Hmmmmm…what to write about tonight. I have many ideas, but they're all for multi chapter fics and I don't want to start something I can't finish before my wrist surgery next week. Well, I just see where this takes me!

Danny closed his eyes and wondered why he had ever hated the ocean. It was beautiful. Serene and peaceful. Swaying with the current, he could not find a single thing to complain about as he drifted in the warm blue waters that enveloped his body. He had even forgotten the pressing need to breathe. He vaguely remembered struggling violently to free himself from something earlier, but that was just a faint memory now. Nothing mattered really. Here in this soft and comforting world, nothing was urgent. As he closed his eyes, he thought he felt to warm hands on his face. Funny…Rachel used to do that all the time.

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Steve dove down deeper until he could see Danny's body, suspended eerily in the water. He propelled himself faster and faster until he reached his partner. Danny's eyes were closed, his hair flowing around his face in an odd halo of sorts. He looked disconcertingly peaceful, yet his mouth hung open. Steve took his friend's face in his hands and patted his cheeks, but Danny didn't stir. Desperately searching for a pulse, Steve was relived to find at least a faint beat beneath his finger-tips. Knowing time was short, he dove down until he reached the metal chains attached to Danny's ankles. Within moments, Steve had picked the locks. Calling on all of his training, Steve gathered Danny in his arms and began to fight his way to the surface. Just when the need to breathe became too strong, his head broke the surface and he gasped for air. Danny did not. Without missing a beat, Steve towed Danny to the boat and hauled him aboard. Exhausted as he was, he went immediately into CPR.

"C'mon Danno. Don't do this. Breathe buddy, come on!" he pleaded breathlessly, but Danny remained still beneath his fingers. Minutes passed and Steve knew that with every second, Danny's chances of seeing his daughter grow up dwindled. In anguish, he began pounding on his friend's chest with all his might, willing him to live. With every rib that broke beneath his fists, Steve felt a part of him die. It was over. After everything, Danny was gone…and then Danny's chest hitched and he began to violently expel half the ocean from his lungs. Steve laughed almost hysterically in relief.

"That's it buddy. You're doing great." Steve said encouragingly as he gently rolled Danny on his side. As the harsh coughs faded into ragged breaths, Steve heard the roar of an engine nearing them. It was still far off, but he could clearly see Chin at the front, pointing to the boat he and Danny were currently on. As Danny shivered and moaned he took his friend in his arms.

"You did great, Danno. Help's comin', so you just hang on, okay?" There was no response, but then again, Steve hadn't expected one. He was just glad his partner was still breathing. He would worry about the possible brain damage later.

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Two hours later, he was seated next to Chin and Kono in the ER waiting room, waiting anxiously to hear any news at all about Danny. It was hard to believe that it had all started yesterday morning. To keep them from testifying at a cartel leader's trial, they had been kidnapped and taken out to a boat and held there. Eventually, when the trial ended, they had outlived their usefulness. Danny was the first to be weighed down and thrown over the side. Before they could do the same to Steve, he managed to get one of their guns and take them down. Then all of his efforts had been concentrated on saving Danny. His thoughts were interrupted as Danny's doctor came in. Before any of them could speak, the man held up a hand.

"He's going to be okay." They all sagged in relief. "He had a lot of water in his lungs, but we were able to suction it out. As for brain damage from oxygen deprivation, all we could find was that he had no memory of the last twelve hours. We've explained the situation to him and he seemed to understand it pretty well. He does have three brken ribs, but they will heal in time. He's resting in a private room right now. If you'd like, I can take you to see him." They all nodded vigorously. When they were finally seated around his bed, they sat in silence, waiting for their friend to wake up. An hour later, they were all asleep. Steve was the first to wake up when he heard a harsh cough come from the bed.

"Shhh, Danny. Deep breaths. You're alright." He soothed. When the coughing dissipated, Danny sagged into his mattress, completely spent.

"Ouch." Danny whispered hoarsely. "Well that was unpleasant…why are you smiling like that?" he asked, taking in Steve's insanely happy grin.

"It's just good to see you breathing and all."

"Yeah, I'm a little fuzzy on…everything so you might need to tell me what happened after those assholes found out the trial had ended."

"Well, they tied iron weights to your ankles and dumped you over the side. I was able to disarm them, but when I got to you, you weren't breathing. I did CPR for, God…ten minutes maybe? You scared the shit outta me Danno."

"Sorry man."

"It's alright. It's not like you really wanted to be thrown into the ocean you so passionately hate." Steve flashed his trademark goofy smile. Danny smiled back, but in his mind, he promised himself he would never tell Steve about how he thought, even if it was in an oxygen deprived haze, that the ocean was tolerable. He would never live that down. Even to himself, he would never admit it. To his dying day, he vowed he would always think of it as a trick of that damned ocean.

Kind of a flat ending, but I'm tired. Sorry! I'll crank out some better ones soon!