Danny pressed his foot down on the accelerator, anger coursing through his body as the Camaro picked up speed, flashing like a bullet through the rain slicked roads. The harsh downpour pounded against his windshield, the wipers doing nothing to clear his view. The sound of the rain beating against the car roared through his ears, but not enough to block out the fight that replayed in his head. The brutal words from who he thought was his friend echoed in his brain. The truth hurts is what they say right? Well in the case the truth was like a kick to the groin, leaving Danny sick to his stomach at first then seething with anger.

30 minutes earlier

"I don't need some haole cop telling me how to do my job" Steve spit through clenched teeth as he stormed into the bullpen of HQ.

"Is that right?" Danny was hot on his heels, he was not letting this go.

"I'm a goddamn SEAL Danny, and your superior..." Steve spun around and loomed over Danny.

"Yeah?" Danny's arms were crossed defensively across his chest. He found it almost amusing that Steve thought he could intimidate him. Steve may have a foot on him but he was never one to back down from a fight, especially when he was right. Steve of all people should know that by now.

"...and i'm gettin' sick and tired of you raggin' on me for every decision I make regarding MY team and MY cases"

Steve wasn't in the mood for an argument. His leg throbbed and his worry for his team had his blood pressure so high he swore he could go into cardiac arrest at any moment. He wished Danny would just back off before he said or did something he would regret.

"YOUR cases?"

"Yeah MY cases or have you forgotten that the Governor put me in charge? You don't like the way I run things then maybe you should go, transfer back to HPD, maybe they'll put up with your shit" Steve spit out, arm waving toward the door before he turned and continued to his office. Danny followed closely.

"MY shit?" Danny pointed to himself incredulously."Let's not forget that you're the one that fucked up here, you!"

Steve breathed heavy, eyes focused on the accusing finger directed at him. He clenched his teeth as Danny continued.

"This is not the 'STAN' okay, we are not on the front lines of battle where we need to storm headfirst into a fuckin' combat zone. It's Hawaii for christ's sake, 90% of the time we have the luxury of assessing a situation and coming up with a plan of attack that keeps everyone, including you, oh fearless fuckin' leader, alive. But no, as usual your blatant disregard for anyones safety almost got us all killed, again!"

"Fuck you Danny"

"Fuck me, yeah you're right...fuck me. Fuck me because I actually give a shit about Kono bleeding in the ER right now getting stitches for a bullet graze to her fucking head!"

"Go to hell Danny, you think I don't care?"

"Yeah Steve, that's exactly what I think. I think for you in any case the end always justifies the means!"

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"You know exactly what it means"

"No, you know what, go to hell Danny...I care, I would have taken that bullet for her in a heartbeat"

Danny shook his head a laughed tiredly.

"You don't get it, you'll never get it. Is that supposed to make it okay? You taking a bullet to the head is better than Kono, or Chin? Why does anyone have to take a bullet?"

"Sometimes..."

"Sometimes what? Sometimes shit happens? Yeah you're right it does. But today? No. Today was all you. Today could have been prevented if you would have just listened to me for the millionth time."

"Listen to you? Who the hell are you? Some smart ass detective who thinks he knows everything because he has 87 homicide cases under his belt? Let me tell you something detective, I have led grown men into and safely out of the kinds of battles that in your lifetime you will only ever get to experience by watching them in some shit movie. I know more than you ever will about strategic ops and 'getting my guy' as you put it."

"You are a God among men. Is that what you want to hear? Is that what gets your sail rising in the morning COMMANDER?"

"I want to hear that you're going to quit bitching at me about every single move I make and accept that I am more than capable of leading this team."

"Says the man with the stab wound to his leg, and two members of his team in the ER."

"Chin is fine"

"Chin is fine? Did you miss the tire crow bar he got to the back of his head? Oh wait, I forgot, if he's walking and talking then he's fine right? Unbelievable"

"They're alive, we're all alive"

"Well then that just makes everything okay. Way to downplay your friends' pain. What is wrong with you? I mean do you genuinely not give a flying fuck about people you're supposed to care about getting injured or is this like a defense mechanism so you don't feel guilty or God forbid feel anything at all?"

"I don't owe you any explanation about how I run this team or how much I care. I have fucking had it with your holier than thou attitude like you don't make mistakes"

"You should know right? You are the king of them"

"Yeah I do actually. I know a lot about mistakes because the biggest one I've ever made is standing right in front of me"

Steve knew he had gone too far the instant the words left his mouth. Hurt flashed through Danny's eyes. Steve's instincts screamed at him to take it back, apologize before Danny could react, but he was still to heated to pay attention to his gut. He watched the emotions run over his partners face until he recognized the anger once again.

"Well the good news Commander, is that mistakes can always be rectified. You'll have my transfer papers by the morning. Maybe you'll get lucky and your next partner won't give a shit if you get yourself killed."

Steve stood frozen as Danny stormed out.

Present

Somewhere, deep in the back of Danny's mind, he knew that Steve had not meant what he said. That they had pushed one another to a point where they wanted their words to hurt. But he had said it. At first Danny felt something throb painfully in his chest. He knew he was a nag. He knew he ragged on Steve all the time about proper procedure and back up and all that crap. He thought that Steve knew it came from a good place, a place where he would die if anything happened to his friends. He thought that Steve understood that he wasn't mocking his inexperience at being a cop but showing him that people, namely the four members of Five-0, could stay safe while doing their job.

Soon the hurt that Steve's words caused turned to anger. Fuck him. Danny may not be a SEAL but he was damn good at his job. Fuck Steve for thinking he was better than him because he could hold his breath underwater for 5 minutes or because he knew 10 ways to kill a man with a Goddamn ballpoint pen. He resisted every urge to turn the car around, go back to HQ and put his fist through Steve's face. Red, that's all Danny could see. Kono could be dead right now, the bullet to the brain would have killed her instantly. It was dumb luck that it missed by a measly centimeter. Fuck him. Why didn't he seem to care about that? Or Chin, had Danny not been nearby when that guy got him with the crow bar Chin surely would have had his skull bashed in. He could have been a vegetable right now instead of nursing a concussion. Yeah, he is thankful as all fuck that they are alive,but they are still hurt. And fucking Steve, that blade could have hit an artery, he could have bled out before the medics even got there. He hated, more than anything, to see people he loved hurt. He can't help but think of what could have been. Fuck Steve for not realizing that. And fuck him for thinking that having Danny as a partner was a mistake.

Tears clouded Danny's vision. He banged his fist on the steering wheel, angry at himself for being upset. Suddenly bright headlights blinded him through the darkness. With the rain, his tears and the lights he can't tell if the car is coming straight at him or if it's safely on the other side of the road. Instinctively he turns the wheel sharply to the right. Before he knows what's happening the bright lights are gone and the Camaro is spinning wildly out of control, hyrdoplaning across the road. The first thing he hits is something solid, unmovable, the side of the mountain perhaps. Danny's body jerks violently to the right then the left smashing against the drivers door, metal crunching against his side and his head cracking the window. He knew instantaneously that his fastened seatbelt would do little to protect him from the final impact that was to come. The car all but bounced off the rocks and continued hydroplaning until Danny felt the guardrail give easily under the force of the car, lurching him forward, the seatbelt cutting into his chest. Then he was flying, well the car was, through the air, right side of the car facing out.

Everything seemed to move in slow motion in those few moments while the car was airborne. He almost laughed when visions flashed before his eyes. It was such a damn cliche about life flashing before your eyes when you're about to die but it was apparently true. His family, Rachel, Grace, Kono, Chin and Steve. It was like a silent movie, but Grace was the star. Her bright smile brought him a moment of peace and clarity until it was violently ripped away.

The airbags finally deployed as the right side of the Camaro crushed itself against the ground. Danny would have felt some relief except the car quickly flipped on it's side, rolling down this damn cliff like him and Matty used to do down the hill near his house when they were kids. The sound of crunching metal and glass rang in his ears. Each time his side of the car crashed against the ground he felt pain flare through his body. Just when he was sure he would be crushed to death the car came to a stop, bouncing as it miraculously landed right side up. The only thought Danny had before his whole world went dark was that he would never get to tell Grace again that Danno loves her.

Steve was so angry with himself. He always accused Danny of being the hothead, well he proved tonight that he was not the only one. Truth be told Steve had already been feeling guilty. He knew that todays mission had been an epic fail on his part. His team was injured and nobody knew how heavily that weighed on Steve's soul. When Danny accused him of not caring he just snapped. It pissed him off that Danny would think that he was unaffected by it. Just the thought of where that bullet could have hit Kono tore through his gut. And Chin, he was an old pro at this. Steve wasn't trying to downplay his injury but by telling himself that Chin was fine, with just a concussion, eased his guilt. Then there was Danny, he knew Danny was hiding an injury. Maybe not hiding it necessarily but he knew Danny was so focussed on everyone else that he put himself on the back burner. But he had seen him wince when he moved too abruptly. He had taken a bullet to the vest and Steve knew his ribs had to be bruised.

Fuck. He couldn't believe he had lost his temper like that. He had said some brutal things but he knew the final nail in the coffin was telling Danny he regretted making him his partner. Nothing could be further from the truth. The reality of the situation was that he couldn't do any of this without Danny, he had become the single most important person in his life. He counted on Danny to ground him sometimes, even if it did piss him off. It went beyond Five-0. Danny was his friend. He couldn't lose that.

This hadn't been their first fight and it sure as hell wouldn't be their last, not if Steve could help it. He decided he would check on Kono and Chin at the hospital then head over to Danny's. He would give Danny a little while to calm down, giving himself a chance to gather his thoughts as well. Fixing this thing between them couldn't wait until tomorrow, he had to make this right tonight before Danny followed through and request a transfer. Grabbing his keys he headed out the door.

The ER was crowded, hell when was the ER not crowded, but Steve didn't expect to find Kono and Chin still waiting to be attended to. They had bypassed the general waiting area but were still waiting in the back. Kono sat cross legged on a gurney while Chin occupied a chair net to her.

"Hey Boss, how's the leg?" Kono sounded genuinely concerned, which made Steve's stomach turn. He sat in the unoccupied chair on the other side of the gurney.

"I'm good Kono, no worries...how's your head?" He glanced at the gauze covering a spot above her right temple just at her hairline.

"Eh, I'm good. Probably a few stitches which means I'll have a kick ass scar!"

Steve had to laugh at her enthusiasm. She was the only person he knew who would be excited about a visible scar. He nodded towards Chin who didn't seem as amused with her joke.

"What about you? They check you yet?"

"Not yet"

"You dizzy? Double vision? Nauseous?"

"Relax brah, they already asked me all that. Im good, just waiting to go for a CAT scan"

Chin smiled one of his zen like smiles that calmed Steve's nerves some. He glanced at Kono who was focused on something above their heads. Following her gaze his eyes landed on the tv screen. He noticed it was the news and read the scroll at the bottom of the screen.

"Emergency workers race to rescue man from gruesome crash"

Steve couldn't hear what the newscasters are saying but judging from the number of emergency vehicles on the scene it must be a bad accident.

"Man I don't see how anyone could survive that" Kono whispered, looking sympathetically at the tv.

"Car went off the cliff, if the jaws of life aren't getting him out then I don't see how he did" Chin offered realistically.

"Puts things in perspective huh boss?" Steve pulled his eyes from the screen to raise questioning eyebrows at her.

"I mean, our little scratches kinda pale in comparison to what this poor guy is going through" She nods meaningfully at the screen. "Get what I'm saying here?"

"Should I?" Steve questioned, not quite following.

Kono sighed. "I'm saying quit it with the guilt trip. We're fine! We got all ten fingers and toes, we know what year it is and who the president is. We're good, so stop cuz I can feel the guilt radiating off of you"

Steve swallowed hard, now he felt even more guilty. He leaned forward resting his elbows on his knees.

"I get what you're saying Kono but I..."

"No buts, please. Look, I know Danny lays this massive guilt crap on you, as I'm sure he did tonight, but you know he's not trying to make you feel bad."

"No? Then what's it for?"

"He worries Steve..." Chin piped in. "...he worries about all of us. Maybe it's the father in him, who knows, but it's concern. Especially for you. It's his way of trying to make you see that none of us are indestructible."

"C'mon boss, he knows the hazards of the job, he just doesn't want to see any of us hurt if it can be avoided."

Steve sat back and looked carefully at his friends. They were right, he knew it.

"You should go talk to him" Kono urged.

"How did you know we..."

"Please, you're here and he's not, which means you got into it and one of you went a little too far and I'm gonna assume it was you cuz you got that whole 'foot in mouth' face goin' on"

"What is with you people and naming my faces?"

Kono laughed.

"Just go talk to him"

"I will, I just want to make sure you guys are checked out first..I promise" Steve smiled and made a point of crossing his heart to make it more believable.

A short while later Chin had finally been taken for his CAT scan and Kono was getting stitched up. Steve had even allowed a PA to check the field dressing he had applied to his leg and decided it was good enough to just get him some antibiotics and painkillers for the road.

Suddenly the room started buzzing with activity. Nurses ran from one side to the other preparing a triage area when a call had come in. Apparently, from what Steve could overhear, they had extricated that man on the news from his car and he was being brought here. He recognized some of the medical jargon they were using and it sounded bad.

Doctors and nurses ran past the area where Steve and Kono were to the doors at the ambulance bay that would be bringing in the man. Meanwhile nurses continued moving machines to the large area where they would be treating him. Soon they could hear the sirens getting closer. The whole ER became eerily quite as all the workers stilled and waited. The sirens stopped and now Steve could see the flash of the lights through the doors as the team of physicians barged through wheeling a gurney. One of the EMT's straddled the man's body, doing chest compressions as his partner shouted out what they had found on scene and what had already been done.

Steve caught a flash of blond hair, matted with blood, and felt his stomach flip.

"Male, early 30's, MVA, crashed en route, shocked twice..."

That's all Steve heard before the gurney was wheeled past him and his entire world turned upside down. Kono's hand shot to Steve's shoulder as she gave a strangled gasp.

The man on the gurney was a wreck, blood and bruises covered the left side of his face, a tube protruded from his slack mouth, a cervical collar wrapped around his neck and blond hair wet with rain and blood pushed it down over his ears. But there was no mistaking who the man was lying lifeless before their eyes.

"Danny" Steve whispered in disbelief. His body involuntarily followed. He felt like he couldn't breathe as he watched the medic jump from atop his friend and the doctors rushed to hook Danny up to all kinds of machines, paddles were placed swiftly on his bare chest.

"Clear!"

Steve felt his own body jerk as Danny's jumped on the bed and fell lifeless once again. This wasn't happening, it couldn't be fucking happening. Danny was home, pissed off beyond belief with Steve, but he was home, safe and sound in his shithole of an apartment. How the fuck did this happen?

The sound of a steady ringing told Steve that his friend was still flatlined and he watched helplessly as they shocked him again. This time he felt Kono squeezing his arm, her breath hitching behind him, but he couldn't tear his eyes away from Danny. His heart pounded furiously in his chest waiting, for any sign that Danny was alive, that he hadn't left him yet.

"Clear"

Steve knew this may be one of the final attempts made at starting Danny's heart again, he held his breath and prayed. Finally, finally after what seemed like forever, there was a steady beeping and the doctors began moving in a flurry around him. The one in charge called out orders. They couldn't move fast enough. The tube was immediately hooked up to a respirator. Someone else began wiping the blood from his face to see how bad the laceration was. Another nurse hooked up an IV. The doctor was feeling around his ribs. Steve was trying to keep up with what they were all doing and saying but the blood rushing in his own ears prevented him from focusing completely.

Before he knew what was happening Danny was being wheeled away again.

"Wait, where's he going?"

"Sir, you need to move"

"Stop, Five-0..." He pulled his badge and with a shaking hand flashed it to the doctor "...his name is Danny Williams and he's my partner. Please, what's happening?"

"We need to run some tests to know the full extent of his injuries, which I can tell you off the bat are severe. Right now what we do know is that his lung has collapsed and he has internal bleeding, we have to get him up to surgery"

Steve swallowed hard. He knew he should be asking more questions but his brain was not functioning properly.

"Is he gonna be alright?" Bless Kono and her little heart. Her voice shook with fear but at least she had the courage to ask the question that Steve couldn't.

"I can't say, we won't know until we get in there how bad the damage is. Go on up to the 4th floor and inform the nurses who you're there for. They'll keep you posted. I'm sorry but we have to go"

He couldn't move, couldn't breathe. His eyes followed Danny's broken body until it was out of his line of sight, then he stared at nothing. His heart pounded relentlessly in his chest. He ran a shaking hand through his hair, eyes darting to Kono who seemed equally as shocked. Neither of them said a word.

"Hey guys, I got the all clear. Let's get the hell ou..." Chin stopped speaking as two pairs of shellshocked eyes turned to him.

"Uh oh, what'd I miss?"