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.

Family Christmas, Part 5

Christmas in New Jersey Flashback

Jesse was the first in his family to wake up the next morning; he couldn't wait to play in the snow. He didn't want to wake Jack or his dads up so he put his robe and slippers on and went downstairs. His new Nana and Poppa were up and sitting at the breakfast table. They didn't know how much courage it took for Jesse to come downstairs alone.

Nana still had keen mom ears and heard someone coming down the stairs. "Jesse, you're up early. Did you sleep well?" She put her arms out to Jesse to give him a hug.

"Uh-huh. Jack's still asleep, and I think that Danno and Daddy are sleeping too."

"Well, I know that they'll appreciate that you let them sleep in. Can I fix you some breakfast? Danny told me that you like eggs over-easy. Would you like that with some sausage? We buy it special at the market for Christmas?"

"Yes. Can I have some hot chocolate? Daddy always makes it with lots of marshmallows."

Poppa laughed to hear Jesse angling for marshmallows. All the grandkids wanted hot chocolate with extra marshmallows; there were two big bags in the pantry and extra milk in the fridge. "I'm in charge of the hot chocolate around here, and you can have as many marshmallows as you want. That's the good thing about being a grandparent. Do you want to help?"

That's why Steve found Jesse standing by the stove on a footstool stirring a mixture of warm milk and cocoa mix. Steve had two days worth of stubble and his hair was sticking up in several different directions. Mom could see why both her daughters talked about their handsome brother-in-law when they didn't know that she was listening.

Steve strolled over to give both Mom and Jesse a good morning hug. "Jesse my man, you're looking good this morning. Let me guess; you can't wait to get out in the snow."

Jesse flashed Steve a shy grin. "Jack says it's really cold and we'll need to come in and warm up but I don't care. Can we go sledding too?"

"Jesse, your new cousins are coming over after breakfast. They have a lot of experience with snowmen and sledding. They can take you to the park for sledding." Mom looked over at Steve. "Is Danny's knee bothering him again?"

Steve knew that Mom or Dad must have made a couple of phone calls this morning, summoning her other grandkids to supervise Jesse and Jack. "The long day on the planes and waiting in lines took their toll. His surgery really helped, but some days are better than others. What did the kids bargain in exchange?"

Steve loved Jackie's and Paula's kids, and they thought that he was the coolest uncle in the world. He knew that they would want something special, although they would entertain Jack and Jesse just because they were cousins.

"The boys are taking karate, and they wanted a chance to spar with an ex-Navy SEAL."

"Am I going to get my ass whipped?"

"No dear, and watch your language. They just want a little coaching."

"Okay, that explains what Tim, Mike, and Ed want. What does Lucy get out of it?"

"Steve, she was hoping to get a letter of recommendation from you for the Naval Academy. Her parents aren't happy but they accept that's what she wants."

"Wow, I'd be honored to write that letter. I still have a few contacts there. I could make some calls after the holidays."

Jack wandered downstairs just as Mom slipped a plate of eggs and sausage in front of Steve. Jesse was digging into his breakfast with gusto. Although Jack was usually an early riser, he was still a little tired. He worried about Jesse waking in a strange place, so he slept lightly. He perked up when he heard that his cousins would be over to play outside. Although they were several years older, they always made time for Jack when he came to visit.

Danny would have been happy to sleep most of the morning, but he heard voices downstairs and knew his family was up. He found Grace in the hall waiting to use the bathroom. After a throwing on a sweatshirt, he joined his parents and family in the kitchen. He stole Steve's coffee and drained the mug. Before Steve could protest, Danny stole a kiss. "Thanks for the coffee babe. What's that on your plate? Did Mom make you real eggs? Mom, is that the sausage from the market?"

"Yes it is, and pour Steve another cup of coffee. There's a fresh pot. You know where the mugs are."

"Thanks Mom. Where are the kids?" Danny looked around for Jack and Jesse but there was no sign of them in the kitchen.

"Your dad has them in the downstairs bathroom. Jesse is getting his haircut. Jack is next. Are you sure that you don't want to go next, Steve?"

"No thanks. I'm a little old to have my dad cut my hair. Danny, Jesse came downstairs by himself."

"Hmm. That's not surprising. It's hard to resist the Williams family. I'm surprised the kids aren't chomping on the bit to get outside."

"They are. Jesse wanted his haircut first. I kind of expected that he might wake up in the middle of the night."

"You two are doing such a great job with him. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I could tell last night that he has bonded very well with your family. And Jack seems to be very protective of him."

Danny snorted. "He comes by that honestly. They say the acorn never falls far from the tree. Jack and Jesse have been friends since pre-K. He's been a regular at the house for the last year. Things were bad for him at home and Jack knew that. He asked him over every chance he got. Jack's always been close to Rachel's boys and Chin's son even with the age difference. Jesse was his special friend who's his age."

"Did Danny tell you that we're renovating the cabin? We're adding another bedroom and expanding the existing bathroom, and we're expanding our bedroom to add a second bathroom. All the boys love going there. I even traded in my truck for an SUV so we could hold everyone and carry gear. I swear, in my wildest dreams I never imagined being a soccer dad."

Grace walked into the kitchen in time to hear Steve's last remark. She rolled her eyes. "Really Dad, no one would ever mistake you for a soccer dad."

"Hey, that better not make me the soccer mom. You still have way more clothes hanging in the closet that I do, even if you never wear the really nice stuff. Hey Jesse, you're looking good this morning. I see that Dad has you all squared away."

Jesse was running his hand over his shorter hair and smiling. "Poppa said he used to cut your hair like this. Jack is getting his haircut now. Poppa said it wasn't too late for you to change your mind Daddy."

Danny gave his son a good morning hug and rubbed his head. "I see that Dad hasn't lost his touch. You should go on down Steven. He gives a great army cut."

"It was the Navy Danno." Jesse piped in with the common refrain before Steve could. He was having the best time. It was the first time he had grandparents, and he enjoyed his time with them this morning before Jack or his dads woke up.

"So it was. Did Nana feed you?"

"Uh-huh. She made 'dippy' eggs the way I like them and sausage. I helped Poppa make hot chocolate. He let me have lots of marshmallows. The cousins are coming over to help me and Jack make a snowman, and then we're going to the park to go sledding down the big hill. Nana said that Daddy has to spar with Tim and Mike and Ed, and he has to write a letter so Lucy can go the Navy school 'cause your knee hurts."

Danny looked at his mom and raised his eyebrows. "You've added psychic abilities to your resume?"

"Danny, a mother knows. You can supervise if you need to assert your manhood."

"Nope, I'm good. I think that I've lived too long on the island. Snow isn't as much fun as it was when I was Jesse's age."

"That's because it doesn't get you out of school anymore. Now you and Grace sit down and eat your breakfast. I'm going to get ready for company. You young people can clean up the kitchen please before you tidy up the bedrooms. Are you going to shave?"

Steve protested now. "Mom, we're on vacation. I thought that I would grow a little beard while we were here. It might keep me warm."

"That's fine dear, although it looks like you've got a lot of gray coming in. You look so much younger when you shave." Mom couldn't help teasing Steve a little. She loved her son-in-law for how happy he made Danny as well as because he could be such a sweet man. She also knew that he made peace with his gray hair. It wasn't fair that the same gray hair that made a woman looked so washed out could make a man so distinguished.

Steve clutched his chest. "Danno, Mom just dissed us."

"Not me babe. I was going to shave anyway." Danny dug into his breakfast before it got cold. Jack came upstairs a few minutes later, the proud owner of a fresh haircut. The boys ran upstairs to brush their teeth. Steve gave Danny a proper morning kiss now that they were alone before going upstairs to pick out cold weather clothes for the boys. He also made sure the beds were made and clothes picked up. Mom could be a tough drill sergeant when company was coming over. He made it downstairs in time to help Danny with the kitchen.

The day flew quickly once the cousins came over. They made fast friends with Jesse. They all knew what he had been through, and they vowed on the way over that this would be his best Christmas ever. Within the hour, there were Uncle Danny and Uncle Steve sized snowmen in the front yard. Steve snapped pictures from the safety of the front porch.

Then Tim and Lucy drove the whole gang over to the park. Steve and Danny followed them in the rent car. As cold as it was, neither could miss Jesse's first time down the hill. They stayed until the cold became too much for Grace, Jack, and Jesse. Poppa had a fresh batch of hot chocolate waiting for his grandchildren, and Nana had a plate of sandwiches on the table.

Jackie and Paula came over with their husbands around 2 p.m. There was a flurry of activity in the kitchen preparing two large trays of lasagna. Jackie and Paula brought over salads and an antipasto platter. Supper was a loud raucous affair with adults and kids seated elbow-to-elbow around the large dining room table. Gifts were exchanged after dishes were cleared, and the kids adjourned to the family room downstairs to play video games.

On Monday, Steve and Danny took the kids into Manhattan for the day. Jesse was awed by the skyscrapers, the Statue of Liberty, and mostly everything else. He gave a detailed narrative of his day to his grandparents when they got home that evening. The boys slept late the next morning, giving Steve and Danny a little time together before going downstairs.

The rest of the week was spent visiting more family. Steve got his sparring match in with his nephews on Wednesday, and he borrowed Mom's laptop that evening to write the letter for Lucy. Before they knew it, it was New Year's Eve. Steve and Danny decided that the boys could stay up until midnight, but they had to get to bed after the big ball dropped at Times Square. Grace was at party with her cousins and had permission to stay out until 1 a.m.

Steve and Danny didn't stay up much past midnight either. It was the anniversary of their civil ceremony and their wedding. They had a little tradition to uphold. It was sweet and quiet; they didn't want to disturb their parents or their sons. In the morning, they had the usual chaos that goes with leaving to go home.

The trip back to paradise was as uneventful as the trip to Jersey except that they had to be at the airport so early. They dropped Grace at her mom's house for the remainder of her Christmas break. The Five-0 ohana was having a cookout at Chin and Malia's on Saturday. For tonight, it was enough that they were home.

The trip proved to be very therapeutic for Jesse. He thought his life couldn't get any better that having Steve and Danny as parents and Jack for a brother. He had no idea what it was like to have a large extended family. He had grandparents, aunt, uncles, cousins, and even more great-aunts, great-uncles, and second cousins. He talked more, laughed more, ate more, and played more during his week in New Jersey that he thought maybe he did his whole life.

Nana told Danny that it was like watching a flower bloom. Jesse didn't have any bad dreams and his eyes twinkled with mischief when he and Jack ambushed Steve and Danny in the front yard with a pile of snowballs. Mom pointed out that Jesse must be feeling secure with his family to participate in a prank against his dads. That didn't stop Danny from nailing the boys with this own ammo, but Jesse even enjoyed getting snow stuffed down his parka.

It will take the family the rest of the weekend to put all the Christmas decorations away and adjust to the time change. Steve knows that Monday will be brutal for everyone. On the other hand, the insanity of holiday preparations is over for another eleven months. Next week, they will be able to go back to a semblance of a normal routine.

The boys are seated between Steve and Danny, too tired to stay awake for the movie. Steve hit the 'pause' button to stop the movie. "Danny, I think we need to get these two upstairs. Then maybe we can sit by the beach and have a beer."

"That sounds like a good plan." Danny was able to get Jesse on his feet, but Jack was down for the count. Steve threw him over his shoulder and carried him upstairs. Ten minutes later, the men were in their favorite beach chairs.

"Steve, I know that the last week was not very restful but it was a wonderful treat for me."

"Danny, I love your family and it was great to have a big family Christmas. The boys had a great time too. Don't forget that we only have a few weeks until our Disney trip. I think that Mom and Dad are looking forward to it as much as the kids."

"Babe, I've never done Disney World either. I'm excited too. Mostly, I'm happy that we get to do this with the kids. I suspect that this is the last vacation we'll share with Grace, and Jack and Jesse are at such a good age. This family we have, our life together, is so good. Sometimes I'm afraid that I'll wake up in my crappy old apartment. You were so right to insist that we needed another child. And now we have Jesse too. Wow, we have two sons."

Steve laughed and hugged Danny. "Yeah, it's like a really good dream. Jesse is our bonus. He brings out the best in all of us, and I hope we're bringing out the best in him. Charlotte told me the adoption is being expedited. We should have the final papers in May. I think we should celebrate. The cabin should be finished by then. Maybe we can take all the boys to the cabin."

"They love the cabin. I have to admit that I love it there too. We've always had a good time there. Speaking of a good time, could I interest you in going in the house with me? It's still our anniversary, and I would like to spend some intimate time with you."

"You're such a romantic Danno. Does that mean that you get to be on top tonight?"

"I don't care who's on top as long as I'm with you. I think that's why it works so well with us. You're still a control freak, but you let me do what I do best. And I'm still pretty good in the bedroom."

"Don't be modest Danno. You're really good in the bedroom, so why are we still on the beach?"

They tapped their bottles together and finished their beers before going into the house. 2021 promised to be another good year for the McGarrett-Williams family.