Acceptance.

She's not quite sure what to expect as Danny guides her down the long narrow corridor towards the ME's office. The large room feels cold under the harsh fluorescent lights despite the warmth of Danny's hand on the small of her back and the brilliant sunshine pouring in through the bank of windows lining the back wall, and she hesitates in the doorway, her gaze flickering over the windows on their left and the silvery blinds drawn cross them. She sits stiffly in the leather chair Danny pulls out for her, clutching the purple stuffed dolphin Grace had tearfully insisted they give to her 'Uncle Steve' close to her chest as the fluttering in her stomach turns to delicate shivers that leave her eyes wet and her hands shaky, and she tenses her jaw, tilting her head to angrily brush the pad of her thumb over the hot puffy skin beneath her eyes.
She hadn't cried when Steve had called to say their father was dead, or when she'd discovered that their mother had been murdered, despite the rush of emotions that had grabbed at her and spun her round and round and round again until she hadn't known which way was up. After that phone call she'd chosen tequila over her feelings and a handful of pills over her family, leaving Steve to arrange the funeral and scrub the bloodstains from the hardwood floor by himself. She'd been too numb t care that she'd missed her final chance to say goodbye.

Her legs feel like jelly as Max pushes through the swinging glass door to the viewing suite and the first thing that hits her is the sweet sickly smell of antiseptic, so thick and cloying that it burns at the back of her throat with every breath. The room is sterile ad brightly lit, and the cold grey counters lining the walls flash under the industrial tube lights lining the ceiling as she hesitantly steps over the threshold, her eyes drifting from the tiled floor up, over the stainless steel legs of the gurney in the middle of the room to the thin white sheet draped over the body – Steve's body – on top of it.
She takes a faltering step closer, turning to look over her shoulder as the comforting warmth and reassurance of her brother's partner fades in her wake. Danny is hovering rigidly in the doorway, his jaw tight as he runs a hand back over the top of his hair and she waits for him to look at her across the room, the words already formed on her lips. Please, Danny.

"Whenever you are ready."

Max is watching her from the other side of the gurney, his hands encased in blue latex gloves as he reaches for the end of the sheet and she closes her eyes, nodding as the warmth of Danny's hand on her shoulder and his arm across her back seeps through the cotton of her chequered shirt. The sheet is gently lifted up over her brother's face and her breath catches in her throat as Max folds in back over his chest, momentarily exposing the delicate line of black thread pulling at the skin over Steve's shoulder. The sight leaves her feeling shaky and weak at the knees, and she turns her head away, pressing her cheek into Danny's shoulder as she closes her eyes and allows her tears to darken the fabric beneath her skin. Steve's face is pale and waxy when she pulls out of Danny's embrace, his usually tanned skin almost grey against the bright while of the cotton sheet folded back over his chest and she takes a steadying breath.

"Could I have a minute with him?"

She swipes at the trails of wetness on her cheeks and glances back over her shoulder at Danny, and across the table at the poker-faced ME, forcing a smile when they nod. She drops her eyes to the floor, waiting for the sounds of their footsteps to fade behind the glass door before she takes a half step closer. She sniffs quietly, her jaw trembling, as she lifts her hand to cup her brother's cheek, tears cascading down her face as she tenderly runs her thumb over the arch of his cheekbone.

"I still can't believe you're really gone. I – we – miss you so much, especially Grace. She was devastated when Danny told her. She really did love you, y'know?"

Taking a shaky breath, she smiles sadly and lets her thumb come to rest on the side of her brother's face.

"She told Danny she doesn't want you to be scared and alone. Danny told her that you were a Super Seal, that you weren't afraid of anything and that as long as your ohana is watching over you, you'll never be alone. She's scared, Steve – she doesn't understand why you went to sleep and didn't wake up. Danny told her that you'd gone to see mom and dad because you missed them so much, and that you were sad to leave her behind. She wants to come and say goodnight."

She brushes at her eyes with the heel of her hand.

"I never told you how proud I was of you. You were so determined to follow in Dad's footsteps despite him shipping us off to the mainland. I spent so long hating him for it that I missed my chance to say goodbye. I've regretted it every single day since we found out that Mom was murdered, that Dad had known it wasn't a car accident that killed her. When you dropped me off at the airport I made you a promise."

Taking a deep breath, she runs her thumb over her brother's one last time before leaning down to press her lips to his forehead.

"So this is me keeping it."