Sammy and Ilna - Love you guys. You make everything better, always. Thanks again to Sammy for the throughline on this one.
REAL McRollers and Readers - we are thankful for you all, and appreciate your love and loyalty.
Just Like Her
"Uncle Dannnnno!" Angie called from the top of the highest slide in the park. "Here I come."
At the bottom, the detective grinned and scooped her into a hug.
"That's my favorite slide."
"Always the fastest and highest, hmmm?"
"It's more fun that way," she said matter of factly and reached for his hand. "You said one more time then we can go meet Daddy."
"Good listening." Most kids would beg for another turn on the slide, but not his goddaughter.
"I'm real hungry." She looked up, a smile lighting her hazel eyes when they met his blue ones. She swung their joined hands. "Are you hungry?"
"Am I hungry? I'm starving. Famished, ravenous, even," he teased, eliciting a giggle.
"You're silly." Angie pushed a stray curl behind her ear. "Can I have a hot dog?"
"Absolutely." They walked towards Pink's Hot Dog's stand. "I think I'll have one, too."
"Yay we can match. We're lunch buddies today," she said as they approached the counter.
"Aloha, what can I get ya, detective Williams?" The counter guy offered a wave to the curly haired little girl who said, "Hi Tito! I like your baseball hat!"
"Mahalo, Angie. What kind of hotdog today?"
There was a menu board that boasted 40 varieties of hot dogs and 12 varieties of burgers and since there was no one behind them in line, Danny read a few choices to Angie.
"I want that one." She pointed to a photo that made the detective wince.
"You're sure?"
She nodded vigorously. "Me and Daddy had it before. It's very very yummy."
"She inherited her father's ability to literally eat the most freakish food ever." He smiled and pointed to her choice for the young man behind the counter. "We need one of those."
"Excellent. Pink's Famous Hawaiian style dog." He winked at the five year old – the 9-inch hot dog grilled and smothered in homemade teriyaki sauce was topped with coleslaw and fresh Dole pineapple.
"And because you guys refuse to carry an Italian hot dog with potatoes, peppers and onions, I'll take the Carl Reiner." Danny smirked as he ordered a hotdog topped with mustard and sauerkraut."
Angie tugged his hand. "Can we get fries, Uncle Danno? Please?"
"And fries." His phone dinged a text. Checking it, he shook his head. "Make it two of those pineapple abominations." He looked at his niece. "Your daddy's almost here."
"Daddy gets water. Can I have a lemonade, please?"
"And two waters and a lemonade."
"You got it. Be ready in five minutes." Tito let out a sigh.
"You good, buddy?" Danny asked the normally cheerful young man.
"Me? Yeah. Just a bad day, Detective. Two guys called out and we had an issue with the grill last night. I've been here with Richard since four this morning and we got it fixed before the lunch crowd. Thanks for asking."
"You're not having a good day, Mr. Tito?" Angie's head tilted in question and he gave her a smile.
"Not so much, but it's better now because I got to see one of my favorite customers."
"Can you try to think of one happy thing? Mommy says even one happy thing in a day can make you smile." Her being 'one of the favorites' was lost on the little girl who wanted to give comfort in the best way she knew how.
He wiped both hands and regarded the tiny version of Catherine who was looking up at him with genuine concern. The McGarrett-Rollins family had been coming to Pink's for years - since way before the kids - and he always enjoyed their interactions. Lieutenant Rollins never failed to ask about his family and even arrived with a gift when his own little boy was born the previous year. "That's so nice of you, Angie. I'll be off work after lunch today so I get extra time with my wife and my little boy, Kai. That's a very good thing." He smiled, "And I get to see you. That's two things. My day is better now."
"Yay! Happy things are good to make you smile."
"Thanks for reminding me, keiki." To Danny he said, "She's a special one."
"I wholeheartedly agree." He ran a hand over Angie's hair and passed Tito cash for the order. "Can you carry these napkins for us?" Danny took several and passed them to the five year old, who nodded. "Okay, let's get a seat." He led her to an area with straw umbrellaed tables and just as they sat, a familiar truck parked a few yards away.
The little girl stood to wave both arms. "Hi, Daddy! We're over here!"
Steve reached them in a few strides and bent to lift her into a hug. "Hey, baby girl, did you order?"
"We got you and me the Hawaiian dog, Uncle Danno got the one with the sours-kraut and mustard and we got fries to share and a lemonade for me." She kissed his cheek. "And we got you water."
He chuckled at her detailed list. "Sounds perfect." He set her back in her chair and turned to his partner. "Ethan Dover's in custody. Kono's bringing him to Queens."
Danny raised a brow.
"He resisted." Steve's lip twitched in a slight smirk. Ethan Dover was an indiscriminate trafficker - weapons, drugs, contraband, and an occasional lowlife attempting to flee the mainland.
"Our food is ready!" Angie bounced and pointed. The young man was waving them over.
"I got it," Steve said and went to grab their order.
"Howzit, Commander? I saw the Lieutenant on the news with all the press updates last week. I got family on the Big Island, my Aunties said they felt calmer every time she did a press conference."
Steve smiled. "Catherine's got that effect on people. Your family's all good?"
"Mahalo Ke Akua," Tito crossed himself, then passed the food to Steve. "All fine."
"Glad to hear it." He moved for his wallet.
"Detective Williams got it."
"Okay, thanks."
"Enjoy." Tito raised his chin to indicate the five year old who caught his eye and waved. Returning the gesture, he smiled. "I added an order of onion rings on the house. I know she loves 'em."
Steve pulled out some bills and popped them into the tip jar. "Thanks again."
"Commander, I gotta tell you, I was having one lā ʻino. I was telling Detective Williams and Angie heard me. She told me to think of a good thing to make me smile."
"Is everything okay?"
Tito nodded. "Yeah, thanks. Nothing major. Grill issues, I'm here since the crack of dawn, a couple of people out called out. I just gotta tell you she's a great kid, Commander. She reminds me of the Lieutenant and not just because she's a dead ringer."
"That's my girl." Steve smiled at the comparison between his daughter and wife as he often did as he walked back to the table with the tray of food.
When he placed the order down, Angie diligently put a napkin in front of him and Danny, her eyes widening when she spotted the extra treat "Ohhh, we got onion rings?"
"Mr. Tito gave them to us because you made him smile today. Be sure to thank him before we leave, okay?"
She nodded vigorously, then pushed her hair off her face.
"Here," Danny gestured and she stood in front of him. "Let's fix this."
As her uncle removed and refastened the thanksgiving colored ponytail holder she grinned at her father. "Mr. Tito looked a little sad, so I told him to think of a good thing like Mommy says and it worked."
Danny finished and she hopped back onto her chair and lifted an onion ring. "And you being a super good helper made his day better," her Godfather said with a look at his best friend. "Kinda like someone else I know."
Angie paused mid bite. "Mommy?"
As Steve leaned over to add ketchup to his daughter's fries, he kissed her head. "Just like her."
# End thanks for reading
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