Chapter Text
As he was sitting in his Air Force transport, Steve McGarrett was contemplating the irony of how something as innocent as a phone call can change your life. All the moments in life that you look back on and say ‘I wonder how my life would have been if those moments hadn’t happened,’ those moments for Steve always came after a phone call.
An innocent phone call from a girl he cared deeply about saying, “I’m pregnant, Steve.”
A much awaited phone call nine months later that said, “Commander McGarrett, you have a daughter.”
A phone call was how he found out that the girl he cared deeply about was leaving, and she wasn’t taking their one month old daughter.
A phone call was how Steve was informed of his next mission. A phone call was how he communicated with his young daughter for many years.
And now a phone call is the reason he was on an Air Force plane destined for Hawaii.
Something as innocent as a phone call, something most people enjoy, has changed Steve McGarrett’s life forever.
*H50*
“Daddy,” yelled a brown haired girl wearing a pink skirt with a NAVY tank top. Steve smiled so big at the first sight of his little girl. He bent down so that he could scoop up the small girl into his arms. As she wrapped her small arms around him he closed his eyes and breathed in deep. This, to him, was home.
“I missed you, Daddy. The policeman said that Grandpa can’t take care of me anymore. Where am I supposed to go when you fight the bad men in the ocean?”
Steve hadn’t cried yet. He needed to remain the strong Navy man he was, but looking into the green eyes of his daughter, eyes that were covered in their own tears, tested his resolve more than any moment up until this point, “I’m not going anywhere, Avery.”
The big smile he received from his daughter was more than enough to convince Steve to take the Governor’s job offer.
*H50*
Meeting Danny Williams at the crime scene was fate, according to Steve. If you ask Danny, it was an unfortunate coincidence. But no matter what the reason, Danny and Steve were stuck with each other, whether they liked it or not.
They were leaning against the car wearing the ridiculous shirts Kamikono forced them to wear for information when a little girl around Avery’s age walked up to them.
“Are you a cop,” she asked.
“No,” Steve replied.
“Well, you look like a cop.”
Steve kneeled down to her level and extended his shave ice in her direction, “Do you like cotton candy? Now go find your, Mommy.”
“I don’t like cotton candy.”
Danny decided to rescue his flailing partner by producing a large pink bunny from the backseat of his Camaro, “I have something you might like.”
The little girl took the bunny with a smile and walked off. Danny gave Steve a smile, “You have such a way with children.”
“Shut up.”
“Well, I mean that was such an eloquent job you just did there attempting to get the little girl away from us. Really, you clearly have no idea what little girls enjoy.”
“I know what little girls like.”
“That’s gross.”
Steve’s teeth ground together as he turned to face his new partner, “That’s not what I meant. I meant that I know how to take care of a daughter.”
Danny laughed. He straight up, tears in eyes, can barely breathe, belly-laughed at that.
“How is that even a little bit funny?”
Danny attempted to catch his breath, looked up at Steve’s slightly insulted face and laughed some more. After catching his breath enough, Danny replied, “From only the few hours I have known you I have been able to gather that you, my friend, would be the world’s worst father to a little girl. Little girls like manicures and unicorns. They do not like hand guns and car chases.”
“Not all little girls like manicures and unicorns,” Steve said angrily, “It is completely normal for a girl to like other things. Avery loves swimming and building forts. She does not like hand guns or car chases, but she also doesn’t like manicures and unicorns.”
Danny still looked at Steve with slight skepticism, and with an exasperated sigh, Steve pulled out his cell phone where a picture of his five year old daughter smiled back at him. He offered the phone to Danny, “Here you go, asshole, this is Avery. She’s five, and a very well-adjusted little girl if I do say so myself.”
Danny looked at the picture. Avery was wearing a sailor hat with a blue and gold bathing suit while playing in the sand. She had just looked up and smiled as Steve had taken the picture. Danny had to admit, the girl was definitely happy, but you would not find him admitting that.
“You call this well-adjusted? Your five year old daughter is wearing a sailor hat and Navy colors.”
“So.”
“Girls don’t wear Navy colors, McGarrett.”
“They do when their Dad is a Navy SEAL.”
Danny chose to turn around and walk away muttering to himself as he went. Steve smirked and followed him, getting into the driver’s seat of the Camaro.
*H50*
The Five-0 had been together for over a month now, solving crimes in a rather unorthodox manner, but getting the results they needed. It had been a tough day at the office, according to Steve, life-threatening if you asked Danny.
Car chases, hand grenades, and multiple near-death experiences.
That’s a normal work day at the Five-0.
Steve was in his office, doing his least favorite thing, paperwork, when Danny walked in, “Remember when you said that you were really good with little girls.”
“Yes, you laughed so hard you almost pissed your pants.”
“That’s funny, really. But I think I have just been vindicated in my reaction.”
“How’s that,” Steve responded, looking up at Danny standing in his office doorway with his arms crossed.
“Most little girls don’t like being left at school by themselves when their parent doesn’t show up to get them.”
Steve looked at the clock, 5 o’clock, Avery’s after school program had finished a half hour ago, “Oh shit, shit, shit.” Steve jumped up from his desk and grabbed his keys before making it halfway to the door, only to be blocked by his partner.
“Danno, move, I’m late.”
“Lucky for you, I knew you were going to forget so I took the liberty of picking up Avery when I picked up Grace.”
Steve looked at Danny, “How did you do that? She has no idea who you are.”
“Yeah, but she knows who Grace is, so she came along. She thought I had a very cool car,” Danny smirked, “She’s in my office with Grace. I believe when I left they were talking about Hannah Montana.”
“Who’s Hannah Montana?”
“You are really the worst person to raise a daughter. Hannah Montana is a singer that every girl is obsessed with.”
“My daughter is not obsessed with some teeny-bopper singer. She likes normal things.”
“And what, may I ask, are normal things five year old girls should like?”
Steve gave his partner a sideways glance, “I don’t know. Avery likes the beach and swimming, loves it actually. She likes to play with her dolls and ships.”
“Dolls and ships? You mean like Barbies and yachts?”
“No, G.I. Joes and naval ships.”
“I repeat, you are the worst person to raise a girl. Girls like unicorns and pink and…”
Danny was interrupted by two giggling girls entering the office. Grace walked right over to Danny and gave him her big puppy dog eyes, “Danno, can I go over Avery’s house to play? She said she has a whole beach just to herself! She said we can build castles and go swimming. Please, please!”
“I don’t know, Monkey. I doubt that Avery asked her Dad if it was okay.”
“It’s okay,” Steve responded, “I can make dinner and the girls can play. It will be nice. They can be friends, and once and for all you can finally admit that I have a normal daughter.”
“How does Grace playing with Avery prove that you are capable of raising a normal daughter?”
“Because if Grace, a normal girl in your opinion, enjoys playing with Avery than that means Avery is a normal girl too,” Steve said with a small smirk, “See, it’s logic, Danno. You should really try it every now and then.”
“Fine, Grace can go to Avery’s house to play.”
“Yay,” both girls yelled as they jumped up and down.
“Grace, bring your Hannah Montana CD,” Avery said as she went over to her Dad’s side, “I don’t have any of her music, but I bet Daddy will let us use his CD player, right Daddy?”
Danny tried so hard to contain his laughter as he looked at Steve’s face as he found out his daughter wanted to play Hannah Montana, in his CD player.
“I thought you said your daughter didn’t like teeny-bopper singers,” Danny asked, feigning innocence.
“Shut up, Danno.”