Disclaimer: I do not own Hawaii Five-O or anything you recognize from it.

Once you choose hope, anything's possible..Christopher Reeve

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Chapter Nine

Unexpected Meetings

"The Bureau would like to extend its extreme." Summers extended his hand towards Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett.

Steve glanced down at the hand, for Melissa's sake, he peacefully took Summers hand and shook it briefly. "I would normally say it was my pleasure, but under the circumstances, that would be lying."

Summers stared into Steve's eyes measuring him, "Well, thank you just the same."

Steve nodded, watching the most uptight man he had ever met, besides Danny, walk to the elevator and stepped out of view. "Good riddance." Kono commented from behind him.

He nodded, rubbing his neck tiredly, "Chin." He quietly called, they had spent the better part of three days loitering and waiting outside of Melissa's room. The Bureau had her room under strict lockdown and no one but the doctors and nurses were allowed past the two very large guards.

"Yes, boss?" Chin asked. They all sounded weary and tired, only Danny had went home and that was because he had picked up Grace after school to spend the weekend with her.

"Go home and take Kono with you." Steve ordered turning back to face what was left of his team. They had bags a mile long under their eyes and it was pointless for all of them to remain there when she was only conscious every few hours.

"No. I have to stay for her." Kono vehemently shook her head.

Steve ran his hand over his short hair, he could use a shower and a few pots of coffee, maybe then he would start to feel human again. "How do you think she would feel if she saw you like this? You can't even stand on your own without support." Steve resolved seeing the acknowledgement flicker in her eyes.

"Chin, take me home." Kono quietly conceded, breaking the staring contest with Steve.

Steve watched as they too disappeared in the elevators of the hospital and unceremoniously fell into a very plastic, very uncomfortable chair. But he had been a SEAL before and had learned to ignore comfort.

"Earth to Steve." A little girl giggled waving a hand in front of his face.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, Grace. He might bite your hand off." Danny commented dryly taking a vacated chair near Steve.

He rubbed his eyes and playfully winked at Grace, "When did you guys get here?" He hadn't realized he had been dozing, he must really be more tired than he had anticipated.

"You don't look so good." Grace commented, tilting her head to stare more intently in his eyes.

"Okay, I think its time for a coffee run." Danny commented sighing like an old man as he got up. "You stay here and make sure he doesn't do anything crazy, okay?" Grace rolled her eyes but nodded to her father.

"So, how was school?" Steve asked as Grace took a seat closer beside him.

The little girl made a sound, "You are going to ask me how school was when we're at a hospital and Danno won't even tell me why?"

Steve grunted, "We're visiting a friend. He'll take you home soon."

The little girl began to chatter and normally Steve would have absorbed everything she said, he liked her more than he would admit. She was the embodiment of innocence and everything he would die to protect but he was so exhausted. He hadn't been this exhausted in a while, since his father's death to be exact and he refused to admit to himself, refused to even acknowledge why he was more harried and worried over a woman he barely even knew. He could still remember how she looked, blood pouring from cuts and gashes, her face mangled but she had held tightly to him. It was burned in his brain how she had felt in his arms.

He closed his eyes, head resting against the cold sterile wall and let the incessant chatter of a little girl instill innocence in him.

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Melissa groaned, blinking past the pain in her head and the low throb resonating throughout her body. She hated gaining consciousness, it was just too damn painful and since she was alone in the hospital room, she let out a string of curses.

"You shouldn't say that, you could get in trouble if anybody heard you." A tiny voice from the corner of the room commented.

Melissa's heart sped up and she blindly glanced around her room until she saw a little girl in the corner, near the closed door, "How'd you get in?" She asked, taking in the appearance of such a cute small girl. She obviously was not from the sick ward, she was dressed as any healthy five or six year old would be.

The little girl shrugged and Melissa almost smiled, she was still a little girl but she was already beginning to resemble a little teenager in attitude. "What's your name?" She asked.

"Melissa. What's yours?"

The girl moved closer to the bed, still scrutinizing Melissa. She didn't answer until a few minutes had passed and she nodded. Seemingly pleased with what she saw, "Grace. You don't look so well."

Melissa watched wearily as Grace moved even closer until she was leaning on the bed; she had to watch herself against the little tyke. She was small but she was damn keen. "Who let you in?" She knew there was a minimum of two guards posted out of her door, how Grace snuck in was beyond her.

"They let me in." She shrugged again.

Melissa tried not to frown, "They simply let you in?"

"Well, yeah. I mean, look at me. Its not like I'm a wrestler or something." Grace shook her head sadly as if Melissa was beyond her help.

She couldn't help it but she laughed then began coughing as the pain swarmed her, "Do you need me to get the doctor?" Grace asked worriedly moving towards the door.

"No. No. I'm fine. I swear." She hoarsely drew out. She enjoyed Grace's company.

"All right…what do you want to do?" Grace asked finally sitting on the bed.

"I don't know…I've never…" Melissa stammered.

Grace nodded, "Be right back."

Melissa watched the girl run to the door and after struggling a few seconds with its weight, she threw it open and passed through the door, closing it loudly behind her.

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"Steve! For god sakes, man! Wake up." Danny shook Steve trying not to panic. Whom was he kidding? He was having a meltdown.

Steve blinked a few times, clearing away the fog, "What? Where's Grace?" He looked around and felt his stomach fall. He got up, pushed Danny away from him and looked towards the guards.

"I can't believe I let you watch her. What was I thinking? Oh, I know, let's let crazy Steve watch my daughter!" Danny began earning an eye roll from Steve.

"You're such a drama queen. She couldn't have gone very far." Steve hoped. He looked towards the two guards, "Which way did she go?"

One guard swallowed, "Inside."

Danny started, "Inside? What do you mean inside? Inside the room? You let my little girl inside a room with a woman that looks like—"

Danny stopped mid-rant when said door was thrown open and his Grace was standing in the doorway looking supremely elated, "Danno, can you get me a pack of cards?"

Steve blinked, why was he surprised? Danny began stammering angrily at his daughter, and before he knew it, he was grabbing his ribs in mirth as Danny's face grew redder. One of the guards looked down at Grace and Steve could have sworn that he saw the burly man wink at her.

"Come on, Mel is waiting." She kicked her foot lightly on the ground.

Danny finally composed himself, "Okay, okay. Calm down." He looked towards Steve imploringly.

"No, you get them. I'm staying here." In part, Steve was too damn amused to want to ruin the moment and if he hadn't left this exact hallway in three days, he sure as hell wasn't leaving now. And he refused to admit to himself why.

Grace sighed looking at the nice man that had let her in earlier, "Billy-bean, do you have a pack I can have?"

The guard named Billy sighed, he was never going to live down Billy-bean but the damn girl had him wrapped around her little finger and she knew it. She was dangerous. He reached into his back pocket and pulled out the cards, "I want them back." He quietly commented.

She nodded gravelly, grabbing them from him, "When we're done." She turned around and barely acknowledged the men as she went back into the room, "Melly, we've got cards! Can you teach me how to play poker?" She asked closing the door on Danny's outraged stammering and Steve's laughter.

"If she teaches my daughter—" Danny threatened falling into a plastic faded orange chair.

Steve rolled his eyes, "She's not going to teach Grace poker. You're such a drama queen."

Danny sighed, "I don't know where she gets her energy from. Like the freaking Energizer Bunny."

"I don't know, you Williams' pack a punch." Steve ignored Danny's retort and closed his eyes, letting his mind wander about what Melissa and Grace could possibly have in common.

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"So then I told him, no, I don't even like him!"

Melissa smiled despite her bruised face, "Did you sucker punch him?"

Grace shook her head sadly, "Danno wouldn't like it."

Melissa dropped her hand of cards, "Wait…what?" She thought she had heard Grace right but…oh, Danny would probably kill her for sequestering Grace away from him. "Is Danny your dad?"

Grace nodded sagely. "Then why are you here? He brought you to the hospital?" Melissa tried to temper down her outrage but she couldn't. She was appreciative of the fact that Danny had come 'visited' but she would have understood if he didn't because his daughter was in his company.

"We were supposed to go to the aquarium and out for dinner—hey! You can't get up, you're supposed to stay there!" Grace tried shoving Melissa back in bed.

But Melissa wouldn't have any of it, "Your dad isn't my biggest fan already and now he'll probably come after me with a gun for kidnapping you." Melissa threw the blankets off and slowly eased herself to her feet, making sure not to jostle her wrist enveloped in a cast overtly much.

Grace steadied her when she began to waver on her feet, "Come on, Grace, you're leaving to spend time with your dad. You don't need to hang out with a decrepit."

"Decrepit? I'm having fun." Grace stood in front of her, a frown marring her little face.

Melissa shook her head, "You're trouble."

"I'm not moving."

Melissa uttered a long suffering sigh, "Fine, next time I see you, we can do something. Okay?"

"Promise?" Grace reached out, extending her pinky.

Melissa knew she shouldn't promise anything to the girl, but damn, that girl had her wrapped up around her little finger and she knew it. "Fine." They pinky swore and Melissa slowly walked Grace to the door.