Stepping through the glass doors as they slid open, Lou hurried across to join his two colleagues at the computer desk, apologizing for being late before explaining that he had dropped into the hospital to see Danny and Steve on his way to the palace.
Turning as they heard the doors slid open behind them again, Chin, Kono and Lou instantly recognized the older man who entered the office and was strolling towards them. The similarities between Danny and his dad were startling, Danny might have had his mother's eyes and hair but he was very much his dad's son.
Stepping forward with his hand out reached to shake the older man's hand, Chin smiled warmly "Mr Williams, I'm Chin Ho-"
"Kelly," Eddie smiled, instantly recognizing Chin's name. Shaking Chin's hand, he smiled, "Danny has spoken highly of you." Reaching the computer table, he nodded at Kono, still smiling, "And you must be Kono, you're as beautiful and I'm betting as bright as Danny says you are." Looking across at Lou, his smile grew a little as he studied the much larger man, "And you must be Lou. Grace talks all the time to Clara about your son. I believe his name is Will." Eddie chuckled as he saw the look of surprise flitter across Lou's face before he grew serious. "I hope you don't mind me interrupting your work but I accidentally overheard a conversation between Danny," glancing across at Lou, he continued, "and Lou this morning at the hospital."
Lou swallowed hard, wondering just how much of the conversation the older man had heard. Swallowing hard, he knew what the other man had to be thinking if he had heard him say that he had once told Danny he thought he was the weakest link. He could only hope that Danny's father had also heard his heart-felt apology as he opened his mouth as he tried to explain." I-"
"No, please let me say what I have to say and then I will let you get back to work. I promised Clara that I would stay with Danny at the hospital today so she can get some sleep and I really want to get back there as fast as I can." Eddie interrupted whatever he was going to say softly, holding up his hand to forestall the three colleagues from talking as he rushed to continue. The need to find out just what was going on with his son and the people whom he once regarded as his closest friends was overwhelming. "Danny always tells us that all of you are a part of his…oh, what's the word he used…Ohana…that's it- ohana- his family. A few months ago when Danny and the kids were visiting, I watched a kid's movie about a young girl and some type of little blue alien who lives in Hawaii… Oh damn, I can't remember the name of the movie!"
"Lilo and Stitch?" Kono supplied softly, frowning, not sure where Danny's father was going.
Eddie smiled thankfully at Kono and nodded, "That's the one. Lilo And Stitch! Anyway in the movie Lilo's big sister says a quote about Ohana that I find quite interesting and so true…" Looking at the three Five 0 officers who were watching and listening to him intently, he said softly, "Ohana means family. And family means that nobody gets left behind." He saw the guilt flash across their faces as he repeated quietly, "I think that's a good saying … Ohana means family. And family means that nobody gets left behind…
But I don't understand is what happened here, why my son wants to come back to Jersey. I know my son well enough to know when he is lying to me, as you probably all know, he's not very good at lying about his feelings. I guess that's because we taught him as a child to be open about how he is feeling and to express what he is thinking, a teaching that I have to admit that he became quite good at doing. I was surprised when he came home a few months ago and told us that he was thinking of leaving Five 0 and Hawaii to moving back home to re-join the Newark Police Department as a Homicide detective again. Ohh, he gave us all kinds of excuses as to why he wanted to do it, things like he wanted to be close to us again and how he decided that he had made a mistake by moving to Hawaii and he wants to move home again. I knew that they were all excuses, but I didn't know what was going on in his life for him to suddenly want to return to Jersey. But from what I have been able to gather after conversations I have had with Gracie and from what little Danny has accidentally let slip, not only to his mother, but to myself as well about what has been happening in his life here in Hawaii and now from the conversation I accidentally overheard between Lou and Danny in Danny's ICU room, I think I have a better understanding of why Danny wants to leave."
Looking up at the blank computer screen, Eddie swallowed hard as he remembered the soul-breaking look of hurt, he had seen on Danny's face less than an hour before. "Ohana means family and family means nobody gets left behind." He murmured again before he looked back at the three people standing across from him as he blinked back the hot tears that were burning the back of his eyes, threatening to fall because of his son's pain at how his friends had treated him as he added softly, "But you did just that, didn't you? I am not sure just what Danny was supposed to have done or didn't do or maybe it's something else but whatever is going on here, what I do know is that all of you have left Danny feeling like you have all left him behind and he is no longer a part of your ohana, even after what he did to try and save Steve's life." Eddie paused and swallowed before he lowered his voice to almost a whisper and sighed, "Look to be honest, I came here after hearing Lou apologizing to my son about how badly Lou had treated him as a friend and how he had called Danny the weakest link on the team. I wanted to know why and what was going on? But I guess I really just wanted to know why Danny no longer feels he belongs here after he once felt like he was an important part of your…ohana… I just wanted to know what happened." Eddie admitted as shook his head in embarrassment and blushed, "Look, I know that Danny is a grown man but he's still my son and I guess no matter how old he is I will always want to protect him, even more so after what happened to Matty."
Biting his bottom lip as he raised his hand and rubbed the back of his neck, Eddie sighed, "I came here looking for answers as to why Danny suddenly decided he wanted to move back to Jersey but I have the feeling that I know the answer to that question already. So I guess the real reason why I am here is because I need you to know that as much as it hurts me to see Danny hurting as much as he is, and I also want you to know that whatever is going on between all of you and my son, I know it's tearing Danny apart." He shrugged, self-consciously, "Look, I don't know what is really going on but what I do know is that deep down that Danny still considers you all as his Hawaiian ohana. I just hope that you can all work whatever is going on before Danny makes the greatest mistake in his life and leaves not only Five-0 … but also Steve."
Without waiting for Chin, Lou or Kono to speak, he turned and headed back towards the door, leaving Chin, Lou and Kono staring guilty at his retreating back as the doors swooshed softly open and he left the office. And all that he could as he walked out of the Five 0 offices was hope that they had listened to and would think about what he had just said, for Danny's sake.