A/N: Anybody reading my story "For This Dance We'll Move with Each Other" will recognize Gabby. She is, in fact, the same character. This is just an alternate way for her and Danny to meet.
The glass shouldn't have broken.
Five-0 headquarters was state of the art. The governor wanting her task force to have everything they needed right at their fingertips. The two-way mirror looking into the interrogation room was shatterproof, and it would have taken a great deal of force just to crack it, never mind breaking all the way through it. And the woman sitting in the room was barely a blip on the radar - nothing more than the girlfriend of a man known for selling illegal weapons - and they were only planning to use her to get to bigger game.
She was small and blonde, her skin covered with a sheen of sweat that Chin had chalked up to drugs and nerves. They left her waiting in there alone while the other members of his team ran down a new lead. Chin stood on the other side of that shatterproof glass, watching the woman carefully, trying to get a read on her before they went in and started the actual questioning.
The suspect leaped through it like it wasn't even there.
One second she had been just sitting there, shaking and sweating, her hair stringy as it hung around her face. The next, she was jumping to her feet with a terrible shriek and charging the mirror, her face contorted into an ugly and desperate expression that Chin would have burned in his brain for the rest of his life.
She broke through the glass, seemingly unaware of the way it sliced her skin and made her bleed. Chin had stepped back at her sudden movement, but the space around him was narrow and he didn't get far enough. Her flying leap brought her body into painful contact with his and they both slammed to the ground, his head ricocheting off the cement floor.
He tried to reach his gun as he shouted for help, but the woman was unbelievably strong. She had him pinned to the floor completely and Chin could actually smell her. It made his throat clench and he turned his head in an effort to get away from it - to get away from her - but there was nowhere for him to go.
Her teeth sank into his shoulder just as the little room flooded with uniforms. He screamed in pain and surprise, but then she was off of him, six officers trying to restrain her as another knelt next to Chin. They both watched in horror and disgust as she proceeded to draw blood from everyone within arm's reach, until one officer pulled out his flashlight and slammed it into the back of her head. The blow was enough to render her unconscious, and they all let out a long ragged breath of relief.
"We should get you to the hospital," the cop next to him said.
Chin frowned. "It's just a bite."
He looked over at the unconscious woman. "Do you seriously want to risk it? Who knows what diseases she's carrying."
The man had a point, and his teammates would have his ass if he didn't get himself checked out. He let the cop help him to his feet.
"Let's go, then."
By the time Kono and the others got to the hospital, Chin wasn't feeling well. The doctor had cleaned the wound as best he could, but it was still ugly. The broken skin was jagged and red, and the entire area around it was steadily turning purple. The bite was big enough that Chin suspected she had been trying to take his whole shoulder off. They were running his blood now for any infections, and he was hoping that after that he would be able to go home. He just wanted this day to end.
"Holy shit," Danny muttered as the three of them stepped around the curtain. "She really did take a piece outta ya."
Chin tried to shrug, but it sent a lancing pain through his arm and shoulder. "A love bite."
"No, seriously, dude. That looks nasty."
His head was pounding and the lights overhead were too bright. The emergency room was full of noises and voices and they all seemed just a little loud. He hadn't mentioned hitting his head on the floor, and he wondered if that had been a mistake. Bringing it up now, though, would mean more questions and tests.
"I'll live," he said calmly. "Did you catch the bastard?"
Steve shook his head. "Dead end. Looks like we'll need to try the girlfriend."
"Yeah, well make sure she's under some heavy duty chains, brah. It took six cops to get her off of me."
Kono was quiet, hands balling into fists at her side as she just ran her eyes over him. Neither of them liked when the other was injured - they were family - but they also knew better than to hover and smother. Glancing over at her, Chin wasn't sure if she wanted to punch something or cry. He sincerely hoped Steve didn't let her in the interrogation room.
He itched.
It wasn't a tickle, though. He dug his nails into his skin and tried to get at whatever was crawling underneath the surface, drawing blood in more than one place. It didn't matter how deep he went, though; none of it made him feel better. His brain didn't even register the pain that it should have.
He pulled his hands away from his body and saw that they were shaking. He told them to stop, to still, to pause, but the messages either never made it that far, or his body was just ignoring them.
The heat was just as bad as the itching, if not worse. Sweat was soaking his hair, his shirt, his arms slick with it. He had the sneaking suspicion that it started in the bite on his shoulder and radiated out, consuming his entire body.
He was afraid it was enough to make him go insane.
Steve had told him to stay home for the day. It was sound logic, and Chin knew that. He needed rest more than anything else. Unfortunately, his body didn't agree. The bite that should have protested every time he moved it didn't, and he was practically bouncing with an energy he'd never had before. It was like a mix of being drunk and horny and high on adrenaline and he thought if he could just get moving he could control what was going on inside of him.
He had the keys to his bike in his hands when his phone rang.
"Kelly," he said, forcing himself to stop in the open doorway and answer.
"Chin."
He could hear the relief in his cousin's voice, and for the moment, everything else was pushed to the background.
"Kono, what's wrong?"
"I need you to stay in your house, Chin," she said, her voice tighter than he'd ever heard it before. "Please."
"Why? What's going on?"
There was a pause and he could hear some kind of commotion on the other end before she responded. "There's some kind of outbreak at the hospitals."
"Which one?"
"All of them."
"What do you mean?"
"I..." She sounded helpless, and Chin could see her in his mind, running a hand through her hair and looking up at the ceiling like it might hold some kind of answer. "I don't know, Chin. We've got reports of some kind of epidemic. It's making people violent and the governor's sending us out to try and get the hospitals back in order. I just...I need to know that you're safe, okay? I need you to stay inside and away from other people."
He wasn't thinking about himself, though. "Malia -"
"We're heading out that way now," she interrupted. "I'll find her, okay? I'll make sure she's safe. But you have to promise me, Chin. I need to know that I don't have to worry about you."
He didn't want to promise any such thing. He was a cop. It was his job to be out there helping just as much as it was hers and the rest of the team's. A wave of nausea rolled through him, though, and he felt his legs weakening. If he went out in this condition, he was going to end up being more of a hindrance to his team than anything else. It didn't matter what his pride and honor were telling him - he wasn't going to put his ohana at risk because they were too busy worrying about him.
"Okay," he said finally. "I don't like it, but...okay. I'll stay put."
"You promise?"
His mouth quirked up at one corner at the insistence in her voice. "I promise, cuz. Go. You've got work to do."
"I'll call when I've got Malia."
She disconnected without another word. Despite his promise to her, Chin stared at the keys in his hand for a long time. The weird adrenaline was still coursing through him, but he felt weak suddenly, and he wondered if that woman had passed some kind of strange disease onto him, even though the doctor had given him the all clear. If it didn't let up by morning, and if the hospitals weren't still reeling from whatever was going on, maybe he'd go back in and let them poke him with needles again.
As he swung the door shut, a sharp pain lanced through his stomach, forcing him to double over and cry out. The keys and phone fell from his hands and clattered to the floor as his legs gave out and he collapsed.
The hospital was a madhouse. Steve, Kono and Danny ran in, unsure of what to expect, but there wasn't any way they could have been prepared for this. They used the emergency entrance only to find the waiting room trashed. Chairs were toppled over, a few lying broken along the walls. The TV screen was dark and sporting a large hole in the center, and the glass around the nurse's welcome station was lying in shards on the carpet.
Steve pulled his gun out and the others followed suit.
"Eyes open," he said quietly.
They rounded the corner and headed for the controlled door that led into the emergency room. It had been ripped from its hinges and lay on the floor now, the glass of the small window shattered. Something that looked disturbingly like blood pooled on the edges of the shards.
"I thought we were dealing with sick people here," Danny said, "not crazy."
"Maybe whatever their infected with is making them crazy," Kono suggested. "We've certainly seen drugs that can do it."
Alarms were going off inside of the ER. It was a cacophony of beeps and warning bells, and it kept them from hearing anything else that might help them figure out what was going on. Which was why they didn't hear the guy until he crashed out of one of the rooms, colliding with the desk of the unoccupied nurse's station and resting there as he clung to it.
"Sir?" Steve asked, stepping forward cautiously. "Sir, are you alright?"
The man turned around and all three of them froze. There was something wrong with his face; the skin seemed to be peeling away in places, and none of it was the right color. It was a sickening hue somewhere between green and grey and it made his bloodshot eyes stick out all the more. The look he was giving them was feral and feverish, and Steve wondered if the man had any idea where he was or what was going on. Maybe the virus shut down rational thinking.
"Sir," Steve tried again, "I need you to put your hands where I can see them."
His hands weren't really the problem. Both appeared to be empty, but he took a step toward them, mouth open and teeth bared.
"Sir..."
He charged at them suddenly, roaring like a frenzied animal. All three stood their ground, firing at him, their bullets lodging themselves in his legs, torso and shoulders.
He didn't stop.
At the last minute, Danny reached out and grabbed Steve's arm, pulling them both to the right as Kono dove to the left. She rolled smoothly and landed back up on one knee, her gun aimed steadily. The man had passed them and then spun around, obviously intent on hurting them. Her only thought was bringing him down so that she and her team could stay alive. When a shot to the heart didn't stop him, she followed it up with a shot to the center of his forehead.
He dropped to the floor with a thud.
For a moment they all just sat there, breathing heavily and staring at the body in disbelief.
"You think that sucker's airborne?" Danny finally asked.
"I'd say we should ask a doctor, but..." Steve leaned a little bit closer, "...this appears to be a Dr. Moriarty. And he's not taking any more questions." His gaze slid over to Kono. "That was a damn good shot."
"Thanks," she breathed, getting to her feet. "Looks like this epidemic wiped out the whole ER. We should check the rest of the hospital, though."
"Wiped out?" Danny asked, looking around with his arms outstretched. "I mean, if it killed them, there would be bodies. So did it turn them all into crazies like him?" he asked, pointing at the body. "And if so, where are they now? Out all over the island spreading this thing?"
Steve pulled out his phone. "I'll call the governor and we'll check the rest of the hospital. If there are survivors -"
"But how do we know who's infected and who's not?" Danny asked. "I imagine there's a period of time before they start looking and acting like our corpse over there."
There was a small crash and all three whirled around to see someone crash through the door that led to a stairwell. Gun raised, Steve stepped forward to take point again.
"Freeze!" he yelled.
The person turned around sharply, eyes wide with fear, and it took Kono just a second to realize who she was looking at.
"Malia?"
"Oh thank God," she sobbed, stepping towards them. "I thought I was the only one left here." She stopped suddenly when her eyes landed on the body behind them, one hand moving up to the cover her mouth. "Oh God," she whispered. "David."
"You know him?" Steve asked.
Malia nodded. "He's one of our surgeons."
"Was," Danny corrected, running a hand over his hair. "What the hell is this thing, Malia? And are we all gonna get it just standing here?"
She shook her head, crossing her arms over her chest protectively. "No, no...from what I've seen, you have to be bitten. That's what happened...one of the ER patients went crazy while they had him on the table and he started biting people. And then they would get a fever and then the chills and sensitivity to light and noise...and then..." She looked at Moriarty and shuddered. "It just spread so fast."
Kono gripped her gun tighter. "Bitten?" She looked at Steve and Danny. "Chin."
Malia's head snapped up. "What about Chin?"
"He was bitten by a suspect earlier today."
Kono pulled out her phone, trying to block out the tears that had sprung to Malia's eyes or the look of abject terror on her face. She pressed the speed dial for Chin's number and then pressed the phone to her ear, focusing on steadying her breathing.
He didn't pick up.
His voice mail didn't click on either.
Disconnecting the call, she met Steve's eyes. "We need to go."
Gabby found him out on the balcony, like she usually did. She had to give Sheppard credit - he was good. He told his jokes and let his snark show, never easing up on Rodney or withholding laughter. He led his team out into the field over and over again, always coming back, always bringing his friends back. He joined in with others when he ate in the cafeteria. He shared a drink with the locals when they invited him. He just projected this air of being laid back and completely at ease with where he was in his life.
She knew that it was all a lie.
A part of him had died two years ago, and it was a black hole that was slowly eating away at the rest of him. Gabby often found him wandering the hallways of Atlantis late at night, or sitting in the cafeteria, staring into nothingness. And when he wasn't there, he was out on that balcony, the one that had been theirs. He would stare up at the stars or down into the black depths, and she could almost feel the weight that was slowly crushing the life out of him.
Sometimes she went out there, too. She didn't say anything; she just came up and stood beside him, temporarily sharing the guilt with him.
John wasn't the only one that missed Elizabeth. The entire city felt the loss of her presence and seemed to move differently because she wasn't there. It sounded cliche to say it, but she really had been the heart, giving them a pulse to live by, to move by, and for some of them, to breathe by. Somehow, she had always known what each person needed just to get them through the difficulties of the day - whether it was a smile for those feeling lonely or forgotten, a word of encouragement for those slowly sinking under the weight of responsibility, or a kick in the butt reminding them that their work was important for those that were having trouble getting themselves to focus.
Gabby was a people-watcher. Always had been. She observed, filing little tidbits away in the hopes that later on down the road, those tiny puzzle pieces would help her in some way. Though that made her sound like an opportunist, it was really just a habit that had kept her alive through her entire adult life so far. She didn't use her information to back people against the wall or get them to do things against their will. She just filed things away and acted accordingly with each person - a heightened version of what most people did in their everyday interactions.
She knew that sometimes Rodney would just stop in the middle of his work and stare off into space. Most people thought that he was having brilliant revelations about what he was tinkering with, but that wasn't always the case. Gabby had heard him mutter things under his breath about Replicators and occasionally Elizabeth's name would slip from his lips. Sometimes she would steal a glance at his computer screen and see that he wasn't working on anything current, but revisiting a map of the known universe, eyes searching and haunted. And sometimes he would go up to Elizabeth's old office - which had been re-purposed and given to others - with a look in his eye that faded once he looked around and realized who was sitting behind the desk.
Teyla wasn't so obvious, but her pain felt heavier at times. Walking through the control room of Atlantis, her eyes would drift up to that same office and linger. Sometimes she would pause in whatever she was doing and stare at the glass walls, as though if she stared long enough, the person she was thinking about would reappear. Eventually she would let out a sigh that was almost closer to a shudder sliding through her body and then she would move on, her shoulders sagging a bit as she walked away.
Ronon was even harder to notice, but Gabby was patient and a good observer. He never said anything, never really let it slip that he missed Atlantis' former leader. Gabby had been there, though, when he had sat with Elizabeth in the infirmary. She had hung back, just like she always did, not announcing her presence to anyone. She had heard the pain in his voice and seen the desperation in his eyes. Despite the fact that he and Elizabeth weren't ones to sit down and have a long talk with each other, he had respected her more than most. That was the highest compliment the Satedan knew to pay, and it wasn't something he gave out easily. For him, Sheppard and Weir had been the parents of the city, guiding it with a gentle, but firm hand. They didn't always make the best decisions, but they stood by their people, no matter what. And Gabby knew that his inability to save Weir ate at him. Sometimes she would find him late at night in the sparring room, grunting with effort as he pummeled at a practice dummy. The sheen of sweat across his body told the story of how long he had been there, and she knew that at three in the morning, it was demons that he was fighting off. And though not all of those were based on things that had happened to him since coming to the city, she knew that Elizabeth's absence was at least on the list.
There were other people too, of course. Major Lorne. Zelenka. Caldwell, once he had gotten back and discovered that Elizabeth was no longer with them. Stackhouse. Heightmeyer. Carson. Gabby saw the pain in all of them, whether it was pronounced or not. Elizabeth's absence left a hole in the city that threw everything off, just a hair, just enough that nothing was quite in sync anymore.
Elizabeth had been her friend, too, though she never brought that up. They had met at the UN years before Atlantis and had hit it off immediately. Gabby was impressed by any woman that could swim the ocean with the sharks and still retain more than just a fleeting resemblance to humanity. Elizabeth was beautiful, funny, and kind, and she hadn't been preoccupied with busting everyone's balls. It was a pleasant change from the other "powerful" women Gabby was used to coming into contact with. The call from Elizabeth inviting her to join her team on the Atlantis project had been a pleasant surprise and she had jumped at the chance.
And now one of her closest friends was in the hand of a merciless enemy, if she was even alive at all.
Gabby stepped out onto the balcony until she was standing next to John, her shoulder brushing against his upper arm. The air was warm, but there was a relieving breeze blowing gently through the city. Taking a deep breath, she let her eyes close.
She wasn't sure how long they stood like that, not moving, not speaking. Eventually, though, it was obvious that John wasn't going to speak to her this time either, and she wanted to give him his space. Reaching out, she squeezed his arm once, letting the touch linger before turning away and leaving him to his own dark thoughts.
Chin wasn't at home. His place was trashed, though, as if it had been ransacked and looted. Kono picked her way through the mess, her stomach and chest painfully tight as she struggled to keep her breathing even. Her mind was flashing back to the last time she saw her cousin – the haunted look in his eyes, the sheen of sweat across his forehead. They'd had no way of knowing the possibilities of what that woman had carried in her saliva, but looking back it seemed obvious now. She had been infected and had passed it on to Chin and now her cousin was gone.
When it was obvious that the house was empty, Danny turned to a stricken Malia. "How quickly?" he demanded.
She frowned, shaking her head as she tried to get a hold of her emotions. "What?"
"How quickly would this thing spread if unchecked?"
Malia struggled to wrap her head around the question, searching through everything she knew about the spread of contagion. "It's not a long incubation period," she said finally. "And we don't even know what it is, never mind a way to cure it. We don't know how many are infected or how quickly they move..." She looked at Danny, her eyes full of fear. "Danny...we've got nothing." She seemed to shake herself again before turning to McGarrett. "We need to call the Governor, get this thing as high up the chain as possible."
Steve nodded and pulled out his phone, already dialing. "Danny, go."
His friend was looking pained and torn. "You need -"
"No. You need to go. Make sure that Grace and Rachel are okay and then we'll meet back up." Danny took another moment to think and then nodded, bolting out the door. Steve had the phone to his ear, but a moment later he shook his head and cursed. "No one is picking up."
"So what now?" Kono asked. "Do we go after Chin or do we go for the Governor?"
Steve was at a loss. There were plenty of things he was trained for, but epidemic diseases that turned people into the equivalent of zombies was not one of them. They had no way to know how far this thing had spread or in which direction. He had his best friend running for his family and another teammate possibly – probably – infected.
His phone rang, making them all jump and he hurried to answer it. "McGarrett."
What he heard on the other end wasn't entirely coherent. He thought he recognized the voice of a uniform they'd worked with a few times in the past, but he wasn't sure and he wasn't getting a name. There were ragged screams echoing in the background and he thought he could hear the sound of shattering glass and violent pounding.
"Five-0!" the person yelled into the phone. "They've gotten into Five-0! MCGARRETT! -"
Steve yelled into the phone, begging the person to hang on, to tell him what was going on. But there weren't any words after that outburst. Just more screaming and things breaking and Steve found himself listening to a dead connection as his chest tightened. Things were spinning completely out of his control.
"The decision was just made for us," he bit out, leading Kono and Malia out of the house. "This thing just hit headquarters."
Danny couldn't breathe as he pressed down on the accelerator, sending the Camaro flying down the road. There were only residential roads between Grace and him, and despite the fact that his heart was lodged in his throat, he couldn't help but notice the chaos that was going on around him. There were people running down the street screaming, some of them bleeding. The part of him that had been a cop most of his adult life told him to stop the car and render assistance. It was what he was supposed to do.
But this was his baby girl they were talking about, and there was absolutely nothing he wouldn't do to get to her and make sure that she was safe. The rest of the team knew what was going on and they were just going to have to handle it until he had his daughter.
Things looked normal when he pulled into Rachel's driveway, but that didn't set his mind at ease. With everything else that was going on, it was almost too normal and quiet. Parking right in front of the gate, he went up and pushed the intercom button. Despite the fact that he could see Rachel's car in the driveway, there was no response, and that was enough to make Danny want to be sick. Staring up at the top of the gate, he decided that Rachel could yell at him for overreacting later.
It took a decent amount of work and sweat to get himself up and over the gate, and it was a much longer drop than he had realized. But no alarms sounded and no one came running out to yell at him, and that made Danny's stomach clench even more. He drew his gun as he approached the house, wondering if he should try the front door or go around to the back.
That was when he heard his baby girl screaming.
The front door didn't even stand a chance. Danny channeled all of his anger and fear and kicked it down in a way that would have been Steve ridiculously proud. Though the house was big, Danny didn't have to waste any time searching the downstairs. Grace's screams - now mixed with a strange moaning and heavy pounding - were obviously coming from the second floor. He flew up the stairs, gun in hand, already swearing vengeance on whatever asshole was trying to hurt his daughter.
When he got to the top of the stairs, though, there was no stranger standing there. There was no big man pounding on the door, trying to force his way in. It was just Rachel and a woman Danny recognized as the maid, their fists landing with heavy thuds as they beat at the door. Danny frowned, not understanding.
"Rachel -"
Her head snapped around unnaturally fast and Danny almost dropped his gun at what he saw. She looked just like the doctor that had attacked them in the hospital, her skin greying and peeling off in large chunks. Her eyes were way past bloodshot and the moan that escaped her when she saw him sent a chill down his spine.
"Rachel," he said, his voice breaking. He remembered what it had taken to stop the doctor. He couldn't do that here, not to Rachel. "Rachel, please..."
She didn't respond. There was no sign that she even understood the words coming out of his mouth. A moment of silence fell over them as Danny tried to think of some way he could save his daughter and his ex-wife. Nothing was adding up the way he wanted it to, though.
And then they were rushing him.
It was both of them and the sudden movement startled him even though he'd been tensing, waiting for it. He fired a useless shot into the heart of the maid, but she just kept coming. Instead of taking another shot, he feinted left and went right, diving past them, rolling down the hall. When he'd regained his feet, he saw that the maid was coming after him again. This time, his bullet sliced through the center of her forehead and she went down with a thud.
He didn't have time to catch his breath. Rachel wasn't paying attention to him anymore, her body slamming into Grace's door once again. He didn't know how long they had been at it before he got there, but the door was obviously weakened and its hinges were starting to give. Grace was screaming at the top of her lungs, begging her mother to stop.
Danny almost charged her. He wanted to. Even if it meant getting bit, he would have rather let Rachel kill him than the alternative. But it wasn't just himself that he needed to think about. He couldn't sacrifice himself and leave Grace alone. Maybe if Steve or Kono had been there. He would have entrusted his daughter into their care and gone down with Rachel. But he would not abandon his baby girl to this new world where all the rules had changed. He would not make her face those horrors alone.
"Rachel."
He had meant it to come out as a yell, but his voice was completely broken, tears streaming down his face. It was enough, though. She turned to look at him, probably torn between which one of them she was going to kill first. Danny searched her eyes, not sure if he was hoping to see a bit of Rachel still inside somewhere. It was probably better that he didn't - it made what he had to do just a little bit easier.
If not easier, it at least took the full brunt of the decision out of his hands.
"I love you," he whispered.
He didn't let himself say anything more, or to think it over again. Grace was the most important thing. And this was what he had to do to make sure that she was safe. Taking careful aim and a deep breath to steady his hands, Danny pulled the trigger and ended it.
It took him a moment to realize that his daughter was still screaming. Stepping over Rachel and fighting down a wave of nausea, Danny pressed his face to the door.
"Gracie?"
"DANNO!" she cried, relief heavy in her voice. "Danno, help me!"
"I will, baby," he promised. He looked down at Rachel and realized that he couldn't let his daughter see this. "Gracie, I need you to listen to me. Are you listening?"
He could almost see her earnest nod. "Yes."
"You're safe in there, okay? I just need to take care of something first before you open the door. Don't worry - I'm not leaving. I promise."
There was a short pause. "Is it Mrs. Puoau?" she asked in a small voice.
That had been the maid's name. "Yeah, Monkey. Just let me take care of this and then I'll get you out of here. Don't open the door until I tell you to."
Once he had gotten a promise out of her, Danny holstered his gun and stared down at his ex-wife. Somehow this was even worse than putting a bullet through her head. This was something Grace never needed to see, though, and that meant that he had to move her. He closed his eyes briefly and ran through the layout of the house - Grace had been so excited to give them a tour when they moved in - and remembered that there was an office that Stan used at the end of the hall. That would probably be the best place.
For a second, Danny wondered where Stan was. But Danny's list of people that he needed to worry about was already long enough, and Stan just didn't make the cut. It might have been heartless, but he could admit that it was true.
He took care of the bodies as quickly as he could, knowing that drawing the task out was only going to make things worse for him and make Grace worry. Rachel was lighter than she had been while they were together and for some reason that made him sad. Once he got them both into the study, he propped them up against the far wall. Pausing in the doorway on his way out, he fought the sudden urge to break down. There was nothing more he could do for Rachel. He couldn't even bring himself to close her eyes - he didn't know if this thing was transmitted by all bodily fluids and he couldn't risk it.
Shutting the door firmly and wishing that he could lock it, he headed back down to Grace's room, taking a deep breath before knocking gently.
"Monkey?"
Her voice was subdued. "Yeah, Danno?"
"You can open the door now."
Danny knelt down as heard something behind moved away from the door and the lock being disengaged. The door opened slowly and then he saw Grace, the sight causing his breathing to stutter. Her eyes were haunted and her cheeks stained with tears, but she was there and she looked like she was supposed to. No greying skin, no vacant stare. He hated that his daughter was in pain, but he was glad that she was alive enough to feel.
"C'mere," he whispered.
She threw herself into his arms, clutching him like she was trying to squeeze the air out of him. Danny just held her, breathing her in, one hand running over her hair. His baby girl was alive.
After a minute, he pulled back slightly, eyes roving over her body. "You okay?" he asked. The weight of that question hit him suddenly and his hands ran up and down her arms, searching out any cuts. "Did she bite you or scratch you? Are you bleeding?"
Grace just shook her head. "No. I'm okay, Danno." She bit her bottom lip. "Is that how everybody's getting sick?"
Danny nodded. "Yeah. You're sure you're not hurt?"
She turned around slowly, letting him see that her clothes weren't torn and her skin was unbroken. Whatever this thing was, it didn't have her. Which meant that they needed to get moving before anyone else showed up at the house.
"Let's pack you a bag, okay? We're gonna go find your Uncle Steve and Kono."
"Like I'm going to your house?"
Danny thought for a second. "Like we're spending the weekend hiking with Uncle Steve."
Grace nodded and led him into her bedroom. Danny took a second to marvel at his daughter and her ability to shove aside her fear to get something done. She was so much like him, in ways he had never really noticed before. If she was busy, she could focus on the task at hand and freak out later. Danny was expecting a breakdown from her - hell, she deserved one - but he wanted to make sure they were some place safe when that happened.
It didn't take them long to get a few clothes into her pink backpack. Danny watched her hesitate slightly as her hand hovered over her Barbies and her stuffed animals. In the end, she picked a small teddy bear that Rachel had bought for her crib before she was even born and put it in the bag.
They headed down to the kitchen next and Danny grabbed Stan's gym bag, emptying its contents and replacing them with bottles of water, peanut butter, bread and fruit. A couple of juice boxes and some of those trail mix snacks that Grace always took to school with her rounded everything out and then he zipped the bag and crouched down in front of his daughter.
"You ready, Gracie?"
She had her backpack on and she was trying to be brave, but he could see the fear and uncertainty in her eyes.
"Danno...did they get Mommy?"
The air stopped in the middle of his throat, threatening to choke him. It took him a couple of tries to get it down and then he was breathing, the action shaky and almost painful. His hands rested on Grace's shoulders and he squeezed them softly.
"Yeah, Monkey," he whispered. "They did."
Her bottom lip trembled and then the tears came, sliding down her cheeks as she tried to keep her sobs in. Danny just picked her up in his arms, letting her cry against his neck. Grabbing the gym bag and looking once more around the house, he headed for the door and pressed the button that would activate the gate.
Steve wasn't answering his phone, and neither was Kono. Danny tried to ignore the way his stomach turned each time they didn't pick up, but a nagging voice in the back of his head kept asking him what he was going to do if they had been attacked, too. What he had lost back at the house was still fresh in his mind, and he wasn't sure he could handle losing more people. His eyes kept darting up to the rearview mirror, searching out Grace, using her as his focal point. He had to keep his head on straight; his daughter needed him.
It was getting difficult to drive. Traffic had built up and there were accidents everywhere. The first one they passed, Danny almost pulled over to stop - until he got a good look at the driver. The disease was spreading and he couldn't put Grace in that kind of danger.
He was almost halfway back to headquarters when he saw a familiar face. She was standing on the side of the road next to a busted up taxi, head snapping to each side as she tried to find the best possible escape route. The driver of the taxi was just getting out of the car, his movements slow and disjointed.
It didn't take Danny long to realize that he was infected.
He glanced back at Grace once more and then swerved the car over, rolling down the passenger side window.
"Mary!"
Steve's sister turned to look at him, relief flooding through her as soon as she recognized him. She sprinted for his car, tossing her bag through the open window and then quickly depositing herself in the passenger seat.
"You bit?" Danny asked, suddenly wondering what he would do if Mary McGarrett were infected.
She frowned at him. "What?"
"Are. You. Bit," he choked out, emphasizing each word. "Anybody bite you, scratch you, attack you, whatever?"
Her eyes moved back to the taxi and she got a good look at the driver as he started to amble over to them. Her eyes went wide.
"Oh my God," she breathed. "What's wrong with him?"
"Did he bite you?" Danny asked, his voice cracking as he practically screamed at her.
That brought her attention back to him and she shook her head. "No, Danny, I swear to God. I'm clean."
"Good."
He threw the car into drive and peeled away from the curb.
Gabby stared down at John as he stood by the Gate, waiting for his team. He probably thought that no one was aware of the date, but she always kept a close eye on the calendar, and she wouldn't have been surprised if Teyla and Carson had it marked in their heads. Gabby glanced up as the Athosian woman came to stand beside her, suited up for the off-world mission.
"Carson mentioned that you were looking for me," she said quietly.
Gabby nodded. "I probably don't have to say this, but please keep an eye on him. You know how he can get."
"The anniversary is not for another few days." So Teyla did keep track of it. "Do you expect us to be gone that long?"
"I fully expect Colonel Sheppard to get himself into trouble. It's just...it's how he deals with things he refuses to deal with. A gunfight or possibly blowing something up...I think it makes him feel better." She shrugged. "Either that, or he figures there's a chance he might not come back and he takes a twisted comfort from that thought. Whichever it is..."
Teyla nodded. "I will watch him. And do my best to keep him out of trouble." She smirked. "Though that has not always proven effective in the past."
"Well, it is Sheppard we're talking about here." Gabby sighed. "You should go. He's going to start tapping his foot like a little boy if you keep him waiting much longer."
Teyla rested her hand on Gabby's elbow for just a second and then headed down the stairs toward her team. John gave her a tight smile as she joined them and then he looked up, catching Gabby's eye. She was worried about what she saw there - the tiredness, the pain, the utter lack of any hope that he would eventually feel better. But John just raised a hand to her in parting and then turned, leading his team through the Gate.
Things were deteriorating too quickly. As Steve, Kono, and Malia raced toward 5-0 headquarters, Steve turned the radio on, hoping to find out that some amount of control was still with the island's authorities. Instead, they learned that the island was being quarantined, all air and water traffic indefinitely suspended. Traffic jams were clogging the roads, which only gave the infected a buffet line to feed from. The airport and major docks were chaotic and dangerous. The crowds were turning riotous, and with that many people gathered together in one place, the chances of the infection spreading even more wildly were through the roof.
"They're doing the right thing," Malia said quietly. "They have to keep this from getting to the mainland."
"What if it already has?" Kono asked. "And where the hell does that leave us?"
"Let's take it one thing at a time," Steve said firmly. "We get to headquarters and see what's going on there and then we call Danny and make sure that he and Grace and Rachel are okay. Agreed?"
Both women nodded.
The first thing they saw when they pulled in to their destination was two men fighting in the parking lot. Steve didn't bother with a parking spot, coming to a full stop and leaping out of the vehicle. He knew Kono was less than half a step behind him. He heard a third door shut and knew that Malia had joined them as well and he made a mental note to get her a gun. Nobody should be unarmed.
"5-0!" he yelled as they neared the fighting men. "Hands up and step away from each other!"
The command fell on deaf ears. The man on top just dove in and bit his opponent, teeth sinking into his neck. The sound was loud and disturbing as blood sprayed out, staining the ground.
"HEY!" Kono barked.
That got everyone's attention. The man on top lifted his head to look at her, and it was obvious to everyone that he was well beyond infected. Without any hesitation, Kono pulled her trigger. Her hands were steady and her aim good; the bullet hit him right in the middle of the forehead, sending him to the ground.
For a few seconds, everyone just breathed, trying to get a handle on what had just happened. Then the man on the ground, still bleeding from his neck wound, started to get to his feet. Kono and Steve's attention immediately focused on him.
"Stop!" Steve yelled.
The guy did, one hand pressed against his neck while the other went into the air to show that he was unarmed.
"Is there a cure, Malia?" Steve asked, never taking his eyes off of him.
"What?"
"A cure. Is there any way to reverse this thing, or stop it?
"We don't know anything about it," she admitted. She took a stuttering breath. "But I think...I think once you get infected, you're already dead. I've seen them get shot and stabbed and they just keep coming. They don't even bleed right. The only thing I do know is that...I haven't seen a single person bit that doesn't turn. And once they turn..."
She didn't have to finish that thought. All three of them had seen it. Kono's eyes slid over so that she could glance at Steve, needing him to make the call on this one. It would dictate how they dealt with every person they encountered who had been bitten or infected and for some reason, she needed it to be his decision. He was her boss, her mentor.
The injured man was still standing there, fear growing in his eyes. "Hey, please, just -"
Steve pulled the trigger and dropped him.
What he had just done sickened a part of him, but they couldn't risk it. They were dealing with an unknown infection that spread through bites and turned the infected into a violent machine that could only be taken down by a shot to the head. His options were limited, and he had to keep his people safe.
"Let's go in," he said.
He couldn't look at either Kono or Malia. Even if he was okay with his decision, that didn't mean that they would be. They followed him without question though, and he hoped that that was a good sign.
Steve had expected a melee inside from the terror of the phone call he had received. The damage had already been done by the time they got there, though. Shattered glass peppered the hallways and broken equipment lay everywhere. There was blood, too. He recognized arterial spray along one wall and there were puddles on the floor that they had to step around. There was blood on broken glass, on tables, and bloody handprints and footprints dotted the hallway.
The building was silent.
Nearly silent. The sound of a chair being kicked over made them all turn, and Steve and Kono moved as one toward the noise, their guns raised, Malia behind him. The sounds of struggling grew louder as they followed them and eventually they found themselves in the room with all of 5-0's computer equipment. The place their team usually used to go over evidence and case files was now bloodied and broken, and Steve doubted if it would ever be used by them again.
They all stopped when they saw who was in the room, but it was Malia who gasped.
"Chin," she whispered brokenly.
The infected that they'd been seeing lately hadn't been part of the first wave of the disease. Chin had been bitten hours ago by the woman brought in for interrogation and it was obvious that he was farther along. Whole chunks of his skin were missing and his eyes had gone completely red. And he had been feeding, too. Blood stained the skin around his mouth and it caked the tips of his fingers.
"Oh God," Kono breathed.
He wasn't alone. Chin had let go of his prey when the other members of his team had walked in, and now Governor Denning was sagging against the far wall, his knees giving as he slid down to the floor. Blood was flowing freely from his forearm, but he made no move to stop it.
Chin didn't charge at them, which surprised everyone. He seemed to be watching them, gaze moving around to each person as though he were weighing his options. Steve suddenly wondered if a more primal intelligence came with prolonged infection, or if it was just because Chin had always been a calm and calculating man.
Kono had her weapon pointed at her cousin, but her voice trembled and a tear slid down her cheek. "Do you think he recognizes us?"
The hope in her voice was like a punch to his gut.
"You know he doesn't, Kono," he said gently. "You know it."
There were quiet sobs behind them from Malia, but Steve kept all of his focus on Chin and Kono. He knew that his rookie was strong, but this was just asking too much of her - of anyone. She kept staring at her cousin, her heart breaking in her eyes and then her hands started to shake.
"I'm so sorry," she cried.
Steve stepped over to her, one hand reaching out to push her gun down gently.
"Steve," she whispered.
"It's okay," he soothed. "It's okay. I've got it."
He made her take two steps to her right and then aimed his gun at Chin's forehead. The man who had once been the solid rock of their team followed him with his eyes as though suddenly realizing that Steve was his only real threat. Steve saw the muscles beneath his grey skin ripple just before he started to charge at him.
He had just enough time to pull the trigger.
There was no light that went out of Chin's eyes. His body simply hit the floor, sounding like a bag of wet sand being dropped. Steve stared at him, emotions and instinct warring inside of him. His training won out, though, and he his gaze and weapon slid simultaneously to the governor, still sitting against the wall.
Denning's eyes met Steve's, a sad knowing flooding through them.
"McGarrett."
Steve's voice sounded strangled in his own ears. "Governor."
"Let's not pussyfoot around with this, Commander. We both know you don't have a choice. I've seen how quickly this thing spreads and I do not intend on becoming like that." He looked pointedly at Chin. "So please. Make it quick and get out of here."
Steve didn't lower his weapon. "I could leave you a gun, sir. Let you handle it yourself."
Denning gave him a small smile. "I'm not willing to take that kind of risk. I may not always agree with your methods, but I respect you, McGarrett. No shame in letting you end this."
He nodded. If Steve were in the governor's position, his thinking would be the same. "Anything you need to tell us first? About the quarantine, federal aid..."
Denning shook his head and looked down at his hands - they were beginning to shake. "There's no help coming. The hospitals were overrun before we even knew what was going on and then it was in my office. I barely got out. Thought if I could get to you...your team knows how to pull miracles out of thin air. I thought...I guess I thought you could save the day again." A hollow laugh escape him. "They won't let anyone leave the island. They assembled troops at the airports and the docs...the Coast Guard and Navy are patrolling...all with orders to shoot anyone who tries to get out. But we've got no way to test for this thing, McGarrett. We don't even know what it is. I can't make the guarantee that someone hasn't already made it to the mainland. Hell - we don't even know if this thing started here." He paused. "You need to get your people and you need to keep yourselves safe. That's all you can do." Denning raised his hands, the shake noticeably more pronounced. "We need to take care of this. Now."
Steve nodded, steadying his aim. "It's been an honor, sir."
"Same to you, Commander."
The sound of the shot seemed to echo through the room and then it was just the three of them. Steve lowered his gun slowly, swallowing down the emotions that threatened to overtake him. He turned to look at his companions; both women had tears running down their faces, but they were holding it together. He didn't think either was going to shut down on him.
"Alright," he said, his voice gruff. He wished he had time to say something for the two men he had just put down, but there weren't any words that made sense. They had to move forward or they could be dead next. "We need to find Danny -"
"You do not need to find Danny. Danny is right here."
The three of them whipped around to see Danny striding into the room, Grace in one arm and his gun in his free hand. They expected to see Rachel right behind him, but Steve's mouth dropped open when he saw who it was.
"Mer?"
She didn't say a word. She just jogged past Danny and threw herself into Steve's arms. He was still shocked that she was there but his arms went around her automatically and he hugged her tightly.
"What are you doing here?"
"I came to surprise you," she cried into his chest. "What the hell is wrong with everybody?"
He didn't answer her question. Instead, his eyes searched out Danny's and he mouthed one word.
"Rachel?"
Danny just shook his head. Steve's heart clenched at the look in his best friend's eyes; they had all lost people today and he didn't think that things were going to get better any time soon.
"We can swap stories later," Kono said, wiping her face. She was pulling herself together, taking a deep breath as she turned her back on her cousin. "For now I think we need to get out of here."
"Roads are out of the question," Danny said. "We barely got here in one piece. Between the traffic and the accidents and blood-thirsty zombies out there, cars are more of a liability."
"Where are we going?" Mary asked. "It'll be hell trying to catch a flight out..."
Steve shook his head. "The governor explained things before...before the infection got him. Troops are stationed at airports and docks with orders to shoot to kill. They're trying to contain this thing and that means nobody gets off the island."
"Staying here and getting eaten is a crappy plan, Steve," Mary pointed out.
"We need to get away from people," Kono said.
"Uh, sweetheart," Danny pointed out, "we're on an island. Not the easiest thing to do."
"What about one of the parks?" she asked. "Isolated. These things seem to be hunting down meat, which means they're gonna stay in the urbanized areas. At least for awhile."
"Awhile? And then what?"
"There's a lot of ground in He'eia," Steve said. "And caves. I'd say we've got a shot out there." He took a deep breath. "Kono, you and Mary go for the weapons locker and grab whatever looks good. Remember lots of ammo. Danny, take Grace and hit the locker rooms. Grab all of our go bags. Malia, you come with me. Everybody meet at my truck in ten minutes."
Getting to He'eia was no easy task, but Steve had a mission, and he always did best when he had a mission. They stayed away from the major roads, preferring to cut across fields and backyards. The infected that they encountered were individuals or small groups, and Steve and Kono took them down without hesitation with head shots. There were close calls - like when one zombie came flying off a roof and crashed into Mary - but there were no bites, no scratches, and everyone's skin stayed the right color.
Their plan fell apart half a mile into the park.
Steve had no idea where they all came from, but suddenly they were surrounded. Some wore matching outfits and he realized that there must have been a group trip that got attacked. Herding his sister and Malia into the middle, he yelled for Kono to take lead while he protected their six. Danny seemed to struggle for a minute and then passed Grace to Malia before dropping back to join Steve.
"I'm more use to her with my gun right now," was all he said.
Steve kept looking for defensible positions, but they just weren't far enough into the park. They needed some place with a narrowed opening - a place where they could control the flow of things attacking them. One place came to mind and his head whipped around before he internally smiled. Kono was already leading them towards it.
The waterfall was gorgeous, but there was no one in a position to enjoy it; Steve wondered how long it would be before people could come visit it again. Kono led them down to the water's edge and then up onto the rocks, her footing careful and steady.
"What the hell?" Danny asked.
"Cave," Steve answered. "We can't keep running. These things don't seem to tire out."
Malia had to set Grace down as they moved out onto the wet rocks and the little girl looked up at her father.
"Danno, can I have your hand?"
Steve nodded at him. "I'll cover us."
It was a tense journey and he worried that it was taking them too long. The zombies chasing them couldn't seem to manage the footing though and they started to put some distance between them. One by one his friends disappeared into the cave behind the waterfall and then Steve was backing into it, gun trained on the entrance.
"Everybody okay?" he asked.
"How long do you think we can hold them off?" Danny asked, his voice low as he stepped away from Grace and the others.
Steve shook his head. "I don't know."
Danny nodded. "Look...I know you probably don't want to talk about this, but I'm throwing it out there. One of those things bites me and you put me down, okay? And then you do whatever you gotta do to take care of Gracie. You hear me, McGarrett? I don't want there to be any misunderstanding on this one."
He paused - there was no way in hell he was letting one of these things get Danny. He'd die first. He'd die for any of them.
"As long as that deal goes both ways."
Danny nodded. "Agreed. Friends don't let friends become flesh-eating monsters."
Steve couldn't help but laugh a little at that. He chanced a quick look over his shoulder and saw that Kono was moving along the back wall of the cave. She was so far away that he could barely see her in the gloom.
"Kono?"
"My auntie used to tell me stories," she said quietly, hands running over the stone. "They were legends, really. About other worlds. And bridges to get to them."
He didn't understand where she was going with this. "Kono -"
"We can't stay here. Not for the long term."
She paused, her fingers circling something on the wall. Looking at Steve for just a moment, she then turned back and pressed the heel of her hand against the stone.
And then it moved.
For a moment they all just stared in disbelief. Then the moans outside got louder and closer and they didn't have time for any questions.
"Go," Steve ordered.
Nobody argued. All six of them just took their bags and squeezed through the crack that had suddenly appeared in the seemingly solid wall. Once Steve was through, Kono was already pressing a corresponding switch on the other side and the crack started to disappear.
Gasps echoed in the chamber as they all turned around.
"What the hell is that?" Danny asked.
It was a large silver ring made out of some kind of metal that Steve couldn't identify. There were several chevrons adorning it and a small ramp seemed to lead straight into the empty space. Next to the ram was a pedestal atop which sat an array of strange symbols and an orange orb in the center.
"Kono?"
She shook her head. "I'm not sure. I guess Auntie's stories were real." She walked over to the pedestal, hand hovering over the symbols. "There were codes," she murmured. "Codes that would take you to other places."
"Do you happen to know any of these codes?" Danny asked. "Because that would be very helpful right now."
"She never told us what they were. But..." Her hand moved to the bracelet she had worn every since her Auntie passed away. "It couldn't be."
Pulling the bracelet off, she flipped it over and stared at the symbols she had never understood. Each one had a twin on the pedestal.
Moans sounded from even closer and there was the sound of someone scrabbling up the rock of the waterfall.
"We're running out of options," Mary warned them.
Steve came up to stand beside Kono. "Either we take our chances with this or we face what's out there."
She nodded without looking up at him. And then she reached out and started pressing the symbols. The rest of them watched as the chevrons lit up and an inner ring displaying the symbols rotated. It was like it was dialing a number that no one understood. When the last symbol was inputted, a cloud of blue shot out towards them and then pulled back in, leaving the open part of the ring to look like a wall of ocean. The light from it reflected against the walls of the cave, bathing them in beautiful hues.
"Whatever is through there has got to be better than here," Steve said quietly.
"Really?" Danny asked. "You just had to go and say that? You do realize that now you have effectively jinxed us, correct?"
"Sorry, Danno. You can blame me if things go horribly awry over there, okay?"
"Trust me, babe. Was already planning on it."
"Danno, I'm scared," Grace said, looking up at her father.
Danny knelt down and took her face in his hands. "I know you are, Monkey. But we're all gonna be with you, okay? We can't stay here."
She swallowed roughly and nodded. Danny kissed her forehead and then lifted her up. Whatever they met on the other side, he wanted his daughter in his arms. Steve and Kono stepped up onto the ramp, guns out in front of them.
"You guys ready?" Steve asked.
No one answered. But one by one, they followed him into the blue.