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Steve woke up and stretched his arms out, his bed was empty and he was well and truly alone. Cam and Evan had been re-called to Colorado over an different urgent matters, and an old case from Danny's past reared it's ugly head. A serial killer had struck again, and Danny had been brought back to Jersey. Steve sighed it was serial child killer and rapist so he couldn't really be made because they where taking his Dan from him for the Holidays. Grace was with Rachel, because a judge had decided she was to spend Christmas Eve through Christmas morning with her Mother this year, and the Marines had deployed Wyatt to the Middle East. Adam and Chin where on a romantic Christmas getaway in Paris, and Nick had taken Kono back home to Texas, there was nobody.
He sighed and rolled out of bed, he headed down to the beach and took his morning swim, but it didn't hold it's usual joy. Steve wandered back in through the house after showering from his swim and found Cider hidden in the random little tree on the counter.
" Do you want some cereal?" He asked the elf
" Right, you're lactose intolerant." He said proceeded to make himself a bowl of plain cheerios with some cut up bananas. He couldn't remember the last time he'd even eaten a bowl of cereal. It hadn't been since they remodelled and did the beach house. Between himself, Wyatt, and Cam there was always somebody around to make a hot breakfast, and the odd time Danny did French toast. There was no point in going into HQ they where on stand down considering they where down 75 percent of the task force. With nothing better to do, he set out to clean the backyard.
He tackled the mowing, and pulled out the whipper snipper. He corralled all the stray balls, between the house, and the beach. He put his and Grace's lacrosse balls back in their bin, and Danny's, Wyatt's and Evan's baseballs in their bin. Get gathered all the stray street hockey pucks that made it past their driveway and into the yard, and Steve still had no idea how Cam had got a few pucks up onto the roof and put them into the five gallon bucket. He hung Cam's hockey net back up on the side of the house, and his and Grace's lacrosse net onto the shed, and put the hitting net/ pitching net back onto it's cement pad beside the shed. When he was finished he tackled the shed itself, the lacrosse sticks, when into their storage bin, and Cam's hockey sticks into theirs and the Danny's Wyatt's and Evan's bats where put into their hanging sleeves. Then he re stacked the nesting ramps Wyatt and Cam had made for Danny's traxxas RC car.
" Well that's done, and looks a lot better. Now What?" Steve said to himself as he headed back into the house and grabbed some lunch.
Steve pulled out the vacuum and decided to just tackle the entire house. It wasn't that their home got particularly messy or anything. However he tackled the dusting and put Danny's Xbox games back in the drawer, and gathered the odd article of clothing that found it's way to a chair which truthfully where usually Wyatt's jackets, shirts or Danny's ties. Steve chuckled when he picked up Danny's t-shirt from the chair at the kitchen counter. It was a White T-shirt that said ' Danny's Ducklings' on the front and had four rubber ducks one was a Navy Seal, the Other a Marine Raider, and the Other two where Air Force Duckies. Cam's Mom had sent it for Danny in the mail. Still thought it was funny that even though He, Danny and Wyatt where in a Triad everyone call Wyatt, Evan, Cam and Himself Danny's Ducklings because of how much Danny became a mother hen.
Steve vacuumed by the Christmas Tree and smiled. He could tell what he wrapped, and what grace wrapped. Danny's looked like Kono had done it for him, Cam's where in brown paper with red string with a sprig of holly with cow stickers on them. Evan's looked like they where wrapped by the Tasmanian Devil, and Wyatt clearly said Eff It and threw his in bags. it was mismatched and honestly perfect. He didn't want to do Christmas unless he had his men, his daughter, and his buddies back home. Steve looked at the mistletoe longingly, what he wouldn't give for a nice kiss. When he finished with the main level, he headed upstairs and tackled the bathroom, halls and Grace's room, he took care of his room, and then His, Wyatt's and Danny's bedroom. He thought about changing the bedsheets, but decided not to, their bedding still held Wyatt's and Danny's scent and he found it comforting and it helped him sleep a little bit easier at night.
He finally tackled the attic, and took care of the guest room, and Evan and Cam's room. He gave the giant squishy gummie bears a squeeze and smiled a little at their farting sound before placing them back in. He left the two little gifts for Evan and Cam under their bedroom tree, just as he had left Grace's under he little tree in her room once he found space or more so made enough in her mountain of Squishmallows that she'd actually see it, and the one's he left for Danny and Wyatt in their room under the tree as well.
Steve looked as his watch it was already 8:30PM, he didn't feel like cooking anything and just made himself a Sunbutter and Jam sandwich and took his blanket from his room and settled on the coach and turned on the Christmas tree. He sighed at least he could say this Christmas Eve he wasn't with Catherine, He wasn't in physical pain and wondering not if but when he'd be sexually abused and beaten for her pleasure. The thing was he still just felt so sad, and lonely. He was having a blue Christmas.
Steve pulled out a pen and some paper, and began to write.
" I'm being ridiculous, I'm a grown man." He said to himself.
" It's not like Christmas Magic is even a real thing." He sighed, and remembered that Cam had once told himself sometimes it's your heart that needs to do whimsicle things your brain doesn't believe to feel better.
Steve continued to write what he needed, and put it in the envelope. Cam was a country boy, and said that while Santa's mail usually came through the Post, there where kids in areas the post couldn't ever really reach so there was a special way that mail from them made it to the North Pole. The mail at least sounded like a possibility this just sounded so fanciful and ridiculous. However he did it anyways, and turned on the fireplace and tossed the envelope in, and watched it burn down to embers. Steve looked at the clock on the wall, and curled up on the sofa with his blanket and a The Buzz Lightyear Squishmallow that had taken residence there and dozed off.
Steve's eyes snapped open at the clatter, he peaked over the sofa at the muffled curse before quick as a flash rolling from the sofa and flipping on the lights.
" Wyatt?" Steve said quietly as the man wearily dropped his rucksack on the floor. Steve vaulted the couch, and flew to his man.
" Steve, Steve....I love you but Broken Arm!" Wyatt yelled out and Steve stopped in his tracks and came in gently.
" C'mere my precious Marine." Steve took his time to gently get Wyatt out of his jacket and down to his t-shirt, and reset the splint before taking for his boots and settling him on the couch.
" You're home, you where supposed to be gone." Steve said softly, and Wyatt nodded his head.
" We hit and IED, somehow we all walked away. I broke my arm though. My Deployment is finished a month, they sent me home." Wyatt said softly and Steve pressed a kiss to his cast.
" I'm glad you're safe, and home." Steve said wondering if this was how Danny had felt all those years where Steve had come back banged up from one deployment or the next. Wyatt tried to wrap himself in the blanket and Steve smiled softly and snugged him in. They both jumped when they heard a large clatter and looked behind them, and arm raised with a thumbs up.
" Who left their bag in front of the door?" Evan said getting up and dusting himself off.
" Sorry Ev," Wyatt said.
" Wyatt broke his arm," Evan nodded and moved the bag before shutting the door and settled on the sofa beside Steve. Before they where fully settled, he could hear Danny and Grace talking a mile a minute before they even hit the door. Steve jumped from the sofa and rushed the door.
" Dan!" He crashed into the man, and picked up right off his feet and spun him around all while kissing his face making Grace laugh.
" Down Boy, Down." Danny said as he giggled while Steve settled him down.
" What are you doing here, both of you" Steve said as he hugged Grace.
" We broke the case, caught the right guy and some how I got a stand by flight at the last possible second."
" The judge never said what time Christmas morning." Grace said with an unapologetic shrug that reminded Steve so much of her Papa Wyatt.
Steve smiled almost everyone was home, but there was still a Camerson sized hole. Everyone jumped, and Danny practically landed on top the table when the fire instantly disappeared and a soot covered Cameron Mitchell came tumbling out. Steve stood their eyes bulging, before giving Cam a hand up.
" i...it, worked" Steve said quietly a sense of wonder in his voice and in his eyes."
" What worked?," Cam said
" I wrote a letter. I threw it in the fire, and it worked. I said my only wish was to have my family the people that I love at home for Christmas and your all here." Cam smiled and touched his nose at the side and smiled.
" I knew it would, Stevie." Cam said and corralled everyone into a Giant group hug. Every thing stopped for a moment and Steve swore he could hear jingle bells. Cam smiled just over his head as he spied the sky burst into brightly coloured slights and golden blur of sleigh and reindeer blast through it.
" Merry Christmas, Stevie." Cam said and and Danny smiled when he heard the rumble in Steve's chest that meant he was truly happy. Some where in Steve's heart belief had blossomed, his spirited ignited, he'd found the magic of Christmas once more.
Nick Claus finally parked his sleigh, and unharness the raindeer and set them off.
" Why Nicholas Claus, you sure cut it close this year." St. Nick smiled,
" Just a little," He said and pinched his fingers.
" Been a bit naughty have we?"
" Ok, so I might have pilfered a whole plate of lemon squares in Kansas." Mrs. Claus just laughed
" Broke into a military base and kidnapped and officer. Left a stretch Armstrong as penance."
" He was a willing participant," She shook her head and kissed his cheek.
" Did you have to drop him through the chimney?"
" The fire was out,"
" Come to bed Nicholas, you've had enough adventure for the night."
" In a second Love, there's one more thing I have to do."
Santa headed straight for the hall of records, he pulled out out the book of true believes and scanned through the pages.
" Ah yes, McGarrett." He ripped out the page with the withered dying tree, a new page put in it's place and a new tree was born.
" You've finally found your home Steven McGarrett, and with a family your belief." Santa said and smiled at the page before closing the book and heading for a long winter's nap.