A/N: Thanks for all the wonderful reviews, faves and follows! You guys are awesome. Just for that, I bring you chapter two - the whumping shall now commence.

Grace watched as her dad rushed back into the burning house. She was very worried, but she had heard the woman's screams about her baby so she was more proud than worried. She could hear sirens getting closer and then realized that a familiar blue truck had just pulled up, and an equally as familiar figure was getting out, "Uncle Steve!"

Steve's head turned and he quickly ran towards Grace, "Gracie! Are you okay? Where's Danno?"

"He just went back inside," Grace explained.

"What?!"

"There's a baby inside."

Steve nodded; his partner could do nothing less. Steve scanned the house and saw billows of thick, black smoke flowing out the open front door and flames starting to lick the curtains and dance across the windows. He was torn between rushing in to help his partner and taking care of his partner's daughter. He knew what Danny would prefer, but as HPD cruisers and fire trucks pulled in, he knew that he could do both.

Grace gripped Steve's hand tightly as they watched the fire engines pull up to the house and firefighters burst forth and quickly had hoses primed and ready to go. Great jets of water were directed at the house within a minute of their arrival.

Steve quickly led Grace over to one of the HPD officers and waved at Duke who was just getting out of his car, "Duke, I need one of your guys here." Steve pointed at an officer.

Duke nodded, "Whatever you need, Commander. Why is Five-0 here anyway?"

Steve nodded at Grace, "Danny was dropping Grace off for a birthday party."

Duke looked around, an empty feeling growing in his stomach, "Where is Detective Williams?"

"He went back inside for a child asleep upstairs."

Duke nodded and glanced at the house. Flames could now be seen in the upper story as well.

"I'm going to take Officer Robertson here," Steve grabbed said officer by the arm. "And he's going to watch Grace while I go help Danny. Grace, you remember Officer Robertson, don't you?"

Grace nodded and gave Robertson a small smile. "Uh-huh."

"Good," Steve knelt down next to the girl, forcing himself to take a moment when all he wanted to do was rush after his partner. "I'm going to go make sure Danno is alright, okay?"

Grace nodded, biting her lip.

"Don't worry, I'll take care of him," He glanced at Robertson as he stood. "And Robertson here will take good care of you until Danno and I come out."

"Yes, sir," Robertson nodded. "She will stay with me until either you or Detective Williams tells me otherwise."

"See, Grace, you'll be fine." Steve knelt and gave her a quick hug before standing, nodding at Robertson and rushing towards the burning house.

H

5

0

As Steve rushed to the house, Danny was making his way down a long hallway towards where the child's mother had told him she would be. The smoke had thickened considerably and halfway up the stairs he had been forced to his knees in order to see under the smoke. He crawled down the hallway, left hand gliding along the wall as he went so he didn't lose his way. He pulled his tee shirt up over his mouth and nose but could still feel the hot, smoky air as he breathed.

Time blurred in the inky darkness as Danny crawled through the endless hallway. His mind was starting to wander when he suddenly bumped his head on something solid in front of him. He automatically rubbed the top of his head and shook it a little to clear the cobwebs. A small voice in the back of his mind told him that oxygen deprivation was starting to get to him. He squinted at the object in front of him which, upon closer inspection, turned out to be a door. He slid his hands up the door, searching for the doorknob. It turned easily in his hand when he found it.

Danny stumbled into the room and hastily closed the door behind him to keep as much fresh air in the room as possible. The air here was much clearer than what he had come from, the smoke mainly taking up the top several inches by the ceiling. Light from the window let him take in the decor which told him he was in the right place. He quickly spied the crib in the corner and dashed over to peer inside. He exhaled at the sight of a peacefully sleeping child about ten months of age. If the name stenciled over the crib was any indication, the child's name was Ashley.

"Hey, Ashley," Danny reached in to pick her up. "Let's get you out of here." Danny coughed as the words rasped out.

Danny looked at the door and was dismayed to see more smoke billowing in under the door and through the keyhole, and a quick glance around the room confirmed his suspicions that the room was now filling up with smoke. He quickly grabbed a light blanket from the crib and gently covered Ashley as he made his way to the window.

By the time Danny could get the window open, he was coughing more frequently and tears were running out of his reddened eyes. Ashley started to squirm and cry as well.

Outside, Steve had quickly been turned away from running into the house through the front door. A fireman directing a jet of water at the door pointed out that the flames surrounding the door would prevent anyone from entering especially if that someone didn't have any protective gear on, and Steve's board shorts and tee shirt definitely did not fit the bill.

"Excuse me," Steve approached a man who had a woman huddled against him who was crying uncontrollably. "Is it your baby in the house?"

The man nodded, "Yes, our daughter, Ashley, was taking a nap in the room. Oh, God, we didn't even think about her when we ran out. My wife realized it when we got outside."

"My partner's working on that," Steve assured them. "Where is her room? Can you point out her window?"

The man pointed to the far corner of the house, "Last window on this side."

"Thank you," Steve dashed over to the fire chief. "Chief, I have a man inside trying to save a baby. The parents say that's the window over there. Can you get a ladder up there? I don't think he's going to be able to get out any other way."

The chief nodded and quickly ordered his ladder truck put into position. Steve watched, trying not to fret as the truck slowly maneuvered closer. He flinched and glanced back at the house as what sounded like small explosions started to rock the house.

As the ladder truck was set in position and secured, Steve jumped onto the truck and without hesitation informed the fireman, "I'm coming with you. That's my partner up there, and he needs help. He'll be bringing a child out so you get the kid, and I'll take care of my partner."

The chief quietly nodded at the fireman's look and silent question. "He'd better hurry sounds like the house is starting to collapse. I can't risk sending anyone in right now."

Steve nodded and carefully followed the fireman up the ladder, keeping his eyes on the window to the child's bedroom.

Fireman Douglas was halfway up the ladder stretched out towards the room when the window opened and a slightly disheveled blond head suddenly appeared. The man was sucking in great gulps of the fresh air and tenderly cradling a blanket covered form.

"Danny!" Steve yelled when he saw his partner.

It took Steve yelling his name one more time for Danny to look up and find the source of it. He weakly waved a hand before gently placing it back on his precious bundle.

As Fireman Douglas reached the top of ladder, a mere foot from the window, he could see flames dancing behind the blond man. He reached out to take the baby from the man. As he settled the crying child in one arm, he reached out with his other hand, "C'mon!"

Danny shook his head, "You go. Get her down! I can get out on my own."

Fireman Douglas started to protest but was stopped by a hand on his shoulder. He had almost forgotten about the Five-0 task force leader behind him. "I got him. Get the baby down."

Before the man had a chance to respond, Steve had squeezed past him to take over the top spot on the ladder and Fireman Douglas began to descend with the child.

Danny watched as Steve changed places with the fireman. Danny could see Steve's lips moving and knew he was talking to him, but the noise was so loud that Danny couldn't hear him and he was much too tired to make the effort to read his lips. He felt like he was in a fog and couldn't focus. That little voice in the back of his head was now screaming at him, but he couldn't get his body to cooperate. He thought maybe he should get on the windowsill so he could get to the ladder, but his limbs felt like they weighed a ton.

Steve was yelling at Danny to get out but could tell his partner wasn't hearing him. Once Danny handed off the child, it was as if he had achieved his purpose and was unsure what to do next. Steve noticed the dazed expression on his friend's face and the too-slow way he was moving. Next thing he knew, Danny was sinking out of sight into the flaming room.

I know, I know, I am a mean person for leaving you hanging... I'll update soon so as not to leave you in suspense for too long.