I do NOT own anything, but the plot.
Thank you for reading and reviewing!
As always, thank you and I hope you continue to enjoy what's to come!
Sorry for the delay!
Nalo a loaʻa
-loosely translate to "lost and found"-
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
"This feels so much better," Steve sighed in total contentment.
"I don't know, I was getting used to you being in a dress."
"Gown," Steve corrected Danny with an aggressively sharp tone. "Hospital gown."
"Dress, gown… what's the difference? I'm just glad I didn't have to see your bare ass." Bracing himself on the end of the bed, Danny watched over only Steve only to laugh as the man flipped him the middle finger. "But it is good to see you back in shorts and a tee, Babe."
It had been a trauma to get Steve dressed, but the moment the heart monitor was removed, and a basic IV port was all that was left behind, Steve begged for his own clothes. Kono had dropped the bag he kept on hand at the office that morning with a promise to be back later for their planned dinner date. The moment Danny showed him the goods, the fallen SEAL had to use all of his restraint to not strip.
"One step closer to freedom, though," Danny commented, reaching for Steve's almost empty jug. "But to get out of here, we need to help that kidney, so I'll be back with more water."
"Thanks, Man," Steve said, but he meant more than just for the drink. "Like, seriously…"
"Don't sweat it, Super man," Danny replied, leaving the room.
Now he was alone, Steve decided to inspect his newest damage. Lifting his shirt, Steve looked at the clean white of the bandage over his gunshot wound and as fingers traced the tape, he still couldn't believe how far his adrenaline took him. Even after all these years, Steve was astounded at how powerful adrenaline rushes could be, but he wasn't surprised at how far he went with this when his family were so close.
"Put it away," Danny mused, setting a new jug of water down. "Plus, what were you expecting to see with a massive gauze slapped on it?"
"I don't know," Steve grumbled, shoving his shirt down. "Still can't believe he shot me."
"I still can't believe we haven't found the mole," Danny grumbled, pouring a drink out. "Duke's tearing his hair out."
Steve took it and frowned.
"I don't even remember having an issue with anyone on HPD that could do this."
"No one has a direct link to Franklin Wright, so either this was well planned out, or we're looking at the wrong people."
Danny could see the concentration on Steve's face and knew this wasn't boding well. This was the first day Steve was reasonably calm and happy, and he wanted to keep that way.
"But can you just let us focus on that, and you focus on you? Or me focus on that and you?" He asked, his tone raising to a desperate octave. "Please?
"Yeah, of course, I can," Steve relented, albeit begrudgingly.
"Well, look at you, Brah," Chin commented seeing Steve sat up in bed in his own clothes the moment he entered the room. "Looking less 'uhane' every time I see you."
"Why do you proceed to use that language around me?" Danny asked, cocking a brow. "Knowing what a lowly haole I am."
"It means ghost, Danno," Grace said coming to her dad's side and hugging him. "Hey, Uncle Steve."
"Hey, Gracie," Steve replied giving her a bright smile, watching Danny curl his arm around Grace's shoulder. "Where's your brother?"
"Here!" The little boy exclaimed as he rushed into the room, pulling Kono with him. "Hey, Uncle Steve!" He stopped short of the bed, gazing up at the injured man. "You have your old navy shirt on! Does that mean you're back in the navy, Uncle Steve?"
"Not quite, Bud," Steve told him softly. "I feel like I've waited all day for you and your sister to visit… Danno's getting a bit boring."
"Hey! You weren't complaining when I helped you out of that hospital gown," Danny exclaimed, and looked over his shoulder. "Is that dinner I smell?"
"I have a feast from Kamekona," Lou declared coming into the room. "We checked with your doctor after last time when we found out you weren't allowed outside food due to that dodgy kidney of yours."
Steve rolled his eyes, not even regretting the food they had.
"I was fine," Steve scoffed. "Now, Charlie get up here so we can eat."
Danny didn't complain, just helped Charlie onto the bed with a gentle reminder to be careful, and as Charlie nestled into his uncle's side, Danny sat in his normal seat, Grace sat perched on the end of Steve's bed, carefully guarding his injured side. The rest of the gang settled on the other side passing out food.
"I'm actually surprised you haven't been stockpiling bed sheets and dental floss to make an escape Joe would commend you for."
Danny's comment erupted everyone into a burst of laughter.
"No point, the windows don't open up this high." Steve said, casually answering his partner as he tickled Charlie's side to zone his attention on the small boy.
"Of course, he's strategized," Danny said in dismay, throwing his hands up in defeat. "He's got a bum leg and can hardly roll his eyes, but his biggest issue is the windows don't open up this high."
"Did you expect anything less from McGarrett, Brah?" Kono asked, laughing from his spot at the foot of his bed.
"You can take the man out of the navy, but you can't take the navy out of the man," Steve said, winking, only to realise that in gaining his family, he found peace over his loss of his entire career, but before he could dwell, he turned his attention to Charlie. "Anyway… How was school today, Kiddo?"
"Good!" Charlie replied. "We did a load of spelling that I don't think even Grace would know!"
"I'm sure I do," Grace replied with an eye roll. "I've got some big words you can't even say."
"Bet you don't!" Charlie exclaimed loudly.
"How about next time, we test you both, and me and Danno will chuck in a few extra words?" Steve asked and Charlie nodded his head vigorously, leaving Steve to wink at Grace, but he quickly picked up on her quieter than usual mood. "How about you, Gracie? Everything okay?"
"Yeah," she said softly, her voice more tender. "Yeah, everything's fine."
"Monkey, what's with the tone?" Danny asked, clearly having picked up on it as well.
"Erm, I, um, I dunno. I just feel bad over the whole Catherine thing." She shrugged and picked at her food. "I shouldn't have done that."
Exchanging a quick look with Danny, the two partners knew now was the time to bite the bullet.
"Gracie, about Catherine … we all need to talk," Steve started and gulped. "She came back."
Steve noticed the way the team sat up, forgetting about dinner as they all tuned in.
"Er, she, well, she…" he trailed off, swallowing around the dryness his nervousness was causing.
"Steve, you got this," Danny coerced supportively. "Tell them."
"Boss?" Kono asked from her seat across the room.
"Cath's pregnant," he blurted.
"Shit, Man." Lou didn't know what to say, so nervously rubbed the back of his head. "I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw her, but I didn't think it was my place to say anything. I know you were really happy before all of this went down."
"Is this why you were sad the other day, Uncle Steve?" Grace asked, visibly upset. "And I called her to come here."
"Do we know who the father is?" Chin asked, a tentative tone to his voice.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Steve reacted, hating to see the shock and horror on everyone. "No, no, I'm the dad. I'm going to be a dad."
The room feel silent, all eyes looking at Steve.
"Wow," Chin stated on an exhale. "This is huge, Man."
"That's the understatement of the century," Danny conceded, throwing a mouthful of food into his mouth.
"At first, Cath left," Steve admitted, sombrely. "She didn't want my input or support, so she left. She, erm, didn't trust me to bring up a kid, so she didn't even want to give me a chance."
"Before there's tears and anger, she came back," Danny interjected before the room could erupt. "All is right in the love story of Rambo and Ramboette."
"Got a new team member coming," Steve said, reaching to the table beside him to present the latest sonogram image. "He's due just before Christmas".
"A boy?" Kono gasped, allowing Grace to take the photo, but went to her side to look. "So, Catherine's about seven months pregnant?"
Steve nodded, feeling himself getting emotional, because a few days ago had Cath not come back, Steve would have been telling them a totally different story, only to mediate and stop them making Cath the enemy.
"Why are you only telling us now?"
Rubbing the back of his neck, Steve gripped at himself, unable to dispel the nauseating feeling.
"It's been and a rough few days, and I didn't want you to hate her for leaving," he admitted, and sighed. "I was hardly able to wrap my head around it and I just couldn't deal with that and telling you and having to deal with the situation being more real than ever."
"Hey, Man, I think I can safely vouch for us all and say we understand," Lou spoke up, accounting for the team having known how they were with their boss.
"I'd have been mad," Kono admitted, her lips pursing to match the frown furrowing her brows - one Steve was incredibly proud of. "Not just for keeping you from being a father, but from keeping us out of the loop."
"I don't think she knew how to approach us in the aftermath," Danny surmised, his tone calm.
"Uncle Steve?" Charlie piped up, looking up at the man beside him. "Where do babies really come from?"
"Er, Bud, that's something your Danno can tell you all about," Steve stated, dodging that conversation.
"When you're fifty," Danny added.
"At least," Lou chimed in.
A knock at the door stole their attention, calming her laughter, and as the entire room turned, Cath stood nervously in the doorway, hand cradling her belly protectively.
"Got room for two more?"