Disclaimer: Ideas are fictional; not making any money on this. Hawaii 5-0 belongs to CBS. That's okay because none of this would work on TV.

This is the sequel to "Life Goes On" and "And So It Begins". Happy Reading.

The summer passed quickly for the McGarrett-Williams family. Grace was in heaven during her weeks with Steve and Danny. She swam most days at the private beach and had even talked Danno into joining her. Kono had continued surfing lessons with Grace and Danno; both were becoming competent novices.

Steve, Danny, and Grace spent another idyllic weekend at the cabin. Danny was certain that they couldn't possibly enjoy themselves as much as before. He was wrong. It rained Saturday evening after supper and Steve lit the fireplace to take the chill out of the cabin. The family spent time playing Uno in front of the fire. Danny made hot chocolate with marshmallows left over from smores. Grace was relentless at Uno. It seemed she was always getting Steve with the "Draw 4" card. He lost every game and loved every minute.

The best time was the week they spent in New Jersey. Steve would deny it but he loved visiting Danny's other home. Danny's parents had been gracious to the max. After Steve called them Mr. and Mrs. Williams, they insisted they were just "Mom" and "Dad" to him. Steve choked up the first time he said "Mom". He mother had been gone for a long time; he never thought he would have another chance to be a son. Danny's mother understood Steve's emotion and hugged him close.

"Thank you for making my Danny so happy. I don't worry about him anymore. You understand him and accept him. Rachel always wanted to change him. You love him the way he is."

"He's made me very happy too. He accepts me and loves me. And Grace, he shares Grace with me. She's my daughter too."

Steve and Danny shared their plans for a civil union ceremony on New Year's Day in Hawaii. Danny's family excitedly made travel plans to attend the ceremony. Danny's sisters teased that he had landed the hunkiest husband of all of them. Steve demonstrated his new proficiency with kids playing 'Shadow in the Dark' with Danny's nephews one evening in the basement of the Williams home. They turned the lights off and Steve found the boys one at a time no matter how silent or still they were. They played the game three more nights and he found the boys every time. They thought he was some kind of Ninja, an opinion Danny shared.

Mom made lasagna for her family, and Steve made his mother's recipe spaghetti recipe one night. The Williams family was loud and chaotic, and Steve never enjoyed evening meals more. Grace visited her cousins daily. They played games and watched movies. It was difficult going back home at the end of the week. Steve understood how Danny had ached for this home when first moved to Hawaii. It wasn't real estate that Danny missed. It was family. Steve would miss them too. Now they shared memories of Danny's favorite Greek restaurant and Coney Dogs.

Rachel and Stan continued their efforts to put their marriage back together. Early in their marriage, they socialized constantly and made the rounds of parties and country clubs. Their diminished circumstances meant that they spent more time at home. They realized that their so-called friends were mostly business acquaintances. Invitations stopped once people realized that Stan couldn't professionally benefit them anymore.

Their regular staff was reduced to a housekeeper and another woman who came in once a week to clean. A lawn service kept the grounds of the estate pristine. Rachel's pregnancy had progressed to the point where she was beginning to show. During the weeks that Grace spent with Danny and Steve, she had difficulty filling the days.

Sometimes, she would ask Danny if Grace could stay with her during the day while the men were at work. She even invited Aleka over to play with Grace. They had tea parties and Rachel regaled them with stories of growing up in London. They visited some of the museums and had picnics in the park. Grace was relieved that her mommy seemed happier now. Step-Stan was smiling more often too.

At least once a month, Rachel asked Danny and Steve to take an extra weekend. It was a win-win situation for both families. Rachel gained extra time alone with Stan those weekends. She was discovering that maybe there was a little passion on her part after all now that she had cleared some of the Danny memories away.

Danny and Steve cherished the extra time with Grace. Steve couldn't imagine life without their precious Grace. After the way Danny ranted about Step-Stan, Steve was amazed that Danny shared his daughter so freely with him. Grace could always tell if her men had a bad day, or if one of them was sad. She always knew how to sooth their souls.

One Saturday morning, Danny was watching cartoons with Grace while Steve went for a marathon swim session. She finally asked a question that had been nagging at her for weeks. "Danno, I want to ask you something, and I don't want to upset you."

Danny muted the TV and pulled her onto his lap. "Monkey, your questions never upset me. Ask away."

"Uncle Steve became Step-Steve when we became a family. But I don't want to call him Step-Steve anymore."

Danny was really puzzled at this. Danny had been gratified at the growing devotion between Steve and Grace. He never felt that Steve was trying to replace him as Grace's father. Instead, he took it as a sign of a wonderful family unity he had lacked with Rachel. If Steve was devoted to Grace as a father, he was equally devoted to Danny as his partner.

"Why don't you want to call him Step-Steve?"

"I don't think he's a step anything. He's become another daddy for me. I want to call him daddy but I'm afraid it will upset you. You have always been my daddy, my Danno. But he's become my daddy too. Are you upset with me?"

Danny hugged Grace tightly. "No Grace, I'm not upset. I think it's wonderful that you feel that way. To Steve, you are his daughter. That makes him your daddy too. If that's what you want, then that's what you should do."

"Thanks Danno. I love you." Grace sat hugging Danny for a while. Then they both dressed for the day. There was yard work to do and they hadn't done the grocery shopping yet. Saturdays were always busy with family chores. They all worked together and accomplished a great deal as a team.

Later that evening, Steve, Danny, and Grace were watching a movie and sharing a bowl of popcorn. Grace loved sitting between her two dads. They teased her and teased each other. There was always laughter in the house now. It chased away all the dark places created by the death of Steve's parents.

Grace was surprised that Daddy Steve (as she was calling him in her mind now) could be so silly. Danno had always been her playmate because they shared a deep connection. But Daddy Steve's imagination came up with all kinds of absurd games for them to engage in. One Sunday, Danno had been ill with a 24-hour virus. Grace and Steve spent an afternoon on safari, creeping from one room to another seeking wild game. Another afternoon, Grace and Steve put Barbie and her friends through BUDS training. Ken, the wuss, didn't last the first hour.

As the movie credits rolled, Grace crawled on Steve's lap. He instinctively hugged her, relishing the affection Grace so freely gave him. "Daddy, will you take me upstairs to bed?"

Steve loosened his hold on Grace, expecting her to go to Danny now. She tugged on Steve's t-shirt. When he looked down, she said, "Daddy, will you take me upstairs to bed?"

Steve looked at Danny, not really understanding what was happening. "I think she means you," Danny told Steve. Danny realized that Grace had chosen this time to try the "Daddy" name out on Steve.

Steve was both touched and afraid. The first time that Grace had called him Step-Steve, he remembered thinking that he had hoped for a better status than Step-Stan. But he never meant to compete with or replace Danny. He would never come between Danny and Grace.

Danny could see the mixed emotions in Steve's eyes. "It's okay Steve. We talked about it today." He put his hand to Steve's cheek now and pulled him over for a kiss. Then he rested his forehead on Steve's and said, "Grace has two dads now who her love her more than anything. We're a family. You've become her parent too."

Steve kissed Danny again, and then rose to take Grace up to bed. He turned and asked, "You coming Danno?"

Later that night, Steve lay in bed with Danny curled at his side. "You knew she was going to do that?"

"Yeah, she was afraid it would in some way hurt me that she wanted to call you daddy. I told her that if she was your daughter, then that would make you daddy. You have shown us both so much love; you deserve equal billing."

Steve turned to face Danny and stroked his face. "You and Grace have shown me so much love too. I never imagined it could be like this." He kissed Danny and he ran his hand down Danny's side. Then he flipped Danny on his back. This was a night when Steve was in charge.

Some nights, Danny controlled their lovemaking. He assaulted Steve's senses with his hands and his mouth. Some nights, they battled for control, their lovemaking more like a sensual form of hand-to-hand combat. Some nights, it was a give and take, a physical manifestation of their 'carguments'.

Tonight, Steve took control, placing Danny's hand on the slats of the headboard and told Danny, "Don't let go." Then Steve trailed wet kisses down Danny's torso. It took all of Danny's concentration to follow Steve's orders. Although Steve played this game often, his techniques were never the same. Danny never knew what was coming next; that was part of the excitement. Keeping the audio portion of the program on mute as another challenge. Steve perversely loved to challenge Danny when Grace was down the hall.

Much later, Danny and Steve slept. It was quiet in the McGarrett-Williams home. School would be starting soon, another speed bump in their new routine. Homework would become part of their evening and weekend schedule. The dads would have "Meet the Teacher" nights, PTA meetings, fundraisers, and an occasional field trip to chaperone.

News of Steve and Danny's relationship had spread quickly after their conversation with the governor and the team. Steve and Danny were always diligent to keep their demeanor professional at work. The problem was that even before now, people speculated how long they had been married.

They still had their 'carguments', almost on a daily basis. The partner assignments changed periodically, the same as before. Steve tried to spend some time with each of the team during the week, especially Kono and Lori. He knew that Chin had been well-trained by his father. Kono was officially past rookie status but still was the youngest of the team. Steve was unsure of the extent of Lori's training and used their time together to asses her capabilities.

During slack periods, Steve would take the team on training exercises. It kept them sharp and prepared. Steve thought of it like football practice. He passed the ball to his key receivers day after day in practice so it would be second nature in a clutch play. They knew where his pass would be; he knew where they would be on the field. He wanted his 5-0 team to play with the same assurance.

Steve mostly conducted his investigations following proper procedure. Danny seldom had to remind Steve to call for backup. Danny also knew that what he had thought was recklessness was instead Steve's confidence in his own ability. Their personal relationship had helped their 5-0 partnership. They now had a sense of how the other processed information and made decisions. There was a new level of trust.

Steve and Danny were working on renovating the kitchen. The appliances hadn't been updated since his mother's death. Steve contracted most of the work out; installing cabinets and kitchen counters were not his strong suit. Steve and Danny both liked to cook on the weekends and needed more space. Grace always wanted to help so they needed a spot for her to work.

Life had been going smoothly for the McGarrett-Williams family. Danny couldn't understand why Steve committed to the cage match with Chuck Liddell. The case started out routinely, if finding the victim tied to a chair at the bottom of his swimming pool could be considered routine.

To Be Continued.