I loved all the h/c story tags for Episode 2.15, Mai Ka Wa Kahiko, but my mind went in a different direction. Spoiler for this episode and Episodes 1.23, 1.24, 2.01 and 2.14.

I'd Do Anything for Grace

Danny Williams lurked in the hospital hall until he saw the nurse leave Stan Edwards' room. He knew Rachel had taken Grace and the baby to a doctor's appointment, so he should be able to talk to Stan undisturbed. He didn't want any witnesses to this and he didn't think Stan would either.

As he entered the room, Danny could see Stan was awake. He had a magazine open on his knees, but was staring blankly at the wall, but looked more interested when Danny entered.

"Hey Stan," Danny greeted his ex-wife's current husband. "I brought you a present."

He handed over a box with a clear plastic top that showed an arrangement of chocolate-dipped dried fruit. Stan reached for it, only wincing slightly when he moved his wounded shoulder.

"That's my favorite," he said, sounding surprised.

"Grace told me when I helped her shop for Christmas presents," Danny said. "I wanted … I needed to apologize." His gesture took in the bandage visible beneath Stan's shirt. "I'd do anything for Grace, but, you've got to believe I never wanted to hurt you."

Stan was shaking his head before Danny finished. "I know, Danny. You don't have to apologize. I know you were forced to do it. I understood that and I was ready to take a bullet to save Grace. I just didn't realize how much it would hurt," he said wryly, rubbing his shoulder. I'd do anything for Grace, too, Danny. I love her."

"I know." Danny smiled. "I hear you told HPD I didn't mean to shoot you, the gun went off because my hands were shaking so bad."

"That's the way I saw it," Stan said, with the bland, exceedingly honest expression that worked so well in business negotiations.

"It's not far from the truth," Danny admitted, running a hand through his blond hair. "I was so scared for Grace I wasn't thinking straight. I hardly remember what happened."

Stan nodded. "That's good. Just stick with that and you should be fine."

Both men chuckled. "Anyway," Danny continued. "I just wanted to say thank you and 'I'm sorry.' I'm sorry for a lot of things."

Stan looked sad. He knew Danny was referring to his fling with Rachel.

"It hurt, Danny. It hurt a lot." Stan focused his gaze on the TV, which was off. "Maybe it's funny, but I didn't really blame you. You never made a secret of the fact that you hadn't wanted the divorce and I could see, even when you and Rachel were fighting, that you still had feelings for her. But I thought Rachel loved me. It really hurt that she meant to run off with you when she knew she was carrying my baby."

Danny stiffened. "She knew?"

Stan looked puzzled. "We went to Maui to celebrate. Then she heard you were in the hospital and she ran home to be with you." His mouth twisted in remembered frustration. "And my company sent me on an emergency trip to Southeast Asia, that wasn't such a big emergency after all. When I got back, she told me she was going to New Jersey."

Danny shook his head. "But she told me it was my baby. She was certain it was my baby."

The men regarded each other in confusion. "Why would she say that?" Stan asked.

Danny thought back. Rachel had put the moves on him. He hadn't resisted, but she'd definitely made the first move. It had been heaven, until that day when everything went to hell. Laura blown up. Steve accused of murder. Kono accused of theft. Chin invited back to HPD. And he had come within a whisker of going back to New Jersey with Rachel and Grace.

Danny felt sick. What kind of detective was he to think that was all a coincidence? Especially when Rachel had gone back to Stan. Especially when the baby came so "early." Little Charlie wasn't really early at all.

"Was that when Rachel seemed to go cold?" Danny asked. "After Grace told her I was in the hospital?"

Stan thought, then blinked. "No, it was the day before. At breakfast, I saw her talking to a stranger. She'd seemed all right before we went down to the buffet, but after breakfast, she seemed moody. I just thought the pregnancy hormones were kicking in."

"What'd this guy look like?"

"Asian. Not so tall, but slender and he stood proudly erect."

Danny opened a photo file on his phone and showed Stan a picture.

"Yeah, that's the guy!"

"Wo Fat!" Danny murmured.

"He's dangerous." Stan could tell by the restrained wrath in Danny's voice.

"Yeah, he's the one who framed Steve for Jameson's murder. He must have wanted me out of the way and used Rachel to do it." It made Danny feel sick to think that Rachel's actions were a lie. The same realization made Stan feel happier; then he remembered something and felt just as sick as Danny.

"There's something else," Stan told Danny. "It didn't mean anything at the time. I saw a photo in Rachel's purse that I'd never seen before. It was a picture of you — and Grace."

It was clear to both men then, that Wo Fat had threatened Grace to get Rachel to distract Danny.

"And Rachel would do anything for Grace," Danny said sadly.

And for you, Danny, Stan thought sadly, but he didn't say it out loud.