Disclaimer: I do not own, I don't..now..stop asking. I just rent.

A/N: Sequel to In Another Life, will feature Chin and Danny a bit more then the previous fic, of course it is shippy so just getting that out there. *smile* But there's enough angst and teamwork for everyone involved *smile*

Warning: Character peril, songfic, violence and general angst. If I Die Young, by the Band Perry.

If I Die Young

If I die young, bury me in satin,

lay me down on a bed of roses...

Sink me in the river at Dawn,

Send me away with the words of a love song...

"I need that drip faster..she's crashing...everyone clear...charging...clear!" There was a lot of noise buzzing around her head, she just wanted to sleep..it hurt so bad everywhere and she just wanted to sleep. "we're loosing her!" Were they talking about her? She didn't feel lost..she felt warm..there was a beautiful sunny day surrounding her and she was surrounded by the waves, just her and the ocean. She didn't even feel the jolt of electricity as the cold paddles were pressed against her chest. She didn't feel cold anymore...not like when it had first happened..what had happened anyway? She didn't remember..it was just so warm..so happy...she just wanted to be left alone...

An hour earlier...somewhere on Oahu.

"You know..I really don't care...no." Danny held up a hand.

Steve sighed, a growl, "You know this gets really old." he glared at his partner.

"Well..if you weren't so hard headed and think the whole world is your Guantonomo Bay..." He was interuppted by the radio coming to life, a chill sent straight to their hearts.

"Officer down! Need assistance to the corner of Fifth and Rose...this is 5-0 requesting assistance, Officer Down!"

"That was Chin." Danny said. The partners exchanged a pinched look...if Chin was calling...they took off like a blur, the sirens whirring, testing the Camaro to her limit.

It was a silent tense ride...not knowing what was happening, the tense terror and hurry in Chin's voice alerted them to the only explanation there was...Kono was down. Steve's knuckles were white as they clenched the steerng wheel, Danny's eyes bored out the window, his hand already on his weapon. He never liked, nor appreciated, someone shooting down any of his partners, but when it was a woman..it made him see red. They squeeled in just as HPD and medics arrived, leaping from the car they ran to where they saw the band gathered. Steve swallowed as he looked down, the shiny gun he'd given her as a graduation present laid by the car, far away from her. He picked it up, holstering it as he walked close, "What happened." He asked Chin, looking towards her as medics worked, stabilizing her just enough to move her.

The older man swallowed, "We were closing in on him." he nodded to where a perp was being carted away, very forcefully, "I was trying to get to her, she just..went off without me, started chasing him..forgot her vest." He shook his head, staring after his young cousin, "How could she forget her vest.."There was anguish in his voice. She was completely unconcious, gray...barely breathing as the ambulance rushed off. "He shot her before she could get a chance to...just..took off on her...if she'd had her vest she'd have gotten a shot in." He sat, shaking, Steve laid a hand on his back, his nostrils flared.

Danny ran a hand through his hair, his fingers clenched as he listened. "how many times." He hissed.

"Twice."
He closed his eyes. Too many bad memories in one instant.
"She fell so hard, her gun just flew out of her hand..she tripped..curb." Chin nodded, 'HIt her head." He was fighting tears, it was a hard moment when family and love overrode partner and cop. "She'll go crazy if she can't be a cop anymore." He said.
"She'll be fine." Steve said firmly, "Come on, let's go to the hospital." He helped the older man up.

"Lord make me a rainbow,

I'll shine down on my mother,

She'll know I'm safe with you when she stands under my colors,

Life isn't always what you think it ought to be, no it ain't even gray but

She buries her baby..the sharp knife of a short life...

Well I've had just enough time.."

They paced in the waiting room...all they knew was that they were trying to get her stablized enough to even get her to surgery. She was crashing and fast, one bullet had torn through her shoulder, the other under her collarbone, they had no idea of the damage that was caused. There was great concern that she had a head injury on top of the gunshot trauma.

"Where is she! Where is my Kono!" A older Asian woman rushed into the waiting room, Steve turned, his eyebrow quirked as he stopped his pacing, his arms crossed firmly. Danny still sat still..too still. Chin turned,
"Lee." He said gently, walking to her.

"Is she okay! What happened!" THe woman was hysterical, "This is your fault. If she didn't worship you she would not be hurt!" The tears bubbled over in her eyes.

Wasn't Chin's fault. Steve thought, looking away. It was his. People *died* around him, they got *hurt* because of him. A sweet, eager, rookie cop might *die* because he picked her to be on his task force, sent her and her partner on a side mission that was too much for her. It was *his* fault really. She wasn't as ready as he'd thought she was. His face was pinched and showing too much emotion, he shut it down when he saw Danny's look.

"They're working on her right now, Lee." Chin tried to soothe, his hand on her shoulder, "She's gonna need surgery, but I'm sure she'll be fine."

Lee shook her head, "My baby...my little girl." She covered her face with her hands and wailed in fear and anguish. No mother liked to see their child hurt, from the tiny little scrape she'd first gotten when she learned how to surf, to the time she blew out her knee...Lee had been there for her daughter, holding her through her tears, and now...now she couldn't go to her...couldn't hold her. She clung to her cousin and cried softly, praying that she would get to see her daughter's smiling face again.

For Danny it was a flashback..to an ER in Jersey...waiting on news about his partner. Only Kendra hadn't made it. He swallowed, clenching and unclenching his fists he prayed...he hadn't prayed for along time, but he did...he refused the Hail Marys...he wouldn't borrow trouble and say "hour of our death" if you paid him..Kono was *not* dying. Grace loved her..worshipped her, had started calling her cousin. He liked having her around...admittedly he *liked* her. He watched the pain cross Steve's face when Lee entered, blaming Chin. He knew Steve blamed himself..he always blamed himself. Guilitly, Danny thought of all the times he'd taunted Steve about how his life was in danger with him.

Steve couldn't sit, he paced..his nostrils flared, his arms firmly crossed to the point of pain. It hadn't been that long ago that he and Kono were undercover together, playing house...he couldn't face the fact that she may never get that little house she loved, or get to marry someone to set it up with. He sighed, whipping around when a doctor emerged, his heart hammered in his ribs. Danny stood, to his side, supporting him and seeking support. They were like brothers...the love hate relationship they had their comfort...they had each others backs in anything.
"She's stabilized..." The doctor said softly, Lee sagged against Chin, still crying softly, "Enough for surgery anyway. She's still unconcious, and right now we're keeping her that way until we can asses the damage, remove the bullets and get her patched up." He said gently, "After surgery she'll be moved to ICU where you can see her then." His voice was soothing, gentle.

"Is she going to make it." Danny asked.

The doctor sighed, "Time will tell." He said, "It's too early to say right now...she crashed three times on us already. But she's strong." He smiled encouragingly. "You can move up to the surgery waiting area now, it's more comfortable and we'll keep you informed." he said, nodding and leaving.

"Oh..I've had just enough time..."

"Rachel..I need to talk to Grace. I can't come pick her up tonight." Danny said softly on the phone as he stood by the window, "Rachel, please I can't argue, not right now. Why can't I pick her up? Because Kono got shot..yeah.." he sighed, closing his eyes as his exwife swiftly apologized, "Thanks, Rachel..it's okay, I just..I need to talk to her myself." He waited as she went to get the little girl, watching the room. Chin and Lee sat together, he leaning on his knees, by this time Kono's sister had joined them, Steve still hadn't sat, now he just stood at the opposite end of the big windows, his arm above his head, his forehead resting on his wrist, that same pinched look on his face that Danny'd never seen before. He wasn't sure what to label it...other then pure vunerable terror.

"Hey Daddy." Grace said cheerfully,

"Hey monkey." he said softly, "hey Danno can't come get you tonight."
"Why not Daddy? Do you have to work?"
He sighed, how did he say this, "Sort of...um..Uncle Steve, Uncle Chin and I are at the hospital, Kono's really sick. And we have to stay here and be here when she wakes up to make her feel better."
Grace made an empathetic sound, "Can I see her? I want to make her feel better too, Daddy."
Danny sighed, "Soon, baby..I promise..when she's feeling a little better I'll come get you and you can see her."
"I'll make her cookies. She likes my cookies."
Danny smiled in spite of himself...Grace was proud of her no bake cookie baking skills. "Okay Monkey. Be good for Mommy, Danno loves you." He said softly.

"Love you too!" She hung up then and he disconnected, pocketing the phone.

The sharp knife..of a short life,

Well I've had just enough time.

Finally...finally she could sleep. She felt nothing...it wasn't the same bright place she'd been at moments before..instead it was like she was asleep..her mind dark and peaceful. She was dreaming, her heart hurt...her body was hurting again..then Steve was there, his strong hands on her shoulders, stroking her back til she relaxed...it didn't hurt now..just a deeper sleep. She could hear a faint machine beeping and wished it would shut the hell up. It hurt to dream..it hurt to breathe..she wanted her mother. Mom had just been giving her a piece of her mind that morning about cleaning her gun on the kitchen table. Right? Didn't she? No..no..Kono didn't live with her mother and sister anymore..she lived with Steve..no that wasn't right either. She felt herself frown...everything was so jumbled. All she remembered was cleaning her gun at the table, surfing that morning..at least she thought it was that morning..and Steve. The deep sleep came again and she felt wrapped in arms...she wanted to go back to that bright place she'd been at. It hurt too much to be here. And she couldn't even remember why she was here in this deep sleep.

I'll be wearin white when I come into your Kingdom,

I'm as green as the ring on my little cold finger,

I've never known the lovin of a man,

but it sure felt nice when he was holding my hand.

Steve jerked awake. When had he sat down...let alone fallen asleep? He shooke his head, they still sat in the waiting room, Kono's sister had went to get food and coffee for them...it was an hour since Kono had gone to surgery..but it felt like days. He'd been dreaming. It had been akin to a nightmare...she'd needed him..been calling for him and he couldn't find her, couldn't get to her. She'd been screaming for him, and him for her and he just couldn't find her in the darkness, the dense fog. He'd awoken to his mental screams and the sounds of rapid gunfire. He rubbed his eyes. "You okay?" He heard Danny ask. He nodded,

"yeah..I'm fine."
Danny handed him a cup of coffee, "There's food for you if you want." he said quietly.

Steve tersely nodded, "Are you ok?" he quirked a brow at his partner, rewarded with a shrug.
"If she's ok I will be." he said softly, "I lost my first partner the same way." He continued, his voice low as to not be heard by the family across from them, they were worried about Kono too much to worry more. "She was shot three times, twice in the chest, and one to the neck. Kono's already made it farther then she did." There was a hint of hope in his voice.

Steve nodded once, "Kono's strong. She'll be okay."
"It's not your fault Steven." Danny said, in that gentle tone he used with him sometimes, "You're not pyschic, you have no idea what's going to happen to any of us. Just as much as me, Chin and you would like...we can't keep Kono under our wings forever."

Steve snorted, "yeah..well..I should have.' He stood again, "She's mine." He didn't mean the words the way they sounded...he meant that she was one of his people...but the tone and the words belied much more of how he really was beginning to feel about the little rookie.

There's a boy here in town, says he'll love me forever,

Who woulda thought forever could be severed by the sharp knife...

of a short life..."

To be continued...