I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.

Notes: I wasn't sure this was going to lead to anything 'post-able'. Sort of a needless Epilogue I guess ... but I had to wrap up the Dog thing even if just for myself since it made zero sense to me. Once more, thanks to KQ - the queen of last minute beta requests!

H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O

EPILOGUE

Steve's prediction about being released before Danny came true and it irked him no end. It was no lie that a few many other things did, too; especially, the cards and gifts which were still coming after Danny's most recent medical scare. Most in his mind, were arriving weeks too late. Steve knew the rest of the team sensed it as well; though unspoken, there were still shared feelings of guilt and an undercurrent of tension even if Danny graciously accepted each offering with his usual equanimity.

Oddly enough though, the only thing which made Danny really smile was the ridiculous plush giraffe propped conspicuously next to his children's flowering plant. Seeing it there - strange as it was - gave Steve some calm, too. Sometimes it was the smallest of things which meant the most and Danny's scare had been an alarming catalyst.

Danny's scare.

Those two words continually twisted Steve's insides into knots. The words were unfair and ill-timed; and verbalized as late as the get well cards were now brimming over in his friend's lonely hospital room. As far as Steve was concerned, the situation should never have gotten as far as it had despite what Doctor Benning maintained.

At once still angry and conversely upset, Steve had to hide his often displeased expression from both Charlie and Grace as he escorted the children into Tripler, Charlie's hand wrapped inside his own. What he was doing with the kids wasn't necessary and practically bespoke of his own tumultuous feelings, Steve knew that even Danny knew that. But call it guilt or a right of responsibility, Steve would be damned if the likes of Duane "Dog" Chapman would somehow remain the chosen chauffeur once he were able! Not that the professional bounty hunter was a bad sort. Far from it in fact, and Charlie was certainly enamored with the man's flamboyant ways and exciting tales.

Steve muttered unintelligibly under his breath. But it wasn't about Dog or the kids.

He'd been released two days earlier and as a sense of normalcy returned, the hectic activity had quite naturally died down around them both. Attention waned and regular schedules started to get back on track.

But Danny was still hospitalized and, after mentally calculating who on their team was doing what that day, Steve realized that Danny might not have any visitors at all.

It was an unacceptable fact even though he was tasked with staying at home and resting. The rest of the team had jobs to do: Kono, Lou and even Jerry were all back at headquarters getting into the swing of things, as well as handling any residual inquiries from inquisitive media. Chin was en route to do the same. The children had after school activities or some other obligation. Regardless, they could only go as far as an adult might be willing to take them.

So, with their father in the hospital, it was Uncle Steve's time to step in and do his part even if Charlie barely knew him. And his part meant that he was going to surprise Danny with a few very special visitors. Assuring everyone who had tried to help that he wouldn't bend or physically pick up Charlie, even to get in or out of his car seat, Steve now had both children in tow after being dropped off at the hospital's front door by Chin.

"Danno's going to be so surprised!" Grace said as they entered the hospital. "I'm going to get him something to read ... maybe a newspaper."

Steve grinned as Grace easily out-paced them, a canvas day-bag over her shoulder, and her one sole objective, the small gift shoppe and its magazine selection.

"Don't bend, Uncle Steve! I'll be right back!" She'd been doing her part to make sure that he'd not over-do things, too. Grace made sure that she was the one who safely got her little brother in and out of Chin's car first. Before even Chin could intervene, Grace had Charlie mindful of his actions with constant reminders voiced that "Uncle Steve's still hurt ... just like Danno."

They'd already purchased a box of Danny's favorite malasadas - two missing by the time they'd parked. Grace carried the box now and Steve was balancing two freshly brewed cups of take-out coffee in a cardboard tray. No easy feat with a four year old swinging his opposite arm like mad, an excited tug to follow his sister nearly up-ending the tray. Visiting the hospital, any hospital for that matter, wasn't a big deal for the boy. An unfortunate truth, but he was as excited to see Danno as much as Grace.

"Whoa there, Tiger!" Steve exclaimed as he steadied the box as best as possible. "Hold up!"

The giggle was what made him look down though and Steve nearly choked in surprise. The glint of blue in Charlie's eyes got to him first, the shock of thick blonde hair nothing but a bright golden halo. How Danny's ex-wife had lied for so long about the child's father seemed an impossibility. How Danny ever could have believed the woman in the first place was mind-boggling.

Charlie was his father down to the devilish smile and the barely innocent crinkle of his eyes. A sometimes rarity in the mature adult, and so a total joy to experience in its miniature version.

Steve stopped dead in his tracks, his mouth hanging open in surprise as his gaze fell from the sparkling blue to the chocolate covered mouth and chin. How had he missed that? Then there was the issue of the shirt. No wonder Charlie's fingers seemed clean of malasada. He'd used the front of his t-shirt has a towel.

"Uh, what did you do ... and when?" Steve asked helplessly as he carefully dropped to a knee, a twinge of pain reminding him that stomach muscles were used for just about everything. With his hands full, he had no recourse left but to put the tray of coffee on the floor as he turned the child to face him.

"You're a mess, Charlie. Your shirt ... and I'm not sure if we have a clean one."

"It's chocolate," Charlie simply offered. He picked at his shirt with two fingers, tenting the sticky material until it puckered and stood up almost on its own. "It's chocolate, Uncle Steve."

Then he shrugged about his plight, his smile still as bright as sunshine when he looked up into Steve's face. "I ate it ... and there were no nak-kins."

"Did you eat it or wear it?" Steve breathed out as he virtually melted under the kid's open smile. "How does your father do it?"

"I ate it ... and Danno likes chocolate, too," Charlie answered him in all honesty. "He spills sometimes, too. Like me."

"Spills?" Steve asked, his eyes blinking rapidly as he remembered one other time he'd first heard something far too similar.

"Do you have a nak-kin, Uncle Steve?" He held his fingers up, rapidly pressing them together to prove their tackiness, and Steve winced. "I can fix it." There might not be any obvious signs of chocolate, but he could see the sugary stickiness as Charlie's fingers were wedged under his nose.

It was Grace who came to the rescue seconds later, the family penchant for drama evident in her own not-so-patient roll of an eye as she hunkered down next to them. "Uncle Steve, you're bending! Go sit ... or stand," she said authoritatively while opening the canvas day-bag. "But don't bend down!"

By the time Steve had struggled back to his feet, one hand pressing near his healing surgical scar, Grace had a packet of baby wipes in her hands and a clean t-shirt over a knee.

"Charlie! Don't make Uncle Steve bend," Grace admonished her brother as he held his fingers out so she could wipe each one just before she attacked his face, cheeks and chin.

"Hands up!" A moment later, the dirty shirt was tugged up and over his head and the clean pulled on, Grace oblivious to her brother's giggles and non-stop motion. "Done."

"I wanna see Danno!" Charlie complained as he tried to help, his face crestfallen when Grace grabbed his wrist.

"Wait!" She demanded while balling the dirty shirt into the day bag and somehow managing to pick the coffee tray up from the floor without spilling a drop. Grace shook her head, her hands full until Steve retrieved the coffee and then Charlie's hand.

"Well, okay then," Steve said with an impressed smile. "Let's go see how your dad is doing. I'll go in first ... then you two, so he's surprised."

Unable to stop grinning, Steve left the two just outside the room, but his smile faded when he saw Danny perched awkwardly on the edge of the bed, his eyes tightly squeezed shut, one arm pressed against his abdomen.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Why are you here? Did you miss me already?" Danny replied morosely, though he peeked inquisitively through his lashes. "And how did you even get here? You're not supposed to drive."

He swiped at his eyes as he whooshed out an unconvincing sound before sniffing the air appreciatively, his eyes brightening when he saw the tray.

"Chin ... and coffee," Steve said conversationally, though he kept measuring Danny's rather pale complexion. "Thought you'd like some real coffee, Danno. Chin will pick me back up when you kick me out."

"Coffee. You came for a visit ... and brought real coffee. You might be forgiven for all past transgressions," Danny happily replied. "Each and every one."

"I want that in writing," Steve chuckled as he carefully handed over one of the cups which Danny accepted with both hands. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah," Danny muttered in disgust. "Just went for a short walk ... I'm just a little tired. It's nothing."

"Okay, because you know ... I just might have brought you one or two other things," Steve said, more mollified by the reasonable explanation. "But if you're not up to it ... I can just ... wait."

"Uh huh," Danny said distractedly as he closed his eyes and inhaled the earthy aroma happily. "Like what? What could possibly be better than this ...wonderful ... fantastic ... perfectly brewed cup of coffee? "

"Oh, there's definitely a couple of things better than that coffee, Danno," Steve teased, his fingers beckoning behind him coyly while Danny still had his eyes closed.

"Ah," Danny mused softly. "I bet it's something you charged to the room ... another of your damned Army perks ... except this time, it's my room, Steven. Not yours. So as usual, I'll get stuck paying."

Steve laughed out loud, his finger now waggling in Danny's face as the two smiled at each other. He shrugged nonchalantly, timing his words just as Charlie rounded the corner, the little boy's sights solely settled on his father.

"Danno!" Charlie called out as he tried to race towards the bed, only Grace's firm grip holding him back in caution. "Hi Danno! Surprise!"

"Well ... I can't exactly return them to the gift shoppe ... but, I can take them back ... or give Dog a call ... you know, Charlie ... he ... uh,..."

Steve smirked happily, the words literally dying on his lips as he watched Danny's face light up in spades. His hands were shaking in surprise so badly that Steve needed to rescue the coffee cup back before it literally was dropped to the floor.

"Don't you dare!" Danny breathed out softly as he carefully tugged Charlie and then Grace into his arms and stared with all the thanks he could muster into Steve's eyes. He planted kisses on the tops of each of their heads, his smile larger than life.

"Dog, really ... Uncle Steve? Dog? Don't you dare."

~ End.~