A/N: So first, an update on the expected end of Guardian and what comes next because I've had a few reviews mention it. The next chapter will wrap up Monday night. My plan is to run Guardian through the day after the interview airs which gives us 8 more days.
For those of you in the camp that doesn't want the story to end, I have good news. There are currently 37 different things lurking in my Guardian: Ohana Forever file. Some of these are short notes on a time stamp that I want to write. Others are already the length of a normal Guardian chapter. Some will be single chapter affairs. Others will cross multiple chapters. The point being, as long as you guys are enjoying the story, I will probably be popping up with new things to add to the Guardian-verse for quite some time.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters and make no money doing this. I'm just having fun playing with them. My beta reader is awesome, but all mistakes are my own.
Chapter 73
"Daniel, you are going to cut your finger off if you don't stop trying to see what they are doing out there while you're cutting tomatoes." Beth chided her son. "You weren't this nervous last time they were manning the grill together."
"And last time I wasn't sleeping with one of them." Danny snapped before realizing what he'd just said and turning an amusing shade of red. "Can we forget I just said that, please?"
"I'm pretty sure I'm aware of the fact that you have sex. You do, after all, have a lovely daughter in the other room. Just because now it's happening with someone that I would have easily gone for in my younger days, doesn't mean I'm not aware that it's happening." Beth laughed as her son turned a darker shade of red, sputtering as he tried to find something to say.
"I can't be having this conversation. I still haven't recovered from what you said on Saturday." Danny slumped over the island, his head resting on the cool wood surface.
"Why are children always convinced their parents should be prudes? Would you rather I pretend you don't have sex or perhaps throw a fit about the idea?" Beth arched a brow at him. "It'll take some acting on my part, but I've spent enough time around you and your father that I could probably muster a good rant."
This made Danny look up at last, cracking a smile at his mother's teasing. "No. I'd rather just not have this conversation, but when it comes to loud disapproval I have a sinking feeling that should Doris ever show back up we'll get more than enough from her."
"What makes you say that?" Beth resumed chopping the vegetables that her son was neglecting.
"She's not exactly the warm fuzzy type to begin with, and from what I've seen she's pretty hard core about a lot of things. She has this vision of the perfect son that she expects Steve to be. She wasn't happy that he'd given up his active duty military career to run Five-0 because in her opinion it was less prestigious and important. I can only imagine how she'll react when she finds out he traded in Catherine for me."
"Did I hear my name?" Cath waltzed into the room. "Thought I'd come see if you two needed a hand since Grace has Chin and Kono helping her with another worksheet. Pretty sure that kid is going to be done with that entire packet of makeup work in no time."
"That's good. And yes, you heard your name, but we weren't really talking about you." Danny answered. Cath cocked her head, a silent plea for further explanation. "Just discussing the explosion I expect to occur should everyone's favorite spy decide to return to the island."
"Aahhh. I see." Cath picked up a knife and started slicing carrots. "And I can venture a guess that you assume since she wasn't overly fond of me when she wrongly assumed Steve and I were dating that she'll be even less fond of you."
"Do you think I'm wrong?" He asked.
"No. Personally I think if she never showed her face again that would be fine with all of us. She's just going to hurt him worse if she comes back now." Cath wielded the knife with more force than necessary, her frustration at the idea showing.
"And then we'll be left to pick up the pieces when she vanishes again." Danny grumbled.
"Something tells me I'm going to have a hard time keeping my mouth shut if she ever graces us with her presence." Beth could see from the other two that their concerns were very real and well-founded. Biological mother or not, she loathed the idea of Doris coming back and hurting Steve.
"Hm. Mama Bear versus Mama Spy. That should be fun to watch." Danny smiled.
"My money is on Mama Bear." Cath chuckled.
Danny made himself useful getting plates and silverware to set the table since the two women now had the salad well in hand. By the time he had all the place settings arranged, he heard the door to the lanai opening and his dad and Steve's voices carrying through the house.
"I've always wanted to try spearfishing. With my luck I'll miss all the fish, but it still sounds fun." Paul set the platter of chops down on the table.
"Well if you really want to learn from the master, Chin is actually the one to teach you." Steve replied as everyone filed into the dining room.
"What am I teaching?" Chin asked.
"Spearfishing." Paul answered.
"Don't let McGarrett fool you, he's more than capable, but I'd love to take you out sometime if you'd like." The Hawaiian smiled. "By the way, it's great to see you again."
"You too." Paul realized he had disappeared outside with Steve as soon as he'd arrived and hadn't greeted the others. "Kono, I hope you're still keeping all these boys in line."
"Doing my best with that one." She grinned at him.
"And you must be Catherine. I've heard great things about you from Beth and Grace." Paul smiled warmly at her.
"I am, and the same goes for you. We're all delighted you finally made it." Cath returned the greeting.
"Why don't we dig in before the meat gets cold? Plenty of time to chat after plates are filled." Beth interrupted.
"Yes, Mom." Came the chorus of replies from the entire Five-0 team and Catherine, making everyone giggle a bit.
"I see you have them well trained already." Paul grinned before taking his first bite of pork. "Mmmmm. I need this recipe, Steve. This is delicious."
Mouth still fool of food, McGarrett gave him a crooked grin and nodded at the request.
"I thought I might try to find some sort of cooking class to help me learn more recipes with the various fresh ingredients I can get here that I'm not used to." Beth mentioned between bites. "I've picked up a few things already from you guys, but I'd love to know more."
"If you want to learn the art of cooking in Hawaii, I have just the aunt for that." Chin grinned.
"Do you have an aunt, uncle or cousin for everything?" Beth laughed.
"Almost. Granted, some of them still aren't on the best of terms with us, but more of them seem to be coming around all the time." Chin shrugged. Sometimes he was reluctant to forgive their changing opinions, but he kept reminding himself that family mattered.
"Well, if you're on good terms with this one I'd love to meet her as long as you don't think I'll be an imposition." Beth found herself excited about the prospect.
"Her husband is your Realtor, so I'm pretty sure the introductions will be easy enough." Chin grinned.
The remainder of dinner passed with the ebb and flow of conversation. Paul found himself quickly settling in among the rest of the ohana, and couldn't argue with Beth's assessment that it was time for them to be here.
When everyone had finished up, Steve moved to started collecting dishes. Danny and Grace jumped up to help him, gesturing for the others to relax.
Steve started washing while the other two grabbed the last few things from the dining room, then they both grabbed towels to dry.
"How's your homework coming, Monkey?" Danny asked.
"Good. Daddy helped me with two of the science worksheets before we swam, and Uncle Chin and Aunt Kono helped me with a history one before dinner. They all decided Grandma was going to have to do the language arts one."
"I'm pretty sure I knew what all those things were once upon a time, but I'd need a crash course to remember the official definitions for the terms on those sheets." Steve laughed.
"I'm supposed to write a short story too. The assignment says I can pick any topic I want." The men laughed as the excited look in her eyes when she said that.
"Sounds like you are going to have fun with that one." Danny laughed as he put a stack of plates back in the cabinet.
"I might." Grace giggled.
"Speaking of stories, are we ready to start the second Harry Potter book tonight?" Steve asked.
"Yep." The little girl bounced across the room to put up a handful of forks.
"Did I hear something about the second Harry Potter book?" Kono hollered from the dining room.
"We're starting it tonight." Grace stood in the door between the two rooms to answer. "You wanna read it with us?"
"Can I?" Kono asked. "I loved that one."
Drying his hands, Steve walked over to where his daughter stood. "Well if everyone wants to join why don't we read down here tonight?"
"I'll go take my shower so we can get started." Grace was out of the room before anyone could argue.
"Guess it's a good thing I'm up on my Potter books." Paul laughed.
"Wait, you've read Harry Potter?" Danny asked his father.
"Yes. You haven't?" Mr. Williams looked at his son like he was crazy. "I thought everyone had read them."
"Apparently we're behind." Danny leaned against Steve's chest where he was leaned against the wall.
"You must be. Even Chin has read them." Kono laughed.
"Seriously?" Danny looked at the Hawaiian man.
"Yep, brah. All the kids in the family were obsessed with them a while back, and most of the adults ended up reading them too. They're actually really good books."
"You know, there are enough of us I bet we could have some serious fun with Harry Potter at Halloween." Steve looked startled as he announced this.
"Oh, boss! You are so on to something with that! Cath you must find a way to be here for it!" She elbowed the Naval officer beside her.
"I get to be Dumbledore." Paul staked his claim.
"I'll take Professor McGonagall." Beth laughed.
"I feel like I need to find a costume shop and reserve every Harry Potter character costume they have until we figure out all the rest." Steve laughed excitedly. "Although we should probably make sure Grace thinks this is a good idea before we get too carried away. Maybe we can have a party here. Invite some of Grace's friends and ours. Everybody has to pick a unique character from the book."
"I have no doubt she's going to think this is one of your greatest ideas ever. And given her insane propensity to love your crazy ideas, that's saying something." Danny looked up at his partner and couldn't help the wide smile at how happy Steve looked. "I bet Max would make a good Harry. He's short enough to pull it off."
"Great. Now we just need to figure out someone to be Ron." Steve wrapped his arm loosely around Danny, both of them oblivious to the smiles on the faces of their entire family at the casual scene of domestic bliss they presented.
"You decide to actually do this and I can set up something online so guests can RSVP and claim their character. That way we know we really won't get duplicates." Chin offered.
"This is going to be the best Halloween ever!" Kono bounced in her seat. "I love it!"
"You love what?" Grace popped through the door, dressed for bed, wet hair hanging loose.
"Your dads are going to have a Harry Potter party for Halloween, and everybody has to dress up as a different character from the book." Kono exclaimed.
"Awesome! I want to be Hermione!" Grace bounced over to wrap her arms around her dads. "Are we really going to have a party?"
"It looks that way." Steve laughed. "Now is probably a good time to admit I have no party planning experience whatsoever."
"Never mind that, son. I'm pretty sure we can make it happen." Beth gave Kono a conspiratorial wink.
"I hope you know what you've just gotten yourself into." Danny leaned up and whispered in Steve's ear as everyone else continued chattering about the party that was still a good two months away.
"When I start freaking out about it, I'll just remember that look on her face." Steve nodded his head toward Grace where she'd joined Kono, Catherine, and Beth already in the throes of plotting the biggest party the house had ever likely witnessed. "That smile is worth it. Whatever madness it winds up being."
Danny wrapped his arms tight around the SEAL's waist. "I hope you realize just how much I love you right now."
/ GUARDIAN/
A/N: I guess this means I'll be adding a Halloween chapter to the future scenes involving the ohana. They've gone too far to stop it now. The trick will be figuring out the character assignments.
On a different topic, as referenced in my opening note, Guardian: Ohana Forever is shaping up with quite a collection of ideas. While I will not guarantee I will write everything, I do want to open up the floor for requests or ideas. Right now my notes include things that fall in a timeline between the end of Guardian and Grace leaving for college, so there is really no limit on what may come. Feel free to leave ideas in reviews or send via PM.