Author's note: I AM SO SORRY FOR DOING THAT TO YOU! I truly did not mean to put up that last chapter and then leave you all hanging, wondering if Steve was going to make it or not. That's just cruel of me. I unfortunately was out of town visiting family and my internet access was very limited. I tried to be as accurate as possible with this chapter but I also hold the right to have creative license so that's my disclaimer. Also, this chapter comes to you from 30,000 feet in the air somewhere between Atlanta and Chicago which i think is really freaking cool.

Every man is afraid of something. That's how you know he's in love with you: when he's afraid of losing you."~ Anonymous

Danny was doing his best to make sure that his wince looked like a smile. Kono and Chin were singing Happy Birthday to him in Hawaiian while Grace sang it in English. Together it sounded like garbled mess of words but they all had big smiles plastered on their faces so he tried to smile too.

"Happy birthday Danno!" Grace exclaimed when they were finished.

"Thanks monkey." He said, embracing her as she wrapped her arms around her neck.

"Blow out your candles and make a wish." She instructed him. Danny closed his eyes and let out a big breath. There was only one wish that he could possibly have this year.

Kono pulled the smoking candles off the cake and began to cut big slices. She and Grace had baked and decorated the cake earlier in the day while he and Chin had gone to the batting cages. It had actually been Steve's idea. He knew what it would mean to his partner and he had found a place that he had planned to take Danny to for his birthday. He had told Chin about it in a letter when he realized that he wasn't going to be able to take him.

Chin had been impressed by how effortlessly Danny made it look. He had commented on it and Danny told him that he had played in high school. There had some scouts that had wanted to sign him to a minor league contract until he blew his knee out on a play at the plate. When his baseball dreams had died he fell back on the old family job- police work.

It had made Chin upset at the time. His friend just could not catch a break in life. Every time things seemed to be working out for him life found ways to ruin it for him -baseball career ruined by a bum knee, a family ruined by failed expectations, a partnership currently ruined by a war.

He smiled at his cousin as she placed a hunk of chocolate cake in front of him and chuckled as he looked over at Grace. She had already dug into her piece of cake and was sporting a chocolate beard. Danny laughed too.

"You're supposed to eat it, monkey, not wear it!" Grace just giggled and continued shoving it in. Danny shook his head in defeat and was about to take a bite when he caught it out of the corner of his eye. Someone was making their way up to the door-someone wearing a Navy uniform.

"Steve!" Grace exclaimed. She had followed his stare out the window and seen the man approaching the house. She tried to jump over her father but he held her back.

"No, Grace. That's not Steve."

"Commander, are you with us?" Steve moaned in response. He tried to open his eyes to assess the situation but his eye lids felt like they had been glued shut. "Easy Commander, the anesthesia is still wearing off. Don't try to move your left arm. The doctor has you in traction to set the pins." Steve groaned again.

"How bad?" He muttered his voice rough.

"Your left humorous bone was shattered. The doctor had to clean out the bone shards and put in a titanium rod. You should regain full function but you'll be setting off metal detectors." The nurse explained softly. "You banged your head pretty good too, mild concussion. How's your hearing?"

"Fine. My team?" The nurse face fell a little and she placed a hand on his good arm.

"Lt. Beck has a broken leg, he's also in traction. Doctor says he'll have a limp but make a full recovery." She said, not offering anything else. Steve's heart raced a little.

"Commander James and Lt. Hughes?"

"I'm sorry, Commander. They didn't make it." She informed reluctantly. Steve threw his head back on the pillow.

"Damn it." He cursed.

"I'm sorry, Commander. Try to get some sleep while you've still got the good pain meds." She patted his good arm again.

"Has anyone informed my family yet?"

"I'm sure the Navy has sent someone to inform your family." She assured before leaving him alone. Steve took a deep breath. He knew that Danny would be relieved to know that he was alive but at the same time, he was going to be mad as hell to know he was hurt.

"What day is it?" Steve called out to her before she left the room.

"It's the 25th, Commander." Steve groaned again. "Are you in pain?"

"No…but I will be." The nurse gave him a strange look before leaving again. He muttered under his breath. "Happy Birthday, Danno."

Danny couldn't move. The Navy didn't send someone to the home just to make sure everything was okay. They only sent someone out when something was wrong…very very wrong. Kono abandoned her cake cutting duties to open the door.

"I'm sorry to bother you Miss, but I'm looking for a Daniel McGarrett?" The sailor asked politely. No one questioned the difference in last name. Kono looked back towards the kitchen where Danny was still sitting with Grace on his lap. Chin reached over and grabbed the girl so Danny could get up but he made no attempt. The Naval officer entered the house and stood just inside the doorway. As Kono led the man in to the living room, Danny felt Chin pulling him upwards.

"Come on, brah." He encouraged, though he knew it was the last thing Danny wanted to do. Danny managed to stumble his way over to the couch before collapsing down on it. Grace struggled in her 'uncle's' grasp as she tried desperately to get to her father.

"Gracie, go into the bedroom and play for awhile." He commanded.

"But Danno…." She whined. This man was here to talk about her Steve and she wanted to hear.

"Now Grace." He ordered again. Sensing the seriousness in her father's voice, she reluctantly trudged down the hall. Danny waited until he heard the door close before he turned his attention back to the Navy man.

"I'm Lt. Parker, the Governor has asked me to come and inform you about Lt. Commander Steve McGarrett." He said solemnly.

"Please tell me he's not…" Danny pleaded.

"Lt. Commander McGarrett is alive but he was involved in a roadside attack 2 days ago while en route to an assignment. He was seriously injured along with another member of his unit."

Danny stopped breathing. This couldn't be happening. There was no way that his nightmare was coming true. A roadside attack, the very thing that had been torturing his mind had come so very close to taking Steve away from him. He was paralyzed by fear. It weighed heavy on his chest, choking him. He felt like his heart couldn't beat correctly knowing that a piece of him was damaged-broken.

"How bad?" He managed to gag out.

"Most of his injuries suffered were to the upper body area. His left arm was severely damaged when the Humvee flipped over."

"Did he lose his arm?" Kono whispered fearfully.

"No!" The Lieutenant exclaimed. Danny swallowed the bile that had risen in his throat. "The doctor was able to repair the arm and he should be able to make a full recovery." Relief permeated the room.

"So what happens now?" Danny asked, finding his voice.

"Commander McGarrett will remain at the base hospital in Italy until he's stable enough to make the transport stateside."

"And how long will that take?"

"He won't be able to travel until his arm is out of traction which will probably be about 3 weeks." The Lieutenant explained. Everybody breathed a sigh of relief.

"Is there any way we can talk to him?" Danny needed to know. He would be completely useless until he could hear Steve's voice telling him that he was fine.

"The Governor has offered to arrange for you to travel over to the hospital in Italy and stay with him until he's ready to travel back stateside." Lt. Parker suggested. Danny could only nod in agreement.

The Lieutenant continued on for a few more minutes about other small details but Danny had zoned out. His mind was a foggy with confusing emotions. On one hand he was terrified that his Steve was seriously hurt. When he had originally left, Danny had sworn that if Steve had come back with even one hair on his head misplaced he was going to freak out. Now, as he had just blown out the candles on his birthday cake, he had simply wished for Steve to come home in one piece.

'Close enough' He thought to himself. There was also another emotion that was tugging at him and helping to cause his confusion. There was this joyous feeling that he was sure couldn't be appropriate to have after having learned the man he loved almost died. But he couldn't help it. He was going to get to see Steve. After almost 7 months apart from each other, he was going to get to see him…touch him. It was something he had been craving since the day he left.

It was all of these confusing, conflicting emotions that he was struggling to contain in front of Lt. Parker. So he simply waited until the Naval office had left before breaking down into uncontrollable sobs.