Author's Notes: I own very little and nothing at all in connection with Hawaii 5-0.
"If you build the guts to do something, anything, then you better save enough to face the consequences." -Criss Jami
When the gun went off, Anna didn't even try to stop her scream.
Danny's warmth disappeared from her side.
Blue Mask turned and ran toward the back of the store. Anna tried to breathe, tried to hear anything over the sound of her pounding heart. She didn't want to see. She had no desire to look up and see what had happened to Danny.
But he'd been so brave. So composed.
He'd tried to protect her.
She swallowed and looked up. Danny had fallen backwards, and was lying on his back. Anna pushed herself to her hands and knees and moved to his side.
"Oh God," she whispered. The right side of Danny's chest was crimson, the color blooming over his dress shirt. Anna pulled off her cardigan and pressed it to the hole in Danny's chest with trembling hands.
Danny groaned, his blue eyes opening to the ceiling.
"Danny?"
"Anna," he said softly, his hands coming up to lay over hers. "You okay?"
"Yes, Danny," she sobbed, "I'm okay. You've been shot. I don't know what to do!"
"You're doing it," he whispered. "You're doing great." He shifted under hands, his face twisting in pain. "Are they gone?"
"Yeah, I mean, I think so. They went out the back."
"Called for help?" She looked around the room. Everyone was still frozen to the floor, staring at her with something like horror.
"Has anyone called 911?"she asked, forcing her voice not to shake. No one moved. "Goddammit, someone do something!" she screamed. One of the employees finally stood up, reaching for a phone. Suddenly everyone was running for the door or for their phones. Screaming and crying and running.
Danny's hands tightened on hers. She brought her eyes back to his.
"Easy tiger," he breathed, a ghost of a smile on his lips. Anna felt her cheeks burning.
"I coach a rugby team," she said by way of explanation.
"You could make a great...drill sergeant. I've got a partner...he could hook you up."
"No thanks," Anna managed to return his smile. "I'm good." Her cardigan was more red than not. She twisted to see the door behind her. Where was help?
"Anna." She turned back Danny, adjusting her grip on the sweater and studiously ignoring how hard is seemed for Danny to breathe.
"Yeah?"
"My partner...his name is Steve McGarrett. When he gets here...handle him..."
"Handle him?" She frowned down at Danny.
"He can be...difficult."
"He a cop, like you?" Danny gave a soft laugh.
"Cop...sort of. Like me? Absolutely not."
"Does he know you're here? How do you know he's coming?"
"He'll be here."
Anna cringed as cops rushed into the store, followed closely by paramedics. They swooped in, expertly moving her aside. She stood back for a moment, uncertain about what to do, unwilling to just let Danny disappear. Her eyes fell on the phones, wallets and purses still in the middle of the room. She collected her purse and then Danny's things. She thumbed on his phone, searching for a Steve McGarrett. She found the number easily, Number 3 on the speed dial, and hit send. It went to voice mail and she hung up.
What did she say? Hi, you don't know me, but I'm with your partner, who's been shot, you mind popping on down?
"Ma'am? We need to ask you about what happened here," said a uniformed police officer, stepping toward her. The paramedics had Danny on a backboard, ready to move him. She brushed past the cop.
"Where are you taking him? I want to come."
"Miss, we can't allow you to ride along."
"Fine, I'll meet you there, where are you going?"
"Queen's Medical."
"I'll be there." She turned to the cop. "You can get my statement, there, okay? I need to go with him." The officer eyed her, but relented quickly.
"Okay, let me see your ID." He quickly took down her information. "We'll send someone around shortly."
"Thank you," said Anna. "Um...have you seen Steve McGarrett around?"
"No, Ma'am, I haven't seen the Commander." Anna quickly left the store and ran to her car.
She kept trying Steve. After the fourth or fifth try, she finally gave up and called 5-0's offices.
"Kono Kalakaua," answered a female voice.
"Hi, I'm looking for Steve McGarrett?"
"He isn't in the office currently, what I can I do for you?"
"Okay," said Anna, taking a deep breath. "Long story short, my name is Anna Lile. The jewelry store I was in this morning got robbed. There was a member of 5-0 with me, Danny Williams?"
"Go on," said Kono, but Anna could hear the difference in her tone and the sounds of movement.
"He was shot. We're on our way to Queen's Medical right now. I've been trying to contact Steve McGarrett," finished Anna in a rush. "Danny told me to handle him, though I'm not entirely sure what that means."
"You said you're on the way to Queen's?," asked Kono, sounding further away. Anna suspected she'd been put on speaker.
"Yes, I...I'm not sure why I'm going...I just...I wanted someone to be with him."
"Anna, I appreciate that, really. I am going to meet you there, okay?"
"Alright. And Steve McGarrett? Danny really seemed to think he'd be there."
"I am going to do my best to contact him. I'll see you in a few minutes."
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Somehow, she knew it was him the second he barreled through the door. His hair, his clothes, his expression were black and dangerous. He moved to the nurses' station, and she heard Danny's name. There was nothing to know. Danny was in surgery, now it was just waiting.
"Uh, excuse me...Steve?" As he leveled her with his gaze, she was struck by how angry he was. Raging in a way she had never seen on another human being before. He was darkness and force and damn scary. Everything she's planned to say, to explain...the words crumbled.
"Anna?" She turned to see a young woman of Asian descent approaching. She had a kind, open face. "Anna, I'm Kono. We spoke on the phone?"
"Right," breathed Anna, relieved.
"This is Commander Steve McGarrett," introduced Kono, motioning to the man who had stormed in, confirming her fears.
"I need you to tell us everything that happened today. Everything you remember." Anna balked at Steve's tone. She was so done with being told what to do today.
"Anna," soothed Kono, shooting Steve a look. "I realize it's a lot and you've had a rough day, but it will help us catch the guys who did this."
"I know and I want to help." She told them everything she could remember and it was easy at first, like it had been a movie, something happening to someone else. It didn't stay easy.
"The guy in the blue mask kept looking at Danny. Like he knew him. But I don't think he did, he just knew 5- 0 had arrested his brother. And he was really mad about it. Apparently someone held his brother over the edge of a roof?" Anna didn't miss the look Kono shot Steve, but she couldn't stop now or she'd never finish the story. "He wanted to know who it was and he kept asking and asking and Danny said it wasn't him, that he wouldn't do that and then Blue Mask hit him with his gun and there was blood running down Danny's face, but he didn't look scared, you know? He was calm and cool and he kept saying that it wasn't him, it wasn't him..." Anna swallowed thickly. "And then Blue Mask looked at him and said, 'Close enough' and then he just shot him. That has to help, right?"
"Yes, this is important information, Anna. Thank you," reassured Kono. Anna looked at Steve. He didn't look dangerous anymore. He looked shaken, all the color gone from his face. Light dawned, and all at once, Anna got it.
"It was you, wasn't it? That arrested that guy's brother, nearly threw him off a roof?" Steve McGarrett looked down the hallway, avoiding her gaze. Suddenly, she was furious. Her blood pounded in her ears savagely, so hot and fast she didn't even have time to wonder why she felt so strongly.
"He thought you'd be there, he wanted me to look for you. But you weren't," Anna hissed. "And that whole time, he knew it was your fault. Your fault he'd been shot. And he still wanted you there. Where were you? Could you not pick up the damn phone?"
Kono made a motion, but Anna had no intention of stopping. Steve was finally looking at her. He looked like a kicked puppy, but she didn't care. She didn't care how sorry he was.
"I don't know what kind of man you are, Commander. But I know Danny Williams is kind and brave and selfless and I was only in his presence for mere minutes. I know he shouldn't have to pay for your brutality."
Anna spun on her heel and walked away.