Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Stood in the bathroom, Layla splashed her face with cold water and stared at her reflection in the mirror. She hadn’t slept much over the last few days and her eyes were puffy from all the crying she had done, but today she had to be strong for her ohana. Snapped from her thoughts by someone knocking on the door, she glanced back and took a shaky deep breath.

“Lay, are you okay in there?” came Steve’s concerned voice from the other side.

“Yeah, I’m coming,” Layla replied, drying her face and stepping out into the hallway.

“It’s nearly time to go, could you make sure that Grace is ready for me?”

“Okay.”

Layla made her way to her niece’s bedroom, freezing momentarily with her hand on the handle and heading inside to find Grace sitting on the edge of her bed. Not wanting to rush her, she placed her hand on the young girl’s shoulder and crouched down in front of her.

“This was Danno’s favorite dress, is it okay that it isn’t black?” Grace asked, her voice shaky and unsure.

“Hey,” Layla said, lifting Grace’s chin with her thumb, “If you want to wear Danno’s favorite dress, then you wear it... I promise that no one is going to tell you that you can’t.”

“Will you put my necklace on for me?”

“Of course I will.”

With the thin chain in her hand, Layla fastened it around her neck and straightened the heart pendant so that it hung down over her chest. Standing up, she held out her hand for Grace to take and led her downstairs.

It wasn’t long before the cars arrived and Steve led them over to the first car, which followed right behind the coffin. The feeling of Grace’s small fingers wrapping around her wrist caught her attention and she looked down, pulling her into a hug as she noticed the tears running down her niece’s cheeks.

There were a lot of people already at the cemetery when they pulled in, mainly officers from the HPD and a few people that Layla didn’t recognize. A majority of the service went by in a blur, but then Layla’s name was called and she hesitantly approached the microphone.

“Turn the light off, come to bed, tell me all about the day you had,” Layla sang as the music started, “Lay beside me, come to rest, you can close your eyes you’ve done your best. Let me be your sanctuary, let me be your safe place to fall, I can take away your worries, the refuge from it all.”

She swallowed past the lump that had formed in her throat and fought to keep her emotions in check as Danny’s coffin was lowered, struggling to push through.

“All this time we have together, is our shelter from the rain. I will share the weight you carry, let me be your sanctuary,” Layla continued, feeling the tears fall freely down her cheeks and her throat tighten more, “We have weathered through the storm, taking comfort in each other’s arms. When the dark clouds come again, I... will lift...”

Unable to hold back her emotions any longer, she shook her head as she ran into Steve’s open arms and buried her face in his shoulder.

“It’s okay,” Steve whispered, wrapping his arms around her tightly and kissing her head as she cried into his chest.

Once everyone had been thanked, Steve took Layla and Grace back to the car to head home.

“We’ll bring some dinner over in a little while,” Chin told Steve, “The girls look exhausted.”

“It’s been a rough day for everyone,” Steve replied, glancing at the girls through the window and running a hand over his face, “I’ll see you back at the house.”

The ride home was quiet and Layla spent it staring out at the passing scenery, unable to form the words to speak. They had lost Danny... she had lost her brother and it was going to be hard for everyone to get through that.

Chapter Text

They soon arrived home and Layla got changed out of her funeral clothes, before heading out onto the lanai. With her sketchpad open on her lap, she turned to a fresh page and started drawing. She had been curled up in one of the chairs for nearly an hour, when Chin emerged from the house and moved to crouch in front of her with a sad smile.

“That’s really good,” Chin said, motioning to the picture, “Kono and I brought some food over, why don’t you come inside and eat with us?”

“Okay,” Layla mumbled, packing away her things and following him inside.

Everyone ate in silence, but Layla wasn’t really all that hungry and left a majority of the food on her plate untouched. Not feeling sociable, she excused herself from the table and shut herself away in her room.

Sat on her bed, she opened the book that she had been reading and allowed her mind to get lost in the story. It was a few hours, before someone knocked on the door and the world around her came rushing back into focus.

“Lay.”

“Come in.”

Layla placed the book back on the side and watched as Steve entered, sitting down next to her.

“I know that today has been hard for you, it’s been hard for everyone,” Steve stated, taking a shaky breath and glancing over at Layla, “Danno would have been so proud of you... I’m proud of you.”

Leaning back against Layla’s headboard, Steve wrapped his arm around her shoulders and dropped a kiss on her head as she curled into his side. The next week was a difficult time for Layla, everything reminded her of Danny and what she had lost.

Chin, Kono, and Steve had been there through it all, but Layla still felt the empty space that her brother had once filled. Sat cross-legged on the floor of Steve’s office finishing some school work, Layla frowned as her phone began to buzz on the table and answered it.

“Hello.”

‘Layla,’ came her mom’s voice from the other end, ‘How are you?’

“I just lost my brother; how do you think I am?”

‘Well, you’ll be home soon enough and we can start healing as a family.’

“What do you mean I’ll be home soon?” Layla inquired.

‘I’m going to talk to your brother’s partner and get him to sort out everything so that you can come home,’ her mom informed her matter of factly, ‘You need to be with your family at a time like this.’

“I am with my family,” Layla snapped, feeling her stomach turn at the mere thought of returning to New Jersey, “Danny dying doesn’t change anything.”

‘Layla...’ her mom warned, but Layla didn’t want to hear another word that woman had to say and hung up.

Unable to rein in her emotions, she let Steve know that she was heading to the beach and stood on the sand watching some surfers out on the waves. A year had passed since everything happened in New Jersey and Danny had moved her to Hawaii to live with him, hoping that it would fix her. It had taken her a while to adjust, but the island had become her home and the thought of having to leave scared her.

With a look at her watch, she made her way back to Iolani palace and found Steve in his office on the phone. He shifted his attention to the door as she tapped quietly and motioned for her to enter the room, hanging up as she took a seat on the sofa.

“That was your mom,” Steve told her, running a hand over his face and sighing, “She wants me to arrange for you to go back to New Jersey.”

“I know,” Layla admitted, causing Steve to frown and move to sit beside her, “She rang me earlier, said that I needed to be with the family so that we could all start healing... I don’t want to go back there.”

“I’m going to do everything I can to ensure that that doesn’t happen,” Steve promised, “I’ve got a few more pieces of paperwork to complete and then we can get out of here, why don’t you tackle some more of your schoolwork?”

“Okay,” Layla replied, returning to her spot on the ground and opening her sketchpad to start her art assignment.

It was late by the time they got home and Steve decided to order Chinese food, while Layla set up a movie for them to watch. They had just started eating, when someone knocked on the door and Layla paused the movie as Steve went to answer it.

“Hey Cath.”

“Hey,” Layla heard Catherine say, “I just got back on land and heard about Danny, I thought I’d come over and see if there’s anything I can do?”

“We’re doing okay at the moment,” Steve replied, “Layla and I were just about to eat and watch a movie, did you want to join us?”

“I’d love to,” Catherine agreed, stepping past Steve and hugging Layla as she reached the sofa, “I’m so sorry for your loss.”

Layla was drifting off to sleep by the time the film finished and with a mumbled goodnight, she retreated to her room.

Chapter Text

It wasn’t easy to return to school, but Layla knew that it was inevitable and she couldn’t put it off forever. The building loomed in front of her as Steve pulled up outside and she collected her bag, climbing out with a shaky deep breath.

“Keep your chin up, Lay,” Steve said as she closed the door, looking through the open window and nodding, “I’ll pick you up at the end of the day.”

“Okay.”

As soon as she walked through the double doors, Layla could feel everyone’s eyes on her and walked towards her first class with her gaze on the ground. She heard the comments made throughout the day, but chose to ignore them rather than react and focused solely on her work.

Relieved to hear the final bell ring, Layla collected everything she needed from her locker and made her way outside to where Steve was waiting as promised. Climbing into the passenger seat of the truck, she gave him a small smile in greeting and relaxed back into the seat as he started the engine.

“How was your day?” Steve asked, breaking the silence and glancing over at Layla.

“It was fine,” Layla lied, knowing that Steve didn’t believe her and sighing as she answered him again, “Really, it wasn’t too bad... I’m just the sister of that dead cop at the moment and it sucks.”

“Layla, I know that going back to school today was hard for you, but it will get better in time and everyone will soon find something else to talk about,” Steve replied, reaching over and giving her shoulder a comforting squeeze, “I need to get back to work, do you want me to drop you off at home or would you rather hang out at headquarters?”

“I don’t want to be in the house on my own,” Layla told him honestly, “Danny’s stuff is all over the place and... I just don’t want to be alone.”

“It’s okay, you can hang out in my office and do some of your homework.”

They soon arrived at Iolani Palace and Layla headed straight towards Steve’s office, stopping as she noticed that it was already occupied by a man in a suit. Waiting until Steve had entered and closed the door, Layla turned to Chin who was working on something at the tabletop computer.

“Who is that?” Layla inquired, causing Chin to lift his head and glance over at the man in question.

“He’s from the FBI,” Chin answered.

“Is Steve in trouble?”

“Normally I would answer that with probably, but not this time... you don’t need to worry.”

With a smile, Layla nodded and watched as Chin returned his attention to the screen. The truth was that she was worried, she had just lost Danny and she couldn’t handle losing anyone else. As soon as Steve exited his office a while later, Layla could see the anger on his face and knew that something was wrong.

“Chin, I need you to keep an eye on Layla for a few hours,” Steve stated, “My help is required on a case.”

“Of course.”

***

Not really wanting to leave Layla, Steve dropped a kiss on her head and reluctantly followed agent White out to his SUV. The journey was traveled in silence, Steve’s fists clenched where they were resting on his knees and his mouth shut tight to stop him from asking the questions that he knew the agent wouldn’t answer.

It was forty-five minutes, before they turned down a dirt track and stopped outside a house. Steve took in his surroundings, climbing out and heading inside as agent White motioned for him to follow. The house seemed empty at first glance, but Steve knew differently and froze as they entered the kitchen.

“Steve...” Danny said, cradling his jaw as Steve’s fist connected, “Okay, I deserved that one.”

“No,” Steve replied angrily, “You deserve much more than that.”

“Steve...”

“No, Danny, do you know what you’ve put everyone through?” Steve shouted, “Do you even care what you’ve put Layla and Grace through.”

“Of course, I care, but I didn’t have a choice,” Danny mumbled, “How are they?”

“Just great,” Steve spat, “Grace cries herself to sleep every night and calls me every day to make sure that I’m still around... that I haven’t left her.”

“What about Layla?”

“She’s putting on a strong front, but I know that she’s struggling and there is nothing I can do to ease her pain.”

“You and the others?”

“Everyone is grieving.” Steve told him, running a hand over his face and sinking onto a stool at the kitchen counter, “We’re just trying to get through it as best we can as a family, but it’s been hard and we’ve still got a long way to go... or at least we did have.”

“I’m sorry.”

“What am I supposed to do, Danny?” Steve asked, “I can’t lie to them.”

“You have to,” Agent White added, causing Steve to clench his fists and glare at him, “It is imperative that everyone believes detective Williams is dead.”

“That’s easy for you to say,” Steve argued, standing up and turning to face the agent, “All you have to worry about is your case, you don’t have to deal with the aftermath or lie to two vulnerable kids.”

“We’ve been working on this case for three years commander and we’re really close to bringing down one of the biggest crime families around, I don’t have time to worry about anything else.”

“Lucky you,” Steve replied, shaking his head and making his way towards the door without another word.

“Steve... please,” Danny pleaded, causing Steve’s heart to clench, “Just hear him out, I want to come home... I want to make things right, but I can’t do that without the help of you and the team.”

“I thought he said that they were close to bringing their perps down?”

“We are, but there’s something else going on and we need to get to the bottom of that in order to move forward with our case,” Agent White explained, pulling out his phone and handing it over to Steve as he continued, “Those are crime scene photos from a murder that took place in the early hours of yesterday morning, the victim is a New Jersey police officer that was working on the case with us and it’s not the first one we’ve had.”

“How many are we talking about and why do you need the help of Five-0?”

“Over the last three months, there’s been six law enforcement officers killed... all were connected to our case in some way and all were murdered in the same manner,” Agent White told him, “I need your team to find out who’s doing this and put a stop to it.”

“In other words, you want Five-0 to make some noise and take the heat away from your case.”

“Something like that.”

Chapter Text

It was late by the time Steve arrived back at his house, having asked Chin to take Layla home and fix her some dinner that wasn’t take out. Making his way inside, he found Chin sitting with Kono in front of the television and frowned when he didn’t see Layla with them.

“She went up to bed about an hour ago,” Kono informed him, earning a nod from Steve, “Everything okay?”

“Yeah,” Steve replied, feeling his stomach turn as the lie fell from his mouth, “We have a case, but it can wait until the morning... you should both go home and get some sleep.”

With a nod, the cousins left and Steve headed upstairs to check on Layla, who was fast asleep. Stood in the doorway, he glanced over at the picture of Danny on the bedside table and felt anger ripple through him.

Back downstairs, he grabbed himself a beer from the fridge and wandered out onto the lanai. A gentle breeze blew as he made his way down to the water’s edge, staring out over the vast expanse of ocean that lay before him and running a hand over his face in frustration. He was angry, but his anger at that moment wasn’t directed at Danny or the FBI... it was directed at himself.

He should have known that something wasn’t right, there had been a lot of questions surrounding Danny’s death and he had pushed it all away for the sake of his ohana. Grace and Layla were distraught, and he refused to put them through the hurt that an investigation would bring with it.

The Danny he knew would never put them through so much pain without good reason and he knew his partner pretty well, although he was beginning to doubt just how well. Steve understood the dangers of people knowing, but if he had known... if someone had told him what was going on, then he could have helped and prevented everything his family was currently enduring.

“Steve,” came Layla’s voice as Steve launched his beer bottle at a nearby tree, causing him to spin around to face her and move forward quickly as he spotted the tears rolling down her cheeks.

“I’m sorry,” Steve mumbled, wrapping his arms around her trembling form and kissing her head as Layla hugged him back.

“I miss him,” Layla whispered, her voice thick with emotion, and Steve’s heart clenched for the second time that day.

“I miss him too,” Steve said, biting his tongue and cursing Danny for putting him in the situation he was in.

After a few minutes of silence, Steve led Layla inside and sat on the sofa with her curled into his side. He had never really thought about the prospect of having kids, his heart had always belonged to the Navy and it was only when he met Danny that that all changed.

It wasn’t long after meeting the blonde detective that Steve started falling for him, although he would have denied it back then and called whoever brought it up crazy. He had kept everything he was feeling locked up tight and told himself that it would get easier to handle, but it only got harder as they became closer as friends.

Three years it took to finally confess everything to Danny, three years of pining and fighting against his heart in order to keep Danny close. Of course, nothing about their lives was smooth and their transition from friends to lovers had been turbulent to say the least. It took them both a while to fully accept the change in their relationship, but things gradually settled and everything in their lives seemed to fall into a natural rhythm.

Snapped from his thoughts by Layla shifting in her sleep, Steve covered her with a blanket and headed to bed. He woke up early the next morning and made breakfast, before dropping Layla off at school on his way to the office.

“Morning,” Chin greeted as soon as Steve walked through the doors, “Layla get to school okay?”

“Yeah, I dropped her off on my way here,” Steve replied, placing his phone on the tabletop computer and pulling the pictures that agent White had shown him up on the screen.

“Who’s your vic?” Chin asked as Kono joined them, handing them both a cup of coffee and looking over the pictures as Steve answered.

“His name is Jonathan Gates, he was a police officer in New Jersey and was found two days ago,” Steve told them, “Cause of death was a single gunshot wound to the head, but he was shot two times prior to the kill shot and there were signs of torture. I already contacted his captain in New Jersey and as far as he was concerned, Gates was here on vacation.”

“Why kill a cop on vacation?” Kono inquired with a frown.

“That’s what we need to find out.”

Chapter Text

The case didn’t seem to be going anywhere, there were no leads and they had failed to find anything unusual on their victim. Every line of inquiry brought them back to square one and Steve was beginning to feel the pressure to find some answers, but he was running out of ideas. All they had was the body of a dead cop... no solid reason behind his death or suspects to hunt down.

“What are we missing?” Steve asked, looking at Chin and Kono for answers that he knew they didn’t have, “Jonathan Gates wasn’t just murdered, he was executed and we have absolutely nothing that will lead us to his killer.”

“The kill shot to the head and the lack of defensive wounds would point towards someone the victim knew, but why would a cop be associating with someone capable of murder?” Chin replied.

“Perhaps they worked together,” Steve suggested, “A lot of cops nowadays are ex-forces, they’re trained to kill and some, if offered the right amount of money, would get the job done.”

“The lack of defensive wounds would support that theory and someone who knew him personally would have known about his vacation in Hawaii,” Kono added.

It was nearly ten o’clock at night by the time Steve finally got home and was surprised to find Layla sitting out on the lanai, messing around with the guitar that Danny had brought her for Christmas.

“I met you in the dark, you lit me up, you made me feel as though I was enough. We danced the night away, we drank too much, I held your hair back when you were throwing up,” Layla sang as she played, “Then you smiled over your shoulder, for a minute I was stone-cold sober...”

“Sorry,” Steve stated as he opened the door, causing Layla to stop and look up at him, “I didn’t mean to interrupt... it sounded really good, practicing for something?”

“I entered the school talent competition,” Layla told him as he took a seat beside her, “Danny would always try to persuade me to enter them, but I was always too scared...”

“What changed?”

“You came into Dany’s life and taught me that being scared of something is okay, but allowing that fear to win isn’t,” Layla mumbled, “You were afraid to admit that you loved Danny, but you pushed that fear aside and loved him anyway. If he were here, he’d tell me that I can do anything that I put my mind to and that he’d be there even if I fail.”

“I could never take Danno’s place, but I will be here no matter what and Danny will be too... even if you can’t see him.”

Layla smiled, returning her attention to the guitar in her lap, and once again Steve felt the guilt that rushed through him every time he was forced to lie. Sat in silence as Layla continued to practice, he made a promise to himself to have Danny at that show and he would do whatever it took to make it happen.

Steve wasn’t Danny... no one could ever match up to the man that Steve had fallen in love with, but he loved Layla and Grace with everything he could. He would go through hell for those girls because they were Danny’s world and, he didn’t know how, but they’d somehow managed to work their way deeper into his heart than Steve ever thought possible.

It was a few hours before he headed to bed, checking on Layla and pulling the blanket up over her as she shifted restlessly in her sleep. Sat on the bed in the room that he shared with Danny, he collapsed back against the pillows and closed his eyes.

With Layla dropped off at school the following morning, Steve made his way over to the safe house to check-in and ask White a few more questions about the case. Parked up outside, he climbed out of his truck and headed inside where he found Danny eating breakfast at the kitchen table.

“Hey babe,” Danny said as Steve closed the door, glancing up from his food and frowning slightly, “You look tired.”

“That’s what happens, when the FBI fakes your partner's death and then comes to you for help with a case that makes absolutely no sense,” Steve replied, pouring himself a cup of coffee and leaning against the counter, “Did I mention the constant lying to people... where’s your babysitter anyway?”

“Making some calls or something upstairs... how’re things at home?”

“Things are okay, Rachel has said that I can have Grace this weekend and Layla has signed up for the school talent show,” Steve told him, earning a sad smile from Danny and continuing, “Your mother is still insisting that Layla go back to New Jersey, but that’s a subject that I haven’t figured out how to bring up to Layla without her thinking that I don’t want her living with me anymore... aside from that, everything is as good as can be expected.”

“I’m sorry that you are having to deal with all this on your own.”

“We have the Ohana... they’ve been a huge help,” Steve stated, “That’s actually what I want to talk to White about, this case is what’s stopping you from coming home and I’m not going to be able to solve it unless Chin and Kono know all of the details.”

Chapter Text

After arguing with White for nearly an hour, the agent finally caved and Steve headed back to 5-0 headquarters. Sat outside in his truck, he took a deep breath as he climbed out and entered the building.

“Chin, Kono,” Steve called, motioning for the cousins to join him and swallowing nervously as they emerged from their offices.

“What’s up, bossman?” Kono asked.

“I need to talk to you about something, but it’s crucial that everything discussed here stays just between us for now,” Steve said, earning nods of agreement and continuing, “The day I left with that FBI agent to help out on a case, I was taken to a safe house and found out some things that I’ve had to keep from everyone.”

“What sort of things are we talking about here?”

“I haven’t got time to make this any easier for you both to hear, so here it is... Danny isn’t dead. He’s currently under FBI protection and the case that we’ve been working on is one of the reasons he is there,” Steve told them, watching as their expressions morphed from shock to determination within seconds.

“What does the murder of Johnathan Gates have to do with Danny?” Chin inquired.

“Are you certain you want to get involved with this?” Steve added, “I’ll understand if either of you can’t do it... it means lying to our ohana and that isn’t a burden that I want you to feel you have to take on.”

“Steve, this is Danny we’re talking about,” Kono stated, “I’m not saying that I’m happy with having to lie to our ohana, but if it means bringing Danny home... I’ll do whatever it takes.”

“Same here,” Chin agreed, “Danny’s a part of our family and has been there for all of us more than once... I’m not about to turn my back on him.”

***

It was later than usual when Layla arrived home from school, heading straight upstairs and locking herself in the bathroom to clean up. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she looked in the mirror, taking in her appearance and carefully wiping away the shave ice syrup from by her eyes.

With her hair washed, she got changed and made her way downstairs to the kitchen to make dinner. By the time Steve walked through the door, Layla had just finished the salad and placed everything on the table.

“This looks amazing, kiddo,” Steve told her with a smile, grabbing himself a beer from the fridge and sitting down opposite her.

“Is everything okay?” Layla asked, watching as Steve opened his mouth to speak and then closed it again.

“Yeah,” Steve answered, “There’s something I need to talk to you about though.”

“You’re sending me back to New Jersey, aren’t you?” Layla mumbled, looking down at the table, “It’s okay, I understand...”

“No, Layla, I would never send you back there,” Steve reassured her, moving to crouch in front of Layla, “Why would you think that?”

“Some boys at school said that now Danny’s not around you wouldn’t want me staying with you anymore,” Layla explained, feeling tears roll down her cheeks, “I don’t want to go back there... I want to stay with you.”

“Hey, listen to me,” Steve said, noticing the panic in her eyes, “I promised you that I would do everything I could to keep you here with me and that’s a promise that I don’t intend to break, okay?”

“Okay.”

“It’s true that your mom is trying to get me to send you back, she doesn’t think that I’m capable of looking after you and feels that it’s in your best interest to be with your family...”

“You’re my family.”

“I know and I’m going to fight to keep it in one piece... I love you, kid.”

“I love you too,” Layla replied as Steve pulled her into a hug and kissed her head.

“Let’s finish eating,” Steve suggested, wiping his eyes and clearing his throat as he returned to his seat, “Chin and Kono will be over soon to work on a case.”

They had just finished washing up when Chin and Kono turned up, holding up ice cream from Layla’s favorite place. With a grin, she thanked them as she retrieved her school bag from her room and got settled on the Lanai.

Her mind seemed to swirl chaotically with ideas as she stared down at the piece of paper in front of her, trying to unjumble her thoughts and beginning to scribble down words.

'Ohana means family. Family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten. It's not defined by last names or by blood... it's about love. Family should be your anchor when things get rough, those people who are always there to guide you and be your light in the darkness.
My ohana has taught me so much, but the most important thing I've learned from them is that sometimes home isn't a place... sometimes home has a heartbeat.'

Happy with the montage that she’d put together of her ohana, Layla smiled at the memories it bought up and closed her book.

Chapter Text

Sat in Steve’s truck, Layla stared out the window and waved as she spotted Grace walking towards her with Steve. She was excited about the weekend ahead and spending time with her niece, doing things with their ohana.

“I invited the ohana over for a barbecue tonight,” Steve told Grace as they headed to the house.

“Who’s coming?” Grace asked.

“Chin, Kono, Catherine, Kamekono, Adam, Lou,” Steve replied, “Plus the newest member of the team will be there as well, her name is Lori and I think you’ll like her.”

They soon pulled up and Layla climbed out, following Grace inside. She hugged Chin and Kono as she walked through the door, before heading to the kitchen to help Steve prepare the food for dinner.

“That’s not how you cut garlic,” Layla stated, chuckling as another clove shot off the chopping board and taking the knife from Steve.

“Do you know something, Gracie?” Steve whispered, making sure that Layla could still hear, “Your aunt is bossy.”

“Only because uncle Steve can’t cut garlic without it ending up on the floor,” Layla added, winking at Grace and poking her tongue out at Steve causing Grace to giggle.

Someone knocking soon interrupted their fun and Grace jumped down from her seat on the counter, going with Steve to answer it. It wasn’t long before they returned with Kono’s boyfriend, Adam, and who Layla assumed was the new member of the team in tow, looking around in awe.

“Your place is gorgeous, Steve,” the woman commented as Layla hugged Adam in greeting.

“Thank you... Lori, this is Dany’s sister, Layla,” Steve introduced, “Lay, this is Lori.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Layla.”

“Hi,” Layla mumbled, unsure of how to feel about the woman and sticking close to Adam’s side.

The food was soon ready and everyone sat down to eat, but Layla wasn’t really that hungry. Lori’s presence was just another reminder of the fact that Danny was gone, she was his replacement after all and it didn’t seem fair.

“Layla,” Kono called, snapping Layla from her thoughts, “Steve mentioned that you signed up for the school talent show, do we get a sneak peek?”

“Sure,” Layla agreed with a small smile, “I’ll just go get my guitar.”

Everyone had moved onto the beach by the time she returned downstairs, joining them and taking a seat beside Kono. With the strap resting securely around her neck, she took a deep breath and started playing.

"Somebody get me a hammer, wanna break all the clocks and the mirrors, and go back to a time that was different... a time when I, didn't feel like there was something missing, now my body and mind are so distant, don't know how to escape from this prison... how can I... free my mind," Layla sang, keeping her eyes on the sand at her feet and continuing, "Cause I can't breathe, I can't breathe, I can't breathe, I can't breathe. How can I live in the moment, when my thoughts never feel like my own and don't know how to admit that I'm broken... how can I... be alright. Cause I can't breathe, I can't breathe, I can't breathe, I can't breathe."

There was a short silence, before everyone started clapping and she looked over at Steve to find his eyes swimming with unshed tears. It was late when everyone decided to leave and Layla said goodnight, before retreating to her bedroom. Sat on her bed, she stared at the photo of Danny that she kept on her bedside cabinet and looked up as someone knocked on her door.

“Hey,” Steve said, making his way over to her and sitting down, “You know that you can talk to me about anything, right?”

“I know.”

“I got a phone call earlier from your principal,” Steve told her, “Why didn’t you tell me about the bullying?”

“You had enough to worry about without me adding my problems,” Layla replied, “It’s just stupid boys doing childish things... it’s not a big deal.”

“Your principal doesn’t agree, she thinks that it is worse than you’re telling people and has asked me to attend a meeting on Monday to discuss it further,” Steve informed her, “I need you to talk to me, Layla, I need you to tell
me exactly what is going on in your head and what’s been happening at school.”

“It’s mainly just name-calling, people saying that it’s my fault that Danny is dead and that you most probably hate me deep down,” Layla admitted reluctantly, “Last week things just seemed to get worse, they started tripping me in the corridor and threw a shave ice in my face.”

“You shouldn’t have had to deal with that alone.”

“That was my choice, I guess deep down I’ve started believing the things that they’re saying, and for a little while... missing Danny doesn’t hurt as much.”

“Nothing they are saying is true, Lay... Danny’s death was not your fault and I definitely don’t hate you,” Steve argued, pulling Layla into his arms and kissing her head, “We’ll get this all sorted out, I promise.”

Chapter Text

With Layla dropped off at school on Monday morning, Steve headed over to the safe house and knocked on the door three times. Agent White soon answered and Steve barged passed him without a word, finding Danny at the kitchen table with a case file spread out in front of him.

“Steve... is everything okay?” Danny asked, frowning and placing the piece of paper he was examining to one side.

“No, not at all actually,” Steve replied, crossing his arms over his chest, “Do you know what I’ve been doing this weekend?”

“Spending time with the girls,” Danny answered, “You had Grace as well, right?”

“Yeah, we had Grace with us this weekend and we had a great time with the Ohana,” Steve told him, feeling nothing as he saw Danny’s smile fade slightly and continuing, “That’s not what I’m talking about though.”

“Then what are you talking about?”

“I’m talking about having to comfort Layla because she’s being bullied at school,” Steve snapped, raising his hand to silence Danny as his partner opened his mouth to interrupt, “I’m talking about having to assure her that your “Death” wasn’t her fault and that I don’t hate her...”

“Why would she think any of that?”

“She doesn’t just think it, Danny... she believes it because that’s what the kids at school have been telling her,” Steve stated, “What am I supposed to do?”

“You carry on doing what you’ve been doing,” Agent White added from behind him, “I’m sorry for being so harsh, but I am not going to let you blow my case over some little girl...”

Steve looked over at Danny, balling his fist and connecting it with the agent’s jaw. Crouched down as White attempted to get up from where he’d landed, Steve grabbed the man by the collar and pulled him up so that they were face to face.

“Let’s get something straight,” Steve practically growled, “My priority here has absolutely nothing to do with your case, everything I’m doing here is to get Danny back to our girls and the people that we call ohana, do I make myself clear?”

“Yes,” White choked out as Steve shoved him back onto the ground, watching as the agent pushed himself to his feet and headed upstairs without another word.

“Is Lay okay?” Danny inquired, motioning for Steve to join him at the table and pushing a cup of coffee toward him.

“She’s hurting and I’m trying to help her as much as I can with everyone’s support, but she doesn’t have that spark in her eyes anymore... I’m scared that we’re losing her, Danny.”

“She’s been through so much,” Danny added, pushing a piece of paper towards him and motioning for him to read it as Danny continued to talk about how bad he felt for all the added stress he was piling on.

Danny’s words faded slightly as Steve looked down, examining the familiar scrawl and frowning at what he read.

Something’s not right about all of this, nothing is adding up and I haven’t seen another FBI agent since I got here. I think all of this is a ploy to keep Five-O's attention away from something else and I’m convinced that White is in on it

“I’ll keep a close eye on her, you know I will,” Steve promised as he wrote a response and passed the paper back to Danny.

You got a plan?

I do, but I need to get out of here and somewhere that gives me the freedom to contact a few people in New Jersey

“The case has me stumped too,” Danny said as agent White appeared, retrieving an ice pack from the freezer and pressing it against his jaw with a grimace.

Standing up, Steve walked over to the man with his hand outstretched as if to apologize and shake hands. As soon as the agent took it, Steve spun him around and placed just the right amount of pressure on the man’s throat to render him unconscious.

The agent’s limp body soon hit the floor and Danny gathered up the case file from the table, following Steve out to his truck without hesitation. With the safe house in the rear-view mirror, Steve kept his focus on the road and glanced in the mirrors every few minutes to make sure that they weren’t being followed.

“We’re going to need help,” Steve stated, pulling out his phone and texting Chin.

‘Meet me at the docks, usual place.’

It didn’t take them long to reach the docks and Steve parked his truck at the opposite end of where the rendezvous point was, leading Danny over to where Chin was already waiting with Kono.

“Good to see that you’re still with us,” Chin said as he hugged Danny, clapping the man on the back and stepping aside to let Kono greet their brother, “So, what’s going on?”

“Danny doesn’t think that White is working under FBI orders and I agree with him, so we need to figure out what the hell is going on,” Steve explained, “Do you have a satellite phone and laptop in the car?”

“I do,” Chin replied, heading off and returning a few moments late with the devices in his hands.

“Okay, this is what we’re going to do, Danny, Chin and I are going to head out on the boat,” Steve told them, “Kono, I want you to go collect Layla from school, just in case White tries to use her to get to Danny.”

“Should I pick up Grace too?”

“No need, Rachel took her to England to see her parents for a couple of weeks,” Steve informed her, “As far as Lori knows, Chin and I have gone fishing for the day, so she shouldn’t ask any questions. Don’t tell Layla anything other than what is necessary, I’ll call later on to explain everything to her... keep her safe, Kono.”

“You know I will, boss.”

Chapter Text

Hearing the door of her art class open, Layla looked up from the sketch she had been working on and watched as the woman from the office whispered in her teacher’s ear.

“Layla, could you pack away your things and head to the office,” her teacher said, earning a nod from Layla and turning her attention to a student that had his hand up.

With everything put away, Layla collected an assignment sheet and left the classroom. Kono was waiting when she reached the office and she swallowed nervously, pushing open the door.

“Hey you,” Kono greeted with a smile, thanking the lady that she had been speaking to moments before and leading the way out to her car.

“Is everything okay?” Layla asked as she fastened her seatbelt.

“Everything is fine, why do you ask?” Kono replied, starting the engine and pulling away from the school.

“You picked me up in the middle of the school day without warning,” Layla told her with a shrug, “The last time someone picked me up early it was to tell me that Danny was dead...”

“Lay, I’m so sorry,” Kono added, “I promise you that everyone is fine and Steve is going to ring later to explain everything.”

Layla nodded, turning her attention to the passing scenery and replaying the moment that she had been told about Danny.

Sat on the sofa in Steve’s office, Layla could tell that something was seriously wrong and watched anxiously as Steve paced in front of her. It was obvious that the Seal had been crying, which Layla had begun to think he was incapable of, and that alone made her insides twist in fear.

“I’ve done this so many times, but this is by far the hardest one I’ve ever had to do,” Steve mumbled, crouching down in front of her and looking her directly in the eyes, “Danny and I went to make an arrest this morning, but things didn’t go the way we expected.”

“Is Danno okay?”

“Lay, Danno got hurt... he got shot and they tried everything they could, but the paramedics couldn’t save him.”

“He... but...” Layla stammered, falling silent and averting her gaze to the ground as tears rolled down her cheeks, “Can I see him?”

“Not at the moment,” Steve replied, wrapping his arms around Layla as she broke down, “I’ve got you...”

Pulled from her thoughts as Kono brought the car to a stop, Layla glanced up and saw that they were at Adam’s house. With her bag slung over her shoulder, she hugged Adam as they headed inside and made her way straight outside to where she usually worked on her school assignments.

***

Once Steve was satisfied that they were far enough out to sea, he told Chin to kill the engine and listened as his partner spoke on the phone. Danny soon hung up and jotted down a few pieces of information, before looking over at Steve with a sigh.

“Anything?” Steve inquired, sitting down and taking the notepad to read what had been written down.

“I’ve managed to determine that this wasn’t an FBI operation, but I can’t dig up anything on White or who he is working for,” Danny stated, running his hand over his face in frustration, “If White is working off of his own agenda that means he’s gone rogue and the FBI will have no information, which leaves us with one option...”

“We need to get the information from White, but he’s not going to willingly tell us what we need to know,” Steve argued, earning a nod from Danny and taking the phone, “I should ring Layla, she’s probably worried and the last time I pulled her out of school early...”

“Was when you had to tell her that I was dead,” Danny finished.

Steve dialed Kono’s number, putting the phone to his ear and listening to it as it rang.

‘Hey boss,’ came Kono’s voice as she answered the call.

“Hey, is everything okay?”

‘Everything is fine, Layla is doing her homework and Adam is cooking Paella for dinner.’

“Good, can you put Lay on for me?”

Hearing Kono moving around, Steve waited and smiled as Layla’s voice sounded from the other end.

‘SuperSEAL?

“Hey, how’re you doing?”

‘I’m fine, are you okay?’

“I’m okay,” Steve reassured, hearing the slight shake in her voice and feeling the knot of guilt in his stomach tighten, “I know that Kono picking you up from school probably freaked you out a little, I’m sorry, I just... this case I’m working on is dangerous and I wanted to make sure that you didn’t get dragged into it because of my involvement.”

’It freaked me out, but I’m okay now that I know you aren’t hurt or... you know,’ Layla mumbled, pausing momentarily and continuing, ‘Promise me that you’ll come home... promise that I won’t lose you as well.’

“You know that isn’t a promise I can make, kiddo,” Steve said, wishing that he could remove the fear from Layla’s voice, “I do promise to do everything in my power though.”

‘That’s good enough for me, besides I already know that you’re going to be okay because Danny is watching over you and he would never let anything bad happen... I love you.’

“I love you too, kid,” Steve told her, glancing over at Danny and noticing the way the blonde was watching him with sad eyes, “I’ve got to go, but I will see you soon...”

As soon as Steve hung up, he stared out over the sea to ground himself and turned to Danny. Without a word, he pulled him into his arms and closed his eyes against the emotions that swirled within him.

Steve had always been good at deception as a trained SEAL, but lying to Layla was on a whole different level for him and all he could do was hope that she would forgive him in the end.

Chapter Text

Lost in thought as she worked on her homework, Layla was pulled back to reality by a loud crash from inside the house and felt panic erupt in her chest. As quietly as she could, she made her way to the sliding glass doors and peered inside to see Kono lying unconscious on the floor near the kitchen island.

Unsure of what to do, she snuck over to Kono’s still form and retrieved her phone from her pocket. She had just stepped back outside, when a hand was placed over her mouth and the phone toppled from her grip as she struggled.

“Shh, it’s just me,” Adam whispered in her ear, removing his hand, “Are you okay?”

“What’s going on?” Layla replied, screaming as Adam was tackled to the ground by a large man and pinned down as another man grabbed her from behind.

Adam managed to get free, standing to his feet, and froze as a gun was placed against the side of Layla’s head.

“Look, I don’t know what this is about… but she’s just a kid,” Adam said, holding his hands up in surrender as the click of the gun being loaded was heard, “What do you want?”

“We already have what we want,” a gruff voice replied as a third guy emerged from the house, “Tell McGarrett that if he wants this precious thing back in one piece, then he will return what he took from us… do you understand?”

“I understand.”

“Good,” the guy stated with a smirk, turning to address the man holding Layla, “Take her to the van.”

“Just do as they say, Lay,” Adam instructed as she was led away, “Everything is going to be okay.”

***

The first thing Steve noticed as he pulled up was the ambulance and he jumped from his truck, rushing over to where Kono was getting checked over.

“What happened?”

“Some men got inside and knocked me out,” Kono told him, thanking the paramedic and leading Steve over to where Adam was talking to Chim.

“I’m so sorry, Steve,” Adam said as soon as he saw him approaching them, “I tried to stop them, but they had a gun to Layla’s head and I didn’t want her to get hurt.”

“It’s not your fault,” Steve reassured him, running a hand over his face and taking a deep breath as fear curled in his gut, “Any leads?”

“Luckily for us, Adam has security cameras covering the entire property after everything with the Yakuza and our kidnappers didn’t seem too bothered about getting identified,” Chim informed him, bringing up the three guys' mugshots on his phone and handing it to Steve, “Meet Paul Kaiwi, Gregory Taylor, and Martin Lewis, all have extensive records and all have recently been released after serving long sentences.”

“Have you had any luck tracking them down?”

“They were last seen heading towards the docks, but we lost them and no other camera picked them up… it’s like they disappeared into thin air.”

“So, they either switched vehicles or they’re still in that area,” Kono suggested.

“We need to search that area for the van they were driving,” Steve instructed, marking out the area and turning to look at Kono, “Chin and I will take my truck, while you go with Adam… hopefully, they’re still around somewhere.”

He climbed back into his truck and waited for Chim to join him, speeding out of the driveway.

***

The van that she had been taken out to soon came to a stop and the doors swung up, causing Layla to scramble back away from them in fear. Someone soon grabbed her wrist, dragging her from the safety of the vehicle and leading her into what looked like an abandoned warehouse.

Layla struggled to keep her footing, stumbling down a long corridor and hitting the floor hard as she was pushed inside a dimly lit room. The door was closed and she listened as the key was turned in the lock, moving to sit with her back against the wall.

With her knees hugged tightly to her chest, she scanned her new surroundings and let the tears roll freely down her cheeks. She was alone for what felt like forever, before the door was opened again and an older-looking man stepped inside.

“Time for you to make a phone call,” the man stated, moving towards her and smirking as Layla flinched away from his touch, “I want you to call McGarrett.”

Hands shaking as she took the phone, she reluctantly dialed Steve’s number and pressed the call button. The sound of ringing soon filled the room as the man put it on loudspeaker and Layla listened, waiting for it to be answered.

“McGarrett,” Steve greeted as he answered the call, causing a slight relief at hearing his voice to rush through Layla, “Hello?”

“Mr. McGarrett,” the man replied, “It appears that I am currently in possession of something extremely valuable to you… I’m assuming you would like it back in one piece, yes?”

“What do you want?” Steve demanded.

“That answer is simple, you return Detective Williams to my associate and I will return your little girl unharmed.”

Confused by the man’s request, Layla allowed a sliver of hope to enter her chest and waited for Steve’s response.

“Why do you want Danny?”

“He is a diversion, something to keep the suits busy for a while,” the man explained without revealing any valuable information, “You have until midnight to contact me on this number with a place to meet, or you’ll be receiving a delivery of your own.”

“Let me talk to her, I want proof that she’s okay.”

“Steve,” Layla mumbled as the man motioned for her to talk.

“It’s good to hear your voice, kiddo, I’m going to get all of this sorted out,” Steve promised, “I’ll make up for everything I’ve done that’s hurt you.”

“I’m not angry at you…” Layla told him as the man moved away from her, “NO!”

“Layla,” Steve shouted out in panic.

“Midnight, McGarrett,” the man repeated, before hanging up the phone and slamming the door as he left.

Chapter Text

As night fell, Layla found herself suddenly buried in darkness and pulled her knees closer to her chest. The opening of the door sent a shudder down her spine and she watched as one of the men from the house stepped in, rope in hand.

“Hands,” he ordered, tying the thick rope around her outstretched wrists and pulling her after him.

Dragged along the same corridor they’d taken a few hours prior, Layla was taken to a waiting car and shoved into the backseat.

“Try anything and my friend here will put you in the trunk, do you understand?” the man who had phoned Steve warned, earning a nod from Layla and signaling for the driver to go.

Layla kept her gaze on her bound hands as they drove, flinching every time the men beside her shifted in their seats and looked up as the car finally came to a stop. If she had to take a guess at where they were, Layla would have guessed the docks if the scenery outside the window was anything to go by and she was proven correct as she was forcefully removed from the car.

A strong hand landed on her shoulder and she tried to pull away from the touch, quickly finding herself face down on the ground. She screamed as her head was yanked back by her hair, forcing her to look into the cold eyes of her kidnapper, and felt fear wash through her.

“You were warned,” the man growled, bringing his hand down hard across her face and letting go of her hair as the force of the hit sent her back to the floor with a thud, “I suggest that you start moving.”

Her hands shook as she pushed herself unsteadily to her feet, tears streaming down her face and her cheek stinging. Led to an old shipping container, Layla was pushed to her knees and shifted into a sitting position as she watched the man produce a gun from the back of his trousers.

***

Sat in his truck with Danny, Steve tightened his grip on the steering wheel and took a sharp left turn towards the docks. He would do anything to get Layla back where she belonged, but that meant possibly having to give up Danny and that wasn’t something he was willing to do.

“What’s going on in that head of yours?” Danny asked, breaking the silence that had fallen over them and looking over at Steve concerned.

“I was just thinking…” Steve told him honestly, “I don’t have a plan this time, Danno, I’m going in blind and it could end up getting someone that I love hurt.”

“We’ll figure it out,” Danny added, placing his hand on Steve’s leg in a comforting manner, “We always do… then we will take our girl home and start making things right again with everyone.”

Steve nodded in agreement, loosening his grip a little, and returned his focus to the road. He knew that it would take time for things to go back to how they were, but the thought of having Danny home and being a complete unit again motivated him to push on despite the fear.

Parked up at the meeting spot a while later, they both climbed out and took in their surroundings. It wasn’t long before Chin and Kono pulled up behind them, joining the duo as they anxiously waited.

***

Layla watched the man pacing in front of her, trying to listen out for any sound of people outside, and soon gave up when all that met her ears was silence. Steve had told her that he would sort it out and he wouldn’t leave her there with them… he wouldn’t abandon her.

Her chest constricted at the thought of Steve not showing up and she tried to take a deep breath, finding that it was hard for her to breathe. Tendrils of fear seemed to wrap themselves around her as she saw the man’s finger hover over the trigger of his pistol, glancing over at Layla with a glare and retrieving a walkie-talkie from his pocket as it loudly sprang to life.

‘Shawn, they’re here… you can bring the girl out.’

Dragged to her feet, she stumbled forward and followed as the man yanked on the rope that had started cutting into her flesh. Her eyes immediately searched for Steve as they rounded the corner, but it was the man standing beside him that caught her attention and stirred a mixture of emotions from deep within her.

“Lay,” Steve called as he took a step forward, freezing when the guy holding her placed the muzzle of his gun against her head and loaded it.

“I think that’s close enough, don’t you?”

“The deal is Danny for Layla, right?” Steve inquired calmly, earning a nod from the man who stood in front of him, “Then let’s swap.”

“Shawn, untie the girl and let her go.”

Shawn removed the ropes and Layla slowly backed away, running to Steve as soon as she was clear. Stood beside him with his arm wrapped protectively around her shoulders, she noticed the way Danny’s hand moved towards his waistline and knew without a doubt that he was reaching for his weapon.

Chapter Text

As soon as the first gunshot echoed around them, Steve bundled Layla into the back of Kono’s car and told her to stay down as he closed the door. The doors locked, Layla sat on the floor between the back and front seat out of sight.

She flinched as a bullet ricocheted off of the car, covering her ears to block out the noise and allowed her tears to roll down her cheeks. Her entire body trembled and she made herself as small as she could, shutting her eyes tight.

It felt like hours had passed, when the car was unlocked and Steve opened the door. With a shaky deep breath, she climbed out and froze when her gaze fell upon the body of one of the men that took her.

“Hey Layla… look at me,” Steve said, stepping in front of her and tilting her head with his thumb, “It’s okay… it’s over.”

Pulled into a tight hug, Steve dropped a kiss on top of her head and Layla relaxed into his warmth. An ambulance soon arrived and Layla took a seat in the back, allowing the paramedic to check her over under Steve’s watchful eye. The paramedic cleaned up the wounds caused by the ropes and bandaged them, asking her a few questions that she answered without issue.

“You’re all good to go,” the paramedic informed her with a smile, before turning to Steve and continuing, “The bandages will need to be changed once a day for a few weeks and the cuts on her wrists will need cleaning to prevent infection, but apart from that she should be fine.”

“Mahalo,” Steve replied, putting his hands on Layla’s shoulders and leading her over to the truck.

Settled in the back seat, Layla fastened her seatbelt and rested her head against the cool glass of the window. After a brief discussion with Kono, Steve got into the driver’s seat and Layla drifted into a restless sleep.

***

Steve watched Layla’s sleeping form in the rearview mirror, anger coursing through him, and tightened his hold on the steering wheel. He wasn’t just angry at White and Danny for dragging Layla into the situation, he was also angry at himself for not being able to protect her.

He should have stayed with her, but instead, he put Danny first, and, as a consequence of that, she got hurt. Parked up outside the house, Steve turned in his seat and gently shook Layla awake.

“Steve?” Layla asked, her voice quiet and brittle.

“We’re home, kiddo.”

Out of the truck, Steve waited for her to catch up and wrapped his arm around her shoulders as they headed inside.

“I’m going to take a shower,” Layla mumbled as she headed straight upstairs.

***

Layla stared at her reflection in the mirror, noticing the bruise that had begun to appear, and gently ran the pad of her thumb over it. Showered, she changed into her pajamas and applied fresh bandages before heading downstairs to find Steve looking through take-out menus.

“I’m thinking of ordering Chinese, what do you think?” Steve inquired as Layla sat down beside him in silence.

“Sounds good, where’s Danny?”

“He’s giving his statement and then he will be home,” Steve told her, keeping his focus on the menu in his hands, “What do you fancy?”

“The same as usual, please,” Layla replied, listening to Steve place their order and glancing up as he hung up, “I’m angry at him…”

“Huh?”

“Danny… I’m angry at him,” Layla mumbled, playing with the edge of her bandage and continuing, “I’m angry that he lied and I’m upset that he didn’t think that we deserved the truth…”

“Lay…” Steve started, but Layla carried on as if he hadn’t spoken and Steve fell silent.

“I’m happy that he’s okay, but I don’t know if I can forgive him,” Layla added as tears ran down her face, “I thought that I was never going to see him again and I hated myself, I hated myself because the last thing I said to him was to stop acting like my dad. I didn’t mean it and then it was too late… all I wanted to do was say sorry, to tell him that he’s more like a dad to me than our dad ever was.”

“Hey, hey, it’s okay,” Steve stated, pulling her into a hug and stroking her hair as he fought back his own emotions, “I’m angry at him too.”

Layla allowed her emotions to spill free, burying her face into the crook of Steve’s neck and letting go of some of the guilt she’d been harboring since Danny’s death. A knock on the door brought her back to reality and she took a few shaky deep breaths, sitting on the sofa as Steve answered it.

Once she’d finished eating, Layla made her way upstairs and curled up under the covers to try to get some sleep. Despite the exhaustion she felt, sleep never came and, after nearly three hours, she decided to get up.

As quietly as possible, she headed down onto the beach and took a seat on the sand as the sun rose on a brand-new day. It wasn’t long before a shadow fell upon her and someone sat down, remaining silent for a few minutes before speaking.

“I know that you probably hate me right now, but I just want you to know that I’m so sorry and I love you,” Danny said.

Not trusting herself to speak, Layla kept her eyes fixed firmly on the ocean that stretched out in front of them and reached out a trembling hand to take his. She wasn’t ready to talk just yet, but she could never hate him and she needed him to know that.

Chapter Text

It was nearly two weeks, before Layla returned to school and she was nervous. Sat in Steve’s truck, she stared out the window as they pulled up outside and felt a knot of anxiety begin to build in her stomach.

“Are you sure that you’re ready to go back?” Steve asked, shutting off the engine and turning to face her with concern clear in his eyes, “Do you want me to walk you in?”

“I’ll be fine,” Layla mumbled, taking a deep breath and climbing out.

“We’ll go and pick up the art supplies you need later,” Steve added, earning a nod and a small smile from Layla, “Have a good day, kiddo.”

Layla waved, before making her way up the stone steps and glancing back as Steve drove away. Laughter and whispers followed her around all day, but she tried to ignore it as much as she could. When the final bell rang at the end of the day, she didn’t bother going to her locker and headed straight outside to where Steve was waiting.

“Hey,” she greeted as she shut the door, placing her bag at her feet and fastening her seatbelt.

“How was your day?” Steve inquired, earning a shrug in response and continuing, “Why don’t we go get your art supplies on the way home and then stop by Kamekona’s to pick up some food for dinner?”

It took her half an hour to find everything she needed in the art store and was now back in Steve’s truck, waiting for him to return with their food. As soon as he got back in the truck, Layla knew that they weren't heading home and offered him a smile in response to the apologetic look he sent her way. Set up in Steve’s office a little while later, Layla ate her food and started on some of her homework.

‘Once upon a time there was a girl, but her life wasn’t some magical fairytale… her life was fractured and far away from the happy ever afters that she’d read about as a child. She was a robot, hollow-chested from the things that had been thrown her way and made up of parts that didn’t work the way they should.

The girl wasn’t a princess locked in a tower or a girl from a small provincial town who would fall in love with a beast, she was just a girl… broken and in danger of falling apart. Sometimes she found it hard to believe that she was made of flesh and bone, sometimes she felt as though she was made of stone… numb and estranged from her emotions.’

Two hours passed, before Steve entered the room and ran a hand over his face as he leaned against his desk.

“I’m sorry that you’re stuck here,” Steve said, causing Layla to shrug in response, “I promise that once this case is closed, we will spend some time together and talk about everything that has happened.”

“It’s okay, I’d rather be here than at home on my own,” Layla replied, “You look tired.”

“This case isn’t as straightforward as I thought it was going to be, every turn is a dead end and I’m running out of ideas.”

“Can I do anything to help?” Layla inquired, “A different perspective may be helpful… perhaps I’ll see something that you missed.”

“Are you sure you want to?” Steve stated, earning a nod from Layla and motioning for her to follow him into the other room.

“Boss?” Kono asked, smiling and putting her arm around Layla’s shoulders.

“Kono pull up the location photos for me, Layla wants to take a look,” Steve explained, “She thinks that a fresh pair of eyes and a different perspective might reveal something that was missed.”

“That’s a good idea,” Kono agreed, pulling up the photos and glancing up as Lori walked in.

“What’s going on?” she said, standing next to Kono and looking up at the screen in front of them, “I’ve already checked those for anything that could help.”

“Can you make this picture bigger?” Layla inquired, moving closer to the screen as Kono blew it up, “I know where this is.”

“How?” Lori questioned with a frown, drawing everyone’s attention to her, “It’s a picture of a bunch of trees in a forest full of identical trees.”

“Maybe to you, but I’ve spent days in that forest with Steve and I can tell the difference,” Layla argued, turning to Steve, “Do you remember the hike you took me on last year… the one that Danny missed because he was ill and we decided to head off the trail.”

“Of course.”

“You wanted to show me some ancient trees that had drawings carved into their trunks, but we couldn’t find them,” Layla continued, “Instead we found an old empty cabin.”

Layla pointed at the picture and stepped back, watching as Steve took a closer look.

“Kono, zoom in on this section of the picture for me,” Steve instructed, indicating to the left-hand side and smiling, “You can see a cabin through the trees.”

“I checked these photos thoroughly and I didn’t spot it,” Lori said, “How is that even possible?”

“Sometimes, when you’re looking too hard for something, your brain will start picking out everything that is obvious and it overlooks anything that doesn’t fit with the image you have in your head. In a picture of a forest, it’ll pick out the trees or other things that you’d find in a forest because that’s what you immediately associate with that scene,” Layla told her, “Steve taught me that in order to see the whole picture, you have to clear your mind of what you know and look at it as if you’ve never seen it before.”

“I taught you that?” Steve asked, causing Kono and Layla to laugh as he high-fived Layla with a grin, “Great job, kiddo.”

Sat in Steve’s office an hour later with Kamekone, Layla waited for the team to return and tried to concentrate on the game of poker she was playing. It felt good being able to help and for a while, she was able to forget about the kids at school, but now, sitting in silence, everything slowly drifted back to the forefront of her mind. 

Chapter Text

Another hour passed, before the team finally got back and Steve took her home. With the salad made to go with dinner, Layla went upstairs to get cleaned up and returned to find that Danny was home.

“Hey Lay,” he greeted with a small smile, “How was school?”

“It was okay, how did your meeting go?”

“Boring, but I will do anything to get back out there with the team.”

“There’s something that you’re not telling me,” Layla stated, noticing the looks that Danny and Steve were sharing, “What’s going on?”

“Ma’s coming to Hawaii,” Danny told her, “She doesn’t think that this environment is good for you and wants to take you back to New Jersey.”

“When is she coming?”

“She’ll be here tomorrow,” Danny replied, stepping forward as he continued, “The decision hasn’t been made and you don’t have to see her if you don’t want to, but we thought you should know.”

“I don’t want to see her,” Layla said, taking a seat at the table and refusing to look at either of the men as they ate in silence.

Sleep didn’t come easy for her that night and the school day seemed one hundred percent harder to get through, but she managed. Sat in the passenger seat, Layla stared at the house for a few moments before climbing out and following Steve inside.

“Layla… sweetheart,” she heard as soon as she walked through the door, drawing her attention to Danny and Clara, their mother.

“I have a project to start,” Layla mumbled, collecting her art supplies from her room and heading out onto the lanai.

With her box of photos open in front of her, she chose a few of her favorites and placed them on the table. It took her a while to decide which pictures to draw, but the decision was finally made and she started her sketch; pausing as a shadow fell over her.

“That’s really good,” came Clara’s voice from in front of her, “I’ve always said that you have a natural ability when it comes to art and music.”

“You’ve never said that,” Layla argued, “Danny is the one who’s always encouraged me to do what makes me happy, he’s the one who’s always supported me.”

“I get that you’re angry at me, Layla… at everyone in New Jersey, but things are different now and we’d really like it if you came home.”

“I am home.”

“This is not your home, New Jersey is…”

“New Jersey hasn’t been my home for a long time,” Layla stated as she headed inside, “My home is here with Danny and Steve, even if you don’t like it. You’re right about one thing though… things are definitely different.”

“This isn’t the right environment for you,” Clara added angrily, “You need to be in New Jersey, where your father and I can keep an eye on you.”

“You keep saying not the right environment,” Steve replied, moving to stand behind Layla and placing his hands on her shoulders, “She’s thriving in school, she’s surrounded by good people who care about her and she’s happy. What’s not right about that?”

“I brought Layla out here for a fresh start, away from the constant reminders of everything she went through,” Danny continued, the anger clear in his voice, “Everything that Steve just mentioned has happened within the last year, she’s settled down and, for the first time since everything happened, she’s not focused on the past.”

“Well, maybe she should be,” Clara snapped.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Danny inquired.

“All of this is happening because of her… because of what happened to her,” Clara replied, “Maybe she needs to focus on that and realize why her family treated her the way they did.”

“There’s no excuse for the way you all treated her…” Danny began, only to be cut off by Layla and falling silent.

“I already know that you all thought that I brought it on myself, that I was too trusting of a man that was supposed to be helping me and I got what I deserved,” Layla mumbled, forcing back tears as she continued, “You all made it perfectly clear when you left me at the hospital to go through all those examinations alone…”

“That’s not…”

“You were the ones that organized the extra tutoring at his house, even after I told you that I didn’t want to do it,” Layla said, “You pushed me into that situation.”

“Wait,” Danny interrupted with a frown, “Why didn’t I know about any of this?”

“There was nothing you could do, if we had told you everything you would have flown straight to New Jersey and that’s not where you needed to be.”

“Damn straight I would have,” Danny shouted, causing Layla to flinch and step closer to Steve, “Is that why you wouldn’t let me talk to her?”

“Your life was out here, Grace was out here and I wasn’t going to let something that we were handling ruin that.”

“Well, you did a great job at handling it,” Danny retorted, pointing at Layla, “Do you know what she was going through while you were handling it?”

“We…”

“Nightmares, depression, self-harm, she was screaming out for someone to notice the pain that she was in and you ignored it. You put it down to behavioral issues, mental issues, anything that meant that it wasn’t your fault and Layla was left to suffer in silence.”

“What would you have us do, Daniel?” Clara asked.

“I could have been there for my little sister when she needed me the most, instead of receiving a call two months later and having to piece her back together from the wreckage you created.”

“We made a decision that we believed was best for everyone and I’m sorry if you don’t see that, but it’s time for her to come home,” Clara said calmly, “You are not her parents, Daniel and I will be back tomorrow to collect her.”

Chapter Text

Layla didn’t sleep much that night and focusing on her lessons the next day was almost impossible, but she refused to let her mom ruin her day. Today was the talent show and Layla would be lying if she said she wasn’t excited because she honestly couldn’t wait to perform.

While the other students performed, Layla scanned the crowd for her ohana and spotted them sitting a few rows from the front.

“Next up, we have Layla Williams,” her music teacher announced, motioning in her direction and smiling as Layal took to the stage with a deep breath.

Sat on the stool in front of the microphone, she adjusted her guitar until it was in the right position and began to play.

“I’ve never been one to step out of my comfort zone, whenever I try, I’m afraid to just let go. Don’t know why I run, don’t know why I hide, never let them know what I feel inside, don’t know why I’m scared, just to take a chance, while I’m standing here.

I’ve never been one to break free, ‘cause I’ve always cared what everyone thinks of me. Don’t know why I run, don’t know why I hide, never let them know what I feel inside, don’t know why I’m scared, just to take a chance, while I’m standing here.”

Her throat constricting, Layla searched for Steve and froze when her eyes locked with Danny’s. She had treated him horribly since finding out that he was alive and yet there he was as always, supporting her… just like he always had. Playing the final note of the instrumental, Layla closed her eyes as tears rolled down her cheeks and finished the song.

“Like a bird, I’m free to fly, spread my wings and find my light. Like a bird I’m up so high, out of the cage it’s my time to shine. Like a bird, I’m free to fly, so tell me, tell me… why don’t I?”

Everyone clapped as she fell silent and Layla stood up, taking a bow with a small smile. Her teacher soon announced a fifteen-minute break for judging and Layla put her guitar back in its case and went to find her brother.

It didn’t take her long to spot Danny talking to Steve, weaving her way through the crowd and running straight into his arms as he greeted her with a smile. The final threads of restraint snapped and she buried her face in his shoulder, allowing herself to break down with the knowledge that he would be there to pick her back up.

“Let’s go get some air,” Danny whispered, earning a small nod from Layla and leading her out the front doors of the school.

“I’m sorry,” Layla mumbled as she stepped back.

“It’s okay, I know how hard it was for you to get up on that stage tonight…”

“This isn’t about the talent show,” Layla said, “I’ve been horrible to you since I found out that you were alive… that’s what I’m sorry about.”

“Nobody blames you for that…”

“I blame me,” Layla argued, “Everything you do is for your family, you moved out here to be closer to Grace and you came back to New Jersey when I needed you the most. You and our ohana are the only reason that I am standing here in front of you, but I still treated you the way I did.”

“Lay…” Danny started, but Layla cut him off and continued speaking.

“Before you brought me here, I was planning on killing myself… I just couldn’t handle the pain and the guilt anymore,” Layla confessed as Steve joined them, “All of that disappeared once I realized that I had a place where I belonged, but then ma arrived, and everything that I felt in the weeks, months following what happened came rushing back. I don’t belong in New Jersey, I belong here with you and Steve where I feel safe.”

“Listen to me, I saw how broken you were in New Jersey and I know that you needed to get away which is why I brought you out here,” Danny added as he stepped towards her with tears in his eyes, “I knew that just like me, you would find strength in the people that surrounded you and showed you that they weren’t going to run away. I won’t let anyone take any of it away from you, Layla…”

Layla stepped forward, allowing Danny to hug her, and looked up as Steve wrapped his arms around them both. Someone soon cleared their throat behind them, drawing their attention to where Kono stood near the doors, and made their way back inside as she told them that the judges were ready.

Stood backstage, Layla anxiously waited to hear the results and soon joined the other participants on the stage.

“Everyone standing on this stage tonight is very talented and you should all be proud of yourselves, but, unfortunately, there can only be one winner,” her music teacher said, “So without further ado, the winner of this year's annual talent show is… Layla Williams.”

In shock, Layla accepted the envelope from her teacher with a smile and glanced up to see her ohana cheering. Sat in the back of Danny’s Camaro a while later, Layla joined in with the conversation going on in the car and jumped out to find Clara waiting on Steve’s doorstep. 

Chapter Text

As Danny made his way towards Clara, Layla moved to stand with Steve and looked up as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

“I expected Layla to be ready by now,” Clara commented as Danny reached her, “We have a plane to catch.”

“You have a plane to catch… Layla isn’t going with you,” Danny stated, “She’s doing really good here, ma, and allowing you to drag her back to New Jersey would undo everything we’ve accomplished; everything that she’s overcome by being in Hawaii.”

“This isn’t up for debate, Daniel,” Clara argued as the others arrived, climbing from their cars and gathering around Layla.

“Kono,” Danny said, glancing back over his shoulder, “Can you take Layla inside for me, please?”

“Of course,” Kono replied, “Come on, Lay, we can order the food, and you can show me that art project you’ve been working on.”

Reluctantly, Layla nodded and followed Kono inside with Adam. Although away from the situation, she couldn’t help wondering what was being said outside and settled on the distraction of choosing where they should order from.

***

Everyone was quiet until Layla disappeared inside, and Danny shifted his attention to his mom, waiting for her to speak.

“Why are you doing this, Daniel?” Clara inquired.

“I’m doing it because Layla is my sister, and she needs me,” Danny answered without hesitation, “She doesn’t want to go back to New Jersey, her life here is good, and we love her. Why is that not enough for you?”

“She belongs at home with her parents,” Clara argued, causing Danny to throw his hands up in frustration and pausing as his mom looked at Steve, “What’s your motive for wanting my daughter to stay here?”

“With all due respect, Mrs. Williams, I don’t have to entertain you with an answer, but I will…” Steve said, “When I first met Layla, she was this bright-eyed girl with the ability to make anyone smile by being herself, and I realized that she was exactly like Danny.”

“What does that have to do with why you want her to stay?”

“When Danny brought her back to stay with us for good, I hardly recognized her,” Steve continued as if Clara hadn’t spoken, “She was broken and traumatized beyond anything I’ve seen, but we helped her through. You may not believe me when I say this, but I love that kid as if she were my own blood, and I will die before I ever put her into a situation that could result in losing her.”

“You’re not going to like this, but for Layla’s sake, Steve and I have put in for guardianship,” Danny informed Clara, “I won’t let Layla go through that pain again and, despite your opinions on the environment, she’s found her place with us.”

“Fine,” Clara snapped, causing Danny to frown at how easily she’d given in and glancing over at Steve, who looked equally as confused, “If you want the responsibility of an unstable teenager, then go right ahead… you won’t be getting any support or money from us.”

Clara soon left, and Danny followed Steve inside, explaining what had happened. Everyone was thrilled at the news, but Danny couldn’t help being skeptical and decided to call his mom the next morning in an attempt to make her understand.

***

Layla was beyond relieved that she didn’t have to return to New Jersey, but she could see the uncertainty on Danny’s face, and that worried her. Sat out on the lanai after dinner, Layla focused on the drawing that she had started and looked up as Danny joined her.

“Wow, that’s amazing,” he praised, nudging her shoulder gently as he took a seat and offering her a warm smile, “You okay?”

“You don’t believe that mom’s truly accepted the fact that I’m not going back, do you?”

“Honestly, I don’t know what to think, we’ll just have to see what happens and deal with things as they come.”

“I got top marks for my last art assignment,” Layla stated after a long pause, wanting to change the subject and put a smile back on her brother’s face.

She didn’t know what her future held, or whether it would turn out the way she wanted, but she did know that she was lucky. She had found her place in Hawaii with people that loved her… found her place in a world that she had no desire to remain a part of, and, most importantly, she had found herself within the ruins of her mind.