Alrighty, I think this is going to be the last chapter of this fic, but I'll see how it goes. Hope you guys have enjoyed reading this as much as I've enjoyed writing it!

He awoke with a start, heart pounding wildly in his chest, blue eyes wide and terrified. A large hand grasped his shoulder tightly, but instead of fear, the hand offered him comfort.

"Easy, Danno." A familiar hushed voice soothed. "It's over now. Everything's alright." Steve's reassuring smile put him at ease. No matter what, he knew Steve would never lie to him. Indeed, things did seem to be relatively alright, despite the fact that he was lying in a hospital bed. He glanced down and saw Grace, small, but unharmed, curled into his chest. Rachel lay half on a chair and half on the bed, her arm draped protectively over her daughter. Chin and Kono slept in similar positions to Rachel near his feet. To his left sat Steve. He was the only one besides Danny who was awake, although exhaustion was clearly written in the lines on his face. Nonetheless, Steve looked genuinely happy.

"Hey." Danny whispered. It seemed an inadequate greeting after everything that had happened recently, but his foggy mind refused to provide anything better.

"Hey. How ya feelin', man?" Danny paused to think for a moment. He was tired, to be sure, and his arm was suspiciously numb, telling him that there were some pretty strong painkiller's at work. Despite all that, he felt good.

"Better. What happened? I remember getting' Grace out, but after that…" Danny trailed off.

"We got out just in time. The house collapsed on itself."

"Madson?"

"Dead. Actually dead this time. I made damn sure. Max found a body and he did multiple DNA and dental record identity confirmations. It's him alright."

"Good. So, why am I in the hospital?"

"A combination of things. All that running around just after being released from the hospital did number on your system. You literally worked yourself to the point of exhaustion. You were severely dehydrated too."

"Really? Huh. Guess I didn't really notice."

"You passed out just after the house collapsed. An ambulance brought you and Grace here where they got you on a few IVs. Oh, and they had go in and fix up your arm. Your bones shifted again so the doctors had to surgically realign them and put a new cast on. You should've seen your fingers. They were so swollen you couldn't bend them." Danny nodded.

"And Grace?"

"No broken arm, but other than that, she was in pretty much the same boat as you. Dehydration and exhaustion. They also found a needle mark on her neck, but they found nothing in her system. He probably just administered a sedative of some sort. She'll be fine."

"How is she?" Danny asked, and Steve knew he wasn't referring to her physical well-being. He sighed.

"She's definitely your daughter, pal. Tough as nails and stronger than anyone I've ever met. She was awake earlier and we had a little talk. I'm not saying that she's a hundred percent okay, but she will be."

"She always was the bravest kid out there." Danny muttered affectionately, pulling Grace closer.

"So what about you? And no bullshit." Steve asked.

"It's…it's a lot to deal with, but I'll get through it. Grace is gonna need me and I owe her as much to be there for her. I guess this is one of those 'one step at a time' things."

"And you got us. You got me, Danny. I'm in your corner all the way, just like you were for me."

"I know that now…and I can't thank you enough."

"Don't thank me. It's what partners do. You taught me that."

H

5

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Epilogue

The night air crackled with life and all around them, laughter swirled in the breeze. Their eyes, like the stars above, sparkled with a new light. Gathered around a blazing fire in the stone pit on the lanai, they shared smiles and stories. A man sat next to his daughter with his hand on her shoulder. The little girl smiled broadly as she sat between her two parents, reunited as a family. To the man's left, sat his friend, his brother by bond, not blood. They had an arm around each other, their eyes alight with joy. Behind the two of them, stood a tall, slender woman and strong, yet gentle man. With silly smiles, they popped their heads in just above their friends. On the ground in front of them all, sat two young men in loudly patterned Hawaiian shirts. The shorter man with glasses smiled awkwardly, but genuinely as he high-fived the other man.

"On three everybody!" The man with the camera shouted. "One…Two…Three!"

"Ohana!" eight voices chorused in unison.

The photo stood to remind them who they were and what they had. On the back, they each scrawled their names.

Danny, Rachel, Grace, Steve, Chin, Kono, Max, and Charlie.

Below those names, written in a child's hand, was a simple saying:

"Ohana means family."

As Danny fitted the photo into a frame and placed it on his desk, he remembered that it was family that had brought him out of the darkest depths to greet the light of his truly wonderful life.

Was that ending too cheesy? Sorry if you thought so! My sister and I spent the day watching a Nicholas Sparks movie marathon, so I might be a little on the corny side today! Anyway, that's it! Hope ya'll liked it!