Kōkua
Steve was already up and in the kitchen preparing breakfast when the door bell rings. He was kind of surprised because he doesn't expect any visitors today. Except for Gracie. Danny's daughter, he'd promised her to help her train for a school racing competition. Who can help better preparing for such an event than the heavily decorated Navy SEAL?!
„Right, how could I have forgotten about that?" Steve muttered quietly as he makes his way to get the door. There were Danny and Grace standing on his front porch, Gracie was wearing a nice sports outfit. „Come on in, guys. You want breakfast?" He asked them.
Both declined. „We already had breakfast, Steve."
„You kind of forgot about today, right, super SEAL?" Danny mocked him.
„Just a little bit. I forgot for like, a moment but then it all came back to me." Steve started to explain while Grace just smiled and tried not to start laughing at her father's and her uncle's antics. "What's so funny?" Uncle Steve exclaimed at her scrunched up face that said she was doing everything possible not to start laughing.
"Nothing is wrong. You guys are just so damn funny."
"Grace, please, watch your language." Danno reprimanded her, although he wasn't quite serious. He knew his daughter well and that she wasn't bad- mouthing anyone.
"I know, but you are." She replied, still smiling.
"Anyways, when do we start, Uncle Steve?" She turned to her favourite uncle. "You promised to help me practise for that big running comp at my school, you know this fitness thing?"
"Yes, I know, Grace. And I will. I just temporarily forgot which does not mean that this isn't happening. Just give me five minutes to get ready." He answered lightly, "You're not angry with me?" He asked after a moment, unsure. "No, no, Uncle Steve. Everybody can forget things sometimes."
"It happens to the best, right?" Steve said with a smile.
"Sure does." Danny agreed.
Then Steve disappeared upstairs but comes down two minutes later ready to go running.
"So, you ready to do this?" He asked Grace.
"Hell yeah." She said as she high- fived the commander. Danny watched his partner and daughter interacting, quietly smiling to himself. They had a good 'ohana.
Steve had become an important part of their life.
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"Come on, Grace. You got this." Steve cheered her on. Grace was breathing heavily as she ran the last few meters to the finish line. This was exhausting but practising but Uncle Steve was good. Grace appreciated what he does for her but knows that she means a lot to him.
Both were still running. Grace was happy that she was able to keep up with Steve without a lot of trouble. "Okay?" Grace didn't answer, she was preoccupied with running.
But Steve also did not expect an answer.
"Just a little further." He continued as they ran. Then, as they were coming nearer to the finish line he exclaimed: "Come on, push yourself, Grace. You got this."
Grace concentrated on running.
"Straight away, push yourself." It got harder to run, her muscles felt like they were about to give in but Grace wasn't about to let that happen.
She just pushed through the pain, thinking about the race and her goal.
To be better than last year.
She can do this.
I can do this, she told herself as she focused on running. As she got faster, Steve slowed down a bit.
"Come Grace, go." He called out loudly as she continued running on the pavement. He got slower and slower and then stopped and looked down at his timer. "Go, Gracie." He cheered her on. Then after another fifty meters he called out to her.
"That's it. You've done it, Gracie." Steve smiled warmly at his niece.
At that, Grace stopped running and turning around to face Steve. "Hey, you know what we call that?" He asked her, although he wasn't really asking her.
"That right here is what we call a six minute, eighteen second mile. That fitness thing is in your bag, you hear me?" Grace breathed in and answered with "Good, because I didn't do so hot last year." Steve smiled reassuringly. "Forget about last year. This year's gonna be different. You'll do better this year. I'm sure."
"Thanks for helping me out, Uncle Steve." She suddenly said. "Danno says the only thing he hates more than swimming is running." "Forget about Danno." Then he high- fived a grinning Grace who suddenly got distracted by something she saw, he saw her grin vanish as she looked onto the streets. She noticed a car, a car that she knew.
She rides in a similar car quite often. But she wasn't sure if it really was Uncle Steve's car.
"Uncle Steve."
"Yes, Grace?" He replied. "That looks a lot like your car, Uncle Steve." She said as she points to car that was being driven away by someone stealing it. Because its rightful owner was right there with Grace, and not in his car driving it.
"That's because it is my car." Steve exclaimed somewhat shocked and astounded at why someone would steal his vintage car. He loves that car.
"Grace, will you …" He asked hectically. Grace nodded. "Just stay there, I will be right back. You will not move one centimeter from this spot." He told her as he started running.
"I won't, I promise."
Then the girl watched her uncle start running in a very fast manner. Then the SEAL turned around the corner and disappeared from Gracie's view. Grace sighed. Maybe Danny was right and her uncle was indeed a trouble magnet.
Because if he was, that would somewhat explain why someone stole his car.
Grace hoped he would catch that guy who dared it to steal his car. Because there was one thing, and that was sure: He sure picked the wrong car.
It reminded her of that situation a few months back, back when Catherine was still on the island and her and McGarrett were dating. Steve had told her the story about how they ate in their car, Steve insisting it was nice and romantic while Catherine considered something else romantic. But then a crazy man with a gun tried to carjack them.
But Steve didn't really care as he cared more about asking Catherine why she didn't consider this a romantic place to have picnic, while there was some nutjob with a gun trying to get him to give up his purse and other valuables, otherwise Catherine would 'see him bleed'. But in the end, Steve won. "This idiot tried to carjack me." Steve told Duke as he came into the precinct holding the guy, when Duke booked him he said: "Sure picked the wrong car, bruddah."
She giggled at the fun memory.
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Steve McGarrett tried to follow that car and he almost made it. But the car was faster than the Navy SEAL, so he failed. But he continued to follow it, running down the streets of Honolulu, near where he lived, when suddenly a horn honked right behind him.
He turned around swiftly, still continuing to jog. Shock could be seen on his features as he saw the car coming at him. It was fast, way too fast.
Shit, Steve thought as he tried to move out of the way.
But there was no use…
It was driving way to fast in order to stop. He realized that he would get hit, that he was seconds away from hitting that windshield.
Damn it, Grace.
He had responsibility for her, he can't get hit by a car right now.
What's Gracie gonna do when she sees her favourite uncle severely injured, bleeding, on the ground unmoving?
I cannot do that to Grace. I promised her we'd train, not for me getting hit by a car after my car was stolen by some dumbass.
"Nooo." He screamed as he hit the windshield in the same second. Immediately, there was a giant crack on the windshield. Steve knew he landed head first, and that he very likely also cracked a few ribs during this ordeal. Pain shot through him. Everything was somewhat foggy.
In the next second, he felt how he was flying to the air, the force of hitting the car that continued to drive as fast as it did, catapulted him up and flying before he hit the pavement about ten, fifteen meters from where he was first hit.
Steve landed on the hard asphalt, heard something crack.
He wasn't sure if it was his ribs or some other bones, or maybe it was his skull.
Steve tried to keep his breathing equal but it got harder and harder manage it.
Please, someone find me, he begged in his mind as he heard the driver of the car restart the engine and drive off, leaving him to die.
Soon the car disappeared.
Now he was alone.
And that wasn't even the worst of it.
The worst of it was that he left Gracie alone. Danny's daughter- he just left her because he needed to chase the guy that stole his damned car.
How trivial that sounded right now.
He had never considered the possibility of getting hurt in the process.
"I'm sorry, Grace. I never meant for any of this to happen." He mumbled, hoping the girl could forgive him at some point.
"E kala mai, Grace. E kala mai."
Steve knew he had to stay conscious but it was a loosing battle.
After a few seconds he lost the fight of staying conscious and fell into darkness that engulfed him fully.
