a/n: Whelp, here we are at the end. I think this has been one of my favourite stories/series to write. Thank you all for joining me on this ride! See you next time.

Starting All Over Again

"Detective Williams, Commander McGarrett, we're so happy to have you join us again this year. Especially you, Commander. This is your first event, isn't it?"

"Yes, ma'am."

She smiled at him, even though Danny could see her disappointment that he was unavailable. Both of them, actually. He remembered her flirting the first Winter Formal... that first, very eventful Winter Formal.

"Well, good luck." She looked back at Danny. "You guys aren't packing, right?" She asked, just as she had the last three Winter Formals. After that first one, he was sure they always secretly hoped he was. After all, it couldn't be a coincidence that, after that dance, they started to ask him to help, instead of Rachel.

"Nope." And he wasn't. It seemed unlikely terrorists would hit the same dance more than once, so there seemed to be no reason to break the rules. Steve on the other hand...

"Of course not, ma'am. We're just here to chaperone the dance."

Danny managed not to laugh. After all, why did he need to break the rules, when he knew Steve would? He knew there was no place in Steve's outfit – his very nice GQ outfit that had all the girls, teens and adults alike, looking at him – to fit any of his little grenades in any small hidey-holes...

Guns, knives, though, those were different.

"Great!" She said. Clearly she didn't know Steve McGarrett. She handed over their name badges. "Have fun."

Danny took the badges and tugged Steve along with him before they could flirt anymore.

"So?" Danny asked with a smirk.

"So what?"

"How much are you packing?"

"Daniel, it's against the rules to bring weapons to the dance."

"Uh huh. So, how much? Because I watched you put on your ankle holster and I can feel the gun at the small of your back right now." They just looked at each other for a moment before Steve caved, like he always did.

"I've also got two knives." Danny just shook his head, smiling. "And a taser. C'mon Danno, can you really blame me? I mean... it's Grace."

Danny chuckled as they crossed the room, already full of overly well-dressed teenagers.

"You'll get no complaints from me this time, babe. I just wanted to know what we were working with if we did end up needing your arsenal." He wasn't expecting trouble, but after that time three year ago, nothing would surprise him.

That had been one of the most terrifying days of his life. It could be no coincidence that nine of his Top Ten Most Terrifying Moments included the names 'Grace' (in multiple forms) and 'Steve'. Despite what had actually gone on at that dance, however, he couldn't help but smile at the memory.

After all, everyone he cared about made it out unscathed – physically anyway – and that had been what finally pushed him and Steve together. And they'd been together three years, now – they'd moved in together. He was 'dad' to their kids. They'd even got married.

Hell, Grace was going to graduate high school in a few months, had already been accepted to several colleges and universities – although, of course, Danny had informed her she was only allowed to go to UH, preferably while still living at home. She and Steve always laughed at him during those rants. Traitors.

That first Winter Formal had been crazy, but it had led to this. He looked up and really wished they were not surrounded by a bunch of teenagers. But Steve, it seemed, wasn't with him in his desire, like he almost always was. He was in SEAL Mode. "Once a SEAL, always a SEAL," Steve had told him more than once, even if he wasn't officially in the Navy anymore. And right now, he was very... focused.

"Babe, you know we're not here to track down arms dealers or anything, right? We're just supposed to make sure the kids aren't slipping anything into the punch, getting high on anything other than life, and that they don't even get as far as first base."

As expected, that brought a smile to Steve's face. He took his eyes off the growing crowd for a brief moment to look at Danny.

"What about if I want to pick a base?" Okay, so clearly he can multi-task.

"Oh yeah? What base do you want?"

"Oh, I'd hit it out of the park."

Danny swallowed hard. "Pretty confident there, babe."

Steve just smirked. "You know it's true."

Danny cleared his throat.

"Steven, you're being very inappropriate right now. Do we need to call Chin to come chaperone us?"

He just shrugged, turned back to survey the room. "Besides," he said, going back to the original point. "You think they'll try any of that with a SEAL in the room?"

"Good point, babe. Glare away, Super SEAL."

He kept an eye on Steve. He watched Grace talking with her friends; watched her dance with Will who she was not dating anymore, though they remained friends. He also did his actual job. He managed to find a kid stupid enough to actually try and spike the bunch – seriously, he didn't actually think that was a thing that happened anymore.

He met up with his husband halfway into the dance. Steve didn't seem to have relaxed at all.

"Seriously, babe. What are you expecting to happen?"

Steve looked at him for a moment before answering. "I don't know," he said. The 'but I'll be ready for it, if it does' was implied in the tone of his voice.

Danny thought back to that night, to the worry on Steve's face when he saw him. It was worry Steve only had when Danny was in danger. Having his daughter involved, on top of all those feelings he and Steve were failing at hiding post-transplant had pretty much obliterated whatever was left of his filter. Yeah, of course he was going to be paranoid tonight.

"Hey, nothing like that's gonna happen tonight." Steve just raised an eyebrow. "Probably," Danny amended. He let Steve go back to surveying the crowd.

Danny joined him for a few minutes before he spoke again.

"I guess we're back to the beginning, aren't we, the two of us at Grace's Winter Formal?"

"Well, not quite the beginning," Steve said, not looking away from the crowd. Danny chuckled.

"No, I guess not . Pulling guns on each other here would be frowned upon." He grinned, even though they weren't looking at each other. "Maybe we can recreate that at home," he said, low enough that Steve could just hear him. "Still, it was the start of us. Been a crazy few years."

"Been the best few years," Steve said, taking Danny's hand and kissing his knuckles, still not looking at him.

"True that, babe," Danny said. "Sap."