Chapter Text
"You are sitting at my house, buddy. What do you think is going to happen? Knowing you, you might want to come up with an idea to teach my kids how to throw a grenade or something." Danny leveled Steve with a baleful look before checking the safety of his weapon.
"I'll not have anything happen under my watch, Danny," Steve said for the third time that evening, rolling his eyes as he watched Danny tuck away his gun and put it out of Charlie's reach. "It starts to look like you're just looking for an excuse to stay."
"An excuse?" Danny snorted. "That's ridiculous, Steven. I'm not looking for an excuse. Why would I do that?"
"I don't know, maybe because it's been a while since you've been on a date," Steve said. "You go and enjoy it. We'll be fine."
Danny smiled easily. "I know. I'll be back early."
"Just go!" Steve ordered, shaking his head. "Don't you dare to come early. Gracie is a grown-up girl now and Charlie will probably sleep most of the evening. How long had it been since you two been out? I can sleep on the couch if it gets too late."
"Go, Danno." Charlie's voice sounded from the doorway behind them. "I wanna stay with uncle Steve. He lets me stay up late."
Steve's lips curled upward with Charlie's comment. He crossed his arms over his chest as he met Danny's stare.
"That's great." Danny frowned. "When did you replace me? I used to be the one adored and loved by my kids."
"They still love you. I just get to be a fun uncle, unlike you, buddy." Steve smirked, obviously enjoying Danny's inner fight to argue with him in front of his son.
Danny took a calming breath and shifted his gaze to Charlie. "No staying up late, is that clear? Your sister will make sure of it if Steve doesn't."
"Are you talking about me?" Grace showed up behind Charlie's back.
"Yes, monkey. Make sure Charlie is in his bed by nine at most. And take care of your brother and uncle. Make sure this animal stays put and behaves." He pointed his finger at Steve.
Grace giggled. "I will."
Danny strolled toward his kids and picked Charlie up, settling him on his hip. He was getting too big for him to do this, but he just didn't want to give it up. "All right," he mumbled into Charlie's ear. "You be good for uncle Steve."
"Yes, he replied, his eyes serious as he stared into Danny's.
He snuggled his son, kissing him on the top of his head and put him back to the ground, then leaned to brush over a kiss to Grace's forehead. "I love you both," he said as she hugged him around his waist. He would always think of her as his baby girl, even after she was long grown.
"I'll see you in the morning, all right?" Danny said and pulled away.
"Okay, Danno. I love you."
"I love you too, Danno" Charlie repeated after his older sister, flashing a huge grin at his father.
If Danny had known what he was going to come home to, he never would have left at that moment.
As Steve predicted, Charlie hadn't lasted more than two hours after his father left for his evening out. After the last lap of the pretended race in Charlie's room, Steve watched him fall asleep before leaving downstairs.
Grace had been watching a movie in the living room when he arrived.
"Is Charlie asleep?" she asked, shifting herself to the side to make some room for Steve.
He nodded. "Yeah, all the driving made him tired I guess."
She smiled and locked her gaze back on the screen.
"What are we watching?"
"The newest Wonder Woman," Grace replied without looking away from the screen. "But it's almost over now. You missed most of the movie."
"Oh, did I?" Steve tried to sound disappointed, but in reality, he wasn't a fan of that movie anyway. But he sat there in silence, just enjoying Grace's company until the movie was over.
"I want to be like her." Grace turned her head to the side, staring at him.
Steve grinned at her. "You want to be like a Wonder Woman?"
"Not a superhero, obviously," she giggled. "But she is a really strong woman. And she is fighting the bad guys to make the world a better place, just like Danno and you. I want to do that too."
Steve's heart cracked at her words. There was no doubt she was his partner's daughter. "Don't tell that to your father, Gracie. He'd probably blame me for letting you watch that."
"Why?" She raised an eyebrow in confusion.
Steve smiled at her, meeting her gaze. He remembered his father telling him to become anything else but a cop like it was yesterday. He too wanted to be just like his father, who was always a hero, a role model to him.
"Well, Danno would sleep better if you said you wanted to be… I don't know - anything else as long as it's safe." And if he was honest with himself - so would he.
She opened her mouth to protest, but the sound of his phone ringing stopped her before she had a chance to say anything.
Steve glanced at the screen to check the caller ID and rolled his eyes before answering the call.
"I thought I've told you to have fun, Danny. That doesn't include calling me or texting me during your date."
"No, no. Surprisingly, I'm having great fun. But, uh… I just wanted to check everything is all right."
"Yes, we're all good."
Grace giggled at her father's concern. "We're fine, Danno," she said loud enough for Danny to hear her.
"Charlie's asleep and I think we're about to join him," Steve added as he watched Grace yawn.
"Okay. Good," Danny replied, satisfied with the answer. "So you don't mind if I stay a bit longer then?"
"What did I tell you, huh? Just stay how long you want to. I'm glad you're having fun, buddy."
"I just wanted to make sure."
Steve released a sigh. "What are you doing? Stop talking to me and enjoy the rest of the evening. I'm hanging up now, Danny. Bye." He ended the call before his friend had a chance to protest.
"I think I'll go to bed," Grace announced as she stood up.
"That's a good idea," Steve agreed.
"I'll bring you a pillow and a blanket," she said and turned on her heel, running upstairs.
It didn't take long before she returned, leaving it at the couch, smiling at him. "We'll finish our conversation in the morning," she said.
Of course she wouldn't let it go. He hadn't either when at her age. "Good night, Gracie."
"Good night, uncle Steve."
Steve watched her walk up the stairway and disappear behind the doorway. God, she was growing up fast. Gone was the little girl he'd known years ago.
He checked the locks and windows, then double-checked alarm was set before he headed back to the couch and turned the TV off.
Charlie wasn't the only one who was tired. He had a pretty difficult week at work, and the past few weeks he hadn't been feeling great. He made a mental note to make an appointment with his doctor, despite hating that. He'd made sure as hell Danny didn't find out though, as it would worry him sick. That was the last thing he'd wanted for his best friend. Especially now, when he appeared to be his happier self lately.
He wasn't sure when he'd fallen asleep, thoughts of making his way to the couch the last thing he'd remembered. But a loud crash upstairs had him up and sprinting for the stairs in an instant. He'd thought that maybe Charlie had fallen out of bed or tripped over on the way to the bathroom. But that thought was soon dismissed when more crashes and Charlie's muffled screaming reached his ears.
Something was very wrong.
And then he saw them.
Steve didn't have time to think, he only reacted, throwing himself at the first man he set eyes on. They both landed on the floor in a heap. The guy beneath him struggled but had no chance to stop the blow coming at his head, dazing him. Another hit knocked the man unconscious in a second.
He quickly looked around. He counted seven more men. Way too many.
Without a second thought, he sprang forward, going for the one tugging at Charlie's arm, trying his best to ignore the boy's heartbreaking scream of fear.
The force of his body smashing the guy against the wall made his hand slip away from Charlie's arm. In a split second it took to check on Charlie, the man spun around and crashed his elbow into Steve's temple, sending his head into a spin, then brought his knee up to Steve's stomach, making him hunch over in pain.
"Uncle Steve!" Charlie cried out, pure dread in his voice.
Using Charlie's tears as a fuel for his rage, Steve tried to eek every bit of energy and dodged the next blow aimed at his head. He pushed his body to move faster with everything he had. He delivered an elbow to the guy's chest then swiveled and used his leg to swipe the man off his feet. The guy landed on the ground with a thump and his head smashed against the wall behind him. His knee crashed into the man's groin. The man exhaled and bent down, and Steve delivered another blow to the back of his neck, hitting the pressure point of nerves to send the guy to the floor.
"Uncle Steve!" Charlie shouted again, tears rolling down his face as he looked up at Steve.
"Run, Charlie!" Steve yelled. "Hide and don't come out no matter what you hear, all right? Do not come out. Go. Now!"
Charlie gave him one more quick glance, then obeyed and rushed away, disappearing behind the corner.
"What's going on?" Grace showed up in the doorway of her room, the look of terror in her eyes when she took in the scene tearing Steve's heart apart.
The attention of the men turned toward Grace, with the one closest rushing into her room.
"Grace!" Steve screamed, stepping over the unconscious man's body as he rushed toward the next man, tackling him. He blocked the blow coming at him and spun around, wrapping his arm around the man's neck. The arms of the man came at him as he tightened his grip, his attempts to free himself becoming more and more futile every second, until he stopped squirming. Steve left the dead weight crumple to the floor.
There should be five more men around. But he didn't see all of them. Crashing coming from downstairs suggested they've been turning the house upside down, probably looking for Charlie.
He heard Grace struggling, screaming through what might have been someone's hand, but he couldn't see her. "Grace!" he called out again.
Someone behind him shouted, as though in pain Steve hadn't caused. He turned around to see one of the men holding onto his groin and Grace rushing down the hall.
That's my girl.
With Grace running free from her room, Steve could focus on keeping the rest of the men away from her. She was smart, she would call Danny if she had time. Steve just had to keep the attackers away for long enough to give her time.
Starting with the guy who'd chased her out of her room. Steve rushed down the hall, barrelling himself and the man into the wall, among the falling picture frames. The glass shattered around them, the family photos scattering on the floor, as Steve landed punches, one by one, dodging the opponent's ones. He thrust his hand into the man's neck and prepared to deliver a killer blow. There were still four men after the kids, there was no time to -
The familiar sound of a gunshot came out of nowhere, startling Steve into a full stop. That sound didn't belong in this house. Never in this house.
Steve looked around frantically, pure dread seeping into his very being as he searched to make sure Grace and Charlie were all right. But he couldn't see either of them.
There was, however, one of their attackers standing at the top of the staircase with a satisfied grin on his face and a gun outstretched in his hand.
Then the realization hit him as the man Steve'd been holding kicked out his legs, sending his knees crashing onto the hard floor with ease. Steve's gaze locked with the man holding the gun as the guy readjusted his aim and fired again.
Stabbing pain erupted in his chest and back, fire burning him from inside, spreading through his body as the blood soaked into his t-shirt, oozing outward. Steve struggled to draw air into his aching lungs, desperately trying to hold himself up on his knees and hands as he felt the strength draining out of him too quickly for his liking.
Grace and Charlie still needed him. He couldn't give in. Where were they? Were they safe? What if-
No. He pushed that thought into the back of his skull. These guys went through all the trouble to get them alive, they wouldn't kill them.
And then he caught a glimpse of Grace, peeking from behind the door of Danny's bedroom, shaking, tears rolling down her cheeks, her wide eyes locked on his. She'd seen all that. She should have never seen it.
It wasn't over. He needed to move. He needed to get up. To protect her and her little brother. He'd fight until the end.
But his body didn't cooperate and instead of getting up, Steve found himself collapsing face down on the floor, white-hot agony raging in his chest. The sudden weakness and exhaustion frightened him to the core. He knew he was done fighting.
He squeezed his eyes shut, hoping for the agonizing sensation to pass, but it didn't. The pain was immense, every single breath a struggle. But he had to do something. He just had to. It was Grace and Charlie. He'd rather die than let anything happen to his best friend's kids. He had to keep going. He had to-
Steve heard shuffling behind him as the man who'd shot him came closer. An arm reached out to Steve to pull him onto his back. Steve forced his eyes open and channeled as much energy as he could into his aching muscles, barely noticing the growing puddle of warm blood on the floor under him. He swung around, his hand hurtling for the attacker's face.
The move was born out of desperation as much as anything. Steve was already seriously injured, and there was little skill in what he was trying. He paid the price. The man flung his forearm, blocking Steve's attempt with ease. Still hunched over, he swung his elbow at Steve's head and sprang upright. But Steve wasn't given any respite. Before his foggy vision had a chance to clear, the man lifted a heel and drove it into Steve's face, leaving him lay in his own blood, dazed and confused.
Weakened by blood loss and unable to move anymore, Steve could do nothing. The man, standing over him with an evil grin, lifted his weapon and aimed it at Steve's head. Before he had a chance to even think of anything, the sound of a gunshot rang through his ears.
Steve sprang open his eyes, unsure whether they've been open or closed, but didn't feel any more pain than before. The terror crept into his mind when he took in the scene in front of him, hoping he'd drifted into a nightmare.
Grace was standing in the hallway, a look of determination that was definitely a Williams family trait in her eyes. Her arms raised, Danny's gun steady in her hands, pointed at the dead man crumpled on the floor next to Steve.
"Grace," he whispered, his voice extremely faint. "Run!"
Grace shook her head, tears streaming down her cheeks, determination fuelling her as she pointed the gun somewhere behind him. Half a second too late.
Steve felt the cold metal of the muzzle pressed against his temple and he begged her with his eyes to put the gun down and get out of here.
"Come on, Grace," the man crouching over his head said, a mocking grin stretched on his face. "Put the gun down before you hurt someone else."
"I… I'll shoot you," she cried, adjusting her aim. "My father showed me how."
The man laughed. "Of course he did. I expect nothing less from your father."
Steve's heart sank. With every beat of his heart he felt the blood pumping out of his chest, but he had no strength to lift his hand and try to slow down the bleeding. He could feel the heartbeat slow down and the chill spreading across his fatigued body. He'd been shot many times in his life. Enough to know he didn't have long before bleeding out.
"You know, if you shoot me, I'll shoot first. And I'm sure you don't want to kill your uncle Steve, do you, Grace?"
Son of a bitch! Steve thought, desperately trying to muster any last bit of strength to move, rage rushing in his veins. But he couldn't. He was too far gone.
"No, please," she cried out. "Don't hurt him."
Her desperate voice was cutting into the core of his soul. She had no idea, but he knew better. It didn't matter anymore. He wouldn't make it anyway. He just hoped for her and Charlie to get away from these men safely.
"Get out," he croaked, wheezing as he did do, begging her to leave while she had the chance. But with her father's temper in her blood, Steve knew it was near impossible. Yet, he had to try. "P… please."
"Throw the gun away," the man ordered again, pushing the gun deeper into Steve's head.
Grace flinched at that and made a step forward, but didn't lower the aim. "No! Please don't do that."
"Then stop me," the man taunted. "Give me the gun."
"Don't," Steve whispered, finding it difficult to get the word out, pain ripping through his chest with every breath.
She shook her head. "If I give you the gun, you'll just kill him."
The man smirked. "As you wish. I'll give you three seconds to decide."
Steve wished he'd never witnessed the terror in Grace's eyes when their gazes met for a brief moment.
"Three."
Steve shook his head slightly, silently begging her not to do that. To do anything but what this bastard wanted her to.
Just run, Grace. Please.
"Two."
This wasn't happening - it couldn't be. Not with Danny's kids. Please let this be a nightmare.
"Last chance, princess," the man taunted, his finger twitching on the trigger.
"No! Stop!" she shouted, lowering the gun a few inches. "What… What if I come with you? That's why you're here, aren't you?"
"G… Grace, no!" What he intended as a shout was a mere whisper. She couldn't do that! Anything but that. Not for him. Especially not when it wouldn't matter in a few minutes anyway.
But Grace ignored him, speaking to the attacker. "Will you leave him alone then?"
Tears burned in Steve's eyes as he didn't have the strength to stop this.
"You've got my word. You just put the gun down, and we'll go."
No. No. No. Grace, please. Don't.
"Step away from him first," Grace demanded.
"Smart girl," the man said. "All right. Let's go before your father gets home and spoils the party. I'll step away, but if you try anything, I'll make sure both, your uncle and father are as good as dead, is that clear?"
Grace stared at the man, then slid down her tears-filled eyes on the floor to Steve. He shook his head, the last futile attempt to beg her to do anything but go with these men.
"Okay."
His heart sank.
Please, don't do that, Grace. I'm not worth it.
If he wasn't dying anyway, Danny would certainly kill him. He'd never forgive him and he'd never forgive himself for this failure. He was better off dead than living with Danny's hatred and his own immense guilt of not being able to protect the closest thing to family he'd ever had.
"Okay then." The man next to him got back to his feet and made two steps back, watching Grace intently.
Tears streamed down Steve's cheek as he blinked. His eyelids fluttering, life quickly waning from his body, Steve couldn't do anything as Grace marched past the four men, passing the gun to one of them.
The man smiled and nodded at the man on his right. "Find the boy."
"No!" Grace shouted. "That wasn't the deal."
"I never said a word about your brother, princess. I just promised to leave your uncle alone."
She cried out as two men walked away, smashing everything they'd found on their way. She instinctively moved forward, but the man in charge grabbed her by the arm.
"No! You have me, you don't need my brother!"
But the men ignored her pleas, the noises of breaking glass and doors crashing suggesting they were doing their best to find Charlie, trying to scare him as much as possible in the process.
Please. Let me wake up. Let this be a bad dream. I'd do anything… anything to avoid this.
Grace met his gaze one more time, fear and anguish all over her face. "I love you, uncle Steve," she whispered, her voice shaking.
Steve wanted to tell her he loved her too. Tell her how sorry he was. He'd give up his life to protect her and her brother.
But he couldn't even open his mouth anymore, as he was left bleeding out alone on the cold hallway floor, his eyes on the broken family picture of Danny, Grace, and Charlie, the frame covered in his blood, laying not far away from him on the floor.
Soon, he heard Charlie's desperate scream and the accusing faces of his loved ones on the picture were the last thing he saw before the darkness swallowed him, bringing the respite from the agony and unbearable guilt.