Guardian
A/N: Hope you all had a wonderful holiday. Sorry about the delay between chapters, travel and holiday activities made finding time to sit down and write impossible. Things should be settling back down now.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters and make no money doing this. I'm just having fun playing with them.
Chapter 38
Although breakfast was usually enjoyed in the kitchen, the addition of Dianne to the usual morning group warranted sitting in the dining room. Anything more than four and they ran out of places to sit around the island.
Having put a healthy dent in the tasty treats Mrs. Bradley brought with her, they now sat around telling her some of the stories of the many exploits McGarrett and the two younger members of the Williams clan enjoyed.
"I still remember the first time we actually got Danny out on a surfboard." Steve was laughing so hard he could barely speak.
"You mean when we couldn't actually get him to stand up?" Grace added.
"Hey, in my defense I was technically capable of standing on a surfboard in the water thanks to training with Kono, but you two made me nervous." Danny defended himself. Before the other two could argue, he laughed. "Yes, I know that was stupid, but I just knew I'd screw up with the pair of you watching."
After a moment of laughter, Dianne finally asked. "Have you managed to get over that?" She couldn't imagine Steve letting Danny get out of surfing in front of him forever.
"Yes. As much time as we spend at the beach here and other places on the island I did finally get over it. Of course, Kono forced the issue. She told these two when and where to be during one of my lessons, so they were watching without me knowing. They were so excited when I got back on land that I couldn't very well hide anymore."
Both mothers laughed. They could readily envision Kono arranging that little scene.
"Speaking of the devil," Danny looked toward the door. "I think I heard car doors." Glancing at the clock he saw that it was already close to 10 o'clock.
Steve rose from his seat, motioning the others to stay put. "I'll grab the door."
Nearing the door he could see Kono, Cath, and Chin through the window. He supposed it wasn't surprising that they'd come a bit early today knowing that he, Danny, and Dianne would all be leaving before noon.
Opening the door, he smiled widely at the trio. "Mornin'!"
"Hey boss. Hope we aren't here to early?" The Hawaiian woman stepped inside, followed by the other two.
"Not at all. Danno and I already got a workout in and Dianne brought breakfast. There's still plenty left on the table if anybody's hungry."
The newcomers all followed him back to the dining room, greeting the waiting family warmly as they grabbed seats.
"Do you kids want some coffee? I was about to make another pot anyway." Beth pushed away from the table and moved toward the kitchen.
"I certainly won't turn it down if you were making it anyway." Catherine quipped. She'd had a cup earlier in the morning, but wouldn't mind another.
"Same for me, mom." Chin answered as his cousin nodded her agreement. "Can I lend a hand?" He followed her toward the kitchen, not really leaving her room to argue.
"So, what's the plan for today? I know Daddy, Danno, and Grandma," Grace looked toward Dianne, "have to go out around lunch. Grandma Williams already made pasta salad so we can eat whenever we get hungry."
"Well, what would you like to do Grace?" Kono asked. With the funeral tomorrow she wasn't sure how much it was going to impact the little girl's mood today. She, Chin, and Cath had all agreed they'd stay flexible with whatever Grace felt like doing.
"Could we practice some?" She sounded hopeful. "I bet Grandma would like to practice too."
Dianne looked across to her granddaughter, slightly puzzled. She assumed she meant the other grandma since Grace knew she was going to the appointment, but wasn't sure what they were practicing.
Seeing the puzzled look, Cath explained. "We're teaching Grace and Beth self-defense. We've only practice a couple of times so far, but they're both quick learners."
Mrs. Bradley nodded her head, smiling at the group. "That sounds like a really neat idea. Maybe next time I come visit you can help teach me a few things."
Steve could see the older woman thinking from her seat across the table. "We'd love to teach you."
Grace smiled up at the Seal. "It was Daddy's idea for Aunt Kono and Aunt Cath to teach me. He didn't want me to have to be scared all the time." She leaned into the arm he wrapped around her shoulder from his seat next to her.
"Sounds like your Daddy is a pretty smart guy." Dianne smiled at the pair. She realized that she never would have considered teaching Grace something like that, but that it made perfect sense.
Returning with her hands full of coffee cups and Chin on her heels with more, Beth laughed. "I'd have to agree, Dianne. Though I think that statement could apply to all the kids." She sounded every bit like the proud mama.
"I do believe you are right." Mrs. Bradley quickly assented.
"So did I overhear that we'll be sneaking in some practice today?" She looked to her granddaughter and received a quick nod. "Sounds like a plan."
"I shouldn't be gone too long to pick up Mary." Steve interjected. Everyone gave him a sympathetic smile, the tone of his voice gave away his disappointment as missing the practice session.
"Don't worry Daddy, we won't start until after lunch." Grace grinned up at him. "I bet you'll be back with Aunt Mary in time to have some fun."
Leaning over he kissed the little girl on the top of her head. Noticing his partner's expression, he stuck his tongue out playfully in his direction.
"I swear, sometimes I'm not sure which one of you is actually the kid." Danny shook his head as he grinned at his daughter and partner.
After everyone finished enjoying their fill of the treats from the bakery, Grace volunteered to clear the table and wash up the dishes.
"Would you like some help, Gracie?" Steve offered, not wanting her to have to do all the work since she'd offered to do it without being told.
"It's okay Daddy. You don't need to help." She stacked all the plates and headed toward the kitchen.
Chuckling at her refusal to let the Seal help, Chin rose and started grabbing coffee cups. "Maybe she'll let her Uncle help her." Truth be told, the Hawaiian really just wanted to see how his little niece was holding up and spending a few minutes washing dishes together seemed like a prime time to find out.
Apparently Grace's refusal of assistance didn't hold up against his offer as the pair returned to the kitchen together to grab the remaining dishes before disappearing into the kitchen.
After getting the dish water ready, the pair stood next to each other quietly working for a few moments before the little girl spoke.
"Everything okay, Uncle Chin?" Though he was usually the quietest of her ohana she'd still learned to read him very well in recent years.
Chuckling quietly, he looked down at his honorary niece as he rinsed the dish in his hand. "I actually wanted to ask you that question."
He watched as she let the plate she was washing sink to the bottom of the water and stood staring at the soap suds for several long seconds.
"Gracie, it's okay if you don't really want to talk. I know you've got all kinds of people to make sure you're okay, but I just wanted to make sure you knew you could talk to me if you wanted."
The little girl finally looked up at him. In all the craziness, she'd forgotten that her Uncle Chin could understand some of how she felt since it hadn't been that long since he'd lost Aunt Malia.
"Thanks Uncle Chin." She gave him a small smile. "I miss mom a lot, but I'm not as sad as I thought I would be when everyone is here with me." She admitted quietly.
"I know the feeling. It hurt a lot when Malia died and I was very sad. I still miss her, but having our ohana here with me helped me get through it. I think it's easier to move forward when you have so many people around you loving you and reminding you of all the good things you still have."
Picking up the plate again, Grace resumed washing. "I think you might be right."
/
Driving toward the funeral home, there was no conversation in the car as Danny was unsure of what to say. He'd volunteered to come with Dianne, but wondered if he would actually be of any use.
"Daniel, before we get there, can I ask you a question?" Watching the road intently, the woman's voice actually startled him a bit.
"Of course." He tried to sound calm even as he was more than a bit nervous about what the question was.
"Did you and Rachel ever talk about what she wanted to happen if she passed?" Her voice faltered with the final words.
Instinctively, the detective reached a hand across and wrapped it around one of her slender hands, giving it a small squeeze of encouragement.
"We did." He replied. "Why?"
She was quiet for a moment before explaining. "It's just that I made all these arrangements and I'm realizing that I really have no idea what she would have wanted. I planned to have the body brought back to England with me, but now I wonder if that's really fair to Grace. She'll have no grave to visit. If I leave Rachel here I won't have a grave to visit at home, but I can always come see her when I visit."
Danny took a deep breath. "She actually wanted to be cremated." He spoke quietly, afraid of what kind of reaction that might receive. As traditional as Dianne had always seemed it didn't seem unlikely that she would balk at the idea of cremation.
"Oh." The older woman did sound a bit startled. "I never even considered that option."
The car remained silent for several moments, Dianne lost in thought and Danny unwilling to interrupt her after delivering the last startling revelation.
"I suppose I'll have to ask about changing the arrangements. I've realized I was never overly supportive of the decisions she made while she was alive and I'll be damned if I'm going to disregard her wishes for how she would be treated in death." She spoke with conviction. "Thank you."
Danny chanced a sideways glance at her, surprised by the thanks.
"Thank you for being honest with me and giving me the chance to do as she wished. I know it won't change the way our relationship ended, but maybe she'll still see that I tried."
He squeezed the hand he still held again. "I'm sure she will and I'm sure she will appreciate it."
The rest of the drive was finish in silence, though it was a much more relaxed silence than they'd started.
/
Pulling up in front of the passenger pickup area, Steve quickly spotted Mary as she waved in the direction of his truck. Coming to a stop beside her, he didn't even have a chance to get out before she tossed her bag in the back of the truck and opened the passenger door.
Climbing in, Mary gave him a big smile. "How's my favorite big brother?"
Reaching across and giving her a quick hug, he laughed. "I'm your only big brother." Throwing the truck back into drive he pulled away from the curb and started the trip toward home.
"Technically yes, but I think Chin and Danny both claim spots there as well." She laughed as she continued to watch Steve. "Seriously though, how are you holding up?"
"It's been rough, but I'm dealing with it." He threw her a nervous sideways glance. She knew he'd been seeing Dr. Thompson since it had come up when she'd pushed him to pursue therapy again based on her success with her own therapist.
"Have you seen Doc Thompson lately?" She wanted to know he really was dealing with everything.
"Yes, Mare. I saw him yesterday for a couple of hours. He thinks I'm handling things remarkably well." He smirked at her. "Still glad you were able to come home for a bit though. You were the missing piece to having the whole ohana together and right now having everyone together seems pretty nice."
"I'm glad I made it. I miss you." She reached across and squeezed his forearm where it rested.
"Miss you too." Despite the certain level of chaos that seemed to follow Mary, Steve really did love his sister a lot and missed having her around more. "Given any more thought to moving back to the island?"
"It's crossed my mind, but I'm not quite ready yet. Maybe in a few more months." She admitted.
"You let me know when you decide. You know we'll do what we can to help you get resettled."
She laughed. "Trust me, I will. Now, tell me how everybody else is holding up and what I should expect when we get to the house."
The rest of the drive was spent catching her up on more details of things with Grace and Danny, Beth and Paul's pending move, and Dianne's appearance in their lives.
Pulling up at the house, Mary looked at her big brother for a few seconds before moving to get out of the truck.
"Come on, I want to go see my niece." She opened the door to climb out.
"Check out back first. I'll stick your bag outside and meet you guys out there." He guessed they'd all be out practicing.
Grabbing her back from the back, he headed toward the house as he heard Grace's voice from the back. "Aunt Mary!"
McGarrett smiled to himself. It was definitely nice to have the whole family home.
/
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