A/N: I so hope you like this. It is angsty as hell, and within that, I am working very hard to keep Steve and Danny in character. Enjoy! Sheila

The Promise

Chapter 1

Kamekona smiled into the sun. It was a Saturday morning which was generally lucrative for shave ice. Business had been good, Mom's rent was paid, and in the distance, his favorite Jersey cop and daughter were strolling up. It was becoming a ritual on Saturdays. She ordered cherry/mango, and her dad ordered strawberry/blueberry.

Kamekona waved. "Hey haole man! And here comes the little princess."

Danny grinned. "Hey big man! You remember what we like, right?"

Kamekona shoveled it up, making sure to give them an extra squirt of each flavor. "What up, 5-0?"

"Believe it or not, it was a quiet week. McGarrett let us off at noon yesterday."

Kamekona gave Grace her shave ice with great ceremony. "How's my island princess?"

Grace grinned at him. She was a pretty girl though she didn't take after her pops much with those brown eyes, but that's about the only thing the two didn't have in common. Kamekona got a kick out of watching the two of them walk hand in hand down the beach on Saturdays. The cop used his hands to gesture a lot, and the little girl watched his every move. The little girl never got bored. Kamekona didn't have much use for cops or haoles, but this one was a little different. He was a tough guy and he gave as good as he got, but he was also a good dad, and he brought the little girl to the beach every Saturday. Kamekona liked it when haoles had dimensions to them.

Danny gave him a friendly nod and steered her down the boardwalk. Kamekona felt like this was shaping into a number one kind of day. He started scooping up an orange ice for a tourist when he caught something out of the corner of his eye. Three men, none of them Hawaiians, came walking in from the parking lot. They wore suits and dark sunglasses, and they strode more with purpose than recreation. Kamekona noted a bulge in one of the suits.

Danny and Grace were still strolling along, oblivious to the situation, but it was clear to Kamekona where these men were headed. He ignored the money that the tourist gave and started walking toward them. He flipped his cell onto his meaty face and waited for an answer. When there was sound on the other end, he spoke without preamble. "Chin, I'm down at my beach stand. Danny showed up with the little girl. I'm watching three men going up to them, and it ain't for conversation. Looks like revenge to me." Kamekona flipped it shut and put it in his pocket without waiting for a response. He started to yell a warning when Danny suddenly turned, his instincts alive.

….

Danny squinted at them. He reached for his gun, and found nothing but empty pockets. Guns weren't for Saturday morning walks on the beach. They looked at him with dark intensity. He knew this look. They had a job, and he was nothing more to them but a means to an end. Panic filled his gut when he realized that Grace was holding his hand. Then he remembered Kamekona. He knelt beside her. "Baby, listen to Danno. I want you to run back to Kamekona. Stay with him."

She looked up with questions, but he shook his head. "Do exactly as I say, Grace. Do it now!"

She stood like a statue, and then he pushed her, "Go!"

Danny turned to run. He hoped that they had no interest in his little girl. He turned to look back, and saw only two of the men in pursuit. It knocked the breath out of his gut. There would be no running away if Grace wasn't safe. Then he spotted the third man, and the man had Grace struggling under his arm. Danny howled and ran right toward the men. This startled them enough so that Danny got the first couple of punches in. He waited for guns, but the men pulled out pipes. Whatever this was, it was meant to be as painful as possible. Danny swung hard, making every connection with whatever flesh was available. He was making progress until a lead pipe landed on his gut. It knocked the breath out of him, and before he could scramble to his feet, the pipe hit him again, and then he felt an explosion at the back of his head and his world went black.

….

Danny was breathing in sand, and started choking. The sun burnt down on him, and he found himself surrounded by strangers. He tried to lift his head but the pain was electric.

"Grace!" he choked on the sand in his throat. "Grace!"

People parted and Kamekona stepped through. There was blood on his forehead, but he was carrying the little girl in his arms. Grace had her face buried in the big man's neck, and her crying was deep and primal. Danny started crying as well, but managed to say, "You saved my baby, big man."

"You would do the same."

Shapes started to blur for him, but he lifted his head once more. "Tell her I'm okay, but don't let her see me like…." His face fell back into the sand.

….

Arms were tugging at him and he tried to fight. Then there was a hand on the side of his face and a very familiar voice, "Don't fight, Danny. The EMTs gotta' load you on the bus."

"Steve?"

McGarrett's deep brown eyes looked down at him. "Did you see faces?"

"Grace?" It came out like a sob, and he choked again on the sand.

Steve held his face. "Kono's holding her. She's okay. Danny, can you remember anything?"

Danny squinted into the light. "Suits. Sunglasses. They wanted to send a message."

Steve furrowed his brow, carefully cradling Danny's bruised face in his hands. "We're going to send our own message. I promise you."

Danny tried to nod but winced at the pain. The EMT got in the way. "We gotta' move him now. Blood pressure is lousy."

Steve resisted for a moment. "You're going to be okay, Danny. We got this."

Then he stepped back. They hauled the stretcher into the back of the bus. Steve wanted to climb in too, but he needed to know what the hell happened to his partner on his day off. The ambulance kicked up sand as it crawled back onto the street. Then his eyes found Kono who herself had puffy, red eyes as she rocked Grace whose sobs had dissolved into moans.

"Kono, take Grace and follow the ambulance. Make sure a doctor looks her over."

Kono nodded and carried the distressed girl to her car. Steve waved over an HPD detective. "I need squads following her. Until I understand what the hell is going on, we assume that my people are still in danger."

Detective nodded and started yelling at a group of uniforms standing in the shade. Then Steve headed in the direction of Kamekona's shave ice stand. The big man sat back in his Adirondack chair with a butterfly bandage on his forehead. Chin knelt beside him. Steve rubbed at his face roughly before he spoke. "Kamekona, you're one of us now. Whatever you need, brother. You saved Danny and Grace."

The big man shrugged. "Ain't got no need to be law enforcement, brudda'. Like the other side of the tracks better, but I appreciate the offer."

Chin looked up at Steve. "Kamekona's going through the story with me."

"What do we know?"

"They're organized. Trained killers."

Steve squinted into the sun. "Then they would have just shot him."

Chin shook his head. "They were sending a message. Two things: they wanted it gruesome and they wanted to show that they could do this in broad daylight to 5-0 and then walk away."

Steve turned to Kamekona. "Your thoughts?"

He narrowed his eyes. "They were men on a mission. No hesitation. They didn't care who saw what."

Steve nodded. "Tell me how it went down."

"I spotted them first. Could tell they were bad news right away. Carried pipes in the sleeves of their suit coats. Not haole but not Hawaiian either. Brown skin. Maybe Latino. I called Chin right away. Danny tried to send his girl to me. Third guy chased her down and picked her up. He pulled out a pipe, and I knew the little princess was going to be part of this message. I got the pipe out of his hand and used it on his own head. It took a bit of a scuffle before he finally lay quiet. Then I called for help."

"HPD?"

Kamekona grinned out of one side of his mouth. "I ain't got no use for cops. My peeps are all over. 30 seconds and I had four guys climbing on the two apes beating Danny. One of the devils pulled a gun, and then it was a standoff. We got our limits, you know. Then they grabbed the third guy and dragged him to the car. I gave Chin the plate number, but it ain't going to do you no good. It looked like rental car to me."

"You recognize them?"

The big man shrugged. "I don't know. They reminded me of Ochoa's crew. Out of towners. Stupid. Ugly."

Chin looked at Steve. "His gang is big on sending messages to law enforcement."

"Chin, check the airports. Find out who's been on the move. I'm headed back to the office. Making phone calls."

Chin focused in on Steve. "How you doing, Steve?"

Steve flinched. "And, how are you, Chin?"

"I'm about as angry as I've ever been, but we gotta' be smart."

"I'm feeling no different."

"Go to the hospital, Steve. That's where you belong right now."

Steve shook his head.

"Come on, Steve. You gotta' be there. Take care of him. Talk to Rachel. And if Danny wakes up, he's going to need to see you."

Steve stared out at the surf. Chin gripped his shoulder. "I got it, Boss, for right now. Get down to the hospital. We got no idea what we're dealing with. Somebody may be trying to finish the job."

Steve grimaced. Neither man thought it was probable, but it didn't matter. Seeing Danny is such bad condition left them all unbalanced and upset. And then there was the outrage of someone trying to murder the little girl they'd all grown to love Heads weren't going to clear until they knew more about his condition..

…

Steve had relieved Kono of Grace at the waiting room. The little girl had fallen into a deep, but restless sleep. She was hot and her cheeks were flushed. He knew that she would hold memories of this day for the rest of her life. Whenever she whimpered, he knew little else to do but rock her and whisper, "It's okay" into her ear. The depth of her innocence radiated off of her and it joined his rage. He had little experience with children. Watching Danny and Grace together had been a revelation for him, and it hadn't taken long for him to fall for her too. The little girl shifted and he patted her softly on the back. There was no question that he would protect her with his last breath if needed.

The elevator opened, and Rachel strode toward him, her eyes swollen and red. A man in an expensive suit followed. Steve stood up, and then she was there, pulling Grace into her arms. Jostling woke the girl, and once she saw her mother, the wailing started all over again. Rachel cried with her. Steve was at a loss. Navy SEAL training hadn't prepared him for this. It took minutes, but she finally looked him in the eye. "How's Danny?"

"Uh…he's going to make it. He has a concussion and a few broken ribs. They are…watching for internal bleeding."

She spoke in a low voice. "How did this happen?"

Steve rubbed his forehead. "We don't know. It looks like revenge from one of the gangs we took down."

"You'll never understand, Steve. You won't and Danny never will either. The people in your life didn't sign up for this, but this is what we get. Does Grace look like 5-0? No, she's a little girl, but she had to take punishment for 5-0. No choices for her. He almost killed her, didn't he?"

Steve closed his eyes. He had no response. Kono stood. "I'm Kono, Rachel. We're so sorry about this. The truth is that we don't have much of a choice about the risks either. This was Danny's day to be with Grace. He looks forward to it all week. If he ever thought…he didn't know anything was going to happen."

Rachel handed Grace to the man beside her. "Stan, can you take Grace over there?"

The well-dressed man nodded and took the little girl back to the elevators. Rachel turned back to Kono and Steve. "I know this isn't anyone's fault. Danny would do anything to keep her safe. I know how much he loves her, but Danny works a job where his life is at risk too often. There is no way for Grace to not end up a part of that risk. We can't escape that."

Steve nodded.

Rachel sighed. "I need to know exactly what she saw. I need to know what she experienced."

"It was very short. I don't have all the details."

Rachel stamped her foot angrily on the floor. "You aren't going to take her home, and wake up to her nightmares all night long. You're not going to have to find the therapist who meets with her twice a week. You won't have to deal with the fear she will have leaving house and going to school. And you're not going to have to talk to the teachers about her falling grades. She's 7 years old. Her world is still small or it was until about two hours ago. Do you understand me?"

Steve nodded. "I apologize."

Rachel closed her eyes. "Just tell me what she saw."

Kono put a hand on Steve's shoulder and stepped forward. "She saw her dad being beaten. She herself was grabbed by a strange man who wanted to hurt her. Kamekona, a friend of ours, attacked the man and saved her. She saw that her dad was hurt, but we couldn't let her get too close. She's terribly frightened and worried about her dad. We're so sorry. We couldn't anticipate this, but you're right. The risks we take extend to our families. And you should know that we won't stop until we know who did this, and we will shut them down. It's who we are. It's what we do."

Rachel's face softened. "Thank you, Kono. I needed to know what I'm dealing with. She loves her dad so much…we both love him. But I'm pretty sure that's not enough."

There was something about her voice that scared Steve. He spoke slowly. "Danny needs her, and she needs him. Please Rachel, remember that."

"None of that makes any difference if we lose her, does it? Tell Danny I'll be back to see him in a couple of days."

Rachel turned and walked back to the elevator. Grace reached for her, and she pulled her daughter in. The connection that Steve saw between the two was as strong as what Danny and his daughter had. It was clear that both of these people would do whatever it took to keep their child safe.

…..

Steve sent Kono back to the office in the evening. He knew he should go to, but he felt unable to leave until he saw Danny with his eyes open. He set up camp in Danny's room, and convinced the nurses he was family. It wasn't a lie. Family was very important to Steve McGarrett. He had a family as a child and he had a family when he led men in the SEALs. Now, he was on his third family, and the connections felt even stronger than what he remembered with the SEALs. The man in the bed was the biggest reason for that. Danny brought a ferocity to the team that reminded Steve of the SEALs. But he also brought a sense of his humanity that was compelling. Danny held nothing back: he was funny, exasperating, relentless, loyal, and sweet. In the first few months, Danny had proven his loyalty and grit a thousand times, but more than that, he'd showed them all how much he cared about the work and who he was working with.

Steve was just drifting off in his chair when Danny stirred. He sat up and found Danny looking at him intensely.

"Hey Danny."

Danny worked his dry mouth for a moment. Then he whispered, "How bad is it?"

Steve started to smile. "You're going to be just fine, partner."

Danny wrinkled his brow. "How bad?"

"Uh…you have three broken ribs and a closed skull fracture. You're not going to be feeling right for a while. They're still watching you for internal bleeding. Blood pressure's been wonky."

Danny moaned and shook his head. Then he turned back to Steve, "Grace?"

"She's okay, Danny. She's with Rachel. HPD is watching the house."

Danny's eyes watered. "She saw too much."

"I know Danny. I'm so sorry."

"Do we know anything?"

"Chin and Kono are working our networks."

"You go too, Steve. Get out there. Find out what the hell happened to us."

Steve leaned forward. "I needed to see my partner awake before I could clear my head."

Danny squeezed his eyes closed. "Even with the headache and the concussion, I can still see the man standing over Grace with that pipe. I can see it clear as day. I couldn't get to her, and he was going to kill her."

Steve let out a deep breath.

Danny tried to move his head but the pain shot down his neck and he stiffened. "Steve, the only way you can help me right now is getting out there and finding the animals that touched her. I can rest better if I know you're out there."

"I got it, Danny." Steve got up and gathered his stuff.

Danny's brow furrowed. "Steve, was Rachel here?"

"Yeah."

"What did she say?"

"She was upset and scared. She was worried for Grace…for you. She said she'd be back to see you in a couple of days."

Danny's eyes narrowed. "Did she mention a promise? Did she talk about the promise?"

"No…she didn't say anything about a promise."

Danny relaxed back into his pillow.

"What promise, Danny?"

Danny closed his eyes. "Nothing, Steve. Please go find those animals for me."

Steve hesitated. "Danny?"

Danny didn't respond. Eyes closed, his breathing stayed restless. Steve watched him for a few moments before finally leaving.

….

Steve sat at his desk, fighting both exhaustion and rage. He hadn't gone home since he saw Danny at the hospital, hadn't showered, and survived off of what he could find in the vending machines for the last 48 hours. He'd called in all the favors he could think to do. Chin was meeting with DEA and HPD Drug Task Force as a result. He knew that he should be there but the thoughts that came to him were only vengeful ones, not worthy of a Navy SEAL or the head of a Governor's Task Force.

Chin and Kono had been working non-stop, but they had also been taking time for sleep and meals. He knew he should be the one leading by example but he was stuck with endless images of his best friend lying bloody in the sand while a man got ready to swing a pipe at Grace.

Chin and Kono stepped in his office and he looked up. "Ochoa is dead, but a few of his people never left. They're still trying to gain a foothold in the drug trade in town. We've got a lead on two of their hideouts."

Steve's eyes were blurry as he absorbed Chin's information. He motioned for both of them to sit. "What else?"

Kono looked at her cousin before responding. "Word from some sources on the street say that they trying to move product. Other sources say they've dried up."

Steve nodded. "We'll take them down at both locations."

Chin sighed. "And the cartel will send even more men to seek revenge. We'll have our own little gang war."

Frustration rose in Steve's voice. "What's the alternative? We let this pass…until what? Maybe, it's you next, Chin? Or you, Kono? What if they stay focused on Danny or Grace? Are we okay with that? They were almost massacred today."

Chin was on his feet. "Steve, come on. Of course, we're not okay with it, but we make mistakes when we think we can play their game at their level. We beat them at our game, not theirs."

Steve fixed his mouth in a line. Chin was right. He needed to rely on the man's sense of reason.

"I've met with the DEA and HPD drug task force like you asked. They want 'em too. Not just because they tried to cap a member of law enforcement. They know that this will grow into a monster that cannot be controlled. This is just the beginning."

Steve stood up and paced. "Tell me more."

"We're going to triple team them. They are going to get jaywalking tickets, parking tickets…then we'll graduate to disorderly conduct. There won't be a member of that gang who isn't going to be looking to make bail by the end of the week. Next week, we do it all over again. They're not going to move product. We're going to make it impossible."

"And that's the best we can do for Danny and Grace?" Steve said, his emotions rising in him again.

Kono winced. "Boss, we think this is how we'll hurt them the worst. If they can't make money here, they'll have to go somewhere else."

"You think we're looking for the easy way out. Is that what you are saying?" Chin challenged. His exhaustion was starting to show as well.

Steve closed his eyes. "That is not what I am saying. I apologize for the implication. I don't know. I am so…I don't know what's wrong…I'm so angry…I'm thinking like a gangster right now…that's what I'm doing."

Kono urged him to sit again. "You haven't slept, Boss."

"I close my eyes and I see a man grabbing Grace. I see Danny in the sand, beaten, and unable to do anything for his daughter. It's overwhelming. And then I ask myself what I could have done differently to keep them safer. And I think about the danger I've put both of you in, and I wonder how it's possible for us to survive at this and not play their game."

"That's no good," Kono's voice was soothing, her hand rubbing his back. "It just happened. It may happen again and it may not. We can't spend our lives like fugitives. It's not who we are."

Steve's breathing settled.

Chin said. "Our plan is to run them out of town, Steve, and if we find the beasts that match the line-up photos, we're going to bring 'em down hard. Very hard. I think it is a good way to back Danny, don't you?"

"Agreed." Steve rubbed his face. "But we hurt them in every way possible. I want the word out on the street that their product is bad. I don't want petty arrests. I want you to push them until they snap. I want them neck deep in so much trouble that they can't focus on anything other than court dates."

"Sounds good."

Steve stood. "I should go and update Danny."

"Danny's sleeping," Kono said. "I just called. Go home, take a shower, get some sleep. I'll let you know when he's awake."

Steve looked lost for a moment. A man of action, a trained killing machine, doesn't rest while the threat continues to exist.

Chin noticed, reached for his keys, and gestured at Steve. "My place is only five minutes. Go crash. Take a shower. Anything happens and you'll be here fast."

Steve seemed to deflate a bit. He caught the keys that Chin threw and walked away.

…

Danny knew her scent so well. In the early years, he thought it was perfume. But then he learned it was the only the cocoa butter soap she always used, and it made him fall in love all over again. Danny liked simple and clean things, and at first glance, Rachel had been the ideal representation.

Her chin was on his chest and he could feel her uneven breathing. He didn't open his eyes right away. For a moment, he could pretend she was here for him, and the two of them would go home to Grace, and this whole thing would be forgotten. The pain of regret got stuck in his throat and he stifled a whimper.

She lifted her head and waited. Danny opened his eyes reluctantly and looked at her. In his mind, he'd imagined her in all her beauty, the exquisite porcelain doll he'd married 8 years ago, but this was a woman who'd been crying for days. Her face was red and puffy and wet.

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

"I know."

"Where is she?"

Rachel rubbed at her swollen eyes. "She's sleeping. A sedative. A doctor had to come over. Our 7 year old needs sedatives."

Danny winced.

"You know why I'm here, Danny."

He looked away.

You promised me that if this ever happened, you would step away."

His chin trembled.

She swallowed a sob. "Doing this to you is killing me, but you promised. You agreed that her safety comes before anything else."

"How long?" he whispered.

She pushed the hair out of her eyes. "I know how much she means to you, and you're everything to her. It makes me green with envy sometimes."

"How long, Rachel?"

"You can't be bouncing in and out of her life. Think how disruptive it would be. Think about how it hurts her."

Sound caught in his throat, and it took a moment for him to find words. "You want me to say good-bye to her forever?"

Rachel sighed raggedly. "Until she's old enough to take care of herself, Danny. Until she understands who her father is and what it means to be close to you."

Danny put a hand over his face, and tried to muffle the emotion swelling within him.

"You'll hate me for this now. Maybe you will forever. I don't know. I only know that it is the right thing for our little girl. You have to understand that, Danny."

He turned away from her, moaning as he moved his damaged ribs.

"I think we both know that bringing her to see you right now would be the wrong thing. She's so traumatized. She already has such scary images of you being beaten and your bruises are in full bloom now. Stan is chartering a plane tomorrow. We're going to take her to London, to my mother's house. You know how safe she feels there. We'll get a therapist. She'll be seen several times a week, I'm sure. You can call me for updates."

He didn't move.

"In 6 months or so, we'll come back. If you're still in Hawaii, we'll manage somehow, but I suspect that getting back to Jersey is going to be a priority for you now that nothing is holding you back. There will be pictures. Maybe Skype. If it's not too hard on her, maybe the two of you can be in touch electronically. Maybe you can see her on holidays in a year or two."

She waited for some acknowledgement but there was none. It was as if he'd gone back to sleep but she knew better than that. She squeezed his arm. "I know you won't believe this, Danny, but I still love you very much. If I could think of another way, I'd do it. I don't want to hurt you. But the truth is, Danny, that as much as I love you, I love her more. Clearly, I have to be the adult here, and do what's best for her. I just pray that one day you'll understand why this has to happen."

Then she dropped her face onto his chest and sobbed. "I'm so sorry, Danny." For a while, she just laid there, sobbing.

Finally he put his arm around her and whispered into her hair. "I probably will hate you, but I know you're right. Just make sure she knows her Danno loves her very much. She must never think that I stopped caring. She must never doubt my love. Do you understand?"

She lifted her head and nodded.

Then he closed his eyes. "Please go now. I can't…please, just go now. Go be with Grace. She needs you."

Rachel stood. "Danny…"

He put up a hand. "No more, Rachel. Just go."

….

TBC