Disclaimer: Ideas are fictional; not making any money on this. Hawaii 5-0 belongs to CBS. That's okay because none of this would work on TV.

Family Court, Chapter 2

May, 2021

Steve and Danny had a game plan for tonight's dinner with Jesse's aunt and her fiancé. They knew that the key was convincing the fiancé that a) good old Aunt Liz did not have Jesse's best interest at heart, and b) Jesse needed to stay with his family. His family was more than Steve, Danny, Grace, and Jack. His family included his aunts, uncles, brothers, and cousins who were present that evening. Finn told them that Cliff Russell was very close to his family and that he would understand the ties that bound everyone there for Jesse.

The extended family met at Kono and Finn's house the previous Friday night to strategize various aspects of 'Operation Jesse', as Steve called it. It was held in Finn's office around his big conference table. He had his laptop open and was adding points to a spreadsheet. When they agreed which was the best option, he added a bullet to a PowerPoint file. Steve thought that Finn was maybe even more anal retentive about planning but he had to admit that it worked. He also thought he saw why Kono loved Finn so much. The man was fiercely protective about those he loved.

The first decision was the dress code. They went with casual because that was how they dressed most of the time. It was polo shirts, board shorts, and slippers all around. They spent a lot of time discussing the menu. Although a lot of their gatherings were cookouts, Finn thought it would be better if everyone could sit down together. He also thought it would be better if Steve or Danny didn't have to spend so much time at the grill.

By popular demand, the entrée would be lasagna. It was a family favorite and could be prepared earlier in the day. The rest of the dinner was a no-brainer. They would have an antipasto tray, salad, and garlic bread. Dessert was debated for a while. It was a tossup between cocoa puffs or one of Danny's family recipes. They finally agreed on cobbler and Hawaiian wedding cake with a choice of vanilla or blackberry cobbler ice cream.

The invitation was for 5 p.m.; there would be time for wine or beer with some veggies, cheese, and fruit to munch on. They would stage everything in the kitchen but socialize and eat outdoors. Although the food was Italian, the ambiance was pure island. Steve and Danny knew that they could count on their friends to help shuttle food and dishes between the kitchen and back yard.

What they didn't count on was Aunt Liz showing up with a couple of drinks under her belt. She was already pissed off because that bitch at CPS called her out on her lies. Cliff Russell hadn't said much during that meeting but he was definitely paying attention. When Liz made a trip to the ladies room during lunch, he called his assistant back in Minnesota to get Sean Singer's contact information.

While Liz spent time in the spa getting a massage and manicure, Cliff had an interesting conversation with Sean Singer. He heard the recorded conversation between the detective and Liz; it was exactly as the woman at CPS described. Cliff was already prepared to force Liz to drop her petition but he wanted to make sure that young Jesse was happy with his new family. If not, then Cliff would need to decide what came next.

Cliff was on the phone again with his office going over details of the business day when Liz returned to their suite. She quickly showered and dressed for their dinner in what she considered to be casual clothes. Her slacks and dressy blouse were a little too fancy for the evening but she didn't know that until it was too late. Liz cooled her heels in the bar for an hour until Cliff came down dressed in a polo shirt, khaki pants, and sandals. There was an empty glass on the table and Liz was halfway through her second margarita. Cliff refused the offer of a drink while Liz finished hers. He wanted a clear head for tonight.

Steve detected the alcohol on Liz's breath when he answered the door. "Liz, Cliff, I'm Steve McGarrett-Williams. Thank you for coming this evening. Danny is in the kitchen and the rest of the family is out back. Please follow me."

Steve led them back to the kitchen where Danny was putting the finishing touches on the appetizer trays. Rachel was pouring wine for the women. Danny quickly dried his hands and extended his hand in greeting. "Hi, I'm Danny. It's great to meet you. This is Rachel Edwards, my ex-wife. We have a daughter Grace who's in England for her sophomore year of college. The rest of us are all here. What can we get you to drink?"

Liz settled for a glass of wine and Cliff accepted a beer from the fridge. Cliff wasn't sure what he expected but Steve and Danny McGarrett-Williams were a surprise. He pegged Steve as the alpha male and Danny as the nurturer of the couple but he saw the easy affection between them. He was surprised that the couple was so friendly to them; he thought that it would be a very tense evening. Instead it looked like there was a party going on in the back yard.

Cliff knew that Stan Edwards and Finn McIntyre lived on the island and had some ties to Steve and Danny. He didn't expected to see Danny's ex-wife's second husband and one of the richest men in America dressed in board shorts and flip-flops in the backyard. It looked like the evening was going to be very interesting indeed.

Steve led their guests outside and called for everyone's attention. "Guys, this is Jesse's aunt, Liz Erlich, and her fiancé, Cliff Russell." Before Steve could identify everyone, Liz ran to the group of kids.

"Oh Jesse, you've grown up to be such a handsome young man. Give your Aunt Liz a hug." Then she stooped over to hug Jack.

Steve walked over and tried his best not to smirk. "Um, that's our son Jack. This is Jesse." Steve put his hand on Jesse's shoulder.

Liz was embarrassed and tried to act like it wasn't a big deal. "Oh, you're handsome too." When she tried to hug Jesse, he stepped back into Steve.

"Why don't you give him some time? He doesn't remember much about your from your first visit." Steve was definitely not going to force Jesse to hug this stranger.

In the time before dinner was served, Liz's time was monopolized by Rachel and Malia. The plan was to separate the couple so the others could talk to Cliff. That was difficult because the boys conned Steve into joining them in a game of tag. The older boys made sure the younger boys had a chance to catch them, and Steve did his usual slipping and tripping so all the boys could tackle him. Cliff was a little confused when most of the boys called him "Daddy".

Stan was first up and saw that Cliff was distracted. "Those two are mine and Rachel's. The other boy is Kekoa Kelly. They have grown up as brothers. Danny and Rachel have a daughter from their marriage; Grace is in England for the next year. The boys decided that since they shared Grace as a sister, they must be brothers. Then they decided it was unfair that Kekoa was the only boy who didn't have a brother, so they made him a brother of their heart as they put it. Jack spent the night at our home when Steve and Danny went to help Jesse. By the time that they came to pick up Jack the next morning, the Jesse was their brother too."

Cliff was impressed with the way that the adults and children bonded to form a family. His first marriage was childless and ended with a lot of acrimony. He couldn't imagine an alternate universe where he could be friends with his ex. He was also impressed with the interaction between Steve and the boys. It was apparent that he was a favorite playmate.

"Steve and Danny have a cabin in the mountains. They take all the boys there every couple of months. Other times, Steve camps out in the back yard with them. He's a former Navy SEAL; I've seen him on maneuvers with the boys. They have walkie-talkies and paint their faces. One of them is stationed in the fort. Steve is usually in a tree running the show. He sets up dummies as the enemy. The goal is detection only. There's never any violence or weapons. The boys will spend hours with their binoculars looking for signs of their prey. Jack has ADHD, so it's amazing to see him sitting so still and focusing on clues."

When Stan tugged on his ear, it was Finn's cue to take over. Cliff couldn't wait to hear what Finn had to say. He figured that Stan had been involved with the family for a lot of years, but Finn was a newcomer to the family. He would get a little more unbiased assessment.

"Finn, it's good to see you again. You're married to one of the Five-0 team, aren't you?"

"Yes, Kono and I married a year and a half ago. The baby girl is ours. The boys were disappointed that we didn't have another boy to add to their club, but they all dote on Fiona."

"So what happened that night at Jesse's house? I read the police report, but it only contained bare details. Did you know Max Wright?"

"Yes, Stan and I both knew him although not well enough to anticipate what happened. He lost his job and couldn't find another. He was going to lose his house, and his wife went ballistic when he told her. She was drinking heavily; it was a bad habit of hers. He shot her and was yelling for Jesse to come out. Max was going to kill Jesse. During a game of hide and seek here one weekend, Steve told him that it was a good idea to go to higher ground if he ever needed to hide. Jesse grabbed one of the cordless phones and hid in the attic. Jesse called 9-1-1 and asked the operator to call Steve. Steve and Danny went to the house and found Jesse."

"Oh God, I had no idea that the boy went through all that."

"Jesse was a constant visitor for a year before he came to live here. Jack and Jesse have been together since kindergarten, but they've been best friends since first grade. His parents were arguing heavily even then and Jesse complained that it made his stomach hurt. Jack made it a point to invite Jesse over for play dates and sleepovers. Steve and Danny have always had an open door policy with Jack's friends. Jesse hung onto Steve for dear life that night. I believe that Steve intended to bring Jesse back here when he took the call. Danny knew what Steve had in mind and wholeheartedly agreed. Jesse became family that night. Cliff, it would be wrong to take him away."

"Finn, I figured that out about ten minutes ago. I know that Liz lied about wanting Jesse; she only did it because of me. I can't be the cause of taking that boy away from people who so clearly love him. I only came tonight to make sure that Jesse was with a good family. I'm satisfied that he is, but I'd like to stay for dinner if it's all the same to everyone here."

When Finn tugged rubbed his chin, Jack and Jesse let out a whoop. It was their sign that Cliff wouldn't let Liz take Jesse away. Steve slipped for real when the he saw Finn's signal. The boys jumped on him with undisguised glee.

Danny decided that it was time to eat now that the knot in his stomach was gone. "Hey babe, the lasagna is ready. You and the other boys need to wash up."

Steve marched the boys up to the house. He stopped by the kitchen to plant a happy kiss on Danny before going upstairs to wash his hands and face and change his shirt. He helped carry out the other tray of lasagna while others carried out the rest of the food.

The tables were set up to form one long table. Grownups and kids sat down in no particular order. There was no need for parents to sit next to their kids. They all looked after the kids. Liz picked a spot between Chin and Finn. She had two glasses of wine and was a little tipsy. Both men were prepared to walk her out if she became an offensive.

Cliff deliberately picked a spot between Steve and Jesse. He wanted to get to know both a little better. In the short time he'd been there, Cliff knew that Steve and Danny had the kind of marriage and family life that he always wanted. He knew now that he wouldn't have that with Liz; he would wait until they flew home to break it off. The trip wasn't a total loss. The lasagna was amazing and the dinner conversation was lively. There was a lot of good natured teasing; it was obvious that these people spent a lot of time together.

Jesse was relaxed now that he knew 'Operation Jesse' was successful. He responded to Cliff's questions and soon they were engrossed in a deep discussion about fishing. That was Jesse's favorite thing about going to the cabin, and Cliff took his nieces and nephews fishing frequently. Jesse was fascinated with the concept of ice fishing and listened to Cliff's stories about fishermen who always went too far out on thin ice.

Then Charlie, who was sitting across from Jesse, talked about their 'Masters of the Universe' games. Cliff remembered the cartoons from his boyhood and talked about some of his favorite episodes. Soon all of the adults (except Liz) joined the conversation. Everyone helped with cleanup except for Liz, of course. She realized that she had played the whole thing badly and would lose in court. Liz also realized that she would most likely lose Cliff too. At least she would keep the ring; Cliff was too much of a gentleman to ask for it back.

Cliff had an opportunity to talk to Steve and Danny in the kitchen. Steve was washing dishes while Danny put away leftovers and started coffee. Cliff happily dried dishes while Stan put them away. Chin and Stan were outside wiping off tables. Finn was feeding baby Fiona. The women were content to sit outside and supervise the boys.

"Steve, Danny, I want to apologize for my part in this whole mess. Liz knows how I feel about family and that probably pushed her into the custody fight. It's obvious that Jesse is exactly where he needs to be. Frankly, I hope to have what you have here."

"Thanks Cliff. You had no way of knowing. To be honest, we would have pushed to keep custody even if Liz wanted him back then. Jack would have been heartbroken to lose his best buddy, and we would have missed him too. I guess he kind of slipped under the radar and became part of the family when no one was looking." Danny could afford to be magnanimous now that they won.

"Danny, I have to ask how you and Rachel managed to be friends after the divorce. I have an ex, and I'd rather have root canal without Novocain than spend time with her."

Danny shook his head, not sure where to start. "I can assure you that it wasn't always this way. It was bad my first year here. We decided that we couldn't go on like that. Then Steve let me move in here, and Rachel gave me joint custody of Grace. By the end of the first week, Steve and I were a couple. I swear that I never saw it coming, but it made a lot of sense when I thought about it. There was something between us from day one."

Steve went on with the story. "Danny was investigating my father's murder. We met in the garage and pulled guns on each other. Then I agreed to work for the governor and stole the case."

"You got me shot the first day. You insisted on driving my car. Then you took me down in a super-SEAL move.

"You punched me in the face."

"You drove a police car with me in it onto a moving freighter."

Cliff was laughing so hard that he could hardly breathe. "Stop, please." He looked at Finn. "Do they do this often?"

Finn shook his head, clearly amused at the show. "Welcome to 'The Steve and Danny Show'. I wouldn't say it's a daily occurrence, but I've witnessed several episodes. They're better than cable."

The remainder of the evening went well. Dessert and coffee were served, and then the parents took their children home. Danny sent the boys upstairs to take their showers but not before making sure that both said goodnight to their Liz and Cliff.

Liz was still a bitch, but she knew when she was defeated. As she watched the boys climb the stairs, Liz made the only good decision. "Look, I think that Jesse should stay here. He seems settled in here. I don't think he would be happy with us. Tomorrow I will withdraw my petition. Thanks for a nice dinner."

Steve and Danny were graceful winners. "Thanks, we appreciate that. Please feel free to keep in touch with us. You can call or send e-mail. Jesse doesn't have his own account but you can send something to Steve or I and we'll pass it along."

With the last of their company gone, Steve and Danny locked up and finished cleanup. There wasn't much left to be done. The boys came down just as Steve rinsed out the sink and Danny put away the last dish.

"We did it." Jack and Jesse high-fived Steve and Danny. Then they all hugged. It had been a long day and now the fatigue set in. They had been on a roller coaster ride the since whole mess started last week. Now they only had the hearing on Friday to get past. Then Jesse would officially become Jesse McGarrett-Williams.