Guardian
A/N: Hope you enjoy the latest chapter. Please take a few seconds to leave a review and let me know what you think.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters and make no money doing this. I'm just having fun playing with them.
Chapter 21
Placing the large dish of homemade lasagna on the table next to the salad and breadsticks, Beth smiled fondly at the looks of anticipation on everyone's faces.
"It smells divine, Mom." Steve looked up at her as she stood next to his chair.
Giving him a quick kiss on his head, she laughed and patted his shoulder. "Compliments will get you everywhere, Steven."
Taking her seat, she watched as everyone dug in. "So, I spoke with Grandpa Williams today." She'd waited until they were all together to give them the update.
"Is he going to visit, too?" Grace asked. Though the adults knew, they'd decided to wait to let her know until Beth had spoken with Paul.
"Actually, sweetheart, he's getting things wrapped up in New Jersey so we can officially move here. Depending on how quickly he can schedule the movers, it may take him a couple of weeks to get here, but he can't wait."
She could easily see that everyone at the table was delighted with the announcement. This wasn't Jersey, only of these children was technically hers, but the new family her eldest had found made Hawaii feel like home. She couldn't wait for Paul to see it. No matter what she said, you could never adequately describe what it was like in the midst of them.
Dinner was filled with lively conversation about what they wanted in their new house. She'd managed to sum it up into three key elements. It needed to be close to Steve's house, have a very large kitchen, and plenty of room for the entire family to come for dinner.
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"Ready Catherine?" Kono asked as she gathered her things. Stopping to give Grace a hug, she leaned down. "We'll see you tomorrow, okay?"
Hugging her adopted aunt, Grace whispered in her ear. "Can we practice more?"
Kono smiled at her. "Of course." The cop was happy to see she was enthusiastic about the training.
"Love you, Kono." The little girl let her head rest on the other woman's shoulder for a moment.
"Love you too, Gracie." Standing back up, she gave her boss a quick hug. "Give us a call when it's okay to come over."
The appointment with Dr. James was the following morning and no one wanted to intrude if she needed time with Danny and Steve. Even Beth had decided she would go out with Chin and his cousin to see some houses and start getting a feel for what the island offered.
After the last of the three walked out the door, Steve locked it behind them. It had been a long and eventful day and they were all tired.
"Gracie, how would you like it if I read you a bedtime story tonight? Your Daddy and Danno look like tired." She gave a pointed look to the two men. She was giving them a bit of time together knowing that their daughter was safe with Grandma. They'd barely had more than a few minutes alone since this morning on the beach and they deserved a bit of time without the threat of interruption.
"Can we ready Harry Potter?" Danny and Steve had bought the books a while ago, but they had just finished the other book they'd been reading so they could start the new series.
"As long as these two don't mind." Beth didn't want to ruin any plans they had.
"No worries there." Steve laughed. "We read the first one before we gave them to Grace, so we won't get behind."
The little girl smiled at her Daddy before explaining to her Grandma. "You have no idea how many times I've caught them reading my books, but it's fun because then we get to talk about them and they know what I'm talking about."
It had thrown the little girl the first time she caught Steve reading one of her books. She was used to Danno doing it, but was initially surprised that the Seal would read them just so he could talk to her about them.
Giving her Danno and Daddy both hugs and kisses, the little girl headed up the stairs to get ready for her shower.
Once she was out of range, Beth turned to the boys. "It's been a very long day for all of us. I hope you don't mind me commandeering bedtime, but I would like some time with my granddaughter and I think the two of you need some time with each other."
She gave both of the men a hug.
"Thanks Mom." Danny was too used to his mother to be embarrassed that she had knowingly maneuvered the evening so he could go enjoy time with his partner behind closed doors.
"Now, I'm going to finish a few things in the kitchen before I head up. You two should head up before she gets into the shower in case she needs to leave the door open." She shooed them up the stairs. "I'll fix breakfast in the morning after Steven has a chance to swim."
Reaching the top of the stairs, they saw Grace emerging from her bedroom. "We'll see you in the morning, Monkey."
Shutting the door to their bedroom behind him, Danny leaned back against it. Only the night before he was leaning against a different door wondering what life would be like if his mom was right.
Danny's breath hitched as the Seal pulled his shirt over his head and casually tossed it into the hamper. Steve without a shirt wasn't an uncommon occurrence, but never in a setting that implied so much intimacy. Closing his eyes, he let the image etch itself into his brain even as he tried to push back the insecurity that suddenly gripped him.
Turning around to see why his partner had stopped, Steve's breath caught as he saw him against the door, eyes closed. It felt like his heart could barely withstand the emotion running through him, but something in Danny's expression gave him pause.
Crossing the few steps back to his partner, he placed one hand on the door above his head. Letting the other hand gently caress his waist over the t-shirt he wore, the Seal leaned in to nuzzle his neck.
The Seal slipped his hand under the hem of the t-shirt, wanting to feel the heated skin underneath, but froze when the detective's hand suddenly knocked his away. Stepping back, he struggled to hide the hurt and rejection on his face.
"Danny? What's wrong?" After this morning, after everything today he couldn't believe his partner was pushing him away.
The shorter man's blue eyes finally met his, tears threatening to spill as he opened and closed his mouth seemingly unable to form the words.
"Please, Danny. Don't shut me out." The Seal stepped back toward him, leaving only inches between their bodies. His hand cupped his partner's neck, thumb brushing the tears away.
"Sorry babe. I just panicked for a second." Danny tried unsuccessfully to make it sound like no big deal.
"Panicked about what?" Steve racked his brain for something that would make his normally confident partner panic. "You know we're both in new territory here. We'll take it slow." He considered the possibility that Danny was spooked by what would eventually happen behind closed doors in this room.
Danny leaned into the Seal, hiding his face against his strong chest. "Taking my shirt off." He mumbled against the bare skin.
"Danno, you aren't making much sense here. I've seen you without your shirt on. Hell, I saw you without it on the beach this afternoon." He'd never seen any reason to complain about the view.
"I'm not like you, Steven. I don't have the hard-muscled body of a Greek god." Steve smirked at the comparison. "I'm shorter, I'm hairier, and I definitely do not look like I've been sculpted from marble. And yes, I know you've seen me without my shirt on, but somehow here, now, the realization that I can in no way hold a candle to you just made me panic."
Steve pulled him closer, wrapping his arms around him, the smirk now gone. While he took some measure of pride in the body he worked hard for, he'd never considered that it would make Danny insecure.
"Listen to me. I love every inch of you, but Danny it's not just your body I fell in love with."
Still holding him with one arm, the other hand grasped Danny's hair. Pulling his head back, Steve leaned down to capture his lips. He suspected he would need to show him, more than tell him, just how much he loved his body and was more than willing to rise to the challenge.
The detective responded to the kiss, no matter his insecurities, he found it impossible not to respond to the feel of Steve's lips against his own.
Feeling the shorter man relax into his embrace, Steve broke kiss briefly. "Danny, I've seen you without your shirt on and I'd very much like to see you without anything one. Just trust me. I've got you." He whispered against the reddened lips. "I love you."
Sometime later, the men were freshly showered and dressed in sleep pants and t-shirts as they drifted off to sleep. Though both would have preferred less clothing, they also anticipated the potential need to reach Grace quickly.
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Steve bolted straight up in bed, breathing labored, sheen of sweat covering his face and neck. His eyes searched the room frantically before he became fully aware of where he was.
Throwing his legs over the side of the bed, his head fell into his hands as his heart raced. He tried to quiet his breathing, focusing on slow deep breathes so he wouldn't wake Danny.
He glanced at the clock, frowning at the display reading 1:30 in the morning. It wasn't close enough to morning for him to sneak out for a swim.
Hearing movement behind him, he turned and found piercing blue eyes staring up at him from the pillow. He'd already woken Danny.
"I'm sorry." He started to apologize, but was cut off.
"No. No apologies. Come here." The detective opened his arms to his partner. He knew Steve sometimes had problems with nightmares, but had never realized just how intense they must be. He'd woken before Steve when he'd starting tossing, mumbling in his sleep, but was unsure how to wake the other man without sparking a violent reaction before the Seal realized where he was.
Resting his head against Danny's chest, Steve felt arms wrap around him. "It's okay, babe. I've got you." Tears pricked the detective's eyes. He suspected that in putting himself so far out there to help Grace recover, the Seal had pried some of his own wounds open.
Steve reached his hand up to rest over Danny's heart. The soft rhythmic beating lulled him back to sleep.
Two hours later, Steve's eyes flew open, searching for the threat that had woken him from a dead sleep. It took him only a second to recognize Danny's sleeping form spooned against his side.
He'd no more than sorted out the lack of actual threat in the room than he realized what woke him, a muffled cry from Grace's room.
Slipping out of bed, he heard Danny mumble as he approached the door.
"You okay, babe? Where ya goin'?" The detective's voice was still thick with sleep.
"I heard Grace." Danny immediately sat up, starting to get out of bed. "Stay put," Steven motioned for him to stay, "I'll bring her back with me." They'd never all fit in the smaller bed in her room and after waking up twice in one night, he suspected he and Danny would both sleep better knowing she was safe.
"K." The detective conceded and Steve heard him straightening the bed as he entered the hall.
Hearing another cry from Grace's room, he hurried toward her door, only to stop short at the sound of footsteps down the hall. Spotting mom, he smiled. "Go back to sleep. I've got her."
She nodded, a smile of understanding on her face, before disappearing back into her room.
Pushing Grace's door open, the Seal saw her small body tossing and turning as another whimpered cry escaped her.
"No. No. Daddy, where are you?"
His heard broke at her plea. In three long strides he was beside her bed, reaching to gather her into his arms.
Holding her close, he whispered in her ear. "I'm right here, Grace. Daddy's right here."
Her small fist wrapped itself in his t-shirt as she sobbed into his chest.
"It's okay sweetheart. I've got you. Daddy's right here." He continued murmuring quietly as he retraced his steps back to bed, back to Danno.
Sliding back into bed, Steve carefully laid the still sobbing girl between him and Danny as she still clung to his shirt.
The shorter man reached out and stroked her back, rubbing small circles as he often did when she was upset.
"It's okay, Monkey. We're here. We've got you." He added his soothing voice to Steve's whispered words.
After several long moments, the tears subsided and her breathing slowed. One hand still grasped the Seal's shirt as her head rested on his strong arm.
Danny found her other hand and wrapped it in his own. His eyes met Steve's over her small head. The mirrored look of pain and anger at what she was going through eventually calmed to determination and love.
They would see her through this. They would get her through the pain and fear. They would help her find her way back to a good place.
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A/N: Please take a second to review.
For the much longer version of what the boys were up to behind closed doors check out the third installment of Guardian: Love Explored.