A/N: I wrote a couple of H50 stories five years ago. One of them, The Promise, I was really proud of. Since then, I've been an NCIS girl, but my brain is in a creative desert. I haven't watched H50 since season 2, but recently reviewed like 60 episodes, but I find that I have missed the McDanno. This is 4-6 chapter angst fest. I hope you read and let me know. Sheila

Auntie

Chapter 1

"You are aware that I'm shorter than you, right?"

Steve sighed. It was the start of something, and he'd learned that there was no avoiding the impending rant. "I am aware of this."

"Every time you allow me to drive my own car, I have to re-adjust my seat again because I don't have long, spindly legs." Danny barely glanced at the beautiful ocean view out his passenger side window.

"Spindly?" Steve frowned, his hands gripping the steering wheel.

"Yes. I said spindly," Danny replied.

Steve nodded slowly. Danny was a master at the cargument; sometimes, it was best to just let it play out.

The hands began chopping air. "I hate adjusting the seat. Adjusting the seat is a science. You find your sweet spot once, but somehow that notch- that sweet spot- becomes forever elusive. It can never again be found."

"I'll try to return it to its original position whenever I get out of the car."

Danny screwed up his face. "You know that's impossible. You don't know my sweet spot."

Steve resisted the urge to take advantage of the open door his partner was offering. Instead, he pursed his lips. "Danny, I apologize for that. I realize that must be uncomfortable for you."

Danny narrowed his eyes at McGarrett for a long time. "What's wrong with you?"

"What? I apologized, Danny. What do you want?"

"Exactly! You apologized. Something's wrong. What have you done?"

"I haven't done anything," he said, his eyes glued to the road.

"Okay, what haven't you done…yet?"

"Danny, I—"

Williams put up a hand. "I know you. I know you like I know my own mother. It started yesterday afternoon. You took a call. Closed the door to your office. Kept glancing at me furtively through your window like I was a gun runner."

"Furtively?"

"Yeah. Furtively. Read a damn book."

"I did not glance at you…furtively."

"You did. And then afterwards, you asked me out for a beer and you paid."

"I, I don't know—"

"Don't lie to me, Steven. If you're not going to tell me, then respect me enough not to lie."

Steve let out air and focused on the road for a while.

Danny threw up his hands. "I thought we were friends."

Steve raised his eyebrows. "If friendship were defined as sadomasochism…"

Danny glared at him. "Do me a favor. Go back to not talking." He reached over and turned up a classic 70's rock station. I'm not in Love by 10cc blared.

Steve smiled. "Love this song."

"Shut up," Danny growled. "Focus on the road."

They were silent for about five minutes and then McGarrett bit lip. "I'm going to tell ya'. You're going to get aneurysm face, but I'm going to tell ya'."

"I don't get—" Danny stopped himself. "Just speak. I'm going to listen like a reasonable human being."

Steve snorted.

"What?"

"I'm going to tell ya'."

"Do it already."

Steve muttered under his breath. "Then shut up and listen! I got a call from Rachel."

Danny froze. "Why would she call you? How did you end up in her loop of communication?"

"Loop of communication? You know what, Danny, this is going to take hours if you jump in every three words. I have a meeting with the governor in an hour."

Danny dragged his thumb and forefinger across his mouth.

"Yeah, right," Steve chuckled. "Okay, she needs my help with…Grace."

Danny gave a strangled grunt, and Steve could see the color rise in his face. "Jesus, Danny. Do you own a blood pressure cuff? We gotta start recording these readings."

"Talk!"

"She wants me to have a talk with her about boys," Steve said spitting out the words hard and fast.

Danny shook his head. "Not possible."

"Danny, you told Grace last month that boys are sociopaths. In my presence, you have referred to the boys in her class as pond scum, degenerates, and dirty, vile reptiles."

Danny shrugged. "So?"

Steve sighed. "Rachel says that you have talked to Grace about the virtues of lesbianism."

"So, now you and Rachel are homophobes."

"I have no problem with the LGBT community. If Grace was gay, I would support her wholeheartedly, but I don't think she's leaning in that direction."

"We don't know that yet, do we?"

"Danny, there isn't a father in the world with a more special relationship with their daughter, but she is entering a very delicate time in her life. She is not a little girl anymore. She's interested in boys, and the more you disparage them, the more she'll become secretive. Please understand that."

"Well, thank you, Dr. Phil." Danny folded arms tightly against his chest.

"You know I'm right. You know it."

"She's 13, Steve. She's not allowed to think about boys yet. I do know teen-age girls. I have sisters. They didn't think about boys at 13. I made sure of it."

"Times are different, Danny. She needs someone to have a rational conversation with her about this."

Danny worked his mouth and stared at the front windshield for a long time. "Then we'll do it together."

Steve shook his head. "I wish that were possible, bruddah, but you know you."

Danny grimaced. "You think I don't worry about this? I am a maniac. I know this. I know that adolescent girls are dangerous, emotional creatures. My sisters treated my parents like criminals until they finally went off to college. Last week, Gracie disappeared into the bathroom for an hour, and when I asked what she was doing in there, she wouldn't talk to me for the rest of the night. She accuses me of dumping her phone when I seriously haven't done that for like six months. I don't want us to spend the next six years at war."

Steve nodded. "You can't let your fears rule you and you can't protect her from everything. She'll make mistakes and she'll get hurt, and then she'll learn from it."

Danny's mouth twitched. "I'm not comfortable with that."

"She's smart and good, she has a heart of gold, and she is surrounded by people who love her. She will make good decisions. She's a lot like her father. She has a very strong sense of right and wrong."

He nodded. "She will make good decisions, won't she? Alright, Uncle Steve, what are you going to tell her?"

Steve felt the energy deflate from his partner.

"That she is royalty, and that if she runs into a character that treats her less than that, he is no good. I will also tell her that you and I will hunt down any scumbag that disrespects her."

"I like it."

"And I'm going to tell her that she needs to find a boy that reminds her of you- someone who has an strong sense of doing right, who is fiercely loyal, and who refuses to take shortcuts in life."

Danny looked away. "You don't mean it. You're trying to make up for the fact that you get to have the talk that I should have with her."

"Are you capable of having a rational talk with your daughter about males- one where you don't alienate her?" He said, looking at Danny out of the corner of his eye.

Danny narrowed his eyes and stabbed a finger at Steve. "I used to be one of those little sons of bitches. You're still one. I know exactly what they are thinking. Animals- the whole rotten lot of them."

Steve winced. "Breathe, Danny. Breathe."

…

"Hey Steve," Kono said, looking up from her desk. "How did it go?"

Steve looked around. "He here?"

Chin chuckled. "Earlier. But he couldn't sit still. Said he was going to drive around the island looking for crime."

Steve rolled his eyes. "It wasn't that big a deal. It was just a talk. Then I dropped her at the airport for her class trip."

"So, how did it go?" Kono persisted.

He shrugged. "You tell me what happens in the mind of a 13 year old. She nodded a lot, but other than that, I have no idea what she was thinking. You were a girl. What happens in your heads when you're a teen-ager?"

She smiled. "Ahhh, it's complicated."

He threw up his hands. "What does that mean? Females always say that. Catherine probably said that to me a thousand times. What does that mean?"

Kono shrugged. "If I told you, I'd have to kill you. Girl code."

"Please. If I screwed this up, Danny is going to kill me."

"You didn't screw anything up. She is going to be fine."

"Well, tell him, okay?"

"Hey," Chin said. "Didn't she leave on her first school trip off island?"

"Yup. I just dropped her off at the plane."

Kono winced. "Danny is going to be a bear until she gets back."

"Well, we know it comes from a good place," Steve said as he settled down in front of his laptop. "We can handle it, right?"

Chin nodded. "A walk in the park."

"I'll pick up one of those New York style pizzas he likes for lunch," Kono said. "That'll cheer him up."

"That's the spirit, guys."

….

"Rachel I just think I should know when you're going to have a meathead like Steven talk to our daughter about important issues, you should consult with me…I know I am not rational on this subject, but I am trying and I am her father and this is part of what I should be doing as her father…I know, I know. I just thought dating girls was a viable option…Okay, okay. Listen, the phone is making that sound…you know, the sound that tells me there is a text. Steve has been texting lately. I hate it. I can't even read them unless I stop the car. I gotta stop the car every time he does that. I told him not to write to me on the phone, but it doesn't stop him. He does it anyway, that big mook…It's a word! Yes, it is a word. In Jersey, it's a word. I have said it many times…Okay, I gotta stop now. Bye."

Danny sighed and eased the car over to the side of the road. He looked at the phone and saw a picture of Grace getting on the Island jumper plane. He smiled until he saw that the text was not from Steve. The dots started telling him another message was coming. Then the words, Is she safe?

His breath caught and he stabbed at his phone with his forefinger, Who is this?

More dots, What do u know about white slavery?

Danny bit his lip, This better be an ugly joke!

Dots, No joke. She's young and fine. That age bring top dollar. I can have her on freighter to Asia in one hour. She not on island anymore. Out of your grasp.

Danny breathed in and ran his fingers through his hair. His fingers were shaky and it took him three tries to create a coherent response. What do u want?

For u to hurt.

He licked lips and texted slowly. U want me. Not her.

Get to Maui in 2 hours or imagine five years of her life as someone's toy.

Danny squeezed his eyes shut and took a breath. His whole body shuddered. His fingers fumbled the phone and it clattered to the floor of his car. He cursed and grabbed it. I'm there. I can do it. U don't touch her.

Another photo showed up and it was Grace with a group of girls in the Maui airport. Danny felt bile rise up in his throat. His fingers managed to get I'm coming out before he hit Grace's number. Two rings in and it went to voice mail. His eyes watered and he dialed another number. Then he hit speaker and put it on the dash before shifting the car into drive. "Steve! Grace is in trouble!"

The voice on the other end was exactly what he needed. "Slow down, Danny. Take it from the top."

"I don't know who, but there are pictures! They have pictures in Maui! They want me or they take her! I can't have that."

"Someone is rattling your chain, Danny. Anybody can take pictures."

"It's borrowed time again. How many men have I killed or put in jail? What about Reyes' family? He has family."

"Is it Reyes? Did they say it was the cartel?"

It's texting. It's all texting. I have to be in Maui in two hours."

"It's a setup, Danny. They're setting you up."

He shrugged, tears on his cheeks. "Then they can have me. I can't not do this, Steve. I have to get to Maui."

"Danny, I can have the helo ready at Mokulele in ten minutes, but this is a bonehead move."

"She didn't answer her phone."

"Her teacher took all the phones before they got on the plane."

"Okay, okay. What is the teacher's cell?"

"I don't know, Danny. I just dropped her off."

"Steve!"

"I'll call Rachel. She has it. And I'll have a detail on Grace in ten minutes which is why I don't think it is necessary for you to go anywhere."

"I can't breathe, Steve. I won't be able to take a decent breath until I can see and touch her again. He talked about sex slavery. I can't…"

"Yeah, I know. I'm going to have undercover at the Maui airport waiting when you arrive."

"Just get her off the street, Steve."

"You don't have to do this, Danny."

"You know I do. Call me when she's safe."

Danny dropped the phone onto the seat and focused on the road. The road up to the helo pad was narrow and winding along steep cliffs. Danny always hated this drive. In addition to claustrophobia, he had a fear of heights, but he didn't like the idea of sharing all of his fears with Steve so he always kept his eyes looking straight ahead on the turns. He wasn't thinking about any of that now. His focus was solely on stemming the anxiety flooding his gut, and so he didn't notice the truck starting to crowd his bumper. The first hit was a surprise, and he gripped the wheel hard as he struggled to stay on the road.

The first hit might be a coincidence, but the second hit brought everything into focus. The front bumper hit the railing and glanced off. It took all of his strength to stay on the road. Instead of fear, he suddenly felt a sense of relief. Grace wasn't in danger. Someone needed him panicked and racing up a deserted mountain road to the helo pad. Nothing was happening in Maui. The game was right here.

Danny hit the gas, but the truck must have had an enhanced engine because he couldn't lose it. It sped up again, and Danny braced for impact. The truck hit him hard, and the car hit the railing and then climbed it. Danny howled as his body slammed into the windshield.

…

Chin Ho soothed. "Rachel, I promise you that if I knew something I would tell you…probably just a false alarm and you know how Danny is. He always puts her first…Kono is on the phone right now getting Grace secured in Maui…"

"Danny, pick up! I swear to God, Danny, you don't pick up and I'm going to pound you!" Steve slammed the phone down. "Lou, what is his location?"

Grover hunched over the table. "I can't get this Star Trek computer table to do a damn thing for me."

"Where's Jerry?!"

"On his way," Chin mouthed as he went back to calmly Rachel on the phone.

"Kono!" Steve shouted.

She looked up from her phone. "Waiting to hear that Grace is secured. They are at the Aquarium."

"Give that phone to Lou, and get a GPS on Danny!"

"They don't have that little girl yet?" Lou growled. "Give me that phone! This is something I do well."

Kono headed to the table. Lou grabbed the phone and barked. "Get me your captain now!"

Steve stood up and started pacing. "They say Danny never made it to the helo pad. Come on, Kono. He should've been there ten minutes ago. I got a feeling about this. I got a feeling."

"Cops don't have the luxury of operating on island time!" Grover boomed into the phone.

Steve looked at him. "I want good news on Gracie, and I want it now!"

Jerry trotted into the room. "What's happening?"

"Find Danny!" Steve pointed at the table. To his credit, Jerry didn't hesitate. He settled in next to Kono and went to work.

"You got her? What does that mean?" Lou let out a big sigh and looked up. "They have her!"

Steve leaned over and took a breath. Chin relayed the message to Rachel.

"Oh, she want to talk to me?" Grover's eyebrows went up for a moment. Then he put his hand over the receiver. "This one is just like her old man. Our little Grace says that Danno has officially ruined her life and she'll never forgive him."

Steve straightened again. "Tell her I'll call her in a few and apologize for her crazy father."

Kono looked up. "We got his location. Car is stopped about five miles below the helo pad."

"Stopped? Why stopped?" Steve worried his lip. "Chin, call him again."

Jerry sighed. "Phone is dead. No GPS. No nothing."

Steve closed his eyes. "Okay. Let's say Gracie was never a target. Someone just wanted to rattle Danny. There's no better way to do it than to threaten her."

Kono nodded. "They just needed someone to take pictures of her at both airports. That would send him into a tailspin."

"A rattled Danny is a distracted Danny," Chin added.

Then his phone rang and he picked it up. "Hey Duke…" Steve watched Chin's face change after a moment and then he hung up.

"What?"

"Duke says there was an accident on old Mana'olana road."

"That's the road to the helo pad, isn't it?" Kono said softly.

"Duke, ah, thinks we better go up there. He said we should all come."

Steve was staring at the floor. "Okay. Okay."

He couldn't look at any of them as they headed for their vehicles.

…..

TBC