Guardian

Summary: What happens when Grace's world falls apart while Danny is in New Jersey handling some family business? Will Steve prove to be the guardian the little girl needs?

A/N: Reposted for minor updates. Hope you are enjoying the story.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters and make no money doing this. I'm just having fun playing with them.

Chapter 2

The trip to the ER was quiet. The paramedics worked silently, seeming to understand that their young patient needed to keep her focus on Commander McGarrett. They were both familiar with the head of Five-0 and had treated various members of his team, including him, in the last couple of years. They'd heard the stories about the little Williams girl and her relationship with the task force. Judging by the scene in front of them, those stories had been understated rather than exaggerated as many not close to the team thought.

Keeping his hand wrapped around Grace's, the Seal continued to watch her closely. She'd kept her eyes closed since he'd picked her up. He'd nearly panicked for a second when her features started to relax until he realized it was the pain medication injected in the IV.

The silent tears that fell down her face broke his heart. He couldn't help the feeling that somehow he'd failed her. He should have known something was wrong when she hadn't called Tuesday. He should have come to check on her sooner.

"Daddy?" The little girl's voice trembled as her eyes opened. The Seal was surprised she hadn't used her normal nickname for her father. He'd never heard her call Danno Daddy.

"I'll call Danno again as soon as we get you settled at the hospital, Gracie. He'll be here as soon as he can." He wished again that his partner hadn't had to make the trip to New Jersey. He knew Danny would never forgive himself for not being here when his daughter's world fell apart.

Saying nothing else, the girl's eyes slipped closed again. "I'll stay close until he gets here. I promise." Part of him wanted to confront Stan sooner, but he knew the man would be in custody and not going anywhere. Right now, his priority had to be Grace.

A few minutes later, Steve trotted along beside the gurney through the hall of the ER. Nurses swarmed the gurney as the paramedic gave the overview of her condition. When they came to a stop in one of the rooms, the Seal helped them transfer her into the bed while quickly assessing the situation. Meeting the eyes of the male doctor that was preparing to walk in the room, he quickly shook his head no and mouthed "female."

The doctor nodded his understanding and hurried away to find another doctor. A minute later, a female doctor Steve recognized from one of his visits to the ER entered the room.

"Commander McGarrett." She nodded. "Is Detective Williams on the way?"

"He's in Jersey, ma'am, but I'm sure he'll be on his way soon." He felt Grace stiffen and looked down at her. "He'll get here as fast as he can, Gracie." He squeezed her hand reassuringly.

"Commander, I need to examine Grace to determine the extent of her injuries. Perhaps you should step outside for a moment."

"No!" The little girl's voice sounded panicked. Clearly being left alone with someone she didn't know wasn't the best idea right now.

"Gracie," Steve tried to think of a solution that would alleviate her fear and preserve her modesty. He knew the doctor would have to check to see if Stan had sexually assaulted her given the circumstances. "Would it be okay if Kono came in and stayed with you while Dr. Scott checks you over? I'll be right outside the door and can try to call Danno again."

She stared up at him at him and considered what he said before nodding slowly. Kono provided a safe alternative as someone she knew and trusted.

Almost as if she'd been summoned, the Hawaiian officer appeared at the door to the room. Seeing her boss's gesture to enter, she quickly joined them.

"Hey, Gracie." The petite woman came over to the side of the bed and took the hand that wasn't still attached to Steve.

"Kono, Dr. Scott needs go through her exam. Would you mind staying here with Gracie while I try Danno again?" His eyes pleaded with her to stay and help keep the little girl calm.

"Of course." She looked down at the youngest member of their Five-0 ohana. Even wrapped in Steve's oversized shirt, it was easy to see some of the bruises. She swallowed back the bile threatening to rise in her throat and smiled down at Grace as she started plotting all the ways to make sure Stan got what he deserved.

Leaning over the bed, the Seal placed a quick kiss on the child's forehead. "I'll be back as soon as the doctor is done, okay?"

Receiving her consenting nod, he headed out to the hall. Pulling out his phone, he was a bit surprised he hadn't received a call back from Danny yet. Hitting the buttons, he waited as it rang. When the phone went to voicemail again, he disconnected instead of leaving a message.

Scrolling through his contacts, Steve decided to try a different route. Finding the number he needed, he hit send and waited as the phone rang. This time, someone picked up on the second ring.

"Williams's residence. Is this my favorite son calling?" Danny's mom teased, which meant his partner had to be nearby. The Williams matriarch loved to tease her son that Steve was really her favorite.

Steve fought to stay composed. He wondered if he would still be considered a son, much less the favorite son, when they found out what he'd let happen to her granddaughter.

"It is, Mom. Is Danny there? I've tried his cell and he's not answering."

"He's right here." He heard the sound of her moving around the room to hand off the phone and then heard her voice slightly muffled. "Daniel, where is your cell phone. Steven has been trying to reach you."

Seconds later, Steve heard the Jersey native's voice. "Steven, what's wrong? Something must be wrong or you wouldn't be calling my parents' house. Did you blow up the entire island in the less than three days I've been gone?"

Normally, the mini rant would have made the Seal smile, but knowing he was about to send his partner's world crashing down he sighed.

"You need to come home, now. Danny, Grace needs you here. So do I." The formidable man ducked into an empty room as his composure finally started to slip.

Hearing the crack in Steve's voice, his partner paused before responding. It didn't matter what it was; he was going home. "I'll catch the next flight out, babe, but what happened?" Running up the stairs to his bedroom, he located his phone on the nightstand and saw missed calls from the school and Steve. This couldn't be good.

Running back down, he handed his phone and wallet to his mother as he waited for Steve to explain. "Mom, call the airlines. Find the fastest flight to get me home." Understanding the frantic tone of his voice, she didn't question his instructions, but simply took the items and headed to the computer to figure out which airline to call.

Heading back to his room, he prodded his partner. "Babe, don't leave me hanging. Mom is finding a ticket and I'm packing, but I need to know what I'm coming home to."

Taking a haggard breath, the Seal finally found his voice again. "I don't know exactly what happened. I'm at the hospital with Gracie. The doctor is with her now. The school called, she hadn't been there since Monday and nobody was answering their calls. We went to check it out." He paused, hating to say the next part. "Danny, Rachel is dead. We found her body in the kitchen with Stan completely drunk. Grace managed to give him a black eye and lock herself in the bathroom. She's safe now. I promised I'd stay close until you get here."

"Oh god!" Danny sunk onto the bed. "I should have been there. She shouldn't have been with them."

"I'm so sorry, Danny. It's my fault. I should have checked on her sooner."

As distraught as he was at the idea that his precious monkey being hurt, he couldn't let the crazy Seal take the blame. "Steven, listen to me. It is not your fault. If you hadn't gone over there, she would still be locked in a bathroom or worse. You got her out. You got her to the hospital and if I know you, you may never leave her unattended again."

The conversation fell silent for a moment. Neither man had the heart to argue over who was to blame. Before they got any further, Danny's mom interrupted.

"Daniel, you're flight leaves in three hours. We need to head the airport." Steve could hear the fright in her voice. "Let me talk to Steven for a moment while you finish packing."

"I'll call you when I get through security, babe. Keep her close and don't go see Stan until I'm there. I don't want you to kill him before I get my shot."

"Okay, but no promise that Chin, Kono, or Duke won't get to him first." Steve heard the half-hearted chuckle as the phone was handed off.

"Steven, are you and Gracie okay?" Her motherly tone made him cringe.

"I'm okay and Gracie will be, Mrs. Williams."

"Don't you dare Mrs. Williams me, Steven! I don't know what happened, but from the little bit I heard you're blaming yourself for something you couldn't control. We don't walk away from our family just because something bad happens. Now, you take care of that precious girl and yourself. I need more time to pack than Daniel, but I'm on the first flight out tomorrow morning. I'll grab a cab from the airport and a hotel room, so don't worry about me."

Shaking his head, Steve could see where his partner got his determination. "Mom, somebody will get you from the airport, just text me your arrival info. Hopefully Grace will be out of the hospital before you get here and we'll all be back at my place. There's plenty of room for you to stay there and it'll probably do us all good to have you close."

"Okay, Steven. I'll send you the info after we get Daniel to the airport. We love you."

"Love you too, Mom."

/

A/N:

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