So this lovely fic came to me as I was listening to the song 'I'll Walk' by Bucky Covington while doing dishes yesterday.
It's kinda sad.
Enjoy!
Grace was so excited. Prom was soon approaching and her father and Uncle Steve promised to take her dress shopping. Some days she couldn't believe that she was eighteen and a senior. The day finally came and Danny was poised with his camera, ready to be one of those parents who took an ungodly amount of pictures.
Steve stood off to the side, allowing Danny and Rachel to have this moment. He also couldn't help but feel proud of the young woman who Grace had become. He had a soft smile on his face, knowing he played a small role in raising her. His breath caught when he saw Grace descend the stairs. She looked beautiful.
Danny had tears in his eyes as he watched his baby girl come down the stairs. She looked like an angel and so much like her mother. He snapped picture after picture, smiling when Grace gave him an annoyed eye roll.
"Danno, is that really necessary?"
Danny snapped a few more pictures. "Yes, yes it is completely necessary. This moment is a once in a lifetime thing monkey. And I intend to take as many photos as my camera will allow."
Grace shook her head and caught sight of Steve. Her eyes brightened and shone with happiness as she ran to him.
"Uncle Steve!"
Steve immediately caught her and spun her around, pulling a giggle from the teenager. He planted a kiss to the top of her head when he stopped.
"You look beautiful kiddo."
Grace hugged him tightly. "Thanks Uncle Steve. Thank you for buying my dress."
Steve tucked a stray hair back into place. "You're welcome kiddo. I want you to have fun tonight, but not too much fun, ya hear?"
A slight blush formed on her cheeks. "Uncle Steve!"
Steve chuckled and kissed the top of her head again as he handed her back to her parents. He watched as the two of them fussed over her some more and as Grace's face lit up when the doorbell rang.
Grace pulled the door open and smiled brightly at her boyfriend of two years. Again, the cameras started flashing as Danny and Rachel took more pictures of the two of them.
Steve finally stepped in, placing his hand on Danny's shoulder. "Alright, that's good. You don't want them to be late for prom do you?"
After they parted ways, Grace and Keoni were on their way to prom and Danny and Steve headed back home. And of course, Danny was going to be up late, waiting for his baby girl to get home safe.
We were 18, it was prom night
We had our first big fight
She said "Pull this car over"
I did and then I told her "I don't know what you are crying for"
I grabbed her hand as she reached for the door
She said, I'll walk
Let go of my hand
Right now I'm hurt, and you don't understand
So just be quiet
And later we can talk
Just leave, don't worry
I'll walk
Grace and Keoni were headed home after fighting about getting a hotel room. She had standards and if Keoni couldn't respect them, well, then there was no sense in staying together. And also her Danno and Uncle Steve would kill Keoni if he did anything she didn't want.
She was trying to hold back her tears, but was finding it difficult.
"Pull over."
Keoni looked over at her and did. He caught sight of a tear. "What are you crying for?"
Grace looked at him incredulously, shook her head, and reached for the door handle. She was stopped by Keoni's hand on her wrist. She looked him straight in the eye.
"Let go. I'm gonna walk home. I can't talk to you right now. I'm hurt and I don't expect you to understand. I promise that we'll talk later. So, just leave and don't worry."
Keoni watched her leave and drove home. Grace watched him drive off and finally let her tears fall. The venue where her prom was held, wasn't too far from her father's and Uncle Steve's house, so that's the direction she headed in.
It was a dark night, a black dress
Driver never saw her around the bend
I never will forget the call, or driving to the hospital
When they told me her legs still wouldn't move
I cried, when I walked into her room
She said, I'll walk
Please come and hold my hand
Right now I'm hurt and I don't understand
Let's just be quiet, and later we can talk
Please stay, don't leave
I'll walk
Grace was in her own world and didn't hear the car until it was too late. She remembered screaming and pain and then numbness. Grace was flat on her back, staring up at the black sky. She could faintly hear the driver talking frantically to her.
After a while, Grace could hear sirens approaching. In that moment, Grace only wanted her fathers. Over the years, Grace had begun to see Steve as another father figure in her life. She had just never found the right time to talk to him about it. Now, she didn't know what was going to happen to her.
The police cars and the ambulance pulled up to the scene and Grace found that she was surrounded by the paramedics. One of the paramedics immediately recognized her and told one of the officers to call Danny.
Danny was sitting in the living room, book in hand. He was enjoying a quiet evening at home with his boyfriend as they waited for Gracie to get home. He picked his phone up off the coffee table as it began to ring. He recognized it as one of HPD's officers. He sighed as he answered it, thinking they were gonna get called in for a case.
"Williams."
"Detective Williams, this is Officer Kalua. I'm sorry to inform you but, your daughter has been in accident."
Danny's heart stopped. He felt his whole world crashing down around him. He vaguely heard the officer tell him where Gracie was. He got enough brain function to hang up his phone.
"Steve!" he screamed as he scrambled to get his shoes on.
Steve came running down the stairs when he heard Danny scream. He immediately went over to Danny, trying to calm him down.
"Danny, what's wrong? What happened?" he rubbed soothing circles into his lover's shoulders.
Danny's emotions were all over the place and he couldn't conjure up one coherent thought. All he could think about was his baby girl lying in a ditch somewhere dead. He just looked at his partner, tears in his eyes. Danny reached up and wrapped his hands around Steve's wrists, hoping it would ground him enough to get through this.
"Babe, it—it's Gracie. She's uh; she's been in an accident. It happened about thirty minutes from here and she's asking for us."
Steve put on his mask of calm, even though he was freaking out inside. Danny was doing enough freaking out and worrying for the both of them. Danny needed him to be strong right now. He ushered the both of them outside and into the Camaro.
They arrived on scene in ten minutes and ran over to where the paramedics were putting Grace on the gurney. Steve looked around and didn't see Keoni or his truck anywhere. This confused him, but right now, Grace was number one priority.
Grace saw her fathers approaching and held out her hand to them. Right now, she didn't care how Steve reacted, but she needed him to know.
"Danno! Dad!" she looked directly at Steve as she said it.
Steve faltered for a moment, but pulled himself together. He leaned down and kissed her forehead.
"It's alright kiddo. Danno and I are here. Everything's gonna be okay."
Danny stood on the other side of Grace, watching the two people he loved more than anything. He had a tight grip on Grace's hand and kissed over it. He couldn't keep the tears at bay any longer. He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see the paramedic.
"We need to get her to the hospital now."
Danny nodded and looked back down at Grace. "Alright monkey, they're gonna take you to the hospital now."
Grace nodded and looked slightly embarrassed. "Danno, would you mind if dad rode with me?"
"Of course not baby. I'll be right behind you the whole way. I'll see you soon." he leaned down and kissed her forehead. He leaned over her, giving Steve a quick peck on the lips.
Steve returned the kiss and pressed the keys into Danny's hand. "Be careful." he climbed into the back of the ambulance with Grace.
He never let go of her hand. "So dad, huh? That's new." he tried to lighten the mood.
Grace couldn't keep the tears from falling. "I've wanted to tell you for so long, I just couldn't find the right time. I know this wasn't the best of circumstances, but I needed you to know."
Steve wiped away her tears. "I like it. I think it's catchy."
That got a laugh out of both of them before Grace looked at him in all seriousness.
"I didn't want to mention this with Danno standing there. Dad, I can't feel my legs. Like at all."
Steve squeezed her hand tighter. He could see the fear etched on her face and in her eyes. He rubbed over her knuckles, trying to keep her as calm as possible.
"Hey kiddo, everything is gonna be okay. Whatever happens, we'll deal with it together, as a family."
"Did you call mom? Oh my god, Keoni! Did someone call him?" she asked frantically.
Steve tried to calm her again. "I'm sure Danny called Rachel and we'll call Keoni when we know more, okay?"
She nodded her head and completed the ambulance ride in complete silence, never letting go of Steve's hand. Steve held her hand for as long as he was allowed. He watched as she disappeared behind those dreaded double doors and went in search of Danny.
He found him in the waiting room on the phone, quietly arguing with Rachel. He hung up and rubbed over his forehead. He looked up and fell into Steve's arms as soon as he saw him. He relaxed when Steve wrapped him up in his protective arms.
"How did this happen? Did she tell you?"
Steve shook his head. "No. I didn't even think to ask to be honest. I was too worried about her."
Danny held on tighter. "Where was Keoni? I didn't see him or his truck at the scene. Do you think Grace was walking? Why would she be walking by herself down a really dark street?"
Steve bent down and captured Danny's lips before he could ask any more questions. "I don't know Danno. We'll just have to ask her when we get to see her. And don't call Keoni just yet. We should find out what's going on before we tell him anything."
Danny nodded. Steve sat them down to wait. They were still waiting for news when Rachel finally arrived, Charlie at her side, but no sign of Stan. Danny didn't say a word, not wanting to argue at the moment.
After three hours of waiting, a doctor finally headed in their direction. "Family of Grace Williams?" he saw three people stand and he walked toward them.
"I am Dr. Kalani. Please, have a seat. The good news is that she has some minor cuts and bruises and a very mild concussion. However, I'm worried about a spinal injury. Presently, she has no feeling in her legs at all. At this time, I'm not very positive if it is short-term paralysis or permanent damage. I'll know more once some of the swelling has gone down. She has been placed in a room so she can have visitors. I'll have a nurse show you the way."
Steve sent Rachel, Charlie, and Danny ahead.
"Go. I'm gonna call Keoni and wait for him to arrive."
Danny nodded. "Okay. I'll text you the room number."
Steve stepped outside and made the call. It wasn't very easy to tell Keoni that his girlfriend was in the hospital. He could barely keep it together and he's made these calls hundreds of times. Well, he guessed it was different when it was your own ohana that was in the hospital.
Steve now had a better understanding for some of the family's behavior. He was feeling angry and scared all the while trying to be strong for everyone.
Danny and Rachel entered Grace's room, Charlie lagging a little behind. He was still a little young to understand fully what's going on. Danny sent Steve a quick text and was at his daughter's bedside.
It broke his heart to see the dried tear tracks marring her angelic face. He took her hand in his. "Hey monkey. I know you probably want to forget this ever happened, but I need you to tell me what happened tonight."
A fresh round of tears fell down Grace's face. "Keoni wanted to rent a hotel room. I flat-out told him no because I knew what that meant on prom night. I told him to take me home. We argued the whole way. He still didn't understand why I was so upset so I asked him to stop the car. He did, I told him to leave and that we'd talk later. I got out and started walking. I didn't even hear the car until it was too late."
Danny hated seeing his baby girl in any kind of pain and seeing her so scared, broke his heart. He and Rachel tried everything to make her feel better.
"Where's Keoni? I need to talk to him."
"Steve's waiting for him now. They'll be up as soon as he gets here."
Grace seemed to relax at this assurance and tried to rest until her dad and Keoni arrived.
After Keoni hung up with Steve, he hopped in his truck and drove as fast as he could, without breaking any traffic laws, to the hospital. He parked and ran inside the hospital, almost running into Steve.
"Mr. McGarrett, where is Grace? I need to see her."
Steve placed his hand on Keoni's shoulder. "Keoni, I need to tell you something about Grace. We don't know much yet, but Grace is paralyzed from the waist down."
Keoni was still in shock as Steve led him to Grace's room. He walked into her room, tears streaming down his face. Steve motioned for Danny and Rachel to leave them alone.
Grace looked over and saw Keoni enter the room. She felt her own tears fall when she saw the look on her boyfriend's face.
"Please, don't look at me like that. Just come and hold my hand, I'm hurt and I don't understand. Don't say anything and we can talk later, I promise. Please stay and don't worry, I'll walk again. You'll see."
Keoni took Grace's hand and climbed in next to her and held her close, letting her cry. He didn't understand this either, but he felt so guilty that he just left her there on the side of the road. He should've gone after her.
I held her hand through everything
The weeks and months of therapy
And I held her hand and asked her to be my bride
She's dreamed from a little girl, to have her daddy walk her down the aisle
So from her wheelchair, she looks up to him and smiles
And says, I'll walk
Please hold my hand
I know that this will hurt, I know you understand
Please daddy don't cry
This is already hard
Let's go, don't worry
I'll walk
The doctors finally got a proper diagnosis on Grace's condition and told them that with physical therapy, she may be able to walk again. Grace was determined to get out of the wheelchair that she's been bound to for the last few weeks.
She finished school and graduated with her class. She put her plans to go to college on hold for a while as she tried to walk again. Keoni had been there for everything, holding her hand and encouraging her, never letting her give up.
Steve and Danny watched as the young couple became closer and fell more in love as the weeks and months passed. They weren't one bit surprised when Keoni came to them and asked for their daughter's hand in marriage.
Keoni was relieved. He knew that they were young, but they loved each other so much. After Grace's therapy session, Keoni took her hand and knelt on one knee.
"Grace Elizabeth Williams, we've been through so much these past few months. Things that should have pushed each other away, but instead only made us grow closer and fall deeper in love with each other. And so, with your fathers' permission, will you marry me?"
Grace stared at the most beautiful ring she had ever seen, and she's seen some beautiful things in her lifetime. She looked up at Keoni, tears falling down her cheeks.
"Yes. Yes, a million times yes." she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply.
They decided not to wait too long to get married. Grace was so happy and she couldn't wait to start her life with Keoni Mahelona. Her mother helped her with most of the planning and she had a very important decision to make. Ever since she was a little girl, she's dreamed of her daddy walking her down the aisle. Now, she has two extra fathers, but Step-Stan doesn't really count considering he's always away.
Her mind made up, she had the driver take her to see her fathers. They weren't at home, so she told the driver to go to their office. Grace wheeled herself into the main room and greeted by Chin and Kono. After getting hugs from her aunt and uncle, she wheeled over to Steve's office, thankfully his door was open.
Steve looked up when he heard someone enter his office. His face lit up at the sight of his daughter.
"Hey kiddo. What's up?"
"I need to talk to you and Danno. Where is he?"
Steve put aside his work and came around his desk to hug her. "It's his turn to get lunch. He should be back in a few minutes. What's going on?"
She smiled at him. "It's nothing bad, I promise. Just some wedding stuff."
Steve nodded and they chatted about some of the plans she's made so far. Before long, they heard the whirlwind that was their Danno enter the office.
Danny handed Chin and Kono their lunch and headed for Steve's office.
"Okay, they didn't have your usual so I had to get you something else—-oh hey Gracie! I didn't know you were coming by. Everything okay?"
Grace and Steve smiled at him and Danny had a feeling that he was being ganged up on something.
"What do you two want and how much is it going to cost me?"
Grace giggled. "Danno, I can guarantee that it won't cost you anything. Actually, this question is for the both of you. Will you both walk me down the aisle?"
Both Danny and Steve had tears in their eyes as they hugged Grace and accepted. They talked for a while longer before Grace had to leave to attend to some last-minute wedding details.
Grace was nervous and excited at the same time. It was her wedding day and her mother had cried all morning. She was finally ready and on her way to the beach behind her father's house, where she spent most of her time as a child.
She met her fathers at the back door leading out to the beach. Both of them had tears in their eyes when they saw how beautiful their daughter looked. When they heard the wedding march begin, Danny went to stand behind the wheelchair and was stopped by Grace's hand on his arm.
Grace smiled warmly at him. "I'll walk. Please hold my hand. I know that this will hurt and I know you understand." she reached up and wiped the tear from her father's face. "Please daddy don't cry. This is already hard." she turned to look at Steve and repeated the process. "Let's go, don't worry. I'll walk."
Danny and Steve were on either side, supporting her as she made that painful trek down the aisle. Smiles on their faces and tears in their eyes, Steve and Danny couldn't be more proud of their daughter than in this moment right here.
Grace was focused on her soon-to-be husband, smiling from ear-to-ear. She had to keep telling herself to take it slow and not rush. With the help of Steve and Danny, she finally made it to her awaiting husband-to-be, both of them smiling and ready to begin their lives together.