AN: I don't own the characters or anything. This is just to get this story out of my head.
A/N: Wow! Thank you so much for all of the great reviews. I'm trying to reply to each one personally but I figured a general thank you was also needed, especially for the guest reviews. I truly appreciate the specific comments about what you like. I really enjoyed writing that last chapter and it motivates me to write more when I see that readers enjoy it also.
A/N: Scott Caan references in chap 5: bone chip in lower spine, football, shortstop, skateboard, surfing, wrestling (Jujitsu), James Caan.
A/N: It's my opinion that H50 creators wrote the storyline of Rachel's pregnancy so that if the show was still on when Grace moved out of childhood into teen years they could suddenly make the kid Danny's and bring another child in for Scott Caan to interact with and melt all of the viewers' hearts. So, here we get our first glimpse of Daddy Danny! I'm sorry it's short but you were all so good about reviewing that I wanted to post something.
H50 H50 H50
Danny pulled out his phone and called Grace who was already at her friend's house. He didn't take up too much of her time but he made a point of speaking with her every day and telling her how much he loved her. With all that was going on with Charlie these days he felt it especially important. The last thing he would want is for Grace to feel cheated or left out. She was his world.
When the call was finished, the ride continued in silence, Danny resting with his eyes closed and holding his arm, looking like he might be asleep. They were almost at Rachel and Stan's house so Steve gave Danny the heads up. "Almost there. What do you think Rachel will do when she sees you like that?" he asked with empathy.
"Won't happen." Danny assured him. "She never comes out when I pick them up and I don't go in unless there's something we need to discuss. The maid usually brings them out. Sometimes Stan."
"Stan?" That surprised Steve.
"Yeah, he says he appreciates that I'm letting him keep his place in Charlie's life. He's dad and I'm Danno. Probably be years before Charlie really understands what we each are to him. Grace still struggles with it."
"He and Rachel doing ok?"
"Looks like it. They both still live in the house. Go to visit Charlie together. I'm not going to ask him and I don't speak to her unless it's something pertaining to the kids. Don't imagine I'll ever have a real conversation with her again."
"I feel for you buddy. You finally over her?"
"I can honestly say yes I am. Totally done with her. What she did to me…" Danny just shook his head.
Steve knew that Danny was the only one on both sides of his family to get divorced and that it really bothered him. To Danny and his family, marriage was a sacred vow, not to be entered into or out of lightly. To 'fail' at something so important still tore Danny apart and probably always would. "If you ask me, she gives love a bad name."
Danny gave a soft chuckle. "Now you're using Bon Jovi against me? Not nice, man. So not nice."
They pulled into the long driveway and they both got out, Danny slower than Steve.
They heard him before seeing him. "Danno!" Then a blond tornado came thundering down the driveway straight at Danny. Steve tensed in anticipation of the contact, but Danny pushed the pain aside, bent his left knee nearly to the pavement and scooped the happy little guy into his left arm and straightened up again in an amazingly fluid motion.
My partner 'Sonny', Steve thought with pride, can't keep him down. Then that 'tough-as-nails' partner turned immediately into 'Danno'. "Hey Tiger," he said with a huge smile and mushy tone of voice that had previously been reserved only for Grace. "How ya doing?" Danny relished in the huge hug that his newfound son was giving him, drawing strength from it.
Steve was thrilled for Danny but also amazed. He barely knew this kid not long ago. How had he so completely won the boy's heart in such a short time? Thinking on it, though, it didn't surprise him. He had seen Danny with Grace. The love between them so complete and so pure that he found himself envious, wishing he had been able to have such a relationship with his father. He settled for friendship with Danny instead, as it filled a hole in his heart that nothing else ever had.
"Grace isn't here," the boy said from his perch on Danny's left hip. "Is that okay?"
"Is that okay? Of course it's okay Tiger! You are my whole life. I love you more than anything."
Charlie beamed and then he leaned back slightly and tenderly placed both hands on the side of his father's face. "You have a boo-boo. Does it hurt?"
"It won't if you kiss it better," Danny told him with a smile.
Charlie dutifully administered the healing kiss, and Danny sighed. "All better."
Steve, who had installed the car seat in the back after the maid handed it to him, now stepped up to the father and son pair, wishing that a son's kiss could really take a father's pain away. Not only would it heal the emotional and physical wounds of his partner, but then he could have eased his own father's pain so many years ago as well. Watching Danny interact with Grace had always been an eye opening experience and he now knew that watching Danny with his son would prove to be truly bittersweet.
Danny turned to Steve now. "Charlie, do you remember my friend…?"
"Uncle Steve!"
"That's right buddy," Steve answered with a smile, rather surprised that Charlie even remembered him since they had only met twice. He figured Grace had something to do with it. He reached his arms out "Would you come here and give me a hug?" Danny had been holding the 3 year old in his left arm for several minutes and he was sure that he was reaching his limit – had actually, probably already pushed himself past it.
Charlie reached his arms out and Steve took him in his arms for the first time. He wanted to just hold the kid forever. He reminded him so much of Danny – had his same blond locks, his same infectious smile, his same boundless energy. "Grace says you're Danno's friend."
"That's right Charlie. Your Danno, he's a good man. He's my best friend."
Charlie looked at Danny and beamed. "Are we going to the playground with the lake?" he then asked.
"That's what I promised," Danny told him. Danny always kept his promises.
"And we can feed the ducks and the jumping fish and swing on the swings and play on the slide?"
"Sure can Tiger."
"And then we're going to a special surprise?"
"As promised."
"Yay!"
The ride began with Charlie asking Danny if he could play 'that song.' Danny explained that this wasn't his car so he didn't have his music selection and therefore couldn't play it. They ended up singing it instead and Steve found himself joining in. Only Danny knew all the lyrics but all three would belt out the chorus to Bon Jovi's "Livin' on a Prayer". As he heard Danny sing the lyrics, Steve realized how much the song fit his friend "We've got to hold on to what we've got. It doesn't make a difference if we make it or not. We've got each other and that's a lot. For love we'll give it a shot."
When they finished singing, Charlie talked non-stop – about anything and everything and Danny was patient and attentive to every word, answering questions, filling in words that Charlie couldn't come up with, asking about pre-school and his friends… Steve had never seen anyone out-talk Danny, but Charlie looked like he was a contender. Nothing like Grace in that regard; she was much more quiet. At one point, the boy looked at Steve from his seat in the back. "Grace says you're a seal."
Danny shook his head and laughed as Steve smiled proudly. "Grace is right."
Charlie laughed at this – a full out belly laugh and then he spoke again. "Danno has a zoo."
"A zoo?" Steve asked confused but Danny was already shaking his head and chuckling because he understood.
"Yep," Charlie said. "He has a monkey, a seal and a tiger! That's Danno's zoo."
"You don't know the half of it," Danny mumbled.
A/N: I wanted to have Charlie wearing a US soccer jersey (#10) with the name Williams on the back as an acknowledgement of the young midfielder on the US Mens National Soccer Team named Danny Williams. It just didn't seem to work so I'll tip my hat to Danny Williams – the soccer player – right here. He's a German/American and plays for the English Club Reading. Anybody familiar with him?
tbc
