Brave
Danny methodically rinsed off the plates from breakfast. Steve had made frittatas. And unlike Danny's last attempt, hadn't nearly burned the house down in the process Not that the house would have burned down. Despite Steve's complete overreaction to the burning pan, Danny'd had it under control.
As much as it pained him to admit it, Steve was a very good cook. Even though he had a disturbing attachment to cooking dishes that looked and tasted like shrubbery. It was because Steve did the cooking that Danny was doing the dishes, continuing the longstanding tradition in the Williams' household that those who didn't cook, washed.
"You missed a spot," Steve's husky voice sounded in Danny's ear.
Danny stiffened. "Do I back seat cook? No, I do not." Danny gave the dish one last hard rinse and shake under the faucet before placing it in the dishwasher rack. "You do your business, I'll do mine. Thank you very much."
"I'm just saying…" Steve murmured, taking a moment to nibble at the hollow of Danny's neck, "if you don't rinse the dishes thoroughly they won't get clean."
Danny closed his eyes, biting his lip. He felt his body melt into Steve's as Steve's arms encircled his waist. Firmly he forced himself to push away, grabbing the frying pan as he flipped the faucet back on. Meticulously he scrubbed at the dirty pan.
"Thank you for your input Chief Master Dishwasher," Danny said dryly. "If this whole cop thing doesn't work out for you, we know where to start your next job search."
"I'm just trying to be helpful, Daniel," Steve mollified him lightly. "Don't want you ranting at the dishwasher when we get home later and you find half your dishes are still dirty. Also, that's an Air Force designation. In the Navy, I would actually be Master Chief Petty Officer Dishwasher."
"Noted," Danny growled, shooting Steve a death glare as he shoved the pan into the lower rack. "Maybe you could make yourself useful Master Petty Chief Child Coraller and make sure Grace is getting ready for school."
"She's ready," Steve chuckled, maneuvering out from behind Danny and slouching against the kitchen counter. "She's outside gathering seashells."
"You told her to stay out of the water, right?" Danny glanced over at Steve as he ran a rag around the sink.
"I did," Steve smiled, crossing his arms over his chest as he ducked his head at Danny. "I also told her she had five minutes, so she should be heading back up any second now."
Danny chuckled. "Are those five SuperSeal minutes or five Gracie minutes, 'cause my daughter has a talent for stretching five minutes into twenty. I think she gets it from her mother."
Danny grinned when Steve's face puckered in consternation.
"You're probably going to have to go collect her, buddy," Danny clapped Steve on the arm. "Don't worry. You'll get the hang of herding eleven year old girls soon enough."
Danny's chuckle froze in his throat as the sound of Grace's piercing shriek broke the quiet of the morning.
"Monkey!" Danny yelled, bolting through the kitchen towards the back door. His heart pounded, his mouth gone dry from fear. "Monkey, I'm coming!"
"Daddy!" Grace wailed. "Daddy!"
Danny tore through the back yard and into the sand towards the beach, panic giving his legs wings, so fast even Steve didn't overtake him. They both reached Grace at the same time. She was sitting on the sand, just above the water's edge. Her hands were outstretched at her side. The hem of her dress rested just above her half-bent bare knees. Sand clung to her wet feet and calves. Tears streamed down her face, and her breath was coming in heaving gasps.
"Baby what's wrong?" Danny slid down to her side, his hands settling on her trembling arms. "What happened? Where are you hurt?"
"My leg," Grace keened, her face crumpling as she continued to sob.
"Let's get her inside Danny," Steve's voice was terse but calm as he smoothly edged Danny out of the way and scooped the child up in his arms, racing back up the beach towards the house.
Danny followed Steve into the kitchen, putting his arm around his sobbing child's shoulders after Steve gently set her on the work island at the center.
"We need to call an ambulance." Danny glanced up at Steve, fishing with a slightly trembling hand for his phone in his pocket.
"Not yet," Steve shook his head, yanking a large plastic bottle and a first aid kit from the cabinet under the sink. "She's been stung by a jellyfish."
Steve twisted the cap off the bottle, sending it skittering across the kitchen floor. Then he dumped the liquid all over the painful red welts on Grace's lower left leg.
"What are you doing?" Danny cradled Grace, her small body still shuddering with sobs.
"Vinegar helps reduce the toxins in the jellyfish's venom," Steve explained as he continued to pour it over the wounds. He nodded towards the first aid kit. "Grab the shaving cream out of there, and give me one of your credit cards."
Though Danny's eyebrow shot up, he didn't question Steve's instructions, simply doing as his partner ordered.
"Baby, how you doing?" Steve smiled at the little girl. "Your chest hurt at all?"
"No," Grace shook her head, sniffling. "Just my leg."
"Good," Steve nodded, spraying the shaving cream all over the affected area. "You let me know right away if that changes, okay?"
"She's a little young for shaving, don't you think?" Danny frowned at Steve as he fished a credit card out of his wallet, handing it to his partner.
Steve grinned at Grace and winked. "Your leg still hurts bad because the jellyfish left some stingers behind." Steve held up the card before placing the edge just under Grace's knee. "I'm gonna shave those bad stingers away. You'll feel better soon, I promise, sweetheart."
Grace nodded, her lower lip quivering, her eyes still full of tears. She slid her fingers into Danny's hand, and he squeezed her little fingers reassuringly. Danny bent down, kissing the top of Grace's head as he watched Steve slide the credit card down the length of Grace's calf, repeating the process until he seemed sure he'd gotten all the stingers out.
"Okay, kiddo," Steve smiled, gently chuffing the little girl's chin. "Let's get you upstairs into the bath." Steve glanced up at Danny. "You got her? I'm gonna go run the water."
Danny gathered Grace in his arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck, settling her cheek against his shoulder.
"How you doing baby?" Danny murmured.
"It still hurts," Grace whimpered.
"We'll make it better, Monkey," Danny gently dropped a kiss on her temple. "Just hang in there."
As he carried his daughter up the stairs, he could hear the water running in the bathroom. The tub was already half full with steaming water when he stepped inside.
"Don't worry, Danny," Steve said quickly, answering Danny's question before he even asked it. He moved out of the way so Danny could settle Grace in the bath. "It's hot, but not too hot. The heat will help ease the pain. We'll follow this up with a lidocaine ointment." He squeezed Danny's shoulder. "You sit with her. I'm going to call Grace's school and check in with her pediatrician."
"Uh…hold on I'll get you the numbers," Danny glanced up at Steve gratefully, maneuvering his arms around Grace to try and grab his phone.
"Don't worry," Steve smiled, waving his own phone at Danny. "I've already got 'em. I'll be back in a minute."
Carefully Danny eased himself to the floor, reaching into the tub to squeeze his little girl's hand. "Is the hot water helping?"
Grace nodded, looking up at Danny. Her eyes were red rimmed, her cheeks stained with tears. "I'm sorry, Daddy."
"What for baby?" Danny asked softly. He snagged a washcloth from a nearby towel rack, dipping it into the hot water. Wringing it out, he gently wiped Grace's face.
"I promised Uncle Steve I wouldn't go in the water. I didn't mean to, Daddy. I swear I didn't," Grace warbled, tears again threatening to run down her cheeks.
"Let's not worry about that now, okay Monkey?" Danny soothed, rubbing small circles on Grace's back.
The hot water had washed away the last remnants of shaving cream on Grace's leg, revealing the angry welts stretching across her fair skin. Danny winced in sympathy, his gut twisting. He'd rather charge headfirst into a firefight than see his little girl in pain. Rachel had always taken Grace for her shots, claiming it made Danny twitchy to watch the nurse prick her with needles.
They sat in silence for a few minutes, Danny gently stroking Grace's hair. Every so often, Grace's breath would hiccup, her small shoulders shuddering, as her distress began to subside.
The water was beginning to cool when Steve reentered the bathroom, a pile of clothing and a fluffy bath towel in his hands.
"How you feeling Gracie? Better?" Steve asked, setting the clothes on the floor.
The child nodded. She bit her lower lip and gazed down at the floor.
"Good," Steve smiled, opening up the towel. "Danny, can you help her out of the tub?" He smiled warmly at Grace again, trying to catch her eye. "I brought you a pair of shorts and a t-shirt so you can get out of that wet dress, okay?"
Grace nodded again, still refusing to look up at him. She let Danny help her climb out of the bathtub. He sat her on the toilet seat and began to gently pat her dry. She whimpered when he got to the stings on her leg.
"Sorry baby," Danny whispered, his stomach in knots. He leaned down to drop a soft kiss on her knee.
"You think you can get yourself changed, sweetheart?" Steve asked, leaning against the doorframe.
Grace nodded.
"Okay," Danny gently rubbed her cheek with his thumb before standing and following Steve out of the bathroom. "We'll be right outside if you need anything."
Grace had already begun wriggling out of her wet dress when Danny closed the door. Unsteadily, he braced himself against it. He felt Steve take his hand and squeeze it hard.
"She's okay, Danny." Steve reassured him. "The doctor said we're doing all the right things. We need to keep an eye on her for the rest of the day. If the pain gets worse, or she develops a rash, she wants us to bring Grace in. If she starts to have difficulty breathing we take her straight to the ER."
Danny nodded. He could feel the bile rising in his throat, and for a second he felt so lightheaded he thought the room had pitched sideways.
"Danny, she's okay," Steve said, his voice firm. His grip on Danny's fingers tightened. "Breathe, babe. Nice and slow."
Danny nodded, doing as Steve instructed until the room stopped swaying and he steadied. He swallowed hard and then glanced up at Steve.
"When I heard her scream…Jesus, Steve. I've never been so fucking scared in my life," Danny closed his eyes and leaned his head against the door.
"I know," Steve rubbed Danny's shoulders.
"God, you were terrific, Steven," Danny said softly. He opened his eyes and reached up, encircling Steve's wrists with his fingers. "I could barely think straight, and you were so calm. You knew exactly what to do. Thank you."
"I was scared shitless," Steve admitted, lowering his eyes to the floor. "It was either take charge of the situation or completely lose it."
"Well you did good," Danny smiled, raising Steve's hands to his lips and gently kissing them. "So, you have Grace's school and pediatrician's numbers in your phone?"
"Yeah," Steve shrugged, blushing slightly and glancing down at the floor. "I uh…she lives here now, when you have visitation. I know she's not mine, but I love her and feel responsible for her…" He glanced uncertainly up at Danny. "You don't mind that, do you?"
"Do I mind that you love my daughter and want to take care of her?" Danny looked softly at his lover. "You goofball." He pulled Steve towards him, nipping tenderly at his lips.
Steve smiled, encircling Danny's waist with his arms. Sensuously Steve returned Danny's kiss.
The bathroom door opened and Grace limped out. She'd let the water out of the bathtub and had hung her dress up to dry.
With one arm still around Danny's waist, Steve reached for her hand and lightly squeezed it. "How about we get some Lidocaine cream on that leg of yours?"
Grace nodded, glancing up at Danny. She raised her arms and he reached down and picked her up. It wouldn't be too long now before she'd be too big for him to carry.
They went back downstairs, and Danny set her on the couch, sitting down next to her, holding her hand as Steve applied the cream to the welts on her leg.
"Better?" Steve asked when he'd finished.
Grace nodded, leaning against Danny.
"So what should we do, Monkey? You want to watch one of your movies?" Danny asked, looking down at her and cradling the back of her neck with his hand.
"Don't you and Uncle Steve have to go to work?" Grace asked, a worried frown creasing her forehead.
"Nope," Steve walked to the bookcase where they kept Grace's stockpile of movies. "I already called Chin. He and Auntie Kono are holding down the fort. If we get a call, I'll go, and Danny can stay with you. How does that sound?"
"Okay," Grace murmured, though the furrow in her brow remained.
"So what'll it be? Tangled? Brave? The Little Mermaid?" Steve began flipping through the movies.
"You can pick, Uncle Steve," Grace said softly, her eyes downcast.
Steve exchanged a look with Danny and then crossed back over to the couch, sitting down on the coffee table in front of Grace.
"What's the matter, sweetheart?" Steve asked in concern, tracing one finger around the crown of her head and tucking her long brown hair behind one ear. "You still feeling okay? Your chest doesn't hurt does it?"
Grace pursed her lips and shook her head.
"You promise?" Steve asked, "Because it's really important you tell us if it does."
"I promise," Grace whispered, tears welling in her eyes.
"Gracie, what's wrong?" Steve took her small hands in his.
Grace burrowed her cheek against Danny's shoulder, her eyes once again laser focused on the floor. She whispered, "I'm sorry, Uncle Steve. Please don't be mad at me." Several tears spilled down her cheeks. "I didn't mean to go in the water."
"I'm not mad at you Grace," Steve said firmly, cocking his head at Danny's distraught little girl. "But I am curious about why you did it. Do you want to tell us what happened?"
Grace nodded, finally looking up at Steve. But Danny could still feel how tense her body was.
"I was looking for shells," Grace explained, her voice so low that Steve had to lean closer to hear her. "I couldn't find the right one, but then the waves went out and I saw it. I thought I had time to run and get it. But then the waves came back up, and I felt something hit my leg. And it hurt so bad."
Grace's voice quivered, tears threatening to stream down her face. "I'm so sorry, Uncle Steve."
"Why that shell, Gracie?" Danny pulled his child into a hug, kissing the top of her head in comfort. "There are always plenty of shells on the beach. I don't understand why that one was so important."
"Because it looked like the one Billy had yesterday at school. Tommy was being mean to him, and he took it and broke it. Billy was so upset." Grace turned her face up to Danny, her large brown eyes somehow both indignant and sorrowful at the same time.
"I couldn't stop him, Danno. I tried to be brave like you and Uncle Steve, but Tommy just laughed at me, and I couldn't make him stop. He threw the shell on the ground and it broke." Tears again streamed down her face, her shoulders slumped in defeat. "I just wanted to give Billy his shell back."
"You don't think what you did was brave?" Steve asked, tucking his index finger under Grace's chin, gently turning her face up to look at him.
"If it had been you or Daddy or Auntie Kono, you would have made him give Billy's shell back. I could have kicked him, or hit him, but I didn't," Grace swiped angrily at the tears running down her cheeks. "I just stood there, and didn't do anything."
"What do you mean you didn't do anything?" Danny looked incredulously at his daughter. "You stood up to a bully, Grace. I couldn't be more proud of you, baby." He squeezed her tightly and kissed her cheek.
"Your dad's right, Grace," Steve said huskily, placing one hand on Grace's knee and squeezing gently.
"But I couldn't stop him," Grace said, her voice full of remorse.
"Look Monkey," Danny sighed, turning Grace on his lap so he could look her in the eye. "It's time we got something straight here. Me, Uncle Steve, Uncle Chin and Auntie Kono, we try to catch the bad guys. We do the very best we can, but sometimes they get away, or… they hurt someone else before we can stop them. Sometimes it has to be enough that you tried your best."
"Let me ask you something Grace," Steve interjected when Grace looked less than convinced by her father's words. "How many kids were in the schoolyard when Tommy was being mean to Billy?"
"A lot," Grace said.
"And how many stepped in to help you stop Billy?" Steve asked.
"No one," Grace answered with a small shrug.
"So everyone but you, Gracie, just stood there and did nothing?" Steve shook his head in disgust. "It took courage to stand up to Tommy. And then this morning, your only thought was to replace Billy's shell. I'm with your dad on this one, Grace. I couldn't be more proud. You may not be physically as strong as Tommy, but you are strong inside. That's called strength of character. You tell me which one you think is more important."
Grace smiled, finally meeting Steve's eyes.
"And you know what else?" Steve asked, his eyes twinkling.
Grace shook her head.
"Your dad and I are going to help you complete your mission," Steve grinned. He stood up and motioned Danny and Grace to do the same.
"Are you gonna go beat up Tommy?" Grace asked hopefully.
Danny groaned, refusing to acknowledge that the image of Steve wrestling Tommy to the ground brought him no small amount of pleasure.
"No," Steve chuckled. "We're gonna find Billy's shell."
"Yeah?" Danny glanced down at Grace and arched one eyebrow at her. At her happy nod he stood up, lifting her up in his arms. He followed Steve outside, down towards the beach.
"Shout out when you see the shell you're looking for," Steve called, his eyes scouring the beach.
Danny followed along behind, Grace's arms loose around his neck. He was going to miss it when she was too big for him to hold like this. She was growing up so fast. Too fast. He wasn't ready for it. Not even close.
"There, Uncle Steve!" Grace shouted, pointing towards something glistening in the wet sand where the water was rushing out towards the sea.
Steve sprinted across the sand, bending down to pick up the large shell. He held it up to Grace in triumph.
Grace screamed, pointing towards the ocean. "Hurry Uncle Steve! The water's coming back!"
Steve glanced behind him, noting how swiftly the water was rushing back up the beach. There had been warnings all across Oahu about jellyfish swarms. It was why Steve had been adamant about Grace staying out of the water. There was a good chance the water was still filled with them.
"Uncle Steve, run!" Grace hollered.
Steve grinned, gripped the shell in his hand and raced the water up the beach, reaching dry land just as the wave petered out and the water began to wash back out to the ocean.
"My lady," Steve grinned, handing the shell over to Grace.
"Thank you Uncle Steve," Grace beamed at him.
"You can give it to Billy when you go back to school tomorrow," Steve slipped one arm around Danny's waist.
"And I'll be having a talk with your principal about Tommy," Danny grumped, settling Grace more comfortably against his hip.
"Can we watch Tangled now?" Grace asked, resting her head on her father's shoulder as she carefully held onto her precious shell.
"We absolutely can," Steve nodded. "How's your leg feeling?"
"It hurts," Grace admitted softly.
"Doc said we could try some baby aspirin for pain," Steve said, separating off into the kitchen to get it as Danny continued on into the living room.
Danny had Grace settled against his thigh, her sore leg propped on a couch cushion by the time Steve rejoined them, a glass of water and a couple of small pills in his hand.
Danny helped Grace take her aspirin as Steve popped the movie in the DVD player. Danny patted the empty spot next to him on the couch, and Steve settled in. Danny leaned against his chest and Steve rested his arm around his boyfriend's broad shoulders.
Twenty minutes into the movie, Grace fell asleep, her breathing slow and rhythmic. With Steve running his fingers soothingly through his hair, Danny was having a hard time keeping his own eyes open.
"I want kids," Steve said quietly.
"What?" Danny whipped his head around to look up at Steve. "You want what?"
"Kids," Steve looked down at Danny. "I didn't really know for sure until today."
"You really are insane, you know that, right?" Danny squeezed Steve's knee fondly. "Today would have scarred a normal person, had them running in the opposite direction from parenthood and sudden heart attacks."
"Are you okay with that?" Steve asked, his hand stilling on Danny's shoulder, his eyes suddenly unsure.
"Yeah," Danny said thoughtfully. "I'm okay with that. Are you positive?" He glanced down at Grace, gently running his fingers along her arm. "I mean, it's non stop terror from the day they're born. Not to mention the college fund."
"This is worth it." Steve slipped his arm around Danny's chest, settling his chin on top of Danny's head. "Believe me, I'm sure."
"How many?" Danny yawned, snuggling his cheek against Steve's shoulder.
"A baker's dozen," Steve smiled.
"Jesus," Danny groaned. "You are certifiable. Let's just start with one."
"We'll negotiate numbers later," Steve said confidently.
"In any case, we're gonna need a bigger house," Danny mumbled around another yawn. "And more naps," he sighed.
"I think that can be arranged." Steve set his cheek against Danny's hair.
Danny snuggled against Steve's chest, glancing drowsily down at his daughter. Not a day went by he didn't worry about her, and it didn't get any better the older she got. It only got worse. And here he was, ready to embark on parenthood all over again with Steve.
Grace let out a small sigh, stirring slightly before drifting back into sleep, her face peaceful.
Danny reached up and took Steve's hand. "We have some decisions to make. Surrogacy. Adoption…"
"I know," Steve squeezed Danny's fingers. "We'll figure it out."
Danny nodded, not doubting for a minute that they would.
A/N: I can't seem to stop writing fluffy little fics right now. There's not even any hurt Danny in this one. I don't know what's wrong with me… :D
Thanks as always to my fabulous beta JoaniexJony, who got this one back to me amazingly fast! You're awesome babe!