Danny takes a couple of swallows and stares at the phone for a long moment before he can get up the courage to actually answer it.

"Kono?"

"Danny? Is that you? Chin's here, we just heard over the radio that...Is Steve alright, what happened?" Danny felt a brief stab of guilt at not having left to call her and Chin earlier to fill them in but one thought of the way Steve grasped his hand silenced it pretty quickly.

"It's not good Kono."

"What is it? Is she ok?"

"Mary" He had to pause and collect himself briefly "Kono, Mary didn't make it. The damage was too extensive. They couldn't help her." Danny could hear Kono's sob from the other end of the line and there was a murmuring before Chin's voice was in his ear, the man for once in his life didn't sound zen. The rough edge showed he was only holding it together for Kono's sake, just as Danny was holding on for Steve.

"How is he?" and Danny didn't ever want to hear that broken tone to Chin's voice again, nor Kono's quiet sobbing in the background.

"Pretty well considering but still not good. I'm worried he's going to revert, go back to being that Navy guy with no emotions and atrocious people skills. I'm pretty sure Abi is the only reason he's holding it together."

"Danny, it won't- Who's Abi?" after giving himself a quick mental kick for not explaining before Danny continued

"Abigail McGarrett is a two month old baby girl and happens to be Mary's daughter, Steve's niece."

There's a pause before Chin speaks "I didn't know Mary had a-"

"Daughter? No, nor did we."

"So Steve didn't...?" Danny shook his head, forgetting they couldn't see him.

"No. He didn't, it was news to him."

He could hear Kono's shocked 'Oh my God' drift down the line. Chin remained carefully quiet.

"Hey Danny?" and he nearly cried at how worried and small Kono's voice sounded right then

"Yeah?"

"Do you think we should come see Steve? Make sure he's ok? I mean, you're with him Danny, what do you think?"

"I think" He paused trying to think of the best way he could say it. "I think you should leave it a couple of days. All of this is a lot to take in you know? How about I talk to him and call you when he's ready?"

"Whatever you think is best. We're here for him, whatever happens." Danny took a shaky breath but let relief take over now he knew the team, the Ohana would be there with him to support Steve no matter what.

"Hey Danny?" and Chin was back on the line using his serious tone of voice again. "Take care of him ok?" Something about Chin's tone of voice showed that there was a deeper meaning to his words and Danny had so swallow past a lump in his throat.

"Always."

"Aloha Danny." And Chin was hanging up the phone leaving Danny to pace nervously, and try to collect himself until he saw Dr Saunders leave the room Steve was in.

"Detective Williams?" her look was gentle but somehow still firm. She reminded him of his mother and he absently ran a hand through his hair to try and make it look at least a little more presentable.

"Danny."

"Danny, then. I've just spoken to your partner. It seems the two of you have a hard decision to make. I'll be in my office or when you're ready you can reach me on this number." She handed him a card with a phone number on it. "Take all the time you need."

Thinking about it Danny was pretty sure she assumed they were a couple. He didn't bother to try and correct her. He wiped his palms on his trousers before stepping back into Abi's hospital room. Steve was sitting in a chair by the window with her cradled in his arms, she was obviously asleep but Steve just looked at her so openly, hopelessly, that Danny had to look away. Felt like he was intruding on a moment that was entirely private and that he had no right to be intruding on. He cleared his throat.

"Danny!" Steve's head whipped up and he accidentally jostled Abi who then shifted in her sleep. There was a tense pause before she snuffled back down, clearly not planning on waking up. Steve's eyes shifted once again to Danny's face. "How are they?"

"How are they?" the disbelief was evident in his tone "Upset obviously, but mostly worried about you. They wanted to see you but I told them to give it a little bit." He held his breath hoping he'd made the right decision.

"Thank you." Some of the tension Danny'd been holding on to whooshed out of him at the genuine relief in Steve's tone. "I'm not sure I could have handled-" Steve cut himself off with a gulping breath and turned to look back at the baby in his arms.

Danny nodded and edged over to sit on the arm of the chair Steve was on. He ran a gentle hand over Abi's head before he spoke again. "What did the Dr want? She said something to me about a decision..." He let the sentence hang and the pause afterwards went on so long he was sure that Steve wasn't going to answer.

"She gave me a choice." Steve started. He sounded genuinely pained by each syllable that he forced out. "They tried to contact the father but with little hope. It would seem there is no way to find out who the father is as none of her friends knew anything about him. Just said it was a onetime thing with some random guy and somehow, Mary got pregnant." Steve took a long break and Danny let a hand sweep across his back in a large arc.

"What choice?" Danny urged as gently as he could. He was pretty sure he could guess the answer.

"She said that as the closest living relative I have the option to adopt Abigail if I want to." Danny couldn't help the sharp catch in his breath but continued the comforting movement of his hand on Steve's back.

Steve let out a choked of whimper and Danny was almost certain he was about to cry but he paused and shook his head as if clearing it.

"Danny, I don't know what to do." His voice sounded so small, so vulnerable that Danny couldn't resist pulling him a little closer.

"Steve, you don't have to make this decision now ok? Take all the time you need. Dr Saunders gave me her card so you can call her as soon as you decide. Right now though I think you need to go home. You haven't slept in a couple of days Steve. I know that because I was working the same case as you. As much as it may seem like it you aren't invincible, so we are both going to go home and sleep and make this decision in the morning."

"We?" Danny was pretty sure he could feel a blush rising on his neck despite the situation.

"Of course, what you think I'm going to leave you alone in this? Of course 'we'. I can't say I understand what this must be like for you Steve I can't, but I will do anything I can to help. If you choose to adopt Abi I will be behind you one hundred percent, anything you need, so will Chin and Kono. We are Ohana remember and you aren't alone in this, you got that?"

Steve managed a slow and somewhat stunned nod

"Good. Now I'd better go find a nurse to take Abi so we can leave."

Steve tightened an arm around the small baby for a fraction of a second before relaxing and using the time it would take Danny to get a nurse to try to memorise her face.

Sadly for you guys I am going on holiday for two weeks tomorrow so you will have to wait until I arrive home for an update. Sorry about that! As always however feedback on this chapter is greatly appreciated and you are all fabulous for having read this anyway. x