See ANs in Chapter 1

Group Plans-part 2 of the 3rd Annual REAL McRoll Thanksgiving Marathon

"Ok, I'm gonna need you to explain this to me again," Danny huffed, hands on hips, as he watched Steve and Dylan carefully assembling the wood for a bonfire.

"What is it you're not getting?" Steve sighed, looking over his shoulder at his partner and best friend.

"You have a perfectly good kitchen inside the house … a kitchen that I gave my own blood to help renovate by the way …"

Steve smirked. "That's because you don't know how to use a box cutter."

Danny continued undeterred, "You also have a fabulous outdoor kitchen that is the envy of the neighborhood … hell, probably the whole island."

"It's a very nice outdoor kitchen," Steve conceded. "I think 'the whole island' is an exaggeration, though."

"So please explain to me why … with every modern convenience you could possibly need right at your fingertips … why in the name of all sanity … are you building a campfire to cook food over like cave people?"

Dylan placed the final piece of wood on the teepee like structure and looked at Danny with a serious expression. "It's not a campfire. It's a bonfire."

"He's right," Steve nodded, stifling a smile. "There's a difference."

"It's like when we went camping," Dylan continued. "Remember? We built a fire and cooked hot dogs? They're were delicious. I ate three. That was a campfire."

"I remember the camping trip," Danny grumbled. "If I'd known we were revisiting that particular fiasco I'd have bought take out on the way over."

"Ok, Uncle Steve." Dylan's eyes danced with excitement. Helping build the fire was one of his favorite things. It made him feel proud that Uncle Steve trusted him to help with such an important task and he took that trust very seriously. "The wood is ready. I made sure the area is clear of any debris. There's no people standing too close. Can we light the fire now?"

"I think we're ready," Steve nodded. "Go get the matches."

Dylan raced to the deck to retrieve the matches from his go bag and dashed back to Steve. He extracted a match and, under Steve's watchful eye, lit it and placed it near the bottom of the pyramid of wood then stepped back. "This is gonna be an awesome day," he said proudly.

Even Danny couldn't help but be swayed by the young boy's enthusiasm. "I guess a burnt hot dog won't kill me," he groused good naturedly.

As Lea and Lance Kekoa made their way onto the deck, accompanied by their three children, their daughter Olivia gasped happily and began to wave across the deck at Kaitlyn.

"I know her, Mom!" The ten-year-old squealed excitedly. "She's in Ms. Robinow's class but we have library together and we play at recess."

Kaitlyn waved back at Olivia then grabbed Jenna's hand and tugged her eagerly towards the newcomers.

"Hi, Kaitlyn," Olivia bubbled. "I didn't know you'd be here."

"This is my Uncle Steve and Aunt Catherine's house," Kaitlyn replied happily.

"Oh my goodness," Lea smiled, "Olivia talks about her friend Kaitlyn all the time but I never made the connection."

"Me either," Jenna chuckled.

"I brought my bracelet loom." Olivia held up her tote bag excitedly.

"Me too! Mine's over there," Kaitlyn pointed to the far side of the deck.

"Mom, can I go play with Kaitlyn? Pleeease," Olivia begged.

"Of course you can, honey. Just be careful around the fire if you go down to the beach," Lea warned.

"No need to worry about that," Jenna assured her. "Cammie and Scout are on patrol. They won't let any of the kids get too close unless there's an adult around."

Chin approached the group and Lea quickly introduced him to Lance and their sons Liam, 13, and Mason, 6.

"I see you brought your surfboards," Chin said to Lance and Liam. "Adam and I are getting ready to head out and catch a few waves before it's time to eat. Wanna come?"

"Can we?" Liam asked his father hopefully.

Lance glanced at Lea who smiled and nodded. "Sure, let's do it."

Jenna smiled down at Mason who was holding his mother's hand looking as though he didn't quite know what to do. "Jacob is down on the sand." She turned to look and saw her youngest practicing his ninja kicks while wearing a sand bucket as a hat. "I'm not sure exactly what he's doing," she laughed, "but as usual he's having fun. You can go down and play with him if you want."

Mason looked at his mother for permission and at her nod he took off running across the deck at full speed.

"Walking feet," Lea called after him.

"Sometimes I feel like I spend half my day saying that," Jenna smiled wryly.

Lea grinned. "You and me both."

"I'm so glad you could make it," Elizabeth said as Lea approached the spot where she stood talking to Steve and Catherine.

Lea smiled warmly. "Thanks for inviting us. This is quite a gathering." She looked from the corner of the deck where Olivia and Kaitlyn sat side by side on a bench making bracelets and chattering happily to the grassy area of the yard where Jacob and Mason were playing with Cammie and Scout to the edge of the water where Liam was preparing to go surfing with his father, Adam and Chin. "My kids have certainly made themselves right at home."

"That happens a lot around here," Elizabeth said proudly. "Catherine and Steve are naturals with kids."

Lea smiled at the temporary tattoos on the forearms of her chief of staff and the head of the Five-0 task force and noticed that in addition to those, each was sporting a new friendship bracelet. "It appears that way," she chuckled. "I love Lisa, my outgoing chief of staff, but she always says she's allergic to children which made for more than a few difficult moments on the days when I had to bring one or more of the kids to work with me."

"You'll never have to worry about that with Catherine," Elizabeth said confidently. "She's great with kids. Steve is too. I've never seen two people without children of their own that kids take to so quickly."

"Thanks, Mom," Catherine smiled and wrapped her arm around her mother's shoulders.

"Will you ladies please excuse me," Steve said, "I need a bottle of water."

"I'm telling you I almost lost my mind during game seven," Lou Grover told Grandma Ang. His hands rubbed his bald head as he relived the emotion of that night. "It was up then down then up then down like a rollercoaster."

"He was pacing the floor like a crazy person," Cynthia Grover whispered to Grandma Ang in a conspiratorial tone. "I thought I was going to have to shoot him with a tranquilizer dart."

Grandma Ang chuckled then proclaimed, "I had faith. I knew this was the year."

"If that rain delay had gone on any longer I'm not sure I could have taken it," Lou admitted.

"I was cool as a cucumber through the whole thing," Ang said, her eyes dancing mischievously. "And that's the story I'm sticking with."

"The great thing is they're all so young," Lou said gleefully. "This could be the first of many. We might be looking at a dynasty!"

Cynthia shook her head. "It wasn't that many years ago you were satisfied if they finished over .500."

"That was before the curse was broken," Lou beamed, his mind whirring with the possibility of multiple championships. "Now … the sky's the limit."

"As long as they stay healthy," Cynthia pointed out. "Injuries have taken down a lot of teams in the past."

Grover glared at his wife, his face a mask of disbelief. "Are you trying to jinx this?"

"I wasn't … I was just saying … " she sputtered.

"It's ok," Grandma Ang patted her forearm gently. "There's no such thing as jinxes."

"Thank you," Cynthia smiled.

"Still, you better go outside tonight in the moonlight, turn around three times and spit to the west."

"I thought you said there was no such thing as jinxes," Lou grinned.

Grandma Ang shrugged. "Better safe than sorry."

"Have you made any wedding plans?" Carrie asked Esther as the two of them sat at a table in the middle of the deck chatting with Jenna, Gabby and Catherine.

"Not too many," Esther confessed. "We know we want to do something traditional. And casual. We're just not sure exactly what yet."

"I'd imagine Kamekona's family has a lot of ideas," Catherine grinned. "Especially his aunties."

"That's an understatement," Esther snorted. "Don't get me wrong, they're great. And I love them all. But there are a lot of them and each one is full of ideas."

"Somehow that doesn't surprise me," Jenna chuckled.

Gabby popped a grape from the bowl in the center of the table into her mouth. "Do the rest of them share your fiancée's entrepreneurial spirit?"

Esther tilted her head to the side. "Let's just say they have their fingers in a lot of pies."

"Speaking of entrepreneurial spirit," Catherine said, "how are the plans for the dessert truck coming?"

"Full speed ahead," Esther reported proudly. "We should be up and running in time for Christmas."

As she finished speaking Steve and Kamekona walked up behind her. "That's right," Kame said as he placed his hand on Esther's shoulder. "The dessert truck is just the next step in the plan. Together we're gonna build an empire that we can someday pass on to our children and grandchildren."

"That's sweet," Carrie responded.

"Personally," Kamekona smiled down at his bride to be, "I can't wait to hear the pitter patter of little feet around the shrimp truck."

As Esther blushed Steve drained another water bottle and Catherine hid a laugh behind her hand.

"I think it's a wonderful thing your children attend public school," Elizabeth told Lea as they leaned on the railing watching the younger kids attempt to build a sandcastle by themselves.

"I'm a big believer in public education," Lea responded firmly.

"Me too," Elizabeth nodded.

Lea adjusted her sunglasses. "It was important to me and luckily Lance agreed. We're both products of the public school system."

"Same here," Elizabeth said. "Joseph and I knew from the minute Catherine was born we'd send her to public school."

"Catherine tells me you're a college professor. Mathematics, is it?"

"Yes."

"Do you enjoy it?" Lea asked.

"I do," Elizabeth replied honestly. "I worked with a lot of younger children earlier in my life through various tutoring programs, and that was great, but there's something about teaching college students. Some days they frustrate me with their short attention spans and self-centered tendencies but there are other days, the majority of the days as a matter of fact, where they give me tremendous hope for the future."

"I like hearing that," Lea smiled. "I'm not sure if Catherine told you or not but I plan on making education one of the main initiatives of my administration. I want every child in the state to have access to the best education he or she can possibly get."

"No question it's the path to a successful future," Elizabeth agreed.

Joseph walked up behind them with a small bar tray. "The drinks you ordered have arrived, ladies," he smiled.

"Thank you," they replied in unison as they each took a glass of iced tea.

Lea took a sip. "I just can't believe how lucky I was to find someone like Catherine to be my new chief of staff. If I had gone into a lab and built my dream right hand woman she would be it."

"We feel the same way," Joseph smiled proudly. "We couldn't ask for a better daughter."

They all laughed as they watched Mason and Jacob each take one of Catherine's hands and lead her across the beach to the mass of sand that was passing as their castle.

Ten feet away Steve took out his phone and snapped a picture.

"She certainly has her share of ardent admirers," Lea grinned.

"Did you decide to cook hot dogs over a real fire so no one would fight about who gets to man the grill for a change?" Jadon teased Steve.

"Actually, I didn't even think of that," Steve said. "But now that you mention it it's a nice bonus."

"Poor D-Dawg." Jadon's eyes sparkled playfully. "Denied again."

Steve chuckled.

"Cody said you cooked over a fire when you went camping," Jess said, her voice tinged with awe. "We go with my aunt sometimes but she has an RV so we mostly cook on the stove in there."

"That's cheating," Jadon scoffed.

"It's not cheating," Steve responded. "It's just a different way of camping."

Jadon took a deep breath and looked skyward. "I like the idea of sleeping on the ground and cooking over a fire."

Cody cocked an eyebrow at his friend. "You nearly had a fit last week when the gym showers ran out of hot water."

"That's different," Jadon said. "I think I'd be excellent at camping. Can I come next time you all go?" he asked Steve.

"It's ok with me if it's ok with your mother," Steve replied.

"My dad said if people were meant to camp they never would have invented houses," Marcus

Grover added.

"That sounds like him," Steve snorted.

"I'm not sure I could exist very long in a place with no electric outlets," Samantha Grover said, giving a small shudder at the thought.

"You're your father's daughter," Steve grinned.

"Do you need me to do anything before we eat?" Cody asked Steve.

"I can help Catherine with the side dishes," Jess offered.

Steve shook his head. "You guys go down to the beach and get in a game of frisbee. I'll call you when it's time to eat."

"You're wrong," Jerry said insistently. "Deep frying a turkey is the best way to keep it moist."

Max shook his head. "Your hypothesis has no basis in scientific fact. If you want to seal in juices roasting is the way to go."

"You gotta grill it with some palm fronds and pineapple," Duke argued. "Give it that authentic island taste."

"Have any of you ever actually cooked a turkey?" Kamekona asked with an amused tone.

"You mean with no assistance?" Max asked.

Kamekona nodded in the affirmative. "Yes, that's what I mean."

"No," Max admitted.

"Me either," Jerry acknowledged.

"My wife always handles it," Duke said.

"Then you all need to listen to the expert," Kame smiled authoritatively. "The best way to cook a turkey is in a smoker."

"Look Mama! I fix Gwace and Casey's haiw," Joan said as Mary walked up to the trio.

"It looks … beautiful," Mary said as she took in the wildly teased style on both teens topped off with multiple glitter covered barrettes.

"We're playing hairdresser," Grace smiled.

"Joan is very in demand for the edgy looks she creates," Casey added enthusiastically.

Mary bark laughed. "You two are very good sports. Do you want me to take her now so you can go have some fun with the other kids?"

Grace and Casey looked at each other then back at Mary.

"I'm having fun doing this," Casey said honestly.

"Me too. I have some old play makeup upstairs," Grace said. "If it's ok with you I was gonna let Joan do our makeup."

"You girls are very brave," Mary smiled. "Carry on."

"I'm sorry I missed the first camping trip to tell you the truth," John said as he stood surveying the fire with Danny and Aaron. "I'll definitely go next time if I'm off duty."

"You can have my spot," Danny told him.

"Are you honestly trying to tell me you didn't have fun?" Aaron asked. "Grace sent Mary some pictures and it looked like everyone was having a ball."

"Was I in any of those pictures?" Danny snarked.

"You might hate camping," John said as he took a step back to avoid the heat, "but I think I know you well enough to say that if Grace asks you to go you'll be packing up your sleeping bag in no time flat."

Danny couldn't help but smile. "You're right about that."

"She has you wrapped around her finger," Aaron teased. "You're can't resist her pleading look."

"It takes one to know one," Danny said pointedly.

"I happily plead guilty," Aaron grinned as he looked at Joan.

"Hey, Steve," John called across the yard. "Danny said he can't wait to go camping again."

"Your auntie asked me to make the Okinawa Sweet Potatoes this year," Leilani said nervously as she and Kono carried out the last of the side dishes.

"I got assigned rolls," Kono smiled triumphantly. "I always get assigned rolls. And I always order them from the bakery and call it a day."

"How did you get so lucky?" Leilani asked.

"The year they assigned me the Okinawa Sweet Potatoes I burned them," Kono smirked.

An hour later, after everyone had consumed their fill of hot dogs, potato salad and coleslaw, they sat relaxing on the deck enjoying homemade ice cream sandwiches Catherine had ordered from the local ice cream shop and the subject once again turned to camping.

"I think we should plan a trip sometime when we can all go," Cody suggested. "Can you even imagine? It'd be epic."

"As long as you plan it for after classes let out I'd be up for it," Elizabeth said.

"Me too," Joseph nodded as he wrapped an arm around his wife.

"Really?" Jacob asked excitedly. "You'd go camping with us?"

"Absolutely," they smiled at him.

"What about you, Grandma Ang?" he asked exuberantly.

"I'm not so sure about camping," she smiled as he climbed into her lap. "But I'd certainly offer to stay here and hold down the fort. And when you get home you can tell me all about it."

"We could go after school gets out," Dylan said, picking up on the excitement of the other kids. "Can you get off work, Mom?"

"I'm sure I could," she smiled.

"What about you, Auntie Cath?" Grace asked.

"Well, the legislature is Hawaii is technically only in full session until the end of May. After that they take things on a per case basis." She looked at Steve and could see mild panic in his eyes. "It's hard to know exactly what my schedule will be."

"Things are generally pretty slow in June and early July," Lea supplied helpfully. "At least until a week or so after the 4th."

"That sounds good," Chin said. "A full week might be tough but we should all be able to get away for four or five days."

"And let's be honest," Danny said gruffly. "Four days in the woods will feel like at least a week. Maybe more."

"Maybe we should wait until later in the summer, or maybe even early fall," Steve suggested.

"The kids will be back in school by then," Cody argued. "Jess'll be at college. I'm not sure exactly where I'll be but maybe college … maybe working."

"And Joan will be starting pre-school in August," Mary added.

Talk of various people's schedules flew around the deck until after a few minutes a consensus began to emerge.

Late June would be best.

Finally, Steve snapped.

"We can't go at the end of June. Catherine is due on the 29th."

He froze, a stunned look on his face.

He hadn't meant to say it out loud.

His brain specifically instructed his mouth not to say it out loud.

Yet before he knew it the words were slipping out.

He looked at Catherine who had the same stunned look on her face he imagined was on his at the moment.

He picked up a water bottle and began to drink.

As if he could magically wash the words back down his throat.

At the sight of him chugging the water Catherine broke down and began to laugh out loud.

Her laughter led to his and he almost choked on the water in his mouth.

As Steve leaned over, hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath every eye turned to Catherine.

"Surprise!" she said with a wide smile. "We're having a baby."

TBC in tomorrow's story co-written by all three REAL World authors.

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