Chapter 5

Myah was perched on a rocky outcropping, legs hanging freely, her dark hair blowing wild in the wind. My wild child, Steve thought to himself, smiling at the sight of her. She seemed to sense his gaze and turned and gave him a sassy little chin up, before turning her face back into the wind and closing her eyes. A soft humming caught his attention and he stepped over to Nahele, and lowered himself down next to him.

"Is that Metallica?"

"Uh… yeah." Nahele lowered his head, looking embarrassed. "Ever since Stranger Things, I've been listening to them a lot."

Steve nodded. "That's cool."

"Myah said you used to play the guitar."

"How did she know that?" Steve asked, caught off guard. "I've never told her that."

Nahele shrugged. "I don't think there's anything she can't find out."

"I'm not sure if that's a blessing or curse, at least for you and I. But yeah. I did used to play."

"How come you stopped?"

Steve swallowed and then looked over at Nahele. "Stage fright."

"Are you serious? I don't believe you."

"Well, believe it. I practiced every day for weeks for the tenth grade talent show, but when I walked out on that stage… I'd never been so scared."

"I didn't think you were scared of anything."

Steve shifted his weight, trying to get more comfortable on the sandy area, suddenly feeling a little lost in memories. "I didn't think my dad was afraid of anything either. He always seemed invincible, always just took care of business. It wasn't until my mom died… or at least when I thought she'd died, that I realized he was just human. Seeing his face and how scared he was," Steve shook his head. That had terrified him even more than the thought of the unknown that was his future. "You know, life in this world is hard for a man. I don't see any reason to pretend like it isn't."

Nahele looked surprised but seemed thoughtful as he took in Steve's words.

"What scares you?" Steve was inspired to ask. He realized he couldn't remember the last time he had had a more serious conversation with his son. They talked all the time, but mostly about surfing, working out and sports. Like he and his dad had, he realized ruefully. He now could think of so many things he wished he'd taken the time to ask his father when he'd had the chance. Not to mention his mother. His memories of her, as a Den Mother, as a school teacher, clashed against what he knew of her now. He honestly didn't know if he'd ever had a real conversation with her. Steve determined in that moment that he would not make that same mistake with his family.

"Uh…" Nahele was clearly caught off guard by the question. "Tsunamis. Quicksand. You know. The usual." He shot Steve a quick grin, who responded by wrapping his arm around him in a playful headlock and tousling his hair. When he released the teenager, Nahele shook his head like a wet puppy attempting to resettle his hair. It occurred to Steve briefly that while he incorporated boxing into their daily workouts and had started martial arts training with Myah, neither of his kids attempted to fight back whenever he initiated any playful wrestling.

"I hope you don't spend too much time worrying about quicksand."

"It doesn't keep me up at night. Not like whatever keeps her up." Nahele motioned to Myah, who was still content sunning herself, on the boulder in front of them.

"Mary used to sleep on my rug at night too when she was scared." Steve commented. "I never told her but sometimes I was glad to have her there. Having someone else to be brave for helped me be brave."

"From what?" Nahele sounded genuinely curious.

"To keep going after my mom… after I thought she died. Even before that though, stuff like the talent show. Football."

"You liked playing football though?" Nahele questioned.

"I loved it. And to be honest, it was one of the only ways Dad and I consistently connected. He never missed a game. I could always count on him for a critique. Even when I didn't want one." Steve chuckled.

"So I guess, uh… I guess I should try out for the football team."

Warning bells went off in Steve's mind. Nahele was a natural athlete and the two of them were always throwing a ball around. Regardless, he didn't remember Nahele ever expressing the desire to play on a team at school. "Well… they'd be lucky to have you. Is that something you've been wanting to do?"

Nahele shrugged. "Yeah. I guess. I mean, I like playing."

"And you're good at it. I think if you put your mind to it, you'd definitely be an asset. It is a major time commitment though. Practice before and after school, games on the weekends." It didn't take much detective work to see the brief look of displeasure cross Nahele's face at his words.

"I'd probably have to cut my hours at Kamekona's."

"You'll have to cut them anyway when school starts."

"I guess."

"My thought is that if you really want to do it, I'll support you one hundred percent. But if you want to do something like be on the football team, do it for you, not for me. You're going to be great at whatever you decide to do and no matter what it is, I'll have your back. Even if it's… Russian clogging or whatever."

Nahele snorted. "Russian clogging? Is that a thing?"

"As long as you don't tear up the floor finding your rhythm."

"So… you won't be disappointed if I don't play football, like you and Chin did?"

"No. As long as you'll throw a ball around with me, I'll be happy."

"Okay."

"Would you want to learn to play the guitar?"

Nahele shrugged. "Maybe. I'm probably too old."

"You know, I don't have to get on you much, but I'm about to lay you out. What do you mean, you're too old?!" He shoved the teenager lightly and Nahele threw up his hands in surrender.

"Don't give me that!" Steve insisted. "Those are fighting words." He watched Nahele flush.

"I guess I didn't really mean it."

Steve hesitated, examining the teenager sitting next to him. If anyone had asked, up until this point, he would have told them that raising a boy was easier than a girl, but he was starting to question that. Myah had strong emotions and although she tended to bottle them up temporarily, he thought he was starting to become more adept at getting her to pour them out and tell him what she was thinking. Her insecurities came from wounds that ran deep, but he felt he generally had a good understanding of where they came from. He wouldn't say she was always easy to deal with, but she seemed to respond well to his security, offered in forms of both affection and boundaries.

He had called Myah his wild child and he recalled that she had called Nahele the golden child. It was true that Nahele hadn't stepped out of line since meeting Steve in his office almost a year and a half ago. He was easy going and compliant and seemed to eat up whatever Steve was willing to teach him. A small worry began nagging at Steve's mind.

"Do I scare you?"

"What? No." Nahele scoffed. "I mean technically you're the scariest person I know. You could take me apart with your bare hands. But I'm not… Why?" There was a defensive edge to his voice as he turned the question back on Steve.

"I just wondered. I mean, you know that no matter what happens, I'll always…" Have your back, protect you, be there for you… Several words passed through Steve's mind and although they were true, they weren't the words he wanted to say. They weren't the words he'd wished he'd heard more often during his own childhood. Why were they so easy to say to Myah? "I'll always love you."

"I know." Nahele's voice sounded thick with tears and he tucked his head down into his chest. "I just don't want to disappoint you. That's what I'm afraid of."

Steve exhaled softly, keeping his eyes towards the ocean. This kind of deeper conversation with his boy felt like such new territory and he desperately wished he could pause the moment and call Danny to ensure he said the right thing. He was loath to admit it, but in his opinion, Danny had a much better handle on his emotions and would have handled this exchange without breaking a sweat. He only hoped that all the hours spent riding in a car together had resulted in some of his partner's better qualities rubbing off on him. "I couldn't imagine a better son than you. Even if you make mistakes… And you will, I mean you're human, we all make mistakes. So when you do, I might be disappointed in what you did, but not in you as a person. Nothing could make me wish you weren't my son."

Nahele's shoulders relaxed at these words and in response, Steve felt the tension in his own muscles start to dissipate. "So I hope when I screw up, you'll cut me some slack too? I want to be the best dad I can to you guys, but you didn't come with an instruction manual."

Nahele gave a soft snort in laughter at this. "Sorry, I think my manual got lost along the way."

"Good thing I don't need a receipt."

"Guess so." Nahele smiled. "You are the best dad though. I'll always love you too."

Steve's heart swelled and he put an arm around Nahele's shoulder and pulled him into a side hug and although the rules of masculinity dictated he let go pretty quickly, he only loosened his grip and kept his hand on his son's shoulder. Nahele didn't shake him off.

"Smile!"

Neither Steve, nor Nahele had noticed that Myah had climbed off the boulder and crept around in front of them until she'd captured their pose on her phone.

"You two are straight out of a chick flick. I'm not even offended I wasn't invited."

Steve stood and locked eyes with Nahele. "Grab her and we'll throw her in the ocean. That's an order."

Barely suppressing laughter, Nahele nodded and took off like a shot towards Myah, who screamed when she realized he was coming after her.

"Oh, my gosh! Nahele, put me down! I'm holding my phone!" Myah pounded on her brother's back when he hoisted her over the shoulder and started heading towards the surf. Steve easily caught up to them and swiped her phone out of her clutch.

"Disarmed. Not a problem." When Nahele set Myah down, Steve stuck a foot behind her knee and pushed her upper body down, grabbing her wrists. Nahele grabbed her ankles and in spite of her laughter mixed with pleading and threats, they waded partially in, counted to three and tossed her into the water. Myah screamed dramatically, still laughing, but when she came up, she had a determined look on her face and without hesitation, she charged at Steve, who easily sidestepped her attempt at a tackle and tossed her in again.

When she landed for the second time, she glanced at Nahele with a pleading look that Steve immediately knew was going to mean trouble. When they turned towards him, he knew they'd decided to work together even before their first steps. It was far from being Steve's first encounter with multiple attackers, but it was the first time he held his ground and opened his arms to accept his opponents, allowing their weight to take him down. In that moment he couldn't have been happier that his son and daughter had worked together to come after him. Myah craved physical contact, but rarely initiated it, and Nahele had held himself back from engaging in even playful wrestling.

He allowed them to enjoy the victory for a moment and then, twisting in the water, used the momentum to toss Nahele to the side. Nahele was heavier than he looked, being lean but packed with the muscle that teenage boys could accumulate with the right training. Steve grabbed Myah against his chest and kept her in between him and Nahele. She was tenacious but her struggling was wearing her out quickly and Steve felt her relax onto his lap.

"Oh, are you giving up now?" he asked her, giving her a playful tap on the chin.

"Uh-huh." She smiled at him innocently and then threw herself up on his chest, which caught Steve by surprise. She wouldn't have been entirely successful, except Nahele took advantage of the moment to dog pile them both, giving them the upper hand and Steve had to admit defeat as he sank all the way under the water. He had never enjoyed losing, but hearing his kids yelp in victory filled his heart with joy, even if it was at his expense.

"Danny Williams cannot hear about this." he growled playfully when he was allowed to sit back up. "You both get spankins' with your supper."

Obviously not concerned by his threat, Myah curled up under his arm and hugged him, her eyes taking in the glorious setting sun.

Nahele also appeared unruffled, leaning back comfortably in the water and following Myah's gaze towards the sky. A plane cut a trail through the clouds and Steve thought back to the last plane he'd watched take off. He'd stood with Danny, who had just delivered the news that Doris had been less than honest with him once again in regards to Wo Fat's escape. He'd just put his mother on a plane and had no way to contact her to ascertain any answers. His heart ached that she couldn't be here on this beach, sweaty from a hike, ready to eat their packed dinner, spending time with her grandchildren. Regardless, her appearance and subsequent complete disruption of his life the past few days had been a strong reminder of how precious life was and had given him new determination to take advantage of the time he had, to dive deep with his kids. To teach them things, to communicate with them and to learn more about what made them tick. He recalled Catherine's words to him when she'd met him at the door of the safe house. "Boy, if you didn't have mommy issues before…" Steve supposed neither of his kids could escape having mommy issues themselves, having lost their own mothers. He prayed with all his heart that he would not create any daddy issues for them.

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Author's Note: Hey H50 family, hope everyone is having a good weekend! Thank you so much as always for taking the time to read and review. I appreciate all the encouragement and suggestions, both in regards to characters to focus on and possible plot points. I've been quizzing my husband, as well as friends who run a gym about teenage boys, because I so agree with you all… we need more Nahele. Hopefully I will do him justice.

I hope you enjoyed this short and sweet chapter! This chapter concludes this story (I don't want to scare anyone with The End again lol), as like I've mentioned, I personally need natural ending points, but I'll definitely be continuing stories in the Myah-verse.