Lieutenant Steve McGarrett looked down at the week old infant like it was the most dangerous thing in the world. Give or take a few days….

The newborn baby was very fragile. He was still pink, wrinkly and was very, very pale. He was also on the smaller side. And very, very weak.

Probably because of how he was found.

Steve looked up at the base's medical doctor. With how tiny the baby is, Steve have a good reason to be worried. "Are you sure the baby is mine?" Steve voiced out incredulously.

Because that was what going on here. He had never thought when he woke up this morning and return to base after a successful mission completion, he'll be pulled aside and was ordered to the Med-bay, where he was stirred to an incubator and presented to a baby, who he was told was his son.

The female doctor eyed him from the baby's report she was reading and answered him neutrally. "Yes, Lieutenant. We did paternity test when we did medical check-up on him. The result just came in this morning. He's yours, Lieutenant. Congratulations."

Steve knew he was slowly going into a shock. It feels like the world just shifted and for a moment, the doctor's voice was muffled. He didn't have to look in the mirror to know that he was wide eyed and was slightly gaping. If it wasn't for his rigid training, forcing himself to stand perfectly still, he would have tumble.

And that would not do the baby in the incubator any good, who was also hook up to numerous IVs.

"He looks small," Steve managed to croaked out. "Why was he that small? Is he supposed to be that small? And why – why is he hook up to so many IVs?" There was an edge of hysteria in his tone. He was beginning to feel terrified now that he was slowly processing everything. He still find it unbelievable and was wondering if he's still dreaming.

The doctor hummed as she gazed at the baby within. "He was born slightly premature. Only five days old," She told him. A soft look was on her face. "There's also the factor of how he was found, which contribute to his current condition. Some seaman found him abandoned not far from the base – in a basket of all things! There was a small note stating your name and that the mother won't be in the picture and nothing else. If a group of seamen wasn't patrolling by and noticed the basket that was left at the side of the road when he did, I don't know if the baby would have survive or not. He was already hydrated and was barely crying. It is a miracle he's still holding on."

Steve listened to everything, completely horrified. He could have lost his baby before he had the chance to meet him. Dazedly, he thank the gods that he sometimes pray to for protecting his boy. Already, he felt attached to the little Keiki. There's no way he could think about not claiming his kid now.

"What should I do now?" Steve wet his lips, feeling overwhelmed. He wanted to run his hand through his hair, to be doing something, just to get rid of the restlessness that he felt. "I mean what's next? What's the procedure? Should I – should I do anything on my end?"

The doctor look at him, kindly. Far it be for her to judge what goes on in a man's life. The fact that he's stepping up without a doubt is a positive in her book. The baby needs all the support and loving care he could get. "Well… you need to register his birth for one. He's birth certificate need to be issued. It's a good thing you'll be going back stateside in a few days. There's paperwork you'll need to file. You are now eligible for a paternity leave. Right now, we are keeping close eye on him. Monitoring his vitals. There's nothing else you can do other than be here for your boy and bond with him. In the meantime, I would suggest you figure some stuff out. A baby needs a home and there are essentials you need to buy. There's also the fact that your boy need a name."

Steve stared at the amused doctor, utterly terrified.

. . .

Freddie laughed himself sick when he found out. The rest of his teammates was clamouring, wanting to take a peek at his baby.

All of them has been itching for the opportunity to hold his son.

Not that Steve going to let them. His precious Keiki is still in NICU. They'll have to wait until he was stable enough. And it's not going to be any time soon if Steve has anything to say about it.

His teammates were all giants, himself included he can't help thinking every time he was holding his baby boy; and they might accidentally harm him. The guys sometimes misjudged their strength, you know. And he didn't want them to squish his baby to death. Just the thought of it was devastating!

Freddie nearly smack the back of his head just for that.

Steve also found his locker suddenly full of baby gifts – ranging from the generic gift set to a few Navy and Naval theme onesies. Words can't describe how thankful he was to his team, even if they all found the situation highly amusing at his expense.

His team don't even ask how the baby came to be. They knew already. Steve recalled the only time he allowed himself to indulged. To be weak.

It was no secret amongst his team, especially to Freddie, that his mother died. But only Freddie was aware of the details behind his mother's death and the exact anniversary date. Every year ever since he enlisted, Steve would drown himself in beer on that very date. Sometimes he would partake other pleasurable activities. Mostly it was just him and a bottle or two of Tequila.

Those nights were the only time he'll allow himself to grief. To remember. Sometimes, Freddie would keep him company. But on the night his baby was conceived, he was drinking solo.

It was a one night stand. No string attached. No numbers. No names. Just an exotic lady looking for a good lay.

Well, they knew he was a strong swimmer, the guys would joke; those assholes. The result was sleeping peacefully in his arms, barely eight months later.

. . .

Aunt Deb was not amused.

When he came home from his tour with a baby in tow, she nearly blew her lid. And with how Aunt Deb stepped up after their mother died for him and Mary. He can understand why she wasn't thrilled. Aunt Deb sacrificed a lot for them. And now with a baby when her life was just about to get back on track – now that Mary was off to college, might have been a bit too much.

And Steve was loathe to put on more burden on her.

See, after his mum died – gunned down in place of his dad when he was investigating the underworld, Aunt Deb was furious when she found out that their father intended to separate the siblings; him to Annapolis while Mary was going with her. She and their dad had a massive row and she screamed profanities to his face. But dad has decided that they can't stay in Hawaii no matter what, and after another spat, Aunt Deb firmly decided that Steve will also go with her.

Steve and Mary needed their father the most during those times. And if he saw fit to abandoned them when things get tough, she could at least ensured that her niece and nephew have each other. And very much not separated.

Now they are in her kitchen. Aunt Deb was cooking up something simple, while he was drinking tea. His son was sleeping in his bassinet, blissfully. It was when Steve was busy gazing at his precious Keiki, cataloguing all his cute, tiny features in his memory, was when Aunt Deb softly asked, "You gonna tell your father, Steven?"

Steve stiffened. Now there was someone he hasn't think about – much less keep in contact – ever since he graduated from high school. His dad has been completely absent from their lives, so much so that they basically cut all ties.

"No," Steve replied resolutely. "Just, No." He lay back in his chair a bit. "There's no need."

Aunt Deb doesn't say anything. She doesn't need to. They all knew why none of them keep in contact with John. Some wounds are just too deep. And her foolish brother will have to live with the choice he make.

John doesn't want his children in his life. Now he doesn't get to be in theirs. Whether or not Steve wanted John to know about his grandson was Steve's prerogative.

Aunt Deb turned off her stove and immediately clean up the countertop. Her Chicken Macaroni was done and was cooling off. While washing up, she continued. "Will you continue being in the Navy?"

"Can't exactly left yet. I still have a way to go before I can go for reserve. I am thinking of looking at different posting though. Something that will get me stationed at base. But we'll see." Steve answered her with a shrug.

"That's good. Because if you're thinking of just leaving me looking after my great nephew. I can tell you – Mary will kill you."

Steve's face scrunched up and he nearly winced. Aunt Deb was not wrong. Since they were abandoned themselves, Mary was very vocal about her aversion with absentee and neglectful people. Her sore subject. If she finds out that Steve essentially "left" his baby under Aunt Deb's care while he goes off focusing solely on his Navy career, Mary will never speak to him again.

In Mary's eyes, there's nothing more heinous then a parent forsaking their child.

Basically, don't pull their dad and everything's golden.

Steve pulled up his puppy eyes and gave his aunt the sweetest smile that she narrowed her eyes, suspiciously. She knew that look. She became accustomed to that look while Steve was living with her. It's a look that say he was about to pull out whatever BS from his behind and expected everyone to believe him, not that she ever did, mind.

"Now, now, aunty," Steve said soothingly. "I would never do that to you. I'm not that much of a jerk to let a distinguish lady raising her grand nephew all by herself," Steve snickered as he caught the towel she had thrown at him with an insignificant huffed. "Besides, Mary will never do that to me. That will go against everything she believed in."

Aunt Deb hummed deliberately. Yeah, she's not buying that impish look for a minute. Despite what assurance her nephew is trying to sell, Steve can't be country-bound forever. Steve is a lifer. And a life of idle monotonous will drive him up the wall. Steve smiled winningly.

Before they can do anything else, the sound of the front door opened and shut and Mary came marching to the kitchen right after.

"Stevie, you jerk!" Mary zeroing on him the moment she lay eyes on him. "What the hell, brah. When I suddenly receive a text about you, I did not expect a single line text. A single line text from Aunt Deb about you having a baby!" She chided him. She could have throttle him for keeping that bit of a news to himself and appear out of the blue with an extra. Seriously. She was so shock when she read that text after her class that she exclaimed so loud for in the lecture hall. She knew her brother is so used to classified life and keeping secrets, but will it kill him to share with them such an important news? "Who the hell that you knock up? And where's that bitch? Don't tell me she's a deadbeat floozy! You better take responsibility for your baby, or so help me…."

Steve stared at his incensed sister, wide eyed, hands held out in surrender. When she's on the roll like this, it's best to get it out of her chest. Lucky for him, as quickly as she was to get riled up, she was swiftly to cool down.

Unfortunately for him, all the scolding from Mary woke his baby up. He whined unhappily before he cried, wailing in distress for having his nap interrupted.

Then the kitchen became noisy for a different reason. Steve immediately tried shushing his baby while lulling him back to sleep. Mary was cooing and was demanding details about their new family member. Aunt Deb wanted to hold him, claiming elders prerogative.

In the end, Steve just let them have their way and sat back enjoying the macaroni that his aunt have plated for him. Watching the ladies fussing over his baby boy.

They all still have a lot to talk about. He needed to convince Aunt Deb and Mary about the possibility of moving to a bigger house with him. He wasn't lying when he said he won't leave his aunt to raise his baby alone. But he can't raise him as a single father either. It's unpractical. And as much as he wanted to buy a house just for the two of them, like it or not, he could still be deployed or send out for short term missions. When that happens, his Keiki going back and forth will be a hassle.

There's just so much to do, places to be and documentation needs to be done and submitted. He can't foresee about him relaxing just yet.

And he still haven't decided on the name of his baby!

. . .

Review on the way out!

- Elvina P.