I ask that you imagine your friendly aunt, uncle or any relatives you dearly love in the roles of Danny's parents because that's how they'll be portrayed throughout the story.
On this the day of their departure, Steve was at home packing the warmest clothes he could find for his trip to New Jersey. He smiled at the thought of spending a glorious crime-free month with his best pal, and actually looked forward to meeting Danny's parents.
He however felt a tad uneasy at their offer to lodge him for the four-week period. After all this was his partner's time with his own family and although Danny oftentimes said that he belonged to the fold, he nonetheless felt like an intruder.
It was late at night when all four boarded the plane. The ten-hour red-eye flight to Newark would provide an opportunity for each to get some shuteye, particularly Steve who still struggled with constant bouts of dizziness that he would deftly conceal from Danny.
Throughout the night, Grace slept soundly by her mother's while Steve and Danny slumbered in the seats behind them.
Early the next morning, a few hours before landing, Danny gave his sleeping partner's shoulder a light shake. "Hey, Sleepy Head, time to wake up."
"What?" Steve garbled out around a think tongue with eyes still at half-mast.
"We're landing in two hours. I thought maybe you'd want some breakfast before we arrive."
"What time is it?"
"Almost ten."
"In the morning?" Steve exclaimed with eyes bulging out. He lazily sat up in his seat and rubbed off the remnants of sleep from his eyes with a stretching yawn. "Yeah, I think I could go for a light breakfast."
"I'll go get it for you."
"No it's all right. I can go," Steve said as he scooted over to Danny's seat by the aisle.
With a hand on his partner's shoulder to stop him from going any further, Danny offered, "It's okay, Rachel and I are going to get it for us and Grace. We'll bring some for you too. What would you like? Coffee and a strawberry danish?"
"You don't suppose they have malasadas?"
"I wouldn't be surprised if they did, along with a side of pineapples," Danny quipped.
"Oh that would be nice."
"Figures!" Danny rolled his eyes in disbelief and turned to Grace in front. "Monkey, why don't you keep your Uncle Steve company while your mom and I go get breakfast."
"Okay Danno." Steve slid back into his window seat, vacating Danny's aisle seat for Grace.
Rachel had been observing the scene a few feet away and when Danny stepped up to her, she expressed her concern. "Is Steve feeling okay?"
Danny cast a swift glance at Steve and replied nonchalantly. "Yeah, why?"
"Maybe it's just me but he looks a bit worn."
"Yeah. That's why I insisted on this vacation. He needs it to recharge the old batteries." With a hand on the small of her back he turned her toward the galley.
H50H50H50H50H50H50H50H50H50
They landed in Newark at noontime to a warm sunny day, which was a welcome relief to both Danny and Steve since he didn't have the proper winter clothes to walk around in.
No sooner had Danny parked the car in the driveway of his parents' home that his mother rushed out of the house to greet them.
"Daniel!" she exulted as she fell into his awaiting arms and squeezed him in a motherly hug. "I'm so happy to see you. It's been so long." She pulled back and held him at arm's length. "Let me look at you. You are as handsome as ever."
"Yeah, well, what can I say? It's a curse," he gloated. He cast a sidelong glance at Steve who was seen biting his upper lip to suppress a mocking grin.
"Grandma!" Grace exclaimed with glee.
"Come here, pumpkin." Clara lifted the excited bundle in her arms and showered her with kisses. "How's my big girl doing?"
"I'm fine, Grandma. It's cold."
"Well I expect you would think so after living in sunny Hawaii all year round. But I bet you're looking forward to going skiing and making snowmen?" Grace nodded enthusiastically. "Now run along into the house and get warm. Grandpa's waiting for you by the fireplace."Grace slid down and hurried up to the front door. "Careful to wipe your booths on the doormat, sweetheart!" She then turned to her son. "She's growing like a weed."
"That she is," Danny happily agreed.
"Rachel, it's good to see you again dear. I was so thrilled when Daniel told me you two were back together. How's my grandchild doing?" she asked while patting Rachel's small belly bump.
"It's fine, Clara. He or she is in perfect health."
"You don't know the sex yet?"
"We want to be surprised," Danny said. He gazed lovingly at a glowing Rachel and both shared a tender kiss before he turned to Steve. "Mom, this is Steve."
"I'm so very happy to finally meet you, Steven. If I may call you by your first name?"
"Of course. In fact I insist."
She stepped up to him and hugged him without any reservations. "Daniel's told me so much about you I feel like I know you already."
"The feeling is mutual, Mrs. Williams."
"Please, call me Clara. Well, come on! Let's get you all inside where it's warm."
Once the two partners had unloaded the luggage out of the trunk they retired indoors. They dropped the suitcases by the door and proceeded to the living room, where the patriarch was busy peeling off the many layers of winter garments off his granddaughter.
"Need some help there, dad?" Danny opened with a light tease.
"There's my boy!" he exclaimed before turning to his wife. "Honey, you do it. Women are better at this sort of thing."
Both Clara and Rachel settled to the task of helping Grace shed her warm clothes to allow father and son to renew their bond.
"Come here, son," the tall grey-haired man invited with arms outstretched. "How's Hawaii treating you?"
"Aside from the sweltering heat and the pineapple infestation, I'm doing fairly well."
He gave two hearty claps on Danny's back and pulled back to turn to Rachel. "There's my favorite girl. Come here, you." He held her gently in his arms. "You're positively radiant. Pregnancy certainly agrees with you." He then glared at Steve. "And you must be the arrogant bastard who prised my son away from his job?"
"Eddie! That's no way to welcome Daniel's friend," his wife scolded at his rude behavior toward their guest.
"Well it's true, isn't it?" the patriarch crudely defended.
"Yes sir, I am," Steve replied smugly without flinching. "And I'm damn proud to have done it. When I first met Danny I was struck by his resilience, proficiency and might I add his obstinacy that I wanted him on my task force and I haven't the least bit regretted my decision."
"You've got a keen eye, son. He's always been a bit of a rebel. I'm darned proud of him and what he's accomplished." His father's praises made Danny blush and boosted his self-confidence. "I had hoped he'd choose to follow in my footsteps but being a detective is what he fancies and hell, he protects the lives of citizens. How can I object?"
"Yeah just my luck," Clara lamented. "One son is wanted by the law and the other upholds it, both of which are hazardous."
"Matthew is a loser, Clara."
"He's also your son," she admonished.
"I gave him every bit of consideration as I did my other children and how does he thank me?"
"Huh, dad, there are ladies present," Danny reminded his father of Grace and Rachel who were both within earshot.
"Oh yeah, sorry folks."
Steve found Edward Williams's effusive demeanor and dry humor somewhat amusing. Although he had just barely gotten acquainted with the man, he knew that behind that tough exterior lay the heart of a loving and caring father. A small wistful smile crossed Steve's lips at the thought of his own father.
"I know my son here values your leadership and holds you in the highest regards. Even considers you like his own brother, isn't that right Dan?"
"Don't give him a swell head." He glanced up at Steve who was wearing a large goofy grin. "Just look at that smug. Thanks again, dad!"
The patriarch patted Steve on the shoulder. "I think you and me are going to get along fine Mister McGarrett."
"That's Lieutenant Commander McGarrett, dad," Danny corrected.
"Danny!" Steve dismissed with a flick of the wrist. "Call me Steve."
"All right. And everyone calls me Eddie."
As his father led Steve away from the pack, Danny shook his head in disbelief and confided to his mother, "I have a bad feeling that this new alliance will spell gloom and doom for Yours Truly here. Once they start comparing notes, Danny Williams will never live it down."
Both Rachel and Clara erupted in laughter.
"Oh you two think that's funny, huh? You just wait and see."
H50H50H50H50H50H50H50H50H50
The next day, Steve, Danny, Rachel and Grace hit the slopes for a fun day of skiing. While Danny's father lent Steve a warm coat, wool hat and mittens, helmet and his ski gear, Danny gave him a crash course on alpine skiing to which Steve took rather quickly. In no time flat, the former SEAL was fluidly sliding down the slopes with the best of them.
It was during their last run that Danny noticed that Steve was getting a bit restless. Concerned, he decided to follow him closely on that last descent. Halfway down, Steve suddenly took a tumble and rolled down the hill. He came to a halt a few feet down the slope, completely dazed.
"Hey Steve, you all right?" Danny asked frantically. The spectacular fall had put the fear of God into him.
"Yeah, yeah. Snow definitely does not behave like water." Steve slurred out as if in a drunken stupor and shook his head to clear the dizziness away. He held out his hand for Danny to assist him to his feet.
"You should have gone snowboarding instead. You sure you're feeling okay? Anything broken or sprained?" Danny asked, as he gave his partner a quick once-over. "That was quite a tumble you took."
"Danny, I'm good. Just a little woozy. It'll pass." Steve huffed and puffed to catch his breath.
"How's the head?"
"It's fine. I'm just a bit stunned."
"Can you make it down the rest of the way?" Danny ensured that the skis were still securely fastened to his partner's booths.
"Sure I can."
"Nice and slow now."
Danny followed very closely on Steve's heels to keep a watchful eye in case of a repeat.
They met with Rachel and Grace in front of the ski lodge.
"I think we're done for the day."
"Oh Danno, can we stay a while longer? I'm having so much fun," Grace begged.
"It's close to supper time, Monkey. Besides it's starting to get colder. We'll come again tomorrow."
"Okay."
"Rach, I'll drop you and Grace at mom and dad's. Thereafter I'm going to take Steve to the emergency room."
"Why? What's wrong?" Her eyes instantly traveled to Steve to note any sign of injury.
"Yeah Danny, what's wrong with me?" Steve humored.
"Don't you remember the fall you just took?"
"Danny, man! I've fallen before. It's no big deal!" Steve derided.
"This time humor me, babe!"
"Danny, you're being ridiculous."
"That may be so but I recall that actress who took a bad fall and ended up dead shortly after of a brain hemorrhage."
"Danny's right Steve. You'd better have it checked out just in case," Rachel agreed.
"All right," Steve conceded grudgingly as he had to set an example in front of Grace. "I say it's a complete waste of time but if it'll make you happy."
"It will. Come on, let's go."
H50H50H50H50H50H50H50H50H50
Danny glanced down at his watch for the umpteenth time, wondering why the exam was taking so long.
It was some time later when the attending physician walked over to the waiting room where Danny was sitting, thumbing through a magazine.
"Detective Daniel Williams?"
Danny flipped close the dull brochure and stood. "That would be me."
The doctor beckoned to follow him out of earshot of the other people in the room. "I'm Doctor Tomlin. I tended to Commander McGarrett in the emergency room."
"Please to meet you." Danny shook the man's hand. "How is he?"
"We couldn't find anything wrong as a result from his fall. The CT scan is clean. No skull fracture or brain hemorrhage. Lucky he was wearing a helmet. You say he tumbled down the hill a good fifty feet?"
"At least."
"Reason why we want to keep him overnight for observation as a precautionary measure."
"And he agreed?" Danny was astounded that his stubborn Neanderthal could have readily complied with such request, after meeting with what Steve claimed was a puny fall.
The doctor chuckled. "Yes indeed he does have a thick skull, fortunately for him. However I had a convincing argument."
"Which is?" Danny frowned dubiously as the doctor became somewhat uneasy.
"While examining the Commander I became increasingly concerned by his pallor, drawn features and shortness of breath. I questioned him about his sleeping pattern and he told me about his struggle with insomnia in the past few weeks; that he felt unusually tired all the time with bouts of dizziness and even naps didn't correct the problem. He also mentioned having trouble catching his breath at times and gnawing pain in the joints. I noticed that his lymph nodes were a bit swollen and his upper torso was covered with bruises that he had for a few days now. So I ordered a CBC, that's a Complete Blood Count, and had the samples analyzed STAT. We double-checked the results, hence why it's taken a bit longer in there."
Danny's stance took on a stillness, as he psyched himself out for a bombshell to befall him any second. "What did you find?"