A/N: I don't own them. I never will.
There was something about Danny's tone when he said, "Maybe I'm not as brave as she thinks I am." in episode 10 that kind of got to me. Maybe it's because we've seen and heard a little about Danny's past this season with his best friend drowning and then his partner dying on Sept. 11 that shows he's braver than he thinks he is considering some of what he's gone through. Anyway, this is my feeble attempt to expand on why he said that.
Not as Brave
Tag to episode 3.10
"Maybe I'm not as brave as she thinks I am."
Danny watched Grace sleeping in the tent set up in his living room and thought of the day's events. He gingerly rubbed his left arm which was starting to ache again. Leaning on it while talking with Grace earlier probably hadn't been the best idea.
He couldn't get it out of his head what the troupe leader said about Grace doing stuff to make her brave like him. He certainly didn't feel brave. In fact, he had felt downright terrified when Steve had walked back into camp with Ron behind him holding the gun on him. He hadn't been afraid for himself but for all those innocent girls. Yes, he'd been afraid for Steve with the gun trained on him, but Steve could take care of himself; Grace and all the other girls were defenseless.
Even when he'd been shot, he mused, he had been more worried for Grace and the other girls. When Grace had rushed to him, he was so grateful that she had listened when Steve told her to get back. If Ron had realized that his daughter was there, and taken Grace hostage rather than Lucy, he didn't know what he would have done. Not that he was glad that Lucy had been forced to go along, but he was able to concentrate easier with his daughter safely with him and then on her way out of there.
Those girls, they were the brave ones. He smiled as he thought of Grace crawling under the shed to unlock the padlock and let them all out. He was so proud of her; she had deserved that group hug from her friends. And the girl cobbling together those cell phone pieces so he could actually make a call to Chin? Now that had been outstanding. Those girls had shown bravery beyond their years as they coped with the situation. For goodness sakes, he grimaced, they had watched a bullet taken out of his arm and not one of them had been freaked out. Matter of fact, their chorus of "oohs" had been better medicine than any pain medicine he could have been given. He knew they could get out of their predicament if those girls kept their heads. He'd been proud of each and every one of them.
Danny continued to watch Grace sleep peacefully. Nope, she had no idea how terrified he had been. He could think of countless times since he'd become a parent, when he was scared of what might happen...to Grace or to himself. He didn't figure that would ever go away.
Yes, he knew that someday his daughter would realize that he wasn't Superman, but thankfully it hadn't turned out to be today.
"Not today," he muttered as he snuggled into his own sleeping bag and fell asleep next to his daughter.
Reviews are welcome. I almost didn't post this little piece since I'm not sure it was what I was after, but I figured since I took the time (that I don't have right now!) to write it, I might as well share it and see what people think.