AFTER THE FINALE

BY PARGERTWO

As he sensed Steve moving away down the beach, Danny slumped lower in his chair. He thought he heard Steve stop, and prayed that he wouldn't come back. Danny wouldn't be able to hide his tears by that point. Thankfully, he heard the footsteps continue to the house. He didn't know quite how he knew, but he knew when Steve had left the property. He heard the door opening and closing several more times and figured that was the rest of the ohana that had come to bid Steve good-bye heading out. After a little more time had passed, Junior came out on the beach.

"Need a hand?" the younger man said, with that very hand extended. Danny was so grateful, he didn't even employ his usual snark. The fact was, he had no idea how he would have extricated himself from the chair without the help. He grasped Junior's hand tightly and was grateful there was no comment from Junior when he basically had to lift Danny from the chair – he just raised his eyebrows after Danny was on his feet.

"Yeah, maybe a little weaker than I thought." Danny's comment was meant to be light-hearted but he broke off in a bit of a sob at the end.

"Man, you've only been out of the hospital for a week. Frankly, I think you're doing really great." Junior was like a border collie as he herded Danny into the house. Tani looked up with a smile, that faltered when she saw Danny. Then she moved quickly across the kitchen, grabbing a chair to settle Danny into. He caught the quick glance she shot at Junior.

"I was thinking of ordering pizza for dinner." She said brightly. Danny smiled and nodded. "That would be great. Just no pineapple."

"You would think after the number of years you have been on this island you would have finally been willing to give it a try, but fine." She turned to grab her cell phone.

Danny grabbed his phone and shot off a quick text to Steve – 'missing you already.'

Sadly that was all too true. He understood Steve's need to get away, just like he always understood what Steve needed, often before Steve even realized it himself. He just wished that he could have held out for a little while before he took off…Danny was feeling vulnerable…and hurt. He was in pain all over and quite debilitated. He and Steve had grown used to being vulnerable in front of each other over the years, but he was upset that he had to look that vulnerable in front of the kids – both his own and the new partners.

Danny's cell phone started ringing and he grabbed it eagerly. After a quick moment, he responded "Hi Monkey!" to the enthusiastic greeting. He thought it was Steve responding to his text. He wasn't disappointed … exactly … he was always thrilled to talk to his daughter. Grace was at college in LA … she was doing great, but he missed her a lot. He stopped his wayward thoughts and focused on her bright conversation.

"No, Monkey, I am doing great. Stronger every day. I will start PT next week and your Mom and Charlie will check in on me and Junior's here, so there's nothing to worry about."

"Well, you know we talked about that. Uncle Steve had to go. It was too hard for him to stay here right now." He listened a few more minutes, aware that Junior and Tani were trying unobtrusively not to listen, and failing miserably. He was distracted by that and getting quite agitated by what his daughter was saying.

"Grace! Stop now! We have had this conversation. You are not to be upset with Uncle Steve. He had to do this. He is not responsible for me… I am a grown man and can take care of myself."

Danny's face screwed up in pain. The emotional toll of arguing with Grace was exerting itself and adding to his physical difficulties. He listened to her a little more and then said, more quietly, "Grace, Monkey … we will talk about this later. I am fine. You are not to worry. You have school and finals you have to get through. You will be home in a few weeks. Everything will be fine. I will talk to you later."

He hung up the cell phone and carefully put it on the table. He looked at Junior and Tani, who were both looking at him as though they weren't quite sure what to say.

"Hey guys, I'm wiped. I'm really not that hungry anyway. I'm just going to go lay down. No worries."

That would have come off a lot better if he could have gotten off the chair without Junior's help. But there it was, that big meaty paw, ready to pry him off the chair. Much as Danny would have liked to have ignored it, that wasn't happening.

A month after that conversation, a plane taxied down the runway and into the boarding gate at Oahu International. There was the usual bustle as people started rustling in their seats, cell phones being activated, seat belts being de-activated and a hundred people ready to leap to their feet to grab their belongings from the overhead.

The happily anticipated passenger was just like all the others – happy to grab their bag and hustle down the jetway and out to the arrivals area to look for the car that was picking them up.

The vehicle slid to the curb and the passenger waved excitedly while opening the door to hop in.

"Hi Mommy! Hi Charlie!" Grace, as always was enthusiastic and happy and bubbly. Rachel grabbed her for a quick hug and kiss, and then expertly piloted the car back into traffic.

"Grace!" You look wonderful! Doesn't she look wonderful, Charlie?"

"Yep! I missed you Gracie!"

"I missed you too Charlie, but I brought you some fun things from LA."

The family continued chatting as Rachel drove them to her home.

"How's Danno, Mom?"

Rachel's eyes darted toward Grace and then quickly back to the road. Grace, always conscious of the mannerisms of others, noticed how her mother's hands seemed to grip the steering wheel a bit tighter.

"Well, Grace," and then her eyes darted to the rear view mirror, and Grace realized she was checking on whether Charlie was listening.

"It's okay, Mom, I've been talking to him. I know he hasn't been …. Feeling great. We can talk about it later."

Rachel's relief telegraphed itself through the subtle changes to her body language.

"Yes, dear. That might be for the best."

They spent the next few hours settling Grace in her room and getting her things unpacked. Charlie was delighted with his souvenirs and Grace was quite settled in her bed before she realized that later had not come and she and her mother had not discussed her Danno.

In the morning Grace was determined not to be deflected again. She heard her mom and Charlie getting ready for the school bus, as he still had another week of school. She waited until she heard the door close behind him and then hurried to get out of bed and settled herself in the breakfast nook. She was the first thing Rachel saw when she returned to the kitchen.

"Well, mom? I think I have a pretty good sense that Danno is not doing well, but I was hoping you could fill me in a little bit before I go to see him."

So Rachel did.

Apparently Danny had promised Steve that he would stay at the beach house to recover because Junior would be there to help him. That apparently made it easier for Steve to leave to find his "peace." But, Danny had to be Danny and as soon as Steve was out the door, he returned to his house over Junior and Tani's protests. Well, frankly over the entire task force's protests, as well as Rachel's. But he would not be dissuaded.

According to him, he was only staying at Steve's because he was worried about him. There was never any mold. Once he knew Steve was gone … and who he had gone with … he refused to stay. His arguments were many – Steve might come back and he didn't need Danny crowding him; Junior and Tani were in a new relationship and they didn't need to be babysitting Danny; it was hard to recover at Steve's house because Eddie was there and while Danny loved dogs it had been a long time since he had lived with one; it was easier to get to PT from his own house.

This last one might at least have been acceptable if Danny was actually going to PT on any kind of a regular basis. Despite all his injuries over the years, Danny usually bounced back fairly quickly. This injury was not proving to be the same.

Rachel finished her summary and looked at Grace and found strong clear eyes looking back at her. She decided she was not going to equivocate or soften any of this.

"Frankly, Grace, darling, your father is having a very hard time after this last injury. You must remember he has had so many things over the years, not the least of which was giving Steven a part of his liver. He is quite debilitated. He is out on sick leave. I don't know when he might expect to be able to go back. He is not doing well at all. I want you to be prepared for when you see him. Your father and I have agreed that Charlie isn't staying with him right now. That would just be too much for him with everything else. But, I can tell you Grace, I am worried about him. Perhaps you will be able to talk some sense into him."

A very sober Grace prepared to go visit her father that afternoon. She knew this was one of the days that Danny did not have PT scheduled. Grace had memorized his schedule even though she was far away. The things that had happened to her family over the years had caused Grace to be a very intense, thoughtful, considerate person at a very young age. She had fun, after all she still did cheer and other activities, but she was also wise beyond her years. She had pieced together conversations with her father, her mother, as well as what Will told her that his father had said and knew that her dad was not well. She knew that physically he was overcoming a lot of challenges but he was over 40 now and his body was not going to bounce back the way it had in his 30's. She also knew that he was depressed and missing his best friend. Will had told her that he overheard his dad and mom talking and Captain Grover was incredulous that Steve McGarrett had "left his friend in THAT state to go off and be with THAT woman." Grace couldn't agree with him more. She had always liked Steve's friend Catherine, but had often wondered why she would break her Uncle's heart on more than one occasion when she claimed to love him. Right now, she was wondering the same thing about her Uncle Steve. How in the world could he have just left her dad to get better all by himself? Grace had only texted with Steve a couple of times since he had left, and he never asked about her dad.

Grace checked her phone as she pulled into her dad's driveway. She had texted "on my way over" at least an hour ago and was yet to have an answer. She figured her dad might be napping. Happy she had her own key, she let herself in and dropped her bag in the hall. She had told her mom that she planned to stay at Danny's and come visit with her mom and Charlie. All her alarm bells went off when Rachel agreed to this plan rather than arguing that Grace should stay at Rachel's. Her mom really was worried about Danno.

The usually spotless living room was a wreck. Take-out containers and old pop cans were scattered around. This wasn't like her dad at all. The kitchen was worse. There was no sign of Danno. She headed for the bedrooms.

Her dad's door was closed and the room was dark. She could just make out his lumpy shape under the covers. As she got closer, she reached out a hand to put on his forehead, softly calling "Danno." Did he feel hot?

His blue eyes blinked open and he slowly smiled that crooked smile that always brought her such comfort. "Monkey. Was I expecting you? You're not getting in till the 4th, right?"

"Danno, the 4th was yesterday! Are you okay?

"Oh, sorry, babe. The painkillers they have me on make me a little goofy. Why don't you go in the front room? Let me pull myself together and I will be right there."

"Okay Danno!"

Grace fidgeted around the living room, picking things up, throwing things out, and straightening the room. Just as she thought she couldn't take it another minute, her dad limped into the room. She was so happy to see him, she just flung herself into his arms.

He hugged her so tight. She was so happy. This was her Danno and she was home!

But, he was smelly. And sweaty. And hot.

She stepped back and really looked at him. And she did not like what she saw.

Her dad was skinny. He always had a slight but very muscular build. But now, he looked tiny. He also looked grey. Not his hair, his face. His blue eyes were not bright and there was a sheen of sweat over him. He was also very slightly shaking. Her alarm must have shown.

"I'm okay, Monkey." Her dad muttered. "I'm okay. I look worse than I feel. Well, that might not be true, because I feel like a truck ran over me. But, don't worry. I am getting better every day."

"Danno. You should sit down. Are you hungry? What can I make you?"

"How about some soup Monkey? You can make that while I get a shower."

Grace readily agreed and puttered around the kitchen while she heard the shower running. Danno's phone started ringing and she grabbed it off the table. Seeing that it was Lou Grover, she answered.

"Hi Uncle Lou. Danno's in the shower. Do you want me to have him call you back?"

"Grace! I am so glad you are there. How is your dad? He won't let me come and see him, but he doesn't sound good when I talk to him."

"I don't think he is doing great Uncle Lou. But, I don't want him to catch me talking about him behind his back."

"All right girl. You call me when you can. I'm worried about him."

"Okay, Uncle Lou."

She heard the shower turn off, and slow steps in the hall to the bedroom. A few seconds later, her dad limped into the room.

"Okay, Monkey…what have you got? Chicken soup? Sounds great."

Danny gently lowered himself into the chair. Grace watched while he did. He looked ancient to her.

"Uncle Lou just called. He wants you to call him back."

"Yeah, I will. I have just been kind of laying low with everybody. It takes too much energy to talk right now. So, you talk. Tell me about college."

They spent the next hour or so sitting in the kitchen. Danny seemed delighted to hear any and everything that Grace could tell him about her life. But after a while, she noticed how he winced when he fidgeted and the lines around his mouth seemed to be getting tighter.

"Danno? Are you okay….?"

"Sorry Monkey. I think it's time for a pain pill. I've been trying to stay off the damn … oops sorry Grace, the darn things, but I still hurt quite a bit."

Grace saw the pill bottles next to the sink and brought them over with a glass of water. Her dad looked at them and then took one. He smiled at her and explained that he would be nodding off for a nap fairly quickly after the pill. She helped him to his bedroom and got him settled in bed and then went back to the living room for her cell phone and called her Uncle.

He got off the couch when he heard his cell start up; he knew from the ringtone it was Grace Williams. He had no sooner with a quick, cheerful "Hey Gracie" when the voice from the other side stopped him in his tracks.

"Wait….what…..Gracie….what's the matter…what are you talking about….what?" He couldn't get a word in edgewise. She chewed his ear off for a good five minutes straight and then there was dead air. Catherine walked into the room and caught him looking at the phone with what she could only describe as a hurt and puzzled look on his face.

"What was that?" she asked

"That? That was a really angry, wound up and volatile Williams" Steve retorted.

"Oh! Is that all?" Catherine laughed. "I had expected that call to have happened weeks ago. What else did Danny have to say?"

"Not Danny. Gracie. That was Grace Williams." Steve turned to Catherine. "I thought you told me that you had spoken to Danny a couple of times and he was fine?" Steve asked

"I did. I told you. He said he was fine and you shouldn't worry about him. I told you, he sounded like he didn't really want to hear from you."

Steve narrowed his eyes at her and Catherine got a little worried. She hadn't lied, exactly. She had called Danny, at least twice. He said he was fine. He said Steve should not bother to call him. That was true. But he didn't sound good and she didn't pursue that and she didn't tell Steve that either.

Nor did she tell him that Tani had called his phone while he was out running one day and related to Catherine that she was worried about Danny but no one wanted to worry Steve while he was getting his well deserved downtime. So, Catherine didn't tell Steve about Tani's call nor about her nagging worry about Danny.

Catherine was enjoying being with Steve. She knew it wasn't going to lead to anything more serious than what they always had, which was the ability to take each other out of their own heads and away from real life for a bit. It had been their way. While it was still nothing more than a temporary distraction for her, she had come to the realization recently that he was looking for something more permanent. She just hadn't arrived at the point where she was ready to tell him she wasn't it, but it looked like now her hand was going to be forced.

"Steve. I think we need to talk." She began.

Grace opened the door and let her Uncle Lou in. But she realized there were more people with him.

"Grace, I think you remember Junior and Tani?"

"Yes, sir. I don't know if Danno is going to be happy that I called you. I am worried that he is going to be mad that more people are here."

"Don't you worry little lady. If your dad is upset, I'll handle him. Now, what's the matter?"

"He took some more pain pills when he woke up from his nap…and all he had to eat was one bowl of soup this afternoon, and he didn't even finish that. When I went to check on him, right before I called you…well Uncle Lou, he's all sweaty, and he seems hot, and he's answering me, but he isn't making a lot of sense…"

At this point, Grace kind of collapsed against the big giant of a man, and while he put his arm around her to comfort her, he nodded to Junior and pointedly nodded to the back bedroom. Junior knew when he'd been given an order and set off at a trot to the room with Tani hot on his heels. Within a minute she was out of the room, with her cell phone to her ear.

"Yes, operator that's the right address. This is Tani Rey with the Five-O task force. Let me know when the bus is close."

She snapped the phone shut and turned to Lou.

"I don't like the look of him Lou. He isn't connecting the dots very well. He knows Junior but he thinks I'm Rachel. I told you we should have checked on him days ago…"

Lou held up a big hand.

"I'll be the first to say we made a mistake Rookie, but let's deal with this situation first."

Tani tightened her lips and jerked her head in a nod of acknowledgement. Then she turned back to the bedroom to help Junior.

Tani's cell phone started ringing just as the reflecting red lights hit Danny's front window.

Steve stood at Oahu International on the front sidewalk, looking at his cell phone in frustration. So far, Danny, Lou, Rachel, Junior, Tani, Adam, Grace, and Quinn's cell phones had all gone to voicemail and no one had called back. He placed another call and finally got an answer.

Twenty minutes later he was climbing into Kamekona's van.

"Thanks for getting me big man. I couldn't reach anybody. It's like an island holiday I don't know about."

"It's no holiday bruddah. Your little friend is really sick."

"What are you talking about?"

"Danny, man. Isn't that why you're back? Didn't somebody call you about Danny?"

Steve felt like he was drowning.

He had been confused and concerned when he got Grace's call. Then he sat down for his serious talk with Catherine. What she said wasn't really a shock to him. His many runs had brought him to the same conclusion. While he might have pined for years to be in a relationship with her, a relationship with her was never going to happen. They were better as friends. She was still devoted to making a name for herself with the agency. She had no desire for children. Steve loved her, but he wasn't in love with her. It wasn't until he was able to spend so much time with her without any distractions, that he was able to realize what so many people had seen so many times before – they just were not good together. They were not good for each other.

He also realized something else while he spent so many hours by himself trying to get back to Hawaii. He had failed as a friend. Danny was his best friend. He had been scared to death when he had come so close to losing him, again. He just couldn't do it again. Could not watch Danny hurt and in pain, knowing that this had happened because of Steve and Steve's family. Could not go through seeing Danny in pain day after day while he recovered from his latest injury.

Steve always thought of himself as brave, so it had shaken him to his core when he got the call from his best friend's little girl, a little girl that he was "Uncle Steve" to, and she had called him a coward, and he knew she was right.

He had booked his flights as soon as his talk with Catherine was over.

"No, Kamekona. No one called me about Danny? What the hell are you talking about?"

"Oh bruddah, the little bruddah really sick. Good thing his little keikei came home from college. The doctor said if he was left on his own for a few more days he mighta died. He gots seps …somefin. Not sure what they call it, but he in the hospital and he really, really not good.""

Steve's jaw tightened as he realized how much his cowardice might have cost him. He knew he had been selfish, and now he was scared of what he might find when they got to the hospital.

Danny had just moved into a step down room from ICU. Rachel and Charlie had gratefully headed for home, hopeful that he had turned an important corner. Grace and the whole team were in the waiting room trying to divvy up times so that Danny wouldn't have too many people with him all at one time. The team was very conscious that they needed to let the young girl get some rest.

The elevator door opened and the team was thrilled to see their leader. They all gathered around him, hugging him and patting him on the back, delighted with his presence. Steve was happy to see all of them, to get their assurances that Danny was doing much better. As he was hugging Junior, he looked over his shoulder and saw a pair of angry brown eyes fixing him with a piercing glare.

"Ah, give me a minute guys." He said as he prepared to meet his maker.

"Oh, she's going to rip him apart" muttered Lou under his breath as he waved everyone deeper into the waiting area.

"Gracie"

"Steve" He winced at that. The "Uncle" had been dropped. That hurt.

"Look, Gracie…I know that you were scared about Danny being sick…" he didn't get very far.

"Yes. I was really scared about Danno being sick and left alone" she all but spat at him. "No one checked on him. You left him. You left him alone. He would never do that to you." Now there were tears running down her face. The worst thing was, she was right.

Steve sighed and took her hand. "I need to see your dad."

Those brown eyes bore into his. She nodded once, took his hand and led him into Danny's room.

Steve was aghast. Danny looked terrible and Steve had seen him in all sorts of terrible conditions. He looked just this side of death's door.

Steve picked up Danny's hand, and reached across him to take Grace's hand where she stood on the other side of her dad.

"Gracie, you were right. I was a coward. I left because I couldn't stay. I couldn't watch your dad go through this again because of me. I thought I would find some peace far away from here, and the fact is being here and being with my friend is all I thought about. When you called and yelled at me, I wanted to defend myself and tell you that you were wrong, but I couldn't because you were right. I know you're mad at me right now, but I will stay and help your dad through this and help him get strong, and I will be worthy of being your Uncle Steve again, I promise. Okay?"

Those deep, dark, brown eyes looked at him.

"We'll see" was all she said.