Danny and Grace
Chapter 9
Disclaimer: See chapter one

A/N: Because you guys are the awesomest and since I'm getting excited to be nearing completion I'm throwing an extra chapter out there for you all. This story has become so much more than I expected and it has been because of all your support. Thank you so much-Montez

Danny Williams knew how to run, how to fight. Growing up he'd always been a bit smaller than the other kids, so early on he'd learned to run. Run from bullies, run from tormentors. Then one day there was another kid, just like him, one who was a little smaller, seemingly weaker and Danny's adversaries turned their attention to him. And having been on the receiving end of the endless crap he knew how the poor kid felt and that lit a fire inside him. Where he'd almost always managed to outrun his attackers, the other little boy was quickly surrounded and laid out on the sidewalk by a punch to the stomach. That is when the fight ignited in Danny Williams as he threw down his backpack, shoved his way through the group of kids egging on the assault and a ten year old Danny put himself between the little eight year old boy and the twelve year old bully.

To anyone else it was a beat down in the making, all the kids watching yelled on, expected to see two little kids reminded of their place in the hierarchy of the neighborhood, the big kids ruled, the little ones ran. But all that changed as the bigger kid advanced and before anyone could realize what was happening, little Danny Williams had knocked the number one neighborhood bully on his ass. A stunned silence had settled over the group of kids watching and Williams shook his hurting hand, then turned and helped the eight year old up off the ground, helped him pick-up his book bag and push their way through the crowd. Retrieving his own discarded pack he put his arm around the younger boy, gave one last hateful, daring glare over his shoulder and walked the terrified kid home.

The next day Danny had been cornered in a secluded part of the playground by the same bully and his buddies, the older boy spotting an impressive bruise along his jaw line. He could still remember the taunt of the older boy as he slammed his fist into his hand, trying his best to intimate the ten year old. "I'm gonna beat the shit out of you Williams and when I'm done, I'm gonna do it again." the older boy snarled.

It was on that day that Danny Williams' smart-ass mouth found its voice as he stood up straight, crossed his arms over his small chest and smirked. "You know…" He moved his hand out in a pointing gesture, "I thought after yesterday you'd learned to pick on someone your own size, but I guess that punch didn't knock any sense into that Neanderthal brain of yours, so it looks like I'm going to have to put it in terms only you can understand." With that Danny stomped on the older boy's foot, causing the kid to lean over, then Williams pulled back and landed another solid punch to the kid's right eye, dropping him to the ground.

At that all hell broke loose as it was four against one as the bullies groupies made a grab for the smaller boy, but this was a time that Danny's smaller statue worked to his advantage and he ducked and weaved around the larger kids, landing punch's to chins, cheeks and guts. However one had gotten a lucky hit in, causing Danny to stumble, two other's grabbed his arms. The ringleader had finally gotten to his feet, stepping toe to toe with Williams he glared down at the struggling kid as he pulled back his arm; Danny closed his eye's fully expecting pain to explode from his head.

But it was the sound of an almost primal yell that caused him to open his eyes and what he saw next would forever bring a smile to his face. The little eight year old boy he'd helped the day before, the one who was even smaller than Danny came barreling at the group and jumped on the twelve year olds back, the smaller kid's arms swinging as much as he could and still hold on, landing several hits to the bullies head. Again the groupies that followed the bully were shocked at the turn of events and the grip on Danny loosened enough that he was able to enter the fray again. Two more boys ended up on their butts before teachers had gotten wind of what was happening and broke up the fight between two scrawny little boys and four older boys nearly twice their size.

On that day, sitting in the hallway outside the principal's office Danny Williams became life-long friends with Michael Johnson and ironically enough years later both of them became friends with their one-time tormentor Justin Simmons. That day had been a defining moment in the development of Danny Williams, he'd learned he could distract and infuriate with his words, that he had a hell of a right hook and he would fight for what he believed was right.

Now it was that fire to fight that pushed him forward, he'd been against some terrible odds that day over twenty years ago, but with the help of an unlikely friend he'd come out on top. Now as he ran it was two more unlikely friends that were helping him fight. Meka had come to him, got him to understand his daughter needed him, needed him to fight to get back to her. But his mind had only been able to conjure up his ex-HPD partner because his current partner Lt. Commander Steve McGarrett had fought for him, made sure everyone knew he needed to be told his daughter, his life, was alive and waiting from him.

It would have been so easy to stay back at Sal's, taking in the sights, sounds and smells of home, but Danny'd never really done things the easy way and there was nothing, not even death itself that was going to stop him from fighting his way back to his daughter.

He'd been so focused on getting to Grace that he didn't see the drop-off he was running toward until he was upon it, the white sand beach suddenly dropped off into nothingness, the crashing waves of the Pacific Ocean pounding the cliff below. His stomach lurched as the ground disappeared, his hand fly out in an attempt to grasp onto anything that would prevent his drop into the water below. Miraculously his hand grabbed an exposed root that stuck out for the cliff face, the sudden stop jerking his shoulder, "Shit…" He shouted as his other hand desperately sought purchase on the jagged rocks, "Somebody help!" Danny yelled, hoping maybe Meka would appear above him on the ledge. But no one appeared, hanging over nothingness, Danny actually started to fear he wouldn't be able to make his way back to Grace, there was no one to help pull him back up.

He cursed again as the root slipped, the rock his other hand was barely clinging to gave way as he scrambled to find purchase, but fate was being a bitch as the root slipped again. In the space of a heartbeat Danny called out "Grace I'm so sorry, please remember Danno will love you forever." As the last word left his mouth the root slipped free.

For a moment in time Danny Williams seemed to hang in mid-air before he felt the pull of gravity start to tug his body toward the crashing surf below. But in that instant he felt a grip like steel wrap around his upward stretched hand. In that instant the force of gravity halted it's pull on him as a much greater force started pulling him upwards, his loose hand again found an anchor in the rocks as he attempted to help his rescuer, it was a quiet, tiny voice that drew his eyes to his savior, "I got you Danno and I won't let go."

Danny's breath hitched, "Grace?"

505050505050

When the Five-0 team stepped through the curtain with tiny Grace Williams cradled in Steve's arms, they were overwhelmed by the equipment that surrounded their friend. McGarrett felt the little girl in his grip whimper as she looked at her father, big tears spilled over her cheeks, "Danno?" she whispered out.

Steve and Chin had seen Danny in recovery just before he was moved to the ICU and not allowed visitors for several hours as the doctors and staff worked to keep him stabilized and closely monitor his head injury, so they had seen most of the equipment, but there was a new one. Now there were little electrodes placed in different places along Danny's scalp giving a constant reading of brain activity.

McGarrett felt Grace start to tremble in his arms, he tightened his hold on her, "We can leave if you want Grace, you just tell me."

He felt her shake her head as he saw her reach her arm out toward Danny. "Danno needs me here." she whispered.

Steve moved slowly toward the side of the bed, Chin pulled up the lone chair in the room, putting it as close to the side as possible. "Take down the side Chin." Steve ordered as the older man pressed the release that would lower the rail, allowing Grace the ability to better see her father and touch him if she wanted.

With both Chin's and Kono's help Steve lowered himself and Grace into the chair, trying their best to not jar the little girls still healing injuries. Steve allowed Grace to shift herself in his lap, but he kept a loose grip on her small body, not wanting her to throw herself off balance and tumble from his lap. She twisted herself around to where her back was against McGarrett's chest, her legs hanging just over his knee's, her head turned toward her father as it rested against Steve's shoulder.

Kono adjusted the blanket that they'd wrapped Grace in before they left her room, so now it was draped across the front of her, only her right arm was sticking out. At first she laid her hand next to her father's, almost afraid to touch him. Steve couldn't see but he could feel the little girl crying, minute shivers shaking her fragile frame. Instinctively he warped his arms just a little more around her. Noting her hesitance to touch her father Steve spoke softly into her ear, "You can touch him Grace, you won't hurt him."

They all watched as she slowly moved her little hand toward he father's larger one, her fingers curling over the top as she eased Danny's hand over, palm up. Placing her smaller one into the center, she squeezed her father's fingers and whispered, "I got you Danno and I won't let go."