Danny and Grace
Chapter 14
Disclaimer: See chapter one

A/N: Well here we are, our journey's end. Again I can't express the appreciation I have for all you guys who have followed my story, alerted it, favorited it and reviewed it. I worried when I started writing this because I hadn't watched the show and had only started catching the few episodes I could online-thank God for summer reruns so I've managed to see a few more. Of course Steve came off as my impulse favorite, but the more I watch Danny and then his interaction with Grace, he's actually pulled slightly ahead of Steve in my favorite's department. That being said, I hope i've gotten the characterizations down and may try my had at another story in the future and that is solely because of the support and encouragement from you guys. So here is the final chapter of Danny and Grace, I hope it meets your expectations, I felt it brought things full-circle. Enjoy-Montez

Epilogue: Three-weeks later

Lt. Commander Steve McGarrett stood just inside one of the interrogation rooms at HPD headquarters. He'd been standing there for about ten minutes, staring silently at the twenty-something kid across the table. He hadn't said a word since he'd entered and was silently thrilled with his ability to make the kid squirm.

It was Dylan Evans third DUI offense, the two other times he'd gotten off lightly, suspended sentence, revoked license, which he never really paid attention too, hey you only got in trouble if you were caught right. He'd even done some community service, but other than that, he'd always walked away, hell he'd never hurt anybody.

But the third time was different, when he woke up in the hospital suffering a concussion after flipping his car he was far more worried about fixing it than actually being in trouble, after all he'd been the only one hurt. However once he got to lock up, things were different. The officers were more abrupt, almost hateful toward him. Usually he'd start joking with them, some would respond before, but not this time. Dylan had sensed something different in the air. At his arraignment the next morning he learned he'd caused another accident before he'd had his own. But not giving much thought to it he plead not-guilty, but was denied bail, that had never happened before.

For three weeks his court appointed lawyer kept telling him there were special circumstances and the judge would not even entertain another bail hearing. Three weeks was the longest he'd ever spent in jail, so when he was brought up to the small room he thought maybe his lawyer had gotten things straightened out and he would finally get out of this crap place, hell he had a life to get back to, too much partying not enough time was him motto. That was until Lt. Commander Steve McGarrett walked into the room. He only knew the man's name because the guard that had brought him up introduced the imposing man. But for ten minutes now the tall man, with dark hair and an even darker expression had remained silent and motionless.

Dylan finally sat up some as he heard the door lock being disengaged, fully expecting his lawyer Dylan Evans was surprised to see a little dark-haired girl with pig-tails walk into the room, followed by a blond man leaning heavily on a cane. "Uncle Steve." Dylan watched as the small girl launched herself at the statue of a man, who's whole face changed at the sound of the little girls voice. For just a moment the man didn't seem so scary anymore, but that changed again as he released the child who then walked over toward the table. The commander's posture and expression returned to one of darkness and danger. Evans watched the blond man nodded at the taller one, a subtle nod in return the only response before the injured man made his way to the table as well.

It was silent for a minute before Dylan was brave enough to speak, "What's this about, I thought my lawyer would be here?" He wasn't sure why the presence of a little girl and an injured guy made him feel even more threatened than the man who'd been in the room with him all this time, but it did.

Danny's finally broke the tense silence, "Your lawyers here, he's out in the hallway."

"Okay." Dylan responded as his eye's glanced at the little girl, but an almost animalistic growl was heard from the man standing near the door, so Dylan quickly looked back at the blond.

"My name's Detective Danny Williams, I'm with the Governors Task force known as Five-0, this is my daughter Grace." Danny spoke calmly as Grace smiled at the man across from her, causing Dylan to shift slightly.

"Okay, do I know you?" The young man found his voice, but only barely, he wasn't quite sure what was gone on.

Danny sat up straighter, his hands folded calmly in front of him. He smiled at his daughter before he continued. "I just wanted to meet you. I wanted to see the man who almost took my daughter from me."

The cool tone of Danny's voice actually made Dylan shiver. "What?"

"Three weeks ago up on Kahala Drive, you were driving a little black compact that you crashed at the bottom of the hill, right?" Danny leaned forward slightly, watching the younger man's reaction.

"Okay, yeah, I wreaked my car, what's that got to do with you?" Dylan had only barely paid attention when he'd appeared before the judge, leaving his lawyer to answer all the questions and tell him what to say. Yeah he knew he wrecked his car, but he'd been alone, it was a single car accident.

"I was driving the silver Camaro that you ran off the road at the top of the hill. Do you remember?" Williams watched as a flash of remembrance played over the younger man's face. "You don't have to say anything, I can see it in your face that you remember. Did you even stop or even wonder what happened?"

Dylan looked at Grace, he could barely see the healing cuts and fading bruise on her face. He then took a closer look at the blond man, his bruising a little more noticeable, but still fading. Then Dylan remembered he'd walked in using a cane. "You wrecked?"

Danny shook his head as he glanced at his hands, he couldn't believe this kid was this dense. Williams glanced over his shoulder as he could almost feel the electricity coming off his stationary partner near the door. He was surprised Steve had been able to remain silent this long. Danny couldn't help the humorless chuckle that escaped, "Did we wreck? Seriously, what do you think happened? Have you ever driven that road sober? There's a he…" Danny glanced at Grace and caught himself, "Heck of a drop-off up there, trust me it's not something you willingly want to experience. So yeah, you could say we wrecked."

Danny let the words sink in as the boy across from him actually looked terrified a moment as his eyes drifted to the little girl across from him who was watching him. He'd never thought about anyone really getting hurt before because of him, hell any time he'd been busted for DUI he'd generally just make a fool out of himself and walk away. The concussion from this last time was his only injury, but looking at the little girl across from him, it was like a piece of lead had settled in his stomach. "Was she?" Dylan was surprised his voice sounded so small.

"Yes, she was in the car with me when we went over that drop. Tell me, do you know what it's like to listen to the person you care the most about in this whole world, cry out for you in terror and you can't do anything about it?" Danny's voice betrayed his face as it broke slightly, the memories of that day still haunted his nightmares and he knew they would for many years to come. "Do you know what it's like to think you had lost the only person in your life that makes it worth living? That's what you did to me, to her." Danny motioned toward Grace.

Reaching in his shirt pocket, Danny pulled out a picture and laid it on the table between them, "This is what is left of my car, the car she was riding in."

Dylan picked up the picture, the burned-out, mangled shell was the only thing left and if you didn't know it had once been a car you'd never been able to tell. Danny took a hint of pleasure seeing the kid across from him pale as he looked at the damaged vehicle. "You know I read your arrest file, slaps on the wrist before, you'd been lucky. But you know what, I think your lucks run out, because I want you to get use to seeing us, all three of us." Danny motioned behind him to include Steve. "oh and I have a few more people who's faces are gonna become very familiar as well. We will be in court anytime you go, we'll be there through the trial. I want you to remember what you almost took away from me, from my friends, from my family." Danny leaned back in his chair as he took a deep breath, it hitching slightly from his still healing ribs. "I don't know if it's going to make a difference to you or not, but I'm going to go out on a limb here as say this is the first time you've really had to deal with the consequences of what you do. I want you to have the names of the people that your recklessness and total disregard for others nearly took away. I want you to put a face with those names and remember that anytime you ever think of doing something like that again."

Danny pushed his chair back as it appeared the kid across from him was actually shaken by this encounter. Standing Williams pickup his cane and leaned on it, "But there is another reason we are here. You see when you have kids you will do just about anything they ask, even if goes against your very nature. You see I'm not a very forgiving person. I've seen too much to believe people can really change, but because of my daughter I have to hold out hope. So she's the other reason I'm here today. She came up to me a few days ago and wanted me to explain to her what happened and when I did she looked at me and told me we needed to forgive you, because she believed you really weren't a bad person, that you just did something really dumb. So for the sake of my daughter and going against ever fiber of my being, I am willing to stand here and say I forgive you."

Dylan actually felt his breath catch in his throat as he watched the man before him. Evans had listened, had watched the little girl across from him as she watched her father talk. And over the course of the past few minutes he realized what he caused, then glancing down at the picture that still lay on the table he suddenly realized what could have happened. The brown-haired, brown-eyed little girl watching him now might not be here right now because of him. He honestly didn't know what to say, didn't know if there was actually anything he could say. The scrapping of the chair across from him brought his attention back to the little girl as she stood, pulling something from her little backpack she was carrying, she rounded the table to stand next to him. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed the dark-haired man tense as the small child grew closer.

"I made this for you." Grace said as she handed Dylan a folded piece of paper.

His shackled hands reached up and took it from her, opening it up. It was a picture of the beach, watery-waves of blue, bright green for the palm trees, a light brown for the sand. But it was the picture of a little girl standing next to a sand castle that drew his attention, she was smiling, her small hand waving and across the top of the paper in eight-year old script were the words, 'I forgive you'. In the bottom right hand corner was the name 'Grace Williams' neatly printed. Dylan actually felt tears fill his eyes, never had his actions had such grave consequences and the reality was almost too much for him to bare. "Why?" he looked into the big brown eyes watching him.

"Because everybody messes up and Danno says we got to learn from our mistakes." Grace then leaned in and kissed Dylan on the cheek before making her way back across the room, retrieving her backpack and racing into Steve's arms as they followed Danny out of the room, leaving Dylan Evans to absorb the words of an eight year old little girl.

505050505050

"How much longer?" The slightly whinny voice of Grace Williams echoed through Steve's Silverado as he glanced over at Danny.

"Hey don't look at me, you told her it wouldn't take long and her understanding of not long and yours are two totally different things" Danny chuckled as he watched the scenery go by. Yesterday had been draining on him, facing the man that had nearly taken his daughter from him took more out of him than Danny realized. But he'd done it for Grace, she'd asked her daddy to forgive him and only for her could he do something like that. He would forgive, but he would never, ever forget.

Steve's voice brought his attention back to the matters at hand, "Not to much longer, Chin and Kono should have our picnic set up by the time we get there." McGarrett glanced at the little girl strapped into the backseat of his truck, extremely grateful that both her and his partner were still with them.

"You know you didn't have to do this, I was planning on doing this once I'm cleared to drive again and get another car." Danny commented. He'd hated that because of the hip fracture and twisted knee the doctor hadn't cleared him to drive. He'd had to beg to be allowed to return to work, even if it was riding a desk. He'd been going crazy at home, well at Steve's since he'd insisted Danny stay with him so he wouldn't have to deal with the stairs at his place, especially when Grace wasn't there to keep his mind from the accident and the 'what ifs'.

"I know, but I think we all needed this. Trust me…" Steve smiled as he looked over at Danny, "Even a haole like you is gonna be impressed with this view." McGarrett had tried to keep Danny distracted as they passed the spot of the accident, but noticed when his partner went silent, his gaze focusing on the disturbed greenery where the car had left the road. "Don't go there man." Steve said softly.

Danny's voice was distant as he brought his hand to his head, "I know, but I can't help it…I can't help thinking…"

"I know, but look back there," Steve's thumb pointed over his shoulder, "Look at what you still have, not what could have happened, it didn't. You're still here, Grace is still here and you both are getting better everyday and you know you don't have to get through it alone."

Looking over his shoulder Danny saw Grace watching as the greenery started to give way to broken views of the vast Pacific Ocean. "Yea, I know and thanks for everything."

"Don't mention it." Steve started slowing as the parking lot for the look out came into view. They could make out Kono's little red car, Chin's motorcycle, but it was a small intake of breath that let Steve know that Danny saw the other vehicle parked next to Chin's bike. Steve brought the truck to a stop next to the silver car as Danny climbed out slowly, rounding the car as Steve opened the back door and helped Grace out of the Silverado.

"Danno it's your car!" Grace called out bouncing next to her father.

Danny looked at the Camaro sitting there, looking up he saw his friends, Kono, Chin, Steve, he then watched the door to the car open and Rachel step out, "Mommy!" Grace yelled as she raced to her mother, then drug the woman back toward Danny. "Danno's got a new car!"

"I know sweetheart." Rachel said as he leaned in and gave Danny a kiss on the cheek.

"How?" Danny looked at everyone, then back to the car in question.

Steve stepped up, putting his hand on his friends shoulder, "You know, your car was technically your work car, so I made a couple phone calls, managed to fill out the right forms, without your help by the way…" everyone chuckled at that. "and we were able to replace the Camaro. I hope it's alright." Steve actually seemed hesitant, it never occurring to him until now that Danny may not have wanted the same type of car.

"Alright? I…I just don't know what to say. Thanks doesn't seem enough." Danny looked at his friend, as Rachel handed him the keys. Looking at Steve Danny smirked, "Just so you know, when I'm cleared to drive ain't no way in hell I'm giving you the keys…at least for a while."

Steve laughed, "That's fine with me partner, just remember I know where you put your keys."

"Lunch is set up, I'm starving." Kono said as everyone made their way up the slight hill that lead to the picnic area.

Cresting the small incline everyone looked toward Grace as she let out a low gasp. "Wow…" She whispered, "Uncle Steve it really does go on forever doesn't it?" The little girl's eyes were wide open, she'd seen the water from beach level and knew it went out really far, but this just seemed different, it seemed so much bigger from the lookout.

"I told you it did, so what do you think?" Steve knelt beside the little girl.

"It's beautiful. Danno isn't it beautiful?" Grace reached up and took her father's hand as she pulled him closer to the railing the protected visitors from the drop-off.

Reaching down, despite his sore ribs he picked his daughter up, holding her close as they gazed out at the vastness that was the Pacific. He then looked at her, her brown eyes alive with wonder and excitement. He then glanced back at his friends, his family. He saw Steve McGarrett, who regardless of the rocky start to their partnership had turned out to be one of the best friends he'd ever had. Chin had filled him in on how Steve made sure anyone who came around Danny while he was in that coma told him that Grace was okay, so he'd fight to come back to them. The older man also told Danny of how Steve refused to leave Grace's side until her mother arrived, how McGarrett had comforted his daughter when he hadn't been able to. He was forever grateful to the man.

He looked at Chin Ho Kelly and Kono Kalakaua, the two cousins hadn't left the hospital until they knew both Danny and Grace would be okay. They had been there to support his daughter and in Kono's case, to keep Danny himself from harming himself when he woke up the first time, fighting the breathing tube that had been down his throat. Danny knew he was very lucky to also have those two people in his life.

Then he looked at Rachel. Yes they were divorced, but a part of him still loved her, after all she had given him the most wonderful thing in the world, his daughter. Things had been rough in the beginning, right after the divorce, but as time went by and he accepted it was more the job than him that had driven her away, they had found a good balance in their unconventionally relationship to where times like these, a picnic with friends, didn't seem awkward.

Finally Danny's gaze came back to his daughter, the little girl that had captured his heart eight years ago and never let go. The little girl that he'd moved thousands of miles just to be close to and never really looked back. His life was here now, with his daughter, with his new friends, his new family, here in this pineapple-infested hell-hole that was slowly growing on him, not that he'd ever admit it. To Danny this is what was beautiful and with more honesty than he'd ever answered a question before, Danny pulled his daughter close to him in a hug as he replied, "It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen."