Guardian
A/N: Quick note here regarding timing of upcoming updates – I will be traveling 11/19-11/20. Depending on what time I make it home and how exhausted I am the next chapter may not post until 11/21. I will also be traveling from 11/23-11/30 and there will be no updates during that window I will have my notebook with me and try to get lots of writing done while I'm away from my computer so I can post quickly upon my return. I apologize for the delays, but hope all of you in the US enjoy your Thanksgiving holiday.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters and make no money doing this. I'm just having fun playing with them.
Chapter 29
Manning the grill, Steve had one arm wrapped loosely around Danny's shoulder. Everyone else had stayed inside to watch the game, giving the two a quiet chance to enjoy each other's company.
Hearing a car pull up, he reached down and gave Danny a kiss. It was about fifteen minutes before dinner would be ready and he guessed the sound marked Dianne's arrival. "Remember, we've got your back." He whispered into his partner's ear before releasing him.
"Thanks babe. I'm going to go greet our guest." The detective gave the Seal's backside a swift swat before heading toward the driveway.
Grinning after his lover, Steve sincerely hoped the evening went well. It would certainly make their conversation tonight easier if Danny wasn't overly stressed already.
Danny spotted Dianne coming toward him as her car pulled away. "Welcome back." He smiled reminding himself that she was here as friend not foe.
"Thank you, Daniel. I appreciate the chance." When he started to turn and head back toward the house, she reached a delicate hand out and grasped his arm. "Daniel, may I speak with you alone for a moment before we join the others?"
Turning to face her, he nodded, concern etched on his face. "Of course."
She took a deep breath before speaking. "I wanted to apologize. I spent most of the afternoon thinking about our conversation earlier and about the last several years. I know I was always very clear in my disapproval of you and the fact that I blamed you for my estrangement from Rachel. I just wanted you to know that I know it wasn't really your fault. It was just so much easier to blame you than to admit that Rachel and I were never going to be close."
Her voice quavered. The admission had not come easily for her, but she knew it needed to be said if they were going to make this new alliance work.
"I appreciate that. I really do. I can't imagine it was easy for you, being pushed away from your daughter and Grace. I'm sure it's going to take a while for us to really be comfortable with each other, but for my daughter's sake and your own I hope we can make it work." He covered her hand with his own where it still rested on his arm.
"Thank you. I don't deserve your understanding, but I'm very glad that I have it. I believe I misjudged you horribly over the last few years. I suspect the next few days are going to be very educational for me in finding out just what kind of son-in-law I missed out on having thanks to my pride."
Danny smiled warmly. "Well, why don't we go join the others? Steve was just finishing up at the grill, so we should be ready to eat soon."
Following the path, her hand now wrapped around his arm, they made their way to the lanai and Steve.
Turning from the grill, the Seal smiled at the pair. Danny had been gone longer than he'd expected, but judging by his expression, the delay had not been cause for alarm. "Welcome to our home, Mrs. Bradley."
"Please Steven, call me Dianne." She hoped she could prove herself worthy of their trust and earn her spot in Grace's life. Getting them to stop addressing her so formally would be a step in the right direction. "That smells delicious." She gestured toward the grill.
"Thank you. Actually, if Danny can go grab the platter from the kitchen, I think it's about time to eat."
"Yes, dear." The detective laughed as he led Dianne into the house. "Look who I found." He announced as he stopped in the living room. "Steve's getting ready to bring the food in, so I suggest we move this party into the dining room."
As the others rose and led Dianne to the dining room, Danny ducked into the kitchen to grab the requested item.
Less than ten minutes later, the eight of them were seated around the table ready to enjoy the meal.
"It all looks mouthwatering, especially after all that traveling." Dianne was quite impressed with the meal before her. The table was covered with salad, grilled vegetables, barbeque chicken, and steamed rice.
Mrs. Bradley looked around the table as everyone began filling their plates. She was seated between Danny and Grace on one side of the table. Steven was positioned at the head of the table with Grace to his right and Governor Denning to his left next to Beth. Chin was seated opposite Steve with Danny and Catherine on either side of him.
Not for the first time, she wondered at how this seemingly diverse group had not only come together, but become the family they were. Despite her words earlier, it was easy to see that this group was truly family not only to Grace, but to each other.
Conversation seemed to flow easily as they ate, everyone contributing and make sure she was included. She imagined many of the stories they told were for her benefit, helping her to understand the people she dined with better. She greatly appreciated the effort they were making to help her get to know them.
She found herself especially moved by the retelling of how Five-0 started. It was clearly a bittersweet memory, particularly for Steve. She saw the pain in his eyes when he spoke of his father's death, but also saw love and pride there when he spoke of the how he and Daniel ended up as partners.
She saw the bond of long-time acquaintances turned brothers as Steve and Chin explained how the task force gave him a fresh start. Though the words were never said, she could see that in some way the Seal's faith in him had helped return his self-respect and given him something to truly live for again.
The entire team contributed to the story of Kono's start with the team. Though she and Chin were family by blood, it was evident the other two saw her as a younger sister. What impressed her most about the dynamic was the evident respect the men all held for her skills.
As the story wound down, Governor Denning spoke first. "I must say, I wasn't close to the events that brought the task force together and I'm certain I wouldn't have picked any of you as my top candidates for the job." Dianne shot him a startled look at his words, causing him to grin. "That being said, I'm immensely pleased that it is the four of you that make up my task force. I have a hard time imagining anyone else doing what you have."
The four grinned back at him. They could very well imagine the impossibility of finding another team of individuals that would be anywhere near capable of replicating the events of their time together. Frankly, the prospect that such a team existed was a bit terrifying.
Sitting back in their chairs, enjoying their drinks and the conversation, there was no hurry to move from the dining room. Looking around, Dianne felt she knew Grace's family a bit better now, though one still remained a mystery.
"Catherine, I hope you don't mind me asking, but how do you fit into the picture?" The younger woman laughed openly at this question.
"Don't worry; you're not the first person to ask that question. I've actually known Steve for years. We served together and became very good friends. Whenever I was in port, I would spend my free time with him. Before long, I realized hanging with him was a package deal with the rest of Five-0 and Grace. I don't have any family here, so it was nice to have a bit of a home away from home."
She was careful not to mention the nature of her prior relationship with Steve. After she and Danny spoke, it had become a non-issue and she preferred to keep it that way.
"Of course, Cath also helps us out from time to time on cases. She's something of an unofficial Five-0 consultant." Steve laughed. Though the Governor was aware of it, her assistance was usually highly unofficial.
"Yeah, an unpaid consultant." She fussed at him playfully.
"I thought he paid you in steak?" Danny tried to act serious, but lost the battle not to laugh.
"True and it is some of the best steak around, but I might have to start increasing my fee." Catherine drummed her fingers together, giving a sardonic smile.
"You mean I have to start throwing in side dishes too? That wasn't part of the initial contract negotiation?" Steve failed at keeping his expression serious.
Witnessing the banter between friends, Grace was giggling so hard she was almost in tears. Dianne looked down at her, unable to control her own laughter. "Are they always like this?"
Unable to speak, the little girl just nodded. Before long, everyone at the table was laughing. When Beth finally managed to catch her breath, she rose to start clearing dishes.
Steve's sharp, "Sit back down!" made her jump, but she immediately complied. That particular tone of voice didn't leave room for argument.
"Sorry." He suddenly looked a bit sheepish. "What I meant was, you stay here and relax."
"And we'll clear the dishes." Danny interrupted him as he rose and started grabbing dishes. It was no surprise when Chin followed suit, but when Governor Denning rose and started grabbing plates he received several funny looks.
"What, I'm not going to be the only guy left in here." He joked, throwing a smile at the ladies. He also wasn't going to come off as the pretentious politician. He'd genuinely enjoyed the afternoon and though he knew he wouldn't often get the chance, he hoped he'd be welcome back.
With four of them working, it took only two trips to clear everything from the table. Danny and Chin started scrapping dishes off as Steve ran the dishwasher.
"Why don't you let me wash and you can dry? If I dry you may never find your dishes again." Denning joked with the Seal.
"Fair enough, sir, but really you don't have to help us clean up." He saw Denning arch an eyebrow in question. "What? Can you blame me? It's not every day my boss, the highest ranking official in the state, shows up at my house, saves us from a potential nightmare, spends the day hanging out with my ohana, and then proceeds to offer to wash my dishes."
Grabbing the dishrag from McGarrett, the governor laughed. "I'd imagine not; however, I hope the rarity of the situation doesn't prevent me from being permitted to return."
It was Steve's turn to arch a brow. "Really?"
"Yes, this has been one of the nicest days I've spent since taking office. As you are aware, with power and responsibility comes an obligation to be careful with your social life. Sometimes Governor is a rather lonely role if you strip away the people that only want to be around you for what you might be able to do for them."
The three members of Five-0 nodded their understanding. "In that case, start scrubbing. I hear there's some tiramisu hiding in the fridge for dessert."
Beth had warned them it wouldn't be ready until about nine, but looking at the clock, Steve had noticed it was nearly time. Thanks to all the stories told over dinner, the meal had taken the better part of two hours.
The men quickly fell into a steady pattern. Once the dishes were all neatly piled for washing, Danny and Chin grabbed towels to help with drying and putting away. Unlike the governor, they were well acquainted with the McGarrett kitchen layout.
By the time the dishes were done, it was after the proscribed hour so the men grabbed dessert plates, forks, and the waiting tiramisu before heading into the kitchen.
Reentering the dining room, they were happy to find Grace and the four women enjoying themselves.
"I see you found dessert." Beth laughed as Steve set it on the table, grinning sheepishly. He'd never appreciated tiramisu until she'd made it for them while he was in New Jersey with Danny and Grace. He suspected that the little girl's request for it today had more to do with him wanting it than her.
As soon as Grace ate her dessert, she disappeared upstairs for her shower. Catherine and Kono insisted they would handle the dessert dishes, knowing that once the little girl was back down to give everyone hugs and kisses it would be time for everyone to disperse for the night.
They finished just as Grace was coming back downstairs and managed to intercept her for the first goodnight hugs.
"We'll see you in the morning, okay Grace?" Kono asked as she hugged the little girl.
"Yep! Daddy has an appointment, but I'll be here with Danno and Grandma."
After saying goodnight to the governor and her Uncle Chin, Grace waved as they headed out the door.
"Call me if you need anything. Otherwise, I'll see you Tuesday." Denning called to Steve and Danny before slipping out the door.
"Oh, I should have called my car twenty minutes ago." Dianne realized that she'd been so caught up in what was going on that she hadn't thought about it.
"Why don't you call it now and then you can help me get Grace settled into bed while you wait?" Beth offered.
"Please, Grandma. Can you?" Her granddaughter smiled brightly at her.
"Of course, sweetheart. I'd love to." She looked to Danny, nervous that she was encroaching on his territory.
"I think that is a wonderful plan." The detective assured her.
"Good. Now you boys give us some hugs and scoot yourselves off to bed. Dianne and I will get Grace settled and I'll make sure she makes it safely into her car."
"Yes mom." Steve obediently leaned down to give the petite woman her hug and a kiss on the cheek. "Love you." He whispered quietly.
"Love you too, darling. Try to get a good night's sleep tonight. I think Grace and I might have a little slumber party in my bed tonight." She met his eyes to make sure he understood. He'd told her he planned to try to get Danny to talk tonight and she making sure there would be no worry about their daughter needing them in the middle of the night.
After both mothers and Grace had been adequately hugged, the two shuffled up to their room.
When the door closed behind him, Danny turned to look at Steve. "I know. I haven't forgotten."
/
Reviews are greatly appreciated.
Just a reminder that the next chapter will likely go up on 11/21 (unless I just can't stand to not stay up and get it posted after getting home the 20th).