Chapter 18

BethBobby

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Sorry this is late, but my Auntie had a baby today and I was too interested in finding out details about my baby cousin to be able to concentrate.

Unfortunately baby as yet is nameless (they decided that the name they chose didn't suit her and are now rethinking it).

Info I currently have: she is a girl, she was born at 7:55pm (British time), she was 6lb 2 1/2 and I quote my Uncle 'a mop of curly black hair'.

I AM SO FRIKKIN EXCITED TO MEET HER! Getting the train home (I'm at uni) tomorrow so that I can go and see her :D

Hence why this is only a short one, I need to pack.

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'We're too young to hold this all on our own

All that came and went riding them by the winds

Blowing through the trees, she could feel it on her skin

Walking the lost streets, no one ever shares

Cry yourself to sleep, waiting on a little prayer

Bags are by the door, hearts are on the floor

There's a bottle of tears on the dresser drawer

Nobody knows the trouble we've seen

Nobody knows the price of this dream

And nobody knows what it took to believe

Nobody'

Mat Kearney – Runaway

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My main tumblr: BethBobby

Say hi, I don't bite! Xx

I do realise that unless I stop with the A/Ns this is going to be longer than the chapter haha x

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Steve was surprised that he made it to lunchtime before the phone call he'd been waiting for came through to his cell from the school.

'Mr McGarrett? This is Miss Mahoney calling about Grace, she has locked herself in the bathroom and is refusing to come out. She is extremely upset and it crying, asking for you. Is there any chance you can come down here and pick her up please?'

Steve sighed, and after promising to be there shortly, he hung up, glancing at his partner's old office.

'Danny, why did you have to go?' Steve muttered, fighting back a sudden surge of emotion.

'Chin, I have to go and sort Grace out, call me if we get a case okay?' Steve said to the older man.

'No worries brah.' Chin nodded, returning to stare blankly at the screen of his computer, though Steve knew that he didn't see anything that was written on the screen.

It had been quiet all day, no one had sent them a case, no one had even called.

They knew, Steve decided.

They knew what the death of Danny would do to 5-0. They also knew that the 'superSEAL McGarrett' famous for being as unpredictable as he was lethal, had adopted his former partner's child.

Most people wouldn't have done it.

Steve knew this.

Most people would have sent her off into care, claiming that that was the best thing for her.

Steve also knew that this was a lie.

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A teacher, he presumed to be Miss Mahoney met him at the door.

She was an older woman, his Mom would have described her as a 'battle axe', with short, curly black hair.

'We need to get her out of the bathroom.' Miss Mahoney told him 'I know her parents just died, but she shouldn't be back in school if she wasn't ready.'

Steve's head snapped around to look at the woman, giving her a steely look 'excuse me?'

'She shouldn't be in school if she can't handle it.' The woman repeated.

'She's been seeing a therapist almost three times a week since the accident, myself and Lily, her therapist, both agreed that it was time for Grace to go back to school. Of course she can't handle it, it's her first day back, but the longer she has away from school, the less chance she has of being able to return and cope with it! She has to learn how to handle it again, how would you feel if you watched your parents die. Could you cope with that? Could you cope with seeing them being blown up every night in your sleep. Could you cope with being sent back to school, knowing that at the end of the day your parents aren't waiting at home for you?' Steve spat scathingly at the woman, knowing that his anger wasn't solely directed at her, but not being able to stop himself.

Miss Mahoney stopped, stunned into silence.

Steve rubbed his forehead and waited for her to start walking again.

He couldn't bring himself to apologise, he didn't deserve her judgement, nor did Grace.

'She's in there,' the woman pointed to a door that had the security guard and another teacher, Steve guessed, stood outside it.

He walked up to the door and knocked lightly.

'Hey Gracie, it's Steve, you gonna open the door so that I can talk to you?' he asked gently, leaning his ear against the door so that he could hear any response.

'Uncle Steve, are you mad?' he heard her sniff.

'No, I'm not mad, how about you come out here okay sweetie?' Steve said, pinching the bridge of his nose and wishing all the staff would just leave for a second.

'Okay,' he heard her mumble as she unlocked the door.

It was like déjà vu.

She opened the door and he knelt down to her level.

'I'm sorry Uncle Steve,' she sniffed, wiping her eyes as she hugged him, pressing her face into his shirt as he lifted her into his arms.

'You want to tell me what happened?' Steve asked quietly.

'They treated me different. They were always asking me if I was okay, and then Tommy kept making jokes about Danno.' Grace said, gentle sobs wracking her small frame.

'What do you mean they treated you different?' Steve asked.

'One of the teachers said to another teacher that they had to keep an eye on me because I was a mess.' Grace replied honestly.

Steve sighed, that was his fault, he'd asked them to watch her.

'It's okay Gracie, they just wanted to make sure that you weren't upset. They want you to be happy again like Danno and Mommy and me do too.' Steve told her, rubbing her back gently as she clung to him.

'I know, but I'm not a mess, I'm clean.' Grace said, making Steve smile slightly at her mistake.

'I know honey, what do you say we go home, and we have something to eat and then we come back tomorrow and start again. Does that sound okay?' Steve asked her.

He felt her nod into his chest and he leaned down, still holding her tightly to pick up her backpack.

'Okay then, let's go.'

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Questionquestionquestion: As I am nearing the end of this stage of the fic and now I'm only a couple of chapters away from the 'stages of Grace's life' I am going to ask again:

Are there any parts of Grace's life that you would like to see me write about?

Thanks for reading, please review.