A/N: this is set directly after 1x10 "Heihei".

FORGIVING AND LETTING GO

Danny Williams sat in his Silver Camaro, looking at the large gate that leads to an even larger house with hesitation. Should he, shouldn't he? It's a question that's been running in his head and heart, since he and Steve left her house the previous day. Finally deciding that he should, the short blonde got out of his car and pressed the buzzer.

"Hello." Rachel's voice came through, sounding static-y.

"Rachel, it's Danny. Can I come in, please? I need to talk to you." He spoke quickly, hoping that his ex-wife wouldn't just ignore him like every other time they've talked, or rather, he did the talking and she did the ignoring – much like the last few months of their marriage. She didn't answer him, and he took that as a no. With slumped shoulders, the man turned back to his car and ready to leave. That was until he heard the tell tale sounds of a gate opening. With an upwards tilt of his lips the blonde turned back around, walked past the gate and started his trek down the long driveway and to the house. He saw the large door open and then a small figure came racing out of it, yelling a 'Danno' with a wide grin on her small face.

An identical grin erupted on his face, and he crouched down to catch his little girl. Happy beyond words when he had an armful of his favorite person in the world – his partner slash best friend Steve McGarrett being a close second, even though he won't even admit it out loud when threatened with extreme torture – he picked her up and started walking the rest of the way to the house, ignoring his knee's protests. There was no way he was letting her go.

"Hey Monkey. How was school?" He asked, ever the attentive father and wanting to know everything there is possibly to know about his little girl.

"It was good, we worked with glitter today. The boys didn't want to, they say glitter is only for girls." The girl rambled on and Danny listen, soaking up every word as he walked to the house and the woman waiting in the doorway. An amused grin lit Danny's lips as he thought about the teacher crazy enough to let glitter loose around a bunch of eight year olds. There was no way he could see a positive out come for the teacher or her classroom, if the specks of glitter shining in Grace's hair as the sun's rays hit them was anything to go by.

"What did you do today?" She asked as they reached the door. Danny sat her down gently and gave Rachel a nod, the woman returned it.

"Well, surprisingly, my day was boring and not nearly as fun as yours. I had to do paperwork of the case I solved yesterday." He told her honestly. "Hey Monkey, why don't you go do your homework? I need to talk to your mom." At that, Rachel got a little nervous. It was extremely rare that Danny would willingly talk to her when Grace is not around.

"Tea?" She offered politely, hoping her voice didn't betray her feelings as she and Danny watched their daughter skip away and then up the stairs of the ridiculously large house.

"No, thanks." He denied with a shake of her head, following his ex-wife when she turned and walked away from him. They ended up in the living room. Each took a seat on the couches, sitting across of each other with a coffee table separating them.

"Why did you come here, Daniel?" The words came tumbling out of her lips, her nerves getting the better of her and she just couldn't wait any longer to know why her ex-husband was sitting across from her and not screaming and shouting at her with his hands flailing wildly.

"I, uh, wanted to thank you. For, you know, helping out with the case. You didn't have to, but you did. And after everything that's happened between us…Just, just thank you, Rachel." His words were soft, sincere. Looking into those blue eyes, Rachel saw the man she fell in love with all those years ago, and was suddenly hit with a wave of emotion, so powerful that if she wasn't sitting, she was sure her legs would have given out from under her.

For the second time since her divorce from the man in front of her, she felt regret. Regret that she left him, that she let him go, that she didn't try harder, that she couldn't love him and his job. And in that moment, she wanted him back. She wanted his strong arms around her, his love that seemed to radiate out of every single pore of his body – she wanted it directed at her. But she couldn't, not ever again.

Rachel knew, she knew she turned his love to hate the second she decided to take his daughter away from him. Then he surprised her, threw her whole world around, the perfect one she thought she could created with her new husband Stan, when he announced that he was moving to Hawaii, just to see his daughter even if it was just for a few hours a week. And that was the first time she regretted her decision to divorce the blonde. That devotion, that endless and unconditional love that he had for his daughter that made him move 5000 miles from home and leave behind everything that he knows and loves. It was all for Grace, and Rachel envied her daughter. Because she wanted it. But how does the saying go, heaven has no rage like a love to hatred turned.

"It was no problem, really, Danny. It was actually quite bit of fun, minus the whole you almost getting caught in the house part." She said with a grin, heart skipping a beat when her ex-husband returned it.

"Yeah," He agreed with a nod.

She hesitated, "Is there anything else?" There was something else, but Danny didn't know how to say it. It was one thing to thank your ex-wife for helping you, but the other thing…

"No." The blonde shook his head as he pushed himself up. "I'll see myself out." As he walked out he could hear Steve's voice in his head. It was so clear and stern and real, that for a second he was startled. Come on, Danno, just do it. He stopped. Closing his eyes and sighing. He turned back to Rachel, finding her still sitting on the couch. "Actually, there is something else." At that, Rachel's head shot up and her brown eyes, ones that turned him into a pile of goo once upon a time, locked on his clear blue ones. She stood up as well.

"I forgive you."

After struggling to say it, for so long, he was surprised by how easy the words came from his lips. How sincere and true it was. Most of all, her was surprised by how much he meant it.

Rachel's breath hitched and tears filled her eyes. She was so stunned, so overwhelmed with emotion that she didn't know what to say or what to do.

"I forgive you for taking Grace away. For breaking my heart, for everything." He continued and tears spilled over the rims of her eyes and trailed down her cheeks. "And I'm sorry, for not choosing you over my job, for not loving you enough and for everything else." She knew what he meant, the angry words they spat at each other, hoping to hurt the other more than he or she was. How they ripped each other apart with said words.

"And most importantly, I'm letting you go." A sob racked through her small frame and her body shook violently from the force of it as tears continued to cascade down her cheeks. "I love you, Rachel. I always will. But I'm not in love with you anymore." He paused for a second. "I think that's why we hurt each other so much, we fell out of love with each other and we didn't want to let go, both to stubborn, even when we need to. I started working more and you got angry. Then I got mad, because you were. And somewhere along the way, we started to mistake the anger we felt at each other for hate and just all went down hill from there. Now, I can see that I'm not in love with you anymore. And I'm letting you go, Rachel. And I hope, I really truly hope, that you and Stan are happy together."

He moved forward and hugged her tightly, she gratefully relaxed against him, thankful for the support. "I'm sorry too, Danny. For everything." It was better than he expected. He smiled and rubbed a hand up her back, letting her know that he accepts her apology. Eventually they pulled away. She wiped hastily at her cheeks, suddenly embarrassed.

"So," She started, taking a deep breath and giving him a smile. "When are you planning on telling the Commander about your feelings for him?" The question threw Danny for a loop, so much so that he took a step back in shock.

"What?" Him and Steve? "Me and Mister-I-love-to-blow-everything-up? Yeah, never gonna happen. Besides, he doesn't even think about me like that. And neither do I him, for that matter." He rambled, clearly flustered and for the life of him, he couldn't understand why.

"Oh, come on, Danny!" She exclaimed, a wide and amused grin on her face – embarrassment now forgotten. "You two argue like a married couple are supposed to argue. You are so in sync, that I thought you were dating the second you two walked through the front door. And don't get me started on the fact than Grace can't talk enough about her fantastic Uncle Steve and how you spend more than half the weekend at his place."

Danny spluttered and Rachel was enjoying this immensely. "That- that doesn't mean anything."

"And what about the fact that he is allowed to call you Danno. You wouldn't even let me call you that, even though we were married." She countered, crossing her arms over her chest.

"That's because he is a controlling Neanderthal that doesn't listen to me when I tell him not to call me that." He defended, looking straight into his ex-wife's highly amused ones.

"I never heard you complain once while you two were here." Rachel pointed out smugly, the feeling intensifying when Danny didn't have another comment. Instead, his mouth opened and closed like a fish as he struggled to find a retort of his own. She reached out and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "It's okay, Daniel. Really. We don't get to choose who we love."

"But, but how? How do you know? And how do I not know?" He asked, still rendered speechless by the revelation. And the more he thought about it, the more he saw what she saw. The more he realized that she is right. That somehow, somewhere along the line of their banter, he fell in love with Steve. Suddenly, everything made sense to him. Forgiving Rachel and being able to let her go. It's because she no longer holds that place in his heart. It belongs to Steve now. His heart belongs to Steve. He belongs to Steve.

How did he not see it earlier?

She shrugged, "Perhaps you are so comfortable with each other, that the way you interact are normal to you but would stand out to an outsider." He stared at her and the woman took that as a bad sign. Because really, in what universe is a quiet Danny a good thing? "Look, Danny, just think about it before you disregard the possibility completely. And talk to Steve."

The blonde's head snapped up at that. "Yeah, I think I'll do that." He gave her a grin and they exchanged goodbyes and the Jersey native went on his way. It was only when he was almost at home, driving at a relaxed pace, that it hit him.

For the first time since his life went to shit – divorcing Rachel, Rachel remarrying and then moving to Hawaii – Danny felt at peace. And for the first time in what felt like forever, he could breathe again.

"When you forgive, you heal. When you let go, you grow."

A/N: McDanno will be coming to you in the next chapter. reviews are always great.