Disclaimer: No, Hawaii 5-0 doesn't belong to me. It does to CBS.

A/N: The first wave of 2011 is starting on a sad note. A sad song and a bittersweet picture are to blame.

Warning: The story has not been proof-read by a native English speaker. I read this scene multiple times, but some mistakes might still lurk in the text. If you are not offended by possible typos and my broken English, please read on and enjoy!

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ROLLING IN WAVES: Fifth wave

Unseen Tears

Earlier that day, Grace had come home from her weekend with her father looking preoccupied and sad. Like Danny, the little girl tended to clam up when upset or worried. She was so much like her father in that regard, it pained her mother. By bedtime, Rachel found her daughter sitting in bed, absently playing with a toy dolphin. She sat beside the child and put a comforting arm around her shoulders.

"Sweetie, you've been sad ever since you came back. Did something go wrong while you were with your father?"

Grace did not look up at her. She bit her lower lip. "Mommy, are we leaving again?" she finally asked with apprehension.

The question was unexpected. "Leaving from Hawaii, you mean?" The little girl nodded. "No, we are not. Why?"

Lips tight, Grace stayed silent for a few seconds. "Is Danno leaving?"

Rachel felt a pang of uncertainty. "I would not think so, Sweetie. Your father came here to be close to you. Danno loves you very much. I do not see him leaving Hawaii, unless you do. What makes you think any of us would be leaving?"

Grace took a deep breath, fighting her tears. "Danno's very sad again. He tries to be happy, but he's not. Today, he cried."

"Danny cried?" Even as she said it, Rachel had difficulty imagining her ex-husband showing anything other than anger and frustration. That was unfair, she told herself as an afterthought. Danny expressed his love for Gracie every moment he was with her.

"He did. He cried like when we left New Jersey and he could not come with us."

Rachel knew Danny had cried then. She had not seen the tears, but she remembered the red-rimmed blue eyes and the false smile, firmly in place for their daughter's sake. When upset, Danny was the type to lash with angry words or with unbearable silences, not with tears. For him to cry, especially in front of Grace, was troublesome.

Grace's confidence fuelled Rachel's conflicting emotions towards her ex-husband. Danny was sources of anger, sadness, and pure madness some times. He also was someone she had loved, feared for, and still admired the courage and dedication. Danny was an excellent father and for that Rachel would be forever grateful. She was not insensitive to him hurting in any way. "Your father did not tell you why he was crying?"

"No," said Grace. "He held me tight and told me to always remember that he loves me, even if we're never together again for some reason."

"You know, Gracie, some times your father sees bad things at work, things that make him sad. Holding you in his arms and knowing that you are well, safe, and loved make him feel a lot better."

"But he didn't look better when I left," the child argued. "Steve said it was because Danno was tired, but… Danno doesn't cry when he's tired. He cries when he's sad, like I do."

Steve had drove Grace back home, today. Her relationship with her ex-husband becoming more amicable of late, Rachel had not questioned it. Besides, she knew Danny's devotion for Gracie to be such that he would have had a good reason for not doing it himself. Now, Rachel was concerned about what that reason might be.

Danny Williams, you better be careful out there, she thought. "What else did Steve tell you?" she asked her daughter.

"That he'll be there for Danno and make sure he's all right."

"I would not worry, Sweetheart," said Rachel. "I have no doubt that Steve will keep your father safe and sound." If only she could believe it herself...

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A/N: I first intended for this wave to go further, but all of my ideas sounded overdramatic and something I might have done before. So I guess this is it. Although, I would love to know what you think might have made Danny cry. Thank you for reading and reviewing.

(Jan. 2011)