A/N This is the second part to the vignette chapter.

These are vignettes that I wanted to write, but didn't think they needed their own chapters. "Mary" (in the previous update) occurs the same day as "Dear Danno,". The rest are random, happening in no particular order within the first six months Steve's gone. (Spoiler alert: Steve's gone longer than six months.)

Grace

Danny gathered up the clothes strewn across the floor in Grace's room and dumped them in her hamper before taking the whole lot downstairs to the laundry room. Goddamn but he hated laundry with the fiery passion of a thousand suns. Literally not an exaggeration, really. He'd be lying if he said he hadn't maybe, just a couple, three, maybe six times contemplated perhaps thinking of offering a deal to some small time criminal. He'd maybe forget to book 'em if they'd come and do his laundry for the rest of eternity.

Yes, eternity, 'cause he was damn sure one of the various tortures he'd experience in hell would be eternal laundry. You know, while in a confined space and watching his family be tortured and killed over and over.

But mostly laundry.

He sighed. Laundry required alcohol. Unfortunately, not enough alcohol tonight because he had Grace. Nevertheless, he trudged into the kitchen for a beer, grabbing a handful of still-warm popcorn, sitting on the counter ready for their movie night, on the way.

He would put off actually doing said laundry until she went to bed, but while he waited for her to come down from her shower, there was no reason he couldn't start sorting. Another sigh as he made his way back into the laundry room, took a swig from the bottle, set it on the washing machine and pulled the pair of denim shorts she'd been wearing today from the top of the pile.

Danny shoved a hand in first one small back pocket and then the other. His fingertips brushed against a piece of paper and he pulled it out so it wouldn't get ruined in the wash. He hadn't planned on reading it, had no reason to intrude on Grace's privacy like that, but it piqued his curiosity. The paper was worn, folded and unfolded many times and the hard lines of the writing showing through the back were not the bubbly letters of a pre-teen girl, nor the large messy scribble of a boy. He unfolded the paper and immediately recognized Steve's handwriting.

Grace,

When I was a teenager and we thought my mother died, my father sent me and Mary away. I thought he didn't love me anymore, that he didn't want us around. I realize now that was not true. He loved us very much and he was only doing what he thought was right.

I know this isn't the same thing. I'm not your father; I'm only your Danno's partner. But Gracie, I love you as if you were my own daughter. I guess I'm selfish, but I really wanted you to know that. I don't have the right to feel that way. I shouldn't even be leaving you this letter. I can hear Danno's rant now when he finds out! But you've had to grow up faster than a girl your age should have to, so I think you can handle this.

Like I told your dad, I've never had to say goodbye to anyone before and I know I messed it up. I'm sorry. I hope this can be my second chance.

So I just want you to know that I love you and I've got your back, kiddo. Always remember that. Everything I do, I'm doing for you and your dad. This is something I need to do, I hope you both understand that. And I need you to do a couple things for me, okay?

First, I need you to, well, do what you want. Be what you want, you're a smart, pretty awesome girl, Gracie. You can do and be anything you want. Don't let anyone or anything stop you. I had a not-an-uncle who 'loved me like a son' and he molded me into his image. Don't let anyone do that to you, okay? You have everything I never had, Grace. Always remember that you are loved.

Second, I need you to remember that you have a very special power. It's the most important power. You have the power to make Danno smile.

Throughout all of these years, everything we've been through on the job and off, no matter how sad or scared or angry he was, all he had to do was think of you and the sun would come out again. He would see your picture on his phone when you called, or hear me ask about you, or tell me about something you did and his whole face would light up like the sky after a storm. He'd smile this perfect stupid awesome smile and his world was right again. You are everything to him.

So when you're sad or angry or lonely, just remember that power you have over Danno. Remember how much he loves you. And give him lots of hugs. You know he likes those.

And Gracie? Your special powers work on me, too.

Steve

"Danno!"

Startled, Danny looked up from the letter. He hadn't even heard the water switch off, or her running down the stairs when she realized he'd taken her clothes, or the first two times she'd called him. He blinked once and was unashamed when he reached for the bottle for another drink before speaking to his daughter.

"Where did you get this?" He finally asked her. Grace's hair was still so wet it was dripping a bit on the floor and she was wrapped up in a fluffy bathrobe. He wondered if she hadn't realized her mistake half way through the shower and wanted to waste no time tracking down the precious piece of paper before it got destroyed in the wash. Or worse.

She chewed on her lip for a moment before answering. "It was in that hoodie Uncle Steve left for me in my room."

"You've had it all this time?"

"Um... yeah?"

"Why didn't you say anything?"

Grace looked down and fidgeted her hands. "You were angry with him the last time we saw him and... I didn't want you to be angry at him again, or more." She looked back up at him. "You shouldn't be angry with Uncle Steve. It's not right. It's kinda weird, actually. Anyway, and I thought you might take it away from me. I really love the letter, Danno."

"Oh, Monkey." Danny wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a tight hug. "I'm not mad at him anymore. You made sure of that, actually. Besides, I can't stay angry with that crazy Super SEAL for long, you know that."

She nodded against his chest and sniffed. "I miss him, Danno."

"Me too, Monkey."

Grace pulled back just enough to look up at him. "Are you going to take it away?"

"The letter?" She nodded. "Of course not!" Danny released her, refolded the letter that was in the hand well away from her wet hair, and handed it back to her. "I'd never keep that from you. But if you're going to carry it around all the time, you need to be careful you don't lose it."

"Yeah, you're right, Danno," she said, putting it in the pocket of her robe.

"Of course I'm right, silly, What are you even saying?"

She grinned up at him and Danny could see the tension leave her body now that she knew the letter was safe, Danny wasn't angry, and he wouldn't take it away from her.

"Actually, why don't we swing by the Palace tomorrow? You can scan it and that way if anything does happen to it, you won't have really lost it."

"Really?"

"Yes, 'really'. What, you think I was lying or something. Would I lie to you? No. I didn't think so. What is with you tonight, huh?" He ruffled her hair and pushed her towards the living room. "Now go on and finish getting your PJs on so we can watch that movie, 'kay?"

Rachel

Black clouds marched through the sky towards Honolulu. Danny eyed them warily as he drove back to the Palace from Five-0's latest crime scene. This may be paradise, at least according to crazy people, but when it wasn't paradise, Mother Nature was a hard core bitch. Of course, he didn't have to shovel six foot snow drifts when she finished pitching a fit, so he supposed he had no choice but to call that a win.

Meredith Brooks' Bitch broke the silence in the car.

"Yes, Rachel."

"Daniel, are you busy?"

"No, Dear. I'm sitting here in my office crocheting a blanket."

"There's no need to be rude."

Danny sighed. "Sorry Rachel. It's kind of crazy around here right now. We've got techs trying to process two scenes before this storm hits. Unfortunately, there's nothing for me to do until that's done."

"Could you come by the house for a moment?"

"Everything alright? Is Grace okay?"

"Yes, but a package just arrived, for Grace, and there's no return address on it."

He chuckled. Rachel may have hated being married to a cop, but she had proven time and again that she'd never stop being a cop's wife. He couldn't deny, however, that her instincts could be right. He couldn't figure out why Grace would be receiving a package from anyone, let alone with no return address, especially as it wasn't near her birthday or Christmas. It was probably nothing, but he'd never forgive himself if he didn't check it out and it did turn out to be a threat.

"I'll be there in a few minutes. Just leave it wherever it is and don't touch it until I get there."

He flipped on the lights and siren long enough to pull a u-turn and he was driving through the gate to the Edwards home ten minutes later. Rachel met him at the door and led him through the house to the dining room where the box sat on the table.

Danny inched towards it, studying the box from all angles without touching it, until his eyes landed on the postage label. He smiled.

"It's fine, Rache."

"What do you mean? How do you know?"

"I mean it's fine. There's no bomb inside or anything. It's postmarked Coronado. It's from Steve." He still hadn't heard from his friend, but Danny knew enough about the SEALs to know Coronado was one of the places they were stationed, and he knew that Steve had been based there in the past. This couldn't be from anyone else.

"Should we open it first? Make sure it's okay?"

"Nah. Let her do it. She'll enjoy that. I trust Steve."