I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.

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Chapter 21

Mikey chuckled to himself as he dropped his eyes back down to his half-eaten plate of food. To say that his older half-brother had a "shit-eating grin" plastered across his face would be a minor understatement. His arrogant and almost self-righteously pleased "I told you so" attitude was plainly over the top.

His arms were folded across his broad chest and he was rocking backwards on the two rear legs of the chair he was seated in across from Mike. Leveling his fork at Ponch, Mike started to laugh louder as Ponch's grin deepened.

"Knock it off before you fall over and draw even more attention to yourself!"

But Ponch only happily shrugged as his chair wavered on the brink of no return. They were sitting in the San Diego airport where Mike had called his daughter hours ago waiting for their flight back to Honolulu. They were returning almost four days early as a surprise and neither of them could be happier about it; though every so often Mike would sober and doubt the decision

Mike rolled his eyes as Ponch finally righted his chair to finish his own meal. Just the day before, Mike had been stunned by two job offers but was still second-guessing what he was doing. Ponch was unrelenting in the final decision that would keep his brother and niece in Hawaii for at least the next five years, maybe longer as the contracting opportunity had every likelihood of being extended up to a ten year term.

He mindlessly played with his food again and unconsciously shook his head as he automatically went back to yesterday's discussions with both companies where he had accepted one offer and declined the second. In another lifetime, he would have done exactly the opposite. Ponch tapped his hand sternly and he looked dazedly across to the man who seemed to be calling the immediate shots lately. But that wasn't a fair statement, Mike thought reproachfully; his brother just wanted to help.

"It's not wrong, Mikey. It couldn't be more right. Once you truly get through all of this, you'll see it for what it is." Ponch softened as he studied the slope-shouldered weary man in front of him.

"You're tired, stressed and need more meat on your bones. So finish eating and then let's just get home, alright? Our flight leaves in less than one hour."

Once again, he wasn't hungry and Ponch was harping. The fate of having a still somewhat new half-brother that was also a diligent, over-bearing doctor humbled him on a daily basis. Mike's ex-boss had unexpectedly shown up to pay his condolences at Amy's funeral. Before leaving, the man had taken Mike to the side and offered him the very long-term contracting opportunity in Hawaii that Mike was now having cold-feet about. Where he had previously been respectfully silent, Ponch had now become adamant that he accept.

"What is wrong with you? The man tracked you down and cares, Mikey. He cares and he needs you." But Mike had still gone on that one other interview he had setup for a basic, mostly nine to five job in Richmond. The familiarity of his home town with the steadiness of a week-to-week paycheck offered him a peace of mind that he thought he needed. Plus, Becca would be home and attending the very school she had first been enrolled in. It was all very safe and very predictable.

His weak reply was that he wasn't a contractor and could be relocated again at any time. Five years wasn't guaranteed, let alone an extension and how could he and Rebecca cope with the prospect of moving. The appeal of a regular state-side job in familiar territory simply seemed better.

"I don't know, Ponch." His brother huffed a disgusted sound from across the table. The two certainly looked the same and could have the same caustically dry wit. But where Ponch made a decision, stuck to it and moved on, Mike waffled as he constantly doubted the intelligence of his choice.

"Suppose the contract falls through? Then what do I do? I just gave up a sure thing, Ponchie."

"I don't mean to be rude - but this contract is a done deal and work has been in progress for the last six months. It's a long term, five-year miracle with your name written all over it." Mikey made his own wondrous sound of disgust as he stared at Ponch. Ever since his ex-boss now once-again current boss lay the offer on the table on the steps of the funeral home, Ponch had suddenly been nothing but rude. Learning that Peter Runyon not only had been a great boss, but was also desperate to get Mike Ramirez back after firing the last incumbent was simply deemed fortuitous.

"It's signed, sealed and now been delivered to you. Runyon said the last guy was incompetent. He came looking for you because he needs and trusts you. All you have to do right now is say thank you." Ponch was leaning over the table and practically hissing angrily at Mike's refusal to see the obvious facts. Tapping the table with his fork, Ponch persisted on another key factor.

"Plus that hovel you call an apartment is a sad cry from a real home for you two. I repeat, what the hell would you do during the day when Becca gets home from school? A nanny? A neighbor? Shuttle her off somewhere until you got out of work? How is that any better than what she's had for the last few years?"

His final sentence had in fact, clinched the decision for Mike and Ponch saw fit at every opportunity to spout the truth of it over and over. Oddly, Mike hadn't been offended by the near nastiness of it either. It was gods-honest truth. What exactly would he have done with Rebecca for the few hours that could stretch even longer on a busy work day?

Mike sighed and nodded in agreement before rubbing his hands wearily over his eyes. They were both exhausted from a long day of travel that still wasn't quite done yet. His own stress made that feeling much worse and he kept his face hidden as he rested his elbows on the table. A stray thought rattled unbidden through his head and he smiled into his hands while shaking his head ruefully.

"With your brother and Ellen here ... and no one there ... why the hell would you leave?"

He had barely heard Danny's words. They certainly hadn't sunk in to his brain when he'd been completely distracted by the call giving him the go-ahead to bring Amy home. Those plans had derailed everything in his immediate short-term. For whatever reason now, the dry comment came back full circle and he shook his head again. Mike clearly heard the disapproving sound emanating from the big man sitting across from him as he assumed the wrong thing.

"Mikey, come on." The whisper was fraught with worry and the continued plea for him to be happy. But when Mike finally leaned back in his seat, Ponch saw that he was smiling and he relaxed until Mike announced his next step.

"I need to buy Becca a rabbit of her own."

He raised his eyebrows in humor as Ponch nearly gagged mid-swallow from his water glass. "You're obviously over-wrought and need more time to think about a few things, Mikey. Finish your dinner."

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"She's fine." Ellen was laughing softly as she gave Grace a hug and tilted her chin up one last time to check on the new bandage. Grace's chin had become sore and she had changed the bandage to use more of the soothing salve that she had in her first aid kit.

"Right, you're fine? Next time stop the hand stands at one thousand and one instead of one million, okay?" Grace was giggling at the joke as she said good night to Ellen and Rebecca. "Take care of your father, too, young lady."

Ellen was in the process of sneaking out the front door while Danny dozed in the same lounge chair on the lanai. An hour earlier, she had retaken his vitals and insisted upon another round of anti-inflammatory and pain medication. The medication was aptly doing its job as he relaxed and his tight, strained muscles eased their strangle-hold on his chest. Speaking to Steve now by the front door, she nodded in his partner's direction.

"He's fine too. Everything's normal and he should take his meds tomorrow as soon as he feels any discomfort. I wouldn't be very surprised if he slept a good part of the morning either." She gave Steve a one-armed hug as Becca clung to her waist. Exhausted by the long day she was virtually asleep on her feet with poor Lord Ted being dragged by one paw across the floor. Steve bent down to pick up the teddy and place it in the crook of her arm.

"He's going to need another round in the washing machine soon." He chided her gently as he rubbed at Lord Ted's very dirty paws. Steve had to chuckle at her bleary-eyed expression. "I'll carry you to the car before you decide to fall over your own two feet. I think we've had enough bumps and bruises for one day."

Becca grinned tiredly as Steve picked her up and closing her eyes, she rested her head on his shoulder almost asleep on the spot. Even dead weight, she fit comfortably in his arms and he rubbed her back in a slow circle before gently belting her into the car. He smoothed straggly pieces of hair back from her face after she had sunk down towards the center console with Lord Ted once again acting as the ultimate pillow.

"Do you think he'll stay." He asked Ellen in a low whisper before she got into the driver's seat. A multitude of emotions crossed her face before she answered and her reply wasn't satisfying to either of them.

"I hope so. But I don't know."

Steve sighed before admitting what Danny had suggested. "I'll make some calls. Mike's got some decent credentials." She smiled then. A large genuine smile that earned him a rib-crunching hug.

"Thank you. Regardless of what Mike decides, I know he would appreciate the help." He and Grace waved once as the two drove away. Steve then took Grace's hand and aimed her for his sister's old bedroom.

"Can you manage or do you need help." He folded his arms across his chest as he smiled down at her. She was evidently wide-awake and still full of energy despite the scary event in the water. She had already kissed her father good night and so Grace shrugged before skipping off with much too much energy.

"I'm good, Uncle Steve! Good night!"

"Night, Gracie." He smirked as she ran off without a trace of a limp to change into pajamas knowing that she'd probably fall asleep too as soon as her head hit a pillow. His next and last conquest to master was getting his partner out of the lounge chair that he had melted into. Partially on his right side, Danny had his left hand loosely draped across his chest as if it still ached and Steve frowned even though he was obviously sleeping.

"Danny. Time to go in." As expected, there was zero response and Steve sucked in a lungful of air as he patiently surveyed the slumbering shape. He had no choice unless he were to leave Danny sleeping outside on the lanai. He almost did too, until he saw the lightning in the distance. Once he smelled the rain on the wind, Steve used sheer determination to physically pull and push Danny into a sitting position.

"Sit. Don't move." The muffled complaining was completely unintelligible as Danny rocked awkwardly on the edge of the chair. Planning his next move, Steve leaned down and grabbed Danny's right arm. "Ready?"

Unfocused eyes stared directly into his face while the badly slurred question made him laugh. "Hmm? For .. what?"

"Wrong answer, Danno." Using two hands, he heaved his partner up to his feet. "Stand up."

"Up." Resorting to one word commands, Steve heaved Danny to the vertical and before he could lose any initial momentum, started moving. "Walk. Let's go, turn and walk, Danno."

"Don't talk to me about laying off the donuts, buddy."

He was panting heavily by the time he got Danny to the spare bedroom and finally under the covers. The pain medication mimicked what Ponch had given Danny while in the ICU and he'd only been using it as needed. That mostly meant at night and before going to bed since it made him - according to Danny - a very happy zombie.

Blotting his sweaty forehead with his sleeve, Steve agreed wholeheartedly with the description. He would undoubtedly wake more well rested versus having stayed on a webbed lounge chair, but Danny lay exactly as Steve had pushed him into the bed. On his right side as per doctor's orders was as much as Steve dared hope for as the happy snoring rose up from the depths of the deep blankets.

"Good night, Danny." Plunging the room into darkness, Steve made for his own bedroom without even attempting to stifle his yawn. On the way, he peeked in on Grace who was sprawled on her stomach across the bed and sleeping soundly despite the coming storm. Steve had a content smile on his face as flashes of lightning lit his way down the hallway.

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Ellen was making tea in the kitchen with the family travel calendar spread open on the large round table when she heard the soft knock on her front door. Nearing two o'clock in the morning, she and Rebecca had stayed later than anticipated to make sure that Danny and Grace were both alright. Becca had fallen asleep in the car on the way home and had barely walked herself under the covers in the spare bedroom. But Ellen couldn't sleep after tossing and turning for a few hours and once the storm had blown over the house, she had finally given up.

The rain had stopped fairly quickly and only distant thunder could be heard as it moved across the island. The knock was extremely unexpected though and she was leery to answer the door - first sneaking through the dark hallway to the home office window that would give her an unobstructed view of the front steps. She gasped when she recognized her husband's silhouette in the darkness with his brother standing a few paces behind holding a large duffel bag.

Ellen made her way back and thumbed on the porch light before opening the door to pounce happily on both men. Ponch's huge grin was even larger than Mike's as he picked her up to swing her around with a quiet chuckle. Her whisper was excited and almost too loud as she hugged him back.

"Your both almost four days early? Where did you really call Becca from then?"

Ponch's eyes were bloodshot and he was rumpled from a long day of travel with Mike not looking as if he fared much better. "San Diego. It was hard to keep this a surprise."

She pulled them in through the door and then to the kitchen. "Miss me? Is that why you're still up so late? We saw the light and knocked because we didn't want to scare you." Ponch was laughing softly as he hugged Ellen again. Mike though was nearly dead on his feet and Ponch changed direction to tug his brother towards the fourth bedroom in the rambling ranch.

"This guy needs to get to bed before he keels over." Taking the duffel bag, Ellen agreed as she walked ahead to the bedroom to pull down covers and plump up pillows. However, Mike objected as he needed his own detour of sorts. Hugging Ellen to himself he pointed towards the smaller guest bedroom.

"How's Rebecca? Has she really been okay?"

"She's great, Mike. Fantastic. Sound asleep after a long day playing." But he was desperate to see with his own eyes, so Ponch and Ellen hung back as he quietly opened the door. Easing in, Mike fixed the blankets Becca had once again managed to kick off to the floor.

He was almost startled by the changes more than a week's worth of time had made in the little girl. His first reunion had been in the hospital where she'd been so tiny and pale. Her cheeks had been blotchy with feverish tears and she'd been a tight ball of distrustful tension. Now she was completely different. A small smile curved her lips and she had a healthy, rosy hue to her entire complexion. Her long black hair lay loose and shiny on the pillows with her chin pillowed by the knuckles of her right hand. Daring to touch her, Mike placed a light kiss on her cheek before sneaking out again.

"She's beautiful." Ponch met his relieved words head on with a proud, comfortable smile of his own. They had agreed to wait until the next day to tell both Ellen and Rebecca the additional good news so Ponch gave him a friendly push back towards his room.

"Sleep. Tomorrow's a big day." Mike grinned as he held his arms out to Ellen.

"It is a big day." It was almost too cryptic and Ponch cleared his throat softly as Ellen looked quizzically from one to the other. Giving his sister-in-law a huge hug, he whispered in her ear his truly heartfelt thanks. "Thank you. For everything you're doing. I couldn't have done any of this without either of you."

Ellen didn't need to say anything as Mike smiled and offered her a quick kiss on the nose. "A real bed is going to be a treat. Good night, sis."

Pulling her along, Ponch and Ellen disappeared to the master bedroom. "So are you going to tell me about this big day?" Ellen whispered cautiously as soon as their door closed; she had her biggest hopes in mind which Ponch was well aware of, but he refused to say more.

"Nope." The reply was too simple and only sparked her interest. She watched as his unkempt travel shirt was balled up and tossed into a corner.

"Not even a hint?" She put her hands on her hips to mockingly threaten him but he only shrugged with a queer smile. Each shoe was sloppily kicked off; one nearly across the room to settle by the armoire doors.

"Nope."

"But Alphonse." Usually the use of his given first name would evaporate any of his resolve but Ponch stuck to his guns as he shed his rumpled slacks for comfortable sleep pants. Her frustrated plea only made him shrug happily as he hit the light-switch off.

"Alphonse .. just a tiny hint."

"Nope." In the darkness, a loud resounding kiss sounded as he blindly found her temple. The bed creaked as his large body twisted and turned into a comfortable position. His voice was muffled and she gasped at his obvious and very intentional evasion.

"Good night, dear."

"Alphonse!" The sound of the hard painful slap on his bare shoulder echoed next in the dark room. His over-tired giggled response earned him a second annoyed slap before Ellen began to laugh, too. Within seconds, the man was snoring and she laughed again at the futility of it all; he had long ago trained himself to fall asleep at the drop of a hat and almost anywhere. Eventually, she fell asleep peacefully rocked up against his broad back, lulled to sleep by his reassuring presence.

~ to be continued ~