I own nothing. Enjoy.
The first thing Danny saw was Steve. He was leaning over his knees, gasping for breath in a way that was distinctly unseal-like. That disturbed Danny the most. His face was streaked with dirt and sweat, but it was easy to see how pale he was. Danny grabbed his arm as an explosion sounded from somewhere way to close.
"Steve?" he questioned, trying to ignore the way Steve's arm was trembling in his grasp. Steve waved him off, gesturing to Tani and Junior. They were both looking older and more mature then he remembered, guns drawn as they carefully moved around Steve as though they were expecting him to break down. Danny shook his head and tightened his grip on Steve's arm as his partner regained his ability to breathe regularly.
"Danny we knew this...this was going to happen. You can't let it distract you," Steve grumbled, pulling his arm out of Danny's grip.
Danny scoffed, settling one hand on his hip while the other waved around trying to prove his point. "Well excuse me if I was worried because my crazy partner, who just happens to have radiation poisoning, sounded like he was dying." Steve sighed, glancing sadly at Danny.
"Danno, we can't just pretend this isn't happening. For goodness sake, I have cancer and I am going to die," Steve said with a hint of sadness hidden behind his snappy tone. Danny stared at Steve in shock, sure that he had heard wrong. Steve couldn't be…
No, this had to be wrong. There was no way that this was true. Steve was Steve. He was stubborn and strong and he always beats the odds.
"W-what?" he gasped, desperately trying to make sense of the situation. Any reasoning behind what Steve just said. Please let it be anything else….
-page break-
Danny was sure that he had never been so proud and so heartbroken all in the same moment. He was watching his little girl, his beautiful, intelligent daughter, cry her eyes out in a wedding gown. She was having second thoughts and as much as Danny wanted to delay this moment, he knew she was ready and he was so incredibly proud of her. He even grudgingly accepted Lou Grover's son as a suitable husband.
He watched as her tears were replaced with smiles, happy that despite her moving on, he could still sometimes be her hero. She hugged him, whispering into his ear, " I love you Danno. And I'm so glad that Uncle Steve gets to be here today."
Danny hugged his daughter as fear gripped his heart, remembering what Steve had told him and praying that it wasn't true. "Me too, monkey. Me too."
He saw Steve as he walked his daughter down the aisle and almost wished he hadn't. Steve was smiling with all the pride and happiness Danny always thought he would have on this day, but he was watching the proceedings from a wheelchair with an oxygen tube snaking beneath his nose. -page break-
Danny was so proud to have a son. He was absolutely thrilled as he watched his son graduating the police academy. He was grinning, sitting beside his ohana as they came out to support one of their own. He laughed as the ceremony ended, glancing to the seat on his left.
His smile melted from his face. The person sitting next to him wasn't who he wanted to see. He looked around but that only confirmed what he already knew. Steve wasn't there and he wouldn't have missed this if there was any way he could have been there.
Danny posed for all the pictures, trying to ignore the presence that was always missing. "Danno, I know that today's supposed to be my day, but can we go see uncle Steve in the hospital? I..I really missed him today."
Danny nodded, ignoring the burn behind his eyes. He hugged his son as they walked toward the car.
Danny would be lying if he said that seeing Steve in the hospital didn't make those tears fall. It wasn't quite real until right now. Steve was paperthin with flaky pale skin. He looked exhausted, but Danny smiled slightly as his partner gave his best smile for Charlie's pictures on his big day. Danny knew that he couldn't have long and he knew that part of Steve was already gone.
- page break-
Danny sighed as he took in the delicious smells coming from the kitchen around them as the staff hustled around him. He could hear the loud laughter coming from the front, but he got the distinct feeling that something was amiss. He watched as his employees laughed with each other while they worked.
"Danny," a blonde hostess called from behind him. "Grace called. She said they will be at the cemetery in an hour and that I am to remind you to leave. We've got it here." Danny nodded as he grabbed his jacket and walked past her, smiling at the people enjoying the meals around them. "Oh and Danny," she whispered, grabbing his arm. "I didn't know him well but tell him hi for me." Danny nodded as he got an awful feeling in his gut. Once again, he felt like someone was missing. He took a step out into the rain, glancing up at the sign illuminated overhead. Steve's. Danny stumbled back a step. His breath caught in his throat as he shook his head desperately. No no no no. That wasn't supposed to be the name. That would mean… no.
Danny wasn't sure what happened next, but soon he was walking through a wet cemetery toward a small group of people huddled around a gravestone. He hugged his children to him as he knelt in the mud next to the stone. He let out a sob fingers tracing the name engraved in the stone. He suddenly felt the weight of loneliness that he had been trying to ignore. He was gone. He wasn't coming back. Suddenly, the harsh tropical storm seemed to be utterly appropriate.
Steven John Mcgarrett
Navy seal
Beloved son and brother
Ohana
1977-2020
-page break-
When Danny blinked away the fogginess, he saw Steve's face floating into focus above him. All he could think about was that even if he was dead, he was just glad to be with his Steve again.
So let me know what you think!
Should I write more?
Should I make it Mcdanno or just friendly?