Guardian
A/N: I just realized it's taken 22 chapters to make it through roughly 72 hours of story. I'm sure the pace will eventually accelerate some, but at this point, it feels trying to rush through wouldn't do them justice. Hope you don't mind.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters and make no money doing this. I'm just having fun playing with them.
Chapter 22
As the first hint of morning crept through the window, Steve gazed at the sight in his bed. Grace and Danno were curled up beside him, both turned to face him. Grace's small hand was curled inside his own as Danny's wrapped around his forearm both maintaining their connection to him even in their sleep.
He could watch the two of them for hours. It brought a feeling of contentment that the Seal was unfamiliar with; a feeling of belonging that went deeper than he'd felt with his Seal unit, the one place he'd ever truly felt like he belonged.
Danny's blue eyes cracked open as if he'd felt Steve staring at him.
"Mornin' babe." He whispered quietly. "You look entirely to awake for it to be so stupidly early."
Steve just smiled back at him. Their definitions of stupidly early varied by a few hours.
"Not that I don't love waking up to your smiling face, but you should go get your workout." Seeing his partner was about to argue, Danny raised an eyebrow in challenge. "I will not let you start neglecting your well-being. It was a rough night and it's likely to be an even rougher day." The whispered rant started.
"Okay. Okay." Steve leaned over, placing a gentle kiss on Grace's forehead before giving Danny a quick peck.
Slipping out of bed, Steve disappeared into the closet to grab his trunks before heading to the bathroom to change. Emerging a few moments later, he leaned against the bathroom door to watch the sleeping forms for a minute. He wanted to be able to remember mornings like this forever.
Afraid that Danny would catch him lingering, the Seal finally snuck out of the room and down the stairs.
Ducking into the kitchen, he was surprised to see a towel neatly folded on the island, a small piece of paper resting on top.
'Steven – Enjoy your swim. There's a cold water bottle in the fridge for you. See you at breakfast. Love, Mom.'
The Seal stared at the neat handwriting for a moment, blinking back the tears that blurred his vision. Unfamiliar emotions welled up inside of him.
Opening the fridge, he found the water bottle sitting right in front waiting for him. Grabbing a pen, he stared at mom's note for a moment longer before adding his own distinctive writing underneath.
Two minutes later, Steve stood with his feet in the water, stretching his long arms over his head. The sun was still low, but the water was warm and inviting.
Jogging further into the water, he eventually dove through the surface. Propelling his body forward, away from the shore, the exertion felt good.
Stroke by stroke, the Seal thought about the situation with Grace. Yesterday he'd been able to do at least one thing to help her cope with her fear, but he hated that he couldn't just fix it all for her.
He knew she was incredibly strong, she got that from Danno, but no matter how well she coped, they could never erase what she saw; never reclaim the childhood innocence she lost that day. No child should ever have to witness a scene like that.
The Seal knew what it was like to see things you spent the rest of your life wishing you could forget; spending the rest of your life wishing you could have changed the outcome. His nightmare had brought some of those moments crashing back down on him last night.
He needed to go see Dr. Thompson soon. In trying to figure out how to help Grace, he was surfacing painful memories of his own. Maybe setting the example was one of the best things he could do; reinforce what he'd told her the morning before.
/
Steve had been out for about forty minutes when Beth's footsteps in the hall woke Grace. Realizing she wasn't in her bed, it took only a few seconds to recognize Danno's arm wrapped around her.
"Danno, why am I in here?" She questioned as a she snuggled a bit closer to her father. She didn't immediately remember the nightmare or Steve coming to get her.
Squeezing her closer, he spoke quietly. "Steve brought you in last night. He heard you having a nightmare."
She squirmed around to face him, curling into a ball with her knees tucked against her chest, the Navy PT shirt seeming to swallow her whole. "I'm sorry Danno."
Reaching up, he brushed a lock of hair from her yes. "You don't need to be sorry, Monkey. Hopefully being able to talk to Dr. James today will help, but I think nightmares are pretty normal right now." He reassured her. He debating mentioning Steve's nightmare, but decided that bit of information wasn't really his to share.
"But I woke you and Daddy up." She hated feeling as if she was being difficult or getting in the way. She wasn't clueless to what grandma had been up to the night before. Grownups needed time alone sometime and she didn't want to be in the way.
"I'll let you in on a secret." Danny whispered conspiratorially. "I think Steve is trying to making up for all the snuggling, hugs, and kisses he's missed out on. I'm pretty sure he didn't mind one bit."
Grace smiled back. She and Danno had talked about Steve before, even before he was Uncle Steve. The little girl had asked her father why the Seal always seemed a little sad.
Not sure how to explain the complex psyche of his partner, he'd simply told her that Steve didn't get enough hugs. He'd had no idea just how seriously she would take those words. From that day on, Grace had hugged the Seal as often as the opportunity presented itself.
She was convinced her father had been right because the more she hugged Steve, the happier he seemed. Eventually the hugs led to them all spending more time together, to the Seal carrying her around all the time so she could wrap her little arms around him whenever she wanted. That led to hours of conversation and exploration around the island; those hugs eventually turned Danno's partner into Uncle Steve and eventually Uncle Steve became Daddy.
"Is Daddy swimming?" Grace knew he usually started the day in the water. When they stayed on weekends, sometimes she would sneak out after him before Danno woke. She'd curl up in his towel in one of the chairs and wait for him to come out of the water. She loved mornings with Daddy on the beach; loved it when her Danno would come find them, grumbling that his Neanderthal partner was corrupting his little angel.
"Yeah. I kicked him out of bed a while ago."
Grace laughed as she sat up. "I'm gonna go get dressed and help Grandma make breakfast. You should go make sure he gets out of the water in time to eat."
"Yes, ma'am" He laughed as she scurried out of the room. It warmed his heart to see just how much Grace loved Steve. He adored them both and it was easy to see just how good they were for each other.
Getting out of bed, Danny quickly threw on shorts and a t-shirt before heading downstairs.
As expected, mom was in the kitchen, though she was absorbed in the small piece of paper in her hands that it took her a moment to realize he was there.
When she did look up, the tears in her eyes worried him. "Mom, what's wrong?" He walked over and wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug.
"Daniel, how many times in your life have I set your things out for you before bed, leaving you a little note just to remind you that I love you; that I was your mom and would always take care of you?"
He wasn't sure where this line of questioning was going, but went with it. "Too many to count. You did it for all of us, even for dad." Little things like that were commonplace in the Williams house.
"Did you ever feel the need to leave a thank you note?"
Danny stepped back and considered the question. "No. Suppose I should have, but it was just one of those things that you did. It was one of those things that reminded us that no matter what you were always in our corner. Am I in trouble for not leaving thank you notes?" He was thoroughly confused about why this was suddenly an issue.
Holding out the paper she'd been staring at when he entered, she shook her head. "No son, you aren't in trouble, but as a mother…" She couldn't find the right words to describe how she felt. "As a mother, it makes me incredibly sad to think that little things like setting out a towel, filling a water bottle, and leaving him a note are that significant to him."
Danny looked down to find his partner's writing beneath a note his mother had clearly left.
'Mom – Thanks for so much for thinking about me. I'm not used to people doing stuff like this and it means a lot. I love you. – Steve'
Now the tears pricked his eyes. The Seal was so strong, was always there for everyone he cared about and sometimes it was easy to forget that in so many ways he'd been so closed off for so long that normal things just weren't normal to him.
"Honestly Daniel, if I hadn't already made up my mind to move here, that would have done it for me. He needs to learn what it really means to be part of a family that loves him."
Danny pulled her to him again. "I know the feeling Mom. I used to joke that he wasn't held enough as a child, but I'm really beginning to think he just wasn't held enough period."
Neither adult heard Grace enter the room until she spoke. "Does that mean we all need to hug Daddy more?" She didn't know what had started the conversation, but she was more than willing to help with that mission. She loved hugs, especially her Daddy's hugs.
"Yes, Gracie. I think we need to make sure he is well and truly introduced to what it means to be a part of the Williams clan." Beth answered. "Your Daddy just needs to learn what it's like to have people that love him and want to take care of him.
The detective laughed. "Good thing he likes to exercise or he'd quickly stop fitting into his clothes." Danny knew that one of his mother's favorite forms of showing affection involved home cooked meals. "On that note, Grace was going to help with breakfast while I went out to make sure Super Seal didn't swim through it."
Beth gave Grace a hug, she loved being able to cook with her granddaughter. "What do you think about omelets this morning?"
The little girl gave her approval of the plan and Danny headed out to retrieve his partner.
Sitting in one of the chairs facing the beach, the chairs where he'd enjoyed many evenings with Steve, he simply enjoyed the view.
He had to admit, watching the Seal in the water was rather awe-inspiring. The power and grace he exhibited in what Danny sometimes swore was his native environment was truly something to behold.
Though he was loath to admit it, there was something very calming about sitting here. He was starting to think more mornings should start this way; well maybe without the Seal making his mother cry.
About the time he was considering the need to try and actually to catch the wayward Seal and drag him onto dry land, Steve emerged from the water.
Danny gasped. He'd have to rethink his earlier idea, he wasn't sure his heart could take this sight on a daily basis. Steve looked like he belong on the cover of some stupid fitness magazine. Shaking the water from his hair, drops streamed down his chest before reaching his low-slung trunks. Of course, the Seal was oblivious to the picture he presented.
Danny knew the second his partner spotted him as the disarming smile spread across his face, his eyes lighting up.
"I could get used to seeing you here waiting for me in the morning." Steve grinned as he approached and grabbed the towel only to have it snatched out of his hands.
"Allow me." Steve's eyes met Danny's as the shorter man started drying his chest.
"Danny." The single word was the only warning he received before Steve's lips crushed against his own. He'd have to offer to dry him off more often if this was the way he was thanked.
The detective laced his hands around Steve's neck, not caring that his shirt was getting wet as their chests pressed together.
When the Seal finally lifted is head to breath, he smiled down. "Yes. I could definitely get used to this." He placed another gentler kiss on Danny's lips. "I love you." Reaching up, he took the towel from Danny's hands.
"Maybe you should let me finish or me we have to revisit our spot down the beach before breakfast." He smirked.
Relinquishing the towel, Danny slid back into the chair. "While that idea has serious merit, I'm afraid Grace will be out here to find us if we don't appear from breakfast soon. They're making omelets."
As if on cue, Steve's stomach growled. Quickly drying off, he grabbed the bottle of water and downed half of it in one long drink before reaching for his partner's hand to haul him out of the chair.
"Let's go babe. I'm hungry." Steve grinned.
Unable to resist, Danny pulled the Seal into a firm embrace before he could start walking. The often stoic man was going to have to get used to hugs, lots and lots of hugs.
When they finally made it to the house, Gracie met them at the front door and wrapped her arms around Steve's waist, not caring that his trunks were still wet.
"I helped Grandma make breakfast, Daddy." She squealed as he lifted her into his arms where he could better return her hug. With her arms now wrapped around his neck, she smiled down at Danno before looking back to Steve. "I love you Daddy."
She caught the thumbs up Danno gave her out of the corner of her eye.
"I love you too, Gracie." He wondered if he would ever get used to just how much he loved the little girl. "You suppose I should go change so I don't drip all over the kitchen?"
She nodded and laughed as he set her back on her feet. "You better hurry, it's almost ready."
Quickly kissing the top of her head, Steve ran up the stairs. Grace turned and wrapped her arms around her father. "I love you too, Danno."
Having heard the exchange from the kitchen, Beth smiled. Hawaii was definitely home now and she couldn't wait for Paul to get here.
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A/N: Please take a second to review.
I don't know about the rest of you, but I'd gleefully line up to contribute to the Seal hugging campaign.