A/N: Again, thank you for all the reviews, they make the time and research it takes to write stories so worthwhile. This is it, the last chapter. Enjoy.

Chapter Fifteen

It was a couple of more hours before Danny showed signs of waking. The ever vigilant SEAL saw the first signs and was instantly on his feet leaning over his partner, Danny's left hand still held in his own. Steve's right hand rested on Danny's forehead as he spoke.

"Hey, Danny, 'bout time you woke up, buddy."

Danny groaned and his heart rate increased, evidenced by the beeps from the monitor. Slowly a pair of cloudy blue eyes opened and focused on Steve. The swelling around Danny's left eye had subsided during the night, but there were now a mass of black and blue bruises on that side of his face.

"Hey, welcome back, Danny." Steve smiled down at his partner relieved when he saw recognition flare.

"St… eve?" Danny licked his lips and tried again. "Not a dream?"

Steve reached over and spooned a couple of ice chips from a cup next to Danny's bed.

"Here," Danny allowed the chips to be put into his mouth. "You dreaming about me now, partner?" Steve smiled.

"Not your partner, last I recall," Danny sighed as he closed his eyes.

"Hey. Look at me." Steve put his hand back on Danny's forehead and waited.

Finally Danny's eyes opened and he looked up at Steve.

"You're my partner, Danny. I'm sorry, about everything. We need to talk, but not until you're out of the ICU. Okay?"

Danny nodded, but said nothing. His eyes slid closed again as Steve pushed the call button for Rosie.

It was the next morning before Danny was moved to a private room. Once his fever had broken Danny improved rapidly as the infection left his system. Doctor Wright could find no signs of brain damage from the high fever.

Chin and Kono had returned the previous afternoon and Steve had gone home to shower and change. He'd caught a few hours sleep before returning to the hospital in the early evening. Chin was still with Danny as Steve had instructed the cousins that he didn't want Danny to wake up alone. He felt it was important that Danny knew that his team was there for him, like they should have been two days ago.

Danny slept most of the time, but each time he woke at least one member of Five-0 was with him. He could feel the guilt surrounding each one of them, especially Steve, but he was too tired to make any attempt to resolve what had happened. Steve was right, they needed to talk, but not until he was able to stay awake long enough to have a meaningful conversation.

Dr Wright came into Danny's new room right after he was settled. Steve, of course, was already ensconced in a chair over by the window.

"Good morning Danny. I see your shadow is still with you."

"Yeah, doc. I can't seem to shake him. He's like a bad penny, keeps coming back." Danny looked over at Steve as he spoke.

"Funny, Danny. You're a really funny guy." Steve turned his attention to the doctor. "How's he doing doc?

"Well, for someone who was so ill just two days ago, I'd say he's doing fine."

"Hey, I am in the room, you know." Danny looked between the two men.

"Sorry, Danny," Both men apologised at the same time.

Doctor Wright turned from Steve and gave his full attention to Danny as Steve smiled to himself behind the doctor's back. His partner was obviously feeling better.

"Danny, I've scheduled the surgery for your knee for late afternoon. Then tomorrow morning we can see about getting you up and out of that bed."

"Thanks, doc, getting out of bed would be great." Danny smiled at the doctor. "Does that mean that I can go home soon?"

"Danny, you are incorrigible." Steve piped up from his seat over by the window. "You only just got out of the ICU."

"You'll be with us for a few more days, Danny," Doctor Wright said. "But now that you're in a room, you can have more visitors. In fact, there's someone due here any minute who's wanted to come and see you for some time, but wasn't allowed in the ICU."

"Grace?" Danny breathed. "Grace is here?"

"I spoke to your ex-wife earlier and she said that she'd drop you daughter off." The doctor checked his watch. "Any minute now, I'd think."

Danny looked over at Steve, words weren't necessary. Steve stood and strode from the room.

"Impressive none verbal communication, Danny, although I'm not at all surprised as you knew Steve was with you when you were sedated and unconscious, so the two of you communicating without words, just works."

"How'd he get you to let him stay with me, doc? He didn't threaten you did he, because he can be such an animal, sometimes."

"No Danny he didn't threaten me. He got the governor to clear it with administration." The doctor became serious, suddenly. "He was really worried about you. I'm not sure how he would have reacted if I hadn't agreed to let him stay."

Danny had known, on some level, that Steve had been with him. But before he could say anything the door was thrown open and Grace ran into the room ahead of Steve.

"Danno!" The eight year old ran to the bed and climbed up. But then she immediately calmed and moved slowly up to her father for a hug.

"Rachel will be back for her in an hour, Danny. So make the most of it," Steve and Doctor Wright turned to leave.

Danny was exhausted, once Grace left, and immediately fell asleep.

Steve returned to the room, from taking Grace down to her mother, wanting to talk to his partner. What had happened was eating him up and he needed to clear the air, soon. He still didn't know if Danny was mad at him. Yes he'd listened to the recording, but Danny had thought he was going to die then. Now that he wasn't maybe he wouldn't be so forgiving. But when he found Danny asleep he decided to wait.

It was early afternoon when Danny finally woke. Steve was sitting, his feet propped up on the bed, reading a magazine.

"Hey, you're still here?" Danny asked quietly when he noticed Steve.

"Yeah, where else would I be?" Steve put his feet down and swung around to face his partner as he place the magazine on the nightstand.

Danny studied Steve for a moment.

"What happened to your head?" He hadn't had the chance to ask about the bandage before.

Steve put his hand up to his forehead.

"This? It's nothing."

"It's not, nothing, Steven. What happened?" Danny raised the top of his bed so he could see Steve better. "I was only gone for one day. What did you do? And don't think I didn't notice the bandage on Kono's arm yesterday."

"There may have been an explosion." Steve put his hand up to stop Danny's looming rant. "I didn't cause it. The two men who helped Ahuna kidnap you didn't want to be taken in by HPD, so they blew themselves up." Steve swallowed. "I thought we'd lost you then, Danny. Because Ahuna was already dead, and they were the only other people who knew where you were."

"Why were you even looking for me?" Danny looked away from Steve and studied his leg. "You kicked me out, Steve." The hurt was there and Danny, try as he might, couldn't help letting it show. He'd forgiven Steve, back in the cabin, but the feeling of betrayal was still there.

"What? I was looking for you because you're my partner. Because it's my fault Ahuna was able to grab you. Because I was stupid enough to think that you would betray me, even when I knew that you never would." Steve's eyes were bright with unshed tears, his voice husky. "I should have listened to you, heard you out." Steve picked up Danny's left hand. "I'm sorry. You could so easily have died. I don't know what I'd do if I lost you, Danno."

Danny looked at Steve and could see the regret, guilt, and other emotions so clearly on display across Steve's face, and in his eyes.

"You didn't lose me Steve. And you couldn't have stopped Ahuna." Danny smiled. "I accept your apology, but I already forgave you."

"Yes, I know. I listened to the recordings you made," Steve admitted. "I'm sorry you felt that no one was looking for you. That you believed I wouldn't look out for Grace." Steve intertwined their fingers. "Danno, I love Grace, I'll always look out for her, and I've come to realise that I love you too, buddy. You're loud, annoying, and can be obnoxious, but I want you to be my partner, no one else." Steve pulled Danny's badge from his pocket and placed it in Danny's lap.

"Yeah? You do?" Danny looked from the badge to Steve.

"Yeah, Danny. I've kinda gotten used to having you around." A sly grin suddenly appeared on Steve's face. "Besides, if you're not my partner I'd lose the use of the Camaro, and I look good in that car."

"Idiot." Danny slapped Steve's arm with his right hand, as he left was still imprisoned in Steve's hand. A grimace of pain flashed crossed Danny's face. "And who said you could listen to my recordings?"

"One was for me, so I didn't need permission," Steve countered. "Now, get some rest, your surgery is in a couple of hours. I'll still be here when they bring you back."

Steve released Danny's hand and the injured man lowered his bed and shifted into a more comfortable position.

"You don't have to stay you know Steve." Danny curled the fingers of his right hand around his badge. It felt so good to have it back, to have his partner back. Ahuna had almost succeeded in driving them apart. But in the end Ahuna was dead, and Steve was still his crazy SEAL partner. But now they had a better understanding of each other and if they could get through this, they could get through anything.

"Yes I do, because I promised Grace I'd look after you. So when Doctor Wright releases you you're not going back to that shitty apartment you call home, until your leg heals." Steve reached for his magazine.

"Has anyone ever told you that you're a very bossy Neanderthal?" Danny asked in a sleepy voice.

"Just you Danny, just you," Steve settled down to reading his magazine as Danny started to snore softly beside him. He was so glad that Danny had decided to forgive him as he really needed his partner, his brother.

The End