The Wedding Part 2

T minus 4 hours 18 minutes and counting: “Oh. My. God,” Danny said as he entered the garage. “I should have known you were hiding in here.” His hands were expressing the outrage his voice failed to convey though there was not a tremendous amount left unsaid.

Steve straightened up from under the hood of the Marquis and smiled at Danny. It was the very best, sunniest, most innocent smile that resided in his arsenal of smiles. One that did not fool Danny for one minute. “Hi Danno.”

“Don’t you ‘hi Danno’ me. I am orchestrating the social event of the year, nah, the century, and you are tinkering with The Car That Will Never Run.”

“Nah?”

“Stop. Put down that wrench or I swear on Grace’s brown braids that I will take it and hit you with it, hit you until you….”

“Until I what?” Steve asked far too happily.

“I hate you. So much. Grace just got here and wants to know where you are. Pop thinks you need to talk down Mary who keeps yelling at one of Kamekona’s cousins. Mom is trying to instruct Kamekona on the only true and proper way to boil shrimp which he does not appreciate not one little bit. My sisters have resorted to hurling stray blossoms at each other. And you. YOU are hiding in the garage.”

“I tried to escape in the helicopter but they had it locked down,” Steve claimed.

“It’s surprising to me that you weren’t able to destroy the lock with your bare hands,” Danny said, leaning against the grill of the Marquis.

“I tried,” Steve said, putting the wrench down only so he would have both hands free to hold firmly to Danny’s hips and prevent a new rant with a kiss. “I didn’t know the right helicopter-stealing code.”

“Double top secret huh?” Danny asked, his lips slightly parted as he panted for air. “Do that again.”

“Try to steal a helicopter?” Steve teased.

“Yeah. And when you get done, kiss me.”

“I’ll do that now and work on the helicopter after,” Steve decided, devouring Danny’s mouth with his own.

“We could just hide here the rest of the day. Or the rest of our lives. Either one. I’m sure you have enough emergency supplies in those cabinets. Potable water. Canned goods that are routinely rotated so that they don’t expire. Last in last out. A manual opener to back-up your Swiss army knife.”

“Yep,” Steve said, kissing him again. “We better go back out…there. I can hear Mary yelling at your dad.”

“Oh great. What could she possibly have to yell at Pop about? Seriously?”

“She mostly wants to know where you are so she can yell at you.”

“Okay. You’re making that up. You do not have super-sonic hearing. You don’t.”

“You know how you can always tell Grace needs you?” Steve asked. “I can hear Mary the same way.”

“Oh. That makes sense,” Danny conceded, turning to the garage door when it flew open with a bang. “Hey Mary.”

“What. The. Hell,” she yelled.

“You need us?” Danny asked innocently.

“No. Why would I? You’re only getting married in three hours. Three hours. Do you have any concept of time? At all?”

“Four hours,” Steve corrected, unnecessarily pointing at his wristwatch.

“So not the point. Hell’s caterers set fire to the tablecloth. And I am not even kidding.”

“Great. Anyone hurt?” Danny asked.

“No. Your father took care of it. Your mom made sure Grace was way away from it. Grace would really like to know where Steve is. Because apparently her friend Tommy said you were going to swim away before the wedding? God. I have no idea. Who is Tommy and why is he allowed out without constant adult supervision?”

“Okay,” Steve said, trying to stop a laugh because he knew it was not the place or the time. “We’re coming.”

Mary nodded in satisfaction and left the garage, glaring over her shoulder to make sure they were actually following her out and into the backyard where chaos was still the order of the day.

“Steve!” Grace yelled when she saw him. “You didn’t swim away.”

“Of course not, Monkey,” Steve assured her, catching her when she launched herself at him. “Why did you listen to Tommy?”

She shrugged, hiding her face in his neck as he hugged her close.

“I’m not going anywhere. I promise,” he told her, kissing her pink cheek. “Do you like all of the flowers?”

“They’re so pretty. Are you going to braid them into my hair for me?” she asked him.

“Of course. Who else would I trust to do it?” Steve asked. “Danno has goofy thumbs and always makes your braid crooked.”

“I most certainly do not,” Danny retorted with a smile just for Grace. “Did you have lunch?”

“Uh huh. Mommy took me to that fancy restaurant. The one with the porch and the big birds. ‘Cause she said it’s a very special occasion.”

“It is a very special occasion,” Danny agreed.

As Steve listened to Grace tell him every single thing she had had for lunch, he glanced over the backyard to find Chin and Malia instructing Danny’s sisters on how to make genuine Hawaiian leis, not the inexpensive knock-offs they had received at the airport. Chin’s black tee shirt said ‘There is no bride in this bridal party,’ which Steve found to be the funniest one of all. Max was wandering around, happily taking photos of everything and everyone as though he was on a mission from God. Or at least Kodak. Kono and Charlie were talking to Burt although he couldn’t tell what the topic of conversation was which he supposed was really for the best all things considered. Burt was nodding so he guessed (hoped) Kono was not telling Burt about the latest thing she had happily blown up with Steve’s express permission and possible assistance because it’s vital that the explosives be placed for maximum impact and why shouldn’t he share that not-at-all classified knowledge with her?

“Danny,” his mom said as she came up to them, accepting Grace from Steve. “Is your friend Kono going to wear that for the wedding?”

Danny turned to look at his friend Kono who was laughing with his father. She was wearing the black tank top that proclaimed ‘I ain’t nobody’s maid of anything’ in sparkly silver letters. Underneath was one of her numerous bikinis, the pink and blue stripped one from the bits of it Danny could see. “You don’t think that would be appropriate?”

“Daniel,” Sylvia said in warning. Now Steve knew where he had gotten that tone. She put Grace down at her request so that she could run over and talk to Chin and Malia and three of her adoring aunts.

“Calm down, Mom. I’m kidding. She has a beautiful dress upstairs that she will be wearing. It’s navy blue just like Grace’s with significantly fewer ruffles and rhinestones.”

“Very good then,” Sylvia said with an approving nod.

“Was it a big fire?” Steve asked mostly because he knew Danny would frown at him for it.

“Oh it was hardly a fire at all, dear. Singed the edge. Burt dealt with it and there wasn’t enough smoke to set off the detectors.”

“Was the tablecloth ruined?” Danny asked although he could not begin to imagine why he cared.

“Sadly, yes. But your very large friend said that as it was really his fault he would not be charging you to replace it. I thought that was awfully generous of him,” she said.

“That is good of him,” Steve agreed, ignoring Danny’s unamused frown.

“You have such lovely friends,” Sylvia said, patting Danny on the arm as though she was immensely proud of him for developing enough social skills to work and play well with others.

“They are actually my friends,” Steve informed her in a loud whisper. “They don’t really like Danny all that much.”

“I see,” Sylvia said with a familiar twinkle in her blue eyes. “Then thank you for being generous enough to share your friends with my son.”

“You’re welcome,” Steve told her, leaning over to kiss Danny who was mostly ignoring them because he knew it really was the best way to handle Steve when he got like this, all giddy school-boyish.

~o0o~

T minus 1 hour 08 minutes and counting: “Steve. For the last time, you have to get out of the ocean,” Danny said, fists on his hips, frown on his face. Danny thought Steve had already gotten out of the water while he was talking to the string quintet they had hired to play for the ceremony. The two men and three women were dressed in traditional attire and told him they had received their request for the music to be played. They were ready and would begin to play at 6:00 pm precisely.

“I do?” Steve asked, all open and innocent. He had Grace on his shoulders, Kono on Charlie’s shoulders as they played some sort of lord of the sea game that Danny could not decipher.

“We are getting married in one hour. One hour Steven. You and your ocean companions need to shower and dress. Grace needs to get at least some of the sand out of her hair so we can braid it. Our guests are going to begin arriving in the next 30 minutes and you are frolicking like you have nothing else to do for the rest of the day.”

“I don’t believe Steve has ever frolicked,” Charlie said, helping Kono off his shoulders.

“You. I can have you fired,” Danny said, pointing in the general direction of Charlie and Kono. He managed to include Max who was standing knee deep in the ocean recording their childish antics for all time to come.

“I don’t think you have that authority,” Kono told him, laughing as she waded ashore, accepting the towel from Danny.

“No but I can get it if I have to,” Danny said, giving Charlie and Steve their towels before wrapping Grace in hers. “Monkey, you go shower in the guest bathroom.”

“Okay Danno,” she agreed, racing up to the house. Sylvia who had already returned from the hotel and was wearing her royal blue not mother of the bride dress automatically followed Grace because that’s what a grandmother did.

“I’m hoping you two will shower together so it will take less time,” Danny said to Kono and Charlie.

“On our first date?” Kono asked in mock horror that fooled exactly no one.

“Right. You haven’t been going steady for the last 8 months,” Danny said.

“Come on, Kono. I promise to close my eyes the entire time,” Charlie said, taking her hand and going up the house, their laughter lingering on the beach.

“And you,” Danny said, looking up at Steve.

“And me?” Steve asked, leaning down to kiss Danny. “Nice tiki torches.”

Danny looked at the line of torches that ran from the house to the beach, ending at the flower covered arch where the ceremony would be held. On each side of the torches were tidy rows of chairs, the first two rows with festive bows and orchids marking them for the not bridal family. “Are the torches straight enough for your Army standards?”

“Navy,” Steve corrected without thinking about it. “They could be at more of a 90 degree angle to the beach,” he decided, stepping back when Danny threatened to hit him.

“Maybe if you hadn’t been frolicking in the ocean, you could have used your laser sighting compass to ensure they were parallel per your precise standards.”

“Perpendicular,” Steve said.

“What?”

“Perpendicular is a 90 degree angle. Parallel is like railroad tracks.”

“Do I look like I care?”

“Uhmm… no?” Steve guessed, smiling at Danny’s frown.

“No. I do not care.”

“Okay,” Steve said, still smiling like he never had any intention of stopping.

“Come on you goof. We need to get upstairs.”

Steve nodded, looking over at the musicians. “You welcome them?”

“I did,” Danny agreed. “You want to speak to them?”

“Afterwards,” Steve said, taking Danny’s hand and going in the house with him.

Kono and Charlie were just coming out of the bathroom, wrapped in the robes when Steve and Danny got upstairs. “It’s all yours,” Kono said a wink before following Charlie into the bedroom that had been Mary’s. Grace was with Sylvia in Steve’s old room chattering happily about her new dress as Sylvia tried to get her to stand still long enough to dry her hair.

Steve went into the bathroom as Danny continued on to their bedroom to get their bathrobes. Normally they would go between the two rooms naked but they didn’t want to scar any of their family members for life.

The bathroom was already filled with delicious steam when Danny slipped in, taking off his clothes to join Steve under the hot water.

“You can’t be in here,” Steve whispered down to Danny.

“I can’t?” Danny asked, taking the soap to pour some into this palm.

“My boyfriend will be here any minute,” Steve told Danny in warning.

“Pfftt. I can take him,” Danny said, running his hands all over Steve’s beautiful body.

“I don’t know. He’s pretty tough.”

“I’m not scared,” Danny assured him, smiling up at him. “Anyway, you’re marrying me. What do I care about any of the boy toys you may have on the side?”

“I don’t have to give them up?” Steve asked with a grin.

“I don’t care as long as you don’t bring them to bed with you.”

“I can have sex with them when you aren’t around?”

“Sure. Whatever. Right in the bed where you and possibly Mary were conceived. Just change the sheets afterwards.”

“Don’t I always?” Steve asked all innocent.

“Yeah. You do. Which you then expect me to wash because God forbid you should actually ever do any of the laundry in this house. Why you can’t pretend it’s a war – you versus the dirt – I can’t understand.”

“I do laundry,” Steve protested.

“Yeah? When was the last time you spent quality time with our washer or dryer? Because I have seen more pairs of your cargo pants than I really need to in this or any other lifetime.”

“I do laundry,” Steve repeated.

“What brand of detergent do we use?” Danny asked in challenge.

“Uhmm… Arm & Hammer?”

“Not since it made you break out in hives. Over a year ago,” Danny said.

“I’ve never had hives.”

“Then what would you call those huge red welts that appeared on every part of your beautiful body that your clothes touched?” Danny asked, keeping his eyes if not his mouth closed as Steve washed his hair for him.

“You think I have a beautiful body? Will you hold it against me?”

“What? That’s not how the song goes as stupid as it is. And stop diverting. You don’t do laundry. Ever.”

“I did before I charmed you into doing it for me,” Steve said far too smugly.

“And I wonder why everybody keeps treating me like the wife,” Danny said all resigned indignation.

“I do all the dishes. And I vacuum. And I…uhm… I’m sure I do something else domestic.”

“You are barely domesticated,” Danny told him.

“Grocery shopping,” Steve finally said.

“Because you think I’ll only buy Cheetos and malsados if you don’t go with me. Which is totally not true.”

Steve shrugged as he reached around Danny to turn off the shower. “I scrub the bathrooms.”

“You nuke the bathrooms. Not that I don’t appreciate a sparkling clean toilet. But you go beyond clean. We aren’t going to be performing field surgery in them.”

“We might need to,” Steve said. “You never know.”

Danny just shook his head, opening the door after they had shaved and were wrapped securely in their robes. He decided he could ignore the voices he heard downstairs, friends arriving, being greeted and receiving a lei from his sisters and Mary and Burt who was following the script Sylvia had given him. ‘It’s lovely to meet you as well. Make yourselves at home on the beach.’

“We don’t have to go down there, do we?” Steve asked, standing near the top of the steps as the voices came up to them.

“I don’t think we can get married in our bedroom,” Danny said.

“I can text the Governor and ask him to come up,” Steve said as he followed Danny into their bedroom.

“You do that. Then you can text every single one of our guests and explain why you are hiding in your bedroom.”

“I’m not hiding. It’s a strategic retreat.”

“Uh huh,” Danny said, looking at their reflections in the mirror. He had to smile when he saw Steve’s. “You are such a goof.”

“Yeah?” Steve asked, leaning down to kiss Danny’s neck.

“Yeah,” Danny agreed, turning around to look up at Steve, love and warmth in his eyes. “God I love you.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah,” Danny said, leaning his forehead against Steve’s chest, comforted by the beating of his heart, making his own skip several beats.

“Good,” Steve said, kissing the top of Danny’s head, smiling into the wet curls. “You better dry your hair or you’ll never be ready in time.”

“Just because we don’t all have utilitarian haircuts that let us wash and go doesn’t mean you are allowed to make fun of mine.”

“I don’t even know what it is you said,” Steve claimed.

“You most certainly do,” Danny retorted, turning back to the mirror. He watched as Steve dropped his robe and wandered around their bedroom naked. “What are you doing?”

“Getting ready,” Steve said like it was obvious.

“No you aren’t. You are parading around like this is a photo shoot for the latest Naked SEAL calendar.”

“SEALs don’t make calendars. At least not naked ones,” Steve informed him, pressing up tight to Danny’s back and reaching around him to pull open one of the drawers of their dresser.

“They should. You would be SEAL of the month every month.”

Steve shrugged, pulling on his briefs. “You don’t know any other SEALs. Maybe we all qualify for the calendar.”

“Could be. I wouldn’t buy it if you weren’t featured every month.”

“Good to know,” Steve said, lounging on top of their bed.

“What are you doing?” Danny demanded, turning off the dryer to turn and stare at him. “What?”

“It’s going to take you another 20 minutes to finish doing your hair. Why am I going to put on my uniform now just to wait while you make sure every hair is in place?”

“It doesn’t take me 20 minutes to do my hair. Ever.”

“I challenge that,” Steve said, shaking his head. “Anyway, it’s only 5:52. I don’t need to sit around in my uniform for the next 31 minutes.”

“Can’t you say ‘it’s not quite 6:00’ like a normal person?”

“At least I didn’t say it was 17:52,” Steve pointed out.

“There is that,” Danny had to concede, reluctantly going to the door when there was a knock. “Yeah?” he said to Max who was standing on the other side smiling.

“I am here to take photos of you. Pre-wedding. Are you ready?” Max asked as though Danny wasn’t standing there in a bathrobe with half of his hair dry.

“Are we ready he asks. Really Max? I’m in my bathrobe. Steve is in his briefs. Are we ready?”

“I take that as a no then,” Max said. “Perhaps I will go check on your daughter.”

“You do that,” Danny said.

“You will alert me when you are ready?”

“Yes,” Danny sighed, closing the door and leaning his head against it. “I told you that wasn’t a good idea.”

Steve shrugged from where he was still sitting on the bed. “He’s fine.”

Danny didn’t bother to respond, simply drying his hair the rest of the way before adding just the right amount of product to ensure it would stay in place. For a little while anyway. “Now. Get dressed.”

Steve reluctantly left the bed for the closet, taking out his uniform and Danny’s. “Here.”

“Thanks,” Danny said, laying it across the bed as he pulled on his own briefs. “Stop frowning at your uniform like it did you wrong.”

“I’m not,” Steve claimed.

“You most certainly are. Did you hide nuclear weapons in there the last time you wore it that have now gone missing? Is that why you are mad at it? Did it go off and consort with some other freakishly tall lieutenant commander behind your back?”

“The average height of the white American male is 1.776 meters or 5 feet 10 inches. That means I am only 7.62 centimeters or 3 inches taller than average,” Steve pointed out as he pulled on his crisp white shirt.

“And?” Danny said as he buttoned up his dark blue shirt.

“You always call me freakishly tall. I’m trying to point out that I’m not. You are 5 inches shorter than the average American male.”

“Don’t you call me freakishly short. Or I swear to God I will not marry you.”

“Just making a point, Danno,” Steve said, far too pleased with himself.

“Oh. My. God. I hate you so much right now.”

“I don’t know why you keep saying that,” Steve said, stalking Danny who was backing away from him.

“Because I do. I’m only going through with this because my family is here. And there’s all this chicken. And shrimp. And I will not disappoint Grace,” Danny said, trying to evade Steve as he was backed up against the wall. Steve took full of advantage of the fact that there was no room left for him to retreat and leaned down to kiss Danny silent.

“So do you still hate me?” Steve asked, biting his earlobe after asking.

“Maybe not,” Danny admitted with a smile. “Stop pawing me and get dressed.”

“Right,” Steve agreed, pulling on his pants and waiting as Danny did as well. “I’ll go get Max.”

“Fine. Whatever,” Danny said, all of his attention focused on the mirror he was using to fix his tie. He nodded to Max when he and Steve returned, not surprised that Max started snapping photos immediately. “How many have you taken already?”

“286 counting these,” Max said with a smile.

“We aren’t paying you by the photo are we?” Danny asked.

“You are not paying me at all. Except for the cost of the albums once you decide on the photos you wish to have printed.”

“We aren’t paying you for your time?” Danny asked, glancing over at Steve who shrugged.

“I would be here as a guest had you not requested that I take the photographs. I consider my services as a gift to you.”

“Thank you,” Danny said with a nod. “That’s very generous of you.”

“Not at all,” Max said with a pleased smile. He continued to take pictures as Grace came rushing into the bedroom in her sparkling navy princess dress. It had capped sleeves and was what Danny’s mom call ‘ballerina’ length. The tulle overlay was sprinkled with rhinestones, larger stones on the neckline and delineating her non-existent waistline.

Danny thought he had never seen a more beautiful sight in his life than his daughter with her cheeks made pink with excitement and her bare feet with her painted and pampered toe nails. A brief glance over at Steve confirmed that Steve thought the exact same thing.

“Steve. Danno. Look at my dress,” she said in uncontained excitement as she twirled around like the ballerina inside her jewelry box. “Isn’t it pretty?”

“It is the most beautiful dress I have ever seen,” Steve told her honestly, kneeling in front of her.

“And you are the most beautiful princess I’ve ever seen,” Danny added, hugging her tight before releasing her so Steve could hug her just as hard.

“You do look very lovely indeed,” Max said, smiling at her before taking additional pictures of everyone in the room.

“Thank you,” Grace said with utter happiness. “Grandma wanted to know where my shoes were. I said you don’t wear shoes at a wedding in Hawaii.”

“That’s different from New Jersey, isn’t it, princess?” Steve said, still smiling at her.

“Uh huh. She asked me if you were wearing shoes. I said yeah. Not Kono though.”

“Not Kono what?” Kono herself asked as she entered in her own spectacular dress. It was the exact same color as Grace’s, held on her elegant shoulders with wide straps, the edges of the dress lined with tiny rhinestones. The front appeared to cross over, right over left, the dress falling in elegant waves to stop in an inverted V right above her knees. The back hem came to rest above her bare ankles, her toes painted the same color as Grace’s.

“You aren’t wearing shoes,” Grace announced, looking up at her. “You look so pretty.”

“Thank you, Gracie-face. You do too,” Kono said with a dimpled smile down at her.

“She’s right. You do,” Danny said, staring at Kono like he’d never seen her before. “You clean up real nice.”

“You too, brah,” Kono said unnecessarily straightening his tie. She looked Steve up and down before letting out a low wolf whistle. “Wow, Boss.”

“Thank you,” Steve said with a sunny smile. “That dress is perfect.”

“Thanks,” she laughed. She also smiled at Max when he told her how completely stunning she looked not that he was surprised because she always looked stunning.

“Steve, can you braid my hair now?” Grace asked, showing him the pikake and orchids she had brought in with her.

“Of course. Do you have your brush?” he asked as he sat in the chair in the corner, Grace standing between his knees, her back to him.

“Oh. I forgot,” she said.

“Here, Monkey. You can use mine,” Danny assured her, giving Steve his brush.

“One braid or two?” Steve asked as he brushed her hair.

“What do you think, Kono?” Grace asked, looking up at her.

“Two, I think,” Kono decided. She turned to the door when Chin appeared, greeting everyone. He wore a simple black jacket and a starched white shirt over creased black pants. “You look fabulous.”

“Thank you. I can say the same about you,” Chin said with a light kiss on her cheek. “You look beautiful, Grace.”

“Thank you,” she said, smiling at him but not moving overly much as Steve expertly secured her hair and the flowers in a French braid.

“Good job,” Chin said in approval as Steve started on the second braid. The flowers were evenly spaced and the braids precisely symmetrical. “You didn’t learn that in SEAL school, did you?”

Steve laughed and shook his head. “Learned on Mary. I’ve perfected it with Grace.”

“He does the best braids in the whole world,” Grace declared.

“So I see,” Chin said, watching Danny button up his Newark Police Department jacket. “Sharp.”

“Thanks,” Danny said, making sure everything was in order. He nodded, turning from the mirror to watch Steve secure Grace’s second braid. “Very nice.”

“Thanks,” Steve said, kissing Grace’s head when he was finished. He picked her up so she could see herself in their mirror. “That good?”

“Perfect,” Grace assured him, kissing him. “Did you see my bouquet? It’s so pretty. It’s white and purple.”

“I haven’t. I’m looking forward to it,” Steve told her as he set her down. He pulled on his jacket, ignoring the small gasps he heard. One he knew was from Danny who always reacted that way when Steve had on his dress blue uniform. He suspected he heard one from Kono as well but decided he would ignore it. Why embarrass them both? It was just a uniform.

“Are you wearing your sword, brah?” Chin asked him with an approving smile on his.

“No. Danno’s afraid I might use it on someone if I have it with me,” Steve said with a laugh. Danny just ignored him as he continued to listen to Grace talk about all the flowers and the presents on the table in the living room and could she help open them after the wedding was over or tomorrow because she was the best present-opener in the world.

“You can help us tomorrow,” Danny promised. “It will be very late tonight before everyone leaves.”

“Can I sleep over tonight, please?” she asked, huge brown eyes pleading up at Danny and Steve.

“We talked about this,” Danny reminded her. “You’re going home with Rachel tonight. You can come back first thing in the morning for breakfast.”

“Why can’t I just stay here?”

“Tonight is a very special night for Danny and Steve,” Kono finally said, kneeling down in front of Grace. “They need some alone time after the wedding.”

“Oh,” Grace said, considering it. “So they can talk and stuff.”

“Yes,” Kono agreed, hearing the sighs of relief coming from behind her. “Talk and stuff. We’re all going home and we’ll be back for breakfast.”

“Okay,” Grace finally decided. “And you won’t open any presents until I get here, right?”

“We promise,” Steve said.

“You know it’s going to be stuff for the house,” Danny told her. “Boring stuff.”

“I know. But I like opening presents even when they’re boring.”

“All right,” Danny agreed, smiling over at his mother when she entered the already crowded bedroom.

“It’s 6:15 my dears. The Governor is here. You need to get downstairs so the wedding will begin on time,” she told them gently.

“Right,” Danny agreed, straightening.

“I will go down and take pictures of the processional,” Max said.

“Thank you,” Sylvia said with a nod. “Here you are,” she said to Chin, pinning a boutonniere on his lapel that matched the flowers in Grace’s hair.

“Thank you,” he said. “That is a beautiful dress.”

She smiled and smoothed out an invisible wrinkle. “Burt couldn’t understand why I needed a new dress.”

“It’s perfect, Mom,” Danny said, kissing her lightly on the cheek.

“We had better go,” she said, herding them out and down the steps. Once in the living room, she gave Kono and Grace their bouquets, matching purple orchids and white pikake. She made sure that Chin had both rings and that he knew which was which.

“Yes ma’am,” he assured her with a nod, patting the inside pocket of his jacket.

“All right,” she said with a smile. “I’ll tell the musicians you’re ready then.” She stopped and gave Danny and Steve a warm kiss on their cheeks before leaving so they couldn’t see the tears staining her face.

“You ready?” Kono asked the guys. They exchanged a look that said they had been ready for a really long time. Maybe their entire lives even though it took a little longer than that to realize it. “I take that as a yes.”

They nodded in unison, huge, bright smiles on their faces. Kono told Grace to stand right outside the doors, a light hand on her shoulder until the quintet began to play Boccherini’s Minuet. With the first notes, Grace followed her cue and stepped out onto the navy carpet that had been secured between the doors and the beach where the Governor waited.

Grace’s smile was the brightest anyone could remember seeing as she walked up the petal strewn runner, her movements natural and not at all self-conscious. She could not prevent a wave at her mom who blew her a kiss. When Grace got to the end of the runner, she took her place to the right side of the flower arch under which the Governor waited. He had to smile at her, placing a light hand on her shoulder in appreciation. She beamed up at him before turning to watch Kono and Chin leave the house.

Kono’s left arm was loped through Chin’s right elbow, the purple and white bouquet in Kono’s right hand. Her smile was nearly as bright as Grace’s, Chin’s almost equal to theirs.

When they reached the arch, Kono stood on the right side with Grace, Chin going to the left side, winking at Malia when he was in place.

At their arrival, the quintet wound down the Minuet and began to play the Navy Hymn. The guests rose as one as Steve and Danny left the house.

Steve was wearing his hat although not as low on his forehead as usual. It did not make him look as foreboding as it normally did, his smile brightening even the lower brim of it.

Danny was beaming at their friends and family as they slowly made their way down the carpet runner, Danny’s left hand firmly held in Steve’s right. If some thought they should not have been holding hands as they approached the arch, no one was going to tell them. Not after the ceremony. Not ever.

When they reached the end of the runner, the Governor was smiling at them as though they had never stolen a helicopter or wrecked three police cruisers or nearly blown up Iolani Palace which was really so totally not their fault. Not the last time at any rate.

The guests sat as the music faded away, the only sound from the ocean. Steve handed his hat to Chin who handed it to Malia. Maybe Steve and Danny had argued about whether or not he would wear it the entire time, Danny insisting that he wasn’t marrying someone whose face was obscured by his hat. Steve used words like protocol and propriety and petulance and quoting United States Navy Uniform Regulations: Chapter One - General Uniform Regulations: Section 1: General Information: Article 1101.4: Headgear. None of which made Danny any more willing to allow him to wear his headgear throughout the entire ceremony and the chances of Steve getting into trouble for not adhering to proper uniform regulations concerning headgear during his wedding were very close to nil. Steve had just smiled and Danny had taken it as a win.

They were smiling at the Governor who nodded in approval of so much more than just the day.

“Welcome ohana, loved ones, those who have escaped most of the fall-out of all that Steven and Daniel do and all that they are. We gather here today to finally make their long-term marriage official.” Governor Denning looked very proud of the couple and of himself as if he were the one responsible for them finally coming to their senses and getting married.

“On behalf of Steve and Danny, welcome to one and all have traveled from near and far. Thank you for your presence here today, and we ask for your blessings for continued long life, encouragement that their life include fewer firearms and fire fights, and lifelong support come what may.

“We are here to witness their formal commitment to one another, one that may seem in some eyes to be redundant. We are here also to offer our love and support to their official union, and to allow Steven and Daniel to start their actual married life surrounded by the people dearest and most important to them, just as they have been sharing their unofficial married life with us.

“Marriage has been defined as the greatest and most challenging adventure of human relationships. But as we are talking about Steve and Danny, I don’t know that I can agree. They have already survived this long as partners, through carguments; blood shed – both their own and that of others; doubts not of their own making; arrests; and being asked how long they have been married long before today.

“Steve and Danny, as you have learned from first-hand experience, a ceremony cannot and does not create a marriage. You have accomplished that already:  through love and patience, both of which are plentiful if not always obvious; through dedication and perseverance – dedication to one another and perseverance not to be driven crazy by the other; through talking – mostly by Danny - and listening – or least pretending to -  by Steve;  helping and supporting and believing in each other – something that is never in doubt; through learning to forgive, learning to appreciate your differences – not just in procedure or protocol or height difference; and by learning to distinguish which things matter and letting the rest go, or at least agreeing to disagree, which doesn’t need to be loud and angry and involve innocent bystanders every single time. What this ceremony can do is to witness and affirm the choice you make to stand together as lifemates and partners and enable you to finally answer the question: how long have you two been married?

“You will now declare your intent to marry or take your last chance to change your mind.” He paused dramatically, just in case, although he knew there was no chance in hell or otherwise that either of them would change their mind. “Will you, Steven, take Daniel to be your lawful and official husband?”

“I absolutely will,” Steve said, smiling brightly at Danny.

“Will you, Daniel, take Steven to be to be your lawful and official husband?”

“Absolutely,” Danny agreed with a matching smile.

“That settled, we’ll have the exchange of vows.” The Governor used the standard vows, deciding that his cleverly disguised lecture would suffice and that they knew what they were getting into by marrying each other. Better they confined their craziness to one marriage than allowing it to spread out was his thinking.

“May I have the rings, please?”

Chin Ho gave him the two rings, their size difference making it clear which belong to which man. The Governor nodded, holding them in his palm.

“Steven, please repeat after me: I give you this ring, as a daily reminder of my love for you.” Steve repeated it, picking up Danny’s ring and sliding it onto his finger. Following the Governor’s instructions, Danny did the same, the look on his face leaving no doubt in anyone’s mind that they didn’t need the rings as a reminder of their love for one another. They only needed each other.

“By the power of your love and commitment, and the power vested in me by the laws of the great state of Hawaii, I now pronounce you wed in holy matrimony. You may kiss.” The Governor beamed as they joined for a quick, chaste, appropriate kiss, the guests sighing in adoration at the symbolic action. “Congratulations.”

“Thank you,” Steve said to the Governor, shaking his hand before Danny did the same. Together, they turned and faced their guests many of whom had tears in their eyes.

Danny bent down to hear what Grace had to say, picking her up to rest her on his hip. “Thank you, Monkey. You look pretty too,” he said with a laugh, hugging her tight. That broke the spell that had descended over their guests who made their way up the aisle, talking and chatting and laughing among themselves as they waited their turn to congratulate the not bridal party.

Steve thought after the 43^rd person hugged him and kissed him on the cheek that surely they would be able to escape the receiving line soon. If there was a God. He could glad-hand for a while but then he ran out of ways to say ‘yes the weather is perfect. Thank you for coming. We appreciate having you here with us.’

“Babe, just say the same thing over and over while you smile,” Danny advised him when there was a momentarily lull.

“I didn’t say that out loud,” Steve protested quietly.

“Your body language did, you big goof. What makes you think you have to say something different to each person?”

Steve shrugged, accepting Grace from Danny because it was apparently his turn to hold her. Fine with him. He wasn’t above using his very nearly daughter as a shield.

“And do not use our daughter as a shield,” Danny whispered, again with the spooky mind-reading.

Steve mostly ignored him, smiling at the next person who approached although he wasn’t entirely sure who she was. Martha? Maria? Marcia? How did they know her? He had no idea. He had no idea that they knew so many people.

“Hi Miss Bennett,” Grace said cheerfully, smiling at the mystery woman.

“Hello Grace,” the woman who was apparently Miss Bennett replied. “This was a lovely wedding. I know that you are very happy for your father.”

“Uh huh,” Grace agreed with a nod. “Both of my daddies.”

“Yes, of course,” Miss Bennett said with a laugh. “Congratulations, Commander.”

“Thank you,” Steve said, thinking maybe she was Grace’s teacher. That seemed reasonable. He’d been to Grace’s class once and had a vague recollection of her teacher flirting with Danny. Yeah, that’s how he knew her. Grace’s teacher. “She’s your teacher?” Steve asked Grace when Miss Bennett had walked away.

“Uh huh,” Grace agreed, turning in Steve’s arms to greet Amy Hanamoa and Billy. “Let me down?” Steve automatically did it so she could talk to Billy, chatting excitedly about the wedding and the food and what they had done in school that week and had he talked to Miss Bennett?

“Amy,” Steve said, hugging her when it was his turn.

“You are holding up remarkably well,” she teased, smiling at him.

Steve shrugged. “You know. Danny said to say the same thing to every person.”

“Exactly,” Amy agreed. “Will you save me a dance?”

“I would be proud to,” Steve said, kissing her before she followed Billy and Grace up to the tables groaning under all of the food that Kamekona had prepared for the reception. He smiled in thanks to Sylvia when she silently handed him a tall glass of water which he drank before returning it to her to chat with the next person in line.

“Steve, Danny,” Governor Denning said, still smiling at them when the line had finally wound down. “Congratulations.”

“Thank you, Governor,” Danny said. “We appreciate your assistance.”

“I’m glad to do it. And now I’m afraid I need to leave.”

“Thank you for your time,” Steve said. “I’ll see you out.”

The Governor nodded to accept Steve’s entirely unnecessary escort but as there were no more guests waiting to chat with the happy couple, he knew Steve could escape for those few minutes without Danny yelling at either of them.

When Steve returned from seeing the Governor to his car, he zeroed in on Danny’s location, his determined expression preventing anyone from waylaying his mission.

“You were gone for three minutes, you goof,” Danny protested when Steve wrapped his arms around Danny’s chest. Steve shrugged against Danny’s back, smiling at Kono over Danny’s head.

“Are you going to have your first dance?” she asked.

“Do we do that now or after everyone eats?” Steve asked.

“If we were having a served dinner, we’d wait. But since it’s a Kamekona buffet o’Spam, we can have the dance now,” Danny said.

“A lot of the guests have eaten,” Kono agreed. “You were in the receiving line for a while.”

“Yeah,” Danny agreed. “Then we can eat.”

“Are you hungry, Danno?” Steve asked, kissing his neck and watching the color rise.

“I’m not answering that,” Danny said, turning in the circle of Steve’s arms to look up at him. “Are you going to be octopus man all night?”

“Maybe,” Steve whispered against Danny’s mouth before kissing him. That brought applause and whistles from their guests, Steve’s face covered with the most adorable blush Danny had ever seen.

“Stop,” Danny protested without meaning it.

Steve just shrugged, nodding to Kono who went over to speak to the DJ they had hired. She was one of the Kalakaua/Kelly cousins and was delighted to keep their party going for them. At Kono’s signal, Steve and Danny moved to the wooden dance floor that had been placed on the grass near the house, the tiki torches surrounding it and casting it in a warm glow.

Steve and Danny had practiced dancing because Danny did not want to make it obvious that he was following Steve’s lead, again with being treated like the wife. But there was no way that Danny could lead Steve on the dance floor, not unless they danced naked and Danny had his entire arsenal of weapons to use on Steve to distract him. They had danced to random slow songs because Kono and Chin said they were choosing the first dance and it was a need-to-know basis and would they ever do anything to embarrass their friends one of whom was still their boss and could fire them?

As Steve and Danny stepped on the wooden floor, the first strains of At Last by Etta James floated over to them. They had to laugh at the appropriateness of that song being the one they danced to for the first time as official Williams-McGarretts.

Steve concentrated on the look on Danny’s face as they danced, using the love so openly given to him to block out the knowledge that everyone was staring at them. He knew he had no reason to feel self-conscious but that didn’t seem to matter to the part of him that would have liked to drag Danny upstairs and lock the door so it was just the two of them.

“Don’t you have anything to say?” Steve whispered into Danny’s ear.

“I’m absorbing it all. Living in the here and now. Thinking about how 95% of the people here wish they were the ones dancing with you.”

“That’s not true. Why do you always insist on saying those things?” Steve asked, holding Danny that much closer.

Danny shook his head, beaming up at Steve. “It doesn’t matter. And you are doing remarkably well with the not freaking out.”

“Thank you, I think. I told you have I company manners when I need them.”

“Yeah,” Danny agreed, backing slightly away from Steve when the final note of the song faded away. They turned hand in hand to the applauding guests, smiling and inviting them to dance as the next song started. Danny picked up Grace to dance with her as Steve danced with Rachel who looked spectacular in a pink dress, pink flowers peeking out of her hair piled in curls on the back of her head.

When the song ended, they traded partners, Danny dancing with Rachel as Steve twirled Grace around the dance floor.

“I really am quite happy for you both,” Rachel told Danny as they danced.

“Thank you,” Danny said sincerely. “I appreciate that.”

She kissed his cheek lightly when the music faded away, dancing with Stan when the next song started.

“You ready to get something to eat, babe?” Steve asked Danny when they had made their way to the edge of the dance floor.

“Yeah,” Danny agreed, going with him to the buffet tables where everyone insisted that they go straight to the front of the line because it was their celebration and no way should they be standing in line for food. They graciously agreed, not taking a lot of food in acknowledgment that they wouldn’t have a lot of free time to eat it. Mostly they wanted something to drink and accepted both water and champagne from one of the cousins.

They sat at the table reserved for the not bridal party, Malia there alone as they sat down.

“Hi,” she said brightly up to them. “You both look spectacular.”

“You are a flatterer,” Danny claimed with a smile.

“Where’s Chin Ho?” Steve asked with the same bright smile.

She waved vaguely toward the house. “Cake duty? Not really sure. Kono dragged him off a few minutes ago. Did you really let them pick it out?”

“Not so much ‘let’ as didn’t have a choice,” Danny said.

“I see,” she said with a laugh.

“Do you know what it looks like?” Steve asked between bites of pineapple. “They wouldn’t tell us.”

“No. Double top secret is all he’d say when I asked.”

“Us too,” Danny confirmed. “But they knew Grace and my mom would be here so we trust them. Right? Steve?”

“What? Right, right,” Steve replied.

“What are you doing?” Danny asked, following his gaze to try and figure out what was holding his attention.

“Nothing,” Steve said, looking down at his plate and moving around his papaya.

“Don’t eat that. I won’t be able to kiss you if you do,” Danny said, pointing at the offending papaya.

“I won’t. The catering cousins put it on there,” Steve said, giving it to Malia with his thanks.

Danny leaned closer, pressing up against Steve’s side. “You overwhelmed?” he whispered.

“Maybe a little,” Steve admitted. “I’m okay.”

“I know you are, Babe. And it’s natural you’d feel that way.”

Steve smiled and nodded, looking up at Malia with a guilty expression. “I’m sorry.”

“Whatever for?” she said, reaching over to cover one of his hands with hers. “Danny’s right. It is natural.”

“Thank you,” Steve acknowledged, smiling up at Sylvia and Burt when they stopped at the table. “Hi.”

“You are needed over by the caterer’s tables,” Sylvia said with a secret smile. Danny looked at Steve who looked back, uncertainty on both their faces. “Oh stop with the expressions. It’s time to cut the cake. That’s all. You aren’t being thrown into the ocean in your uniforms.”

They nodded, both trying to hide their guilt, and followed Danny’s parents to the table that had been cleared to make room for the cake which Chin was very carefully carrying out of the house still covered with the bakery’s box. He sat it down and took one step back with a mischievous smile on his face.

“We special ordered your cake,” Kono announced unnecessarily to all those who had gathered around the tables. “No four layer confection covered tower for the two of you.”

“Thank you,” Danny agreed.

“Are you ready?” Chin asked, hands on the sides of the box, prepared to show it off.

“I think so?” Steve said sounding less certain than he would have preferred. Chin took that as a yes and lifted off the box, laughter and applause greeting the unveiling.

The cake was shaped like a Naval aircraft carrier with USS Williams-McGarrett spelled out with frosting along the side. At the end of the icing runway, a silver Matchbox Camaro teetered on the edge about to plunge any minute into the blue frosting ocean. Next to the car were two small figures - the one with the blond hair and the painted on tie had his hands in the air, his little painted mouth open. The taller figure, the one with the short black hair and black cargo pants and polo had a smile painted on with his pleased expression.

Danny and Steve could only laugh at the cake, congratulating Chin and Kono on their creativity and imagination. It was without a doubt the best wedding cake they or any of their guests had ever seen. After making sure Max got plenty of pictures of the marvel of a cake, Steve and Danny cut it, refusing to honor the tradition of feeding each other. Some clichés just didn’t need to be respected.

After they had turned the cake cutting and serving duties over to some of the catering cousins, Steve bent down to whisper something into Kono’s ear. She nodded and winked and glided away. “Come on,” he said to Danny, pulling him by the hand toward the house.

“What? We can’t leave yet,” Danny protested while still following Steve inside.

“It’s only temporary. We’re changing out of our uniforms and into something more comfortable.”

“Oh,” Danny said as he followed Steve up the steps. “Did we discuss changing? Because I don’t remember discussing it. I’m pretty sure it wasn’t on The List.” He only stopped talking when Steve kissed him breathless. “Or we could not change.”

Steve laughed, kissing him again. “Don’t ever change, Babe. You’re perfect just the way you are,” Steve sang as he unbuttoned Danny’s jacket.

“That’s not even a song,” Danny protested as he worked on Steve’s uniform.

“It might be,” Steve said, hanging up his uniform before doing the same with Danny’s.

“You aren’t wearing cargo pants back down are you?” Danny asked as he watched Steve move around their bedroom in only his briefs. They both needed to dress right away or they would never make it back downstairs.

“I ironed them,” Steve responded from inside the closet where he had disappeared.

“Not the point, Babe,” Danny said as Steve emerged, two pair of black jeans in his hands. “Oh. Okay.” Danny accepted his to pull them on before adding a new button down shirt in light blue. Steve’s shirt was aqua, Danny’s favorite color in him and he knew Steve knew it. Once they were dressed, Danny went to the door to return to the party to be stopped by Steve’s hand.

“C’mere,” Steve said, taking him to the balcony instead. He opened the doors, stepping out on it, Danny in front of him. “Look.”

Danny followed the line of Steve’s hand pointing at the ocean when he saw it – flickering lights in the shape of a heart floating just off shore. “Tealights on the ocean,” Danny said breathlessly. Steve’s kiss was the only confirmation he needed.