Permission to Come Aboard, Sir

“But I should be the Captain, Danno,” Steve said not for the first time. They were still arguing over which costumes they should order. The kids had decided that they would all be attending the Halloween party at school and they wanted costumes that went together. Stan and Rachel would be out of the country for the party so Steve and Danny would have all four children.

“You don’t have blond hair,” Danny pointed out sensibly. “And Spock was taller. And a Commander.”

Steve considered those words momentarily before returning his focus on the costumes displayed on the computer screen. “I’m in charge,” Steve tried. It sounded lame to his own ears but just maybe if he gave it one more try, Danny would relent and let Steve be the Captain.

“Seriously, Babe? That’s what you’re going with? ‘I’m in charge so I should be Captain Kirk.’”

“Yeah?” Steve replied, glancing over at Danny, still not quite ready to concede to defeat. Maybe refusing to surrender would prove he was supposed to be the intrepid Captain.

“Daddy,” John said, shaking his head where he sat on the couch watching something loud on TV. “You know Danno’s right.” John was going to be Lt. Sulu because he thought being the pilot was the coolest ever. He was still hoping Steve would be able to order him the retractable katana that the costume site sold. Danny had objected even though it was plastic and completely harmless.

“Yep,” Emma agreed. “Daddy has to be the Captain. Blond. Blue eyes. Danno wins.” She really no dog in their fight because she was going to be Lt. Uhura. Not that Danny was happy about ordering their baby girl a mini-skirt but Emma promised to wear the matching panties underneath, making them perfectly acceptable.

“I’ll order you this phaser and this tricorder if you just admit you are destined to be Commander Spock,” Danny bargained, pointing to the props that accompanied the costumes.

“Do the phasers work?” Steve asked hopefully, making Danny laugh.

“Sure. Just like we can use the communicators to tell Chin to beam us out.”

“Cool,” Steve said. “Do Zacchary and Alicia have their costumes?”

“No Daddy. You need to order them,” Emma told him.

“Okay. Zach’s still going to be Scotty?” Steve asked Emma and John.

“Of course,” John agreed. “And Alicia said she didn’t care that Dr. McCoy is a guy. She wants to be the doctor.”

“That’s fine,” Danny said. “Pants. Long sleeves. The only appropriate way for certain young women to dress.”

“Let it go, Danno,” Steve suggested, clicking on the right sizes of the costumes.

“What about Kono and Chin?” John asked.

“Kono wants to be Ensign Chekov,” Danny said. “I don’t see it but who am I to argue with Kono.”

“She’ll kick your ass if you try,” John said.

“John Williams-McGarrett,” Danny said in scolding. “What kind of language is that?”

“The kind you use,” John said, trying to sound repentant.

“Why are you acting surprised, Danno? You say it all the time,” Steve reminded him.

“I’m a grown man. John is an 11 year old who can have his mouth washed out with soap for saying it.”

“I’m sorry, Daddy. I’ll try to not talk like you,” John said.

“I appreciate it. I think,” Danny said, frowning slightly.

“What about Chin?” John asked with a smile because he knew all was forgiven.

“He said he didn’t care as long as he wasn’t wearing a red shirt,” Danny said.

“How about Yoda? He’s all Zen-like,” Steve suggested.

“Daddy,” Emma said, adding several extra syllables. “Yoda’s not Star Trek.”

“Oh right,” Steve said. “My bad.”

Danny laughed at Steve’s innocent expression, not buying it for one second. He knew Steve knew the difference and was pretending he didn’t to make them all laugh. “What about Admiral Pike? Chin’d make an excellent admiral, wouldn’t he?”

“That’s a good idea,” Steve said with a nod. “Should we order him this Captain’s uniform?”

“Do they have the grey one?” Danny asked, moving closer to Steve. Looking at the screen was really just the excuse to lean against him, to enjoy his body heat and his delicious smell and him.

“Here,” Steve said, pointing at the uniform then-Captain Pike wore in the bar at the beginning of the movie. “This good?”

“Perfect,” Danny agreed. “Okay. We have uniforms, communicators, phasers. Anything else?”

“What about Grace?” John asked, looking over at Steve and Danny where they huddled together in front of the computer.

“She is staying at the University for Halloween,” Steve said, glancing over at Danny who shrugged.

“And you said that was okay, Danno?” Emma asked in surprise.

“She’s a sophomore in college, Princess. I don’t get to say any longer.”

“But you tried, right? ‘Cause I’m not ready for the end of the world,” John said.

Danny shrugged, focusing back on the computer.

“He tried,” Steve assured them.

“No thanks to you,” Danny said with a frown. “’No, no Gracie. Stay at the University for Halloween. We won’t mind.’”

“You do a horribly imitation of Daddy,” John informed him with a laugh.

“Steve, please delete that Lt Sulu costume. John is grounded forever,” Danny said.

“Daddy, I’m always grounded,” John laughed. “Can I still go to the party, please?”

“All right,” Danny decided, Steve agreeing that John really did deserve to go.

“Thank you,” John said, looking up at Emma when she hopped off the couch. “Where’re you going?”

“To find our decorations. We need to put out the skeletons and spider webs and… you know,” she said, waving to encompass the house and the yard and the ocean and possible the universe.

“They are in the attic. Right side. Black and orange totes,” Danny told them, watching them troop up the steps. “Be careful up there.”

“Finally,” Steve said, turning to face Danny. “Permission to make inappropriate romantic advances, sir.”

“Permission granted, Commander. And you can be sure they are not inappropriate,” Danny said, showing Steve just how much permission was granted and wanted and desired and reciprocated.