Danny gave up pacing the floor of his tiny cell and slumped to the floor with his back to the metal bars. He didn't know how long he'd been there, but judging by how many times the sun had moved across the window on the opposite brick wall he guessed it was maybe a week.

With a sigh his thoughts wandered, and not for the first time that day it should be noted, to Steve. He hadn't seen his partner since their undercover op went horribly wrong just a few days into it and the drug smuggling gang they were trying to bust saw through their act. He didn't know how the fight started, but the next thing he knew he woke up behind those metal bars. And he was alone.

Danny didn't know where Steve was. All he knew was that he wished that they were together, then maybe he wouldn't be feeling quite so claustrophobic.

A week before they started their undercover op, a few too many beers had led to both men admitting their feelings, and then before Danny knew what was happening he was squeezing Steve's ass as the man crawled into his lap. They'd kissed - oh Danny enjoyed that - several times, and there had been a couple of amazing hand jobs.

Unfortunately they were so busy at work getting things ready for the undercover op that they had to make do with stealing kisses in their offices while the rest of their team was preoccupied. Steve didn't like it; every time they had to go home all he wanted to do was bring Danny back with him. But they needed all the sleep they could get, and both men knew that if they shared Steve's bed the last thing they'd do in it would be sleep.

Both Danny and Steve agreed to keep their newly developed relationship to themselves, at least until they were ready to go public. They hadn't even told Grace.

A small smirk spread over Danny's lips as he thought that if Steve was here, he'd be tearing him a new one about how of course it was Steve's fault they got busted, he was a cop and had gone undercover in a drugs gang back in New Jersey and hello? Didn't get busted. Then Danny would have to listen to Steve argue that they had nothing on some of his SEAL ops, before both men would agree that they were both at fault (but Danny knew deep down who was really to blame).

And if Steve was there with him, maybe he would have prevented him from lashing out at one of Santino's goons that had come to interrogate him. As soon as he opened the cell door Danny launched at him, but was quickly subdued.

He refused to give up Five-0 or any information about their case, though. No matter how much they interrogated him.

Some time later Santino and the same guy from before barged through the door to his room, dragging a resisting Steve with them. His hands were bound behind his back and a sack was tied around his head. He was missing his shirt, his trousers were dirty and had small holes in them.

"If you won't talk... we'll have a little fun with your friend, here." Santino said, dragging the fingernails of a dirty hand across Steve's bare chest and then down to his abdomen. Danny's stomach plummeted.

He prayed that his instinct was wrong. But then the hand carried on going further south, until his hand had reached Steve's crotch and squeezed tightly, causing Steve to moan in pain.

"It looked like he enjoyed it last time, if that mess he left was anything to go by."

Danny felt a tear slip down his stubbled cheek and he couldn't tear his eyes off of Steve's bloody and dirty body. Danny hadn't seen him at all in that week, but unknowingly he had heard him the other night. He thought the sound he heard was that of someone screaming, but didn't realise it was his partner.

Suddenly Steve was forced onto his knees by both men, and Danny winced at the muffle groan his partner gave out.

"Oh, and if you move or make a sound, we won't hesitate to shoot both of you." Santino said, motioning to the gunmen behind him that were pointing their weapons at Danny and Steve.

Danny was helpless behind the bars of his cage to stop the man as he shoved Steve forward onto the concrete and pulled down his dirty cargo pants, ignoring the struggling man's protests beneath him. The breath caught in Danny's throat as his worst fear was confirmed at the small trail of dried blood he could see that coated the inside of one of Steve's thighs before it was obscured as the Santino kneeled in between his legs after forcing them as open as his bunched up pants would allow.

Danny made to shout and grabbed at the steel bars in front of him but saw the henchman closest to him took a step towards him and barked an order to stay still, his gun pointed directly at Danny's chest.

"Remember, one word…" He said gruffly.

Begrudgingly he closed his mouth, but still clung to the bars, his knuckles white at what was now happening in front of him.

Santino spat on his hand before covering his cock in the makeshift lubricant and lining himself up. Steve was defiant until the end, and was wriggling and struggling against his captor's grip until the man suddenly rammed his cock all the way into Steve's hole.

Danny couldn't stop the tears escaping from behind his clamped eyelids at Steve's anguished cry, only slightly muffled by what Danny guessed what a gag in his mouth. His forehead knocked against the bars as he prayed for a miracle, something, anything that would save Steve from this torture.

All Danny could hear was Steve's moans and whimpers, the sounds echoing in his head. Until a voice cut through.

"Damn, your ass isn't as tight as it was yesterday! My boys must have stretched you good."

Danny had to bite his lip hard enough to draw blood to prevent himself from screaming and doing something ridiculously stupid. Steve's sobs grew louder after that comment, which only seemed to make Santino drive into him faster.

Because Danny couldn't bear to watch what was happening right in front of him, he couldn't see how the veins were standing out on Steve's neck, or the way his body was rocked back and forth with each thrust of the grunting man behind him.

So he didn't know what was happening when the door to their room was slammed open. He thought the loud bang was a trick, conjured up by his brain.

But then there was lots more noise, and at the shout of "Freeze, Five-0!" Danny's eyes opened with a start.

The sight of his team bursting through the door was one that Danny would remember for a long time.

Oh, thank God… He rested his forehead against the bars, relief coursing through his body and he couldn't help but slide to his knees.

Steve's anguished cry of pain drew Danny's attention back to their situation, and he looked up to see Santino being harshly dragged off - and therefore out of - Steve by Chin. He wasted no time in slapping a pair of cuffs on him, not bothering to check if they were too tight, and shoving him in the direction of a waiting HPD officer. Kono made short work of the lock on his cage, and Danny hastily scrambled to Steve's side.

He flinched when Danny's shaking hands brushed the skin of his back, causing the blonde to quickly pause to give him a moment, before he pulled Steve's cargo pants up. He'd been through enough; the last thing Steve probably wanted was to have his ass out for the world to see. And if he was honest, the sight of the evidence of his previous assaults dried between Steve's thighs was making him feel sick.

Fresh tears fell down his face when he removed the sack and gag and Steve's eyes finally met his. Danny saw the black eye and various cuts and bruises on his face and felt his rage rising, but forced it down as he knelt down on the floor next to Steve's head.

"I'm sorry, babe," Danny choked out as he untied the ropes around Steve's wrists and gently rubbed them after bringing them back in front of him. "I'm so sorry."

"Danny…" Steve latched onto Danny's hand. "Please don't let go."

Danny swallowed past the lump in his throat as he begrudgingly lowered himself onto the floor next to Steve, his hand still in a death grip. "I won't, babe, I promise. Hey," Danny licked his lips as he realised that Chin and Kono was waiting for them, and glancing around he was surprised at the speed in which everyone else had been evacuated out of the room. He hadn't noticed, but then again all of his attention was on Steve. "We need to go now, buddy. Get you checked out at the hospital."

Steve stared at him with wide eyes. He opened his mouth but couldn't get the words to come out. Frustrated, he hid his head in their joined hands, until he felt a gentle pressure on the open side of his face and looked down to see Danny brushing a stray tear away from his cheek.

Danny was grateful for their ability to communicate with just their eyes and facial expressions, and hoped that he wasn't screwing this up.

I'm scared, Danno.

I know. Don't worry; I'm not going anywhere.

Steve's legs were wobbly and he stumbled several times as Danny helped him stand before they finally made their way out of the run-down building. Chin and Kono made to help support his weight but Steve shied away from them, choosing instead to cling even tighter to Danny. Steve probably didn't mean to do it, Danny knew that Steve knew that it was over now and that he was with friends. But after what he'd been through, Danny figured he had every right to be on edge.

And Danny definitely didn't miss the wince as he lowered Steve into the backseat of Chin's Mustang before scooting in beside him. Thankfully the ride to the hospital didn't take long, every bump they went over Steve moaned and clamped his hand down on Danny's thigh. Danny winced but kept his mouth shut; it hurt like hell but nothing like how Steve must be feeling.

"Do you need me to come in with you guys, or just wait out here?" Chin asked as he watched Danny struggle to get Steve out of the car. Danny cast a glance at Steve, but one look at his downcast face gave him the answer.

"Thanks Chin, but I think we'll be okay inside." Danny said, before walking Steve into the emergency room. He'd rung them in the car and warned someone of their arrival, and was grateful for the all clear to go right into a private room.

Danny kept his eyes fixed on Steve as the doctor looked him over on the examination table, confirming that a few of his ribs were indeed cracked and he was very dehydrated. Steve kept his wary gaze fixed on the needle in his arm as he had some blood drawn for tests, and Danny had a nasty feeling that it wasn't the first needle to go into Steve's skin over the past few days.

His suspicion was confirmed when the results came back that showed that Steve had indeed been drugged while they'd been held prisoner. Danny saw the cringe on Steve's face when the doctor made that announcement, and squeezed his hand tightly.

"Hey, it's okay." Steve raised his head and gave him a doubtful look. "It will be. I promise."

Steve's mouth twitched into a faint smile, his grip on Danny's hand even stronger.

"I'm sorry, Commander… but I need you to lie on your side now so I can examine inside." The doctor said as he snapped on a pair of latex gloves.

Please, Danno... Steve looked pleadingly at Danny as he reluctantly did as he was told.

I'm not going anywhere, babe. Danny pulled up a stool and sat by Steve's head, taking his trembling hand once again.

"Grace got an A in that biology project you helped her with last week, by the way." Danny said, choosing the one topic that stood any chance of distracting him. "Her teacher loved all those facts about the different species of sharks. Of course, she didn't tell him that most of them came from you. Her favourite was the-"

Steve focused his sight on Danny and their joined hands, taking comfort in the quiet soothing words Danny was whispering in his ear. Steve let Danny's talk on Grace drown out what the doctor was doing to his most intimate area. Every time he winced and screwed his face up as the doctor touched a particularly sore spot, Danny would press kisses into his hair and rub a thumb over his knuckles.

"Okay, I'm all done now." The doctor said as he covered Steve's lower half with a blanket. "There's some tearing inside, but nothing life threatening; if you start bleeding more than the spotting now then come straight back here, because I'm sure I'd be wasting my breath if I told you to stay here overnight for observations."

Steve's slight nod was the only indication that he was even listening. Danny on the other hand, was paying attention and listened intently to every word the doctor said, taking mental notes on what the doctor was saying about sleeping positions that could help, homely remedies for the bruises, and the warning signs about the bleeding.

Steve didn't even protest when a wheelchair was rolled up to the table, and with Danny's help he gingerly lowered himself into it after gingerly putting his clothes back on. Danny picked up his medication and thanked the doctor before pushing Steve back out of the room and towards where Chin was waiting for them.

"Are you alright, babe?" Danny asked quietly as they approached the Mustang. He felt a pang in his chest at Steve's defeated sigh as he hung his head, hands clutching his pants legs so tight his knuckles were turning white.

Danny nodded, mentally berating himself for asking such a stupid question. "I'm sorry. That was dumb."

Chin raised his eyebrows when they arrived at his car, but Danny shook his head to avoid any discussion as they got in the car and headed back to Steve's house.