Sammy and Ilna, you are the best of friends, and in the worst of times that means everything. Love you guys. Thank you both for all the help and tremendous amount of input on my scenes because as you know, like Danny I do not camp.

REAL McRollers and readers we love you for your amazing feedback and support.

An Expensive Week

When most of the gear had been removed from the cars everyone gathered around and looked at Steve for instructions about what to do first.

"Ok, since we're all ready," Steve started.

Danny cut him off. "Speak for yourself."

"If someone doesn't help us put up our tent we'll be right out in the open like in old Westerns," Mary chimed in.

Joan's mouth dropped open. "Really?"

"Don't worry, Joanie. I'll help with the tent," Steve assured her. "Everyone needs to check in with Dylan because he's the one who knows where the fire perimeter will be set up and he can tell you the best placement for the tents."

Dylan's chest puffed out proudly. "We're going to put the fire in the middle of camp and place the tents around it, at a safe distance back of course."

"I'm not sure whose tent I want to sleep in," Jacob interrupted.

Dylan smiled. "I figure there will be some shuffling around throughout the week but that's ok, we have plenty of space. I'll need someone to help me set up the extra family sized tent for Uncle Chin, Aunt Leilani, Aunt Kono and Uncle Adam who will be arriving in the middle of the week."

Catherine whispered to Steve. "What did you have to promise Grover to get him to cover the task force from Wednesday until we get back?"

"I don't want to talk about it," he grumbled good naturedly.

"I'll mark off the fire perimeter right now and then we can get the tents set up," Dylan said. "There should be nine of them. Uncle Joseph and Aunt Elizabeth have one, Uncle Steve and Aunt Catherine have one with DJ & Angie, Uncle Danny and Gabby have one, Carrie and John have one, Mary, Aaron and Joan have one, Mom has one, then there's a girl's tent, a boy's tent, and the one we're putting up for Uncle Chin and Aunt Kono. So that makes three on each side of the fire, please."

"I could sleep in a different tent every night!" Jacob said excitedly.

"Can I sleep with Jacob at least one night?" DJ asked his mother. "If it's ok with him," he added.

"It's definitely ok with me," Jacob replied causing DJ's face to break out in a large grin.

"Joanie sweep 'wif me!" Angie said.

Catherine laughed. "We'll figure out the actual arrangement later. Right now let's just get these tents up."

"So we can make s'mores!" Jadon cheered.

Cody rolled his eyes. "Those are for later, after the fire is going."

DJ bit his lip. "I don't know how to make s'mores."

"Don't worry." Kaitlyn dropped an arm around him. "I'll teach you."

Steve grinned as he approached the area just in front of their tent where Angie was sitting on a camp chair. As he got closer the grin became a bark of laughter.

The smears on his daughter's face that he thought were dirt were definitely something of a sweeter variety.

"Daddy!" She looked at him with a huge smile and held up a mushy, half-eaten square to offer a bite. "'Dese so yummy!"

Bending to kiss her chocolate-covered cheek, he removed a piece of marshmallow from her hair and nibbled at the treat. "That is yummy, thank you. Good sharing."

After finishing her last bite she held up both hands to show her father. "'I have so' more?"

Catherine's voice preceded her out of their tent. "Later tonight, you taste tested enough for now."

"How many of those did you have?" Steve asked their daughter as his eyes met his wife's.

"Two." Catherine produced a wet wipe. "Kaitlyn was showing DJ how to make them for tonight and your daughter charmed her way into a second one. C'mon, baby girl, let's mop you off." She wiped the three year old's hands and face and followed up with a kiss to the little cheek. "Then you can help Daddy collect some more firewood and burn off some of that sugar so we don't have a repeat of the night of your birthday party."

Danny's eyes glinted while he listened to DJ explain all about his compass. The little boy's enthusiasm was contagious and nothing made Danny Williams happier than a safe, happy child. Witnessing his nephew's confidence and contentment grow since he'd become Steve and Catherine's son and Angie's big brother was a constant joy to behold.

"And Daddy showed me how to use it with a map, too."

"You learned how to use it with and without a map? You're a great listener."

DJ lit up at the complement. "Thanks! Do you know how to use a compass, Uncle Danny?"

"I do. I haven't needed one since I met your father, because he has the sense of direction of a homing pigeon," his uncle teased.

DJ laughed and looked around to spot his father. "Daddy, Uncle Danny said you have the best sense of direction, like a pigeon!"

Looking at Catherine, Joseph left his camp chair and kneeled next to his grandson. "Do you know what else has the best sense of direction?" he asked. "A monarch butterfly."

"A butterfly?" DJ's brow rose.

With a smile for his daughter, Joseph nodded. "They travel thousands of miles from Canada to the south of Mexico. The butterflies make that trip every year. They never get lost."

"Wow, that's super far, huh?"

"Super far," he agreed. "But they keep their focus and know where they're going. Just like someone I know."

Realizing who his grandpa was referring to, DJ smiled at his mother. "You call Mommy your butterfly," the little boy said. "Mommy never gets lost." He glanced between his parents. "An' Daddy said she helped him find his way, so he never got lost."

Catherine turned a beaming smile on Steve as their son, in typical seven year old fashion, hopped back to the previous subject. "So Uncle Danny, did you ever use a compass when you were camping?"

Danny looked from his best friend to DJ. "I managed to avoid camping, but that was also before I met your father."

"But it's so fun! Don't people camp in New Jersey?"

"Some ill advised people do. Those who prefer their vacation to be in a better atmosphere than the other 51 weeks of the year, try to avoid it," he said with a grin.

As they set up the cooking elements Danny wiped the sweat from his forehead. "You realize I could take the car, drive twenty minutes and be back with ten pizzas, right?"

Carrie snorted. "I think we need a swear jar thing for the week."

"A swear jar for a group with this many cops and sailors?" He barked a laugh.

"No, no, we're too used to controlling cursing around the kids, but whining is a whole different animal, my friend. We need one for whining about camping. A whine jar!"

Mary joined them, carrying firewood. "There's wine? This whole endeavor just got a lot better."

Steve looked up from creating a fire pit. "No wine, but Danny will whine enough for all of us."

"Shut up, Mister 'No Outside Snack Food.' "

Steve nodded as he stacked extra wood away from the fire area. "There's some berries over there."

"Are you crazy? What if they're poisonous?"

"Try 'em and see," Steve retorted while failing to hide a grin.

Danny pointed towards Grace, who was approaching with Catherine. "You wouldn't let me die of poison berries in front of my daughter."

Steve took the sticks his niece was carrying. "Turn around, Gracie."

"And you're at it already?" Catherine shared an indulgent smile with Grace, who was chuckling at her father and uncle's usual repartee.

"Your husband is offering me deadly berries."

"Poison and fatal are two different things," Steve countered. "Sometimes you get diarrhea for a few days. You're the one who wanted a snack."

"A snack. Like chips or Doritos. A normal snack, Tarzan." He sighed. "At least we have coffee."

Elizabeth joined the group with Joseph and the Allens. "Actually, we don't."

Danny did a double take. "Wait, what?"

Joseph shrugged. He was always amused by the younger men's brotherly blustering. "There was only so much room in the vehicles. We had to limit supplies to the essentials."

Kaitlyn smiled. "You can make tea with plants, Uncle Danny."

Grace and Gabby laughed at his expression.

"Go ahead, yuk it up, you two." He ran a hand through his hair. "I should've brought instant."

Jadon stopped laughing at that. "Wait, you're all kidding, right? Is there really no coffee?"

"They're serious." Danny waved a hand. "No coffee. That's it, brew up the poison berries, put me out of my misery."

"D-Dawg, man, I'm with you on the instant."

"Thank you. Clearly you're the other sane person here."

"No coffee. All week." Mary looked a little pained.

"You'll be fine," Steve said with a nod. "Hey Stagler, we need to decide on how to spend the whine jar money, because Danny may be funding one serious future outing."

"Admit it, dinner was great," Steve said as he and Danny divided up the makings of s'mores.

"It was, thanks to Catherine seasoning everything," he busted. Dinner had been delicious. "Hey, do you have wild animal repellent in that ridiculously large backpack that couldn't fit coffee?"

Grace giggled as she helped Angie with her marshmallow. "Here they go again." She kissed the little girl's cheek.

"He'we dey go 'gain," the three year old repeated and everyone laughed.

Steve handed the bag of chocolate to DJ. "Make sure everyone has a piece, okay, buddy?"

As DJ proudly passed it out, Steve looked at his best friend. "Hawaii has no land predators other than wild boar or a centipede, nothing can kill you."

"What about the tree climbing rats?" Danny shook his head and muttered, "Freaky rats in trees."

Steve snorted. "New Jersey has rats."

"Not waiting in the trees! In cellars, subways, normal rat places."

Carrie laughed and said, "Another donation for the jar, Danny."

Catherine laughed. "Just make sure you bang sticks together to scare the snakes."

"Ha ha, I saw The Parent Trap too, Cath." Danny smirked. "I know there's no snakes here because I looked it up when we moved to make sure I didn't have to worry a giant snake might eat my daughter." The teasing continued as much to amuse the kids who were all laughing, as anything else.

"So no sticks?" Steve winked at the kids.

Danny raised his brows. "When did you ever see The Parent Trap?"

Steve grinned at his wife as both remembered a never-finished movie night from years ago. As he said, "Cath loves that movie," Catherine matched his grin, saying, "I love that movie," simultaneously.

Danny palmed his face to hide a smile at his friends' monobrain. "I need a cup of coffee… oh wait." He gave his partner a pointed look, pulled out his wallet and handed Carrie a dollar for the jar. "Looks like it's gonna be an expensive week."

# End. Thanks for reading!

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