Chapter Eight "Change Is Good"

When Chin and Kono arrived, the others were halfway through breakfast and Mary was still sleeping. It had been unanimously decided that they would leave her alone.

Danny's pancakes were delicious, but Steve couldn't finish them. With all his broken ribs, he still couldn't eat a lot at once. But Grace helped him, and Steve began to think she got her appetite from her father.

Chin and Kono agreed that getting Steve out of the house for a while would be a good idea. Of course there was a long discussion about this. Steve and Grace had to go sit in the living room while the "adults" talked.

"Uncle Steve?" Grace said as she crawled up on the couch next to him.

"Yes, Grace?" he replied.

"Does it hurt a lot?"

Steve shrugged with his good shoulder. "Sometimes. Like if I move wrong or when it's almost time to take my medication again."

"But you're gonna get better, right?"

"Of course. I'll be back to my old self soon."

Grace wrapped her arm around his waist carefully. "Good," she said. "'Cause Danno's really worried about you."

Steve couldn't help the smile that spread across his face. He knew Danny was worried, but to think of Grace looking out for him like that was... He couldn't think of what it was, but it was something he hadn't felt in a long time. Steve hated people taking care of him, but since it had to be, he was happy with the people he had.

Finally, Danny came out into the living room. Chin and Kono were cleaning up breakfast.

"Okay," he said. "We've decided that going to a movie would be okay."

"Yay!" Grace jumped up and hugged him.

Danny didn't miss the elated look on Steve's face though. He smiled at them. "Which car would be easier to get into?" he asked.

Steve thought for a second. Danny could practically hear the gears shifting, going through the pros and cons. "Mine," he finally said. "I guess you can get me back for driving yours all the time."

"All right. You're sure you feel up to it?"

"To sitting for a couple of hours and eating popcorn? Yeah."

"I mean getting there and back."

"Yes. It's no big deal."

Danny angled his head down, trying to determine if Steve were just being a tough guy, or if he was really ready. Danny hoped it was the latter. He really wanted Steve to be normal again. Even though he claimed normal Steve was the most obnoxious individual in the universe.

H-5-O

After maneuvering Steve into and out of the passenger seat of the truck things went pretty smoothly. He and Grace shared a bucket of popcorn and whispered through the whole movie. Danny kept telling them to be quiet, but they wouldn't.

Eventually, Danny started throwing popcorn at Steve's head and the people around them started glaring. That's when Grace told them to behave and pay attention to the movie.

"He started it," Steve whispered.

"Did not," Danny argued.

"Am I gonna have to separate you two?" Grace asked. Then there was silence. Grace knew them a little too well it seemed.

As the walked out of the movie, Steve looked happy, but very tired. And Danny noticed he was keeping weight off his left side.

"Time to get you home, Super SEAL," he said.

"Aw, Mom, it's not even dark yet," Steve replied with a grin.

"You're hilarious; let's go."

Getting back in the truck was harder than the first time. Steve seemed to be slower and weaker than before. On the way home Grace talked about the movie, but Steve was strangely silent. Everyone noticed, but no one said anything.

When they got back to Steve's house, Mary Ann was out. Chin and Kono volunteered to make dinner and Grace ran upstairs.

Danny helped Steve to the couch and didn't miss the deep sigh that came out of his partner.

"You okay?" he asked quietly.

"Tired," Steve said. "Et cetera."

"Is that your way of not admitting that it hurts?"

"Sure."

"Uncle Steve," Grace said, coming back down the stairs. "Will you read some more?"

"Hey, Monkey," Danny said. "Why don't I read a little? Uncle Steve is really tired."

"I don't want to miss anything," Steve said.

"Then stay awake," Grace said.

"All right, you come sit by me and poke me when I look too sleepy."

Grace smiled. She could do that.

Danny was becoming concerned at how thick Steve and Grace were becoming. He was also a little surprised that Steve would be so interested to know what happened in the princess book.

H-5-O

When Chin and Kono came to let everyone know dinner was ready, they found Danny reading animatedly and Steve and Grace listening intently. The two of them stood in the doorway for a minute until Danny came to the end of the chapter.

"Keep going," Grace insisted.

"Hey, you all want dinner or not?" Chin asked, smiling at the three of them.

Steve held up his hand. "Want dinner. Don't want to move," he said, and looked at Chin as if he should offer some solution.

"You okay with eating on the couch?" Kono asked.

"A few weeks ago, I would have said no. But special circumstances and all that."

"All right," Chin said. "You two." He pointed at Danny and Grace. "Come help."

Kono sat down with Steve while the rest went to get dinner. "You doing okay?" she asked. "You look tired."

"Yeah," he replied. "I am tired."

"All this princess stuff getting to you?"

Steve smirked. "Not at all," he said. "I love doing things with Grace. She's so... you know what I mean?"

Kono laughed. "Yeah, I know. She's sweet and innocent. Reminds us why we are who we are."

"Yeah, that's what I meant."

The others came out with plates of food and everyone found a seat. While they were eating, Steve's phone rang. He reached for it, but Danny got there first.

"I can't answer my own phone?" Steve asked.

"Depends." Danny looked at the screen and seemed to think it was safe, so he handed the phone to Steve. It was Catherine.

"Hey," he answered. "I don't suppose you're coming back early?"

"I don't know," she replied. "Have you been good?"

"Very. Just ask Grace."

"I will. Honestly, though, I might have an opportunity to visit earlier than I expected. It's still a couple of weeks out though."

"That's a lot better than we thought, though."

"Yeah. How are you doing? Really?"

"I'm okay. It's not going as fast as I want it to, but it's getting there."

"So, you haven't broken any cardinal rules yet?"

"What? Like swimming? No, I haven't. I've been very well behaved." There was a collective snort around the room.

"Well, except for throwing popcorn at Danny, but he started it."

Catherine laughed. "Sounds like things are going well."

"Yeah. I really miss you though."

"I miss you too."

Neither of them knew why, but that seemed awfully important. Perhaps because they'd never said it before.

"Well, I have to go," Catherine said. "I'll call you later this week."

"Okay. Be careful out there."

"And you be careful over there."

They said goodbye and Steve didn't really care that everyone was looking at him. He knew they were probably wondering about how serious he actually was with Catherine. From that conversation, it sounded pretty serious.

"You want me to read some more?" Steve asked Grace.

"Yeah," she said, grabbing the book and handing it to Steve.

"I'll clean up," Danny volunteered, picking up plates.

Chin and Kono got comfortable, wanting to hear Steve read to Grace. They had reached the part where Ella's mother died. Steve read with a lot of emotion in his voice, and it wasn't all put on. It made the story more moving to those listening.

H-5-O

Danny and Grace stayed the entire weekend. They got halfway through Ella Enchanted and Grace couldn't wait for their visit in the middle of the week. Steve couldn't wait either.

As they got ready to leave on Monday morning, Grace gave Steve a hug and he told her to pay attention in school.

"I'm the top of my class... except for Tommy," she said.

"Who's Tommy?" Steve asked.

"A pathological liar," Danny said.

"He's the smartest kid in school, but he's mean. He likes to scare me," Grace said.

"Grace, you know there's nothing to be afraid of," Steve said. "We've got Danno looking out for us."

Grace smiled. "Yeah, we do."

"Come one, Monkey," Danny said.

Grace hurried to the door and turned around to wave goodbye to Steve before heading for the car.

"Be nice to your sister," Danny said.

"She's my sister," Steve said. "I'll treat her like I always have."

"I thought so. Looks like we're gonna have to come back next weekend."

"Yeah." Steve smiled. "I hope so."

Danny and Grace did come the next weekend and the one after that. Even when Steve could do more on his own, they still came to help out. He and Grace finished Ella Enchanted and moved on to The Lion. The Witch and the Wardrobe.

Somewhere along the way, Steve almost forgot why this had all happened in the first place and was just enjoying the time with his family. But he did wonder what would happen when he was better. They wouldn't come around as much, probably. The inevitable disappointment made him savor the days he did have with them. He never wanted it to end.