Chapter 44 "The Party"
A/N: (6 March 2017) Well, you surprised me again with supportive, kind reviews, which I wasn't sure would happen since I did take a stand there. I just want everyone to know that I'm not going to penalize anyone with an opinion contrary or differing slightly from mine. We all have the right to our own conscience. Thank you for trusting, when I didn't say it, that your opinions are just as important.
This story is gaining a little momentum. We're not at warp 9 yet, but we are no longer at warp 1 either. I like that we are picking up some steam, attracting new readers and reviewers! Thank you for the very kind and compassionate reviews, and the new faves and follows! *HUGS* and happiness to everyone! I'm glad you are enjoying the story! I write for me, but I also write for you, since I think this is my calling in life.
CBS owns Hawaii Five-0.
Chapter 44 "The Party"
(Sunday, Christmas 2016, 1pm)
It was so hard to push aside the emotional pain Danny was feeling, along with an increase in his physical discomfort. The party would be a challenge to get through, but he would do it, because he could not ruin his children's Christmas, or his ohana's, more than he already had. He had not even made it to twelve engaged hours with Becca before Rachel had walloped him with her … did it really matter if it was a lie or the truth? She had inflicted pain, on purpose. He would not do that to his loved ones in return. Becca, Steve, and Dr. Cornett had already suffered because of what Rachel had done. He loved them for helping him, but he felt this continual need to apologize, and yet knew they would be more pained by his apologies. So he only said he was sorry a few times, sincerely, on the verge of tears each time, because they were being so good to him. After Rachel's unexpected depth of cruelty, Danny needed love. And he needed to give love, especially when he was hurting in so many ways at once.
He just plain loved his friends and family. He would get through the party for them. Somehow.
Danny knew they were concerned for him. His fever had gone up almost a degree, and his body was paining him. It was the cry, the evidence of a pain deeper than he had felt in a long time. (Angel, he reflected, would probably have thought he was trying to bring up his own hairball!) Dr. Cornett had adjusted his medications, which helped greatly, but not enough to make it through on drugs alone. A lot of the success or failure of this party would be Danny's inner effort. He hoped he had the strength. Privately, he was not sure that he did. However, he knew he had the willingness to endure what he never wanted his family and friends to have to. He would take a bullet for any of them. He had simply not expected his ex to point the cannon right at his heart and fire point blank. Rachel's words had proven to be virtually an emotional kill-shot. He had asked for help with the party because it was the only way to keep his bleeding-out wound from overtaking him again.
Danny concentrated on any detail that would distract him from sinking into the mire within. He noticed Becca was wearing a truly beautiful dress. A Christmas dress. It was made of something soft, but not satin or silk, or whatever that stuff was that floated. It was more like soft cotton, something light and lifting, and the colors were a watercolor print in soft red, green, and gold on white. The top part fitted, and had an open neckline, little cap sleeves, and then the skirt widened out until it stopped with just enough swish to be almost safe in a breeze. The hem was edged in scalloped white lace, just at the top of her knees. He had memorized it, because it was such a perfect Christmas dress. It was a perfect dress for Christmas in Hawaii, or anytime in Hawaii, really. He could see it on a beach at sunset, with the breeze playing with the hem. Becca had also worn a delicate necklace of a small gold heart with a little diamond in it, or maybe it wasn't a diamond. Danny couldn't tell, but it sparkled like one, and the chain was the kind with tiny, thin links that sparkled like glitter in the light. It was like the sparkle in her eyes. They seemed to always sparkle. Sparkling eyes he would look at forever. That would sparkle more, now, except she was feeling his ….
Pain. Anguish.
Danny shoved them away, determined to give Becca nothing more to worry about.
He was a lucky man. He smiled at Becca and she smiled back at him, and the sparkles increased. They held hands. He whispered to her that she was beautiful. She bent down and kissed him, because his eyes had asked her to, and hers had said they wanted to. He could have denied himself, but how could he ever deny her?
Steve had ahemed, with a smile not as eye-brightening as it should have been. He was worried about Danny, too, and Danny knew it. Steve was standing on his right, by his bad hand, but Steve still had his hand on his shoulder, almost as if he was filling in for Angel. And he had actually almost succeeded in dressing for Christmas, probably because Hannah was beside him, with her hand on Steve's cast. She was a floaty vision in a no-doubt-about-it red dress, while Steve wore dark pants with no cargo pockets, a maroon chamois shirt that managed to look pressed, but was probably an illusion. If Steve had something pressed, it came from the dry cleaner. But he looked like he belonged next to Hannah. Their togetherness was undeniably right.
Danny wore his cleaned Santa pajamas, complete with hat. Steve had helped him shave his scruffy beard, but he still needed to hide his super-short hair. So he wore the hat that had been appropriated from his kitten, who had decided the fluffy hat with the tail ending in a white poof was definitely hers.
It made Danny's smile genuine. If anything besides his kids and Becca and kitten and Steve and ohana could make him feel happy at the moment, it was that silly Santa hat Angel had taken right off his head, which Becca (or was it Steve?) had stolen back, if only temporarily.
He repeated in his mind what he had just thought. He had a lot to be grateful and thankful for. And even if the day had been partially ruined, it still had a lot going for it. His ohana was coming to see him, and friends he felt close to. He was engaged. His best friend was almost engaged. He was alive, out of the box, and it was Christmas. He would see his kids very soon.
His first visitors were Chin, Abby, Kono and Adam, and they brought him cards and several shapes and colors of bright Mylar balloons, and Kono also handed the wrapped BB8 for his kids off to Steve, who hid it under Danny's bed. They talked, hugged, and included Becca and Hannah in the happy wishes for the day.
Next came the Doc, his wife Noelle, with more cards, balloons, and a platter piled high with various kinds of cookies, including some that Danny could have. "Two. Just two, Danny," said his Doc, and Danny nodded, smiling. Shortbread cookies decorated with royal icing Santa faces. Noelle kissed him on the cheek after hugging her daughters, and gave Steve kisses too. Like a family. Which they were.
"I never saw you in anything but scrubs and a lab coat," commented Danny, liking to see his doc is something real. His Hawaiian shirt had palm trees decorated with lights on a pale blue background, and his pants were genuine Levi Strauss blue jeans that did not look like they had been worn 5000 times.
"This is my only real shirt," confessed the Doc, and at the blatant lie, everyone laughed.
"At least it doesn't have pineapples all over it," commented Danny.
The Doc laughed and looked mischievous at that, and Noelle pulled two flat boxes from behind her husband's back, which was broad enough to hide them. "We brought you a gift." She handed one box to Danny, and the other box to Steve. "And you too, Steve. We wanted to welcome you both to the family."
"Oh wow, thanks," said Steve, gruffly, moved, while Danny beamed. "Okay, we open them together," he said. They did. Steve got a Hawaiian shirt with a beach design of water, palm trees, and sunset. Danny got a lagoon blue Hawaiian shirt covered in half-life-sized pineapples with smaller ones peppering the background. He burst into laughter. "Okay, I love it!" he said, and he meant it.
Noelle Cornett, pleased, confided that Steve had told them Danny loved pineapples.
Danny kept the smile pasted to his face as he looked up at a blushing Steve. "Diiiiiiiid he? Well, in this instance, he is right." He recognized a gift given with love. He would even wear it. In Steve's face. Every chance he got.
David and his family came in next, while everyone mixed, and while it would have been a challenge to meet the baby without medication running through Danny's system, he could feel it preventing him from having trouble. It was very easy to like David and his family, and there were no awkward pauses or fumbles in the conversation.
"So you two are going to be my brothers-in-law?"
Danny confirmed it. Kissing Becca's hand, he said, "She said, 'Yup!'"
"I did!" agreed Becca, bright as a Christmas light, clearly loving seeing her brother and sister-in-law.
"And what did Hannah say?" asked David.
Danny made a prolonged smoochy sound, and Hannah swatted him on the shoulder. "Steve hasn't asked me yet," she admitted, then laughed. "Sortof."
Then it was Danny's kids, with even more balloons, and Charlie was lifted up onto his bed while Grace, hair piled high in soft curls, wearing her brand new Christmas dress of chocolate satin –a present from the Cornetts- twirled for him when he told her how beautiful she looked. "Thank you, Danno. I love it. Hannah helped me put my hair up like this."
"You've grown up on me," Danny said, his voice tight, holding Grace close. "You were a beautiful baby, and a beautiful child, a beautiful girl who grew into a stunning young lady."
It was a special moment between father and daughter. Becca wiped away a tear, and slyly pulled the box with her pearls out of the drawer where Danny had hidden it. She slipped it into Danny's hand.
He flicked away a tear, and slid the box into Grace's hands. "I have something for you, my beautiful grown up daughter."
Shock and happiness vied for supremacy in Grace's expression as she held the red jewelry case with the fluffy gold ribbon on top. "I didn't expect … I thought it wouldn't … you are all I need, Daddy."
"Open it, sweetheart." Urged Danny, having gotten the best present in the world when Grace called him Daddy. She didn't do that as often, now that she was growing up. It was either Danno or Dad.
Danny glanced at Becca, with love, adoration, many emotions. She had made this moment possible.
The room had gone silent as Grace first touched the ribbon, and then slowly opened the case, and caught her first glimpse of the string of pearls with matching earrings. "Ohhhh Daddy!" she breathed, in pleasure, appreciation, and love. She hugged her father close, and cried happy tears, and Danny didn't let her go as Steve was the one who clasped the pearls around Gracie's neck, while Becca and Hannah each fitted her ears with an earring. She finally sat up and touched them, and Kono pulled a mirrored compact from her clutch purse and opened it so Grace could see how she looked.
"So grown up, so beautiful," whispered Danny, quietly realizing he would have to prepare for when Grace was old enough to move out and begin her life as an independent adult. "D-do you like them?" he finally asked, as Grace hadn't said anything.
Grace looked at her father. "No," she said, and tears slid from her chocolate eyes. "I love them. Even more, I love you."
Five minutes later, Kleenexes stopped being passed around, and there was a lot of throat clearing going on, and a nurse picked the perfect time to bring in lemonade and cake, slices of fruit for the assemblage, and a larger-than-before cup of strawberry jello for Danny.
"But we're not done with the gifts for my amazing kids," said Danny, when everyone had had a snack and something to drink. "Charlie, you want to see your present?"
"Yes please!" he chirped, and was ecstatic to see the medal hanging from the chain. "A real one!" he said, looking at the medal after Danny slipped it over his son's head. "St. Michael!" He hugged his father happily. "Oh Daddy, I love it!"
Danny hugged his son for a few seconds before he froze and held Charlie away, so he could see him. "What did you call me?"
"Daddy!" proudly answered Charlie. "I stopped calling Step-Stan that weeks ago, cuz he doesn't love me like you do. You love me this much!" He held his arms open as wide as he possibly could. "So you are my Danno Daddy."
Danny burst into tears at finally hearing his son call him Daddy. "I'm so happy," he clarified for the suddenly worried Charlie. "Thank you, Tiger. Thank you." He hugged him again, and then signaled the big reveal. After clearing his throat, he signaled Steve and Kono to bring forth the wrapped box with BB8 inside. It was opened with due ceremony, and then Charlie squealed, and Grace showed that she was not entirely grown up yet with her excited, "OH MY GOSH!" The little robot was soon running all around Danny's room, and up and down the hospital hallways, looking as cute as the real one from the movie Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
Danny took a few moments to lean back and reflect that, while he felt like he had been on a wild emotional roller coaster just during the party, it had gone well. He was glad, however, that it was drawing to an end.
Awhile later, when everyone had left, if only temporarily in one case, for Steve was seeing Hannah out but would return, and Becca was going to spend some time with her family, since her brother was leaving with his wife on their belated Maui honeymoon in the morning. This would be her last chance to really spend time with her whole family together. She was helping carry things down to her dad's car.
But Becca had not left without giving Danny a very fiance type of kiss, and a simply perfect, "I love you," after he had said goodbye for now to his kids, and warned them lightly not to scare Angel with the BB8.
He was resting when he got a note from one of the nurses.
It was from Tony Archer. "Raincheck," it said. "I got an offer I couldn't refuse, from my God daughter. She's gonna have a kid in October! She surprised me with a visit. I'll call ya tomorrow! -Tony (does this make me a grandpa?)"
Danny felt happy for Tony, and incredibly happy it was time for his medications again. He lay back and let slow tears roll down his cheeks, partly happy, partly sad, party just too long on the rollercoaster.