Disclaimer: I still own nothing.

Author's Note: I'm so sorry for the delay in this chapter! I know that I said I would have this posted earlier but St. Paddy's Day took over my life for a bit. Thank you to those that reviewed the last chapter, they really mean a lot to me. I hope that you guys like this chapter!


Steve thinks that planning a surprise for a naturally suspicious Danny is probably what it's like to plan a surprise for him, not easy. Seriously Steve has to calculate every single move or word he says so that Danny doesn't figure anything out. But he's done well so far, which only helps to boost his confidence that this will all work out in his favor. He's talked to mom and dad about their views on Steve marrying Danny. He has the ring stored away in the last place Danny would ever think to look (his go back in case the Navy comes officially calling and honestly Steve doesn't even think Danny knows where his bag is). Their anniversary party is well in the works, with a lot of help from Kono and Chin. Mom and Dad are flying in next week and Steve has gotten all of Five-0 cleared for some time off (with the hope that nothing catastrophic happens).

But of course, there's still one loose end that Steve hasn't quite managed to fully take care of, which is the whole where does Danno stand on marriage subject. The last time they talked about the subject of marriage was almost a month and a half ago and who knows what has changed since then. Steve doesn't know that Danny's been thinking about marrying Steve since that night. Steve needs to know if there's even a smidgen of a chance that this could work before he makes a complete fool out of himself. So yet again, Steve is trying to find a way to talk about the future of their relationship, yet he can't have Danny become suspicious than all his hard work will be for naught.

But the higher powers are looking down on Steve one sunny Sunday afternoon they have Grace, because right as he's taking Grace out for an afternoon swim, Danny's mother decides to call.

"Hey Ma." Danny greeted waving Grace and Steve on as he takes a seat on one of the beach chairs. Steve smiles to himself hoping that Lynn would be able to get Danny's temperature on the whole marriage thing, he's really hoping that he's actually taken time to think about it.

"Hello Daniel. How are you, Grace, and Steve?" Lynn asked as she sorted through the clothes they were going to need washed for their trip to see her boys.

"We're great; Grace and Steve are out playing SEAL right now. How's the family?" Lynn chuckled picturing Grace and Steve frolicking in the water while Danny watched on.

"Your sisters say hello and your father's animated as always. We're wondering though when you're going to settle down with Steve and make an honest man out of him." Danny shook his head; leave it to his mother to not beat around the bush. He was also wondering when this topic of conversation was going to come up. With Rachel it had only taken his wonderful loving mother fourteen months to bring it up, and it's been almost two with Steve so really he's shocked it took this long for her to bring it up again.

"Real subtle." Danny joked rubbing the back of his neck. Honestly he had been thinking about Steve and marriage since that night that Steve had brought up the topic. He loves Steve with every fiber of his being and he knows that Steve is nothing like Rachel, he wasn't going to run when things got tough, but still he still had his reservations. "Shouldn't you be asking Steve this sort of question, since ya know I'm your son?" Danny asks hoping that he can delay this conversation as long as possible.

"I'm asking you Daniel, not Steven. And I'm merely just wondering when you're going to get the hint and give me another son." Immediately both Danny and Lynn's minds are flooded with images of Matt, the brother that was currently in the wind. He knew she would never admit it, but he could hear the sadness of losing her son. "I'm not nagging you or trying to pressure you into anything. I'm just asking out of pure curiosity. Plus I highly doubt a ring is going to change anything between you and Steve."

"I know Ma, I know. I think I'm just afraid that my track record is going to haunt us. I don't want to lose Steve, I barely survived Rachel and if I lost him, I don't know what I'd do." Danny replies his mind going into overdrive at the thought of Steve pulling a Rachel.

"Oh baby, if there's one thing I'm certain of, it is the fact that Steve is never going to voluntarily leave you. Can you honestly name one time since you became partners that he hasn't been there for you? Because I can't Daniel, plus Steve knows that if he ever hurt you in any way he'd have to deal with me." Danny smiled knowing just how imitating his 5'2 mother could be, Steve didn't stand a chance against his ma. "You just need to stop thinking with your head and start thinking with your heart."

"I know Ma, you're right. It's not fair to Steven that I'm letting my past marriage impede on my relationship with him. Steven's not Rachel and I probably am over thinking this." This is why Danny loves his mother, she's always telling him exactly what he needs to hear in no uncertain terms and she's never steered him wrong.

"Of course I'm right Daniel; I am your mother after all. I mean you do want to settle down with Steve, now that you have the chance to legally do it, right?" Lynn asked biting her thumb nail worrying slightly about what her son could possibly say.

"I mean I've been thinking about it, I would think that Steve and I would probably need to have a conversation about it, ya know make sure we're on the same page. I don't want to be thinking about all of this to find out that Steve's not as concerned about the future." Danny replies watching Steve and Grace finally make their way out of the water, smiling at the sight Danny motions them over. "Hey Ma, Grace wants to say hello." Grace beams and takes the phone from Danny excitedly telling her grandma about anything and everything that came to mind. Danny sighed in relief that he was out of the line of fire and smiled up at Steve.

Steve watched Grace fall into the sand as she talked to her grandma before turning to Danny. "Good talk with mom?" Steve asked slightly fishing for some indication that Lynn worked her mother magic.

"Oh yeah great mother-son conversation. I'll tell you all about it later after Grace goes to bed okay?" Steve tilts his head with slight 'aneurysm face' studying Danny for a moment. "Stop thinking worst case scenario you goof." Steve chuckles leaning down to steal a quick kiss before going into the house to shower off all the salt and change into dry clothes smiling to himself the whole way, Lynn had definitely come through for him when he needed it. He only hoped that Danny was more on board then he was before, which knowing his mother way he does, Steve really has no worries.

Later that evening Steve sat on the lanai watching the tide as he waited for Danny to finish tucking Grace in. He knew that when Danny told him he wanted to tuck Grace in by himself that he was probably going to ask her something he didn't want Steve to know about. It made Steve smile and finally feel a little bit of relief; his feelings about spending forever with Danny weren't one-sided. Without looking up Steve heard Danny come down the stairs and lifted a long board up for Danny to take.

"I hate it when you just seem to know when I'm around you." Danny grumbled taking the offered beer and popping the cap off.

"You love it." Steve replied, his eyebrow raised and a suggestive smirk spread across his face. Danny chuckled lightly and smiled shaking his head.

"Do not let your ego suffocate me babe." Danny fires back smirking in satisfaction when Steve's jaw drops open a little bit. "So I had an interesting conversation with Ma today." Danny figures he should just treat this like ripping a Band-Aid off, just do it. Steve turns his body nodding his head for Danny to continue. Danny mirrors him and rests free hand next to Steve's, who takes the hints and cradles his hand in his own. "She asked when I was going to settle down and marry your crazy ass."

"I highly doubt she said my crazy ass, mom doesn't think I'm crazy all the time like you do." Steve fires back resisting the urge to smile broadly, he had been right about Lynn's call today. "But what you'd say to her?" Steve asked lightly rubbing his thumb over the back of Danny's hand.

"It's been in the back of my head since that night you asked about it, but I've been going back and forth about it. I didn't fare so well the last time and I was worried that this time wouldn't be any different. I mean do you even think about where this is heading?" Danny asked a slight tinge of worry in his voice making Steve squeeze his hand.

"Yeah Danno I've thought about it. I've thought about it a lot." Danny's shoulders relaxed a little bit and he sighed as he took a long sip of his beer. "I'm in this for the long haul Danny, you know that."

"I know babe, me too." Danny puts his beer down and reaches out to grab Steve's hand. "I was just scared that it would be Rachel 2.0. But my sweet slightly overbearing at times mother was quick to point out that you were nothing like Rachel. She also told me that if you ever did try anything like Rachel you would have her to answer to, so that made me feel a little bit better." Danny smiled slightly at Steve's wide eyes.

"I may be a SEAL who in your words, shots first and asks questions later, but still Danny you're mom kinda scares me." Danny laughs leaning forward and kissing the worried frown from Steve's face.

"I know babe, she scares me too." Steve relaxes a little bit and leans forward to kiss Danny a little bit harder this time.

"So I take it we're both on the same page now? You're open to spending forever with me?" Steve asks trying not to look too worried about Danny's possible response.

"Yeah babe I'm open to spending to forever with your crazy Neanderthal ass." Steve smiles and pulls Danny closer to him kissing him with everything he has.

The next morning as Lynn's checking the weather in Oahu next week and checking her email she smiles when she sees one from Steve with a simple thank you. Smiling she goes back to checking the weather and shaking her head. Her boys would be lost without her sometimes.


A/N 2: Well we're almost there, this is the last chapter before the final and I hope that you guys loved this chapter as much as I did writing it. You know the drill; let me know what you thought (good or bad). ~thatredheadgirl~