me," she added as Charlie tugged on her hand.
They took a few steps before Charlie let go of her hand and came running back. He gave Danny a quick hug around the legs. "I love you Danno."
"I love you more," Danny replied as his son hurried off again. He then turned to his teammate next to him. "She's a good woman, Lou," Danny said of his wife.
"That she is," he agreed. "But she'll have my head if I don't get you in a chair so if you'll excuse me for a moment."
"Hey! The chairs are for your arthritic knees, old man," Danny shouted after him with a laugh.
Lou brought the chairs back and opened them both. "You look pretty pale even for a white guy," he told Danny, payback for the old man comment. "Put your butt in the chair before you keel over and make a fool of yourself in front of Eric's pretty new girlfriend. All those college girls fawning all over you, sending you gifts like you're some TV star. Shameful, that's what it is." He chuckled, remembering all the gifts, flowers and balloons that had filled Danny's hospital room.
Grinning at the teasing Danny sank into the chair gratefully, left hand unconsciously reaching up and massaging his aching right shoulder, pain lines furrowing across his forehead. Truth was, he wasn't sure how much longer he could have stayed upright. They turned their attention to the field and Danny noticed Steve shoot a worried look his way.
"He worries more than my own mother," Danny told Lou.
"Doesn't want to have to break in a new partner," Lou retorted.
"Yeah, I'm sure he really misses me," Danny said with a sarcastic laugh. There were plenty more "partners" around at 5-0.
More than you think Lou thought before saying, "Nah, he just misses your Camaro."
They watched the game for a while, making comments here and there about the game, which was pretty evenly matched this year. "Man, I wish I was playing," Danny finally confessed.
"You got good hands out there," Lou said, a compliment to Danny's skills as a receiver that both Steve and Chin loved to have on their team. "You'll be out there next year."
"From your mouth to God's ears." They watched the game in silence for a while before Danny stood up. "I can't just sit here." But the movement was followed by a pained groan and a stilling of movement while he clutched his shoulder and breathed through the pain in his back.
"Seems to me you're better off sitting," Lou observed.
"I can't sit still, Lou." He had confided to Lou about his anxieties when he was helping Lou deal with Samantha, so the man knew where he was coming from. "All this stuff just starts filling my head. Going round and round, driving me crazy."
"You never like being still, do you?" It was more a statement than a question. He recalled Danny's compliant about teachers. He was lying in a pool of his own blood with that knife shoved all the way through his body and he was talking about how teachers were scary because they wanted you to 'sit still and listen'.
"No, not really," Danny laughed, easing himself back into the chair. Standing was too much of a strain. He turned his attention back to the game he wished he were playing. "Need to be doing something - anything."
"Hey, I have a small table and chess board in the truck. You want to play?" Danny always kicked his butt at chess, but he knew Danny loved the game and needed the distraction.
Now that was a game he could play in his current condition. "Yeah, sure," Danny said. "Thanks Lou."
"Anytime Jersey."
When the football game was over and Danny had won several chess matches, Eric and Tiffany said their goodbyes and headed for her home for dinner with her family. Duke headed home to have dinner with his family, as did the other HPD officers, except for Pua. He still held out hope that Kono would introduce him to somebody very much like her. The rest of them headed home for a shower and to prepare or pick up food for the gathering at Steve's. Danny and his kids went directly to Steve's house.
Charlie fell asleep in the truck and when they arrived at the house Steve carefully carried him upstairs to the big bed in Steve's old bedroom.
Danny was exhausted and in pain. He grabbed his duffel bag that held his medicine and a change of clothes for himself and Charlie, just barely managed to drag himself out of the truck and almost, almost asked Grace to help him up the path and into the house. He wouldn't do that though, wouldn't worry his Monkey like that. So he sucked it up and made it to the house by himself.
Grace watched her father struggle out of the truck. He didn't look good. He looked tired and hurting. For a second she thought he was going to pass out in Steve's driveway, but he somehow managed to push the pain and fatigue aside and make it to the house. It didn't surprise Grace. Nothing could ever beat her father, her hero.
"Hey Monkey. You want to change your clothes now or later?" She was wearing sneakers, comfortable sport shorts and a royal blue Seton Hall University baseball shirt that her dad had brought back from his last trip to New Jersey. She wanted to wear something nicer when everyone came for dinner so she brought a change of clothes.
"Later," was the quick teenager reply.
Danny now headed to the kitchen to get a glass of water to take his pain pill. The pain in his back was excruciating and the front of his shoulder didn't feel much better. He was so tired of the pain.
Placing the bag on a chair he struggled a bit with the zipper before finally getting it to open. Digging around inside he found his pill bottle and set to opening it with his left hand. Succeeding at that he poured a few pills out on the table and then put all but one back in the bottle and closed it again. He looked across the kitchen at the cabinet and the sink. Too far. He popped the pill in his mouth and dry swallowed it instead. Tucking the pill bottle back under his clothes in the bottom of the bag, he picked the bag up and headed out of the kitchen.
Steve was just coming down the stairs when he saw Danny coming out of the kitchen, looking very much like something the cat dragged in. "Come on buddy. Let's get you upstairs. There's room next to Charlie."
Danny started to object. "I have food to prepare." Everybody was bringing something and he was supposed to supply his famous sweet potato casserole, complete with marshmallows on top. Normally, he'd do more than that. He'd become pretty handy in the kitchen since his divorce. But this year he just couldn't handle more. As it was they were using canned sweet potatoes instead of fresh, reducing the workload dramatically.
"It can wait," Grace assured him. "I'll help you with it when you wake up."
Danny started to object again, just out of sheer stubbornness, but he was so tired and his back and shoulder hurt so much that he gave up. "Alright." He looked at his daughter and his best friend. "You sure you don't mind?"
Steve put his arm around Grace's shoulders and smiled. "Of course not. We'll just get a few things done and then hang on the lanai, right Gracie?"
Grace grinned. "Right Uncle Steve!"
Danny smiled as well. He loved how close Grace and Steve had become. "Why do I have the feeling I'm going to regret this?" he joked.
Steve hovered behind Danny as he made his way up the stairs. It was slow going and Steve was tempted more than once to wrap his arm around Danny's waist and help him but he knew that wouldn't go over well. As it was, Danny had a comment to make. "You're doing a very nice impression of a helicopter Steven. You know I've been walking up stairs by myself since I was two."
"Yeah, and it probably took you this long the first time," Steve shot back as Danny managed to drag himself up another step.
Finally making it to the top, Danny was completely drained. He leaned against the wall, tempted to just slide to the floor and sleep there. "Almost there, buddy. How ya feeling?" Steve asked.
"How's it look like I'm feeling?" Danny grumbled. Sometimes Steve asked the dumbest questions.
"Like it hurts like hell."
It was true, but Danny didn't answer. Working in silence so as not to awaken Charlie who was asleep in the bed just inside the doorway, Steve helped Danny remove his arm from the sling. With the added straps to immobilize his shoulder by securing his arm to his chest, it was impossible to put on and difficult to remove by himself.
That done, Danny moved into the bedroom and began to work the buttons on his shirt with his left hand. He couldn't pull a shirt over his head so he was wearing dress shirts with nothing underneath it all the time now. Often he left it unbuttoned when he was at home. As Danny struggled with getting even one button undone, Steve entered the room and reached over to help. Danny slapped weakly at his hand but then let Steve unbutton the shirt. Too worn out to object Danny also allowed Steve to assist him in taking his shirt off. Toeing off his shoes, Danny eased himself down onto the bed next to Charlie, stifling a groan. Steve applied the pain reducing gel and then Danny was sound asleep before Steve left the room.
Danny awoke to the sound of familiar voices drifting up from downstairs. He smiled when he heard Charlie's voice, the words indistinct, and then a ripple of laughter from several adults. His son apparently had awakened and felt comfortable enough to go down without him. Seemed like his son was settling in with the group just as Grace had done and that truly pleased him. He looked at the clock; he had slept much longer than he had expected.
Danny knew he had to get up and go downstairs, but he also knew that moving would cause him pain. Right now it was a fairly dull pain, rest and pain medicine having done their job, but he knew from experience that as soon as he began to move or even take a deep breath, the pain would flare anew.
Refusing to give in, Danny ran a list of things to be thankful for through his mind then, gritting his teeth, he set about getting himself out of the bed and getting his clean shirt on.
Shirt unbuttoned and hair slightly ruffled, Danny looked rather adorable coming slowly down the stairs, his sling held in his left hand as his right hand hung limply at his side.
"Well, if it isn't sleeping beauty himself," Chin joked when he spotted him on the stairs.
"Silly Uncle Chin," Charlie laughed from his spot snuggled in Kono's lap. "Sleeping Beauty is a girl." He had warmed up to the ohana quickly.
"Looks more like one of the Seven Dwarfs to me, Keiki" Kamekona tossed out.
"They were with Snow White," Grace informed him, joining the fun.
"Well Grace. He definitely looks like Sleepy to me," Max said.
"Or maybe Grumpy," Jerry offered.
"Well, he certainly doesn't look happy," Kono said after Danny shook his head and gave a fake growl as he moved off the last step and onto the floor.
"If you ask me, he looks like Do…"
"Nobody asked you, Steven!" Danny shouted jokingly with a quick turn in his partner's direction. He quickly regretted the shout and the move as a flare of pain shot through him. He tried to cover it up but he stiffened a bit, paled slightly and let out a small gasp.
He was promptly ushered to the recliner where he was immediately set upon by his adoring kids. "Hey Monkey. Hey Tiger." He was all smiles now. Oh how he loved these kids!
Charlie climbed into his lap. With his dad's shirt unbuttoned he eyed the stitches. "Does your boo-boo still hurt, Danno? I still have to be careful?"
"Yeah Tiger. Still do."
"It looks like a caterpillar," Charlie said, which elicited soft chuckles from the adults nearby who heard him. The stitched up wound really did look a bit like a caterpillar.
Charlie then set about buttoning Danny's shirt. Intent on his work, the tip of the little boy's tongue stuck out of his mouth, reminiscent of his father's own habit.
Grace came over with a large warm compress in hand and settled on the arm of the chair next to her dad's injured side and placed the compress on his shoulder and up against his neck. It helped with the tightness and muscle spasms. Danny hissed slightly but then settled in as the heat began to work. "Did you sleep well, Danno?" Grace asked.
"Sure did Monkey. Now we have to prepare those sweet potatoes."
"You don't have to do anything," she informed him. "I made the executive decision to let you sleep and make the sweet potato dish myself, after a quick call to Grandma Williams for the recipe," she added a bit sheepishly.
"Grandma knew how to make them?" Danny asked, incredulous. His mother was not a very good cook. Ketchup on spaghetti – it still made him cringe. She had, however, managed to learn how to make excellent lasagna just like her mom made it but that was about it.
"Well, not really so I kind of made it from memory. I've helped you make it many times. I hope I did it right."
"I'm sure it'll be great, Gracie," Kono interjected with a murmur of agreement from the others.
"How's your grandma, Grace?" Lou asked. He had come to know her pretty well after taking her on a ride-along during her visit.
"Worried about my dad," she answered with a frown. "Pops is, too." She turned to Danny now. "They want you to call them before midnight."
When dinner was ready and Steve had helped Danny into his sling, everyone gathered together to give thanks. Danny's joking comment that he was thankful for people willing to cut his food for him belied the seriousness of the message behind it – his thankfulness for this amazing ohana, each one of whom continued to be so supportive.
Joys were much sweeter and pain was more bearable when you were surrounded by people who cared about you and loved you. Everyone should have a circle of friends like this, Danny thought. What a much better world it would be if everybody did.
A/N There you have it dear readers, 32 chapters written solely because of your awesome reviews. No worries, my muse is still working at warp speed so there are more chapters to come.