A/N: So we've come to the end of this little journey. While this story was not as well received, I want to thank you for allowing me to build the friendship between Danny and Kono. It was something very different from anything I've done before, but it's also something that I'm really proud of.
The usual ending notes apply...if you've reviewed, can you spare one more? If you haven't, would you mind?
Until next story...
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Kono had been pushing for the better part of an hour, and was starting to get a little tired. She had managed to labor without the need for any pain medicine, but the pushing had been frustrating, to say the least. Everyone kept telling her that she was doing a great job, but the baby was just not moving very quickly.
Almost as soon as she caught her breath, another contraction was forcing her to push with all of her might. Danny was next to her, helping brace her neck and back, while Lea was on the other side, bracing her leg. She could hear Danny counting in her ear, but while she was pushing, the world seemed very far away. The only thing that she could focus on was trying to get her baby out.
Vaguely, she could hear an alarm blaring in the background, and could not help but notice the look on Lea's face. Trying to catch her breath, she gasped, "What's wrong?"
Lea smiled reassuringly at Kono. "The baby's heartbeat dropped a little during that last contraction. We're going to get you a little more onto your left side, and increase your oxygen. The next couple of contractions will tell us whether we need to worry or not, okay?"
Kono nodded as a couple of people helped her shift in the bed. She felt the increased oxygen on her face, and she thought she heard someone telling her to just take some slow breaths. Dr. Lau was ready, whenever her son decided to finally make his presence known.
She felt Danny place a wet washcloth on her forehead. She closed her eyes to savor the sensation, and felt the vibration of his voice. "How are you holding up, babe?"
Wearily, she opened her eyes. "Honestly? I'm tired, Danny. I'm trying as hard as I can, but I guess it's just not good enough."
Danny knew that she was getting discouraged, and he didn't want that. He could see that she was trying, but for whatever reason, the baby just didn't want to cooperate. Apparently, Adam's son was destined to be stubborn.
Before he could say anything to try to help though, another contraction signaled the need to push again. Kono pushed three times while Danny counted to ten; one right after the other. She could tell that she had made some progress that time. Something felt different. The loud alarm, however, was a reminder that things weren't over yet. She opened her eyes to see Lea in front of her face.
"All right, Kono. It's obvious that the baby doesn't like labor right now. The heartbeat keeps dropping while you push, which is not a good thing. You're doing an awesome job, but we need to get this little guy out now, okay? I need you to give everything to these next few pushes."
Kono nodded and tried to rest before the next contraction hit her. Danny wiped her face and neck with the wet cloth before tossing it on the table beside the bed. Just then, Kono groaned and started to sit up. He helped brace her back and neck and got ready.
"Ten…nine…eight…seven…six…five…four…three…two…one… Deep breath, and again. Ten…nine…eight…seven…six…five…four…three…two…one… Last one…you can do this. Ten…nine…eight…seven…six…five…four…three…two…one… Great job, babe."
Lea nodded her head. "That was great, Kono. We need another set just like that, okay? You have to get this baby out with these pushes."
Kono tucked her chin to her chest, determined to make this count. Summoning strength that she didn't think existed any more, Kono pushed as hard as she could. Somewhere between the first and second set of ten, she heard Dr. Lau's voice. "Stop, Kono. The head is out. Just give us a minute."
Kono wasn't sure that she could stop, but she did the best that she could. "Ow, damn. It burns…Lea, it burns…" After a few seconds, she heard Dr. Lau's voice again. "Okay, Kono. Just a couple of little pushes and you're through."
Kono took in a breath and bore down. A short time later, she felt an overwhelming sense of relief as her son finally came into the world. She collapsed back onto the pillows, eagerly listening for that first cry that would signal that she was officially a mom, and slowly became more and more frantic when she didn't hear anything.
"What's happening? Danny? What's going on?" She tried to see what was happening at the warmer, but was blocked by one of the nurses. She could see movement, but couldn't make out anything specific.
She held her breath, trying not to panic. She reached out for Danny's hand, desperately seeking something to hold on to. "Danny…?" Her sentence was cut off by the increasingly urgent sound of a baby crying. It seemed as if her son had finally figured out what to do.
Kono burst into tears at that amazing sound. As the stress of everything that had taken place over the past months crashed over her, she found herself sobbing hysterically, to the point where she wasn't sure she could stop.
Danny's voice in her ear brought her back to awareness as he hugged her. "You're okay, babe. You did it, Kono. You did it."
Kono gratefully accepted the tissues that the nurse pressed into her hand and smiled as Danny took his own tissues and wiped at his eyes.
After a few more minutes, they saw Dr. Lau approaching with a huge smile on her face and a small bundle in her arms. "Someone wants to meet his mom."
Kono clapped a hand over her mouth, while Danny just smiled. Kono was a mom now.
"He's doing great, now that he's out." She handed the baby to Kono, grinning as she watched her cuddle him in her arms.
Kono looked up, concerned. "What happened to him? Why did his heart rate drop?"
Dr. Lau shook her head in amusement. "It seems as though he decided that he was going to hang on to the umbilical cord for dear life. Each time you had a contraction, he must have gripped the cord, which made his heart rate drop. When his heart rate dropped, his hand relaxed, which made him let go of the cord. The extra oxygen woke him up a little more, and then he'd grab the cord again. All of that made him not like the whole labor process too much."
Danny stroked a finger along the baby's downy-soft cheek. "How much does he weigh?"
Dr. Lau smiled. "He's 7lbs, 10 oz. He's also 21 inches long. Do you have a name picked out, Kono?"
Kono smiled and nodded. "I do. I'm going to wait until he can meet his other uncles, though."
Susan understood and winked at Kono. "No problem. I'm going to get you cleaned up a little bit before we let everyone else come back in. Lea will take the baby to the nursery for his newborn tests and screening. It's all routine, though. His Apgar scores were 6 immediately after his birth, but are 9 now that he's not hanging on for dear life. He's doing well, Kono. Danny can go with him if you'd like, and then once you're cleaned up and settled, we'll bring him back in here with you."
Kono had a hard time taking her eyes off of him, but eventually Dr. Lau's words sank in. She didn't want her son to leave, but as long as Danny was with him, she guessed it would be okay. She nodded and reluctantly handed him over to Lea.
The next hour was a flurry of activity, much of which Kono only vaguely remembered. She knew that she had been cleaned up and moved to her room. She remembered Danny coming back with her son. But mostly, she remembered sitting on her bed and holding her son, feeling more complete than she ever thought she could feel; and yet without Adam there to witness the birth of his son, more empty than she had ever thought possible.
She lightly stroked her son's cheek and smiled as he scrunched his face and turned towards the touch. She felt Danny chuckle softly from where he sat next to her. "It's hard to believe he's real, huh? I mean, I know he's here, but you did it, Kono. You have a son."
Kono smiled at the sheer wonder in Danny's voice and was glad he was here with her. Although he wasn't making complete and total sense, somehow she knew exactly how he felt. Kono nodded but whispered, "I don't think it's really sunk in yet."
Kono was wiped out, but she was a little afraid to put their son in the bassinet; for fear that he would up and disappear. After everything that she had been through, she just wanted to hold him for as long as she could.
"What do you say we put Steve out of his misery? Are you up for a couple of visitors before you crash? You can tell us his name, and then we can keep an eye on him for a bit while you sleep."
Kono was embarrassed when a huge yawn nearly split her head in half but nodded her agreement.
Danny kissed the top of her head before carefully standing up from the bed. He opened the door and hurried to find Steve and Chin in the waiting room. Danny's wide smile told them how things had gone, and they were anxious to meet Kono's son for themselves.
They hurried to her room, asking questions of Danny along the way. "No, she did great. The baby decided to make things interesting, but once she got him out, things were fine. He was just less than 8 pounds, and has a massive amount of hair on his little head."
By this time, they were in the doorway and walking quietly into her room. She turned towards them with a huge smile on her face. "Hey, you guys."
They came close, immediately realizing how right she looked holding her son. "Kono, he's gorgeous." Chin's voice was soft and awe-filled as he looked at the miracle his cousin had brought into the world.
She blinked at the tears and nodded. "I kind of think so." She glanced over at Steve, who was watching them with an affectionate smile. "So, boss? What do you think?"
Steve just shook his head. "I think that you are a rock star. He's perfect, sweetheart."
She looked at Danny, who nodded at her to continue. "Guys. There's someone I want you to meet. This is Ethan Akamu Noshimuri."
Chin caught the reference before anyone else and smiled. "Akamu means Adam. I think he would be so proud of you Kono. So very proud."
Kono's tears started in full, and Danny quickly reached for Ethan while Chin sat on the edge of the bed and hugged his cousin close. These tears were a long time in coming, and Chin knew that Kono needed this last step in order to finally fully heal from her loss. She wouldn't get over Adam for a long, long time – if ever – but these tears signaled a shift into her new life as a mom, with friends and family by her side.
Dr. Lau poked her head into the room and immediately hurried to Kono's side before looking at Danny. "Danny?"
He shook his head. "She'll be okay. Just a lot of emotion right now, missing Adam."
She nodded as she sat on the other side of the bed, lightly rubbing her arm.
Chin broke the hug and gave Kono some Kleenex to wipe at her eyes, while the doctor took stock of her patient. Medically, there was nothing that she could do to fix this. The only thing that could make this any better for her was time.
And while time would definitely help, there would be random memories and anniversaries months and years down the road that would trip Kono up and rip her heart out again. As long as Kono had people in her corner to support her and let her grieve in whatever way she needed to at that time, then Susan Lau knew without a doubt that she would be okay.
"Kono, I know you know about the idea of an adrenaline dump, right?" At Kono's nod, she continued. "Well, your emotions over the next days and weeks are going to be a lot like that. If you can just remember that it's relatively normal, and try not to beat yourself up about it, you should be okay. If it ever becomes more than you feel like you can handle, please call me immediately and we can talk about how to help you."
Kono's breath hitched as she tried to regain control, and after a few moments, nodded and turned to smile softly at her son. Her son…she had a son! He was sleeping in Danny's arms, and Kono flushed as she yawned again.
"Okay. This is your doctor ordering you to get some sleep. You have three competent uncles willing to keep an eye on your little one. Take advantage of that while you can."
Kono nodded and accepted Dr. Lau's hug, whispering her thanks, and hoping her words would convey how grateful she truly was.
As Dr. Lau stood and left the room, Kono sank back against the pillows.
Danny took the first shift, sitting gingerly in the padded recliner next to the bed. He turned toward Kono and smiled as he saw how close to sleep she already was. Chin pulled the blanket over her shoulders as she turned onto her side, facing two of the most important men in her life; the other two standing at the foot of the bed. "Wake me when he wants to eat, okay?"
Danny grinned. "Yeah, like I could do much about that. That's strictly your department for a while."
Kono yawned and covered her mouth. "Sorry about that." She was so tired.
Danny smiled softly. "It's okay, babe. You've kind of had a busy day. Get some sleep, okay?" Danny shifted Ethan so that he rested more comfortably in the crook of his arm.
Within minutes, Kono was fast asleep and Steve and Chin were heading to the cafeteria and gift shop, respectively. Ethan's birth came unexpectedly, and they wanted to find a gift to welcome him into the world. They also needed coffee, if they were going to be on alert for the first night.
With whispers that they would be right back, they left; closing the door behind them, and Danny was staring into the dark newborn eyes of his 'nephew'.
After gazing intently at him for a full minute, Danny softly cleared his throat. "Okay. So here we are. It's just you and me right now, buddy. I'm going to promise you something. You may feel like it's just you and your mom, but that's not true. You have three uncles who already love you like crazy. Your mom is pretty special to us, which makes you pretty special to us as well."
Danny checked to see if Kono was still asleep, and was thankful to see nothing but peace on her face. He turned back to where Ethan was starting to squirm. Gently rocking him, he continued on. "But no matter what, I promise you that we're all going to be there for your mom forever. Nothing will ever change that, okay? So you don't have to worry about a thing. It's our job to show you just how much your mom wanted you, and we will do our best to help you learn all about your dad. It's not fair that he didn't get to be there to meet you, but I know he would have loved you."
Just then, Ethan let out a squeaky little grunt that immediately wrapped itself more firmly around Danny's heart. That one noise was all it took for him to realize that his heart had now expanded to love two children. Danny carefully shifted him higher up on his chest, thankful that Steve and Chin weren't here to see him turn to mush, and whispered, "Ssshhh, buddy. You're okay. I've got you, little man."
Four Years Later
Grace placed a hand on Kono's knee, laughing as she looked at her in surprise. Kono hadn't realized that her leg had been bouncing for a while. She always seemed to do that when she was nervous. She couldn't help it though…this was her son out there.
"He's going to be fine, you know. He's been talking about this for a long time, and Danno and Uncle Steve know what they're doing. Well, Danno does, anyway."
Kono bit her bottom lip, partly in nervousness, and partly to suppress a grin at Grace's truth. "I know…it's just that I'm not sure I'm ready for him to do this."
Grace reached over and gave her a hug. "Relax, Auntie Kono. Danno has coached me for a long time, and I turned out to be a pretty good softball player." That was an understatement, as Grace was currently pitching for a club softball travel team, and was a starting pitcher for Kukui High School's varsity softball team – the only freshman in the past thirteen years to do so.
"I'm pretty sure that he and even Uncle Steve can handle a Tee Ball game without too much damage." Grace stood up to cheer as Ethan's team all ran onto the field. It took a few minutes for Danny and Steve to get the kids in their right starting positions, but eventually every kid was situated in his or her own spot.
Ethan was playing first base, which worked since he had developed into a natural lefty. Of course, in Tee Ball, the concept of 'playing' was subjective. No matter how many times they practiced only fielding the ball if it came to your position, every kid felt the need to chase after the ball as soon as it was hit.
Surprisingly, as competitive as Steve was, he was actually very laid back as a coach to a team of squirrely 4-year-olds. Their practices were often like trying to herd cats, but he didn't care. He and Danny were having a blast coaching, while Kono and Chin cheered from the stands.
Life for Ethan was filled with one family member or another ready and available to keep an eye on him. His ohana had vowed to step up, knowing that Adam was not here to guide him. Ethan never tired of the special men in his life, either.
Uncle Chin let him help fix his motorcycle, which Ethan loved. He didn't understand everything that Uncle Chin talked about but he always felt so special, and Uncle Chin never treated him like a little kid. He never got mad if Ethan couldn't fix something or dropped one of his tools. He just found another way to explain things or handed him a new tool.
Spending time with Uncle Steve was so much fun. None of Ethan's friends at preschool knew how to track animals or paint their faces and hide out. Uncle Steve had taken 'the guys' camping and had included him – he worried a little bit about his mom being alone, but once he saw that camping would take place in Uncle Steve's back yard, he wasn't quite as nervous. He knew that if she needed him, she could just call him. That made him feel a lot better.
His Uncle Danny was the sports expert, and had taught him about a lot of different sports that he now loved. He had tried football, but found that he really liked baseball the best. He was unique in that he threw the ball with his left hand, but batted like a right-handed batter. Uncle Danny told him that made him an extra-special player, which Ethan grabbed onto. Grace even let him be the batboy when she pitched at her school.
He had so much fun when he and Uncle Danny had their 'guys night' and ordered pizza and watched baseball games on TV. Uncle Danny gave him 'tickets' every year for Christmas. He loved them because he knew that it meant getting to do lots of different things with his uncle…movies, lunches, extra sleepovers…whatever Ethan wanted. Uncle Danny was mostly his favorite uncle, but he didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings, so he never told. But it was true.
Kono's heart swelled as she watched the absolute joy on her son's face as he stood on the field. The fact that she had managed to get her life to this point was not a surprise to anyone who knew her, but they did know that it had taken a lot of time, anger, and tears.
She had finally moved her and Ethan into Adam's house – the place that they now called their home. She still had some rough days here and there. Whenever those happened, Kono called one of the guys to come and pick Ethan up and spend some time with him. That way, she had time to feel whatever it was that she felt and work her way through it. It wasn't always ideal, but it was what worked for her. The first time it happened, she was full of apology and anger, and Steve reminded her that she wasn't alone in this. Ethan's 'village' was ready and waiting to help, if only she would let them. She hated relying on anyone, but understood that this was even bigger and more important than her pride.
In his new house, Ethan was fascinated by the pictures of Adam that were on the wall. He had known that Adam was "daddy" from the first moment he was able to recognize him in pictures. Each and every member of his family had stories about his dad that they shared with him. His mom even showed a couple of videos of his dad surfing, which was even more reason for him to be so anxious to hit the water. He wanted to be just like his dad and mom.
His mom was the best mom ever. He heard some older kids call her a 'bad-ass' – he wasn't sure what that meant, but maybe one of his uncles would know? He was tough, like his uncles; but there were times when he just needed his mom. She always stopped what she was doing to spend time with him, and still called him her "little man" and never made him feel like a baby. He really liked that about her.
She had taken him tandem surfing practically from the time he could stand. To say he was comfortable in the water was an understatement. He had no fear, and was already a strong swimmer even without floaties. He played on his body board, but he couldn't wait to start really surfing in the next month or two.
Hearing shouting, Ethan looked around and saw that the ball was headed his way. Remembering what Uncle Danny told him, he got in front of the ball and put his glove down. As soon as he had it, he ran to touch the bag, getting there a full five steps sooner than the runner. He cheered with the rest of his team as his play ended the game. That meant shave ice at Kamekona's, which he loved to do.
As the sun started to set on the ball field, Ethan snuck a glance at the stands. His mom and Uncle Chin were standing up, cheering for his team. Uncle Steve and Uncle Danny were at home plate, high-fiving every one of his teammates after they ran around the bases and jumped on home plate. It was kind of their tradition to do that after the games, and all of the kids liked it.
Ethan Akamu Noshimuri wanted for nothing, except for maybe his dad to not be in heaven. He saw how sad his mom got sometimes, and that always made him sad, too. Uncle Chin told him that time would take care of everything, but that didn't make sense to him. His watch told time, and it wasn't like he could throw it up to heaven and bring his dad back home at the same time.
Without warning, he felt strong, thin arms scoop him up and spin him around, and he knew that he was safe – his mom would not let him go. He squirmed until he was facing her and wrapped his arms around her neck, planting a kiss against her cheek. "I love you, Mommy. All the way to my daddy and back."
Kono's eyes sparkled. One night, Ethan had said that to her out of the blue, and while it initially gutted her, it quickly became their phrase. There was not a day that went by where they didn't say it, no matter what. It was a comfort to both of them. It was familiar, and it was safe – and it was theirs. "And I love you too, my little man. All the way to your daddy and back."
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