Premier

Part 3 of the marathon

ANs in part 1

The family and friends all assembled on the beach where a large screen had been set up for the premiere of Grace and Kaitlyn's interview film. Alongside the blankets spread out on the sand were several Adirondack chairs that had been carried down for Nonna, Grandma Ang, and Aunt Deb. One of the benches from the deck had been brought down as well and currently all four members of the Grandparents FunTime Express were sitting on it, heads together, plotting their next adventure.

Grace and Kaitlyn stood next to the screen and surveyed the large assembled group.

"Now that the moment's here, I'm kinda nervous," Grace admitted as everyone settled down and gave her their full attention. "This started as just a little something to pass an afternoon while I was watching Angie and it grew into," she spread her arms out and indicated the large crowd, "something way bigger."

"We had lots of fun doing this," Kaitlyn said happily. "I want to make sure to say thanks to everyone for being so awesome about answering our questions and a special thanks to Grace for letting me be her co-captain."

Grace dropped her arm across Kaitlyn's shoulders. "Best co-captain ever. I couldn't have done this without you."

Kaitlyn simultaneously blushed and beamed with pride, causing Catherine and Jenna to exchange a knowing look at how far the young teenager had come in just a few years.

Alyssa and Paul had just taken their seats on a blanket near the center of the crowd when Aaron and Mary plopped down beside them with two buckets of movie theatre style popcorn and four beers.

"Here you go," Aaron said as he handed over half their bounty.

"There's candy too. I'd have grabbed you some but I wasn't sure what you were in the mood for," Mary said as she pulled a box of Raisenettes from her pocket. She pointed to the snack table set up just off the deck. "Over there."

"They don't do anything halfway here, do they?" Paul asked.

"Definitely not." Mary chuckled as she dumped the box of candy into her popcorn.

"That's gross," Paul said as he watched his sister-in-law pluck a piece of popcorn and a now melty piece of candy from the cardboard tub and pop them into her mouth.

"Don't knock it 'til you've tried it," Mary replied in a sing-song voice. "Sweet and salty together is delicious."

"It isn't candy in popcorn that I think is gross," Paul told her with a teasing smile. "It's just that everyone knows that the best candy to put in popcorn is Milk Duds."

Aaron barked a laugh. "There are some of those up there."

"Excuse me," Paul said as he stood. "I'll be right back."

"The hardest thing for us to do was to decide what order to put the interviews in," Grace continued. "We couldn't decide who to put first."

"We were gonna put Angie first since she started the whole project," Kaitlyn said. "Then we thought maybe we should start with Nonna and Grandma Ang. We kept going back and forth."

"Then an interview came along that just seemed like the perfect way to kick things off." Grace couldn't suppress a small laugh. "So without further ado, here we go."

As Grace and Kaitlyn went to sit down Carrie's face appeared on the screen.

"YES!" she cheered from her seat beside John. "I win!"

Steve chuckled. "It wasn't a competition, Stagler."

Carrie barked a laugh. "That's rich coming from you." She tossed a piece of popcorn at him. "You're just mad because I won."

A second later Grace's voice could be heard asking the first question. "If you weren't working in your current job what would you be doing instead?"

The image of Carrie on the screen thought for just a second then said, "I'd probably be the head of some shadowy organization plotting to achieve world domination and make everyone bend to my will." She waggled her eyebrows. "So it's probably best I ended up where I am."

Kaitlyn and Grace both giggled.

"What about you, John?" Kaitlyn asked.

"Well." He shrugged. "I've been ride or die with Carrie since the first time I laid eyes on her so I guess I'd be the second in command to the leader of a shadowy organization. Either that or an accountant."

Catherine leaned over to Steve and whispered, "Carrie always did know how to get a crowd going."

"Ok, next, what's the best thing about your job?" Kaitlyn asked.

"The uniforms," Carrie said without hesitation. "I get to stay in bed an extra twenty minutes in the morning because I don't have to worry about what to wear."

"I was gonna say something about serving my country and helping people," John said, "But I gotta admit, Carrie really looks good in a uniform. So let's go with her answer."

She kissed his cheek. "Thank you."

"Next question," Kaitlyn said. "What's your favorite thing to do for fun?"

"Anything John and I do together, like watch movies or take hikes," Carrie replied. "I love to spend time with my awesome goddaughter and godson. I love being a cool aunt to all the little people in my life."

"That's very sweet," Grace said.

"And anything I can do where I get to beat McGarrett," Carrie added with a smirk.

"Not that that happens very often," Steve yelled good-naturedly at the screen.

"Who got picked to be first?" Carrie shot back with a triumphant fist pump.

"What's one thing you want your kids/godkids/family to know?" Grace asked.

"That I love them," Carrie said immediately.

"That we're always there for them. No matter what," John added.

"You can call me any hour of the day or night," Carrie said. "I show up. No questions." She lowered her voice and winked at the camera. "With a shovel if necessary."

Grace burst out laughing. "You crack me up. If you could change one thing about your life, past or present, what would it be?"

"I'm tempted to say I would have locked Steve and Catherine in a room back when we were at the academy until they admitted they were in love. That would have saved a lot of time. But I know they're both happy with exactly how their lives went soooooooo….I would have picked a house with a bigger shoe closet."

"That's funny," John cut in. "Because I was gonna say I would have picked a place that wasn't so close to so many shoe stores."

Grace's face appeared on the screen. "Thanks Carrie and John. Next up we have Uncle Chin and Auntie Leilani.

"If you weren't working in your current job what would you be doing instead?" Kaitlyn asked.

"I can't imagine," Chin said with his patented smile. "I would definitely be in some sort of law-enforcement. I come from a long line of police officers. I never wanted to be anything else. If I couldn't be on the task force, maybe I'd have to be a private detective like Humphrey Bogart in the Maltese Falcon."

The girls chuckled. "I can't see you being anything else, Uncle Chin," Kaitlyn said and Grace nodded her agreement.

"Me, either." Leilani smiled. "If I wasn't a nurse, I think perhaps I'd be a physician's assistant. I love my job but that really wasn't an option when I was going to school. I would definitely stay in medicine because helping people is my true calling."

"What's the best thing about your job?"

"Watching patients get better or helping them stay well and educating people on how to live the healthiest lifestyles they can. Since I left the position at Halawa for the job at Queen's, I enjoy still working with the underserved by volunteering at the free clinic."

Chin answered after smiling at Leilani. "Cleaning the island of the people who commit the worst crimes. We've taken human traffickers out of business, saved a lot of victims, and stopped drug and arms dealers from infecting the island with their poison. We've even stopped terrorists. It's a very good day when we get people like that off the streets."

Grace smiled knowingly and nodded her agreement. "Next question. What's your favorite thing to do for fun?"

"Spend time with family. Surf and fish and have downtime with Leilani doing anything outdoors."

"Same," Leilani said with a smile. "We both work a lot so family time is great and spending time doing anything or nothing together is a great way to recharge."

"What's one thing you want the kids/godkids in your family to know?"

"I'm very proud of you all. I'm honored to be part of your lives," Chin replied. "Dylan getting into the academy made my year. He's going to do great things. Like you all are. And I'm always here for you."

Kaitlyn beamed. "Dylan says you're such a huge part of his successes. We all love you." She hugged him and Leilani, who answered with, "I love my nieces and nephews, blood and ohana. I'm always here for advice or just a hug."

Angie, who had been watching the screen intently, jumped up and flung herself at Leilani. "I like you hugs!" she said sincerely.

Leilani hugged the little girl tightly then pulled back and booped her nose. "I like your hugs too."

Onscreen Grace asked, "What's a favorite childhood memory?"

"My mom taking me to work at the hospital with her on family days. It made me want to be a nurse just like her."

"Family parties," Chin said. "Kono making me a dream catcher in kindergarten and giving it to me for my birthday. I still have it. I took it to school every day as a lucky charm."

"Awwww," all three ladies said in unison.

"Last question. If you could change one thing about your life, past or present, what would it be?"

"I'd not change anything. I'm happy. If we change the past we alter the future. And I like the present," Leilani said.

Chin looked at a point far away for the briefest second. "I'd change one thing. Malia wouldn't have lost her life in the way she did." He didn't elaborate and when Leilani took his hand he smiled into her eyes. "I'm happy, but such a tragic loss, I'd change that."

"I'm so sorry," Grace wrapped her uncle in a hug.

"Don't be, sweetheart, life isn't always fair, but we learn to adapt and move on."

"That's what Uncle Steve always says."

His smile reached his eyes. "He's absolutely right."

Carrie leaned forward and squeezed Steve's shoulder. "You're right a lot more often than you're wrong. But if you tell anyone I said that, I'll deny it."

"Thanks, Uncle Chin and Auntie Leilani." Kaitlyn smiled from the screen. Next we have Grandma Ang."

"Are you comfortable, Grandma Ang?" Grace asked as she and Kaitlyn sat across from the woman they both viewed as a great grandmother.

"Honey, at my age you're never truly comfortable, but don't you worry about me. I'm excited to hear these questions."

"We're excited to hear the answers," Kaitlyn said, rubbing her hands together. "Okay, first question. What job did you have when you worked?"

"I worked for a marketing company that my sister Helen worked at for a time but I outlasted her," she said with a twinkle in her eye. "I started out mailing flyers and ads to homes and eventually did all the various jobs that need doing in an office. They saw I had a knack for making grumpy customers happy on the phone, so they relied on me for that," she finished with a laugh.

"I believe it!" Grace said. "What did you learn from your parents?"

"The importance of hard work. And of sharing what you have with others, especially family. Growing up we always had some relatives living with us when they were down on their luck or out of work or something like that. I actually loved it. Always being surrounded by family."

Kaitlyn smiled. "Just like now."

"That's right."

Kaitlyn looked at the next question and grinned. "I think we all know the answers to this. What are your favorite things to do for fun?"

Ang smiled. "Play bingo, of course."

"You mean, win bingo, right?" Grace teased.

"Oh get out," Ang said, waving a hand dismissively though she couldn't hide a grin. "And watching my Cubbies."

"Even when they're bums?" Kaitlyn asked.

"Even then. My parents also taught me loyalty. But my most favorite thing to do is spend time with my family."

"And we all love spending time with you," Grace said sincerely and Kaitlyn nodded her agreement. "What did you like to do as a child?"

"Oh, play baseball. I was on the diamond every chance I got when I wasn't in school or doing chores."

"You met your husband playing baseball, didn't you?"

Ang smiled. "I did. Did you know I used to be the starting shortstop for a team that traveled around playing boys' teams? Bloomer Girls, we were called."

"Did you play in bloomers?" Grace asked, eyes widening.

"We sure did."

"That is so awesome," Grace said.

"And more often than not, we beat the boys."

"Woo!" Grace and Kaitlyn both cheered, leaning forward to high-five Ang who laughed.

"Okay, what's the best thing about being a grandma and great-grandma?"

"Oh, everything is the best," Ang said without hesitation. "Watching a new generation grow and learn. Seeing the marvelous people they become." She grinned. "And molding a new generation of Cubs' fans."

Kaitlyn grinned. "You've definitely done that. If you could change one thing about your life, past or present, what would it be?"

Ang smiled sadly. "I wish I had more time with my Rocks. We lost him so early. Elizabeth and Greg were still in high school. He didn't get to see the amazing adults they became. Or meet his grandchildren and great-grandchildren in person. He would have loved them all so much."

Grace wiped a tear, noticing Kaitlyn doing the same.

Ang smiled. "He would have loved you two as well."

"Ohh," Kaitlyn said.

"I'm sure he was amazing if you chose to marry him," Grace added.

Ang reached over to pat her hand. "He was. And you're very sweet to say so."

"I think we should jump to the last question," Grace said. "Grandma Ang, what makes you happy?"

Ang smiled. "My family, a good game of bingo, and flying the W. What more can you ask for?"

# End thanks for reading

Stay tuned for more interviews tomorrow in part 4 of the marathon

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