Disclaimer: Ideas are fictional; not making any money on this. Hawaii 5-0 belongs to CBS. That's okay because none of this would work on TV.

Steve woke on Monday a little later than usual. He knew that he couldn't resume running until his ribs healed more, probably next week. There was a time not so long ago that Steve would have ignored doctor's orders and pushed through the pain. Steve wouldn't do that again. He knew that it wasn't fair to Danny, to Grace, or to his 5-0 family.

Steve settled for another brief swim. His muscles stiffened if he didn't exercise every day. Steve found a dry pair of board shorts and went to the kitchen. He was a little surprised to see Mom and Dad drinking coffee at the kitchen table. He kissed Mom on the cheek and poured his cup of coffee. "Good morning. I'm surprised to see you up so early. You had a long day yesterday. Did you sleep well?"

"Yes dear, we had a wonderful night's sleep. It's so peaceful here by the water. I didn't miss the city noise at all. Can I fix you some breakfast?" Mom intended to spoil her family this week.

"Not now, thank you. I'm going for a short swim. Did you find everything you need?"

Dad spoke up, "We're fine here. Go on and have your swim. How far is a short swim, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Well, ordinarily I would run for five miles and swim for another five. My ribs won't tolerate either for now. I'll probably swim two or three miles this morning."

Dad sputtered, "Two or three miles is a short swim? You're a better man than I am."

"No sir. You raised one of the finest men I've ever met. I hope to be like you when I grow up." Steve drained his coffee and when for his swim. As usual, he reviewed recent events as he sliced through the water. Steve knew that he was doing better than expected. After his initial euphoria at being rescued, Steve was hit with a mild depression. Even that would have been worse without Danny and Grace.

It was normal for him to be down after a mission. People had died although none of his team. It usually took Steve several days or even weeks to shake off the ennui. But Steve was feeling pretty light this morning. He had been able to let go knowing Danny would be there to catch him. Then sweet little Grace had watched over him. And now he had Mom and Dad to fuss over him. Never had Steve felt so loved and cared for. He was a lucky man, and he would not miss one minute of happiness by being stupid.

Danny and Grace were downstairs in the kitchen when Steve came in from his swim. Without thinking, he kissed Danny and then Grace. Then he remembered that they had an audience. Steve and Danny had been very careful about PDA's, even in front of family. Although the family had been supportive of their relationship, it was still a little different to some to see two men (or two women) kiss. Steve and Danny were shy about showing their affection in front of others.

Steve stiffened when he realized what he had done. He looked over to apologize to Danny's parents, but Mom would have none of it. "Oh please, Steve. We can see how it is between you and Danny. Please don't feel like you have to hide that away."

Steve gave Mom a hug, careful not to get her wet. "Mom, you and Dad are the best. I'll be down in a few. I just need to wash the salt water off."

Mom was dishing up oatmeal when Steve came back downstairs. There was a bowl of fresh fruit on the table and a fresh cup of coffee waiting for Steve. Danny was giving a rundown of the schedule for the day. Mom wanted to make lasagna for supper tonight. She also wanted to pick out the turkey and other special items needed for Thursday. Emelina and Ali were due over at nine o'clock to take Mom and Dad to the best shops. Danny knew that his mom would love shopping in the local markets.

Steve gave Mom a brief tour of the kitchen. Mom was impressed with the layout and organization of the work space. "Steve laid out the design. I think the contractor was a little afraid of him. Do you remember how hard it was to get those guys to show up when you had your kitchen done? Not with this crew. They were here every single day, and they even finished two days early." Danny had been very impressed at how smoothly the whole renovation had gone.

Danny pulled an envelope out before they left the house. "Mom, use this for whatever you need to buy." Mom started to object but Danny cut her off. "Please Mom, it means a lot to us to have you here. You're cooking for us, but let us take care of the groceries. Here's a key to the house, and Steve already showed Dad how to work the alarm."

Steve and Danny had a tough time leaving the house. Grace promised to keep her grandparents out of trouble. Mom had to remind them to take their lunches. They were a little late getting to the Palace. Chin, Kono, and Lori were in the break room, getting their morning coffee. Steve ducked his head in the door. "Meeting in my office in ten minutes." Steve went into his office and closed the door.

Chin looked at Danny. "What was that all about?"

Danny shrugged, not sure how much he should say. "I'm not sure that I know. He's not fully recovered from the beating yet. His ribs will be sore for at least another week. He is tracking his days okay, but I had to remind him what time my parents were coming in at least three or four times this weekend. I suggest we give the man a chance to tell us what's on his mind."

Steve opened the door exactly ten minutes later to admit his 5-0 team. He motioned them to sit before standing in front of his desk. "First, I want to tell you how proud I am of your performance last week. I never expected you to come for me. I will never be able to express my gratitude to all of you. I will stand with you any time, any place."

"I should have listened to Danny's warning before I followed Jenna to North Korea. I forgot the #1 Rule: never go in without back-up." Steve smiled at Danny when he spoke the last part. "I put us all in danger. I'm on desk duty until the doctor and I feel it's safe for me to go back into the field."

"Next, it's a short week for us. Barring a terrorist attack on the mall or Target, we have a four-day weekend coming up. We'll spend today finishing up our reports. I was still pretty hazy on some of the details last week. I think I've finally got them straight. Maybe if we sit down together, we can get a more accurate timeline of events."

"Lastly, I want to talk about Jenna Kaye's involvement. Lori, you weren't here earlier this year when Jenna saved Danny's life. He had been exposed to Sarin gas. Jenna was the one to identify the toxin so the doctors knew how to treat Danny. She also worked with the team after I was locked up for Jameson's murder."

"Having said all that, it hurts to admit that she betrayed me. She was willing to trade me for her fiancé. In the end, she did what she could to atone for her betrayal. Danny tells me that Jenna called with our location before Wo Fat's men could stop her. She must have dug the pin she gave me out of Josh's knee. That was how I got out of shackles in the bunker. I was captured again, but Jenna did try to help me. That was when Wo Fat shot her."

"Jenna had no family, so there's no one to even notify. I guess Josh was all she had. I can't tell you how to feel about this. I know that I'm alternating between anger and sadness. She wasn't evil, not the way Wo Fat is. But betrayal is hard to excuse."

"On top of that, you basically went into a combat situation, with SEAL Team 9 no less. We've all killed in the line of duty, but combat is something a little different. I always have a tough time when I come back from a mission like this. If you need to talk, know that my door is always open. And you all know where I live. You can call me any time, day or night, and I will be there for you."

"If you feel you need to talk to a professional, I know someone who has clearance you can trust. There's no shame in that. I've needed to do that on occasion. That's all I have. Does anyone want to add to what I've said?"

Steve waited for his team's response. Chin stood first. "Speaking for myself, I had no problem taking those bastards down. Even more so after I saw what they had done to you."

Lori stood next. "Sometimes, that's what you have to do to take care of family."

Kono took her turn. "I'm just sorry I missed most of the action. I was in the mood to kick some ass."

Danny finally stood and said the rest, what all of them wanted to say. "What can we say? We're your backup, even when you forget to call us. There would be no 5-0 without you. Now, I move that we finish those reports. I personally want to put this behind us. Mom is shopping for Thanksgiving even as we speak, and nothing is going to stand in the way of my personal enjoyment of the holiday."

Everyone seconded Danny's motion. They spent the next two hours filling in the timeline. Steve had wheeled a big whiteboard in to record all the events. As everyone added to the narrative, little details came out that were best forgotten. It was cathartic to lay it all out like that. After lunch, the team sprawled out in Steve's office to finish their separate account of the events.

When the last report was submitted, Lori stepped to the board to erase everything. They all heaved a sigh of relief. They would never forget what had transpired, but at least they had a little distance from it. Steve spoke to the governor to inform him that the paperwork was complete.

"How are you feeling, Commander?" The governor's one regret was that he couldn't brag to the other governor's about his team's accomplishment.

"I'll need another week or so before I'll be cleared for field work, but at least I can remember what day it is. I appreciate your forbearance in this matter. I realize that this was outside 5-0's charter, but Agent Kaye had assisted our team in other cases." Steve was still unsure of the governor and his motives.

"Commander, I understand loyalty. I'm just sorry it was misplaced in this instance. I believe you and your team have several hours of comp time on the books. Feel free to take them this week if you wish. I know how to reach you if something comes up. When will you see the doctor to be cleared for unrestricted duty?"

"My appointment is first thing next Monday morning. I'll inform my team about the time off. We appreciate it. We'd like to wish you and Mrs. Denning a Happy Thanksgiving." It was just mid-afternoon, and the governor had dismissed them for the rest of the week.

Steve made a quick phone call home and then stepped out the bullpen area where Danny, Chin, Kono, and Lori were discussing their favorite Thanksgiving side dishes. "Everyone, the governor has given us permission to take our comp time for the rest of the week. I just spoke to Danny's mom. She's making a huge pan of her famous lasagna and has assured me that she could feed a small army. You're all invited to our home for dinner. Mom and Dad can't wait to meet you."

Chin, Kono, and Lori happily accepted the invitation to dinner. Even newcomer Lori had heard about Clara's lasagna. They had all struggled at some time over the weekend with the aftermath of week's event. Lori was affected more than the others; she had no one to turn to when she was distressed. An evening of good food and fellowship was just what she needed.

Danny and Steve came home to the enticing aromas of Italian sausage, garlic, sauce, and spices. They greeted the family and went up to change into casual clothes. Steve helped wash dishes and Grace dried while Danny and his Dad added additional leaves to the dining room table. Then Steve pulled down his mother's best dishes.

"We seldom used these when we all lived at home. Mom was always afraid that the dishes would get broken. I think we should use the good dishes while we can." Steve ran his fingers around the silver edge of a dinner plate.

Mom came over to hug Steve. "That's a lovely sentiment. I think your mom would approve."

Steve smiled and kissed Mom on the cheek. "I know she would. She wanted a family for me. She would have loved all of you."

Chin, Kono, and Lori arrived a little after 4 o'clock. Danny made introductions all around. His parents insisted that everyone call them Clara and Ed. They sat on the lanai drinking wine or beer. It was therapeutic for the 5-0 team to sit there chatting about the weather and the local markets.

Danny had not exaggerated how amazing Mom's lasagna is. They also had salad and garlic bread, but everyone zeroed in on the lasagna. Mom was blushing with the attention. Chin and Kono talked about some of their family dishes. Lori's mom was Hungarian and made the best chicken paprikas. Everyone helped to clear the dishes except for Mom.

Chin escorted her back to the lanai. "Clara, that was the best meal I've had in weeks. You must have spent most of the day in the kitchen. You sit here while we clean up. Can I bring you more wine?"

"No thank you, Chin, although I wouldn't say no to a cup of tea. Danny knows how I like it." Mom had to admit that her feet were a little sore, but she had enjoyed watching her family's friends unwind over the meal.

A few minutes later, Lori brought Mom her cup of tea. "We're almost finished in there. Steve wanted to know if you wanted us to serve dessert now."

Mom had watched Lori with interest. She knew that Lori was the newcomer to the group, one appointed by the governor to make sure that 5-0 followed proper procedure. Steve had gone out of his way tonight to include Lori in all their discussions. Danny told her earlier that Lori had blown up a bridge with an RPG in North Korea. "Thank you dear, please tell Steve that would be perfect. Danny told me that you've only been with the team since the summer. I can tell you that Danny and Steve speak quite highly of you."

Lori was surprised at Mom's words. She knew that she was accepted as part of the team and the family. There were still times when she felt like an outsider. "They told you that?"

"Yes Lori. They told me that you really add to the team, and that they enjoy working with you. I know it must be hard to join a group that's so close."

"Yes ma'am. I really like the work, and the team is so sharp. Steve is an amazing leader, and Danny is a perfect complement to Steve's style. Chin is a great trainer, and Kono has helped me find a place on a team filled with so much testosterone."

Mom smiled at the last comment. "Yes, they are a very studly group of men." Lori's eyes widened. Mom continued, "Hey, I may be 60, but I can appreciate a good-looking group of men." They both laughed now.

Steve and Danny served dessert: homemade apple dumplings with caramel sauce. Even though the dinner was Italian, dessert was pure Southern. Danny explained that Mom's sister moved to the South as a young bride, and whenever his aunt visited, she brought a new stack of southern recipes. Steve told the group about Danny's biscuits and sausage gravy; even Mom was amazed that Danny knew how to make them.

"Mom, I thought that I had died and gone to heaven. Our local equivalent is moco loco: hamburger over rice with fried eggs topped with brown gravy. I was sure it couldn't be nearly as good as that. I was so wrong." Steve's mouth watered at the memory.

Kono had an inspired idea. "Hey Boss, I think that you need to schedule a breakfast meeting at your house. Danny cooks and we clean up."

Chin, Kono, and Lori left shortly after dessert. They were well-fed and very relaxed. Just as family had grounded Steve, it had grounded the rest of his team.

Grace was tired from her long day of babysitting her grandparents, as she told Ali that morning. Each of the 5-0 team paid special attention to her at some point in the afternoon, and she was very contented when Steve and Danny tucked her in that night.

Danny finally got a chance to tell Mom and Dad that they had the rest of the week off. Steve told them that he was able to borrow his friend's tour helicopter in the morning to show them some of the inaccessible parts of the island.

"Son, I have to say how impressed I am with your friends. I can see why you call them family, and why you would all risk everything to bring Steve home. I worried about you being here all alone. Now I know that you're surrounded by the best friends possible. You're a very lucky man."

Danny nodded his head in agreement. "I know, Dad, believe me I know. Even before this big lug tricked me into moving in, I was a lucky man."

Steve took offense at Danny's last remark. "Hey, I was just helping out a friend in need. And this is how you repay me."

Danny threw his arm around Steve's shoulder and pulled him close. "I love you anyway and you know it."

It was that image Mom and Dad remembered as they slept that night.