Chapter three
Kono and Adam followed Grace out to the main room where she greeted Danny. Steve continued on his path with their guy so Grace wouldn't see him whilst Chin walked over to see Adam.
"Did you have fun with auntie Kono?"
"Yeah Danno"
"I see you met Uncle Adam"
"Yeah he's really cool"
"I know monkey, you look like you're feeling better"
"Hmmm"
"Hmmm hey?"
"My throat hurts a little still"
"Maybe you need more ice cream Gracie" Kono giggled.
"Yeah!"
"You realise I am the one who has to deal with her bouncing off the walls"
"Oh well Danno"
"Not you as well"
"You can finish of the cookies and cream Grace" Kono smiled sweetly. "But you might have to fight Uncle Adam"
Adam looked up hearing his favourite ice cream was up for grabs and chased Grace towards the break room.
"I'm going to see how Steve's doing with the perp" Chin stated before leaving Kono with Danny.
"So how was she?"
"Good as gold Danny, she's a great kid you did well"
"Thanks rookie"
"Can I talk to you though?"
"Yeah…"
"About Grace"
"Oh yeah come on" Danny ushered as he led Kono to his office. "Did she say something?"
"Do you know that Rachel has met someone?"
Danny bowed his head and sighed knowing full well the Rachel had a new man. Danny had remained in contact with Rachel's parents who changed their opinions of him when they finally realised they had a granddaughter. Her mother and father spoke to Danny on the phone a few times a month and usually skyped when they had time. Rachel's mother had informed Danny of the man in Rachel's life much to Danny's dismay, but he knew he couldn't stop Rachel.
"Yeah I know"
"I think it might be bothering Grace"
"What makes you say that?"
"She asked me and Adam if we were going to have children and she said she wanted a brother or sister but you and Rachel weren't together. I told her that you might meet someone and then she said that Rachel had and apparently Rachel is telling Grace to call him daddy Stan."
"What he's not her dad?"
"I know and Grace knows that, she said the same thing she then seemed like she was going to say something else maybe tell me something that Rachel has said to her about you but then you returned and she ran out" Kono explained.
Danny sighed and rubbed a hand down his face he hated to know his baby girl was upset about something.
"I need to talk to her"
"Wait Danny, I think Grace is trying to protect you. She doesn't know you know about Stan and she didn't want to tell you because she's scared you'll be upset" Kono said sadly placing a hand to Danny's knee.
"Do you think she will talk to me?" Danny asked.
"Maybe but I think she might need to talk to someone else first, but not because she can't come to you but because she wants to protect you"
"Will you talk to her for me?"
"I'll be there if she needs me but I think Steve stands a good chance of getting her to talk" Kono chuckled softly as she looked out the office to see Steve swinging Grace around.
Steve sat at his desk with Grace on his lap showing her all the cool stuff he owned and telling her a child version of the cases they had although he was pretty sure Danny would be pissed to hear that Grace even heard the child version.
"Uncle Steve"
"Yeah Gracie"
"Do you have a girlfriend?"
"Erm no sweetheart"
"But Danno told me that when you were at school you had one"
"Yeah but we broke up"
"Was she mean?"
"No darling we just didn't get to see each other often to it was better to just end things"
"Danno said you're his best friend but I'm not allowed to tell you that" Grace said softly before covering her mouth.
Steve chuckled at her innocence.
"I'm glad you came back to Hawaii Grace"
"Me to! Danno says you all went to school together"
"Yeah we did and that's when Danno had you"
"It's because of Mummy that we came back Danno says he wanted to be with me all the time so he moved us."
"Your Danno loves you Gracie"
"I love Danno, I prefer him to mummy"
Steve sat back and let Grace play with the ship on his desk waiting to see if she would say more.
"Mummy says bad things about Danno which makes me sad" Grace offered.
"Grace what does Mummy say?"
"She told Step Stan that he ruined everything and it's his fault that she doesn't have me but I heard Danno's mummy say that mummy didn't want me but Danno did so I love him more"
Steve hugged Grace Close, it was horrible knowing that a seven year old had to try and understand all this and the fact she knew so much. It was admirable to see how much she cared for her Danno though.
"Daddy and Mummy went through a lot when you were a baby and when you're older I'm sure Danno will tell you more but he's in a difficult situation. You don't need to worry though just remember Danno loves you more than anything else in the world"
"Okay" Grace smiled as she jumped down from Steve's lap and wandered to her Uncle Chin at the tech table, making him lift her up so she could press the buttons.
Steve smiled as Grace left and walked out of his office to Danny's. He opened the and peered in with a dopey grin on his usually stoic face.
"You have a great kid Danno"
"Thanks man, so you going to tell me about your phone call earlier?"
"Don't know what you're talking about"
"Give it up Steve, you actually placed someone else in charge while you took the call, you never do that you're a control freak!"
"Chin is a decent cop with more years' experience than any of us and he was trained by my dad I just let him take the lead this morning"
"Is this going to be a recurring thing? Will the rookie be running things tomorrow?"
"No she's a rookie"
"Well at least you didn't say no because she's a girl"
"I would never say that about Kono, she could kick your arse any day"
"Yeah fair enough, so you really not going to say anything?"
Steve sighed and sat down opposite Danny. He wasn't one for words and didn't feel a great need to go sharing things all the time, despite being good friends with Danny but at the same time he wanted an opinion.
"It was Cath"
"What, no way, your Cath?"
"She's not mine anymore"
"Was she ever really yours, the two of you refused to become official" Danny droned rolling his eyes.
"Hmmm well she's coming back to Hawaii"
"Really?"
"Yeah, she has a few weeks off but her team are being stationed here"
"When will she be back?"
"Friday"
"Mate, are you going to see her?"
"Yeah, I mean that's kind of why she called, she wanted to let me know and see if we could catch up"
"Do you think she's still with that guy?"
"Maybe"
"Do you think it will be weird?"
"What seeing her?"
"Yeah it's been a long time"
"I hadn't seen you and chin and Kono in a long time and we were fine"
"Yeah but you weren't having sex with us"
"True"
"Be careful"
"What?"
"Just be careful, don't assume she's looking to be with you again a lot has probably changed"
"I know mate"