Keeping a Promise

By: Montez

Disclaimer: Still don't own, never will

A/N: Been a while, thought I'd try a short story. I haven't seen too many of the new season episodes (wasn't thrilled with the whole 'mom's still alive' storyline). The episode with Steve and the little girl being taken hostage got my attention, my major problem with it was the end where he promised to come back for her and they didn't show that (yes I know Chin had her, but they made a big deal about her not wanting him to go and him promising) I just felt that should have been included, plus you know me I need a little more angst-so here is my attempt to fill in the gap I felt they left, hope you enjoy-Montez

Running through a jungle with someone shooting at him was nothing new to Steve, it had happened more times than he wanted to remember, but this time was different, this time he didn't have a highly trained team with him, he had a scared ten-year old little girl. Next to Grace, Lucy was probably the bravest little girl he'd ever met and the trust in her eyes as she looked at him throughout this whole terrifying ordeal nearly took his breath. He'd actually felt his heart skip a beat when her small arms latched onto his neck when he was trying to tell her he needed her to hide and she begged to stay with him. He looked into that little girls face and swore he would come back for her, that she would be safe.

Then he did one of the hardest things he'd ever had to do, he hid that little girl in one of the thicker bushes along the trail and walked away, knowing a man with an automatic was chasing them, but he had to keep her safe and the man would come after him, he would make sure of that. When the bullets started flying again, he ran, leading the man away from Lucy's hiding place.

When the man caught up to him at the stream, he had a moment where he feared not for himself, but for Lucy. No one knew where she was and he had told her to not move until he got back to her. Staring at the gunman he hoped Danny had managed to get out of that storage shed and get help, his mind flashed back to Danny and the moment Ron had shot his partner, yeah it was only in the arm, but a bullet in a body, especially the body of his best friend was enough that McGarrett knew if the man hadn't been shot by his double-crossing partner, that Steve may have taken him out himself, then terrorizing Lucy throughout this whole ordeal had sealed the man's fate in Steve's book. But now it was the new threat that stood before him, holding him at gun point, the gun to the face was a shock, but it was better than a bullet, so he stalled as his foggy mind tried to work out a plan. That's when he saw movement behind the gunman, a slight movement that slowly materialized into his wounded partner that he'd last seen as Steve had locked Danny in that shed. A gunshot rang out and the gunman splashed into the water near Steve's feet, it was over.

Danny's "you alright?" barely registered as his mind flashed to Lucy.

"Where's Lucy?" Steve climbed out of the water, stumbling slightly as his vision grayed slightly, but he recovered and Danny didn't notice.

"She's safe, Chin's with her." Danny replied as Steve moved quickly back toward the girl, "Hey slow down, she's safe."

"I promised her…" Steve could feel a pull in his side as his vision grayed again, but ignored it taking a shuttered breath, as he kept moving, "I promised her I'd come back for her."

Silence settled over the two, Danny knew how his friend was; he knew the other man would not stop until he saw that the little girl was indeed safe with his own eyes. He noticed his partner stumble a couple times, but wrote it off as the Steve's quick pace and the uneven ground they were covering, plus the adrenaline dump from being up all night, running around the jungle being held at gunpoint.

Several moments passed until Chin came into view, the older man turning quickly, gun raised until he recognized Danny and Steve, "Lucy!" Steve's voice shouted out as he ran the last couple yards.

"Steve!" the little girl yelled as she ran from behind Chin toward the SEAL who was now kneeling, his arms wrapping around the little girl, holding her nearly as tight as she was holding onto him.

Danny could see the small girl's body shaking slightly, the sobs heard over the quiet of the jungle, "You came back" He heard her whisper into Steve's neck.

"Told you I would, you were so brave, I'm so proud of you." Steve said back softly.

For a moment Danny couldn't help but chuckle at the memory of the man before him and a time when the Navy man was not good around kids, but Grace had softened up McGarrett and now, now there was no hesitation at all as the taller man stood, pulling the little girl up with him. Steve stumbled slightly, hissing as Lucy's legs wrapped around his waist, "Hey, you okay?" Danny asked again, glancing at Chin, noticing the older man caught the reaction as well.

"Fine." Steve's tone was clip as he started back down the trail, "We need to get Lucy checked out and out of this damn jungle".

Danny had heard that tone before; he liked to call it Steve's 'Commander' tone. So Danny and Chin fell in behind Steve as they watched the little girl's head remain buried in the taller man's neck.

Conservation officers, police and paramedics met them as they entered the staging area; Lucy's parents had been brought up to the site by HPD and raced toward Steve as he neared the ambulance. "Oh God, Lucy!" the girl's mother yelled as the child turned in Steve's arms and reached for her parents.

"Thank you…thank you…" The girl's father continuously said to McGarrett.

"She's okay, but she should be checked out at the hospital." Steve motioned toward the ambulance as a medic quickly brought a blanket over to wrap around the little girl.

As her parents and the medic started toward the ambulance, Lucy yelled and pushed herself out of her mother's arms, the blanket dropping to the ground, "STEVE!" she ran back toward the man she now trusted more than anyone.

Again McGarrett knelt and the little girl's arms encircled his neck, "It's okay now sweetheart, it's over…you go with the paramedics and your parents and get checked out."

"What about you?" Lucy hiccupped, fresh tears trailing through the dirt on her face.

"I'm fine sweetheart, I'll meet you at the hospital okay, I have to make sure Grace's daddy is okay…" Steve glanced back at Danny, who was starting to notice the unhealthy paleness his partner was starting to sport, "Remember his arm, I have to make sure the rest of the girls took care of him so all of you get your first aid patches, okay? You go on I'll see you in a little while." Steve kept his voice as calm as he could considering his heart was nearly beating out of his chest and his breath was coming quicker than he'd like as his vision wavered again. He felt the crash coming and needed Lucy safely away; she'd been traumatized enough for a life-time.

Lucy nodded and kissed his cheek before turning back to her parents, who quickly got her into the back of the ambulance, another thank you being shouted as the doors closed and the vehicle started to move down the trailhead.

Steve stayed on his knees as he watched the rig disappear, it was Danny's voice that broke through the fog in his head, "Let's get you up and out of here, you're looking a little worse for wear." Chin was standing beside McGarrett as Danny knelt in front of their team leader.

It was a barely whispered "I can't" that caught Danny off guard as Steve's pale face finally looked at him.

"You can't what?" Fear spiked through Danny, what had he missed, something was wrong with his partner, but he'd given him a quick once over as they were making their way back to the staging area, then it all started to click; the stumbles from the normally agile man, the hiss when Lucy wrapped her legs around him, and now, the nearly translucent complexion looking at him, "Steve?"

"Get up…" Steve's voice barely a whisper as he pitched forward, Danny just catching him, Chin quickly joining the blond man's efforts to keep a now unconscious McGarrett from going face first in the dirt.

"WE NEED HELP HERE!" Chin shouted as he and Danny got Steve laid flat. It was then that Chin noticed what Steve's over-shirt and backpack has been hiding, "Danny…", red covered the older man's hand.

"Damn, stupid, stubborn son of a …" Danny growled out as he took Steve's lax face in his hand, "Steve…Damn it, open your eye's!" Danny was quickly pulled back as paramedics swarmed around the injured leader of Five-O.

"Gun-shot, left side…looks like the bullet is still inside…we need to get him out of here." The older medic relayed as he and his partner quickly secured the unconscious man for transport.

"I'm coming with him." Danny followed closely as they loaded his partner, then climbed into the back before either medic could comment.

"I'll meet you at the hospital." Chin called out, closing the doors and watching as the lights and sirens activated, the ambulance quickly making its way out of the valley.