"So Emma, Danny hasn't told me much about you but I hear you're a lawyer, what kind of law do you practice?" Steve questioned as he drove to the hotel that Emma and Harry were going to be staying in for the duration of their vacation. They weren't staying with Danny because of the size of his apartment and Danny had muttered something how it was better if him and Emma weren't living under the same roof. The way that he had worded it made clear to Steve not to ask about the finer details of Danny's vague comment. Steve had offered for Emma and Oz to stay at his house as he had plenty of space in the house but Danny had quickly shot that idea down, telling him that there was no way that his sister and nephew were staying with the Hawaiian version of John McClane
"Criminal law, I'm an assistant district attorney back in New York, I work in the Manhattan office in the trial bureau and as of late spending quite a lot of my time at the supreme court." Emma said and glancing through his rear view manner Steve saw Emma glance down at Harry who had fallen asleep minutes after they had left the airport. "Dad's a firefighter and Danny's a cop so it was only natural that my career path didn't stray too far but what about you Steve? How does a navy seal end up a cop and being partnered with a bitter and cranky detective from New Jersey?"
Steve laughed whilst Danny turned in his heat to glare at Emma. "Hey! I am not cranky and if I was cranky it's only because I'm stuck on this island with him for a partner."
"You know Danny didn't even tell me that he had a sister until last month and even then he didn't tell me much until today except for the fact that you're a lawyer, have a black hole for a stomach and that your eating you're mother out of house and home." Steve commented much to the annoyance to Danny.
"Me a black hole for a stomach? He told you that I had a black hole for a stomach I have a healthy appetite but Danny on the other hand is something else…" Emma retorted in amusement. "Last Christmas Danny had three servings and if I remember correctly he ate so much that he had to undo his belt before dessert and I'll spare everyone gory the details of what happened after…"
"What about you Em? If I recall you had two helpings and let's not forget about Oz, the great and powerful boy wonder eats as much as dad and he's only four." Danny said and Steve laughed at the interaction between the two of them. The two of them were always trading insults with each other, unable to hold a conversation without having a remark about the other thrown in. Most it was light humor as neither of them got particularly offended by what the other had just said. Steve had found the two of them very interesting to watch as Emma and Danny's relationship was a stark difference to him and Mary's.
Emma laughed as she ruffled her son's hair as he slept in her lap. "Will you stop with the wizard of Oz jokes Danny, it's not funny and like I've said his name is Harry."
"So what's with the Oz nickname for Harry? No offense but it doesn't really make much sense, is it one of those Danno things?" Steve questioned as he heard Danny call Harry Oz several times, only to have Emma correct him about her son's name. No doubt there was a reason why Harry was called Oz, like most nicknames, there was usually a story behind it. Question was, how did a four year old boy earn a nickname like Oz?
"What have I told you about calling me that?" Danny hissed, careful not to wake his sleeping nephew. "Only Grace is allowed to call me that."
"So then how comes Harry can and I can't? Because I'm pretty certain that he's been calling you that since him and Emma arrived at not once have you snapped at him like you do when I call you Danno." Steve retorted.
"Are you seriously comparing yourself to my four year old nephew? Who thinks that Santa lives on fifth avenue and takes a cab to every kid's house and then comes up the elevator because there's no chimney where they live." Danny demanded in a sarcastic manner and Emma just rolled her eyes at her brother theatricals. Steve couldn't help but laugh as the Santa Claus on fifth avenue was actually quite funny.
"Calm down Danno." Emma replied in a soothing manner. "Take a deep breath, you seem to be so wound up. I would have thought that since you live in Hawaii, you might loosen up a bit but apparently that is not the case. I see we're going to have to work on that."
"Yeah Danno, listen to your sister." Steve added.
"Is this what the next two weeks are going to be like? The two of you ganging up on me at every chance you get because I'm telling you now Em I will call mom and tell her about what happened on the night of your junior prom." Danny threatened and Emma sheepishly looked away but peeking through the rear view mirror Steve could see the huge grin on Emma's face. Clearly she liked pushing her brother's buttons and gave as good as she got.
"Seriously? Threatening your own sister whose an district attorney, you should know better than that Danno." Steve joked.
"It's called leverage Steven, you would know that if you grew up in a house with three siblings. You would have to scratch your way to the top without looking back just to get the remote." Danny said sarcastically. "Or be the first to hug Great Aunt Bertha but that's a whole other story…"
Steve shook his head in humor, he knew Danny was crazy but he had no idea how much he was until now, Emma seemed normal so it couldn't be a New Jersey thing or a Williams thing. It must be a Danny thing. "Okay but seriously what's with the Oz, I'm genuinely interested now."
"My husband's last name was Oswald and so during basic training George was nicknamed Oz by his unit so fast forward a few years when we started dating and I brought him home to meet my family even after Danny run his background. But Danny thought the nickname was funny that when Harry arrived Danny started calling him the Wizard of Oz and much to my chagrin Harry and George loved it, they thought it was funny for some odd reason where as I failed to see it… " Emma said.
"Harry Oswald, the Wizard of Oz… it's a good name." Steve noted.
"Actually it's Harry Oswald Williams." Danny pointed out and you couldn't help but here the overwhelming hint of pride in that.
"Harry took your last name?" Steve asked Emma in surprise, usually kids took their father's last name and Steve hadn't come across many that took their mother's maiden's names and those that did were usually in their adults and not a four year old boy.
Emma nodded. "Yeah George was estranged from his parents since he enlisted in the army as they looked down on it as he was supposed to join the family business and they refused to support him. When I told George I was pregnant he told me that he didn't want his son to be weighed down by his family's name and their disappointment as he was. So Harry took my name when he was born much to his family's upset whereas my family were thrilled…"
"So your married Emma?" Steve began and in the corner of his eye he saw Danny take a sharp intake deep breath and judging by the look on his face, Steve realized that he had done something that he shouldn't have
"Was." Emma corrected quietly and already Steve regretted asking his question as he was pretty sure he could tell where this was leading. Which explained the look on Danny's face. "George and I had been together for a couple of years before Harry was born and we had discussed marriage but we decided that we didn't really need a piece of paper and a fancy ceremony to tell us and everyone in our lives how much we cared about each other. It was only after Harry was born that we actually got married, it wasn't because we felt that we had to because we knew we were a family and we loved each other. But since it wasn't just the two of us anymore George wanted us to have the security and legal rights that being married offered in case something was to ever happen. I guess he was right as the worse happened…"
"George was on his third tour of Afghanistan when he was killed in action three years ago." Danny explained to Steve and in that moment Steve felt like an idiot for forcing Emma and Danny to bring that up. Just to clarify where Harry's nickname came from. "Not long after George died, I started calling Harry Oz as a way to remember George and for something for Oz to have to connect him to his father. Sharing the same nickname was something that George would have loved. It was only right that Oz share it with George as he was a good man."
"Oh you've changed your mind, Steve you should have seen his face when I told him that I was pregnant and I was not getting married. I honestly thought that he was going to kill George. I –"
"You're lucky I didn't." Danny muttered.
"Need I remind you of January 1988 Daniel?" Emma retorted and Steve was actually interested in what happened back in 1988 but Danny changed the subject so quickly that Steve had barely any time to keep up with the two of them. As Emma and Danny continued to playfully bicker over childhood stories and who had the worst habits and most importantly why on earth was Danny wearing a tie in Hawaii. Steve couldn't help but wonder why how could the cranky cop and the laid back attorney could possible be related. The two of them may look like each other, share some of the same mannerisms along with the same parents. But they seemed like chalk and cheese. With Danny being the chalk and Emma being the cheese and so far, Steve liked the cheese.