Summary: It only took a moment, one moment he was there and then he was gone.
Major Character Death. (Danny)
Some type of strong Danny/Steve relationship
"Hurry up, Danny!" Steve shouted as they ran after their suspect.
"Only you could go to the grocery store and find a murder suspect." Danny grouched as he raced after Steve.
The two ducked behind cover as the suspect opened fire at them as he ran, hardly looking back to see if he hit them as he kept running.
"You good, Danny?" Steve asked as he stood up, ready to continue the chase.
"Yeah, go after him." Danny returned, "I'll be right behind you."
"Good, okay." Steve said and raced after the man.
Danny leaned back against the dumpster he had ducked behind and looked down at his hands, shaking a little as he pulled them away from the wound to see how bad it was.
His hands were covered in his own blood and as he pressed his palms back against the bullet wound red liquid spilled out between his fingers.
Danny leaned his head back against the dumpster and let his eyes close.
"Danny! DANNY!" Steve shouted as he shook the other man.
"Steve?" Danny asked, gazing up at Steve blurily.
"Hey, Danno, why didn't you tell me you were hit?" Steve asked softly as he pressed tighter against Danny's hands.
"Di'ju ge' 'im?" Danny asked.
"Shh, yeah, I got him, the ambulance will be here soon." Steve told Danny.
Danny smiled at Steve and let his eyes drift closed.
"Danny! Danno! You need to stay awake, stay awake for me, okay? For Gracie." Steve said frantically to the blond man.
Danny blinked and lifted one of his hands to rest on Steve's cheek, one of Steve's holding it there when it began to slide off.
"I'm sorry." Danny whispered as he drifted away while the sirens crept closer.
"Danny! Danny, hold on, the ambulance is almost here. Danny! DANNY!" Steve shouted.
Steve's hands shook as he listened to the doctor's apologies and he wondered how he was going to tell Gracie that he had gotten her father killed.
Steve stood next to the metal table that Danny rested on.
"You look like you're just sleeping." Steve whisperd.
~Babe.~ Danny's voice said from behind him, Steve didn't turn, he knew it wasn't real.
~It wasn't your fault, babe.~
"I should have waited for back up."
~I was the back up and you caught him, babe.~"
"But you're gone." Steve whispered.
"Hey." Chin began.
"Don't try to tell me it wasn't my fault, we both know better." Steve interrupted.
"Steve..."
"Chin, don't... just don't."
"Rachel's here, she wants o talk to you and Grace wants to hug her Uncle Steve."
"I can't, I can't leave him, Chin." Steev whispered.
~I'll be fine, babe, take care of my Monkey.~
"I'm sorry, Rachel. It only took a moment," Steve lied, "One minute he was there and then he was gone." Steve told her softly.
"I wish you were a better liar, McGarret." Rachel whispered as she scrubbed at her eyes, "Then maybe I could believe you."
The funeral was beautiful.
Gracie sat on the surfboard infront of Steve, she had refused to leave his side since he told her and even Rachel didn't have the heart to make her leave.
Grace sniffled and leaned back against Steve as the Hawaiian Priest spoke Hawaiian and Rachel dumped the urn gently into the water.
Steve thought that Danny would have hated to have his final resting place be the ocean and he could almost hear Danny's rant but he knew the man would have been glad to know that he would be with Gracie everytime she surfed, protecting her.
Steve and Grace removed their leis and let them float on the ocean's surface.
Grace turned so she was sitting sideways on the surfboard and pulled Steve's arms around her.
She looked up at Steve.
"Can we stay a little longer?" She asked quietly as the others began to paddle back to shore.
"Yeah." Steve whispered, curling around the child a little, resting his chin on the top of her head.
Steve paddled slowly back to the beach, Gracie sleeping quietly, lulled by exhaustion and the gentle rocking of the waves that surrounded them.
When he reached the shore Steve lifted Grace up carefully and walked into his house where they had agreed on having the wake.
Steve quietly let himself into the house and carried Gracie up the stairs to the room she had claimed as hers long ago.
Steve tucked the little girl into the dolphin blankets without a sound and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead.
"Danno loves you." Steve whispered quietly before exiting the room, leaving the door slightly ajar as he leaned against the wall next to the door.
After a moment Steve let himself slide down the wall and rest his head against his pulled up knees, trying to keep his breathing even and his tears from falling.
~It's okay to cry, babe, healthy even.~ Danny's voice said from beside him.
"You're not real." Steve whispered as he leaned his head back against the wall, his legs straightening out.
~You don't have to be strong all the time, Superseal.~
"Why are you here?" Steve asked the vision before him.
~Because you haven't let me go yet, babe.~
"I can't, I can't let you go, Danno, not now, not in fifty years. It's my fault, I didn't listen, no matter how many times you said it." Steve murmured, "You paid the price for my disregard of the rules."
~Is this an exclusive pity party or can anyone join?~
"Danno..." Steve whispered.
~No, it's my turn, Superseal, you have to take care of them, break down, yell, scream, cry. They are all waiting for you to crack, do it so they can help put you back together, not all the pieces will be there but you will be. You'll be there for Grace when she goes to prom, when she gets married, when she has her children and when we see eachother again, you'll tell me everything, okay?~
Steve looked at the kneeling vision that wore Danny's face with tears in his eyes.
"Okay, Danno." Steve whispered as he finally let the tears fall.
~Okay, Steven.~ The vision's eyes crinkled at the edges as he smiled, ~Goodbye, Steve, until we meet again, and it better be a long time before then, you hear me?~
The vision faded away silently with a tiny wave.
"Okay, Danno." Steve whispered again as he began to sob.
"Uncle Steve?" Gracie asked, opening her door quietly as she approached the sobbing man.
Steve couldn't say anything, just opened his arms for the child and they sat there crying together until morning came, filling the hallway with sunlight and the sound of movement downstairs drifted up to them.
"We should head down now." Gracie said softly, "Mom's been worried about you."
Steve looked down at the little girl who looked up at him, her eyes red and swollen from crying.
Steve swallowed and nodded, not quite trusting himself to speak, he wasn't sure yet if he ever would but he would have to sooner or later, he would have to threaten Gracie's boyfriends, teach her husband and sons to shoot and have tea parties with her and her daughters, because Danny couldn't and when he saw Danny again he wanted to tell the man he kept his promise to take care of Grace, he couldn't, wouldn't, break that promise.
And he would see Danny again. It would only take a moment, he would be here and then Steve would be gone, because he would go in his sleep some fifty years from now, he would be with Danny again and it would be perfect, like it should be, Danny would probably rant at him for taking so long and it would wonderful.
Afterall he had a Monkey to look after and protect.
And maybe if he was lucky it would only feel like a moment.
A/n:Please don't ask.