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.
It was fortunate that Steve was healthy on Monday. 5-0 and HPD jointly recovered $80,000,000 in drugs. Steve's lab results came back negative for any further infection. The team was busy with the paperwork from the massive drug bust. They were unable to identify the leader of the drug cartel.
Steve was frustrated that another drug cartel was targeting his island, his home. He was deployed with his SEAL team to bring down a cartel, yet another one took its place. They were like cockroaches; you killed one and dozens more came out of the woodwork.
Danny was in his office running down a lead. He was also keeping an eye on Steve. Danny could see his frustration and went in to check on his partner. "Hey babe, what's going on? You have Constipated Face. Are you feeling okay?"
"I'm fine Danny, or at least as fine as I can be with a new drug cartel trying to invade our home. I hoped that when our SEAL team took down that cartel in South America, that we would get a break before the next one moved in. We may have taken their merchandise, but it's only a matter of time before the next shipment comes in."
Danny went over to Steve's desk and opened the top drawer. He pulled out a white bottle and tapped a couple of capsules in his hand. "Here, I can tell that you have a headache." Danny saw that the other team members were in the break room. "Lean back let me work some of those knots out of your neck."
"Danny, you don't need to…." Danny was kneading his neck where Steve always tensed up. Steve had been digging for information all afternoon with no luck. He leaned back and felt some of the tension ease away. "I worry that Grace will be exposed to this stuff. Her school has an excellent record. We're keeping her there, aren't we? I know Stan paid the tuition for the year, but you said that he might not be able to come up with the tuition next year. I read that pre-registration is coming up for the next academic year in February, and the tuition is due at that time. We can pay to keep her there."
Danny should have known that Steve was thinking of Grace. Steve loved Grace as much as he loved Danny. He would do anything to protect Grace. Danny hadn't given much thought to Grace's school. He remembered the conversation with Rachel concerning next year's tuition and had passed it along to Steve. "We can do that. You're right, it's important that we keep Grace in the best possible environment. She's doing well academically, and she has friends. I hadn't thought about it; there's too much going on right now."
"There's money in the account to take care of tuition. You're not going to give me a hard time about the money, are you? The tuition is steep, but it's too important to worry about who pays for what. Grace's safety, not to mention her education, is at stake." Steve knew that Danny was still a little sensitive about the money disparity. He understood Danny's point, but the money wasn't important to Steve. They were a family; the assets and liabilities were shared.
Steve might have a healthy bank account and portfolio, but he had other issues. He could be obsessive when he didn't work to keep it in check. Steve alternated between the need to be in control and the urge to let his inner child come out to play. Danny was so much better at taking care of them. He fussed over him the same way he fussed over Grace.
"No, I won't give you a hard time. Now, it's about time to pick up our girl. Are you ready to go home?" Danny thought Steve needed some Grace therapy. That was how he thought about going home every night. No matter how crappy his day was, Grace's happy greeting every afternoon made the day better. He knew that he had Steve to thank for her constant presence in his life. Oh, he would have worked something out with Rachel, but Steve had smoothed out so many of the bumps they encountered.
"That sounds wonderful right now. It's my turn to cook tonight. I thought I might do a shrimp stir fry. We get our veggies with the shrimp, so there won't be much cleanup. I know we sent out the invitations for the ceremony, but I'm still working on the Christmas cards. It's the first time I've ever sent out cards. Mom emailed the addresses I needed from your family. According to the FedEx website, Grace's Christmas gift was delivered this afternoon. I'll go on ahead to hide it while you pick Grace up."
"Sounds good. How's your headache?" Danny was gratified to see the little lines of tension gone on Steve's face.
"It's better. Thanks, Danno. Save some time for me later, after Grace goes to bed?" Steve never wanted Danny to think he wasn't appreciated. Danny's self-esteem was at an all-time low when they first met. It took Danny a long time to recover from the blow of the divorce. Steve was determined that Danny would always know important he was how valued he was.
"It's a date." Danny was always charmed when Steve asked for what he called 'Danno Time'. All of Steve's focus would be on him. On nights when that happened, the sex was amazing. Even more important, Steve had a way of making Danny feel very loved. Steve was so open during those times.
Steve found a large box on his front porch. He used a hand cart to wheel it into the house and up the stairs. Steve stowed it in the back of the closet in the master bedroom. Steve heard Danny and Grace come in while he was changing into his civilian clothes. Steve hurried downstairs to get his hug from Grace.
"Hey Grace, did you have a good day? Do you have a lot of any homework?" Steve was relieved that Danny agreed to keep Grace at Sacred Heart. She came home with such neat homework assignments.
"I had a great day. I finished my math. Will you listen to my spelling?" Grace was a champion speller. She studied her words every night.
"I'd be happy to. Do you want to help me with supper? I'm making shrimp stir fry." Steve liked working with Grace. He slivered the peppers and sliced the onions thin, and then cut the cauliflower and broccoli into little florets. The rice was done about the same time as the stir fry.
"It smells great. I'm really hungry." Danny poured drinks for them and set the table. He appreciated mealtime with Steve and Grace. There had been too many solo meals, too many lonely nights. Danny and Grace cleaned up while Steve checked on some of his investments. He wanted to make sure that there would be enough money for Grace's future education.
Steve was fortunate to have his education paid for by Uncle Sam, but he knew that there would be no financial aid for Grace's college. Between the two families, they made too much money. Grace was a smart little girl, and he wanted her to have every advantage.
They had a quiet night. Quiet was good. Grace knew all of her spelling words. Steve and Danny read with Grace and watched a couple of Christmas cartoons. Some of them were classics. Steve and Danny watched them as kids, and it was a kick to share them with Grace.
Steve and Danny retired to their bedroom after Grace went to bed. They made it a point to spend time together like this. Their jobs were so stressful, and it was easy to get caught up in the rush of daily life. Some of the time they just hold each other and talk about whatever is going on. They make love in a number of very inventive ways. Tonight, neither took the lead, and neither was in a rush. It was very slow and very sweet.
Danny and Steve spent another couple of days tying up loose ends. Then there was the big news conference with the governor. Steve didn't appreciate that 5-0 was forced to stand by while the governor made his speech. It made it tough for any of them to go undercover when local news featured them on the noon telecast.
Then it got much worse. A busload of children from a private academy was kidnapped, and the perpetrators wanted their drugs back instead of ransom money. Thank God that Lori was able to convince the governor to let them pay the ransom. The last thing Steve wanted was a replay of Chin's ransom like last year. Unfortunately, the result was the same. The ransom went up in smoke.
Steve hated kidnap cases like this. It was a reminder of the day that Victor Hesse held his father, demanding the release of his brother, Anton, as ransom. That kidnapping ended in the death of both Anton and John McGarrett. To make this case worse, the victims were children like his precious Grace. He kept picturing Grace on the bus with the rest of the children.
They got a break on the case and were able to save the children in time. Steve will never forget the look on the parents face as he drove the school bus into the parking lot. If he didn't get another gift for Christmas, if wouldn't matter. All the children were safe.
When the father of one of the children agreed to testify against the drug cartel leader, it was even better. All the evidence had been destroyed at the ransom drop, but they had a witness now. Steve was emotionally exhausted when he drove home that night. Danny was quiet too, and Steve knew he was having so many of the same thoughts.
Both men couldn't wait to see Grace. They just wanted to hold onto her forever. "We need to get some control before we see Grace. I don't want to scare her or upset her. I don't know if she's aware of the kidnapping, but we can't let her see how scared we are." Danny had to say something before they got to Emelina's house. Steve was in scary silent mode.
"You're right, but I don't know if I can right now. Danno, I've been so terrified that we would fail today. I couldn't bear it if even one of those children was injured. I can't imagine the nightmares those kids will have."
"Steve, pull over for a minute." Danny pointed to a vacant lot. When Steve stopped the car, Danny came around to the driver's side of the car and opened the door. He pulled Steve out of the car and just held him for a few minutes.
"We did good today. Everyone is at home tonight with their families. We get to pick up our Grace and take her home. We're okay, and she's okay. Hold onto me. I won't let go; I won't let you fall." They stood like that for a while until Steve was more in control.
"Thanks Danno. I feel better. We can get Grace now. Please, I need to see Grace." Steve was more in control, but he had an urgent to see Grace.
Danny drove the rest of the way to Emelina's. He put a hand on Steve's arm. "Take a deep breath. Grace is okay; she's never been in danger." He walked with Steve to the front door. Emelina let them in. "The girls are in the back yard. I'll get Grace for you."
Danny stopped her. "Well go out and get her, if that's okay."
"I saw the news. You and the team did a great job today. I kept the girls away from the TV this afternoon, but you'll want to talk to Grace tonight. It will be better for her if she hears if from you. That's my advice."
Danny nodded. "You're right. We appreciate your advice."
Steve was already out the back door. Danny held his breath, hoping Steve would keep it together.
"Hey Grace, give me a hug will you? Steve was wearing his most charming smile. He caught Grace as she jumped from the playscape and hugged her. Danny was relieved to see that Steve was being cool.
"Daddy, are you okay?" Grace knew her daddy and could feel the tension in the way he held her. She patted his cheek and then kissed him.
"I'm fine Grace. I just had a really hard day. I'm so happy to see you." He hugged her one last time and set her down. Steve was almost dizzy with relief. He couldn't even explain why he was so anxious. He supposed it could be some kind of PSTD.
Danny hugged Grace and tousled her hair. "Hey Monkey, are you ready to go home?"
"Yes, let me get my backpack. Is Daddy okay?" Grace knew it was more than just a bad day.
"He will be. Let's go home. Maybe we can talk him into taking a swim." Danny drove home with Steve in the passenger seat trying to calm himself.
Steve decided that Danny had a good idea. He went for his second swim of the day. He was exhausted when he waded ashore. Danny sent him up for a hot shower; he had opted for warmed up soup from the freezer and grilled cheese sandwiches. For some reason, soup and grilled cheese was a comfort food for Steve.
As they ate, Danny told Grace about their day. He was careful to use neutral words, trying to minimize how close it really was for the kids.
Grace was enthralled by the story. It wasn't that she was happy that some kids were in danger. She was just so proud that Danno and Daddy had saved everyone. She had so much faith in them. Then she thought about how scary it must have been for her dads knowing that all those kids depended on them. She thought about how Daddy Steve acted when he picked her up this afternoon.
"Danno, I think that you should get your shower while Daddy and I clean up the kitchen. Then you two can go to bed early and I'll read to you in your room." Grace cleared the dishes and loaded the dishwasher while Steve wiped down the stove and table.
"Grace, when did you get so smart? I think that's exactly what we need." Steve secured the downstairs while Grace went upstairs to find her book. They spent the remainder of the evening upstairs in the big bed.
Grace tucked Steve and Danny in bed and then crawled in between them. She opened her book and started reading. Steve thought that if he could bottle Grace, the world would be a better place. After Grace went to bed, Steve and Danny went back to their room.
Steve lay on his back with Danny curled around him. "Thanks for helping me today Danno. You and Grace helped me keep it together." He was too exhausted to do anything more than just hold Danny, but it was enough. They stayed awake for a while, talking about nothing special. Steve finally ran down and fell asleep. Danny pulled the covers up to keep them both warm and was soon asleep too.
