I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.

Notes: I love all the kind reviews! I'm a bit behind in replying to each, but I will catch up.

H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O

Rachel firmly schooled her features as she came back in from the lanai, making sure she looked personally put out and someone not to be further antagonized. It was difficult though. Inside, she was laughing. She'd taken the most interesting of phone calls from a very unlikely source and was determined - no, delighted - to take part in a ploy that would at first seem almost cruel, but in the end actually be quite the happy surprise.

"Grace, Dad?" She began, making her white-lie of a story up on the fly as she called out to her daughter and father. "Mrs. Morrissey just rang me. She lives around the corner and she needs some help; I hope you two won't mind, but I need you to run an errand right away."

"Mrs. who Morrissey?" Her father asked as he came into the kitchen with Grace on his heels, her expression looking far less enthused than that of her grandfather. "What's this? What kind of help does she need?" He'd been helping Charlie put together a new toy he'd gotten from Santa and seemed eager for the diversion. Grace most certainly was not as she narrowed her eyes, already suspicious of the request.

"Why?" Grace asked cautiously.

"Neighbor, Dad ... elderly ... she's got family visiting for the first time in a few years and forgot a few things from the grocery store," Rachel explained, fingers crossed firmly behind her back. "Most stores are closed, but maybe the convenience mart is open ... the bigger one near Ewa. Grace, get changed ... you can't go out half-dressed in pajamas."

"Ewa? But Dad is going to be here any minute," Grace interrupted. "Dad's probably on his way already ... and ..." Her eyes were huge and Rachel had to bite her own tongue to keep from smiling at her daughter's growing sense of outrage. "Ewa? That's not so close at all."

"Grace ...," Rachel raised an eyebrow as she tried to warn her daughter to behave despite the ruse, daring Grace to continue the argument even though Rachel was practically laying the foundation for it brick by angry brick. A dangerous thing since Grace already mistrusted her mother when it came to her father. Like clockwork, Grace folded her arms and squared off her shoulders.

"Dad is always on time ... and it's Christmas."

"I know Grace, but it can't be helped," Rachel continued on, trying not to prattle too much. "It's an emergency ..."

"Really? Just like the Navy had for Uncle Steve? That kind of emergency?" Grace spat back quickly. She'd been very upset about her Uncle Steve's orders too and had hid her emotions well enough. Her anger and frustration had been simmering though; terrible ingredients shoved into a slow pressure cooker and Rachel could feel the change in the air. Grace wasn't going to hold back anymore and she was quickly building up to a point of no return. Heaving a sigh and digging in bravely, Rachel began to prepare for the worst.

"That's not a fair comparison," Rachel replied, refusing to really get into an argument because after getting her father on board, she'd soon need her daughter's help. She just couldn't let too much of this particularly hairy cat out of its tiny bag, too prematurely. There were too many little ears in the vicinity and Rachel needed to pick the right time. She needed some of this to look very genuine and Grace's reaction was certainly pure enough.

"A run to a local store isn't nearly the same thing as what your Uncle Steve had to do for the Navy; so there's no reason at all to blow this out of proportion. You'll be back on time for your father."

"Uncle Steve is home?" Another voice piped up and Rachel made a face as Charlie wandered into the room, parts of his new toy in each hand. He was the very reason Rachel was being exceedingly cautious. His face was alight with excitement at what he thought he'd heard and Rachel nearly caved in entirely.

"No!" Grace interrupted though, her voice loud as if accusing Rachel of the Navy's awful gaffe. "He's not." She glanced towards her little brother then and softened her voice almost apologetically. "No, Charlie, he's not. Uncle Steve isn't home yet."

"Oh. Where's Danno?" Charlie asked quietly. His face fell, smile gone altogether as he seemed to think hard about some more things. "Mom?" Charlie pursed his lips, looking very much like his father as he raised the parts of his new toy up into the air so they all could see his predicament. "Is Danno here yet? I bet he can put this together!"

"No, no ... he, umm; your father ...," Rachel was stumbling badly as the light slowly trickled out of her son's eyes. "... Danno is going to be here. Soon. He'll be on time, Charlie. And ... and when he gets here, I'm sure he can help put your new toy together, too. It's just that I need your sister to run a quick errand for me."

"He's on his way," Grace said. "He is ... and we all need to be here. I can't go to the stupid store! Dad's going to have a meltdown!"

Sweat began to speckle Rachel's forehead and she dabbed at it helplessly for a moment with the back of her hand. Grace was right. Danny was going to have a meltdown when he arrived and discovered Grace out and about with her grandfather. But this was all about planning and plotting a surprise for the greater good and well, Rachel would have to tackle her ex-husband's fury when it happened. Right now, she had to get Grace out of the house and to a certain place ... so Rachel wasn't going to give in.

No. This would work she vowed silently to herself, pocketing her patience because this was going to work out in the end no matter the indignant looks of her two children. Inhaling deeply, Rachel folded her arms firmly across her chest and stared firmly back into Grace's face.

"You and your grandfather are going to run an errand; you're going to run to the store over at Ewa. If you'd just stop arguing with me and get dressed, you can leave and be back before your father gets here, and if you're not? Well, then I guess we'll cross that bridge when we get to it." Though her tone was her best no-nonsense one, Rachel's fingers were white from the strain of keeping them crossed and she was fighting herself to remain calm as Charlie looked at her and then over to Grace. His face was no less crestfallen than before.

"You gotta be here for Danno," Charlie announced solemnly to his sister. "It's 'portant for Chrissmas."

"I know it is," Grace said pointedly. "Mom, this isn't fair! Why can't grandpa go alone or ... or, find some other neighbor to get whatever Mrs. Morrissey needs?"

"Grace, your grandfather isn't familiar with the roads or where Mrs. Morrissey even lives. Besides, you know your father would want you to help an old woman in need." Rachel suddenly went in hard, lobbing a guilt-line at her daughter by invoking her father's approval. And it worked - at least for that second - as Grace's mouth slammed closed. It put a halt to the argument. Well, close enough if Rachel ignored the stubborn tilt of her daughter's chin. For now, it was enough and Rachel pointed to the door.

"Hurry up. Get changed; you can't go out like that. Besides, you know you're father wouldn't mind you helping out old Mrs. Morrissey ... and you know it. Especially at Christmas!"

"I don't see the problem, Grace," Rachel's father interrupted as he took Rachel's car keys. "Let's go now so we can come back ... arguing like this is just wasting time."

"She's really in a bind," Rachel added quickly. "She just needs a few things from the grocery store before her son gets in with his family; and while you're out, I do need a few things for dinner tonight. You'll be done in no time."

"Mom!" Grace said, aghast at the growing list of errands. "Mrs. Morrissey ... and you? I have to be here for dad!" She rounded on her mother, getting between her and her grandfather, aiming for reason. "Dad is going to be here any minute ... why can't you just do it?"

"Because ... because your grandmother has a migraine and is sleeping upstairs," Rachel fumbled badly for excuses. At least this was true enough about her mother but the next bit almost proved she was grasping at straws. "And I have food in the oven and your brother to watch! Charlie ... he's still in his pajamas and might need a bath or at least a change of clothes! I have to get his things together before your father gets here ... and there just isn't enough time for me to do it all. Grace, I need you to help right now!"

She got it all out with a calm she didn't feel; her heart was thudding a hole the size of a fist inside of her chest as her best argument began to weaken. At a loss when Grace kept staring at her in disbelief, Rachel grabbed her father's elbow, starting to pilot him away so she could fill him in on certain aspects of the plot because she needed him, too, until she realized Charlie was still standing there in the kitchen, looking sad and lost.

"Both of you! Please! Charlie go to your room; pick out some clean clothes to wear. Grace, please ... move! You'll be back before your father even gets here, and even if you run a little late, he won't mind. Go put something on your feet ... Dad, come with me ... I'll explain what Mrs. Morrissey needs and what I need ... while Grace gets ready."

"Seriously!? Do you really think that Dad's not going to mind?!" Grace was almost shrieking by now in a high-pitched voice, full of what would be a justifiable outrage in another situation. To make matters worse though, Grace resorted to holding her arms out wide. A Danny-like gesture which Rachel did her best to ignore as she tugged her father out of the room for a fast, private conversation about a certain convenience store in Ewa. Painful as it was, things were going as planned and Rachel felt a tiny surge of victory.

Still, she couldn't help wincing when Grace threatened her with what she'd have to deal with next, the words tossed like grenades into the air as her daughter stormed away to quickly change her clothes.

"Not mind? When Danno gets here, he's going to blow a gasket ... and it's all your fault!"

~ to be continued ~