AN: I don't own the characters or anything. This is just to get this story out of my head.

A/N Danny singing in the last chapter was another tip of the hat to Scott. He was offered a recording contract at one time and turned it down.

A/N This is a short chapter. Mostly fluff of the Daddy Danny variety. I'll try to get the next one up soon. I think it's better than this one.

H50 H50 H50

The promised trip to the lake required food to feed the ducks and fish - food, in the form of stale bread that was currently stuck in the trunk of the Camaro. So, a quick stop at a convenience store found Steve running in for a loaf of bread. As he reached the door he stopped short, lifted his head to the sky, turned around and came back, a sheepish grin across his face. Danny, who along with having above average deductive skills could read Steve like a book, knew right away what was going on. He spoke through the open window next to him. "You don't have your wallet." It was a statement, not a question.

Steve opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Danny sighed. His wallet, which he never forgot at home like his wayward partner, was in his right back pocket. Retrieving it with his nearly immobile right arm and painful right hip was going to be impossible. He banged the back of his head on the headrest. Steve, who was able to read Danny as well, simply said," Just lean a bit to the left."

Danny closed his eyes and gave a vexed shake of his head, but did his partner's bidding and allowed him to reach in the window and slip the wallet out of his pocket. "Be right back," Steve said with a smirk.

The walk around the lake with the loaf of bread, ducks trailing after them eager to be fed, fish jumping out of the water as the bread was tossed in, brought forth tons of giggles from the three year old and plenty of smiles from the two men.

At the gate to the playground, Charlie was tugging at Danny's hand. Steve had turned away and Danny wasn't sure why. Despite Danny's honest assurances that Steve was welcome to come with them, Steve declined, not wanting to intrude on this part of the father/son time. Knowing he was going to lose this battle, Danny told Steve that he should go and do something rather than sit here in the parking lot. When they were done, they'd call Steve for a ride. Steve said he had some phone calls to make and since he had Lou's car he didn't have hands free capability so he'd just sit here and make the calls, then he'd see about going somewhere after that.

For the next hour, Steve watched as Charlie ran and climbed and laughed, Danny always by his side, not so much hovering (although his worried nature made him an instinctive hoverer) as he was interacting. Although Steve could only hear anything when they came to his corner of the playground he could tell that the small boy had Danny's full attention. Charlie climbed monkey bars and they pretended they were mountains, he turned the big wheel and they pretended he was sailing a ship. For half an hour Charlie ran up the slide, turned himself around and slid right down again, over and over. Danny was right by his side, protective hand making sure the boy didn't fall, but allowing the boy to do things for himself. Occasionally, at what appeared to be Danny's subtle prompting, Charlie would look up from where they were playing and wave to Steve, making sure he didn't feel left out despite his choice to stand and watch.

They headed for the swings next and Steve watched with trepidation as Danny struggled to lift Charlie one-handed into one of the swing-set's safety seats. He stood ready to intervene but Danny somehow managed to accomplish the task himself and he settled back to watch as Danny pushed his son on the swing using only his left arm, weight perched mostly on his left leg. As before, there was constant chatter between the two although Steve couldn't hear what was being said. Steve could hear Charlie's unbridled laughter though and he marveled, yet again, at the incredible father that was his partner. Just as Steve was beginning to feel a bit like a pedophile watching the playground, Charlie looked over to him and shouted loudly, "Look Uncle Steve, I'm flying!"

After two hours on the playground, half of which was spent pushing his son on the swing, Danny gave his son a 'five minute warning'. Five minutes later, Steve understood when Danny told Charlie it was time to go. Charlie began to whine that he wanted to stay and turned to run back to the slide but Danny spoke to him firmly but without anger. "I gave you the 'five minute warning' Tiger and you know what that means."

Charlie stopped in his tracks, and then turned around slowly. "Okay Danno," he said as he reached for his father's hand and they walked towards Steve.

Knowing that Danny had to be hurting, Steve beckoned the boy to himself. "Hey Charlie, will you come give me a hug?" Charlie released Danny's hand and ran straight into Steve's outstretched arms where he was lifted up and twirled around much to his delight. As Steve carried his partner's son through the parking lot to the car, Danny looked heavenward and gave thanks for these two priceless gifts in front of him – a friend and a son.

After Steve buckled Charlie into the car seat and closed the door, Danny filled him in on the surprise part of the day before they entered the truck.

"You like going to the playground Charlie?" Steve asked from the front seat, although from watching the past two hours he knew the answer.

Charlie nodded his head. "I like going with Danno the best. Mommy and Daddy take me to the little kid playground and just sit on the bench and watch. Danno takes me to the big boy playground and plays with me the whole time."

Steve glanced at his partner and saw him swallow the lump in his throat. There were many ways to parent a child and if Steve was ever blessed with one he knew which father he would emulate. He knew that although his partner was a very confident man professionally, Danny always doubted himself as a father, but he wasn't sure why. Steve would vote him 'father of the year' in a heartbeat.

tbc