A/N: This chapter took a turn that I wasn't originally planning. Please read the note at the end of the chapter...it explains where my head was in writing this part.
All of the usual disclaimers apply.
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Kono may have found out that she was having a little boy, but she had stuck to her guns and not told anyone the name she was thinking of. Danny understood, and mostly respected her for that, although he tried to trip her up from time to time. Chin was his usual 'zen' self, and more or less went with the flow. It was Steve, of all people, who cajoled Kono at every opportunity.
Kono just laughed it off, though. It was all in fun, and she was actually enjoying teasing the three of them just a little. She had only just decided on the first and middle names a few days ago, so it wasn't like she had been keeping it from them the entire two months since the ultrasound.
She was finishing up at work, beyond ready for the long weekend ahead. The governor had given them a half-day off on Friday as well as Saturday and Sunday, and Kono was now counting down minutes until she could leave.
She hadn't been surfing at all lately – her center of gravity felt way off now that she was just over 28 weeks along. But she had discovered that just floating in the warm ocean did wonders for the ever-present back pain that she lived with.
It seemed as though the baby had shifted a little into a more 'head-down' position, which put him directly in line with a nerve in her back…perfect for kicking at the most inopportune times, and having his head resting on for most of the rest of the time. Her heating pad and a pile of pillows were about the only things that allowed her to get any sleep these days.
She had also been plagued with random dizzy spells. Dr. Lau said that with the baby putting pressure on some of the major blood vessels, dizziness was fairly common. She had been ordered to increase her water intake, which in turn, increased her need for the bathroom. She was enjoying her pregnancy, but didn't like some of the physical effects.
Steve knocked on her door frame just as she felt a particularly strong kick right up into her ribs. "Ouch. Damn it that hurt."
Steve hurried into her office. "What is it? Are you okay?"
Kono rubbed absently at her side. "He's just playing soccer inside using my ribs as the ball. He's been really active this morning, for some reason."
Steve stared at her belly, transfixed. He couldn't even begin to imagine what that felt like. He didn't have to wonder for long, as Kono reached for his hand and placed it just below her ribs.
"Here…just wait a little bit." Steve didn't have to wait long for the baby to greet him the only way he knew how. To say that Steve looked shocked would be an understatement. Kono just grinned – she had probably looked much like that the first time she felt him kick, too.
Chin poked his head into her office, wondering what all of the commotion was about. "Hey guys…what's up?"
Steve motioned for him to come closer, a huge smile on his face. "Come here…you have got to feel this. I mean…if that's okay with Kono." Steve flushed, knowing he sounded like a giddy teenager. But he couldn't help it – it really was one of the coolest things he had ever experienced in his life.
Kono smiled fondly at her cousin and reached for his hand. "Here. Just keep it here. He's in a very feisty mood today – he ought to make himself known shortly."
Like Steve, Chin didn't have to wait too long. It seemed that his nephew could at least recognize the tone of his voice – or at least a deeper male voice. Chin had barely finished saying 'hi nephew' when he felt the answering poke against his hand.
Before too long, his astonished smile matched Steve's. Danny soon had a matching smirk of his own, as he came back from a run to see Max, and found two of his teammates with their hands plastered against Kono's belly.
"So…what did I miss?" Steve jumped back as if he had been burned but calmed as soon as he realized it was Danny.
"This…just…wow. That's all I've got. Wow." Steve caught Kono up into a brief hug before stepping back. His grin still hadn't left his face, and probably wouldn't for a while.
Chin kissed her cheek. "You're amazing…you know that?"
Kono blushed at the compliment and shook her head. "I'm really not, but thanks."
Danny took note of how she brushed off the kind words, and metaphorically wanted to kick her ass. How on earth could she not see how remarkable she was?
"Are you ready to get out of here? Steve's got grill food ready to go, and I know you're dying to get into the ocean…freaking fish, the two of you." Danny grumbled, but it wasn't the least bit serious; and everyone knew it.
The four friends headed out into the warm Hawaiian afternoon, feeling a sense of freedom at having the next couple of days off. There was a lightness about them, which they hadn't felt in quite a long while.
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Kono heard a murmured voice, signaling that Danny was on his phone. She wanted to give him some privacy, but really needed some water.
Their impromptu cookout today had been just what they needed. Kono was able to float for quite a while, the water taking away some of the pressure on her back. She also was able to grab a quick nap in the lounge chair, which did her body a world of good.
The sun and salt water had taken a bit out of her, though – she knew that she would have to double up on the water in order to avoid dehydration. She was sure to be spending more time in the bathroom tonight as a result. She guessed it was a good thing that she grabbed a nap then, huh?
She tiptoed through her living room and into the kitchen, grabbing two water bottles from the fridge. By the time she was finished, the living room was quiet. She headed back towards her room but stopped short as she saw the despondent look on Danny's face.
She hurried to his side and sat down on the couch. "Danny? What's wrong? Is it Grace? Is she okay?"
Danny let out a shuddering breath, clearly trying to keep himself from crying, but wasn't having a lot of luck. "Um…she…she was doing better, and now she's not."
Kono was confused. "Who's not? Is Grace okay?"
Danny finally looked at her, a little surprised to see her sitting right next to him. "No…it's not Grace. It's…my grandmother. She died about an hour ago."
Kono's intake of breath was sharp. "God, Danny. I'm so sorry. Was she sick? Oh, hell. That's a stupid question. It doesn't matter if she was sick or not…I didn't mean anything by it. I'm just…so, so sorry, Danny."
Kono reached out and pulled him into a hug, not knowing what to say – but understanding that sometimes words weren't necessary.
Danny clutched at her shirt as he buried his face into the side of her neck. Before he knew what happened, he realized that the neckline of her shirt was soaked. He pulled away, embarrassed. "Shit, Kono. I'm sorry."
She shushed him before he could utter another word. "There's nothing to apologize for, Danny. I'm here for you, whatever you need."
Danny shook his head in self-deprecation. "How stupid is it that I'm not sure what I need?"
Kono smiled wryly. "I remember that feeling – and I remember having to just go with the flow."
Danny pinched at the bridge of his nose. "Such a fucking idiot. The last thing I wanted to do was remind you of your loss. I should go…"
Kono reached out and placed a hand on his arm, stopping him from moving any farther. "We're going to just chalk that up to grief and forget you even said that. Your grandmother was important to you. Of course you're going to be out of sorts. How about you let me call Steve and Chin, and then we can move forward from there. Sound good?"
Kono knew that she needed to be strong for Danny. He had been her rock during her grief, and while he hadn't expected anything in return, this felt like a chance for her to support him for a change.
Danny reached for his phone again. "I need to call Grace. She spent a lot of time with her Nonna when she was younger – and lately, she had been setting up Skype dates with her. I think she was supposed to talk to her last week. She's going to be devastated."
Kono's frown was heartfelt. She hated the sadness that would undoubtedly blanket Grace and Danny for the foreseeable future. "She's got the best dad in the world looking out for her. She'll be okay eventually…and so will you."
Danny's eyes were watery as he nodded. "Thanks, babe."
Kono just kissed the top of his head as she stood up. She stepped into the kitchen to call Steve and Chin. They were both upset on Danny's behalf, and wanted to come over, but Kono had the feeling that Danny wouldn't do well with a crowd tonight, even if it was only the four of them. They understood, and agreed to meet at Kono's in the morning for breakfast instead.
Danny was just hanging up from his phone call with Grace, and was again wiping at his eyes as he sat back against the couch. "Fuck. That completely sucked so very hard." He bent at the waist again and rested his elbows on his knees, dropping his head into his hands.
Kono sat next to him and lightly rubbed his back. "Steve and Chin send their condolences. They'll come in the morning, but didn't want to crowd you out tonight."
Danny hadn't realized how glad he was to have some time to himself to sort through the chaos in his head – he didn't even really realize how much he needed it, either. "Thanks." He scrubbed his hands through his hair before stretching his neck muscles.
Kono gave him a squeeze. "Tell me about her, Danny? Tell me about Nonna."
Danny took a deep breath and sank back against the cushions. "Nonna is…was…like glue. She was the bond that held our family together. No matter what was going on, we always knew that if we were all together at Nonna's, then everything would be all right."
Kono smiled warmly. "She sounds like an amazing woman."
Danny managed a small smile. "I used to spend weeks at her house during the summer. She lived down by the shore. My sisters and my brother had to share her – each grandchild got three weeks with her every summer on our own. She always made me feel like I was the only grandchild. I'm sure we all felt like that. She just doted on us. I don't think she ever told any of her grandkids 'no', but we weren't spoiled, either. We never really wanted things, but what we usually asked for was to just go with her; be with her, whatever she did. There was something absolutely special about our times together. I wouldn't have traded that for anything in the world."
He took a shuddering breath and tried to continue. "I remember the year that all of the grandkids got these little business card sized things from her for Christmas. My friends thought it was the lamest gift in the world, but I treasured those coupons. I used to call them my 'tickets'. Those tickets were good for all kinds of activities with Nonna…dinner, movies, a fancy date, and sometimes they were a free choice…I didn't realize until I was older that she had made them for us because money was tight that year. This way, she could spread out what she spent, but still make us feel like the most loved kid in the world. I used to beg her to continue doing the tickets – even as an adult." He shook his head. "The adult coupons bailed me out of some tight situations as I got older. She used to give me things like a free tank of gas, or grocery store gift certificates. It was her way of helping me out without making me feel like a loser."
He chuckled to himself, which felt strange in the midst of his sadness. "I remember being in tears one day because I was supposed to use one of my tickets for something…I think it was a lunch date…but I forgot it at home. I was so worried that she would cancel on me because I didn't have that damned coupon in my hands. Again, later on, I realized that it never mattered if I presented the ticket or not. It was the time with us that she cherished. It meant the world to her that even as adults, we all wanted to spend time at Nonna's.
He stood up and started to pace. "She had always been healthy until a few years ago. She developed Type 2 diabetes, and did really well with it, but developed an ulcer on her foot. She had a few kidney issues that impacted her circulation – and eventually the wound just couldn't heal. She knew the surgery would be rough, but she was Nonna. She kicked ass. It was bad, though because of the circulation issues. The surgery site just never healed like it should have. All told, she ended up having three amputations, each one having to higher and higher, until they were finally able to close the wound and get it to heal."
He turned to her with a stricken look on her face. "But what kills me is that she was doing really well. She had been a rock star through rehab, and was supposed to go home next week. But she had a heart problem…fucking heart failure after everything she had been through? It's…it's just not fair, you know? Damn it, it's not fair."
Kono was on her feet and over to where Danny stood before the first choked sob broke from his throat. All she could do was hold on tight as Danny let himself grieve – for the loss of his grandmother, and for the childhood that was not only lost to Grace, but to him forever, except for in his memories.
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A/N2: Many of 'Nonna's' characteristics (and what ultimately caused her death) were those of my dad as well. The 22nd of this month will be three years since he died, and as I started working on this chapter, I realized just how much I miss him right now. This part of the chapter was not in the original plan, but it's where my head (and heart) went. Thank you for indulging my missing him...I do okay for most of the year, but the holidays have a bitter taste to them, as he died the day before Thanksgiving in 2011.