Author note:

Hello, everyone. English is not my first language, so be easy on me. Thanks for those who have taken time to review and follow the story.

There was internet disruption while posting Chapter 8 so, if anyone was not aware, you can go and read Chapter 8 first.

Please review if you have time, all feedback are appreciated.

Have a nice day.


Danny wiped the tears leaked down his cheek with his right hand as his left arm was still holding Grace against his chest who had cried herself to sleep. He gently laid Grace back on her bed and covered her with the blanket provided. He pressed a gentle kiss on her forehead before he walked to the corner of the room and stood by the window.

He felt a comforting hand on his shoulder. His head turned slightly and his eyes were locked with Rachael's. Her eyes were red too. "I'm sorry, Danny." Her voice was soothing.

Danny simply nodded. He was too afraid to talk, he was scared if he would break down in anyone's arms but he can't break down. He needed something to keep him going. Grace's breakdown after knowing Steve's real condition after the shooting had only added more fuel to his burning rage. His inner fire began to flame up again. Rachael pulled her hand away when she could feel the tense on Danny's shoulders. His hands tightened into fists and his chest rose and fell with rapid breaths.

"I'm going to Steve's room. Keep an eye on the kids," Danny whispered and walked out of the room before Rachael could even reply him.

-H50-H50-H50-

Danny yawned as the time began to crawl past midnight. His body, his mind was begging for rest but he knew sleep was the last thing on his mind. Danny began to pace outside Steve's private and protected room to divert him from his own wild thoughts. Two HPD officers guarding the room could literally see Danny's tense but they choose silence.

Nora, Steve's nurse, stepped out of the room. "He settled in the room but he is still unconscious," Nora's words stopped Danny's pacing. "Make it a quick one, Detective. You can come back in tomorrow." With an understanding smile, she walked way leaving him to battle with his emotions.

It's okay if he's still unconscious, at least I can spare him from knowing what had happened to him.

Danny stepped inside the room and closed the door but then, with his hand on the knob, eyes on the door and his back to Steve, Danny allowed his emotions to rule him at least for once. He stood there, frozen, unable to turn around, scared if he will completely lose it.

Uncle Steve would want you beside him more than anyone else.

Promise me, you will stand beside him for as long as he needs you.

Danno, you are the one he needs.

Grace's words echoed in his ears. He took a deep breath and turned around and a small audible gasp escaped from his mouth. In front of him on the bed, lay his best friend hooked up on machines, a lot of them. Tears began to well up as he walked over. Standing beside the bed, Danny grimaced when he saw the neck brace used to immobilize Steve's neck. The rigid brace was molded by plastic with a removable padded liner in two pieces, a front and back piece and was fastened with Velcro. His left hand was in a sling and a thick bandage secured his left shoulders. The bandage around his hip was hidden by the blanket pulled up to his chest.

"Hey babe," Danny cleared his throat. His voice sounded horrible. Sitting on the chair beside the bed, Danny took Steve's right hand into his.

He may lose some function below the level of the injury, movement in one limb more than the other, feeling in parts of the body, or more function on one side of the body than the other

As Danny's gently gripped Steve's fingers, Danny's heart hurt when he remembered Dr. Connor words. He wondered if Steve could feel that Danny was holding his hand.

"I'm so sorry that all this happened to you, Steve. I need you to fight, you hear me?" Danny blinked allowing the tears stream down his cheeks.

-H50-H50-H50-

"You're sure Ms. Williams is willing to do this?" asked Emma, Chin's friend. "Because hypnosis only works if the subject is willing and cooperative."

"She is more than willing and she is waiting for you."

"Okay let's do it then but you will have to wait with her dad outside the interview room." Emma nodded before opened the door and stepped into the interview room.

"Ms. Grace, Detective Williams," greeted Emma as she shook Danny's hand.

"Danny, Grace, this is my friend, Emma. She's a forensic hypnotist for HPD." Chin introduced and nudged Danny's hand. "We will wait outside."

Danny gave Grace encouraging a smile and a pat on her shoulder. "I'm proud of you." He said before he exchanged a smile with Emma and walked out of the room with Chin.

Emma gestured Grace to sit and she sat down facing Grace. "How are you feeling, Grace? Nervous?"

"I am," Grace admitted. "I don't know what to do, what to expect."

Emma smiled. "You don't have to do anything, Grace. You just have to trust me."

"Okay," Grace shrugged.

"Grace, have you ever experienced where you see an actor on the TV and you are sure that you know his name but you can't just recall his name. The more you think about it, the more it drives you crazy. You got so frustrated that you decided to just leave it but then, sometime after when you least think about it, you happened to remember his name. Tell me it's happened to you before,"

"Most of the time."

"There you see." Emma smiled again. "We're going to just relax, and let the memories come to you."

Grace bit her lips. "What if I can't relax?" She asked softly.

Emma raised her eyebrows. "Are you uncomfortable with anything?"

"As much as I want to go back to my memories, I'm concerned, what will happened if I …It's…" Grace stammered.

"Grace." Emma touched her arm. "Chin told me what happened and I know it was a traumatic experience for you, therefore I'm not going to make you relive it. Trust me."

"You're not?" Grace asked, slightly surprised. "But then how will you make me remember it?"

"I will approach it a different way. All you have to do it, trust me and trust my voice. Are you ready?"

"I guess."

On the other side of the room, Danny had his hands jammed into his pockets while Chin had taken out a paper and pen to note down important information.

"I want you to lie down and make yourself comfortable. When you are, close your eyes."

Grace did as she told and she closed her eyes. Danny had his eyes on Grace through the one way window.

"Take deep breaths and let it out slowly. Concentrate on my voice." Emma guided.

Grace's face began to relax but Danny's breathing quickened.

After some time guiding Grace the breathing, Emma said, "Grace, you're sitting on the chair, feeling completely relaxed. Now, in front of you, there is a wall, and the wall has a screen that would allow you to watch whatever scenes in your life that you want. You are in on the chair and what you're going to see is a just movie on the screen. All right?"

"Okay," Grace whispered softly.

"Now," Emma inhaled a quietly as possible. "We're going to go back to Saturday morning when Uncle Steve took you and Charlie to the park. Tell me what you see on the screen."

"Charlie ran to play with his friend, Sean. Uncle Steve and I, we were sitting on the bench. We were talking."

"About what?"

"About Stan leaving. He asked how I was coping and I was opening up to him, but then he was not listening to me."

"Why not?" Emma leaned forward.

"He was looking at something."

"What did you then, Grace?"

"I wanted to see what he was looking. I leaned forward … black van." Her breathing began to quicken.

Emma quickly guided Grace away from her fear. "You're sitting in a comfortable chair watching just a movie, Grace. Can you feel the comfortable cushion against your back?"

"Yes." Her reply came after some time.

"Okay, let's continue watching your movie. "Tell me what you see next…on the screen."

"I was looking at the black van too."

"Why, Grace? Why are you looking at the black van?"

"Because it looked familiar."

"You have seen it before?"

Grace nodded.

"Where?"

"Thursday afternoon, at mom's office."

Danny and Chin's eyebrows rose high.

"Grace, let's rewind the movie to Thursday afternoon, tell me more about the black van that you saw."

"I went to mommy's office after my group studies. I bought her favorite ice-cream. In the office parking lot, I saw this black van. Two men were sitting in."

"Grace, are you sure it's the same van? Can you see the number plate?"

Grace nodded. "TDR 391."

Chin quickly took his phone and stepped away. They just got the most vital information they needed.

Grace continued, "I went to open the main door but then a man yanked it open from the inside. He stepped outside, looking angry. Looking ahead him in the office, I saw mom standing at the reception. She wasn't happy either."

"Do you know who he was?" Emma asked.

Grace shook her head.

"But then just before he go, he turned to mom and said you will regret this. He turned around and realized that I was standing there. He looked at me for one moment ...I think he knows me."

"Why do you think he knows you, Grace?" Emma looked at the window, hoping the father noting the information.

"He smiled at me, that's ... one weird smile."


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