A/N: I am absolutely in love with Hawaii Five-0, but this is the first fic I've written for the show, and I'm gonna start my telling you that in my opinion my second is much better. However, I'm publishing this first, so here's how it's gonna go…
Firstly, I'm British. Though I have altered the vocab to fit US language in some circumstances, I don't always change my spelling, so sorry if that desperately bothers you. Secondly, I want the truth. Praise and criticism – preferably constructive – are both massively appreciated. And lastly, because I want to get this one up ASAP so that I can begin publishing my preferred fic, this is going to go up over the course of the next two days.
To give you an idea of the length, it's currently at 7500 words, but it will almost definitely increase as I make final changes.
Danny frantically rushes around his apartment, doing everything in his power to get himself and his unexpected - but entirely welcome - guest ready to leave. He's not supposed to have Grace this weekend, but Rachel and Step-Stan have once again left him hanging, and the circumstances aren't making it easy. Finally they make it out of the front door and into the car, one small hold all and a tattered stuffed toy in tow. The light is still dim, and Hawaii is as calming as ever in the early hours. Danny throws the bag onto the back seat and reluctantly turns the car around to speed in the direction of Steve's house.
Feeling only the slightest twinge of guilt for intruding on his partner's weekend, Danny doesn't hesitate in knocking loudly on the window of the small building. His fist doesn't give up, and he continues the action for at least a minute before a shirtless Steve comes to the door. He opens it, revealing the sweatpants that cover his legs, and giving a clearer view of his hair, which spikes up at random angles in a messy disarray. The Navy training and years of experience and danger have seemed to prove their worth, and it obviously hasn't taken Steve long to adjust to his awakening. Though his appearance is less than formal, his eyes are fully open, his movements not showing a shadow of any fatigue. Despite the observation, Danny still notes the slight shadows under his eyes, and senses that despite the remarkable condition he finds his partner in, had they not been working for the last month solid, an even more alert Steve McGarrett may have greeted him.
Neither of the men says anything, instead choosing to give each other impatient looks of frustration. Danny turns back to the car and lifts an arm to beckon his daughter from her place in the passenger seat. Steve's confusion grows, his brows knitting together until he finally breaks. "Danny?"
Danny chooses the direct approach, hoping that due to his lack of energy, he'll be able to slip this one right by his boss. "I need you to take Grace for tonight."
Steve considers that for a moment, and it takes him a few seconds – his body may be awake, but his mind is still a couple of steps behind - to realise the unfamiliarity of the situation he finds himself in. Grace arrives on the porch just as he speaks, "Danny, it's six AM."
Danny looks around for a moment as he performs the usual array of completely unhelpful hand gestures, then let's out a long sigh. He knows that he'll have to explain the whole thing, and his words come out in a rush. "Rachel and Stan have gone to England for her mother's funeral, she dropped Grace off last night with last minute instructions to take care of her whilst she's away. Only problem is I need to go back to New Jersey to pick up some stuff I left in storage, and I've had the flights booked for weeks. I would ask Rachel to sort something out seeing as she has so many friends here but you and I both know that if I do that I'll never hear the last of it, and well, that won't be good for any of us. I'll have to spend 20 hours in the air, but I've brought my return flight forward so I can be back for tomorrow evening."
Steve takes an extra second to process all of the words and wonders for a fraction of a second why on earth he had been his first port of call. That split second is time enough for him to remember that outside of the Five-0, Danny doesn't really have any friends. In fact, the homesick haole has made a particular effort over the last several months not to make any friends in Hawaii in a vain attempt at keeping the door open for he and Grace to return to Jersey in the future.
Finally, Steve shrugs. "Okay."
Danny opens his mouth to protest before realising that Steve hasn't put up an argument. "Wait, what?"
Steve shrugs for the second time to emphasise his point. "Okay, I'll look after her." Sure, he had been hoping to use the weekend off to relax, do some swimming, catch up on some sun time, but ultimately, Danny comes first. Yes, Danny can be a sarcastic pain in the ass a lot – okay, the majority - of the time, but Steve knows full well how much Grace means to him. And if agreeing to look after Danny's daughter for a couple of days makes his access to his daughter easier, then Steve doesn't even need to think about the decision he is making. There's also the fact that if Danny has to call Rachel, he'll be in a bad mood for at least the next week.
Danny stares incredulously for a few more seconds, and Steve lowers himself slightly to reduce the distance between Grace's and his own head. He extends an arm and Grace obliges with a fist bump similar to the first one they exchanged a couple of weeks ago. They've met only once - and even then only briefly - since that disaster of a day, but Grace had seemed to like her father's partner, much to Danny's dismay. "Hi Grace, you remember me?"
Grace nods and smiles. "Uncle Steve!" He nods in agreement and produces a mirrored expression; he'd forgotten how much he had genuinely liked the girl. It wasn't that he hadn't liked kids before; just that he'd never really spent enough time with any.
Five minutes later, Danny turns to leave with the promise that he should be back by five PM the following - Sunday - evening. Yes, he may be leaving his daughter in the hands of a slightly self-absorbed idiot with a sense of power that far exceeds reality, but at least he knows his daughter will be safe.
Steve lets Grace's bag fall to the floor at the door and grabs a black vest from the back of the sofa. He quickly pulls it over his head in one swift movement and turns back to the girl that still waits by the wall. He watches her for just a few seconds as her head gradually turns around the room and her eyes scan for every minute detail of the house. Steve interrupts her process with a question, "Grace, did Danno feed you before he dropped you off or do you want something to eat?" He watches as she hesitates with uncertainty, and he remembers how Grace is; shy…at least until she's comfortable in your company. "I can make some pancakes?" he offers, and all hint of indecision disappears as she nods timidly and comes to sit down at the dinner table. That's the brilliant thing about kids; they're quick to make friends.
A/N: See you in a bit for the next chapter.