/ / / Shopping \ \ \

Lily came into the lounge room with her handbag, an amazing bottomless thing that held any number of weird and wonderful things, and her good jacket. Steve and Danny were ready to go with the shopping list from Lizzie. Danny knew it was the right thing to do, he normally just sent everyone money or a gift card and since he was here he did actually want to at least get the kids something to open on Christmas morning but he was dreading going to a shopping centre on December 23rd.

Chris drove them all down to the deli, which was next to his favourite pub, and left them to it while he caught up with some friends. He was going to drop them at the shopping centre and pick them up later since there would be almost no chance to park.

Lily grabbed Steve's hand and started walking quickly into the business, a hush fell over the room when she walked in, she ignored everyone and walked to a corner where a group of ladies about her age were sitting. Apparently it was the day for them all to come down and gossip at the deli.

"This is Steven," Lily said immediately, the other ladies shut up as soon as they saw her carting Steve over to them. "He's going to marry my Danny."

Every single one of the ladies checked Steve out making the big, bad SEAL look at Danny with worry.

"Hello, Mrs Mazur, Mrs Smith, Mrs Plum," Danny said stepped up next to Steve.

Lily glared at him. "Give them room to look."

Steve grabbed his hand tightly.

"I'm good here, Nana," Danny said.

Lily huffed at them and went to sit in the last chair that was around the little table. "So?"

"He's alright," Mrs Mazur said. "But I still say my Jane's man is hotter."

"Which one?" Lily said. "And she's not married to either of them so they don't count."

"Danny isn't married to his one either," Mrs Smith said tilting her head at Steve. "He needs a few good meals; maybe he should come to my house for dinner since obviously you are not feeding him properly."

Lily turned a glare on her friend. "Don't you even think about it, Constance Smith, he's just fine. My daughter's cooking is spectacular and he's only just arrived. By the time he leaves he will have a little bit more middle to love."

"I really don't need to be any bigger," Steve said and all the ladies turned to him. He took a step back.

Danny laughed. "Steve used to be a Navy SEAL, he likes to exercise."

"Oh," Mrs Mazur said. "One of my Jane's men used to be an Army Ranger; he's much bigger than you though. I think he could beat you in a fight."

"I've told you, Edna," Lily said. "She hasn't chosen between him and the cop so they don't count."

"He is very attractive," Mrs Plum, who had been silent up until then, said. "Much nicer than my grandsons-in-law."

"Thank you, Michelle" Lily said. "It is a shame that your Nicki married that ugly man."

Michelle shrugged. "At least he's rich."

Danny bit down on a laugh, his Nana was one of a kind but she had managed to find the only four old ladies in all of Jersey who would say things like that.

"How long will I be observed?" Steve asked out of the corner of his mouth.

"I don't know," Danny said with a shrug.

"I still think my Jane's men should be included but if you are all going to be a bunch of pedantic old ladies then he definitely wins."

Lily beamed and turned to Steve. "Go get yourself a sandwich, we'll be done soon."

Danny nodded and grabbed Steve's wrist to drag him away from the ladies and towards the sandwich counter. "They make really good subs here."

"And look at that backside," Lily said loud enough for Steve's step to falter. "Only problem is, now that my grandson's gay where do I find a cake topper."

Danny rubbed his face. "Meatball, I need a meatball sub."

Steve nodded but didn't say anything so Danny ordered for them both and they walked outside to eat in the car. Danny had a feeling his father had left him the keys for just this situation. When Lily was done he'd go and collect his father from the game but Danny was not looking forward to shopping with his nana so he wasn't in any great rush.

"So," Steve said after he'd eaten half of his sub. "This is good. Your grandmother's friends worry me."

Danny laughed. "My grandmother's friends are the terrors of the neighbourhood and Nana is their queen, you should be scared."

"Do you think they will find a cake topper with two men?" Steve asked.

Danny laughed. "You better believe it…that's what you're focussed on?"

"I am trying not to think about what they are saying about me." Steve said.

Danny nodded and they lapsed into silence as they ate. A few minutes later Danny's nana marched across the parking lot heading for the pub and moments after she walked in she walked out again with her hand around Danny's father's wrist.

"I didn't say you two should leave," Lily said when they were headed to the shopping centre. "We weren't done yet."

"Nana," Danny said. "As much as we appreciate your need to win you shouldn't make him feel like a piece of meat."

"Steve was happy to help me, weren't you, Steven?" Lily said turning to look at him.

Steve looked at Danny and then back at Lily. "Happy to help."

"You don't have to work so hard to make her like you," Chris said.

"Of course he does," Lily said. "He isn't family yet."

"You are," Danny reminded him. "Ignore her."

"We only have to stop in at the hair parlour to show Steve off to the ladies there, but that's later this afternoon."

Danny was going to put an end to that idea when his phone rang and he saw his sister, Hannah's name. "Hey sis, what? Of course, I'll go down and see what I can do. Dad, go to the police station."

"Why?" Chris asked even as he turned the car around.

"Eric's been arrested."

Chris swore and worked his way towards Danny's old police headquarters. It took him forty-five minutes to get Eric out of custody…well it took him five minutes to get him out and forty for everyone to fawn over Lily and check out his new fiancé. Danny was tempted to leave Eric in the holding cell overnight but it was almost Christmas and the police had enough to do, any other time of year he'd have left him overnight to think about what he'd done. As it was they took him back to his sister, and her three other boys, with little more than a slap on the wrist. He knew he needed to talk to Hannah but she had been doing the best she could since her dickhead of a husband had left her for his secretary.

"We need to do something about that boy," Chris said when they were back in the car. "I know Tom left and it's been hard but if he doesn't smarten up he's going to end up in a situation you can't help him out of."

"I'll talk to Hannah after Christmas," Danny said. "I might be able to get him into a program or something that will scare him straight."

Steve shifted in his seat. "We could throw him into a trial weekend at Annapolis, I have a couple of friends who are instructors, might give him something else to worry about."

Danny laughed. "Hannah would kill me if he joined the Navy, so far away from her."

"Well, it's there." Steve said with a smile.

"Thank, babe," Danny said and tucked his hand into Steve's.

They arrived at the shopping centre and Danny looked at the entrance with dread, but he had nephews to buy for and an 'it' to spoil before they were born so he sucked it up and entered with Steve on one side and Nana on the other. Twenty minutes in he was shocked, Steve – who mostly avoided shopping, and Lily – who knew how to look awfully frail when she wanted to, had somehow managed to work their way through every line, and Steve didn't even have his gun. It ended up taking them an hour and a half to do their shopping and when Danny called his dad his first question was whether Lily had hit anyone with her handbag – she hadn't, but she did make Christmas shopping more amusing and faster.

Chris arrived to collect them and they rushed through Lizzie's list before going home.

"I should call Grace," Danny said after they'd carted everything into the house. "Tell her where we are, she's going to be so excited to talk to everyone, and so disappointed to not be here."

Steve nodded his head but didn't say anything as he followed Danny down the stairs.

"Ma," Danny said sitting next to her on the couch. "I'm going to call Grace, you free to talk to her."

Lizzie looked at the clock. "I have enough time before I have to start dinner, Hannah and the boys are coming for dinner, she wants to talk to you."

Danny nodded. "I want to talk to her too."

"She's so good with the younger boys but there is something about Eric that makes her go soft."

"I'll try and help, Ma."

"We'd take him in," she said. "Try to give him some stability and someone to call him on his crap but I worry that we are just too old for that."

"Never," Danny said. "But I think maybe he does need a swift kick."

"He reminds me of you," Lizzie said curling an arm into his elbow. "You thought you were so tough, and then you were in that band."

"Group, Ma," Danny said immediately. "We didn't play instruments."

"No but you did go around looking like a right dickhead," Harvey said walking through the room.

Danny grabbed one of the cushions but his mother grabbed it before he could throw it at Harvey's head.

"I'll have a talk with him," Danny said.

Danny pulled out his phone but Lizzie shook her head. "Too expensive, use this," she handed him the cordless phone."

"That's expensive, everyone is going to want to talk to her."

Lizzie shrugged. "She's my only granddaughter, hurry up and call her."

Danny called Rachel, who immediately handed the phone over to Grace.

"Danno!"

"Hey, Gracie," Danny said. "How is Las Vegas?"

"Not as good as home and the swimming pool isn't as good as the beach."

"Well, you'll be home soon and Steve and I have organised our very own Christmas party on your weekend with us, we'll pretend it's the 25th and Santa will come."

"I'd like that," Grace said. "Does Steve's mum have to come?"

Danny closed his eyes and rested his head on his mum's shoulder. "She is Steve's mum and she will be nice, she has been nice since the barbeque."

"She doesn't like you," Grace said petulantly.

"She's coming around," Danny lied winningly but he could feel his mother tense next to him and she wrapped her arm around his shoulder. "So, guess what Steve got me for Christmas."

"But it's two days away," Grace said, he voice turning reprimanding in a second. "You're not allowed to know yet."

"He flew me to Jersey."

Grace squealed loudly in his ear. "Really? Are you with Nana and Pop and everyone?"

"Nana and Pop and Great-Nana and Uncle Harvey," Danny said. "We all wish you were here too."

"So do I," Grace said with a sigh. "I miss you, Danno."

"I miss you too, Monkey. But only a few more days."

"Can I talk to Nana?"

"Of course" Danny said and handed the phone to his mother.

When he lifted his head off her shoulder he realised everyone was in the room and Molly and Ryan had even appeared from somewhere. Danny's dad was looking at him carefully but Danny just smiled. He turned to say something to Steve to find him leaving the room for the kitchen. Danny turned back to his mum who was talking animatedly with Grace.

Danny watched as the phone was steadily passed around the room. Until finally it came back to him.

"Hey, Monkey," Danny said. "We shouldn't stay on the phone much longer but I'll call you tomorrow?"

"Is Steve there?" Grace asked. "I didn't speak to him yet."

"You di-"

Danny walking into the kitchen to find Steve half-hiding in a kitchen chair.

"Grace wants to speak to you." Danny said and handed him the phone.

Steve looked a little terrified but took the phone anyway.

"Hi, Gracie. I'm sorry." Danny frowned at Steve who avoided his eyes. "We couldn't get to Vegas. Yeah. I did. Last night's dinner. It was really good. She keeps hugging me. Your Great-Nana took me to the deli and showed me off to her friends." Steve laughed and Danny could see him relaxing. "I am apparently the best looking grandson-in-law. Yeah, but then they were trying to find two men to go on the top of the cake…really? I'll tell her. Of course, we went shopping and we'll have to bring you back something too. I know you used to live here but it's Christmas." Steve stared down at his hands. "I miss you too, Gracie. We are, I have Malia buying food and we're going to have a great tree and everyone is coming. Of course you can…actually, I'll ask your dad. Yeah, I'll talk to you on Christmas. Bye Grace," Steve looked shocked for a second. "Love you too," he finished weakly and handed the phone back to Danny.

Danny took the phone back knowing he'd need to talk to his gigantic lug of a partner later. Danny and Grace talked for another couple of minutes before with two 'love you's she was gone.

/ / /

Just watched episode twelve and they are giving me so much, so much…my brain is about to explode, and they legit made that photo canon. I love them, now if only they could show Scott Caan's short career as a hip hop singer…the video is on youtube and you should check it out, I would be so fracking happy. And they just KEEP GIVING! – 'Do I look old enough to be her dad!' – which is hilarious for several reasons and the fact his RL son would be close to that age.