The McGarrett Home, O'ahu, HI - Thursday Evening

[hatesparadise]

The return to Hawaii had happened smoothly with the holiday somehow lining up both there and in Fandom. But Danny wasn't gonna look a gift horse in the mouth since he got the whole holiday with Grace.

And somewhere between a case involving a presidential visit and a hitman running around their island, and meeting Steve's aunt Deb, things sort of settled into normal. Ish.

Normal-ish.

"Hey," Danny said, hunting Steve down once Mary had left him alone outside. He brought beer. Guy needed to decompress after the news he'd received this week.

[for the SEAL]

Comments

[grenadesandohana]

"Hey," Steve replied, staring out at the water.

[hatesparadise]

Danny offered over a beer before taking a seat next to him. You know, like a real bro.

[grenadesandohana]

"Thanks," Steve murmured. "Mary back inside?"

[hatesparadise]

"Yeah, checking on Joan," he replied, glancing back over his shoulder. "I think Grace is enjoying the younger sister thing. A brother isn't the same, I guess."

[grenadesandohana]

Steve smiled wryly and took a sip from his beer. "Give Mary a few drinks and she'll tell Gracie all about the failings of brothers."

[hatesparadise]

"Hey," Danny said without pause, firm and offended on Steve's behalf. "You both had the deck stacked against you here."

Between John and Doris, this family was never going to be the Cleavers.

Danny's failures as a brother, on the other hand...

[grenadesandohana]

Steve took a long drink of his beer instead of replying directly. "So you got to see the President, huh?"

[hatesparadise]

"Yeah, yeah. You're old hat at it, I know," Danny replied dryly, letting that lie for now. "How many secret missions did it take? Was there a punch card?"

[grenadesandohana]

"That's classified," Steve said predictably.

[hatesparadise]

"Uh huh," Danny snorted, rolling his eyes.

[grenadesandohana]

Steve flashed him a tiny smile and then went back to brooding over his beer.

[hatesparadise]

And, having known Steve for four years now, Danny was content to let him come up with something to say on his own. For maybe ten minutes. He was giving Steve ten minutes here.

[grenadesandohana]

Steve strung it out for nine and a half minutes before saying, "So I had to pick Aunt Deb out of lock-up today."

[hatesparadise]

Of course he did.

"Yeah?"

[grenadesandohana]

"They picked her up on possession," Steve said, sighing heavily.

His family, Danny.

[hatesparadise]

"This is the aunt that raised Mary, right?" Because that tracked.

[grenadesandohana]

"Yeah," Steve said, sighing again. "She tried to tell me it was cataracts. It's not cataracts."

[hatesparadise]

Danny sighed and sprawled a little into Steve's direction to allow him to take some physical comfort there. "Yeah?"

[grenadesandohana]

"Brain tumor," Steve said very, very quietly. "Inoperable."

[hatesparadise]

"I'm sorry, Steve."

[grenadesandohana]

Steve's shoulders hunched up around his ears. "Yeah."

[hatesparadise]

"C'mere," Danny demanded, putting his beer aside to pull him in for a hug.

[grenadesandohana]

Steve folded into him, hanging on tightly.

[hatesparadise]

Danny sighed, holding onto him as much as he needed to be right now. "Your sister know?"

[grenadesandohana]

"Yeah, that's why she was out here," Steve said.

And why she was back inside with the drinks now.