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.

Mom and Dad were up a little early the next day. It was Sunday and they planned to go to 9 o'clock services. Mom had a secondary mission. She wanted Steve, Danny, and Grace to come with them. Mom slipped downstairs to start coffee and oatmeal. Dad tapped on Steve and Danny's bedroom door.

Steve was instantly alert. He checked the time and opened the door. "Dad, is something wrong? Is Mom okay?"

"Steve, we're all okay. You've done so much for us this week, but Mom and I have one more favor to ask. Will you come to church with us this morning? Services start at 9, and Mom is downstairs fixing breakfast. It would mean a lot to us." Dad had no idea how Steve would react. He knew that Danny and his mother had several discussions about Danny's lack of faith. He hoped that Steve would not be angry about his request.

"Let me ask Danny. We'll be down in a few minutes either way." Steve closed the door and went back to wake Danny.

"I'm awake, babe. What did Dad want?" Danny pulled Steve down for a good morning kiss. Steve didn't seem upset so it couldn't be anything serious.

"Mom and Dad want to know if we'll join them for church this morning. The service starts at nine. I don't mind going; we have so much to be thankful for. It's up to you Danny."

"Yeah, okay. We can do that. Are you sure you don't mind?" Danny rolled out of bed and went into the bathroom. "Do I have time to shave before breakfast?"

"I don't think so. Mom is starting breakfast. Do you want me to wake Grace?" Steve had finished in the bathroom and was heading for the door.

"Yeah, thanks. I'll go downstairs and tell Mom." Danny washed his face and combed his hair before going downstairs. He walked into the kitchen and gave Mom a kiss. "There will be three more joining you at church this morning. Steve is waking Grace up now." Danny saw that the coffee was ready and poured a cup for the grown-ups.

Mom turned to face Danny. "I wasn't sure if you would come. We've had such a good week and I don't want to make a big thing about this."

Danny pulled Mom in for a hug. "It's not a big deal. Steve and I had a long talk about faith and the hereafter. Let's just say that I've had a couple of eye-opening experiences and I'm seeing things more clearly now."

Steve went in to wake Grace. "Hey Grace, it's time to wake up. We're going to church with Nana and Poppa. "

Grace was sleepy but responded to Steve. "Good morning, Daddy. Is Danno going with us too?"

"Yes, all of us are going. Nana is making breakfast. Come down when you finish in the bathroom. I'll help you with your hair after breakfast." He gave Grace a morning hug and went down to find Danny. "Good morning Mom. Thanks for fixing breakfast; Grace will be down in a few minutes." Steve gave Mom a morning kiss on the cheek, and pulled some glasses out of the cabinet for juice.

"Steve, thank you for joining us today. It means a lot to Dad and me."

"It's no problem. I thought that after we came home and changed our clothes, we could go Christmas tree shopping. I read in the paper that the shipments arrived yesterday, and we have to buy early before the best ones are gone." Steve brought some berries out for the oatmeal.

Grace walked in to hear Steve mention 'Christmas tree'. "Can we buy a real tree? Last year we had a fake tree. It was big, but it didn't smell right." Grace was excited about the prospect of tree shopping.

Danny loved seeing Grace like this. He was excited about the tree too. "What, you don't want me to order another tree from the internet?"

Steve and Danny laughed when they told Mom and Dad about Danny's sad little tree. Danny remembered how he was sure that his Christmas with Grace would be a dismal affair. Instead his 5-0 family helped make it a festive occasion. Yes, he had a lot to be thankful for this year.

The family finished their simple breakfast, and Steve and Danny cleared away the dishes. Mom and Dad would need extra time to use the smaller-sized hall bathroom. Mom fixed Grace's hair and helped her with her dress while Dad shaved. Steve and Danny had their own sinks in the big master bathroom, so they finished about the same time that Mom, Dad, and Grace went downstairs.

Danny opened the garage door so Steve could back the Marquis out. He met Steve's eyes as he slid in the back seat after Grace. He knew that Steve was going to say something about last night.

"Danny, we need to get more of that car freshener. Even after a full day, it still smells fresh and clean in here." Steve saw that Dad turned a little red in the face, but Mom's eyes were full of mischief when he glanced in the rear view mirror.

Mom's mouth was twitching. "You might need to pick up another pack. I think we might have used it all." Everyone laughed at Mom's remark, even Grace. Thankfully, she had no idea at all what was so funny.

Mom gave Steve the name of the church. He knew exactly where it was located. He had attended a funeral there last year. He remembered that it was a friendly place, and the minister spoke quite eloquently about the deceased. Steve worried that the congregation might frown on two men joining their morning worship. Steve and Danny were cautious about PDA's, but occasionally someone would give them a hard time. Usually, Steve's steely glare would shut them up. He hoped that there would be no problem.

Steve pulled into the parking lot a few minutes before nine. He opened the back door for Mom and helped her out of the car. He gave Grace the same treatment. Their family was greeted at the door by the ushers and they quickly found seats.

Steve enjoyed the service immensely. The minister spoke about how special the holiday season is. He said that it should be a time of sharing and rejoicing. He reminded the congregation that many would not have much to share in the dismal economy. He encouraged them to participate in one of the many service projects around the island, or to donate money if their time was at a premium. He reminded them that the greatest gift had been given more than two thousand years ago, an event they would commemorate in four more weeks. Then he blessed the congregation and prayed for the safe return of all the visitors.

The minister stood outside the front door to shake hands and exchange a few words with the worshippers as they left. When Steve paused to thank the minister for his inspiring words, the minister stopped him. "Commander McGarrett, I thought I recognized you. I follow the news, and 5-0 is often mentioned. This is your partner, Detective Williams, isn't it? Welcome to our church. This is your first time here?"

Danny spoke up. "Yes sir, my parents are visiting from New Jersey. This is my daughter, Grace. Mom wanted to come to church this morning and asked us to join them. I enjoyed your sermon too."

The minister beamed. "Thank you for your kind words. I hope you and the Commander will join us again. Everyone is welcome here."

"Please, we're Steve and Danny. You'll probably see us again if our schedule permits." Mom and Dad shook hands with the minister, and they walked back to the car.

Mom had watched the exchange between her boys (as she thought of them) and the minister. "I don't mean to pry, but will you really go back?"

Steve and Danny exchanged a look; then Danny spoke. "Yes, Mom, I think we will. I don't know if we'll become one of the regulars, but I liked it here. The minister had a good message, and he seemed to accept that we're partners and not just at 5-0."

Upon arriving back at the house, the family quickly changed into casual clothes. Steve took his truck because it would make it much easier to transport the tree home. Dad elected to ride shotgun, and Mom and Grace rode with Danny in the Camaro. Steve drove to the same lot that his Dad used when they were kids. The owner remembered Steve's dad, and he was proud that members of the island's elite task force wanted to buy one of his trees.

Steve estimated that the living room would accommodate an eight to nine foot tree. He remembered that his dad always sawed a little off the bottom of the tree. He told the owner what they were looking for, and he led Steve to a section of the lot with the taller trees. Grace spotted a beautiful tree. Steve was ready to buy it when Dad cautioned him.

"Steve, first you need to make sure the trunk is straight. See how the trunk on this one crooks to the left? There's also a hole back here where some of the branches are stunted." Dad had been buying live Christmas trees for decades, and he suspected that this was Steve's first time to make such a purchase.

"Thanks for pointing that out Dad. I missed that. It's a good thing that we're doing this while you and Mom are still here. Apparently Danny and I have a Christmas tree disability." Everyone laughed at Steve's assessment.

The next couple of trees had obvious flaws, but then the owner picked up a flawless tree. They all walked around the tree, making sure there were no holes and that the trunk was straight. Steve and Danny looked to Dad, who nodded his approval.

"That's the one. We'll take it." Dad blanched when he saw the sticker price but Steve shrugged. "It's the price we pay to live in paradise. The owner offered to discount the price for Steve since he served the island as the head of 5-0. Steve shook his head. "No, that would not be appropriate. I'll pay the full price."

Danny stopped when Steve reached for his wallet. "No babe, I've got this one. It will make up for my sorry excuse for a tree last year." Steve agreed to let Danny pay for the tree, but he insisted on buying the stand. He knew that there were boxes of ornaments stored upstairs, but he was pretty sure the stand wouldn't have survived.

One of the helpers put the tree in protective netting and loaded the tree in the back of Steve's truck. On the way home, Steve asked Dad what he would like to do for their last day on the island.

"Speaking for myself, I would like to help you decorate that beautiful tree. You might need a hand getting the tree in the stand. That's usually where most people have the biggest problem. At home, we always decorated the tree as a family. I would like to do that with you, Danny, and Grace." Dad knew that Mom would make the same suggestion with Danny and Grace.

Danny pulled in the driveway right after Steve. Grace jumped out of the car as soon as Danny turned off the engine. "Daddy, can we decorate the tree today? Nana said that's what she wants to do. Can we?"

Steve picked Grace up and spun her around. "What does Danno say?"

Danny laughed at the excitement on Grace's face. He knew that Steve would have no objection. It would be the perfect way to spend their last day together with Mom and Dad. "Danno says it's a terrific idea."

Mom insisted that they have lunch first. They raided the fridge for leftovers and finished most of the leftover turkey. She cleaned up with Grace while the men worked to get the tree in the stand. Dad had obviously done this many times, and he knew how to accomplish the task most efficiently. Steve and Danny moved the furniture to make room for the large tree and carried the tree in from the driveway. Then Steve and Danny carried the boxes of decorations downstairs.

Steve found a radio station that was exclusively playing Christmas music, and they all went to work on the tree. Mom was surprised to see the old-style lights; only a few bulbs were out and extras were in the box. Steve saw that the garland was in sad shape, so they went to a Christmas store and bought new garland and tinsel. Mom saw some unique ornaments that would remind them of their first holiday in Hawaii, and Danny bought an ornament with Grace's name on it. He found Steve at the counter where a woman was personalizing an ornament. It read:

Steve * Danny * Grace

2011

Our First Christmas Together

"That's really nice. Next year, we'll get one that says 'The McGarrett-Williams Family'. I love you babe." Danny rested his head on Steve's shoulder. Danny's heart was so full of emotion. He loved Steve so much. He loved having his parents visit this week, and would miss them terribly when they left. He loved that Grace would be with them for the holiday season. He loved that at the end of the year, he and Steve would pledge their love to each other.

Steve put his arm around Danny and kissed him. "I love you too. It's so perfect, isn't it? Sometimes, I can't believe this is happening. "

The woman finished the ornament and turned to show it to Steve. She saw the kiss and sighed. "Congratulations, you two. Will you have one of those ceremonies next year?"

Steve realized that they had broken their rule on PDA's and that the woman standing in front of them obviously didn't care. "Yes ma'am, a little after midnight. We'll have one of the first ceremonies on New Year's Day."

"Well, you be sure to come back next year. I'll make you an ornament with the date. You two are surely in love." She packed the ornament in a small box and rang up their purchases.

Back at the house, the tree decorating progressed quickly. Steve helped string the garland around the top of the tree leaving Danny and Mom to finish the lower branches. The ornaments came next. Steve had stories to go with some of the ornaments. The tinsel was last; then Grace helped put the Nativity set under the tree. The sun was going down, and Steve killed the inside lights and stood back.

It was the most perfect tree Steve could ever remember seeing. Josh Groban was singing 'I'll be home for Christmas' in the background. Between verses, servicemen and women could be heard saying hello to their families back in the states and wishing them a Merry Christmas. Steve had a lump in his throat and tears in his eyes.

Danny thought of the years that Steve had been alone for every holiday and every birthday. He drew Steve into a tight hug. "Hey babe, you're not alone anymore. Even if you have to go away again, you'll never be alone. Grace and I will be here waiting for you."

They turned away from the tree and Mom snapped their picture. This was the picture that would sit on their mantle at home for years to come.