Synopsis: The road to recovery isn't as easy as Danny Williams thought it would be. Steve McGarrett is hiding inside his mile-high emotional wall and, without meaning to; he has started blocking Danny out. But when gun smugglers come searching for payback, will Steve be there for Danny? Or will his Jersey partner be forever silenced. DANNY!WHUMP and STEVE!ANGST. NO SLASH. Friendship only.

Disclaimer: I don't own Hawaii Five-0 and am not getting any monetary gain for this story, just playing in CBS's sandbox for a while. These characters and storylines remain the property of CBS. No disrespect intended, just great characters that inspire their own stories.

Rated: T for violence and injuries. Not a Death-Fic.

Notes: Angst and Hurt/Comfort are kinda my thing and I opened a can of worms in the first story, 'Words can Kill'. Here's the sequel.

Chapter One:

Alone in a Crowd

The air was unseasonably hot and Detective Danny Williams was uncomfortable as hell. Wind wafted through the tops of the palm trees and his hair slipped forward into his eyes. Danny still hadn't been in the office yet, not that he didn't want to go back to work, but the governor wasn't letting him anywhere near Five-0 headquarters until Dr. Kakoi cleared him and that didn't seem likely to happen for another couple of weeks. In the first few days he'd been out of the hospital, no one had left him alone for more than twenty minutes at a time. Grace had been a constant presence along with Kono and sometimes Rachel.

It had been frustrating and Danny had eventually asked for some 'alone time'. Chin had simply raised his eyebrows in surprise and Kono had chuckled. He'd glared at her until his head hurt and Grace had asked he meant her? Danny had explained that he most definitely did not mean that his little monkey should leave. That garnered him a cheeky grin from his daughter and another fantastic piece of art for Steve's fridge.

The New Jersey cop had been out of the hospital for three weeks and his emotionally stunted partner, Lieutenant Commander Steven J. McGarrett had spent the majority of that time surfing or swimming or generally ignoring Danny. So not only was the detective dealing with an insufferable amount of pain, he had no one to help take his mind off it after the first week. His ex-wife had taken their daughter to the main land to visit family, leaving him alone. Although, to be fair? Rachel had assumed that Steve would keep Danny company…only that hadn't happened. He still couldn't pin point when things had changed. When he'd agreed to stay with Steve, he'd thought they were just fine, thank you very much.

Originally, Danny had thought that staying with Steve would help heal the rift between them. And it kinda had…at first. But then Steve had pulled back into the shell that the ex-navy SEAL used to protect himself. And if he was perfectly honest with himself, Danny had kinda understood. But that hadn't made living in the vast silence of the McGarrett house easier.

Since then, Danny had had no one to confide in. It was a horrible feeling. After the first night, he'd wanted to talk to his partner about the slicing pain that kept waking him up. But Steve had checked out, emotionally, and he'd been left to deal with it on his own.

He winced as he moved slowly toward the two wooden chairs that faced the incoming tide. As much as Danny hated Hawaii, and he did hate Hawaii, the ocean was 'alright' to sit and stare at. He set down his glass of water and recalled the first the day he'd gotten to the island four years ago and then promptly gotten lost. How the hell can a 'cop' get lost on an island? The thought bounced around inside Danny's head making it hurt, he blinked a couple times and ignored the now constant pain.

Getting lost hadn't been the worst thing to happen to him. Danny had ended up pulling out onto an overlook area and sitting for hours just staring out at the vast blue of the ocean. It was the only time he'd been able to feel like this might be okay. The whole moving to an island smaller than the entire city he'd grown up in…thing, that is. Carefully, he lowered himself into the wooden beach chair and bit at his lower lip when his ribs pinched painfully in protest, but it wasn't nearly as bad as his back. At least his ribs felt like they'd healed somewhat. But his back?

It felt like someone had just slipped a dull butter knife into his spine. His breathing hitched and there was a moment where his vision actually blurred at the edges. Danny forced himself to endure the pain through sheer stubbornness of will. There was a suspicious burning sensation behind his eyes as he blinked rapidly to dispel the forming tears.

"Danny?" Steve's voice pulled him from his world of blurry pain and he looked up. The detective caught the end of something 'emotional' in his friend's blue-green gaze before Steve's wall dropped firmly into place. "You okay, buddy?" The taller man asked.

Ocean water was dripping down the SEAL's face as he grabbed a towel swiping it across his skin. He was breathing hard, like he'd just swum fifteen miles. Which he may have actually done for all I know. Danny thought ruefully. He pulled in a shallow ragged breath and nodded, before leaning back and settling carefully against the chair. The solid support of the wood helped to alleviate some of his pain and he glanced up at the taller man.

"Just waiting on my personal chef to show up." He quipped.

Steve tilted his head and raised an eyebrow. "Kamekona's it is."

Danny groaned. They'd been eating so much shrimp lately that he could actually taste it when he brushed his teeth. "No. Absolutely not, Steven. There will be no more shrimp tacos , spaghetti, pancakes…worst idea ever, by the way…or shrimp omelets. And last night we had some concoction of shrimp meatloaf. I mean seriously. Who puts shrimp in meatloaf? And before you interrupt me, let me assure that there is such a thing as too much shrimp."

He'd hoped that his rant would earn him at least a smile from his friend, but all he got was a wry grimace. Danny felt his stomach drop at the evidence that Steve still hadn't worked through whatever was holding him back.

Steve nodded and started toward the house. "Pizza? I promise I won't let them put shrimp on it." When Danny didn't immediately answer he glanced over his shoulder. Danny was staring out at the ocean, his back to Steve. "Or pineapple…Danny? Pizza?" Steve knew that Danny was keeping something from him and he was so tired of being lied to by the people he loves that he can't take it from Danny. Not the one person that has always been completely and one hundred percent honest with him... Danny finally answers him and it does nothing to assuage Steve's anger.

"Yeah, sure. Whatever."

H50 H50

Three Weeks ago…

Steve watched as Danny limped through the doors of his home and finally managed to settle quietly on the couch. A shuddered breath slipped past the detective's lips and he'd squeezed his eyes shut in pain. The knife of guilt twisted a little deeper inside Steve and he found that he had to get out that room. Just for a minute. He wasn't leaving Danny alone or anything, but watching his best friend suffer was more than Steve could handle right now.

"I'm gonna grab some water." He didn't wait for the injured man to respond before striding quickly into the kitchen and then straight out the back door. And if his eyes burned with tears? He told himself that it was because his own gunshot wound was particularly painful today.

The sun was just starting to set when he forced himself back into the living room. Danny was lying sprawled out on the couch, his arms wrapped protectively around his middle and his head tilted at an uncomfortable angle. The television was on and an old John Wayne movie was playing softly.

Steve took a moment to try and think of how long he'd been gone…at least an hour he figured when he saw the location of the sun in the sky. He hadn't meant to be gone that long. Guilt wasn't new to the SEAL, but he'd never learned to handle it all that well. He was still carrying the massive black hole of guilt that his father's death had left on his soul.

Chin had offered to pick Danny up when he'd been discharged, but Steve couldn't do that. Even though he and Danny had talked about what had happened and he felt that the detective no longer blamed him for his outburst of angry words…watching the smaller man writhe in pain hadn't let Steve actually forgive 'himself'.

"You done staring at me, Steven? Or should I take out a restraining order?" Danny's pain laced voice startled Steve out of his revelations and he shook his head. Blue eyes peaked out between slitted eyelids and the smaller man forced a tight smile. "Find that water?"

Steve looked away. "Sorry. I needed to run to the store…for the water."

"Steve. It's alright." Danny finally said softly.

The easy forgiveness in his partner's voice had Steve pinching at the bridge of his nose in frustration. This wasn't Danny's fault at this point; it was his own inability to let it go. It was obvious, looking at the open expression on his partner's face that the detective wasn't holding a grudge.

Danny's tongue shot out and he licked his lips and for the first time Steve noticed the dry, chapped sheen to his friends face. "You need some water."

"Any chance I can get that today?" Danny called after Steve headed into the kitchen again. He pulled in a long breath and pulled a bottle of water out of the fridge.

H50 H50

Danny bit at this lower lip and nodded slowly. He looked up at his friend and found himself wishing for the days where they at least argued. "Yeah, just turned wrong. How's the water?"

Steve shrugged. His own wound pulled sending light pain through his shoulder and he frowned. "Wet."

Danny blinked and his eyebrow's cut down in response. "Steven, you do know the ocean is water and therefore likely to be wet this time of year?"

"I'm aware." Steve answered without taking the bait. "I'm gonna grab a shower. You need anything before I go in?"

Danny could feel the disappointment coiling in his gut when Steve didn't engage in their normal banter. He'd known that they weren't out of the woods when he'd been released from the hospital. But he'd had no clue just how far they were from 'okay' until he'd slept in his friend's house for several days. Life hadn't been kind to either one of them since that day up on the mountain.

The lead to the lower receiver units had actually panned out and Steve along with HPD, Chin, and Kono had managed to recover the guns. Chin had come to visit Danny while Steve had been at a meeting with the Governor and he'd told the missing member of Five-0 everything he'd missed out on…which hadn't been much. The whole thing had gone off without a shot being fired.

He learned that the man that Danny had killed on the mountain had been the younger brother of a high-ranking Yakuza boss. The other man was part of the Russian Mafia and they'd been trying to move up inside their own mafias by finding a new supplier in the gun trade. Neither of their deaths had gone unnoticed by the two groups, but so far nothing had come of it. Danny was smart enough to realize that there was a chance that that could change, but for now…they were all okay.

Pulling himself back to the present, he answered the SEAL's question. "No. I don't need anything." Danny said evenly.

Steve nodded and started toward the house.

Danny twisted carefully so he could see the other man's back and he found he couldn't stop the frown that worked its way onto his face.

H50 H50

Two Weeks Later…

Danny sat on the cold metal examination table of yet another doctor. He ignored the dull radiating ache that was now a constant presence in his life. His broken arm was healing nicely. The hair was coming back in where his head had been drilled into…that had sucked. He was still having some trouble with headaches, but the doctors had said that was normal because of the severity of his concussion. They should go away soon. His lungs were still healing from the collapse and he couldn't take a full deep breath yet, but he was so much closer than he'd been two weeks ago…so he'd take it.

Kono had driven him this time. Steve had offered, but there was so much silence between them that it was making Danny crazy. So he'd politely declined and called Kono. She'd been surprised, but happy to help out. A part of Danny was sure that he could've called Rachel, since she, Stan, and Grace were back, if he'd needed to.

That thought sent a wave of emotional pain sliding through him. Dealing with his ex-wife was less stressful right now than dealing with his best friend on the Island…maybe anywhere.

"Detective Williams?" A middle-aged man in a white coat and a suit stepped into the room. Danny assumed he must be the doctor.

"Danny, please." He answered easily with a slight smile.

The man smiled, though it didn't reach his eyes. The doctor glanced down at the paperwork in his hands. "It says here that you're experiencing some discomfort in the L4 and L5 area of the spine?"

Danny's eyes widened at the very technical question. "My back hurts like a bitch, but I have no idea if it's in the L…whatever you called it."

The man didn't even crack a smile and something triggered Danny's detective 'spidey' skills. "Uh huh…and do you think this has anything to do with the man you killed out on Wai Lecka Pass five weeks ago?"

"What? How do you… Who the hell are you?" Danny said quickly. The man set down the file and hummed in frustration.

"I suppose my cover's blown." He slipped into a Russian accent, though he was definitely Asian. "That is what you cops call it? When someone understands that they're in trouble?"

Danny clenched his teeth and reached slowly for his cell phone. Kono had dropped him off and headed out to run some other errands. In a flash of movement, Danny found himself staring down the barrel of a flat black Sig-Sauer .45. He slowly pulled his hand back and lifted both of his hands in surrender. Even if the Jersey detective wanted to do something, he couldn't. Danny was effectively sidelined by his still healing injuries.

"Throw over the phone, detective." The man tilted the pistol at Danny's pants pocket.

"I'm generally pretty good with faces. I did have a concussion a few weeks ago, so maybe I've forgotten you?" Danny's eyes narrowed. "But I don't think so. Generally, I remember scumbags pretty clearly. Particularly those that threaten me."

The man stepped forward and removed the lab coat. Underneath he was wearing a six thousand dollar suit…definitely mafia. Danny managed to pull his wallet out at the same time as his phone, rather than simply tossing his phone, he pretended to drop it and pushed his wallet off the back of the exam table onto the floor. "You're very funny, detective." The man stepped forward and hauled back, slamming the butt of his pistol into Danny's face. "I'd heard that about you."

Pain blossomed across Danny's cheekbone and he felt the warm rush of blood as long split opened up. His head exploded in agony and Danny had to lean forward so he didn't puke. After a moment he managed to look up. The man's face swam in and out of focus. "You been watching me, untouchable?"

The man circled him and stomped on the cell phone before picking it up and dropping it into the sink. He ran water over the phone and finally answered Danny's question. "You, McGarrett, the rest of Five-0…oh, and little Grace…and your ex-wife has another child, right? A boy?"

At the mention of his daughter and Charlie, Danny's eyes flashed up. Lightning flared in the blue depths as a cold rage coiled inside his gut like a pit viper. "You touch my daughter and I will kill you." The words were low and even. The threat was very clear.

"I'm more interested in making your partner suffer than you." He leaned in and pressed his hand into Danny's ribcage. The blonde couldn't help the shuddering breath as pain lanced through him. The man knew exactly where to press. The still healing scar where he'd had his ribs surgically separated and the chest tube shoved between them. When he looked down he was surprised to see a small blade being pulled from his body…bloody drops slipping easily from the five-inch blade. "The men you and your partner killed? I've been sent to settle that score."

Before Danny could answer. A needle slid into his neck and he felt his world spiral down into a pinpoint of light then nothing but darkness. His last thought was for Grace. If these people were after him and McGarrett? Maybe they'd be satisfied with just him leaving his daughter and partner out of it. Take care of Grace, Steven.

H50 H50

Steve was so damn aggravated that he couldn't see straight. Danny had had an appointment this morning and rather than asking him to give the busted up cop a ride? That irritating Jersey detective had called Kono. What the hell, Danny? He'd been trying to talk to his partner more and be less evasive when Danny asked him about what was happening with the task force. But apparently that hadn't been good enough for the smaller blonde man. Nope. He'd needed to dig that knife deeper into the back of the SEAL and call their teammate, behind Steve's back, to take him to the damn back doctor. It was so frustrating that Steve couldn't help but slam the palm of his hand into the steering wheel.

"Damn-it, Danny!" He seethed.

Fifteen minutes later, Steve was banging on the door of the exam room where the nurse had said Danny was. When his partner didn't immediately call out for him to enter, Steve shoved the door open anyway.

"Danny, seriously man. If you needed to go to—" Steve was already chewing out the smaller man before he could see into the room. He pulled up short when he found that it was empty. "Danny?" His eyes shifted to the small dressing area. "Danno, come on man."

Nothing. No response from the small dressing room off to the right and there was definitely no Detective Danny Williams hiding under the solid metal table. Steve leaned back out into the hallway and looked both ways. It was empty. He was already pulling his phone out to call Kono when he saw the bright red smear on the metal table. Sitting next to the busted pieces of Danny's white cast. Someone had cracked the thing open and pulled apart the white cast, leaving a nasty reminder of Danny's still healing state.

A sick cold feeling started worming its way through Steve's gut. Something bad had happened in this room…and it had happened to Danny.

TBC…

Author's Note: Here's the start of the sequel…shoot me a quick review if you guys are interested in seeing where this one goes. I know there's still a rift between Steve and Danny, but this one is going to put them in a situation where it will heal through working together in order to survive.

PLEASE REVIEW: Let me know if you're interested in seeing this one play out.