Happy Bday Cath.

Steve was hiding behind a wall of a house in some city in the middle of some desert. His SEAL team was sent here for something that he didn't even remember. Somehow, he had no idea how, they had been ambushed, and they were hiding behind a wall, shooting at enemies on roof, trying to find a way out of that mess. In a moment of calm between the shooting he looked over the wall to see if he had an opening to save his team. What he saw in the middle of the street took his breath away and made his heart beat faster at the same time. Danny and Grace. Out in the open, in the middle of a shooting. His brain couldn't grasp the reality of what he was seeing. They had no reason to be there, they shouldn't even know where there was, besides Danny would never put Grace in danger.

Steve stood, while his teammates tried to force him back down, and shouted for his family to run and hide. But they stayed where they were smiling at him. Suddenly the shooting started again. Bullets where flying everywhere. Steve watched in horror when bullets hit Danny and Grace in the chest and they both fell on the ground bleeding. Steve knew that no one could survive injuries like those; he knew they were dying and knew it was his fault. He was a danger for the people he loved, he couldn't protect them and now they were dead.

He ran to them and watched their faces go pale and their eyes lose focus. Someone was shaking him, trying to take him away from them. He fought hard to stay there, with them. His place was with them. A voice was calling his name, softly. He shook that voice out of his mind. Right now nothing was more important than…

"STEVE!" This time the voice was impossible to ignore.

Steve opened his eyes and immediately tumbled out of his bed. It took him a while to recognize the items of his bedroom. The window was open and a light breeze was coming in. Steve could hear the sound of the ocean and the waves. Finally his eyes settled on Danny. His partner was sitting on the bed and watching him carefully.

Danny was alive. Danny was alive. Danny was alive. Steve could hear him breathing and now understood that the voice he had heard was Danny, trying to wake him up. He sighed stood up from his kneeling position on the floor and sat on the bed.

"Steve…?" Danny repeated softly.

From previous experiences Danny knew that touching Steve after one of his nightmares could be dangerous. Once he had found himself with a black eye without even know how. Steve's nightmares were always about bad stuff that had happened to him during his time with the SEALs. Every time Danny saw that lost, sad look in Steve's eyes Danny's heart broke. He couldn't bear the thought of all the things Steve had been through. Alone. He wanted nothing more than to hug Steve, but he knew he couldn't, not yet at least.

"I…I thought…I dreamt that you…you and Grace were…dead," Steve said. His voice sounded weak to his ears. "You were there in a middle of a…and I didn't know why you were there. Why I was there. And then you were…both of you were dead. And it was…it was my fault…I couldn't protect you and you were gone and…" his shoulders shook as he cried at the memories from his all too real dream.

Danny moved closer to him and put a hand on his back. When Steve didn't push him away, Danny moved closer and hugged his partner. "Steve, babe, I'm right here, okay? I'm here with you and Grace is asleep in her bedroom. We're fine. We are all fine."

Steve nodded and turned in the hug, hiding his face in Danny's neck. "I know…I know that you're safe now," he said. "For now."

"For now? What do you mean for now?" Danny asked.

Steve didn't answer. He just hugged Danny like he never wanted to let go.

"Steve?" Danny asked again. This time he forced his partner to look at him. "What do you mean?"

Steve sighed. "Danny…being with me is dangerous. You know it. There always be someone out there who wants revenge against me. Someone I took down while I was a SEAL, someone my mother took down before faking her death, someone we arrested in those years. Some of these people would gladly use you and Grace to get to me. One of these days I won't be able to protect you and me… -

Danny cut him off with a kiss then pulled away, "Our job is dangerous, Steve. I'm a cop and I closed nearly 80 cases back in Jersey, so maybe one of the people I've put behind bars will come back to get back at me. Someone already tried that, got Grace and we saved her. Someone could come here and use you to get to me."

Steve shook his head. "I can take care of myself, Danny…"

"And I can take care of myself, Steve," Danny replied with a slight smirk.

"I know…I know, but Grace…if something happens to Grace because of me…," Steve shuddered at the thought.

"We already had this conversation millions of times, Steven. Nothing bad will happen to Grace because of you. I'm not going to leave you because you had a bad dream. Are we clear?"

Steve went to say something but Danny kissed him again. This time some of the tension drained from Steve's body and they settled back in bed.

They were about to fall asleep again when there was a soft knock on the door.

"Danno? Uncle Steve?" came Grace's small voice from the other side of the door.

Danny got out of bed, walked to the door and opened it. "Is everything okay, Monkey?"

"I heard you talking…I couldn't sleep…so I thought…can I sleep with you?"

Danny and Steve shared a look before Steve nodded. "Of course you can Gracie," Steve said as he moved to make space for Grace. The little girl smiled, ran to the bed and crawled up to the pillow that Steve moved for her.

Danny soon joined them in bed. He claimed his spot behind Steve and put his arm over Steve's side. Grace curled against Steve's chest and gave a soft sigh before closing her eyes. Steve let Danny and Grace's soft sleeping breaths put him back to sleep. The nightmares didn't come back that night.