A/N: Thank you everyone for the wonderful response to my story. I hope you all enjoy the final chapter.

Chapter 2

"No. No, No!" Steve moved to Danny and felt for a pulse. It was there, but weak. With his other hand he pushed Danny's hair aside to see the bullet wound. To his relieve he found a graze along the side of Danny's head just above his left ear, and no entry point.

"Chin. Kono. Where are you?" he yelled. "I need EMS in here now." It took longer for help to get to them than he'd thought it would. Danny was right, as usual. Their backup was too far away.

"Steve we're here. EMS is right behind us." Kono rushed up to the edge of the pit. "Oh my god! Danny."

"He's alive, Kono. The bullet didn't enter his head but he needs help now." He lifted Danny in his arms and placed him up onto the garage floor. Still standing in the pit, Steve cradled Danny's head against his shoulder and using the cloth Kono handed him, applied pressure to the wound. "Come on Danny, stay with me," he said softly.

The EMTs took one look at Danny's head injury, loaded him on a stretcher, and ran to the ambulance. "We'll stabilize him on the way. He needs to be at the hospital now. That wound is going to cause pressure on his brain, which could kill him."

"I'm coming with you." Steve ran to the ambulance.

"No. I need room to work. You follow us." The doors were slammed before Steve could protest, and the ambulance was gone.

"Chin, take over here. I'll be at the hospital. This is my fault," Steve yelled back as he ran to the Camaro.

Even with the siren, Steve was a long way behind the ambulance. He ran through the doors of the ER just as Danny was wheeled back where he knew the staff would not allow him to follow. That didn't stop him from trying though, but his way was blocked by a nurse who put a hand on his arm.

"Commander you will have to wait out here. Someone will be out to talk to you soon."

Steve walked over and sat facing the door behind which he knew his partner was fighting for his life. He was still sitting there an hour later when Chin and Kono walked in.

"Any news?" Kono asked.

"No," Steve answered. He'd been sitting there berating himself for letting Danny go with him. It was his fault that Danny was hurt. They had played their parts too well. Chung had believed that Steve hated Danny and that Danny believed Steve was dirty. He should have foreseen something like this happening and kept Danny away.

"Stop blaming yourself for this, Steve," Chin said. "There was no way Danny would have let you go in there alone."

"Yeah boss. He was not going to let you out of the truck until you agreed to take him with you," Kono added.

Before Steve could reply a doctor in scrubs walk through the doors and looked around. "Family of Danny Williams?"

"Here," Steve rose to his feet.

"Come with me," the doctor indicated a small room off to the side. Steve looked around and realized that there were a number of HPD officers also in the waiting room. He'd been so focused on thinking about how he could have done things differently, that he hadn't noticed any of them come in.

Chin and Kono followed Steve and the doctor into the room and closed the door.

"Detective Williams is a very lucky man," taking a seat in one of the chairs, the doctor continued, "if that bullet had been a fraction to the left he would be dead. As it was, we had to drill a small hole in his skull to relieve the pressure that was building in his brain. Baring any complications, he should make a full recovery. Although we can't tell if there's any brain damage or memory loss until he wakes up."

Steve sank into a chair but couldn't find his voice to say anything. He'd spent the last hour thinking that Danny was going to die because of him. Now he wasn't able to process that Danny would make it through but may not be the same person he was.

"Thank you." Chin said when he realized Steve was not going to respond. "Doctor?"

"Fielding. We'll be moving Detective Williams into a private room shortly and you can see him then. I'll have someone fetch you when he's settled."

As Doctor Fielding got up to leave, Steve found his voice. "What about his shoulder?"

"It wasn't fractured, but is very badly bruised. He won't be able to use his left arm for a while. There are no apparent internal injuries from the beating he took either." With that, the doctor left.

"Steve, stay in here. Kono, you stay with him," Chin stood. "I'll go update the officers waiting outside. Then I'm calling the governor and updating him. I'm also calling off this charade that you and Danny have been playing. It's just going to get one of you killed and it's not worth it."

Steve said nothing. He was still thinking about the doctor's last words. The beating Danny had taken was mostly at Steve's hand. If internal injuries were present, he would be to blame for that too.

As Chin left, Steve pieced together what he'd said and he knew Chin was right. They'd been lucky so far, but now Danny had almost been killed. It was past time to put an end to their undercover op.

Kono moved to sit by Steve. "He'll be alright Steve. He's tough."

"What if he doesn't remember anything, or worse, has brain damage." Steve ran a hand through his hair. "I'm not sure I can handle that. This is my fault. I dragged Danny into this whole thing."

"No, Steve. Chung did this to Danny. Blame him. Have you called Rachel yet?"

Steve shook his head.

"Then I'd better call her now that we know how Danny is," Kono pulled out her phone and moved away to stand by the window. After talking quietly for a few minutes she came back to Steve. "They're on the big island and wouldn't be able to get back until tomorrow."

Chin was back before anyone came to take them to Danny's room. When the nurse came in, all three team members followed her silently.

Danny looked pale and his head was wrapped in a bandage with a small drainage tube running out and down under the bed. He was hooked up to an IV, oxygen and a heart monitor. The oxygen mask made it hard to see his face clearly, but Steve could see the bruising caused by the punches he'd thrown. He couldn't help wondering how badly Danny's body was bruised from the hits to the stomach he'd taken from Chung and Steve himself.

Steve pulled up a chair and placed his hand over Danny's. He saw Chin and Kono walk up to the bed and they both reached out to touch Danny. Kono walked past Steve and placed her hand on Danny's shoulder. Chin had gone to the other side and placed his hand on Danny's leg. They didn't say anything. They didn't need to. They just needed to touch him. To know he was alright.

None of them had moved when the nurse came in a few minutes later and told them they'd have to leave.

"I'll see you later, brah," Chin was the first to move as he patted Danny's leg and left.

"I'll come by tomorrow," Kono lightly kissed Danny's cheek.

Steve adjusted the chair to a more comfortable position, never letting go of Danny's hand.

"I'll be staying," he told the nurse. "If you have a problem with that, get the doctor in here and I'll clear it with him."

"No, it's alright. You can stay," the nurse replied. "Doctor Fielding already spoke to the governor, who asked that we make an exception for you in this case. Doctor Fielding agreed." With that she left.

It was hours later when Steve was jerked awake by the hand beneath his suddenly moving. He gripped it tighter and looked up to see Danny looking at him with bewilderment in his eyes.

"Hey Danny, you're in the hospital." Steve pushed the call button, Danny still looking at him without any sign of recognition.

"Do I know you?" he asked in a low voice.

Steve felt as if his heart actually stopped for a second. Danny didn't remember him. Before Steve could answer, the nurse bustled in and started checking vital signs. Doctor Fielding came in right behind the nurse and asked Steve to leave for a few minutes while he checked the patient.

Steve waited impatiently out in the hall. This had to be temporary. Danny had to remember him. Oh God. What if he forgot Grace?

It wasn't long before the doctor came out.

"Detective Williams seems to be experiencing some memory loss, but I can detect no brain damage. I'm hoping the memory loss will only be temporary. You can go back in and sit with him. Talk to him about his life and what happened to him if you want, but I gave him a sedative so he will be asleep soon. He may remember more when he wakes again."

"Thanks," Steve pushed back into the room.

The nurse had just finished with Danny and passed Steve as he headed back to the chair by the bed. Danny was still awake and looking at Steve.

"I know that I should know you, but I don't. I feel like I'm mad at you for doing something, but I don't know what."

"Yeah. You'll be mad at me when you remember. Now get some more sleep. I'll be here when you wake up."

"Okay," Danny settled more comfortably in the bed and closed his eyes.

Chin and Kono came back early the next morning.

"Have you eaten anything since this happened?" Kono asked.

"No, and I'm not leaving."

"I brought you food, I figured you wouldn't have eaten."

"Thanks," Steve took the bag she held out to him. After eating he used the bathroom to freshen up and change into the clothes Chin had swung by and picked up. He still had Danny's blood on his shirt and it felt good to change. Then he settled back waiting for Danny to wake up again.

Chin and Kono had just left to go pick up lunch when Danny woke the next time. He came awake suddenly and clutched at Steve's hand that was still resting over his.

"Steve? Are you alright?" It was apparent to Steve that Danny had remembered.

"Yeah, I'm not the one in the hospital bed."

"You're an idiot, you know that. You almost got me killed, again, with one of your harebrained schemes."

"I know." Steve remembered Danny's words from their first case together, 'If you get somebody shot, you apologize.' "I'm sorry Danny."

Danny didn't say anything for a few minutes, just looked at Steve.

"Did we get Chung?"

"Yeah, we got him not only for drug dealing but for the attempted murder of a police officer, namely, you."

Before Danny could reply, Doctor Fielding came in.

"I see you're awake again Detective Williams. Do you remember anything yet?"

"Yes, I remember it all. This idiot tried to get himself killed and thought it would be fun to take me along with him. How long before I can get out of here?"

"Well, you'll need help for a while. If you continue to recover, and the help is available, I'll release you in a couple of days."

"He'll be staying with me. I'll look after him. As he says, it's my fault he's here in the first place."

"I can look after myself." Danny pouted.

"No you can't," Steve and Doctor Fielding said at the same time.

"I'll leave you two to work it out," the doctor smiled and left.

"Please Danny, stay with me. I need to make this up to you. I know I should've listened." Steve realized just how much he needed Danny to forgive him.

"Yes, because of you I'm hurt again, Steven." Then Danny smiled, "Okay, I'll stay with you. I can think of all kinds of ways you can make this up to me."

"Thanks, Danny," Steve sighed in relief.

Danny settled back and looked sleepily at Steve.

"Oh and Steve?"

"Yeah Danny?"

"Apology accepted"

The End