A/N: Show of hands - how many of you either forgot about this fic or were pretty sure it was abandoned, never to be heard from again? I realized the other day as I was finishing up a reread that it had been over a year since I'd updated. That seemed next to impossible, because I've been slow to post things but I have been posting things. I then realized that my 5-0 writing had been completing the much shorter crossover fic. Oops. Alas, I have committed to finishing Guardian before I do anything else.

Of course, I think this season of 5-0 has helped the muse come out of hiding a bit as well. It's been strange without Chin and Kono, but we have had some particularly lovely bits with McDanno. Anyway, enough of me rambling … on to the story.

Chapter 88

Approaching the entrance to the studio, Steve took a deep breath. "You guys sure you want to go through with this?"

"Don't tell me that the man that plays enjoys playing with explosives is afraid of something like a television interview that's likely to end up being spread all over creation." Danny tried to tease, but his own nerves made it fall flat.

"Not afraid of what it'll be like for me, but I do worry about the consequences for the rest of you." Steve glanced at Danny before looking at the cousins.

"Well, our fates our pretty well intertwined in this, so I'm sure we'll be just fine." Danny tried to reassure the SEAL.

"We've been over this, Steve," Chin started. "We don't care what anybody else says. Not about the two of you. Not about how 5-0 operates. Not about how we got here. The critics will be there no matter what we do, but we're not backing out of this and leaving Grace or the rest of us open to being ambushed by another shady reporter out for a story."

Kono gave a sharp nod as she stepped forward to open the door. Waving the others through, she looked determined to see this through.

"Commander," a man in his early thirties stepped forward. "Governor Denning expects to be here within the hour, but he gave me strict instructions to make sure I do anything necessary to make things run as smoothly as possible for you today."

"Please, call me Steve. We appreciate everything you've done to make this happen. I know it's a bit outside of your normal scope of work. I hope it hasn't been too much of a headache." The SEAL shook the other man's hand.

"Nonsense. It hasn't been a problem at all. And handling anything press related for the governor is well within the scope of my duties."

Before Steve could argue that this wasn't directly connected with the governor, George held up a hand.

"Please don't argue. I've worked for several politicians in the last dozen years or so and Governor Denning is the first one that I've genuinely liked. He asks me to do something and I'm going to do it to the best of my ability. Not to mention, I'm well aware of just what the four of you have done for our island. I was more than happy to take on this assignment."

All four members of the task force simply nodded at this assertion.

"Now if you'll follow me, I'll take you to the studio to meet Ms. Mahelona so we can get this done. I'm sure you'd rather not spend your entire day in a news studio and the sooner we get through filming the sooner we should get the final cut to review."

Steve looking at George questioningly.

"You requested to review the questions ahead of time. I added an additional request to review and approve the final edited cut before it aired. I've seen perfectly innocent statements by good people be turned into gossip fodder by questionable editing. While I don't anticipate any such issue here I thought it was in everyone's best interest to have an opportunity to verify before things go public."

"Damn. You are good." Kono shook her head. "I know who I'm calling if I ever need help with anything in this area again."

"It would be my pleasure, Ms. Kalakaua. That goes for all of you. I have no doubt you'd like to avoid any further exposure to the press, but should the need arise I'm more than willing to assist. Officially or otherwise."

"Thanks, George." Danny replied for the group of them.

"Now, don't be alarmed when they start messing with your hair and putting powder and stuff on you. I've already told them to keep it to a minimum, but they will want to minimize any glares and such from the studio lighting."

"Welcome," a petite Hawaiian woman approached. "I see George is already giving you some of the scoop on what to expect. I'm Natalie Mahelona."

"Steve McGarrett," the SEAL offered his hand before stepping aside to let the others introduce themselves.

"It's a pleasure meeting you all. I do hope Governor Denning and George let you know how excited I am about today. I promise my crew and I will do our part to make this as pleasant as possible." She pivoted to face Danny and Steve. "I was so sorry to hear about the loss of your daughter's mother. I know we've already reviewed the questions, but as we're talking please don't hesitate to stop me if you decide something doesn't feel right."

"We appreciate that," Steve nodded at her. "So where do we start?"

"Why don't you follow me?"

Half an hour later the team were all set with makeup and mics and the five were arranged in a semicircle of stools in front of a large picture window with the view of the ocean. With everything in place, the crew indicated they were starting to film.

"Today I'd like to welcome a group of very special guests to the studio. I have the privilege of sitting down with the four members of the governor's elite task force, known to most as Five-0. As we announced on a previous broadcast, due to recent circumstances Five-0 has received more attention than usual. Unfortunately, this attention has included some that do not respect privacy and boundaries. Commander McGarrett and his team have agreed to sit down with me today to appease the curiosity surrounding the task force in hopes that they can get back to what they do best - keeping our island safe. With that, I'd like to introduce the team."

Ms. Mahelona went through the introductions of each of the team, spending a brief amount of time on the high level story of how each member of the team had come to join the task force.

"I have to ask. You've worked dozens of cases since the task force started. Is there any that really stands out?"

"I think every case is memorable in its own way," Steve started. "But I think for all of us one that always sticks with us is being able to save a bus full of kids."

"He's right," Danny added. "I don't think a moment of that case has faded from our memories. The fear that we wouldn't be in time when we realized where they were …"

"I remember seeing the story after you returned them safely. I know those children and parents were eternally grateful for how dedicated you were to bringing them home safely." Natalie paused, observing just how affected each member of the task force appeared to be at the memory.

"On a lighter note, one of our viewers had a question from Detective Williams. Apparently there is a fair bit of curiosity about your socks and why every time they see pictures of you, you are wearing such interesting socks."

Everyone laughed at the question, eyes immediately shifting down to see just what type of socks Danny was wearing. The viewers were right. Below the hemline of his grey slacks were a pair of socks with small grey seals in various poses.

"Honest, I don't know," Danny shrugged. "I've just always preferred them to plain ones. Something about them always made being dressed in the shirts, ties, and slacks a bit more fun."

"Those are some very cute seals you're sporting today." Natalie grinned, wondering if perhaps there was a little hidden meaning in his sock choice.

Danny stretched his leg out, tugging his pant leg up so the camera could get an even better shot of his socks. "You might be right. I find I'm rather partial to seals these days."

Glancing over at his partner, Danny found Steve smiling back, eyes full of affection. "Yeah. I found one I'm rather attached to these days." He was only slightly surprised when the SEAL in questions reached out to clasp his hand where it rested atop his thigh.

"While there has been speculation around our relationship almost since the inception of Five-0, only recently have Danny and I officially taken that step." Steve's eyes never left Danny's as he spoke.

"Sorry ladies. It looks like two of Honolulu's most eligible bachelors are off the market." Natalie continued. "Judging by a number of the questions we received, it appears that a good percentage of our viewers were expecting this revelation and are quite happy for you." Looking directly into the camera, she continued. "Of course, we also received a fair number of questions that my team and I deemed inappropriate, so not all questions will be asked."

She paused for a brief moment, turning her focus to Chin and Kono. "So how do the two of you feel about Honolulu's hottest couple and what it will do to the task force's dynamic?"

Chin cleared his throat, throwing a glance at the two men in question before responded. "Personally, we are both thrilled. Steve and Danny are family to both of us and we want nothing more than for them to be happy. They've both been through enough in their lives. They deserve it. Professionally, Five-0 has always been as much family as working team. Any one of us would lay down our lives for the others without hesitation and we all trust each other implicitly. That doesn't change."

"I think he pretty well summed it up for both of us. We are 110% on board with the two of them." Kono added, wanting to leave no doubt that they both supported them.

Pivoting back to Steve and Danny, Natalia glanced down at the question cards. She had to admit she was a bit surprised these next couple had made it onto the cleared list. "There are a couple more questions focused on family. One viewer asks how you plan on working together and raising a child when you are in such a dangerous job?"

Danny chuckled drily, "The same way I always have. I've been in law enforcement since before Grace was born. No. It's not always easy, but we're smart enough to surround ourselves with family and friends that understand and are willing to help. The challenges of working in this field and raising a family aren't exclusive to us. I know other couples that are both first responders and even more first responders that are single parents. We make choices and sacrifices every day because we know our children will be safer for it and so will many other children like them."

"Very well said, Detective," Natalie nodded as she considered his response. "I want to come back to something related to that after this last question. I was actually a bit surprised when this one made it onto the approved list. Do you believe you can provide a healthy, supportive environment for your daughter without a woman in the house?"

This time it was Steve that spoke first. "I can see why you were surprised that we let this one go, but Danny and I both felt it was important not just for our family but for others like us. While we love having Grace with us full time, we also both wish she still had her mother. That being said, the gender of the people raising a child matter less than whether or not a child is properly cared for and raised in an environment where they know they are loved without a doubt. Whether that means having a mother and father, two fathers, two mothers, or any combination of mixed families these days is irrelevant. Children need to know they are loved and to know the adults in their life will ensure their safety and wellbeing. I'm pretty sure that we are providing that for her." Steve grinned, "of course, that being said. We also know that it is important for Grace to have positive female role models. She is surrounded by amazing women such as her Aunt Kono and other members of our ohana. Grace will not be lacking for strong women to help guide her through life."

"Well said, Commander. I believe any young woman would be lucky to have the type of family support system that Ms. Grace appears to have. I expect we'll see her go on to do amazing things with her life." Natalie was thrilled with how well they'd handled that question. "Now, I'd like to go back to the comment Detective Williams made about making this a safer place for Grace and children like her. Governor Denning's staff mentioned that there was something in the works related to that. Would you care to elaborate a bit?"

The team all turned to Steve for this answer. "Absolutely. As part of Grace's recovery, the family has been teaching her and her grandmother self defense. During one of the sessions the idea of making this type of training available to others at risk or in need of learning how to protect themselves was raised. We've all seen the statistics. More importantly the four of us have experienced first hand what can happen to victims of abuse in many settings. While the exact details are still being worked out, Five-0 and HPD, with the help of Governor Denning, will be announcing regularly scheduled self defense seminars. The plan is to offer two sessions on each seminar day. One will be exclusively for women and children. The other will be exclusively for men and children."

"Why split?" Natalie could guess, but wanted them to explain.

"We want participants to feel safe," Danny replied. "Children are invited to both sessions so they can attend with the at risk parent. While many people view domestic violence as something that only happens to women, that is simply not true. There are a staggering number of men that are also victims. In both cases, it seemed best to provide unique training opportunities that minimize the risk of making victims and potential victims feel threatened during the training."

"I must say, I'm looking forward to helping announce the details when they are available. It is one thing to hear politicians and law enforcement talk about stopping domestic violence. It is an entirely different thing to see those same groups taking action to help prevent it." Natalie turned as she heard a bit of noise off to the side of the set. "It appears that Governor Denning has arrived. "Would you care to join us, Governor?"

Sam and George exchanged a brief look before the governor turned to Steve and team. "I don't want to intrude, but I'm more than happy to join for a bit if the team is good with it.

"You know what will this will mean," Steve challenged.

"I do and you know my stance," Sam approached the stage.

Steve shook his head, letting out a dry chuckle. "In that case, can we get another stool?"

Within seconds a crew member appeared with the requested seat and everyone shifted around a bit to accommodate the extra person.

"Any particular topics you care to cover?" Ms. Mahelona queried as the governor's mic was being set up.

"Since it sounds like you were already on the topic of the self defense seminars, I want to add just how excited I am about this initiative. Every person deserves to feel safe in their own home and hopefully this will help. The team has been gracious enough to begin training me to help teach and I'm looking forward to being an active part of the program rather than just a mouthpiece."

Natalie stared at the governor for a moment, surprised by his announcement. "I must say, when I heard you were helping plan the seminars I didn't expect you would get so involved. What drove you to take a more hands on approach."

"The team and I discussed ways for me to assist. It is important to me that those on this island that need services like this understand that I am serious about finding ways to stop domestic violence. To me, the best way to show how serious I am is to do more than just talk about it."

"I believe many others will agree with me when I say you are sending a very clear message. It's refreshing to see." Natalie nodded, noting the nods and smiles from the task force. "Is there anything else you'd like to add before we wrap up?"

"Hopefully it's obvious by this point, but I'm case it isn't. I want to express my unequivocal support for my Five-0 task force. These four have made a tremendous difference to this island with little regard for their own safety and we owe them an immense debt of gratitude. I feel fortunate to work with them. Even more so that I've had the opportunity to get to know them as people. I'd also like to congratulate Steve and Danny on becoming Honolulu's hottest couple. We've certainly been waiting long enough for it to happen."

Everyone laughed at the governor's last statement while Steve and Danny just shrugged, trying to pretend they were completely innocent about the entire thing dragging out.

It didn't take long for the last few pieces of the interview process to wrap up and the crew made quick work of removing the mics from everyone.

"I really do appreciate you all taking the time to sit down with me today." Ms. Mahelona walked with them as they were leaving. "I know you typically try to stay out of the press, but should you ever need the platform again you only need to give me a call."

"We appreciate that," Steve shook the hand she offered. "Though you are right that it's not likely."

Five-0, the governor, and George made their way out of the building. The task force were considerably calmer than they'd been only a couple of hours before.

"Anyone care for lunch at my office before getting back to work?" Denning offered since it was about that time. "No point in going to work hungry."

"I could eat," Kono replied first, laughing as the men all looked at her. "What? I went surfing early today. I'm hungry."

"Come on. Let's go feed the rookie." Danny teased as he headed for the car. Whatever happened with the interview was largely out of their hands now, so they might as well get back to normal … or as normal as this group could ever be.

/ GUARDIAN/

A/N: Hopefully this latest update didn't suck. All comments and feedback are much appreciated. The next chapter will pick up on Saturday. We've only got a few days left to cover in the initial story. Though there are still plenty of follow ups that will happen - some that are even partially written. :)