Chapter Text
Once upon a time, on the island of Oahu, it was nearing Christmas. Decorations had been hung, trees and palms festooned with ornaments and twinkle lights and children everywhere were counting down the last days of school before the holiday vacation. It is in a classroom this story begins....
"Miss Williams?"
Grace felt her heart race and her stomach lurch as her attention was drawn from the window where she'd been staring at a stray white whispy cloud just in her eye line. She sat up straight and looked at the front of the classroom where her teacher, Mr McGarrett, was staring at her waiting for an answer. She gulped down and noticed Tommy watching her with pity that she was in trouble.
"Perhaps you'd like to share with the class what's on your mind that is so much more important than learning todays lesson?" Mr McGarrett said sternly.
Grace didn't like Mr McGarrett. She'd tried, really really hard, more than everyone else, to like him. But he was always moody, he yelled a lot and he never seemed happy. Nobody liked him, it was an impossible task.
"Nothing Sir," she said quietly, wishing she could melt into her seat, into the floor or disappear in a cloud of smoke.
"No please," Mr McGarrett retorted, waving a hand at her. "Stand up and explain to the class what you were daydreaming about."
Grace swallowed down again, looked around the class and finding everyone had eyes on her. Most of them looked fearful, some looked relieved that it wasn't them who'd been caught out this time. She dug her fingernails into her desk and hoped he'd leave her alone but he cleared his throat and she glanced up again at him. He was worse than when her Dad got mad at her about something, at least he didn't rub it in after he yelled. Usually they'd make up straight after when his temper faded and she'd apologised for whatever she'd done wrong.
"We're waiting Grace," Mr McGarrett said, standing up from where he leaned against his desk. "Class won't be dismissed until you've explained yourself, so I suggest you do it sooner rather than later."
She chanced a glance at Tommy who shrugged his shoulders slightly and gave her a nod. She tried to think of a good excuse but she'd never been any good at lying and she stood slowly, knees trembling as everyone watched her, Mr McGarrett folding his arms and watching her keenly. She felt heat on her skin and knew her cheeks were going red as she ducked her head down and twisted her hands together.
"I was," she started, voice small. There was a lump in her throat and she found it hard to speak. She forced herself not to cry, though that's what she really wanted to do, vision going blurry from watery eyes. "I was trying to figure out how Santa Claus travels all over the world in twenty four hours."
She felt the heat now boil on her cheeks, on her neck. Her fellow classmates gave nervous laughs but it was something some of them had been discussing in recess so it wasn't totally silly. She wanted to run out of the room in embarrassment but that would mean passing Mr McGarrett and who knew what he'd say or do.
"Quiet," Mr McGarrett snapped, the class falling into a hush instantly, keeping his attention on her. "Santa Claus? Really Grace? How old are you?"
"Nine Sir," Grace replied with a small frown. He knew how old she was so why was he asking?
"Oh, really? Because I'd think people of that age wouldn't be silly enough to believe in Santa Claus anymore. Should I have you sent to the kindergarten for the rest of the term?"
Grace felt her ears buzzing and she couldn't answer, just stared at her hands and hoped he'd let her sit down. Mr McGarrett looked about the rest of the class with a sullen glare like they were all mad.
"Santa Claus is a story, someone made up to make the season more fun for you. But wasting your energy trying to understand how he flies around the world in twenty four hours or how he comes down the chimney? How about you all use your brains for your classwork and understand it's all impossible, he doesn't actually exist?"
Nobody spoke, but the class all stared at him like he was mad. Not that Steve McGarrett cared, he didn't even see that he'd broken a few beliefs in their young minds. He turned his attention back to Grace.
"Come here," he insisted and she looked up as he walked around his desk and sat down, writing on a sheet of paper.
Everyone watched as she made her way to the front of class nervously, drawing near to the desk. He held out the piece of paper to her.
"You can write lines for the rest of class," he said sternly as he looked at her. He was always frowning, his brow bunched up into tight lines at the bridge of his nose. Grace took the paper off him. "If you're not willing to pay attention and would rather daydream about made up people then that's fine. But not in my class. Go and sit down."
She escaped quickly back to her desk, burying her head down so as to not see everyone still looking at her. Mr McGarrett began speaking to the class again and she took in what he'd written on the paper for her to copy out.
"I will learn to pay attention in class and not sit daydreaming about silly nonsense and make believe."
She started writing out the lines neatly in rows under where Mr McGarrett had written the words. Her cheeks were still warm and the lump in her throat was getting harder to ignore. As she copied the lines some of the ink blurred as a few tears she couldn't stop escaping dropped from her cheeks onto the paper. She'd turned over once she got to the bottom of the page and was still copying when the bell rang and it was time for home. But nobody ever moved until Mr McGarrett said so and there was a silent pause until he said 'class dismissed.'
Grace moved as quickly as her classmates, grabbing her pencil case and some work books, stuffing them in her bag. Everyone was talking and jostling each other as they made their way out but she had to pause at her teachers desk to hand over her work. He didn't look up as she laid it down and she didn't wait for a comment, escaping with Tommy out into the hall. But she did look back, saw Mr McGarrett pick up the page of lines, giving it barely a glance before scrunching it up and tossing the ball of paper into the bin.
She didn't say anything to any of her friends as she walked out of school. Tommy tried cheering her up by telling a silly joke and doing an impression of Mr McGarrett which would usually make her giggle but it wasn't working. Walking down the steps she spied her dad waiting by his car with a smile on his face and she tried to smile herself only she wasn't feeling very happy.
"Hey monkey," he dad said as she approached.
"Hey Danno," she sighed as he guided her to the car with a hand on her shoulder.
"You okay?" he asked as he opened the car door.
Grace nodded and slid into the seat, grabbing the seatbelt and pulling it around her. Danny got into the drivers seat and eyed her in the mirror before turning around and looking at her with concern.
"What's up?"
Grace didn't want to talk about it. Nor did she want to say anything at school because she knew her dad would march into the building right now to speak to Mr McGarrett and she didn't want that to happen.
"Nothing," she shrugged. "Can we go for shave ice?"
"If we go for shave ice will you tell me what's wrong?" Danny asked, knowing she was holding back on something. Something that had upset her and was making her a little nervous.
Grace considered the proposal. She'd end up telling him anyway and shave ice would cheer her up. Nodding she tried to give him a smile, small and forced as it was.
"Okay, shave ice it is," Danny agreed, pulling away from the curb.
~
"Then he gave me lines to copy out and when I gave him them at the end of class he scrunched them up and put them in the bin," Grace said, lip quivering as she wiped the back of her hand over her eyes. Danny handed her a napkin and tried to look sympathetic.
Inside he was fuming.
Strawberry shave ice and Danny's gentle probing had gotten her talking and once she'd started there was no stopping her. She'd started crying part of the way through which made his protection instinct go through the roof.
"Is it true Danno? Is there really no Santa Claus?" she asked, wide eyes looking up at him eventually.
He'd hoped to have one more year before the magic wore off. He knew once she got older it would be harder to convince her of Santa Claus, flying reindeer and elves.
"Well Grace, it's like this," Danny started. He didn't want to shatter her excitement but he didn't want to lie to her when she asked, especially if next year he'd have to explain the truth. "There are a few stories about who Santa Claus really was. There really was a man who took gifts to children, children whose families couldn't afford to buy them presents. It sort of became this big idea, that he was this magic person who lives with the elves and brings us presents every Christmas eve. I know it's not what you want to hear but I think you're old enough to understand. It's still okay to believe in him, it's part of Christmas tradition to think Santa exists. There isn't anything wrong in thinking about him, believing in him, imagining him."
"So Mr McGarrett was telling the truth?" she said in dismay, hoping somehow her grumpy teacher had gotten it wrong.
"Well, yes," Danny nodded, resting a hand on her shoulder "But he shouldn't have told you like he did. I'm sorry monkey, are you disappointed?"
"No, not really," Grace admitted. "We could still maybe put out cookies and milk on Christmas eve couldn't we? Just in case? I mean what if we're all wrong? Maybe this whole time people don't believe in him and he really does exist? Like God. People believe in God even though they've never seen him. Doesn't mean he isn't real does it?"
Danny smiled at his daughter and put an arm around her, giving her a squeeze. "Of course you're right Gracie. We can still put out milk and cookies, because you never know do you. You just never know."