"Is Danno alright?" Grace asked anxiously as the elevator doors squeaked shut and began descending at a turtle's pace. The way it was creaking and groaning made Steve wonder if it would have been a better idea to just take the stairs. Steve bent down, bracing one knee on the floor, and looked Grace in the eye.

"Danno's fine," he reassured her for what seemed to be the hundredth time since he picked Grace up from her friend's house down the corridor. Grace bit her lip and looked away, uncertain.

"Then why didn't he come pick me up?" she asked plaintively.

"The doctors just wanted to make sure that he's okay," Steve replied. Danny had taken a bullet to the arm which was painful but not life-threatening, especially since it was a through and through and the EMTs had arrived fast.

"Is he?"

"Of course he's okay. He's Danno. In fact, we're going to go pick him up now."

Grace brightened.

"Awesome!"

Steve smiled as he stood up. Grace wrapped a hand around his and beamed up at him, all misgivings about her father's well-being forgotten.

Suddenly, the elevator cab shuddered and screeched to a halt. Grace tightened her grasp around Steve's hand and shifted closer to him, pressing herself against his legs.

"Uncle Steve?" Grace said, her voice small. Steve frowned pulled Grace close, hoping to comfort her.

"This elevator's kinda old," he told her in a light tone of voice. "Maybe it just needs a break."

Grace giggled, but it seemed forced, uncertain. There was a faint buzzing noise as the lights flickered. Grace's gaze snapped upwards, eyeing the light fixtures as if they were poisonous snakes waiting to attack her.

"Danno," Grace whispered, seemingly to herself. Steve pulled out his cell phone. The emergency number to contact if the lift stalled was scrawled on a label and stuck just above the panel. It was as if one of the residents of the apartment block knew that the lift would stop sooner than later and didn't want anyone to get stuck without help. He punched in the number, reported the situation and was assured that help would arrive within half an hour.

Steve sighed in frustration, slipping his phone into his pocket. Grace was clinging onto one of the pockets of his cargoes, her frightened gaze darting here and there. Steve crouched down before her and placed his hands on her shoulders.

"Okay Gracie, the lift has stalled and help will come in about half an hour," he told her. Her eyes watered as she glanced upwards again at the lights. They were sputtering now and the lift was getting steadily darker. "Don't be scared. I'm right here."

Grace nodded shakily.

There was a barely audible pop and all the lights went out, plunging the metal cab into darkness.

Grace screamed and launched herself at Steve, wrapping her thin arms around his neck as she cried into his shirt. Immediately, Steve wrapped his arms around her, pulling her trembling body close. If possibly, Grace pressed herself closer to him, forcing him to sit down or risk falling flat on his ass.

"It's okay, Gracie," Steve soothed as he rested a hand on her back. "I'm here. Help will come soon, I promise."

"Danno, want Danno," Grace muttered into his shirt, her voice hitching with her tears. "Please, Danno. Dark, Danno. Danno, monsters. Danno, help."

Steve felt his heart twist at her terrified babbling. Then, it all clicked into place. He'd thought that Grace was scared of being trapped in the elevator. In actuality, she was more scared of the dark. Steve awkwardly reached down to the pocket at his shin and pulled out the small torchlight he always kept there just in case the larger one in Danny's Camaro died. He clicked it on.

Grace jumped at the sound, burrowing closer.

"Hey, see what I found," he told her, waving the torchlight around. The beam of light arched through the air. Grace turned slightly to look at the torchlight. She pulled her arms from around his neck and settled onto his lap. She was still shaking slightly and had a death grip on his t-shirt. Steve kept his arms wrapped around her as he passed her the torchlight.

"Here, you can hold onto it." He pressed the torchlight into her trembling hand and guided her to shine it around. "See, we're safe, you're safe. No monsters here. I won't let anything hurt you." Grace's grip tightened around the torchlight. Tentatively, she brought it to every corner of the small cab, searching. When she found nothing, she pulled the torchlight to her chest and squeezed her eyes shut, burying her face in his t-shirt.

Steve's arms tightened around her. He murmured softly to her, reassuring her. Slowly, her tears subsided and her ragged breathing evened out.

The minutes ticked by.

There was a sound of scraping metal as a chink of light appeared where the doors separated. Grace perked up, watching as the light seemed to expand and fill the entire cab. They appeared to be stuck in between two floors. The doors screeched and inched slowly back until there was enough space for him to climb out.

"How ya doin' in there?" came a gruff voice. Steve squinted against the light. A balding man was on his hands and knees, a crowbar by his right hand as he peered into the enclosed space. "D'ya need help gettin' out?"

"Nope, I can climb out," Steve called back. He stood up, picking Grace up with him. Her grip on his t-shirt tightened as she gazed at him with wide eyes.

"I want you to go out first," Steve told her and she shook her head.

"What if the monsters get you?" she whispered. Her gaze swept the brightened cab as if she didn't quite trust it. Steve used a hand to wipe away the tear tracks on her face.

"The monsters won't get me," Steve reassured her. "I'm a SEAL, remember?"

Grace nodded.

"Super SEAL," she said and Steve smiled.

"That's right. I'll be right behind you."

Grace seemed nodded. Steve turned towards the man.

"Here, take her," he told him. The man nodded.

"C'mere, keiki," he said reaching out as Steve boosted Grace up to the opening and the man pulled her out. Steve grasped onto the ledge and climbed out using the combined strength of his arms and legs. Grace launched herself at him the moment he stood up and wrapped her arms around his middle. Steve bent down and picked her up.

"Mahalo," he told the man who smiled.

"Next time, brah," the man said wryly, "just take the stairs. This elevator here breaks down so often I might as well live in the lobby."

Steve laughed. "Maybe it's time they repaired it."

The man smirked at that. "Highly doubt they will. Many of the residents have complained and no one's done anythin' about it. I'm just supposed to come down here and get it workin' again every time someone calls."

Steve nodded. Someone's going to be doing something about it now or there'll be hell to pay.

The man picked up his crowbar and stowed it in the bag he was carrying.

Grace looked up at him and offered him a small smile.

"Mahalo," she said softly, then buried her face in Steve's shoulder.

"Anytime, keiki," the man said with a grin. He waved to Steve, then tossed his bag into the elevator cab before sliding in himself. Grace looked alarmed as she stared into the dark space. The man picked up a large torchlight and flicked it on, illuminating the area. Grace relaxed. Steve pulled his arms back a bit so that he could look at Grace.

"Ready to see go see Danno?" he asked her. Grace nodded enthusiastically, a smile brightening her features. "Okay then, let's go."

He headed for the stairwell and walked out through the lobby into the brilliant Hawaiian sunshine where monsters couldn't touch her.

Thanks for reading! (: