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

Notes: Happy Thanksgiving everyone! thanks for such a GREAT, fun experience with this story!

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Chapter 21

Steve took the call on Sunday morning; from a continually worried Ellen Ramirez who now couldn't seem to reach Danny. "His cell phone is going right to voicemail and he was going to come over today to talk about the party some more. But .. so .. well, I thought I'd call you to see if you knew where he was because with so much happening lately ... I'm worried, Steve."

Ellen was speaking so quickly, Steve had no opportunity to interrupt her. He finally did when she took a breath for a long inhale of air. "He's here and he's fine but still sleeping. Is he late?"

Not knowing what time Danny was supposed to have been at the Ramirez house, Steve checked the time. It was nearing ten in the morning and Danny had been out for the count since having that last minute visit with Grace. He'd been content and pleased as the evening ended with Grace equally more calm. He'd graciously thanked his ex-wife and then come undone again after the too long of a day from start to finish.

He had thanked Steve in the car not once, but numerous times to such a degree where Steve had begun to chuckle self-consciously. It was easy to see that Danny was over-tired and an out-of-place hug proved it as Steve retained his car keys as a last resort to protect Danny from himself. Nearly vibrating with exhaustion, Danny hadn't argued the now very much required dose of medication nor where he was made to lay his head that night. Come late Sunday morning, he still had yet to stir from the depths of the spare bedroom which was exactly what the doctor had prescribed and Steve had no intention of disturbing him.

"No, my plans are changed and I was calling to tell him not to come over. We're not having a party until we figure a few things out." Ellen paused and Steve jumped in apologetically.

"Listen, Ellen. I'm assuming one of those things has to do with Becca and her rabbit. It's none of my business but I'd like to suggest moving the hutch closer to the house so she doesn't have to go as far. Give it a different look and feel if it's not too much trouble." There was a moment of silence on the other side and Steve grimaced to himself thinking he had guessed wrong.

"That's one of the things we've started to discuss." They didn't want to actually move their home or change their living arrangements, but she and Ponch had ended their own evening by talking about Becca's fears. They had agreed to keep the large majority of things quite normal for her, but would make some alterations where they could to ease her mind and help her move on.

"We talked about moving but it's not what we want. So now, Alphonse wants to completely re-landscape the yard and remove any visual triggers. We got as far as the rabbit and a privacy fence plus we never had a security system ... but I'm not sure what else we could do to make it so that it becomes very different."

"You could do almost anything." Steve said. He'd really only considered the rabbit and even fencing as the easiest fixes. A few plants or flowers would be pretty but certainly wouldn't do much to disguise and eliminate bad memories. Ellen felt the same way as she started with those basics and then moved on quickly. His mind was busy as he listened to her offer suggestions such as installing an in-ground swimming pool or an elaborate landscaped flower garden with possibly a small fountain. He liked her idea of privacy fencing and said as much before coming up with a compromise on the water theme.

"A koi pond." He blurted it out as it came to mind in vivid color. It would appeal to both adults and the children, plus the fish would be an interesting diversion. Depending upon how much it might cost and its upkeep, a koi pond and small garden would feasibly provide an entirely different environment.

"I like that idea." Ellen's voice was piqued with interest as she took his small idea and immediately doubled its size in her mind. "It's peaceful by its very intent and being. We could have stone pavers leading to a covered gazebo. Oh! And a small bridge with a fountain or even a waterfall. Becca likes to read and this could be so very pretty with the right design."

Steve's eyes widened as he listened to Ellen sketch out larger and larger additions to his much smaller concept. "Uh, I meant something a bit smaller actually, Ellen." But she was off and running, so excited that she had Ponch's attention now on the other side of the phone and he could hear the deeper voice inquiring about their conversation.

He was about to interrupt her again, when she virtually hung up the phone on him. "Thanks, Steve. Let Danny sleep in ... he needs it." He was left listening to dead air after the subtle click sounded in his ear.

"Well .. then. Okay." Steve laughed softly as he grabbed his towel and wondered what the good Doctor Ramirez was going to do with this latest grand idea now percolating along at home.

With Danny sleeping and other things beginning to naturally calm and settle, he had the rest of the morning to himself. Making sure there was enough coffee in the pot should his partner waken while he was swimming, Steve dutifully left him a note about Ellen canceling their party planning session. Then he slyly made sure the Camaro was locked and then took Danny's car keys with him yet again. A little more enforced relaxation did a body good and with at least another full week on doctor-mandated recuperation, there was no doubt Danny could benefit from staying off his feet.

But as he tossed the keys idly in his hand, Steve continued chuckling to himself as he left the house through his lanai.

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Danny and Grace stood on the Ramirez's front doorstep. Danny had Mrs. Hoppy's crate and they were there for the promised barbecue which had been delayed many weeks. The family had become rather insular for that time, getting back to work, coping with Doc's new schedule, attending therapy sessions, and making changes that oddly only Steve seemed privy to.

Ellen had gently described the changes as being too physical for either Mike or Danny to help with. Both men were forbidden from visiting too, which had been a trial unto itself to explain to Becca. But they had all managed with covert clues and gentle conversations to allay fears and calm worried thoughts. It was time now though and a small family oriented gathering had finally come tougher.

"Ready to see what all this excitement is about? Uncle Steve hasn't breathed a word about this big secret." Danny asked his daughter. Grace was content and smiling now having gotten back on track herself. The time had been a balm to her as well; things were definitely back to normal between her and Becca.

"Yes!" Grace truly was as she raised her hand to knock, but the door was pulled open at the same time. Becca stood on the other side, beaming and laughing about the new something which obviously delighted her no end.

"Hi Uncle Danny! Grace, you have to see this!" Grabbing Grace's hand, Danny was left alone on the doorstep with rabbit in hand as Becca giggled loudly and dragged his daughter away.

"Well. Okay. I'm fine." Danny muttered to himself as he helped himself into the house and closed the door. "Mrs. Hoppy and I know the way and it's not a problem. Nope, not at all. Thank you!"

Meeting him halfway, Ponch was laughing at the not so softly uttered complaints. Insisting on freeing Danny's hands of the bulky crate, Ponch escorted him to the kitchen where Ellen was preparing plates of appetizers.

"And how is Mrs. Hoppy?" Ponch peeked in through the mesh front before putting the crate on the floor.

"Oh, she's fine. Life of Riley." Danny mockingly griped as he gave Ellen a kiss on the cheek. "Becca seems excited. I guess whatever you've done has already been a big hit with the family?"

Ponch was elated as he wrapped his arms around Ellen almost knocking her off-balance. Her hands were full and she nearly dropped the plate she had just picked up. She gasped as it wobbled precipitously giving her short seconds to regain a more firm hold.

"Alphonse! Not now! Go show Danny ... Mike and Steve are outside anyway. Chin and Kono will be here any minute and I need to keep moving." Laughing, she ducked away and then shoved a ready-made platter of appetizers into her husband's hands.

"Get out of my kitchen and put this out for everyone to get started on it."

"Wait until you see this." Ponch's continued excitement made Danny laugh as he followed in the big man's wake. Each guest was bound to get the same treatment and he could already tell that the big doctor would never get tired of repeating himself.

The first thing Danny noticed was that the rabbit's hutch was in view of the sliders and practically directly on the patio itself. But the real improvements were staggering as Ponch graciously waved him through the house and completely outside.

Steve was standing near Mike and gesturing towards the first short breadth of newly planted native flowers. Mike was standing with a bottle of beer on the edge of the patio pavers and merely nodding to whatever Steve was saying.

"What did you do?" Danny was stunned as his feet suddenly refused to move forward.

"Hey, Danno!" He heard Steve but was wholly unable to reply. Pulled forward by Ponch, he stalled next to Steve and just stared. For where an expanse of grass had once opened to a large, hot yard, a winding path of intricately laid pavers enticed him down a walkway bordered by tall native flowering plants. A small dark red bridge crossed over an elaborate kidney-shaped koi pond already full of at least a dozen colorful orange, white and black fish.

At the farthest point of the pond was a shallow two-stepped waterfall. Beyond that, was a pretty gazebo the same dark color of the pretty bridge. Already at the picnic table in its inviting shade, were Becca and Grace who were alternating between looking at the pond and fish, and investigating another portion of the shady, prettily bordered path that came full circle back to the main patio where they were all standing.

The original plain yard was unrecognizable not only to the children but to the adults seeing it for the first time. Standing shoulder to shoulder with Steve, Danny blindly accepted the beer Ponch thrust into his hands.

"I don't .. how .. when did you do this?" Danny stuttered at the extent of the mind-boggling transformation. A glance towards Mike, showed him that his friend's eyes were misty as he too, continually tried to absorb what his brother and sister-in-law had managed to do yet again for his daughter. When he and Becca had arrived, she saw the hutch through the sliders just as Danny had. Her smile had been tentatively relieved but not entirely committed yet to straying outside until both Ellen and Ponch encouraged her forward. Her stunned gasp had confused Mike and he'd followed finally, equally shocked by the beautiful changes beyond the glass interior of the house. From that moment, Becca had nearly skipped down the new paved path to investigate the koi, the waterfall, and the small arched bridge. But she was utterly infatuated with the pleasantly airy gazebo.

Danny opened his mouth once, then twice before settling on simply taking a long drink from his cold bottle of beer. His inability to speak resulted in Steve's chuckle of glee. With distinct pride, Ponch bounced on his toes as he pointed out the plants, ceramic garden statuettes and how the pond was constructed so nicely to fit the space.

"It's spectacular, isn't it? We should have done this years ago." Ponch chuckled as both men nodded in unison, each then taking nearly simultaneous swallows from their bottles.

"Steve suggested moving the hutch. Of course, that made sense but that idea prompted more with the Koi, and Ellen ... well Ellen .. she took it and ran to come up with this beautiful project."

"It really is." Danny finally found his voice. Through the deeply dark-green foliage, he watched the girls playing happily and couldn't recognize anything of the old Ramirez yard. The metamorphosis was simply too grand and yet it completely fit the style of the house and space it was designed to complement.

Steve was nearly as pleased as the big doctor. Grinning down at Danny, he clinked the neck of his bottle into Danny's. "You approve, partner?"

"Yeah." Danny was trying to conjure up his last ill feelings and he simply couldn't do it. The trickle of water drowned out the negative thoughts and the sight of the milling school of fish by the gently raised bridge dispelled old visions.

"Can't do it, can you." It wasn't a question that Steve whispered into his ear. It was a statement of fact and Danny could only shake his head. He couldn't find it and didn't want to. And if he couldn't, then the girls combined laughter also validated that truth for them as well.

"I really can't." Danny breathed out softly much to Steve's distinct satisfaction.

"Becca knew we moved the rabbit hutch. That happened weeks ago when Steve came over to help." Mike was talking now but without taking his eyes off the girls who were now back again under the gazebo. "But .. this .. we had no idea and she loves it so very much."

Positive that this change gave Becca one giant step in the right direction, Mike grinned about what Becca's therapist might recognize during their next session because the re-introduction to her aunt and uncle's home was a startling success. "Doctor Naihe won't know what to say either!"

Thrilled by their reactions, Ponch approached the two fathers from behind and put a warm hand on each of their shoulders and rocked hard into his brother. "This fool thought he might try to help us move that leaden monstrosity you both built for Finster. Neither of you have my approval to lift anything heavier than let's say ... a rabbit. Once the hutch was moved, the landscapers and designers did their magic."

"This .. it's special." Danny didn't know what to say as happy chatter reached them and he noticeably relaxed. Steve grinned happily as he watched any residual stress leave Danny's face and posture. Where Grace had accepted the changes with an astonishing effortless ease, her father took just a bit longer to adapt.

"Becca's great. She's just fantastic." Unable to get past his daughter's happiness, Mike was tearing up again as Becca's easy laughter reached his ears. He stared up at his much older half-brother and wondered for the hundredth time how it was they had become so close. Mike was an illegitimate, secret accident but their mutual father had been at least kind during his upbringing. It had seemed to be enough growing up, but Mike hadn't really known any better so the occasional relationship had mostly worked at the time. However now, Mike resented not having known his half-brother more intimately.

The gap in their ages was great and if not for their father's funeral where they had finally met, the two would never had known of the others existence. It was a thought that always sobered Mike because he couldn't bear to be without his brother or sister-in-law. At the funeral, they had stared at each other blatantly. Mike with a bit of uncertainty and Ponch with a stunned look of amazement. He realized that his gaping, wide-mouthed expression likely once more mimicked that first time meeting. At the time, Ponch had glanced at their father lying in state and had the gall to brazenly salute the elderly deceased man before bursting out in laughter as if their father had provided the largest final joke of all time. Mike had been heartily embraced and his uncertainty had dissolved with warmth and a true brotherly love. Now again, Mike didn't know what to say for a long moment as his brother proudly showed off yet another accomplishment.

"Ponchie. This is so much." The frightening thought raised its head again and Mike paled at the possibility of never having met his brother, for Ponch had truly saved him ... and Rebecca time and again. He was doing it once more by the generous and over-the-top redesign of their home to make life better for his little girl. Before that, he had risked everything and nearly gone to jail for him in order to keep them both safe.

Rubbing one hand over his face, Mike was overwhelmed as he threw the other up in the air. Suspension, retirement and now community service at a lowly island clinic. Yet, the older man never once complained or looked backwards. In fact, he seemed to be having a grand time shaking things up at the small and evidently poorly run Medical Mission Free Clinic.

"Ponchie." Mike scarcely got it out a second time before he was rocked hard into his brother's side by the strong one-armed hug. Where Mike was a worrier and constantly dwelled, Ponch could accept certain things with an unparalleled ease.

"Mikey." Ponch drawled out as another burst of giggles reached them from the ornate gazebo. Steve was smiling and Danny chuckled under his breath as the girls dissolved in laughter over something only the two shared.

After that, they could only hear the softly falling water from the pond's stepped falls and Ponch sighed happily. "Mikey. You think too much. Just enjoy the moment."

~ End ~