Hello fellas! How's it going today? Not even twenty-four hours after the first chapter, am I out of my damn mind? Probably, but I have inspiration. I did a lot of work today (phew!) to give you this chapter (and think about the coming ones).

Hope you will enjoy ^^


CHAPTER 2

His hand went limp over hers, the wheezing stopped. Her hand on his chest became still. Not even a pump. Nothing.

"Damnit!" Officer Rey cursed, hitting the ground hard with her left fist.

She dried her tears fast enough to have time taking a deep breath at the same time. Steve needed her right now, that was all that mattered. She passed instinctively her fingers over his carotid, trying to find a pulse. Nothing. Nothing at all.

"No, no, no!" she whispered slowly.

As a trained police officer, she was certified for first aid and she knew what she had to do the time for the ambulance to come to their location. So, she tilted his boss' head, using her own hands to open his mouth and clear his airways. She knew that he had blood in his trachea because he had coughed blood earlier, which was already a bad thing. But she didn't think twice; she inhaled deeply and placed her lips on his, blowing air into his lungs to mechanically breathe for him. She gave him two rescue breaths before placing both hands on his chest, one above the other, and started pushing. Hard. Continuously. Just thinking about saving Steve's life. She could feel his sternum giving way under her resuscitation, she heard ribs cracking one after another. After thirty pushes, she forced air into his lungs once again, disgusted by the iron taste she had now inside her mouth. She had McGarrett's blood on her tongue. She wanted to vomit but repressed her nausea deep down and focused on the man lying lifelessly in front of her. She continued her compressions until she could hear screeching tires next to her.

"Tani! What happened!"

Lou's voice didn't stop her from working on Steve to save his life.

"Bullet went through his chest", she said between two pushes, panting. "His heart stopped a couple minutes ago."

"He wasn't wearing his vest?" Lou asked, surprised about this information.

"He has one, the bullet tore it apart and went through."

Lou sighed; he knew that only one type of bullet could do this to a bulletproof vest: a bullet coming out of a polygonal grooves barrel. He knelt down next to Tani, unstoppable in her task, continuing his questions and comforting words.

"Do not stop what you're doing, help is on its way, alright? Can you hear the sirens?"

As she was only focused on what she was currently doing, she never had heard the sirens from the coming ambulance until now. A slight relief traveled her mind as she kept pushing Steve's chest. Sweat was profusely streaming down her entire face, her breathing was cut by each chest compressions she gave, but she didn't stop. Not a chance. She wasn' t giving up on him. Or else, Danny would kill her. Captain Grover could only stare at the duo, frozen by the scene in front of his eyes. His own heart was racing inside his chest, beating harder and harder with passing time, with Steve unmoving form twirling under the strength of Tani. He turned around, noticing that the ambulance had finally reached the site.

"Over here!" he screamed as a first paramedic started running over them.

"Tell me", the latter, a man called O'Hara, asked.

"This is Commander Steve McGarrett, head of 5-0. He got shot in the chest despite wearing a vest. He stopped breathing and his heart stopped beating minutes ago", Lou explained, Tani still doing compressions.

"Morgen, hurry up!" O'Hara shouted to his partner, who came close with two bags full of medical equipment.

"Ma'am, you have to stop CPR. Please."

Officer Rey took quite some time to register what had been asked but soon, she stopped, panting. She could now only watch the paramedics to help her boss, just like Lou. The one in charge grabbed his stethoscope while his colleague unscratched Steve's vest and used scissors to cut open his shirt. Tani couldn't help but to gasp at the sight on the gunshot wound and placed both hands over his mouth. There was a hole in the middle on his chest, where his sternum should be. Where his heart should be too. She turned her gaze toward Lou, who had the same shocking look. Where the bullet went, he just shook his head; this type of bullet was made for not stopping their path, even with a bone blocking the way, it just penetrated and went through it in a blink of an eye. And with a normal anatomy, the heart should be right below, worrying the two 5-0 members even more.

"He's still not breathing but I have a weak pulse."

Tani didn't even sigh in relief, knowing that she shouldn't be satisfied with the situation. She just stared at the inert body, the two paramedics working on him. One was already inserting a needle in his left arm while the other was preparing everything he needed for an endotracheal intubation. For well-trained people, it could take twenty seconds at the most. But Morgen figured out it would be difficult just by tilting his head more, opening his mouth and inserting the laryngoscope.

"Damnit, there's blood in his airways", he explained, trying to find an angle to slide the ET tube. "Can't even see the cords."

Still thinking an action plan, turning around to his colleague.

"O'Hara, is there any suction device on the rig?"

"Yes, the second compartment on your left. Why?"

"I can't see anything", he simply replied. "You, what's your name?"

"Uh... Tani. I'm Tani", she said, half lost.

"Tani, I will need your help. I want you to take this Ambu-bag. Place the mask over the Commander's nose and mouth, and push on the bag every two seconds. Can you do that?"

Without a word, she managed to nod, swallowing hard. The paramedics gave her what she needed and with her trembling hands, she did what was asked: she put the mask over his face and used the bag to force air into Steve's lungs. Doing so, she still could feel this iron taste inside her mouth, urging nausea to come again. Thirty seconds and fifteen respirations later, Morgen came back with what he needed and prepared everything to act quickly.

"Alright, Tani. I will need your help one more time, okay?"

Waiting for an answer from her, the paramedics patiently waited, aware that she had also a part of the 5-0 Task Force, meaning that she was logically shocked by what she was seeing. After a couple more seconds, she nodded, listening carefully.

"When I say 'now', you remove the bag from the mask, you take this suctioning device and I want you to place it where I will put the laryngoscope, can you do that?"

"It won't hurt him? I meant, uh..."

"No, it won't. This is just here to aspirate the blood in his airway so I can secure his breathing, that's all."

"Okay, okay. I am ready."

The paramedic nodded, turning on the device for his homemade paramedic and grabbed the laryngoscope. Noticing how shaky her hands were, he figured that this was the first time she could see her boos badly injured. But there was no time to think about it.

"Alright, now."

Within a second, Tani removed the mask from McGarrett's face and divided the two parts of the bag as asked, taking the suction and waiting for Morgen to insert the laryngoscope once again while his colleague was placing three electrodes on his bare chest for the cardiac monitor.

"Tani, suction."

She shook her hand in order to come back to reality and slid the suction device slowly into his airways. She frowned, not knowing what she was currently doing. What if it wasn't good enough? What if she wasn't doing it right?

"A little more on your left", Morgen instructed.

She moved more on her left, hearing the aspiration. The transparent tube turned into a red one, filled with Steve's blood.

"Don't move, Tani."

She froze, not asking why she had to remain paralyzed. But she understood when she saw the paramedic taking the ET tube in hand and very slowly pushing it into Steve's airways.

"Stop suction."

Officer Rey got the device out and stopped the machine as Morgen removed the laryngoscope and the stylet, placing the bag-valve ventilator on the proximal end of the tube. As he pushed oxygen on the 5-0 leader's lungs, O'Hara used once again his stethoscope to figure out whether the ET tube was in place or not. He placed the bell near his stomach, then both lungs. He nodded, though frowning.

"You're in but breath sounds are diminished on the right side."

"Pneumothorax?"

"If the bullet hit the sternum, it could have deviated to the right."

"Okay, I use a decompression kit?"

"No time, his head is already too weak. He needs the hospital ASAP."

"Queen's?"

"The closest yes. How long to go there?"

"Ten."

"Make it less and I buy you dinner."

"Sounds fine to me."

They moved in synchronization in order to place Steve on a backboard and transport him into the back of the ambulance. Lou ordered Tani to ride with the paramedics as he would follow them with his car, a police car leading the way.


In less than twenty hours, Steve had lost two of the most important people in his life: his best friend and his father. He knew how hard it would be to recover Freddie's, as they were in North fucking Korea. But what was the hardest thing he's ever had to do was to see his dad lying down an autopsy curtain for a recognition. When he saw his face, he knew. He refrained an urge to throw up when he stared at the hole over the left side of his skull, swearing to avenge his father when he would find the son of the bitch who did this. He knew who he was, he knew how he worked. He worked on tracking them down for five years to know that Anton was the brain of the brothers and Viktor was the arms. There was no chance the latter could come with such a plan to free his beloved brother. Someone should have been with him for sure. He decided to go to his house, despite knowing that it should be a crime scene, but he had nowhere else to go. So, he drove the rental car for the Navy, until stopping in front of his dad's house. His childhood's house. When he saw the yellow-black tape around the patio but there was no sign of a police officer, he decided to enter the place. Gathering evidence of someone with him, he went to the garage, a place he could take refuge every single time he had a hard time when he was younger. He even helped his father repairing his car, failing until now. That was when he saw the box. Champ. He remembered his father calling him Champ on the phone, something he never did before. It was surely a clue to lead him to the box. He opened it, finding things he shouldn't see in a toolbox. Pictures, a key. To what? No time; as he was sensitive to sound, he could hear someone approaching the garage. Instinctively, he reached for his military gun, turning around to face a blond and angry man, his gun also in the air.

"You, hands up, don't move!"

"Hey, who are you?!" Steve asked at the same time while the nervous guy approached him.

"Who are you!" he asked as well. "I am Detective Danny Williams!"

"Lieutenant-Commander Steve McGarrett", he named himself, interrupting the police officer. "This is my father's house!"

"Let's shove your weapon down!" Danny ordered to the NavySEAL. "Right now!"

"No, you put yours down! Show me your ID!"

"You show me your ID, right now!" Danny screamed at the same time.

"I'm not putting my gun down", Steve finally said as calmly as possible, his finger on the trigger.

It wasn't that he didn't trust the blond angry man in front of him, it was just that after what he'd just been through, he couldn't trust anyone.

"Neither am I."

Steve swallowed, hearing for the first time a soft voice coming from the short dude.

"Use your free hand, take out your ID."

"Please, after you."

A strong head, I like it, Steve thought inwardly, looking at how he looked like. A tie? Seriously? In Hawaii? He's not from anywhere around the islands for sure.

He knew that the seeming detective wouldn't give up, amused without showing it.

"At the same time?" he proposed, wondering if the officer would enter this game.

"At the same time?" Danny repeated.

"Yeah, at the same time", he finally answered, pissed off.

"Well, like I will count to three?" He asked with a grimace on his face.

"Sure, okay. Three is good."

Inwardly, Steve was laughing so hard. It was like he was with Freddie again. A new version of Freddie, but funnier, angrier and more stubborn. And it was already hard to beat him, that was interesting. He saw Danny's grimacing once again, releasing his left hand from his gun.

"One."

Steve did the same, slowly reaching his purse.

"Two."

He took his ID in hand, opening it and showing his ID, just like the detective in front of him.

"Three."

They both put their gun down and put their ID on their respective pockets.

"Listen, uh. I am really sorry about your father, but you can't be here right now", he explained with a soft tone for the first time since he showed up in the garage. "This is an active crime scene."

"Doesn't seem that active", Steve continued, wondering how much time he could tease his visitor before he could blow.

"I can't share any information with you", Danny said, approaching him again.

"Hesse wasn't here alone when my father was murdered", he confessed, trying to figure out why he was saying this.

That was weird because he didn't want to, but something inside the detective made him wishing to know him more.

"Someone was sitting at his desk in the study, there was a space cleared for a thirteen-inch laptop. And my father hated computers."

"I'm gonna ask you again; you have to leave."

Not fun, he's not even pissed off.

He took the toolbox, ready to leave.

"You got it."

"And you can leave the box. That is evidence", Danny shouted when Steve walked next to him. "You know that."

"I came with this", Steve tried to convince him.

"No, you didn't come with it. It can see the dust from where it was left right here on the counter. What's in the box, what are you hiding inside?"

"For how long you've been in the Honolulu PD?" Steve asked, very much amused by Danny's behavior.

"None of your business. Who are you, Barbara Walters?"

"You know, it is my business if you're investigating my father's death."

I give him thirty seconds before he gives up.

"I am, and I'd like to get back to that, so the sooner you leave the sooner I can."

"Anything you say", he complied, ready to leave the garage once again.

"Leave. The box. Or get arrested. Alright?"

Aw, a challenge. Bite me.

"You're gonna call for backup?"

"An ambulance."

Daddy is angry now.

That was so funny for Steve; he knew he would win a fight with Williams even without knowing who he was. He wanted to know more. Thinking about what the Governor asked him earlier, he stopped, not knowing what to do. He very much liked the Navy, but after what he'd been through, he knew it couldn't be the same anymore. He was lost, angry too. And more, he wanted to know this Detective Williams. And he wanted to track down Viktor Hesse to kill him. What Jameson offered to him was a way to investigate his father's murder without following orders, no questions asked. He smiled, leaving the bow on the unrepaired Mercury Marquis.

"Thank you."

"Don't thank me yet", Steve challenged him while he grabbed his phone.

As he had a look over the Governor's phone number, he had memorized it, so he dialed the number and called.

"What are you doing?" Danny questioned, curious.

Steve asked him to stop taking without even a word.

"May I help you?" a voice came to his ear.

"Uh, yeah. Governor Jameson, please? Tell her it's Steve McGarrett."

"Right away, Sir."

He didn't wait long until he could hear Danny's pissed-off voice.

"Oh, please..."

He put the speaker on, approaching the detective.

"Commander, Governor Jameson here. What can I do for you?"

He removed the speaker, looking at Danny, who was pacing around.

"Governor. I take the job", he said, sure of himself.

"Oh. What changed your mind?"

"Let's just say that I found something that changed my mind", he simply replied.

Or I'd rather say someone changed my mind.

This urge to know more about Danny Williams was so huge that he had to take the job. And it was a good opportunity for him to run away from his daily duty. He wasn't tired of this after more than ten years. But after what happened in North Korea, he wasn't ready to go overseas again. He needed time.

"Okay. I can make it official in an hour."

"No, no immediately. I transfer to the reserve and I'll run your task force."

"Alright, raise your right hand."

"What, like right now?"

"Right now", the Governor confirmed.

He sighed, turning around to not see Danny's unhappy face when he was swearing.

"Okay."

He used his left hand to grab his phone, raising his right hand just as asked.

"Repeat after me: I, Steven J. McGarrett, do solemnly declare on my honor and conscience that I'll act at all times to the best of my ability and knowledge in a matter of befitting and serving the law."

Steve swallowed, knowing by heart this declaration.

"I, Steven J. McGarrett, do solemnly declare, on my honor and conscience, that I'll act at all times to the best of my ability and knowledge, in a matter of befitting and serving the law."

"Thank you, Commander. It's official now: you're head of the newly Hawaii Task Force."

"Thank you, Governor."

He hung up, taking the toolbox once again in his hand, giving a look to Danny at the same time.

"Now, it's my crime scene", he finally declared as he started leaving for the third time.

"What, just like this?"

"Yes, just like this. You got a problem with that?"

"Yes, I have a problem with that. I am investigating your father's death for two days now. And within five minutes, you think you can what... Ask the Governor for help and take the whole investigation? You can't be impartial!"

"I don't want to be impartial, I want to track down the men who killed my father in cold blood."

"This is insane. I'm done", Danny said, waving his hand above his shoulders and passing next to Steve to go out. "I give you my files, do whatever you want."

Now, he's pissed off. Funny, strong-head, warm-blooded. I need to know who he is.

Without a noise or a word, he followed the detective outside in order to reach his car.

A grey Chevrolet Camaro? Someone lives in luxury despite being a cop!

"Here. All I got on the investigation. Now, I leave you alone in your business. Hope to never see you again."

With that, he placed the files on the ground, entered his car and left the place within seconds. Steve smiled, satisfied. I liked this man. He was the complete opposite of who he was, which was why he was teaming with Freddie on the field; with two different ways to do things, missions were done with more efficiency. Steve needed Danny on the team, as his partner. He was sure of this. To remind him on Freddie but also because he was surely a good cop and probably the only person who might be able to possibly stop him from doing things the wrong way or to stand up to him.


In less than seven minutes, Morgen managed to drive as fast as he could to arrive at Queen's hospital in no time. The doors burst open and Tani jumped out of the rig in order to give way to doctors and nurses.

"What do we have?"

"GSW to the chest. Diminished breath sounds on the right, irregular heart rate. BP at 74 over 48, intubated on the field. He had blood on his airways."

"You managed to intubate?"

"I did with suction. His colleague, Tani over here, resuscitated him before we arrived on scene."

"Let's move to the shock room. Go, go, go!"

Officer Rey could only follow the gurney as they all wheeled it to the closest emergency room, closely chased by Lou. Once arrived, she was about to pass her hand over her face, but the smell of blood stopped her immediately. She looked down at her hands, slightly trembling; they were reddish. Steve's blood. She couldn't help it; she found the closest toilets and entered, pouring water on her hands as she tried to remove any traces of blood. And she cried. She cried because she didn't know if he was going to make it. She cried because all the adrenaline was rushing out of her system and she couldn't handle it anymore.


A/N: alright! For now, Steve is still alive although weakened. This part in italic is part of the story we really had on the show. There is some different point of view, so that you all could see (from my own point of view) what Steve was thinking about the scene when it happened. This first part is from the pilot of the TV show, when Danny and Steve met the first time in the garage. And YES, I went through the show in English again to give you the good dialogue despite my not-too-good level in English. There are six more parts to find out through the story, each one with Steve's point of view and more.

SO, what do you think so far? Please, leave me a review, so that I can see your thoughts ^^

Oh, and by the way, you should hear McDanno's French voice! They are PERFECT, especially Danno ^^ It fits the character so well lol

There are some French video on youtube (their arguments most of the time)