Hawaii Five-0 is property of CBS and its creators.

Pain lanced through Steve McGarrett's back, and he screamed. He doubled over, gritting his teeth at the intensity, trying not to black out. But it wasn't his. He reached out through his mind, trying to track the source—his partner, husband, and soulmate, Danny Williams. Steve touched Danny's mind, feeling a red haze of pain. Then—nothing. Steve howled. "Danny!"

Kono Kalakaua, another member of his task force, was by his side. "What's wrong?"

"Danny's injured!" Steve managed through his panic at not knowing what was wrong with his husband.

"Is he okay?" Kono asked.

Steve took a deep breath and reached out. At first he didn't feel anything, and his panic rose even higher. Was Danny dead? Surely he'd know. Then Steve felt a heartbeat, faint, but there.

"He's alive," Steve said in relief, "but I think he's hurt bad."

"We'll get him out," Kono assured him.

Internally, Steve raged at Danny, wishing he were there to yell at. There had been a bomb threat at a local elementary school. Five-0 had responded and had managed to evacuate the building, but one of the kids had broken away and rushed back into the building to save the class pet. Danny had rushed after him. Just then, the bomb had exploded.

If it had been Steve, Danny would have never let him hear the end of his recklessness. Truth was, Danny could be just as bad if a child was involved. Steve knew Danny had saved the kid and shifted to plow his way through the rubble—Danny had contacted him mentally through the soulmate bond just before the pain had hit. Steve didn't know how badly Danny was injured, and it was making him wild with worry.

Steve wanted to shift himself and race in after Danny, but Kono held him back with a hand on his shoulder, grounding him. "The building's not stable," she reminded him. "We don't need you injured, too."

"I can't just wait around doing nothing!" Steve replied.

"You don't have a choice," Kono said gently.

Steve knew she was right, but it didn't make the waiting any easier. He didn't know how long he stood there, waiting for the rescue team to get to his husband, concern mounting with every passing minute. Danny had to be okay. He just had to be!

At last, a voice crackled over the radio. "We found him!"

The knot in Steve's chest loosened a fraction. "How is he?"

There was a pause. "Not good. Looks like a piece of rebar pierced his back. He's unconscious, but alive. He's still in dragon form, which probably saved him. No telling what damage that would do to a human."

The knot tightened again. "Can you get him out? Is he going to be alright?"

Another pause. "We'll do our best, but I can't make any promises. Building's unstable, and we need him to shift—we'll never get him out in dragon form. But the bar could do more damage if he does. We'll just have to take that chance."

"How will you get him to shift?"

There was another moment of silence. "We were hoping you could help with that."

Steve concentrated, reaching out to Danny through their bond. He thought he could detect a faint response. He didn't bother sending coherent thoughts, just focused on Danny as human.

"That's got it!" the voice said. "Now, let's get him out!"

Once again, Steve had to fight the urge to rush in and help. Once again, Kono's hand on his arm stopped him. After what seemed like an eternity, the rescue crew appeared, wheeling a gurney between them. A still figure lay on it. Steve could see the offending piece of metal from where he stood.

The crew loaded the figure on a waiting medevac helicopter. Steve wanted to race to Danny's side, but they held him back. The copter took off, and at last one of the rescue crew turned to Steve. "How is he?"

The man's face was grim. "I don't know. We just have to wait and see."

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Steve sat by Danny's bedside, listening to the constant beep of the monitors, clutching his husband's hand as if Danny would float away if Steve let go. And in a way, Steve was afraid he would. It had been three days since the accident, and Danny hadn't woken up. Three days, and no clue what damage had been done. The bar had been removed, and it had missed the spine, but there was still swelling, and the doctor's weren't sure if it would go down, if Danny would be. . .Steve refused to consider it. Refused to even think the word paralyzed. Anyway, Danny needed to wake up first. Steve needed that desperately, needed Danny to just open his eyes.

Steve closed his eyes and concentrated, pushing his will into Danny, urging him to come back to Steve, to their family. He heard a faint Steve, heard it in his mind, in his heart, but it seemed he heard it aloud, too, as if Danny were right there.

Steve opened his eyes, expecting—hoping—to see Danny looking back, but what he saw was not the white walls of the hospital with Danny lying pitifully in the bed hooked up to machines. What he saw was the beach behind their home, and Danny. Danny sitting in a chair, alive, and awake, and not paralyzed.

Steve blinked, but the scene stayed. "Where am I?"

Danny smiled wryly. "In my head, apparently. As if I can't get enough of you anyway, you have to follow me into my deepest thoughts."

"I had to Danny," Steve said. "I need you. I need you to come back."

"To what? Life in a wheelchair? Or worse, life in a bed? Unable to move, unable to walk, unable even to feed myself?"

Steve's heart sank to hear Danny talk that way. "You don't know that," he said.

"And you don't know I won't," Danny shot back.

"The bar missed your spine. There's a good chance everything will be fine."

"And there's a good chance it won't." Danny waved his hands. "I'm not clueless here, okay? I hear things. I know no one knows."

"And they won't unless you come back. Please, Danny. I need you. We need you."

Danny looked at the water's edge, at the two figures who had somehow appeared there: a young boy playing patty-cake with a baby girl. Steffie and Matt. His children. The lights of his life. Two of the most important people in his life, right up there with Grace and Steve. He couldn't leave them. But he couldn't subject them to a paralyzed father, either.

Steve seemed to sense his thoughts, which, given their bond, was probably the case. "They don't care," he said. "They'll love you anyway. I'll love you anyway."

Danny stared straight ahead, not meeting Steve's eyes. "I'm scared, Steve. I don't know what's going to happen, and I'm terrified. If I stay here, I don't have to think about it; it's not real. If I stay here, I don't have a hole in my back, and I don't hurt. If I go back, I'll be in pain, excruciating pain, most likely, and I'll have to face the fact that things may never be the same again."

"But you won't face it alone," Steve said. "I'll be there, no matter what. You can't give up, Danny. That's not you. You're a fighter. You'll get through this, no matter what. We'll get through this."

Danny gave a last look at the two figures on the beach and closed his eyes. "You're right. But promise me you'll be there."

Steve reached out and squeezed Danny's hand. "Always." Danny squeezed back. . .

. . .And Steve opened his eyes to find himself back in the hospital room. He would have chalked it up to a dream, but he knew it was real, knew he'd been in Danny's mind through their bond. Now, as long as Danny held up his end of the bargain. . .

Steve felt pressure on his hand again and realized it hadn't been part of the scene in Danny's mind. It was here, now, in this room. "Danny?" Steve asked, voice full of hope.

There was another squeeze, and Danny's eyes fluttered open. "Hurts," he moaned.

Steve let out a choked laugh. "That's good, Danny. It's supposed to hurt. Where does it hurt?"

Danny started to answer, but just moaned.

Shhh, Steve soothed. Don't try to talk. Just think. Where does it hurt?

Everywhere, Danny thought back. My head, my chest, my arms, my legs.

Steve's heart leaped in joy. That's real good, Danny. You know what that means, don't you?

Steve sensed confusion from Danny, so he continued. It means you're not paralyzed. Go on, Danny, wiggle your toes for me.

Danny concentrated. Nothing happened for a minute, then Steve saw a twitch under the blanket. He grinned. That's it. You can do it.

Steve felt relief roll off Danny. Yeah, I can. I'm going to be okay. I'm not paralyzed.

Steve knew it wasn't as simple as that, knew there was a long road ahead, filled with pain, and frustration, and probably anger. None of that mattered right now. Right now, all that mattered was Danny was here, and awake, and wiggling his toes. Steve felt tears streaming down his face as the stress of the last three days evaporated. Yeah, Danny, he thought. Everything's going to be okay.

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A/N: Nieceyluvsfanfic wanted more on the soulmate bond, and so did I, so I'm indulging us. ;) I'm playing with some other ideas, and at some point there will be one with a slightly different perspective on dragon soulmates. . .