Ok, so this fic is for Krishnaa, whose message got me thinking about Danny/Steve friendship. I'm a huge Danny/Steve fan and just love their interactions (no slash at all…ever…not my thing).

Set during last week's episode when Danny catches Josh before he gets home from school. Maybe some spoilers and I've changed things round a little because I wanted to have Steve bring the auntie to Josh – no disrespect to Chin, but I just wanted Danny and Steve together. Here goes …

Parental Intuition

"Danny, where are you going?"

Danny was aware of his partners cry as he raced past the confused man, but he didn't have time to stop and explain himself. He'd just been made aware that their most recent victim had a fourteen year old son, who was most likely about to turn up at his home after school, to find the house surrounded by police and crime scene investigators.

As he ran out the front of the house, he searched, frantically, for any signs of the young boy. As his gaze was drawn to the yellow 'do not cross' tape he immediately locked eyes with his quarry, "Whoa, hey Josh…"

He moved quickly to stop the boy in his tracks, "What's happening?" The frightened looking boy asked, "Why are the police at my house? Where's my dad?"

Seeing the fear shroud Josh's face, Danny took a deep breath. This was something that was hard enough to tell an adult, but to explain to a scared, fourteen year old kid that their father had just been killed in their home…hell, how was he supposed to tell him.

Firstly, he turned Josh away from the scene – away from the hustle of the investigators.

"My name is Detective Danny Williams…" he started to explain as he walked down the street with his arm around Josh's shoulder. Josh stopped abruptly, "Please…just tell me what's happened!"

Danny looked at the young boy's determined face – determined to find out the truth.

"Josh, I'm really sorry…but we got a call…and…when we got to the house, your dad…well we found your dad dead…I'm so sorry…" He felt his own voice begin to break with emotion for the boy whose life he'd just shattered. For his part, Josh just stood there, unmoving, trying to absorb the news. Danny saw the young man sway a little on his feet, so again he put out a protective arm around him to help him regain his balance, "Let's find you somewhere to sit. Is there anyone I can call? Any family?"

Josh was quiet for a few minutes, "Yeah my aunt – my dad's sister, Aunt Samantha…"

Danny pulled out his phone and called Chin with the aunt's name, "Everything ok brah?" The Hawaiian detective asked his friend. Danny couldn't help the small smile that danced on his lips as he understood the hidden meaning in the question, "Yeah, as ok as it can be. Look Chin, I'm going to take Josh to the back of the property to sit him down – he's a little over awed by it all. Can you bring his aunt when she arrives – I don't want to leave him."

"No problem Danny – take care!"

A few minutes later, Josh and Danny were seated on a bench overlooking the brilliant blue ocean. Josh sat with his head in his hands, shoulders trembling slightly. Danny knew that Josh was trying to be brave – to hold it all in – but he also knew that he would break…eventually.

"He couldn't wait for me to get home today," Josh started, getting Danny's attention.

"Why's that?"

"I'd been trying out for the Lacrosse team – one of my dad's favourite sports, and today was the day they were naming the team. Dad had text me, like 10 times during the morning to see if I'd heard anything…"

He couldn't carry on. Danny gave him a minute, "Did you make the team?"

A lone tear snaked its way down Josh's face, opening the floodgates, "Yeah, I made the team…not much point to it now…" Tears coursed down the boys face as he finished.

At that moment all Danny could think about was Grace. Every time when a case involved a child, his daughters face always broke into Danny's thoughts. Josh put his head in his hands as sobs began to rack his thin frame. Unconsciously, he leaned in towards the man sat next to him. Danny felt the slightest of touches, but knew immediately what was needed. He put his arm around the devastated child and pulled him against him. Josh's cries came thick and fast as his body struggled to cope with the emotion running through it.

Danny rested his chin on the boy's tousled head as he held on tighter, "Shh…it'll be ok…we'll find whoever did this to your dad…shh…"

Danny could hear a muffled sound and realised that Josh was trying to say something. Danny pulled away a little so that he could hear him, "Why?" was all Josh asked, his young face screwed up in a sadness that all but broke Danny's heart, "I don't know Josh – but we will find out, I promise," he insisted as Josh pulled away and proceeded to drop his head into his hands.

Suddenly Danny was aware of a slight commotion behind him. He turned, surprised to find Steve escorting a man and a woman onto the grounds. He caught Steve's eye, who gave the slightest nod of his head, to tell him that they should be there – the aunt he presumed. He gave Josh a slight nudge, "I think there's someone here for you…"

Josh turned round, jumped up and launched himself to his aunt's arms, weeping as he did so.

Danny allowed himself a small smile at the sight. At least Josh had someone to care for him.

As he face the ocean once more he became aware of a figure taking the vacant spot next to him, "You ok?" came the concerned question.

Danny shook his head, yet smiled all the same, "How can you ever be ok when you've just had to tell a child that a parent has died."

Steve nodded in agreement – closing his eyes as he felt the warm sun penetrate the gloom that was surrounding him. He had an inkling of how this would be affecting his partner, he friend. Whenever a child was involved, Steve knew that his partners thoughts turned to his daughter – even Steve's thoughts turned to Grace especially since the Sarin incident.

"I guess being a parent can really help sometimes," Steve said, breaking the heavy silence.

"Huh?" Danny didn't quite understand what Steve meant by that.

"You were the only one to realise about Josh getting out of school – if you hadn't, that poor kid would've come home to find his dad strapped to that chair …dead! You saved him all that."

"Yeah this time…" came a whispered reply.

Steve turned on the seat so that he was looking at his friend, noticing a myriad of emotions crossing the smaller man's face, "Danny?" He questioned, giving him a slight nudge to gain the blond detectives attention.

Danny unconsciously shook himself out of a memory that had just washed over him. He saw Steve's anxious face and knew that he had to explain himself.

"About six months after I'd joined the force, we came across a scene very similar to this one – only this time the fifteen year old son walked in on his murdered mother AND father…" Danny faltered as he ran a hand through his hair, "God, Steve, I never want to see a kid's face look like his did, ever again! No-one had realised that he would be coming home at that time – and they were a mess! They found some family, who took him in, but he was never the same…a year later, to the day, we were called to a teenage suicide…" Danny's voice shrank to basically nothing as the memory of what he saw that day overwhelmed him. He took a deep breath, trying to swallow the emotion, "Then I think about Grace…what if…" He dropped his eyes and shook his head.

Steve, who had been listening intently to his friend, felt his own eyes begin to sting, "Josh will be fine," Steve insisted softly, "Do you know why? Because you cared enough to keep him away – you told him the truth – you trusted that he could handle that as hard as it was. You saved that boy Danny – and you'll continue to do that because that's who you are."

He became slightly puzzled when he heard a chuckle rising from his partner, "That was a bit Psych 101…"

Steve smiled himself, as he slung his arm around Danny's shoulders, "Come on, let's find this guy…"

Any good? Not sure myself but I'm sure you fabulous H 5-O fans will let me know one way or another. Be gentle though…