Chapter 4

BethBobbyxoxo

Okay, short AN today because I'm sad :( my friends horse has been put to sleep last night – my friend has only had Winnie for two years but I've been riding and looking after him for almost 6 years so it's a bit of a blow – but he's going to be cremated and buried in his favourite spot so he can watch over us while we're doing our work. RIP Winston, our big friendly giant with a heart of pure gold – I'll miss you matey x

So anyways, onwards to the funeral – I decided to skip a week because three more chapters of Grace crying in my opinion would have become boring.

Here it is – enjoy and please review.

Finally Grace's adoption papers had come through; social services had to come and give an inspection and sign the papers as well as Steve.

The Governor had done all she could to prevent the inspection but it was US procedure and there was only so far against the law she could go without putting herself at risk.

Steve, with the help of Chin, Kono and Kono's parents had scrubbed his house until it shone, all that was left to do now was to decorate the guest room the way Grace wanted, rather than in the neutral beige colour it was now.

Steve had also gone and picked all of Grace's stuff up from Danny and Rachel's house so that she could begin to live normally again, rather than out of a plastic bag.

There had been tears when Steve had brought her things back to his house as he had brought the pictures he had found of Grace and her parents, hoping it would both help her face what had happened but also to give her something to remember them by.

She had cried, took the photos up to her room and closed the door, wanting only to be alone.

Mary had arrived a few days later, a whirlwind of emotion as usual, but her bubbly personality had helped Grace and for the first time since her parents wedding day he had seen her smile.

A good old Grace smile, where her eyes sparkled.

Mary was a genius, she was the one who called Grace's school and had arranged for both herself and Steve to attend a meeting with the headmaster to properly discuss what was to be done.

It sounds like Grace has done something terrible herself, rather than having something terrible happen to her, Steve thought, but he knew how much damage Grace missing a lot of school could do to her education.

He knew it couldn't be avoided but he still worried about how she would catch up, he wasn't exactly a genius himself when it came to school.

Sports, navy, cop cases, no problem, but give him an algebra problem and he was screwed.

It was Mary who he had found asleep one morning in Grace's room and had later found out from Grace that she had told her about what she had done when their mother had died.

That had helped too; it helped Grace to see that she wouldn't be sad forever.

'Do you miss your Mom and Dad,' Grace had asked Steve over dinner.

'Every day,' he said honestly 'but I know that they wouldn't want me to be sad and neither would your Mom or Danno.'

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The funeral was a week later.

A Friday.

The weather as usual was glorious, but for once it didn't lift Steve's mood.

On the day of the funeral Mary and Steve had picked out a dress for Grace, who hadn't spoken a word all morning.

Her Grandfather was still in a coma, the hospital unwilling to let him come round yet in case of more complications.

They had said he had brain damage as well as being paralyzed, but until he woke up they were unsure of the full extent of the damage.

Steve rubbed his face as he left Mary to fix Grace's hair while he went and showered.

Mary had been a godsend this last week, he thought.

She had helped him with everything, showing him the best ways of doing Grace's hair and which clothes to put with which shoes. What was the best food for Grace to eat until she was willing to tell them herself what she liked best.

He didn't know how he would have coped without her, but he knew eventually she would go back to LA again, leaving him to look after Gracie himself.

But she had promised to stay until Grace went back to school.

That was a relief, Steve supposed.

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The hearse arrived at nine o'clock with the limo behind it.

The two coffins had been covered by an American flag.*

Grace's grandparent's bodies had been flown back to their home countries, to be buried as this is what their wills stated they wanted.

Their existing families would be at their funerals.

Steve didn't want to put Grace through the torture and pain of flying around to go to three different funerals, it was a decision she may resent in the future, Steve knew, but he felt it was the right decision for the time.

Steve and Grace climbed into the limo, along with Mary, Chin and Kono were already inside having lived on route.

'Aloha Grace,' Kono said with a small smile.

Grace didn't answer, just clutched Steve's hand tightly and looked at the floor.

Steve looked down at the little girl who he knew was fighting hysterics and squeezed her hand.

It was a long ride to the cemetery, with no one knowing fully what to say.

Danny and Rachel had wanted to be buried in a traditional English ceremony together, reflecting Rachel's home and her beliefs.

When they arrived, Steve was surprised at the turn out, it had been open invitation but Steve had expected it to just be them.

Instead, the Governor came, along with most of the HPD department who had worked with Danny at some point of his short career with the Honolulu police, Kamekona and some of the people who had known Danny from New Jersey. Steve didn't know them.

The ceremony was done twice, Rachel first, the vicar reciting the prayer:

'"Insure and certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life through our Lord Jesus Christ, we commend to Almighty God our sister Rachel; and we commit his body to the ground; earth to earth; ashes to ashes, dust to dust. The Lord bless her and keep her, the Lord make her face to shine upon him and be gracious unto her and give her peace. Amen."

Grace broke down as they began to lower her mother into the ground and Steve picked her up like you would a two year old child.

She sobbed into his shoulder, clutching him tightly.

Then it was Danny's turn:

"In sure and certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life through our Lord Jesus Christ, we commend to Almighty God our brother Daniel; and we commit his body to the ground; earth to earth; ashes to ashes, dust to dust. The Lord bless him and keep him, the Lord make his face to shine upon him and be gracious unto him and give him peace. Amen."

Grace didn't even turn around as Danny was lowered into the ground, she screamed when the servicemen let out two shots to recognise the work Danny had done for Hawaii and New Jersey from his time as a detective.

'Its okay, it's okay,' Steve soothed her looking around at everyone.

Kono was sobbing too, comforted by Chin, who was also crying.

As was the Governor and some of Danny and Rachel's friends.

Steve felt tears well up as the shots were fired, reminding him of all the people he had lost.

He wiped his eye with his sleeve, determined to stay strong for Grace.

Mary moved to put her arm around his waist in a hug and Steve smiled slightly at her until the Vicar called upon them to throw dirt into the grave.

Steve took a handful from the container her was offered before throwing it into the grave while he Vicar read:

'In the midst of life we are in death. Earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust. From dust we came and from dust we will go.'

'Hey Gracie, you too,' Steve told her setting her gently on the floor as the Vicar offered her the container.

She took some and copied what Steve had done.

'Goodbye Mommy. Goodbye Daddy. I love you.'

In the silence of the moment everyone could hear he little girl whisper the words, before she started to cry again, reaching for Steve's hand.

And for a moment, Steve could almost imagine he heard the reply.

'Goodbye monkey, Mommy and Danno love you too baby.'

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*please don't crit if I'm wrong, I'm English so have no idea what a traditional American funeral looks like other than what I have seen on TV and what I have researched.

Not sure if I like this :/

Review and tell me what you think?