"Dad! What are you doing?" Grace asked. She had woken up to noise in the kitchen and found Danny bent over at the kitchen counter.

"What does it look life I'm doing? I'm preparing breakfast. Go get showered then I'll drop you off at school." Danny said, as he turned to look at Grace while trying to sound as normal as he could.

"Danno.. I can take care of myself. You shouldn't exert yourself. Come on, go and sit I'll take care of the rest." Grace said, worried. Her dad wasn't looking that good. Dark circles were apparent under his eyes and he looked tired, as though he hadn't slept the previous night.

"Grace don't treat me like I'm fragile. I'm okay." Danny said.

"Dann.." Grace

"Go get ready. Breakfast will be done in 15 minutes." Danny interrupted.

As Danny said, 15 minutes later, breakfast was served and they sat at the dining table. He watched as Grace ate the scrambled eggs and toast he prepared while he sipped on his coffee, lacking the appetite to eat himself. "Danno, are you not going to eat?"

"I'm not hungry, Grace." Danny said. Seeing the expression on his daughter, he added, "I'll have something after I drop you off."

"No, you're not. Here let's share this." Grace said aa she pushed the plate towards Danny.

Danny reluctantly took a bite from her plate and pushed it back to her. "Okay, happy, now? You eat the rest. I'm really not hungry." He said again.

"Dad.. Are you sure you're okay? I can get mom to drop me off. I mean, should you even be driving yet?"

"Grace. I'm fine." Danny repeated. He was tired of trying to convince everyone around him that he was okay.

After Grace finished her breakfast, Danny drove her to school. When Grace was young, she would always gift him a hug and three kisses, one on each cheek and another on the forehead whenever he dropped her off at school. As she grew older, the kisses reduced in number, and the hug was too brief to be called one. Nowadays, he would be grateful to even get a glance from his daughter as she entered the school with her friends. But today, unlike usual, Grace stopped before she walked away. She wrapped her arms around Danny and hugged him a little longer. Danny held on to his daughter, hoping the moment would last. Grace then kissed him on his right cheek.

"I love you, Danno. See you later." Grace said.

Danny nodded. "Love you too."

...

It was 9 a.m. Steve was done with his morning run and swim and he had showered and finished breakfast. He had promised Danny he would come over and Danny had a dialysis session that morning so he headed over to Danny's house once he was done with breakfast. Reaching the house, he was slightly surprised to see that Danny's Camaro was not around. He headed over to the door and knocked on it twice but there was no answer. He used the hidden spare key to open the door.

"Danny?" He called. "Grace? Danny?" He tried again when there was no answer. Neither Grace nor Danny was around. Grace was likely in school but where was Danny? Even if had dropped Grace off at school, he should be home by now.

Steve took his phone out and dialled Danny's number. The phone rang for about 30 seconds and with every ring, Steve grew more concerned. "Danny.. Pick up the phone. Come on." The call went to voicemail and Steve's thoughts ran wild. He tried again twice more but the call went to voicemail each time.

"Kono!" Steve said as soon as she picked up the phone. "I need your help."

"Steve? What's wrong? Is everything alright?" Kono asked, sensing the anxiety in his voice.

"I need you to track Danny's phone or get the GPS coordinates of his car. He's not at home and he's not answering his phone." Steve said. He knew that he might be overreacting. But he was not taking any chances. Danny had hinted that he was leaving and Steve was afraid his partner might have left without warning.

"On it, Steve. Give me a second." Kono typed into the smart table and waited for a minute as it loaded the location of Danny's phone. "Alright, Steve. I sent you the location. Do you need us to go there?" Kono asked, unsure.

"No. Let me take care of this." Steve said. "Thanks Kono."

Once he hung up the phone, he checked the location that Kono had sent him. Diamond Head. "Of course, you would be there." Steve thought to himself. He immediately headed to his truck and drove off.

...

Danny sat on the ledge, facing the ocean. He closed his eyes as he allowed the sound of the crashing waves lull his breathing. He had been sitting there for the past hour and a half and it had started to rain about 20 minutes ago. The light raindrops had become heavier but Danny was still sitting there, unaware of the rain pelting down on his back.

There was something about this spot. It always seemed to make his worries seem insignificant. Like a drop in the ocean. And usually, he felt better the more time he spent there but not this time. He felt truly alone at that moment. He swallowed the bile forming in his throat as he let his tears fall. His mind was made. He was leaving this island. There was nothing to hold him back now. Grace was grown up now and she could always come to Jersey to visit. He would tell her when she came back from school. It wouldn't be easy. But it was something he had to do.

As his mind wandered off, he didn't hear Steve's truck approaching or the screeching halt it came to behind his Camaro. He didn't hear the engine being killed off or the door open and then closed as a pair of footsteps walked towards him. Steve looked at his friend, hunched over at the ledge as it rained down on him. He felt a pang in his heart.

Broken. That was the only word apt to describe his partner. Steve jogged over to Danny and gently called him. "Danno?" He could hear his partner sniffling quietly.

There was no response from his partner. He softly placed a hand on Danny's shoulder which seemed to jolt him out of his thoughts. "Buddy?" Steve said again, his voice even softer.

"Steve?" Danny said, his mind still hazy. "Steve.. What are you doing here?" He asked as he finally took in his surroundings and realised his friend standing next to him in the rain.

"I was worried about you." Steve said. "I couldn't find you at home and you weren't answering my calls."

"I.. I'm sorry. I must have left it in the car." Danny looked down at his feet.

Steve looked apologetically at his partner. His hand still on Danny's right shoulder. "Danny.. Let's get in the car. It's raining."

Danny didn't move. Steve saw his friend shiver and he sat down next to him and immediately held Danny's palm in his, hoping to provide some warmth. "Danny? You okay?"

Danny looked at Steve, and he could see the genuine worry in his eyes. Danny's eyes welled up with tears again. "No.. I don't know what's wrong. But I'm not okay." He said hoarsely as the tears spilled out of his eyes. He was at least grateful that the rain masked his tears slightly.

"I'm here, buddy. It's gonna be okay."

Danny shook his head. "Steve, I'm really tired. I can't do this anymore." Danny said. He didn't know what 'this' was. He didn't know what he was tired of. All he knew was that he didn't have it in him to keep going and pretend that everything was fine.

"Danny.. Buddy. I think you.. You've been through a rough year. I think you need help. I mean like psychological help." Steve said.

"You think I'm crazy?" Danny asked.

"No, Danno. Of course not." Steve said. "I just think that you might be having a hard time trying to process everything that's happened. With your brother and the team and now with your health. It's definitely not easy. You know that I am here for you. Chin, Kono, Lou we are all here for you. But I think some professional help will be good for you."

"I don't need it."

"Danny, you're not well." Steve said. "I'm worried about you and so is the team. I spoke to Clara and Danny, she's concerned about you, as well. There are so many people worried about you. We all live you and care about you. And we want the Danny we know back. We want you to get well. Right now you're sick and this illness is taking you away from us, leaving us with an empty shell of what you used to be. It's taking my best friend away from me. And it's taking Grace's father away from her. So Danny please.. Please. If not for yourself then for me, and for Grace. Let us help you." Steve said.

"I'm not sick." Danny said. "I'm not weak.' He was afraid. What if Grace didn't like him once she knew he needed psychological help. What if his team looked down on him for being weak. What if his family thought he was useless.

"No. You're not weak. Danny. Nobody thinks that. Asking for help and receiving it does not make you weak. In fact, it makes you stronger because it's never easy to admit you need help. And because it means you never gave up, and you're willing to fight." Steve said. "Danny? Tell me you will fight this."

Danny recalled what he had told his daughter. "I can't promise you that. But what I do promise is that I will fight till my last breath to come home to you. And my last thought will always, always be of you." He couldn't go back on his words now. He had promised to fight to come home to his daughter. So how could he leave her? He couldn't. No matter how tough the road in front of him was going to be, he had to fight for his daughter.

"We will do this together, okay?" Steve asked again.

Danny nodded his head slowly.

"That's it. Thank you, buddy." Steve said as he inched closer to his partner and hugged him. Danny allowed himself to bask in the warmth of Steve's hug and his arms closed around his partner's back. They stayed that way for q good minute before Steve slowly pulled out.

"Let's go home, now." Steve said.

Danny nodded again and he pushed himself up as Steve stood readily next to him. Steve gazed at his partner. "Danny?"

"Hmm?"

"Buddy, I love you."

Danny paused. He looked at Steve and swallowed back his tears. "I love you."

...