- Danno! Danno! Wake up! It's late! - Little Grace shouts shaking her father.

Danny turned to escape from the voice that was trying to wake him up at that ungodly hour in the morning; he could feel it was early without opening his eyes.

- Danno! Danno! Wake up! We're late! Come on! - The voice didn't want to stop.

After a while Danny finally gave in and opened his eyes. He glanced at the clock. 7:00 am.

- Monkey. Why are you up so early on Saturday morning? - He asked rubbing his eyes.

Grace, who was already dressed and ready to go out, just stared at him.

- Danno! If you don't get up immediately we'll be late! Uncle Steve promised me that we could restart my surf lessons once he got back from his training week. We decided to go to him this morning at 8:00 to have breakfast together. Come on Danno! Get up! We're going to be late!-

Danny stared at her, confused. It was too early and he couldn't think straight.

- Danno! - She said – Uncle Steve reminded you yesterday! You really don't remember?-

Finally Danny remembered what his daughter was trying to say and he got up quickly. Steve was so crazy that even for half a second of delay would have been able to send a rescue team or go himself at his apartment. He got dressed in record time and they were able to arrive at his partner's house with only half a minute of delay.

Like he always did Danny turned the knob, the door was open, and so he let himself in without knocking. The house looked empty, but the lanai door was open. Probably Steve was out for his morning swim. Five minutes later he heard his daughter's cry of joy. He came out from the kitchen, where he was arranging breakfast; just in time to see her threw herself in the arms of a very wet Steve. As usual when he saw his partner, his beauty amazed Danny; especially now that he was wet, with his daughter in his arms and with the sun shining on him. Danny shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts and watched while his daughter jumped in his partner arm. Now both of them were completely soaked. Steve walked towards him, holding his baby girl, and he looked surprised. Danny just smiled at the two most important people in his life.

- Hey, Danno. What are you doing here? - Steve asked with a smile.

Danny rolled his eyes at the nickname then looked closely at his friend. There was something in his eyes that he couldn't catch, something that made him uncomfortable.

Before he could answer Grace jumped in.

- Did you forget too, Uncle Steve? Even Danno forgot that we were supposed to come here this morning. - She said.

- No, sweetie. - Steve said kissing her cheek. – I didn't forget. I just thought that you want to do something with Gabrielle today. –

- I didn't forget. - Danny said. – I just forgot to set the alarm. And no.-he added – Steven we don't want to stay with Gabby. We have prior commitments with you so here we are. Besides Grace loves being with you. -

Danny was confused. How could Steve think that he would have wanted to stay with Gabby? Danny would always choose him over Gabrielle. He'd chosen him over Rachel. Gabby was a very sweet girl and he was his last chance of not being alone for the rest of his life, but Steve would always be his first choice. He'd been his first choice since the first time they met. There was absolutely nothing he wouldn't do for him, since the first time he'd seen him he was screwed. He was hopeless in love with him, but he knew he didn't have any chance. Steve was straight and he had pushed him towards Gabby.

- Now you two go and change. I'll fix breakfast. - He said when Steve stayed quiet and thanking God that her he and his daughter had a change of clothes there.

- We brought the cake with pineapple. The one you and I like so much Uncle Steve. - Grace said with a big smile hugging Steve a little tighter.

His partner smiled that smiled that made Danny's knees go weak.

- We just have to make Danny eat that with us. - Steve said.

- Not going to happen, Steven. I will never eat that thing that you call cake. Not even in a million of years. You have to know that this is your fault. My daughter was a perfectly normal baby before she met you. She didn't like pizza with pineapple and ham; she didn't care about surf and almost didn't even know what pineapple was. Then she met you. You turned her in a monster who likes pineapple on pizza…-

Grace and Steve just ignored him and ran up the stairs laughing. Danny smiled. He wished his life could be always like this. He wanted to be with Steve, to wake up next to him every morning, to sleep next to him every night, but most of all he wanted to share every aspect of his life with Steve, he wanted to share his daughter with Steve, because Danny had never seen Steve happier than when he was with Grace. But this life wasn't possible. Because Steve was straight and didn't see him like that, for him Danny was just a close friend and nothing more. And Danny would never risk their friendship, it was too important for him. So he had no choice but be with Gabby and try to forget his feeling for the SEAL. Steve was the most important thing in his life, besides Grace, and he couldn't imagine living without being his friend. Danny, Steve and Grace stayed together the day. Danny sat on the beach watching while his partner and his daughter played together in the water. Danny watched especially Steve close. There was something in his behaviour that he couldn't catch, but that made him uncomfortable. On the surface everything looked normal, but there was a strange glint in his partner's eyes and Danny got what was that when Steve carried Grace to the car that night. Closing the car's door Steve looked at Grace like that was the last time he could see her. For a moment, while he was driving away Danny though that maybe Steve had been called back wth the SEAL. Then he shook his head, Steve would have told him, right?