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The Long Way Home

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Danny, Joe and Chin were getting close to where they thought Steve was being held prisoner. The explosion in front of them startled the three men but they kept going. They had to find Steve before Wo Fat killed him. If he wasn’t already dead. Danny shook his head to push away that thought. Steve wasn’t dead; he couldn’t be dead, like Jenna. He was a SEAL, Jenna was just an analyst; she wasn’t even an agent. Steve wasn’t Jenna. So if she was dead he must be alive. But for some reason he couldn’t forget Jenna’s body, lying lifeless on the floor of that warehouse. So he kept running with Chin and Joe, hoping, praying that they weren’t too late and that Steve was still alive.

They reached the truck where they hoped Steve was. Danny was the first. And what he saw broke his heart. Steve was in that truck. He was lying lifeless in the truck, but his eyes were still open, and focused on something Danny couldn’t reach, and there was a pool of blood near his body.

Danny shook his head. He couldn’t accept what his eyes were seeing. Chin jumped in the truck and checked Steve’s pulse. He shook his head and closed his boss’ eyes. Danny shook his head again. Steve couldn’t be dead. He just couldn’t. All Danny wanted to do was scream.

Danny woke up with a start, his eyes wide open in the darkness of the room, his heart was beating fast in his throat. He knew that it had been just a dream, but he wasn’t able to calm down. He turned toward the person who was asleep next to him. As usual Gabrielle didn’t wake up; she never woke up when he had a nightmare.

Sighing Danny got up from the bed and went in the kitchen to take a glass of water. He knew he wouldn’t be able to sleep now, the nightmare too fresh in his mind. He was fully awake and fully conscious that he’d dreamt, but still he couldn’t calm down. The panic washed over him in waves, the image of Steve dead too clear in his mind. He needed to be sure that Steve was okay, that he was alive and safe at home. For a second he thought about getting dressed and going to Steve to make sure he was okay, but then his mind won over his heart. He didn’t have any reason to go to his partner’s house. Since they were back from North Korea their relationship had changed, they’d slowly but steady grown apart. Most of all this change was Danny’s fault. North Korea had made clear that Steve was too reckless. He never thought before getting himself in dangerous situations, he risked his life without even thinking.

Danny had tried to warn him, he’d tried to tell him that it could be dangerous, but Steve hadn’t listened. All Steve knew was that one of his friends needed his help, so he had just left everything behind and helped her. Danny knew that Steve would have done the same thing for him. He knew that it wasn’t really his fault. None of them could imagine that Jenna would betray Steve. But still. He needed to put a little space between him and his partner, because he couldn’t bear the thought of losing Steve. If Steve died, Danny probably would follow. He needed space because he knew that Steve would die prematurely, maybe doing something stupid, like a crazy mission on his own to help a friend, or running behind a suspect without proper backup, and Danny couldn’t be there when that happened. He couldn’t be too close to Steve because his death would kill him and he couldn’t die because his baby girl needed him. Danny even put space between Grace and Steve, because he didn’t Grace to suffer, he had to protect her from Steve and his recklessness.

Now though he needed to be sure that Steve was okay or he wouldn’t sleep for the rest of the night. Even if in practice his plan was working and he and Steve were every day a little more distant, his partner still held the biggest part of his heart after Grace of course. He couldn’t sleep if he wasn’t sure Steve was okay. So he took his phone and dialled his partner’s number. The phone rang three or four times and Danny’s heart started beating fast. Maybe he hadn’t dreamt, maybe Steve was really dead. Panic almost choked him and then Steve picked up the phone.

- Hey Danny- he said.

Only hearing his voice relieved him and he was able to breathe again. Still he had to fight against the panic that had closed his throat before answering.

- Steve? - he managed to say after a while, almost as if he was asking, as if he was surprised to hear him.

Steve laughed and his voice was warm and soothing.

- Yeah Danny, it’s Steve. You’re the one who called, you know? - he said.

- Yeah, I know, sorry. I…. thought I was calling my parents, you know with the time zone…..- he knew he was being pathetic. His reason was pathetic, like the other ones he used to justify his calls. Almost every night he had those nightmares and almost every night he had to call Steve.

- Sure. Your parents. - Steve said. Danny could easily pick up the doubt in his partner’s voice. He could picture his face clearly. – Now I let you go, if you have to call your parents. - Steve added after a few seconds of silence.

Danny wondered how long Steve would accept his reasons, how long it would take for Steve to call his bullshit, how long it would take him before demanding and explanation for his behaviour.

- Yeah. I should go and call them. Sorry for waking you.-

- Don’t worry Danny, it’s fine. See you tomorrow. - Steve said. – Night Danny.-

Danny. Steve had stopped calling him Danno months ago and he missed it. Since Danny’s relationship with Gabrielle had became more serious Steve had stopped asking him to go to his house to watch a game or drink some beers on the lanai. Maybe this happened even because usually he politely declined his invitation. Steve had stopped calling him Danno. Completely. He never said Book ‘em Danno anymore. The only thing he hadn’t stopped was asking him to tell Grace that he loved her, even if he’d stopped inviting them over to swim when Danny had his daughter for the weekend.

- Night Steve- he said hanging up.

Danny remained in the kitchen for a while, staring at the Hawaiian sky out of his window. Once again he asked himself if pushing Steve away was the right thing to do. He heard Gabby moving in the other room. Sighing he went back in his room and joined his girlfriend in their bed, he let her cuddle with him and he fell asleep with Steve’s voice in his ears and his face in mind.

H50-H50-H50-H50-H50

Steve put his phone on the nightstand and leaned against the headboard, closing his eyes. Just a few seconds before Danny’s call he’d had a nightmare and now he was seeing those terrible images again.

He was alone in the truck. He was sure he was going to die. No one knew where he was. His team thought he was safe with Jenna. No one would come to rescue him. He had several broken ribs and some blood was dripping down his face from a cut he had on his forehead. He was sure he was going to die. Then the truck was opened and Danny’s face appeared. Relief flooded in him. Danny had found him. His partner had come to rescue him. The relief was short lived. Wo Fat appeared next to Danny, his gun pointed toward his head. With a devilish smile Wo Fat, pulled the trigger. Steve screamed.

And then his phone rang. Steve had woken up scared, his heart beating so fast that he feared it would explode, Danny’s dead body still clear in his head. Since he’d come back from North Korea he was haunted by that nightmare. Sometimes it was Chin who died, sometimes it was Kono or Mary or Catherine, but more often than not, it was Danny. With his eyes opened in the dark Steve had thought about going to Danny to check if he was okay, if he was still alive, to make sure he hadn’t caused his partner’s death; that he hadn’t taken him away from Grace.

Since they’d come back from North Korea Danny’s relationship with Gabrielle had become more serious, and Steve had wanted to be happy for him, but he couldn’t. He and Danny had grown slowly but steadily apart. He’d stopped coming by to drink beer or watch a game, and he didn’t bring Grace over for the weekend anymore. Steve had last seen Grace when Rachel had taken her to visit him in hospital, a few months ago. Honestly Steve could understand why Danny was acting that way.

The North Korea incident must have opened his eyes, had shown him how dangerous was to be his friend, probably Danny had understood that being his friend would lead to his own death and would made Grace an orphan. Danny had decided to put some space between them and Steve could understand why. So he decided to make things easier for him, he’d stopped calling him Danno and inviting him over for beers and games. And it looked as Danny hadn’t even noticed. Steve would never do anything to make Danny unhappy. Still…Sometimes he missed him so much that he couldn’t breathe. He knew he wouldn’t sleep anymore that night so he got up and went in the kitchen.

Chapter Text

On Saturday Danny and Gabrielle picked up Grace from Rachel’s. The girl run out of her house with a big bright smile and jumped in the car.

- Hi Danno, I love you. - she said kissing him on the cheek. – Hi Gabby-

- Hi Grace.-

- Can we go to Uncle Steve today, Danno? - Grace asked sitting and hooking the safety belt, while Danny started the car. – I want to restart our surfing lessons.-

Danny looked guiltily at her.

- I’m sure Uncle Steve has something else to do, you know Mary arrived this week.-

- I can teach you to surf. – Gabby said.

- No, thanks Gabby. - Grace said a little disappointed. She didn’t want to hurt Gabrielle, she liked her but she liked Uncle Steve more, so she smiled to his father’s girlfriend. Her father and Gabrielle started talking about their plan for the week end and she stopped listening.

During that last month she’d watched them closely. Grace didn’t have anything against Gabrielle, she liked her actually. Gabby was nice and sweet and was good with her father, but there was something wrong in their relationship. Grace remembered how his father used to look at her mother when they were married, before they started fighting over every little thing. He looked at her with love shining in his eyes and he always laughed. That kind of love wasn’t in her Danno’s when he looked at Gabby.

Grace was young, but she wasn’t stupid, she knew her mother had done a number on her Danno, she knew that it would have been hard for him to trust again, to give all his heart to someone else. She wouldn’t have been so worried about that, but there was a person her father looked at with love in his eyes, there was a person who made him laugh, even when he was angry, there a person her father trusted with everything he had.

Uncle Steve.

Danny looked at Uncle Steve the same way he used to look at her mother. The first time she’d seen Uncle Steve at the football game, she had been a little worried. Danno talked a lot about his crazy partner, so she didn’t know what to expect and she was a little scared. But as soon as she’d seen the way Steve acted around his father, the way he acted with her, she’d changed her mind. When she’d seen in Steve’s eyes how much he wanted her to like him, because he knew how important she was for Danno, she’d loved him.

Then Danno started leaving her alone with Steve, which hadn’t happened yet with Gabby, letting her go to swim with him, he’d even let Steve teach her how to surf. The more she stayed with Steve the more she loved him and soon she’d started calling him Uncle Steve. She’d seen how happy Steve was when she’d first said that, because that meant that she’d welcomed him in her family. She was started to think that soon she would call him Step Steve. But then something happened. Her mother had come home and told her they were going back to Jersey and that Danno was coming to.

- We could be a family again. - Rachel had said.

Grace’s first thought had been for Uncle Steve. He would have been so sad without her and Danno to cheer him up. Besides she knew for well that her mother and her father weren’t meant to be. And then Danno hadn’t showed up at the airport, because he had to stay there and help Uncle Steve. She had wanted to be with Danno, because over the phone she could feel that he was sad and worried for Steve.

Then Stan had come to Jersey to bring them back to Hawaii and Grace had been the happiest person in the world. For a while everything had been normal and then, few months, ago Danno had come by and had told her that he had to go away to help Uncle Steve again. She said that no matter what may happen she had to remember that her Danno loved her. She was a little worried, but she knew that everything was going to be okay. Steve wouldn’t let anything hurt her Danno, and Danno wouldn’t let anything bad happen to Steve. She was right; Danno and Uncle Steve had come home.

- Danno? Have you tried to call Uncle Steve and ask him if we could go? - Grace asked out of the blue interrupting their talk.

Thinking about Steve had made her remember the last time she’d seen him. it had been at the hospital, she’d gone to visit him with her mother, but it had been almost two month since then. It was too much time and she missed Steve. She missed their surf lessons, she missed their swims, and she missed their trip to the zoo, when Uncle Steve took her in his arms to let her see everything.

She missed him so much and she couldn’t believe she was always too busy to see her, she remembered that once he’d told her that he would have delayed everything to stay with her and Danno. So she was started to think that may Danny didn’t want her to see Uncle Steve. He she couldn’t get why.

- I’m sure he wants to stay alone with Mary, Monkey.-

Grace nodded. She would give up for now but she wanted to know what was going on.

H50-H50-H50-H50-H50

It was Friday afternoon and after the big arrest they’d done the day before, Five-0 had the day off. Steve was out on the lanai with his sister. Mary had come back home a week before and she’d said that she didn’t want to come back to LA, her home was in Hawaii and she wanted to live here. She wanted to stay with him. They had fight for a while but then Steve had given up, Mary could be really stubborn when she wanted. Besides he wanted her close, he needed her close. So they were both out, enjoining the company when someone knocked at the front door. As soon as Steven opened Grace jumped in his arms.

- Hi Uncle Steve. - she said.

- Hey Gracie, what are you doing here? - he asked hugging her tight. God he’d missed her.

- I wanted to see you, Uncle Steve and Danno doesn’t bring me over anymore. So I decided to come on my own.-

Steve blinked surprised. He had no idea that Grace could miss him, maybe as much as he missed her?

- Your mother or your father knows that you’re here? - he asked.

- No! Danno wouldn’t let me come. - she said shaking her head.

- Okay, baby. Now we have to call your mother, we don’t want her to worry. - Steve said and Grace nodded.

- Rachel? - Steve said when the woman picked up her phone.

- Steve? I was calling Danny…Grace…-

- She’s here, Rachel, don’t worry. - he said and then gave the phone to the little girl.

- Mom? Can I stay here today, please? You can pick me up tomorrow. - Grace pleaded.

Two minutes later Steve was again on the phone with Rachel.

- Of course she can stay here, if she wants, Rachel. Mary and I will be happy to stay with her. - he said and then hung up.

- So? Can I stay? - Grace asked.

- Of course you can.-

Grace hugged him, happy.

- Can we restart our surf lessons, Uncle Steve? I took a swim suit with me and even my pajamas.
Steve laughed.

- Yeah we can restart our surf lessons. By the way, I have a surprise for you. - he said leading her to the garage, when a pink surfboard was waiting for her. He’d both her that board some days before his trip to North Korea.

- Is this for me? - Grace asked when she saw the board. – All for me?-

- Yeah, it’s yours, Grace. It’s a present. You’re getting better you need your own surfboard. - Steve said.

- I love it! Thank you! - Grace said hugging him.

- Now we better change and then we can go in the water. - Steve said and they run together in the house.

Steve, Mary and Grace spent a good afternoon together.

That night when Steve put her to be Grace said.

- I missed you so much, Uncle Steve.-

- I missed you too, Gracie. - he answered kissing her cheek

Chapter Text

On Monday when Steve arrived at the office Danny was already there, waiting for him. As soon as he walked through the door Danny started yelling against him. Kono and Chin run out from their offices to see what was going on.

- How you dare taking my daughter without asking me first? - Danny shouted.
Chin and Kono looked at each other. As much as they loved Grace they would never take her without asking Danny, and they were sure Steve wouldn’t too.

- I didn’t take her, Danny. She showed up on my doorstep on Friday. She wanted to stay the night, so I called Rachel and asked her if it was fine for her. That’s it. Why you are so angry at me? - Steve yelled back. He’d let Danny’s crazy behaviour go too far. Chin and Kono breathed, relieved.
None of them could deny something to Grace. If she went to Steve of course he had let her stay. So why was Danny still mad at him?

- You should have called me! It never occurred to you that maybe I don’t bring her over anymore because I don’t want you to see her? - Danny yelled.

Chin and Kono winced, while Steve’s wore his SEAL mask and his face went blank, showing no emotion. His eyes though showed clearly how much he was hurt by Danny’s words. Seeing Steve’s face Danny realized what he’d just said, but it was too late. Steve pushed him away, freeing himself from his grip.

- I did noticed that something was wrong between us these last few months. I let you do what you wanted; I accepted all your excuses when you called me at night. I didn’t ask you why you didn’t bring Grace over anymore, why you stopped coming at my house after work. I thought it was because of Gabby. I didn’t say anything that I know that stuff like what happened in Korea had consequences. I gave you time. If you don’t trust me anymore, if you don’t want to be my friend anymore, just say it. But explain that to Grace too. Because I won’t turn her down. So if you don’t want her to stay with me, make sure she won’t show up at my house. Because I will always let her in. - Steve said. His voice was cold and collected.

In all those months Steve had hoped to find a way to fix things with Danny, maybe he could talk to him about what happened, so he gave Danny his space. He’d never thought that Danny didn’t trust him anymore, he’d thought he was just scared of what had happened in North Korea, but if Danny didn’t trust him with Grace anymore, then they didn’t have anything else to say to each other. Their friendship was over and he couldn’t do anything to fix this. So he left Danny there with Kono and Chin and went to his office.

H50-H50-H50-H50-H50

In the following three week Steve did everything he could to avoid Danny and the Detective didn’t do anything to try and fix things between them. Danny felt guilty for the way he’d hurt his partner. Steve didn’t deserve to be treated the way he’d been treated. Since the first time they’d met he’d done everything he could to protect him and his daughter. But Danny had made his decision and he couldn’t go back. Only the possibility of losing Steve was enough to take his breath away.

Getting close to Steve was too dangerous, for him and for his daughter. He couldn’t risk the pain to himself and Grace if Steve died. So he didn’t do anything to talk with Steve. Instead he went to Grace to tell her that he didn’t want her to go to Steve’s without him.

- But I love Uncle Steve. I want to see him. We’re his Ohana, Danno. He needs us. - Grace had said with tears in her eyes.

Danny’s heart broke in front of her daughter’s pain.

- I know, honey. We’ll go to him together. - he said trying to soothe her.

Grace just stared at him and then run away. She could easily spot her father’s lies; she knew he wasn’t telling the truth, that he wouldn’t bring her to see Steve.

H50-H50-H50-H50-H50

One morning, three weeks after the fight, Chin, Kono Lori and Danny arrived at the office they didn’t find Steve. The Governor was there to tell them that Steve had been called back to active duty and that while he was gone Danny would take his place as head of the task force.

All four of them where completely shocked by the news. Kono and Chin couldn’t believe that Steve had left without even saying goodbye. After the Governor left they all went to their offices, Kono, Chin and Danny found a letter on their desks. In Chin’s and Kono’s ones Steve said that he was sorry, but he had to leave that way, without talking to anyone, he told them that he needed time to regain his balance after everything that had happened in North Korea, and asked them to take care of Grace and Mary. He never mentioned Danny, but both Chin and Kono knew that their fight had something to do with Steve’s decision to leave. They knew how much Steve cared for Danny and how much he was suffering because of his behaviour. They knew that Danny was just afraid of losing Steve and that he still cared about him, still they didn’t like his behaviour, especially now that it had pushed Steve away. In the letters Steve also promised to be careful and to come back in one piece.

Danny’s letter wasn’t for him, it was for Grace. Steve asked him to give that to her. In the letter Steve explained to Grace that he had to go to fight the bad guys far from Hawaii, he promised her that he would do his best to come home safe and he told her that he loves her. Reading that letter Danny couldn’t help to feel guilty. Danny knew that Steve could be called back in active duty anytime but he also knew that working for the Governor of Hawaii gave him some freedom to turn down the missions and he could feel that his decision to leave had something to do with their fight and with his behaviour in these last few months. He didn’t even want to think about Grace reaction in front of the letter, she would be so angry at him because he hadn’t let her see Uncle Steve as much as she wanted and now he could die.

Danny looked up from the letter and met Chin and Kono’s eyes. Their matching looks told him that they blamed him for Steve’s absence or at least because he’d left without saying anything. Steve was just gone. Danny didn’t know he could survive his nightmares now that he couldn’t call Steve to make sure he was okay, now that he couldn’t hear his voice, knowing that now Steve was in danger, now he could die and he wasn’t there to watch his back. Danny didn’t know how he could survive in a world without Steve.

Now that his partner wasn’t there Danny realized how stupid he’d been. He pushed him away believing that this way he would have suffer a little less when Steve died. Now he understood that he’d only wasted time that he could have spent with him. Steve was already too important in his life, in his daughter’s life, and his death would have shattered them no matter how much space he’d put between them in the last few months. The bond between him and Steve and between Steve and Grace had been strong and unbreakable right from the beginning, even if he’d tried so hard to deny it. Those months away from Steve would only add regrets to pain if Steve died.

Putting away the letter, Danny closed his eyes hoping, praying that Steve could come back to them in one piece, so he could apologize with him, so that he could beg his partner to forgive him and tell him that he loved him with all his heart. He wished that Steve, Grace and him could still be a family.

Chapter Text

Steve and his SEAL team were camped in a forest somewhere in Asia, even Steve didn’t know exactly where they were. They were supposed to save the child of the American ambassador who had been taken by some rebels. It had taken four weeks to find the place where the rebels were holding the baby and another week to find a way to find him. Finally that night they would act and save the baby.

When Steve received the call from his former commanding officer with the offer to lead the mission, Steve thought it was the answer to all his prayers. Being in Hawaii without his best friend and with the knowledge that he couldn’t see Grace; that his partner didn’t trust him with her, was too painful. He needed to go and find a way to live without them. He needed to give himself and Danny some space and some time apart.

For little over a year, Steve had a family and then his need to be a hero, or better his need to help a friend, caused the incident in North Korea happened and it had pushed away the most important people in his life. Chin and Kono had stayed right next to him and Steve loved them, but Danny was the most important person for him and he was gone. He was there but Steve wasn’t able to touch him, to talk to him and he couldn’t go on like that. He just couldn’t. That’s why he had taken the mission, even if Mary had begged him to turn it down. He hoped that maybe if he was gone Danny would realize that he missed him. Maybe Danny would realize that his behaviour had been stupid, maybe Danny would understand that he loved Steve as much as Steve loved him.

After a week Steve realized that he’d made a mistake. He’d promised Grace, Chin and Kono that he would come home in one piece, that he would come home period, but in order to come home he needed to stay focused on the task at hand, but he wasn’t able to focus, all he could thing about were Danny and Grace and Mary and how much he wanted to be home with them.

- Commander McGarrett? - Lieutenant McKay’s voice brought him back to reality.

- Lieutenant.-

- We’re ready.-

Steve nodded and stood up. He just wanted this mission to be over so he could go home.

The SEAL team reached the baby pretty easily and Steve realized too late that it was a trap. They were on their way out of the warehouse when the rebels jumped out from their hidings and started firing.

Steve was near the exit, with Lieutenant McKay and the baby when one of the rebels jumped out from behind a corner. Steve pushed the baby behind him and shot. The man died and Steve, Lieutenant McKay and the baby were able to run out from the warehouse and reach the camp.

All the members of their team were dead. When they reached the camp Steve realized that he’d been hurt. One of the bullets had passed his vest and hit him in the abdomen. Steve could feel the blood slowly leaving his body. He felt McKay pushing on his wound to stop the bleeding, but he also felt his life leaving him.

- Hold on Commander. We almost made it. You can go home. Hold on Commander. - Lieutenant McKay was saying.

But Steve didn’t have the strength to fight, didn’t have anything to fight. Danny didn’t want to be his friend anymore, he didn’t trust him anymore. Danny wouldn’t let him see Grace. Mary had her life under control, she had a job and Kono and Chin would keep an eye on her. Without Danny and Grace his life didn’t have any sense. The darkness was closer and Steve almost welcomed it.

The last time he images he saw were of Grace and Danny laughing on the beach. Then he let the darkness take him.

Chapter Text

Chin, Kono, Danny and Mary were at Steve’s for a lunch together. Since he was gone Kono and Chin had made those lunch a weekly tradition, they didn’t want Mary to be all alone during weekend, so on Saturdays, if they didn’t have a case, would go to the house and stay there all day. Sometimes Malia joined them.

They had just finished lunch when the doorbell rang. Mary and Kono opened the door and found two men in Navy uniforms. Mary gasped and Kono had to hold her up. Her head was spinning and she felt like throwing up. Steve couldn’t be dead.

- Mary Ann McGarrett?-

- It’s me. - she said her voice shaken. Steve was all she had left, they had just started mending their relationship, and he couldn’t be dead. What she could do without him?

- Miss McGarrett your brother had been hurt during the mission.-

- Is he alive?-

- Yeah. He’s in Germany. Governor Denning set up his transfer here in Hawaii. –

- Is he going to be okay?-

- We don’t know. His doctor will call you. - they said and then left.

Mary closed the door and sat on the floor with her back against the door, she hide her face in her hands to hide the tears and cried.

Kono knelt next to her and hugged her tight.

- It’s gonna be okay, Mary. Steve’s strong. He’ll be fine. - she said

- Before the fight with Danny he was strong. Now I don’t know. - Mary said.

Kono didn’t say anything. She knew that somehow Mary was right.

Mary was still crying when the phone rang.

- Hello? - Mary said when she answered the phone.

- Miss McGarrett? It’s Doctor Cohen, her brother doctor.-

- How is he? - she asked clasping Kono’s hand.

- You’re brother was shot in the abdomen and lost a lot of blood. The bullet missed all the vitals so we were able to save him. He’s in a coma. Miss McGarrett he has no reason for not waking up. I’m moving him back to Hawaii because I hope his family will help him.-

- Thanks, doc. When he’ll be here?-

- Tomorrow morning.-

- We’ll be at the hospital waiting for him. - Mary said.

- What did the doctor said? - Kono asked.

- Outside. So everyone will listen.-

Once they were out they were surrounded by the other.

Mary repeated everything the doctor had told her.

- Steve’s strong. He’ll be fine. - Danny said.

Mary stared at him.

- If he won’t make it it’ll be your fault- she said.

- Mary….-Kono said warningly.

- No, Kono. I didn’t say anything before, now it’s time for me to talk. - Mary said than she turned to Danny again. – Why do you think my brother left? He didn’t have to, you know? He could turn the mission down, but he didn’t, he left. He left because he wanted to give you some space. Knowing that you didn’t trust him anymore…. He couldn’t stay here knowing that. He couldn’t be there without being your friend, without being an Uncle for Grace. Since he came back from North Korea you’d been…… Look Danny I know you were trying to protect yourself, but you hurt him. Now you have to find a way to bring him back. Find a way to save him. - she said and turned and went to the water.

- Do you think that too? - Danny asked to Kono and Chin.

- It’s not your fault. - Kono said. – We get why you did what you did. But when you told him that you didn’t want Grace to be with him you hurt him. You pushed him away. And we know you didn’t mean to, we know you care about him, but he couldn’t stay here. Everyone saw how hard it was for him, working with you but not being your friend anymore. He gave you some time and then….-

Danny raised her hand to silence her. He didn’t want to hear those things. He already knew that. He felt guilty before, but now that he knew for sure that the other blamed him… Without saying anything Danny turned his back to them and left. Chin and Kono exchanged a look.

- You shouldn’t have said that. - Chin said.

- He needed to hear it. Steve has no clinical reason to be in a coma, Chin. Danny needed to hear that. He and Grace are the only one who give him the strength to fight again.-

Chapter Text

Two days later Danny picked up Grace from school.

- Monkey….I have something to tell you. - he said as soon as she was in the car.

Grace picked up that something was wrong only from his voice.

- Is Uncle Steve okay? - her father used that tone of voice only when Uncle Steve was involved.

- Uncle Steve had been hurt. - he said.

- Is he okay? Is he going to be okay? - Grace asked crying.

- He’s in hospital. He’s going to be fine. Steve’s strong. He’s a super SEAL.-

Grace bit her lip.

- But he needs us. – she said looking at her father. She wanted to see Steve and help him waking up.

- Sure. He needs us. - Danny said.

- Can we go to see him? Now? - Grace asked hopefully.

- Yeah, monkey, we can. –

Half an hour later Danny and Grace were in Steve’s hospital room. The staff knew all the Five-0 members so as soon as she’d spot him a nurse had taken Danny to Steve’s room. His partner laid in bed, still with his eyes closed. He had some cut on his face and he was pale. Really pale. If it wasn’t for the regular beep of the machine he would have thought Steve was dead. And it was entirely all his fault.

- Danny, Grace. It’s nice to see you. - Mary said.

Danny looked at her; he didn’t even notice she was there.

- Hi Mary.-

- Auntie Mary. - Grace said a little scared. – Can I...- she didn’t even know what to ask.

- You should come close to him. – Mary said standing up and taking Grace’s hand. – He’ll be glad to feel you. - she added guiding her to the bed.

As soon as she was near Steve Grace took his hand.

- Hi Uncle Steve. I came to see you...- and then she told him everything had happened since he had been gone, just like he was awake.

Mary got close to Danny.

- I’m going to take a cup of coffee- she said. – I’m sorry for what I said the other day….-

Danny shook his head.

- No. You were right. I acted like an idiot. I’m sorry.-

Mary nodded and then left. Danno sat next to Grace.

- I miss you, Uncle Steve. Please wake up. - Grace pleaded.

Danny placed his hand on top of her daughter’s and Steve’s and squeezed.

- I miss you too, Steve.-

After a while Grace said.

- He squeezed my hand, Danno! He’s waking up!-

Danny looked at her. He didn’t feel anything; he was sure it was hope that had made Grace feel something.

- Uncle Steve? - she called quietly. – You’re awake!-

Danno looked away from their hand to look at his partner’s face. He winced when he met his eyes.

- Danno….Gracie…- Steve said. His voice hoarse.

- Hi partner. You’re awake. You had us worried. - Danny said.

Steve squeezed Grace’s hand and smiled.

- Mary…-

- She went to take a coffee. I’ll go and get her. - Danny said.

When he came back Steve was sitting in his bed, with Grace in his lap, and they were chatting quietly. A nurse was watching them with a smile; she had never seen someone recover so quickly from a coma.

- Steve! - Mary said rushing in the room.

- Hi Mare. - he said with a smile. There was that glint in his eyes that was gone when Danny didn’t speak with him.

- I was so worried. - she said hugging both Steve and Grace.

- Sorry.-

- Everyone was worried, Steven. You always have to be a hero? - Danny said.

Steve just smiled, focusing on Grace. He didn’t know why they were there, he didn’t know if Danny had changed his mind or if he’d brought Grace just because he was in a coma, but he didn’t care. There, with Grace in his lap, Mary and Danny at his side, Chin and Kono on their way to the hospital he has everything he needed. He has his Ohana.

Chapter Text

After two days Steve was home. He was out on the lanai staring at the sand castle Mary and Grace
had made. Danny was taking Grace home to Rachel and Mary was in the kitchen.

Since the day he woke up everything had been normal between him and Danny. They knew they had to talk, but for now it was good to enjoy his partner company without thinking about the past. He was startled one someone handed him a bottle of water. Since he was back Mary had banished beer.

- Danny! What are you doing here?-

- If you don’t want me here, I can go. - Danny said with an unsure expression on his face.

Panic filled Steve’s eyes.

- No. - he said a little too quickly.

Danny sighed.

- We need to talk.-

Steve closed his eyes, leaning back in the chair. He knew that moment would come, but he was scared. While he was away, Steve realized that he loved Danny. And not as a friend, he was in love with Danny and loved Grace like she was his. He needed to tell that to his partner but he was afraid of losing him.

- Yeah. Okay, - he said.

Danny sighed again.

- I’m sorry. The way I acted with you when we came back from North Korea. That was the biggest mistake in my entire life. I pushed you away because I was scared. I didn’t want to suffer and I didn’t want Grace to suffer if you died. I’ve always trusted you. When I found Jenna in that room, for a while I feared I would have found you dead. And I didn’t want to live if you were dead. Not even for my daughter. Every night I had the same dream. You were dead in the back of that truck. And every night, I woke up and I was unable to breathe. I thought that if I pushed you away, Grace and I would suffer less the next time. The way you are; how you never think before you throw yourself into danger, how you don’t give a second thought to helping a friend and do something equally dangerous. I know you think those are calculated risks but I was scared. Only when you left I’d understood how wrong I was. That I had only wasted time that Grace and I could have spent with you. I’m sorry. I hope you can forgive me.-

Steve remained quiet while Danny spoke.

- I thought it was something like that. – Steve said quietly. -I know that what I do scares you. I can’t promise that I’ll stop. I can forgive you. I already have. But I need you to promise me something.-

- What?-

- Promise me that you’ll never push me away like that again, Danny. You and Grace are my family.-

- You are our family too, Steve. My daughter won’t let me push you away again. She was so mad at me. Those months without you had the worst months since I moved here. The worst months of my entire life. I promise. - Danny said.

They stayed quiet for a while then Danny said.

- I left Gabby.-

Steve opened his eyes, shocked.

- Why? I thought everything was fine.-

- It was. – Danny said shrugging – It’s just that we couldn’t be happy, because I wasn’t in love with her. I was serious when I said the past months had been the worst of my life. I couldn’t be happy with Gabby because I feel something for my best friend.-

Steve smiled.

- While I was on this mission the only thing I could think about was you. you and Grace. I didn’t want to come back if I couldn’t stay with you. - he said then he turned to look Danny in the eyes. – I don’t want to spend another day without you.-

Danny smiled and leaned closer to him. The kiss was sweet and slow. It showed the love they felt for each other. When they broke the kiss Steve hid his face in Danny’s neck.

- I love you. Don’t leave me again.-

Danny hugged him tightly.

- I love you too. I won’t leave you. I’ve got you- he said.

They remained wrapped in each other’s arms like that for a while. The way home had been long and painful for both of them and now nothing could tear them apart, not even themselves.

Leaning on the doorframe, without being noticed, Mary watched the scene unfold. She smiled; happy that her brother had found love and that both of them had found a family in Hawaii. She picked her phone and sent a text to Kono.
“They made it. You own me 50.”